Mark is based in Houston, where he has written on aerospace for more than 25 years. While at the Houston Chronicle, he was recognized by the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement Foundation in 2006 for his professional contributions to the public understanding of America's space program through news reporting. He has written on U. S. space policy as well as NASA's human and space science initiatives.
Mark was recognized by the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors and Headliners Foundation as well as the Chronicle in 2004 for news coverage of the shuttle Columbia tragedy and its aftermath.
He is a graduate of the University of Kansas and holds a Master's degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Kansas State University.
NASA is moving ahead with efforts to engage the U.S. private sector in a competition to develop and provide sustained commercial Lunar Exploration Transportation Services.
Until the July 5 decision to postpone the undocking, the Cargo Dragon was to depart the ISS on July 6 at about 11 a.m. EDT with a 5,000-lb. return cargo for a parachute-assisted descent into the Atlantic Ocean on July 8 at 12 a.m. EDT.
The docking of the Progress MS-17 cargo capsule to the Poisk module was a first, Progress freighters having previously docked at the Russian segment's Pirs module, which was disabled earlier this year.
