Latest news with #72
Los Angeles Times
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Huntington Beach Councilmember Gracey Van Der Mark announces state Assembly bid
Gracey Van Der Mark is perhaps the one Huntington Beach City Council member who has most embodied the beach city's battles with state leadership in Sacramento. Now, she will be running for a state position herself. Van Der Mark has tossed her hat into the 2026 race for the state Assembly District 72 seat currently held by Diane Dixon. The district includes the Orange County cities of Aliso Viejo, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Lake Forest and Newport Beach. Dixon, who like Van Der Mark is a Republican, is in her second term. She announced recently that next year she will be challenging incumbent Democrat Katrina Foley for her position as the Orange County Supervisor representing the 5th District, leaving the Assembly seat up for grabs. Following unsuccessful bids for the Ocean View School District Board of Trustees in 2018 and the Huntington Beach City Council in 2020, Van Der Mark was elected in 2022 along with fellow Republicans Pat Burns (the current mayor), Mayor Pro Tem Casey McKeon and Tony Strickland. When fellow conservatives Chad Williams, Butch Twining and Don Kennedy also were elected last November, some started calling the council the 'MAGA-nificent Seven.' Strickland left for higher office earlier this year, after having a successful run for the vacant state Senate District 36 seat. His seat on the council is now filled by celebrity chef Andrew Gruel. 'I've always said I will go wherever I'm needed,' Van Der Mark, who served as the city's first Latina mayor last year, said in an interview Monday. 'This is a situation where we need a strong conservative voice for the state Assembly. We'll be losing another Republican in Diane Dixon ... and I expect to continue that legacy. It's a risk, but it's worth it. As long as we're fighting to continue to make our state stronger, it's a risk worth taking.' Van Der Mark added that she wants to bring common sense government back to Sacramento, citing often debated policies in Huntington Beach such as voter ID, displaying only government and military flags on government property and a Parents' Right to Know ordinance. Surf City voters approved the first two issues with Measures A and B last year, though state Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta has continued to fight the city's voter ID law in appellate court. 'I believe parents deserve more accountability in our kids' education, in their lives and decision-making,' Van Der Mark said. 'I'm definitely a strong believer in local control, and those are the things I would like to fight for up in Sacramento.' She has also been front and center in the battle over the city's public library. Measure A, which would repeal a parent/guardian review board approved by Van Der Mark and her colleagues, is up for special election June 10 along with Measure B. The latter measure requires voter approval before outsourcing of library operations.
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Science
- Time of India
NASA astronaut Don Pettit to discuss his seven-month space mission on April 28; check live streaming details, time and how you can participate
Source: NASA NASA is set to broadcast a live news conference on Monday, April 28, at 2 p.m. EDT, in which astronaut Don Pettit will provide insights into his recent space mission on the International Space Station (ISS). Pettit arrived back on Earth on April 19 and spent 220 days in space during Expeditions 71 and 72. Pettit will give an overview of his experiences, scientific discoveries, and achievements during the conference. The event will be live streamed on NASA's website, with media and public opportunities to join via phone or social media. A live Q&A will then appear on NASA's Instagram account. NASA astronaut Don Pettit to host live conference on his recent space mission On Monday, April 28, at 2 p.m. EDT, NASA will host a live press conference in Houston at the Johnson Space Center. Astronaut Don Pettit will give engaging descriptions of his recent trip aboard the International Space Station (ISS) during the press conference. This event will be webcast live online on the NASA website, and the public will have an opportunity to track along. Instructions on how to view the live stream on various digital media will be posted on NASA's official website. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo Don Pettit to host live conference: Media interactions According to the NASA reports, press reporters who wish to view the news conference in person will need to contact the NASA Johnson newsroom by today, Thursday, April 24, at 5 p.m. EDT. The newsroom may be reached by dialing 281-483-5111 or jsccommu@ may be emailed. In this way, the news conference can have all the media present in person and be organised and safe. For those unable to attend in person, the conference will be made available remotely as well. U.S. news media participants who wish to participate by phone need to call the newsroom at least two hours before the event begins. To pose questions by phone, news media representatives need to dial in at least 10 minutes before the start of the conference. This openness allows media practitioners to draw on Pettit's mission and pose pertinent questions regardless of where they are located geographically. NASA invites public to ask questions #AskNASA campaign In an attempt to trigger participation throughout the event, NASA is inviting the public to ask questions to astronaut Don Pettit as the event is streamed live. The attendees can do so through social media under the hashtag #AskNASA. The move promotes more interaction with the space community and provides people with a chance to interact with the experts firsthand and learn more about Pettit's mission and space exploration science. Instagram Q&A session In addition to the live conference, NASA will also organize a live question-and-answer session with Pettit on the agency's Instagram account. The post-conference Q&A session will allow for further discussion and an open forum to let the users live Pettit's experience and the importance of his mission. Astronaut Don Pettit successfully returned after 220 days Astronaut Don Pettit returned on April 19 (April 20, local Kazakhstan time) after finishing his mission aboard the ISS. He was joined by Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner. The return was symbolic since it occurred on Pettit's birthday, which was April 20 and he was also turning 70. Pettit's successful space flight, coupled with the celebration of his landmark, is the outstanding record of an experienced astronaut who has spent close to six months working in outer space. For this mission, Pettit flew on Expeditions 71 and 72 as a flight engineer. For this mission, he spent a total of 220 days in space, bringing his career total to 590 days in space on four spaceflights. Pettit is one of the most seasoned astronauts in NASA history with keen interest in the development of space science and technology. Don Pettit's notable contributions During his mission, Pettit and other astronauts completed 3,520 orbits around the Earth, the distance of 93 million miles. The long travel was an indication of the complexity and scale of traveling in space and the continuous utilisation of the ISS towards facilitating global scientific research. During their venture, Pettit and his crew saw six visiting spacecraft come and seven depart, resupplying the space station with necessary supplies, equipment, and crew exchanges. Exchanges of this nature are crucial in maintaining the station operational and facilitating the research being carried out onboard. Throughout his stay on the ISS, Don Pettit helped develop some of the most vital technologies and science. Some of his most notable contributions were attempts to advance on-orbit metal 3D printing, a leading-edge technology and one with the potential to have a phenomenal impact on missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond in the future. He also developed water sanitisation technologies to provide astronauts with clean water for long-duration missions. The research has broader implications, such as remote areas on Earth with no access to clean water. Pettit's research also included monitoring for the effect of space on biological processes. He cultivated plants under conditions of differing water, which could tell us about supporting life on long-duration spaceflight. Pettit also studied the conduct of fire in microgravity, which has serious safety concerns for any future spaceflight to occur. These tests are essential to pursue human space travel because they involve addressing the long-duration space home residency challenges directly. Aside from his scientific endeavours, Pettit was also successful in capturing the beauty of space. He snapped more than 670,000 photos during his mission, the majority of which he posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account for all to see. His images provided an amazing glimpse into life aboard the ISS, ranging from breathtaking vistas of the Earth to the day-to-day operations of the space station. Pettit's photographs are now a photographic history of his mission, and they enable people to see for themselves the shock and awe of space travel. His commitment to sharing these photographs is evidence of his willingness to open up the imagination of those who will follow him. Also Read | NASA's Hubble Space Telescope marks 35 years with a captivating new view of the Sombrero Galaxy's hat-like structure
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Veteran NASA astronaut Don Pettit returns to Earth on 70th birthday
April 20 (UPI) -- Veteran NASA astronaut Don Pettit celebrated his 70th birthday as he returned to Earth from a seven-month stay at the International Space Station, during which he completed Expeditions 71 and 72. Pettit is the oldest currently serving astronaut in the U.S. and has flown to space four times, logging some 590 days in orbit throughout his career. He is the second-oldest American astronaut to visit space after John Glenn's famed 1998 mission at the age of 77. "The feeling of being home is directly proportional to how far you have traveled. When going out to dinner, you feel home when pulling into the driveway," Pettit wrote in a post on social media ahead of his return. "When our capsule goes thump on those desert flats, I will be literally on the opposite side of Earth, nearly 12000 miles from home. Yet I will be home. I can picture sometime in the future, a crew returning from Mars and after inserting themselves into low Earth orbit, they will look down at this blue jewel circling below and say, 'I am Home.'" Pettit on Saturday evening returned to Earth aboard a Russian Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft that landed in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, with Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner. The crew left the space station around 5:57 p.m. EDT on Saturday before landing around 6:20 a.m. Kazakhstan time on Sunday. NASA said in a news release Saturday that the three crew members, after landing, would then fly on a helicopter from the landing site to the recovery staging city of Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Pettit would then return home to Houston on a NASA plane. Pettit first went to space as a science officer during Expedition 6, launching aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour in November 2002 and returning in May 2003 aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule after the Columbia disaster grounded the shuttle fleet. The astronaut again voyaged to the ISS for a 15-day stay in 2008 to deliver equipment and supplies to enable larger crews to stay at the space station. He was then on-board the ISS again in 2012 when he participated in the first capture and berthing of a commercial spacecraft, the SpaceX Dragon, to the ISS. During his most recent visit, Pettit conducted research to enhance the capabilities of in-orbit metal 3D printing and advance water sanitization technologies, NASA said in a news release. He also explored plant growth under varying water conditions and investigated fire behavior in microgravity. Beyond his scientific work, the astronaut is also popular with the public for his unique astrophotography, capturing artistic photographs of Earth as seen from space.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Veteran NASA astronaut Don Pettit returns to Earth on 70th birthday
April 20 (UPI) -- Veteran NASA astronaut Don Pettit celebrated his 70th birthday as he returned to Earth from a seven-month stay at the International Space Station, during which he completed Expeditions 71 and 72. Pettit is the oldest currently serving astronaut in the U.S. and has flown to space four times, logging some 590 days in orbit throughout his career. He is the second-oldest American astronaut to visit space after John Glenn's famed 1998 mission at the age of 77. "The feeling of being home is directly proportional to how far you have traveled. When going out to dinner, you feel home when pulling into the driveway," Pettit wrote in a post on social media ahead of his return. "When our capsule goes thump on those desert flats, I will be literally on the opposite side of Earth, nearly 12000 miles from home. Yet I will be home. I can picture sometime in the future, a crew returning from Mars and after inserting themselves into low Earth orbit, they will look down at this blue jewel circling below and say, 'I am Home.'" Pettit on Saturday evening returned to Earth aboard a Russian Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft that landed in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, with Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner. The crew left the space station around 5:57 p.m. EDT on Saturday before landing around 6:20 a.m. Kazakhstan time on Sunday. NASA said in a news release Saturday that the three crew members, after landing, would then fly on a helicopter from the landing site to the recovery staging city of Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Pettit would then return home to Houston on a NASA plane. Pettit first went to space as a science officer during Expedition 6, launching aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour in November 2002 and returning in May 2003 aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule after the Columbia disaster grounded the shuttle fleet. The astronaut again voyaged to the ISS for a 15-day stay in 2008 to deliver equipment and supplies to enable larger crews to stay at the space station. He was then on-board the ISS again in 2012 when he participated in the first capture and berthing of a commercial spacecraft, the SpaceX Dragon, to the ISS. During his most recent visit, Pettit conducted research to enhance the capabilities of in-orbit metal 3D printing and advance water sanitization technologies, NASA said in a news release. He also explored plant growth under varying water conditions and investigated fire behavior in microgravity. Beyond his scientific work, the astronaut is also popular with the public for his unique astrophotography, capturing artistic photographs of Earth as seen from space.
Associated Press
20-04-2025
- Science
- Associated Press
NASA Astronaut Don Pettit, Crewmates Complete Space Station Expedition
WASHINGTON, April 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA astronaut Don Pettit returned to Earth Saturday, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, concluding a seven-month science mission aboard the International Space Station. The trio departed the space station at 5:57 p.m. EDT aboard the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft before making a safe, parachute-assisted landing at 9:20 p.m. (6:20 a.m. on Sunday, April 20, Kazakhstan time), southeast of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. Pettit also celebrates his 70th birthday on Sunday, April 20. Spanning 220 days in space, Pettit and his crewmates orbited the Earth 3,520 times, completing a journey of 93.3 million miles. Pettit, Ovchinin, and Vagner launched and docked to the orbiting laboratory on Sept. 11, 2024. During his time aboard the space station, Pettit conducted research to enhance in-orbit metal 3D printing capabilities, advance water sanitization technologies, explore plant growth under varying water conditions, and investigate fire behavior in microgravity, all contributing to future space missions. He also used his surroundings aboard station to conduct unique experiments in his spare time and captivate the public with his photography. This was Pettit's fourth spaceflight, where he served as a flight engineer for Expeditions 71 and 72. He has logged 590 days in orbit throughout his career. Ovchinin completed his fourth flight, totaling 595 days, and Vagner has earned an overall total of 416 days in space during two spaceflights. NASA is following its routine postlanding medical checks, the crew will return to the recovery staging area in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Pettit will then board a NASA plane bound for the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston. According to NASA officials at the landing site, Pettit is doing well and in the range of what is expected for him following return to Earth. For more than two decades, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth. The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a strong low Earth orbit economy, NASA is focusing more resources on deep space missions to the Moon as part of Artemis in preparation for future astronaut missions to Mars. Learn more about International Space Station research and operations at: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE NASA
