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Hubble coin: The U.S. Mint revealed the art for its 2020 American Innovation $1 coins on Tuesday (June 30), including a golden dollar featuring the Hubble Space Telescope. To be issued later this year, Maryland's entry in the ongoing series will depict the venerable observatory above Earth surrounded by a field of stars. The coin's release will come 30 years after the Hubble Telescope was launched.
Mary W. Jackson NASA HQ: Located along "Hidden Figures Way," NASA's main office in Washington, DC, was named on Wednesday (June 24) for one of the agency's (no longer) hidden figures. The Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building honors a trailblazer: the first African American female engineer to work at NASA. Jackson's role in space history was part of the 2016 film "Hidden Figures."
Christa McAuliffe coin: The Commission of Fine Arts and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee reviewed the U.S. Mint's designs for the 2021 Christa McAuliffe coin and each selected the artwork that was favored by the family of the fallen "Teacher in Space." The designs feature the space shuttle Challenger payload specialist in profile on the obverse and the educator teaching her students on the reverse. Timed to coincide with the 35th anniversary of the Challenger tragedy, the sale of the silver dollars will benefit the FIRST robotics competition and STEM programs.
STS to SLS: The segments for the two solid rocket boosters that will lift off on the Artemis I mission with the first Space Launch System (SLS) rocket are now in Florida, having been delivered by train to NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The shuttle-era hardware, which previously flew on 40 missions, was serviced and loaded with solid propellant by Northrop Grumman before being shipped from Utah.
Starline-VR: Astronauts preparing to launch on Boeing's new commercial spacecraft can now train inside the Starliner while still sitting in their offices, living in their crew quarters or otherwise being apart from their simulator in Houston. Using Varjo's virtual reality (VR) headsets, Boeing crew members can replicate and practice flying any phase of their mission, interacting with the Starliner's controls and each other, using human-eye resolution VR renderings.
Flag captured: A day after arriving on board the International Space Station, Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken claimed victory on behalf of SpaceX in a game of capture the flag. The two Demo-2 crewmates displayed the United States flag left by the final space shuttle mission for the first U.S. company to launch astronauts to the station. The flag will be returned to Earth aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon.
'Dragon arriving': Before Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley arrived aboard the International Space Station on Sunday (May 31), they first had a chance to take control of their SpaceX Crew Dragon ("Endeavour"). Flying by touch (the capsule is equipped with touchscreens), the two found it flew "just like the sim." The capsule then took over, flying the first autonomous docking by a U.S. crewed vehicle.
Bob & Doug's excellent machine: From its start, SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft was designed to be a 21st century capsule, so its first astronaut crew resisted adding their own touches from the past. DM-2 crewmates Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley avoided turning the Dragon into "Bob and Doug's excellent machine," though as veterans of the space shuttle, did customize their craft with Velcro.
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Ship to station: Just hours after returning to the surface from the deepest point on Earth, astronaut-aquanaut Kathy Sullivan was able to share her experience with the crew on the International Space Station. "ISS, this is [the] DSSV Pressure Drop, Kathy Sullivan on this end. We read you loud and clear," radioed Sullivan to Chris Cassidy, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley. During the long distance, space to sea call, the astronauts compared their commercial craft, exchanged congratulations and pledged to meet again.
Space to sea: The first U.S. woman to walk in space has become the world's first woman to reach the deepest point on Earth. Kathryn Sullivan, who as a NASA astronaut launched on board the space shuttle Challenger, dove to Challenger Deep at the bottom of the Mariana Trench in the Western Pacific Ocean. Sullivan's dive aboard the deep sea submersible "Limiting Factor" was a part of the "Ring of Fire" expedition organized by Caladan Oceanic.
Mark of the Dragon: You can now mark the historic first docking by a commercial crewed spacecraft with a stamp and an envelope (or postcard). A new pictorial postmark depicting SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule approaching the International Space Station is now available on request from the U.S. post office serving the NASA Johnson Space Center community in Houston. The postmark can be set for any date, allowing its use for future SpaceX missions, too.
Tremor: What is pink and blue and sequined all over? Tremor, the "stowaway" aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour. Revealed by Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken as the toy Apatosaurus chosen by their dinosaur-loving sons, the zero-g indicator is part of the Ty Flippables line of color-changing stuffed dolls. Tremor began to float after the spacecraft entered Earth orbit, tethered to an empty seat.
Capsule 206: The United States now has its third crewed spacecraft named "Endeavour." Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley revealed the name of their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule after it carried them into Earth orbit. Behnken and Hurley chose "Endeavour" for the retired space shuttle on which they first flew. The name was first selected by the Apollo 15 crew for their moon-bound command module.
The 'worm': After 30 years being buried, the "worm" is back in force. NASA's retired logo, which was in use at the agency from 1975 to 1992, has gone from being limited to apparel and souvenirs to becoming part of SpaceX's historic first launch of astronauts. "The NASA style guide is very clear, the worm no longer exists — but I write the style guide," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said about the decision to bring back the worm for the Demo-2 mission.
Human Kind: Tristan Eaton is no stranger to seeing his work in high places. A street artist who has created designer toys, Eaton's multi story tall murals have graced the side of city buildings. But his next exhibition is bound for new heights. "Human Kind," his series of indestructible, two sided paintings, is flying on SpaceX's first Dragon to launch with NASA astronauts to the International Space Station.
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