2026-02-04 14:00
2026-02-04 14:31
2026-02-04 17:10
2026-02-04 13:01
2026-02-04 11:51
2026-02-04 19:52
As a member of the Crew Operations Office, Erin Edwards and her team manage astronaut candidate training schedules, including field medical exercises, land survival, and underwater operations at NASAâs Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston. She also develops and tests new training programs to keep crews mission-ready.
Along with her role as a crew operations officer, Edwards works in the International Space Station Mission Control Center as a capsule communicator, or capcom, and instructor. As a capcom, she must be fluent in the language of the spacecraft and its operations to clearly relay important information to the crew, especially during dynamic operations.
Read on to learn about Edwardsâ career with NASA and more!
Where are you from?
Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada.
How long have you been working for NASA?
Iâve been at NASA for two years. My term here with the military is three years.
What was your path to NASA?
Super random! I’m a Canadian military pilot, previously working in the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command as an aircraft commander on the CH-146 Griffon. While we use a lot of space-based assets in aviation, the leap to human spaceflight was unexpected.
An opportunity for an officer to work in the astronaut office as a capcom arose a few years ago. As a lifelong space nerd, I figured it would be an amazing opportunity. I applied and was interviewed, and before long, was posted to NASAâs Johnson Space Center as the first Canadian non-astronaut to be posted as a capcom and later as an operations officer.
How would you describe your job to family or friends that may not be familiar with NASA?
My team and I organize the unassigned crew and astronaut candidatesâ work lives! As a capcom, I help translate what the engineers are saying in the flight control room for the astronauts aboard the station, and I help with the station activities as call sign Houston. More recently I’ve been assigned as the TH57 Helicopter Project Pilot at AOD to help get that fleet integrated for more lunar-focused Space Flight Readiness Training.
What advice would you give to young individuals aspiring to work in the space industry or at NASA?
Just go for it! You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, as Wayne Gretzky said. My background as a military helicopter pilot, Navy diver, and mining engineer may appear to have no relevance to NASA, but that diverse experience has turned out to be useful here as an operations officer for astronaut training. I wouldn’t have known that if I hadn’t thrown my hat in the ring. No matter your technical background, thereâs probably a place for it in spaceflight. Your experience has unique ways of benefiting such complex, multifaceted programs like spaceflightâso give it a shot!
Is there a space figure you’ve looked up to or someone that inspires you?

Erin Edwards
Deputy Branch Chief for Crew Operations and Capsule Communicator
Honestly, there isn’t a single person, but I think what NASA and my own country’s space program, like others, have committed themselves to as a giant team is what has inspired me over the years. I think I was inspired by that, the mission, and the culture of a united effort of so many to do hard things.
What is your favorite NASA memory or the most meaningful project you’ve worked on during your time with NASA?
There are two! After only a few months at NASA, I was told by my soon-to-be boss, James ‘Vegas’ Kelly, that I was selected to take over NASA astronaut Jonny Kim’s operations job. This was a huge vote of confidence for me as a new team member from Canada. The second was sending my first transmission to the station as a qualified capcom, which was incredibly cool. I am just a big nerd from a small town in Canada, and never in a million years did I think I would be at NASA at that console, so it was a little mind blowing.
What do you love sharing about station?

Erin Edwards
Deputy Branch Chief for Crew Operations and Capsule Communicator
People always seem surprised at how big the teams are that support the station and how collaborative of an effort it is. It stretches across disciplines, centers, and even countries. That information is critical for solving problems here on Earth.
November 2, 2025, marked 25 years of continuous human presence. What does this milestone mean to you?
A quarter century of science and partnership aboard the orbital laboratory is a testament to what we can do as a global society when we really want to. To me personally, being able to be here with people who have worked in space or help train the people going next is such a full circle situation. I dreamed of working on a team like this, and it happened 20 years later. That opportunity to fulfill a dream and represent Canada as part of the ISS program means a lot to me!
If you could have dinner with any astronaut, past or present, who would it be?
I was never able to meet Sally Ride. I think I would have loved to ask her some questions and hear her story in person.
Do you have a favorite space-related memory or moment that stands out to you?
Dr. Robert Thirsk, a Canadian astronaut, spoke to my elementary school in 1996, which he had attended years earlier. I was in sixth grade, and it was a formative interaction. Hearing him talk so passionately about his shuttle mission and life with his team aboard the orbiter was absolutely lifechanging. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I decided then that I wanted to work in space. That set my course for life. I’ll likely never get to space, but I got pretty close, and it is really something to pursue a goal like that for so long and have it work out, almost
What are some of the key projects you have worked on during your time at NASA? What have been your favorite?
Being able to put my operational helicopter background to use in helping to build the helicopter flight program here has been a really cool and unexpected opportunity! I happened to be the right person at the right time with the right skill set to make a difference in that aspect of training. I’m proud of that.
What are your hobbies/things you enjoy doing outside of work?
I’m in my forties, but still really like playing contact rugby, which is such a fun sport. Between the tactics, teamwork, bashing into people on the pitch, and a cheeky beer after a game, it’s a great way to spend a weekend. I run a lot and, when I can, climb â any kind of climbing, sport, bouldering, trad, ice climbing. All of it!
Day launch or night launch?
Night launch!
Favorite space movie?
Apollo 13. Obviously.
NASA Worm or Meatball logo?
Meatball!
NASA and its partners have supported humans continuously living and working in space since November 2000. After 25 years of continuous human presence, the space station remains a training and proving ground for the future of commercial space stations, deep space missions, enabling NASAâs Artemis campaign, lunar exploration, and future Mars missions.
Every day, we are conducting exciting research aboard our orbiting laboratory that will help us explore farther into space and bring benefits back to people on Earth. You can keep up with the latest news, videos, and pictures about space station science on the Station Research & Technology news page. It is a curated hub of space station research digital media from Johnson and other centers and space agencies.
Sign up for our weekly email newsletter to get the updates delivered directly to you.
Follow updates on social media at @Space_Station on X, and on the space station accounts on Facebook and Instagram.
2026-02-04 18:09
The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) conducted a technical assessment to evaluate alternatives to dichloromethane, traditionally used for bonding transparent polymeric materials. This effort was initiated in response to potential regulatory restrictions under the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which could impact critical bonding processes used in spaceflight hardware and experimental systems.
Download PDF: Evaluation of Adhesive and Solvent Alternatives for PolymericBonding Applications
2026-02-04 18:00
8 min read
THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED ON FEBRUARY 4, 2026
This Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) solicitations page compiles the opportunities to collaborate with NASAâs aeronautical innovators and/or contribute to their research to enable new and improved air transportation systems.
Most opportunities to participate in research are officially announced through the Web-based NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System, better known as NSPIRES. You are encouraged to visit the NSPIRES web site, create an account, and sign up for automated email announcements.
Other types of collaborative opportunities, such as those involving Requests for Information or academic research contests, also are included on this page.
This ARMD Solicitations page has four major sections:
March 20, 2026
NASA Aerospace Skilled Technical Workforce Hubs Proposal deadline.
This opportunity seeks proposals to establish state or regionally focused Skilled Technical Workforce Hubs (NAS_Hubs) that will serve as strategic centers for developing and sustaining a skilled technical workforce aligned with aerospace industry and NASA mission needs. The NAS_Hub Notice of Funding Opportunity has been released and may be found in NASAâs Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) on the NAS_Hub landing page.
Key Dates
About the Opportunity
The rapid expansion of the space economy and renewed national priorities in human space exploration have created an urgent demand for a robust skilled technical workforceâindividuals in critical science- and engineering-based roles who do not require a bachelorâs degree. To address nationwide shortages and ensure U.S. competitiveness in aerospace and defense, NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement is launching the NASA Aerospace Skilled Technical Workforce Hubs (NAS_Hub) initiative.
Through this notice NASA seeks lead organizations to establish hubs that:
NAS_Hubs will serve as focal points for aligning education, workforce, industry, and government partners to accelerate workforce readiness over a three-year period of performance.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants include:
Proposals must include partnerships with, at a minimum:
Award Information
How to Apply
Proposals must be submitted electronically via NSPIRES. Registration in NSPIRES and an active SAM.gov registration are required.
Pre-Proposal Webinar and Technical Assistance
NASA will host an interactive pre-proposal webinar for the NAS_Hub opportunity on Feb. 18, 2026, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. ET. This session will provide an in-depth overview of this funding opportunity, including program goals, eligibility requirements, proposal preparation guidance, and submission tips. Proposers will also have the opportunity to receive technical assistance and clarification from NASA staff. Prior to attending a webinar, proposers are strongly encouraged to review the full NAS_Hub notice and to check the NAS_Hub landing page in NSPIRES regularly for updates and additional guidance.
Please note that registration is required for the webinar. Connection details will be provided upon completion of registration. Webinar dates, times, registration links, and connection information will be posted on the NAS_Hub landing page in NSPIRES, which also will feature recordings and presentation materials from the webinar after the event for those unable to attend.
Office Hours Session
March 3, 2026, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. ET
Last opportunity for questions prior to the proposal deadline. Join the office hours session here.
Contact Information
For technical assistance with NSPIRES
NSPIRES Help Desk available MondayâFriday, 8:00 AMâ6:00 PM ET
(202) 479-9376
nspires-help@nasaprs.comÂ
Program Contact
Maria Arredondo
Next Gen STEM Program Manager
NASA Office of STEM Engagement
Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters
Email: NAS_Hub@nasaprs.com
NASAâs nationwide team of aeronautical innovators are committed to giving students of all ages opportunities to solve some of the biggest technical challenges facing the aviation community today. Through NASA-sponsored challenges and competitions, students representing multiple disciplines will put their skills to work by designing and building solutions to real-world problems.
View the full ACERO RFI announcement here.
NASA’s Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations (ACERO) project used this request for information to identify technologies that addressed current challenges facing the wildland firefighting community. NASA was seeking information on data collection, airborne connectivity and communications solutions, unmanned aircraft systems traffic management, aircraft operations and autonomy, and more. This would support development of a partnership strategy for future collaborative demonstrations.
Interested parties were requested to respond to this notice with an information package submitted via https://nari.arc.nasa.gov/acero-rfi no later than 4 pm ET, October 15, 2023. Submissions were accepted only from U.S. companies.
View the full AAM RFI announcement here.
This request for information is being used to gather market research for NASA to make informed decisions regarding potential partnership strategies and future research to enable Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). NASA is seeking information from public, private, and academic organizations to determine technical needs and community interests that may lead to future solicitations regarding AAM research and development.
This particular RFI is just one avenue of multiple planned opportunities for formal feedback on or participation in NASAâs AAM Mission-related efforts to develop these requirements and help enable AAM.
The respond by date for this RFI closed on Feb. 1, 2025, at 6 p.m. EST.
Advanced Air Vehicles Program Fellowship Opportunities
(View the full ROA-2025 NRA Amendment 1 text here.)
This announcement solicits proposals from accredited U.S. institutions for research training grants to begin the academic year. This Notice of Funding Opportunity is designed to support independently conceived research projects by highly qualified graduate students in disciplines needed to help advance NASAâs mission, thus affording these students the opportunity to directly contribute to advancements in STEM-related areas of study. These opportunities are focused on innovation and the generation of measurable research results that contribute to NASAâs current and future science and technology goals.
Research proposals are sought to address the key challenges summarized in the Elements section at the end of the Amendment 1 document, and which reference NASA’s Hypersonic Technology project.
Reflecting the Fiscal Year 2026 budget changes, the Transformational Tools & Technologies project opportunities originally described in this announcement were cancelled. Proposals citing this project will not be evaluated.
Notices of Intent are not required.
A budget breakdown for each proposal is required, detailing the allocation of the award funds by year. The budget document may adhere to any format or template provided by the applicant’s institution. Two pre-proposal teleconferences for potential proposers will be held and meeting links will be posted on NSPIRES.
Proposals were due by 5 p.m. EDT on June 11, 2025.
Competition for NRA awards is open to both academia and industry.
The current open solicitations for ARMD Research Opportunities are ROA-2024 and ROA-2025.
Here is some general information to know about the NRA process.
2026-02-04 16:57
5 min read
NASA is leveraging expertise, capabilities, and partnerships across its centers to make Artemis campaign and deep space exploration safer, more reliable, and efficient. At NASAâs Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, contributions include technical leadership, unique flight-testing capabilities, and management of a key technology program that advances critical exploration concepts.
Artemis II is an upcoming challenging test flight, and the lessons learned will directly prepare NASA to return humans to the surface of the Moon on Artemis III and beyond, as well as send the first astronauts â Americans â to Mars.

As preparations continue for the Artemis II launch, NASA Armstrong technicians modified a Gulfstream G-III to collect heat shield data during Orionâs reentry. As part of NASAâs Scientifically Calibrated In-Flight Imagery, the G-III will join other aircraft to capture Orionâs thermal protection data.
âBefore the Artemis II mission begins, the aircraft will complete a dress rehearsal over the Pacific Ocean to verify the airborne system performance,â said Robert Navarro, NASA Armstrong support aircraft fleet project manager.
Technicians at NASAâs Johnson Space Center in Houston installed sensors and special windows for the imagery mission with assistance from NASA Armstrong technicians.

NASA Armstrong also assists with the Orion heat shield spectrometer system for Artemis II. The system is designed to collect shock layer radiation data from the heat shield during atmospheric entry, data that will be used to enhance astronaut safety.
NASA Armstrongâs expertise in integrating technologies, high reliability flight test instrumentation, and flight operations are a match for some Artemis and deep space projects.
âThere is nothing that can go to space or come back without going through the atmosphere, so our mission of atmospheric flight research and test is very relevant,â said Brad Flick, NASA Armstrong center director. âWe specialize in testing technologies and working through the challenges of flight.â

NASA Armstrong demonstrated that approach when it tested a system to enable Artemis astronauts to escape harm in the event of an emergency on the ground, or in the boost phase of the Orion spacecraft.
âWe proved the system could get the astronauts to safety,â said Cathy Bahm, project manager for NASAâs Low Boom Flight Demonstrator. Earlier in her career, she played key roles in engineering, integration, and management for Pad Abort-1 and Ascent Abort-2 that validated the Orion spacecraftâs launch abort system.
Armstrong integrated and tested the capsule and abort system and operations at the launch abort pad at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico for the Pad Abort-1 test.
âHopefully weâll never need it, but knowing I contributed to the safety of future astronauts is a highlight of my career,â Bahm said. âLooking back on it, it was a tremendous accomplishment for the center, the team, and a contribution to the future of space travel.â

Another contributor to future space travel is the Flight Opportunities program, which matures capabilities needed for NASA missions and commercial applications while strategically investing in the growth of the U.S. commercial spaceflight industry. NASA Armstrong manages the program, which supports flight testing of promising technologies, instruments, and experiments aboard commercial vehicles. Part of the agencyâs Space Technology Mission Directorate, the program identifies the best ideas â from industry, academia, and NASA researchers â for flight testing.
Flight Opportunities advanced precision landing and optical communications technologies for future lunar missions.
âLanding safely in shadowed lunar regions is critical,â said Greg Peters, Flight Opportunities program manager.
Another deep space technology Flight Opportunities supported was a vibration isolation platform that helped provide extremely precise pointing for the Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration. That instrument used lasers to transmit data between Earth and the Psyche spacecraft from more than 215 million miles away, which could benefit future missions to Mars.
NASA Armstrong tested Doppler Lidar system navigation on an F/A-18 to prepare for Moon and Mars missions.
NASA Armstrongâs work supporting Artemis and future deep space exploration missions also includes:
Under the Artemis campaign, NASA is returning humans to the Moon for economic benefits, scientific discovery, and to prepare for crewed missions to Mars.
2026-02-04 16:23
This Jan. 29, 2026, photo captures the streak the Varda Space Industries W-5 capsule made while returning to Earth. The capsule uses a protective heat shield Varda produced made of cutting-edge material it licensed from NASA. The material, known as C-PICA (Conformal Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator), provides a stronger, less expensive, and more efficient thermal protection coating to capsules, allowing them â and their valuable contents â to return to Earth safely.
Developed at NASAâs Ames Research Center in Californiaâs Silicon Valley, C-PICA sets the standard for heat shields, reflecting the decades of expertise that NASA brings to designing, developing, and testing innovative thermal protection materials. This flight test of Varda-produced C-PICA was supported by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program.
Image credit: Varda Space Industries/William Godward
2026-02-04 20:24
2026-02-04 18:08
2026-02-04 17:56
2026-02-04 17:56
2026-02-04 17:00