Glenn Research Center

Supersonic flight became a reality in October 1947, when the Bell X-1 rocket plane broke the sound barrier.

Posted February 22, 2024

Flame Burns Out on NASA’s Long-Running Spacecraft Fire Experiment

NASA recently concluded the final mission of its Spacecraft Fire Safety Experiment, or Saffire, putting a blazing end to an eight-year series of investigations that provided insights into fire’s behavior in space. The final experiment, Saffire-VI, launched to the International Space Station in August 2023 and concluded its mission on Jan.

Posted February 15, 2024

Glenn Research Center

January 2024 Retirements

Robert Paulin Aerospace Test Branch, retired Jan. 3, 2024, with 40 years of NASA service. James Douglas Kiser (Not Pictured) Ceramic and Polymer Composites Branch, retired Jan. 12, 2024, with 41 years of NASA service.

Posted February 14, 2024

Glenn Research Center

AeroSpace Frontiers

Newsletters

Solar Eclipses

NASA Trains Teachers on Upcoming Solar Eclipse

On Monday, April 8, Northeast Ohioans will get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a total solar eclipse. During this rare natural phenomenon, the Moon will pass between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun and darkening the sky for nearly four minutes. Teachers, librarians, and community leaders from across Northeast Ohio […]

Posted February 14, 2024

Glenn Research Center

AeroSpace Frontiers

Astronauts

Humans in Space

NASA Participates in “Ohioans in Space” Painting Unveiling

Representatives from NASA Headquarters and NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland participated in the unveiling of the “Ohioans in Space” painting at a large gala at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus on Jan. 24.

Posted February 14, 2024

Glenn Research Center

AeroSpace Frontiers

Newsletters

NASA’s Day of Remembrance

Every year on NASA’s Day of Remembrance, the agency pauses to honor the sacrifice of the NASA family members who gave their lives to advance the cause of exploration. Employees remember friends and colleagues, including the crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia. A key element in observances across the agency centers […]

Posted February 14, 2024

Glenn Research Center

International Space Station (ISS)

First Look: Spaceplane Stacked and Shaken at NASA Test Facility

Nose-up and bathed in soft blue lights, Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spaceplane and its Shooting Star cargo module cast dramatic shadows onto the walls of NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, as members of the media got their first glimpse of the towering 55-foot-tall stack on Feb. 1. The spaceplane and its cargo […]

Posted February 7, 2024

Glenn Research Center

Solar Eclipses

NASA, Great Lakes Science Center to Host Eclipse Media Preview Day

Media are invited to attend an open house from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, Feb. 13, at Great Lakes Science Center, home of the NASA Glenn Visitor Center. During the open house, news outlets will get a preview of the Science Center’s Total Eclipse Fest, which is scheduled to take place April 6-8, and […]

Posted February 7, 2024

Glenn Research Center

Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)

Cryogenic Fluid Management (CFM)

Technology Demonstration

NASA Tests New Spacecraft Propellant Gauge on Lunar Lander

Editor’s note, Feb. 6, 2024: This article has been updated to clarify that the Radio Frequency Mass Gauge estimates how much propellant is available in a tank. It does not make an exact measurement. It’s easy to measure fuel in tanks on Earth, where gravity pulls the liquid to the bottom. But in space, the game […]

Posted February 6, 2024

Glenn Research Center

Fission Surface Power (FSP)

Space Technology Mission Directorate

NASA’s Fission Surface Power Project Energizes Lunar Exploration

NASA is wrapping up the initial phase of its Fission Surface Power Project, which focused on developing concept designs for a small, electricity-generating nuclear fission reactor that could be used during a future demonstration on the Moon and to inform future designs for Mars.

Posted January 31, 2024