Spaceports

ISS Progress 46 Docks with Station

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 10:16:00 +0000

The unmanned ISS Progress 46 cargo ship docked to the Pirs Docking Compartment of the International Space Station Jan. 27, 2012 to deliver almost three tons of food, fuel and supplies for the six crew members living and working on the orbital laboratory. The Russian cargo ship linked up to Pirs two days after its launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Thousands Interact with Space Station Astronauts, Dream of Spaceport and Moon

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:23:00 +0000

NASA Associate Administrator for Education Lelnad Melvin and private space explorer Anousheh Ansari assistant Wise County student pose question to orbiting ISS Commander Dan Burbank and Flight Engineer Donald Petitt. Photo: Tim Cox

On Thursday, thousands [nearly 5,000] of Southwest Virginia schoolchildren took a trip to space.

Well, sort of.

In a $40,000 event paid for by a host of local sponsors, children bused from seven different localities had the chance to speak with astronauts on the International Space Station via video downlink for about 20 minutes Thursday morning [while hearing and meeting private astronaut Anousheh Ansari and NASA astronaut Leland Melvin and Robonaut-2 (video).

More from The Bristol Herald Courier and WJHL-TV with video news report along with University of Virginia's College at Wise, The Kingsport Times-News WCYB-TV and NASA Langley Researcher News.

President Reagan's Challenger Disaster Speech

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:22:00 +0000

HISTORY: President Roanld Reagan talks to the nation about the Challenger Disaster on January 28, 1986, speaking to the nation, the school children of America and the workers of NASA. It was one of the more memorable Oval Office speeches in American history.

Forty-five years ago: Apollo 1 Crew Lost

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0000

On January 27, 1967, tragedy struck the Apollo program when a flash fire occurred in command module 012 during a launch pad test of the Apollo/Saturn space vehicle being prepared for the first piloted flight, the AS-204 mission. Three astronauts, Lt. Col. Virgil I. Grissom, a veteran of Mercury and Gemini missions; Lt. Col. Edward H. White, the astronaut who had performed the first United States extravehicular activity during the Gemini program; and Roger B. Chaffee, an astronaut preparing for his first space flight, died in this tragic accident.

Progress 46 On the Way to Space Station

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:32:00 +0000

An unmanned Russian cargo ship launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on a two-day trip to deliver almost three tons of food, fuel and supplies to the six crew members on the International Space Station. The ISS Progress 46 resupply craft launched in near zero-degree weather from Baikonur at 6:06 p.m. EST on Jan. 25 (5:06 a.m. on Jan. 26 Baikonur time). The spacecraft is scheduled to dock to the station's Pirs Docking Compartment on Jan. 27, 2012.

Gingrich Pledges US Moon Base By 2020

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:22:00 +0000

More from USA Today, CNN, Fox, MSNBC, ABC News, WKMG, The Hill and Foreign Policy.

Remembrance Day of the Fallen Astronauts

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:51:00 +0000

The final Thursday in January of every year is a "Day of Remembrance" for the 17 fallen astronauts of Apollo-1, Space Shuttles Challenger 51-L and Columbia STS-107 within and outside the NASA community. The Day of Remembrance will be acknowledged on January 26, 2012 in Wise, VA.

At the University of Virginia's College at Wise, there will be a pause to reflect upon both the past, the present, and the future with hundreds, if not thousands, of middle, high and college students.

The fruits of the labors of the fallen astronauts will be shared with the astronauts of Expedition 30 aboard the International Space Station, grasping an Apollo 14 moon rock, learning about Robonaut-2 now on orbit, the Mars Science Laboratory to land on Mars, and about commercial spaceports and NASA and private sector astronauts. Join us there in person or on NASA-TV, 9 AM eastern time.

Durable Mars Rover Begins 9th Year of Work

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:03:00 +0000

Eight years after landing on Mars for what was planned as a three-month mission, NASA's enduring Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is working on what essentially became a new mission five months ago. Opportunity reached a multi-year driving destination, Endeavour Crater, in August 2011. At Endeavour's rim, it has gained access to geological deposits from an earlier period of Martian history than anything it examined during its first seven years.

Opportunity landed in Eagle Crater on Mars on Jan. 25, 2004, three weeks after its rover twin, Spirit, landed halfway around the planet. In backyard-size Eagle Crater, Opportunity found evidence of an ancient wet environment. The mission met all its goals within the originally planned span of three months.

During most of the next four years, it explored successively larger and deeper craters, adding evidence about wet and dry periods from the same era as the Eagle Crater deposits. In mid-2008, researchers drove Opportunity out of Victoria Crater, half a mile in diameter, and set course for Endeavour Crater, 14 miles in diameter. The trek took three years. In a push to finish it, Opportunity drove farther during its eighth year on Mars -- 4.8 miles -- than in any prior year, bringing its total driving distance to 21.4 miles.

Space Station Downlink Set to Begin with R2 Mock-up and Astronauts at UVA-Wise

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Parents are encouraged to attend alongside their children for an unique space exploration exhibit next Thursday in the convocation center of the University of Virginia’s College at Wise. The morning will feature a live downlink with astronauts on the International Space Station and museum quality NASA exhibits, depicting several milestones of the country’s past and present space excursions. Activities will begin at 9 a.m. with the live downlink set for 9:25 to 9:45 AM. The downlink will be carried on NASA-TV and webcast.

Close to 4,000 students in fourth, sixth and ninth grades in Wise, Lee, Scott, Dickenson and Russell counties and Norton, as well as Wise County Christian School, UVa-Wise and Mountain Empire Community College have been invited to attend. Seventeen students will have an opportunity to ask questions to astronauts on the space station during the live video link.

Gov. Bob McDonnell will also appear via Skype and US Senator Mark R. Warner is sending a video message to the students. Two former astronauts, Anousheh Ansari and Leland Melvin, will also attend and talk about their own space flight experiences. Dr. Bille Reed will talk about the launches being planned this year to the ISS from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, VA.

Exhibits will include a moon rock from the Apollo 14 mission and a full-scale model of Robonaut 2 (R2), a humanoid robot sent to the space station last year. Adam Sanders, a graduate of Powell Valley High School and the University of Virginia, was the lead software engineer on the R2 project. PC Magazine has recently rated R2 as among the Top 10 Research Projects to Watch in 2012.

There will also be a lunar globe, lunar space suit and full-scale model of the Mars Science Laboratory rover "Curiosity", which will arrive on Mars this coming August. The rover was launched late last year to determine whether the planet has ever been able to support life and whether it could in the future.

If the reader is within a two-to-three hour drive from this event in Wise, Virginia (near Eastern Kentucky, East Tennessee and Western North Carolina), it is one not to miss as a human space flight, robotics, or lunar exploration enthusiast. Call 276.328.6111 for more information today.

Meanwhile, the Russians are preparing for the launch of Progress-46 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station Wednesday, January 25 to dock at the ISS on January 27, 2012 with additional cargo and supplies.

Gingrich-Romney Launch Florida Space Debate

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:49:00 +0000

As expected, the first of the two Florida pre-primary debates touched upon space policy. The debate between Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, the two leading contenders for the Republican presidential nomination, pointed to the growth potential within the emerging NewSpace commercial space sector - one preparing to provide commercial cargo resupply to the International Space Station this year.

Romney says the space exploration should be a priority. He’s calling on NASA to partner with the military and private business interests and educational institutions to help pay for it.

Gingrich wants to offer the private sector special prizes. He says that such incentives, as opposed to a government spending, would help Americans go back to the moon, explore Mars, and develop extraterrestrial space exploration. Gingrich says the prizes could create a romantic and exciting future for the space program.

Romney has been critical of Gingrich's space proposals in past debates mocking his interest in mining the moon for minerals or space-based solar power, ideas that Gingrich has embraced in books and articles previously authored.

Texas Congressman Ron Paul and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum did not get the journalist question on space policy at the Monday night debate; however, the second debate may result in enhanced journalist questioning about the multi-billion dollar civil, commercial and military space spending and programs.

In past debates, the four remaining candidates have failed to indicate their support for the federal government to fund NASA to design and build a successor for the space shuttle. Instead, Gingrich and Romney point to commercial fixed price commercial service contracting, instead of government designed cost-plus contracting models.

Progress 46 to Launch to ISS Wednesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:10:00 +0000

Russian ISS Progress 46 will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan with NASA providing live television and internet coverage at 5:45 PM EST, Wednesday January 25, 2012. The is scheduled for 6:06 p.m. EST on Jan. 25 (5:06 a.m. Baikonur time Jan. 26).

For about 20-minutes on January 26, 2012, in between the launch and docking of Progress 46, the astronauts aboard the International Space Station will conduct a live link with thousands of students gathered at the University of Virginia's College at Wise to take 16 to 17 questions hosted by NASA Associate Administrator Leland Melvin. The Teaching from Space series will be televised by NASA-TV and webcast.

The next broadcast of the re-supply mission to the ISS will occur 2 days later, on Friday, Jan. 27. At that time, NASA television will carry the live images from space as the Progress 46 will automatically dock to the Pirs Docking Compartment at 7:08 p.m. The unpiloted cargo craft will deliver 2,050 pounds of propellant, 110 pounds of oxygen and air, 926 pounds of water and 2,778 pounds of maintenance and experiment hardware for the station crew.

The Father of India's Space Program: Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai Acknowledged for Vision

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:02:00 +0000

Dr. Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai (12 August 1919-31 December 1971) was an Indian physicist. The establishment of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was one of his greatest achievements. Dr. Sarabhai successfully convinced the Indian government of the importance of a space program for a developing country like India after the Soviet Sputnik launch in 1957.

India today has one of the stronger emerging space programs with a strong remote sensing satellite capability, including a developing lunar and human space efforts.

Mars crater gullies challenge scientists

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:00:00 +0000

Colorful gullies in a fresh impact crater, gullies in Bamberg Crater on Mars, tongue-shaped flow below a scarp in Phlegra Montes and the floor of Beer Crater are highlighted in these recent images. The impact crater has an extremely eroded and terraced rim.

However, the gullies do not have extensive aprons and overall there appears to be very little material accumulated on the crater floor -- unlike many other craters with gullies. This may indicate the gullies are young features. Gully formation on Mars is still not completely understood, and more information and observations are needed to improve our interpretation of these unique features.

This Week @NASA: Jan. 21, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:26:00 +0000

Students at Emily Dickinson Elementary School in Bozeman, Montana won a nationwide contest to re-name the twin Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory spacecraft formerly known as GRAIL-A and GRAIL-B. The winning names -- 'Ebb' and 'Flow'. The spacecraft have been in orbit around the moon since New Year's Day -- collecting data to create a gravity map of the moon. Also, Moving Earth for the new home of Space Shuttle Atlantis, The Invention Challenge, Astronaut Cady Coleman in Cleveland, a new App to keep track of meteors and more.

Florida GOP Presidential Primary May Have Space Policy Issues Debated Prior to Jan. 31st

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:27:00 +0000

The abrupt flush presidential campaign of former Speaker Newt Gingrich provides an opportunity to begin an active and serious discussion of the nation's space policy between tonight's primary victory and the close of the January 31st Florida presidential primary.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, on the other hand, has been critical of Speaker Gingrich for being supportive of a public-private partnership to build a lunar mining colony and build private-sector space-based solar power projects. Romney will have to explain more of his previous space policy critique of Gingrich in the large civil, military and commercial space state.

The space policy debate, largely centered between Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, will begin to take a more mainstream center stage along the Interstate 4 highway in Central Florida where thousands of space-related jobs have been lost the past two-to-three years. The real question now is if the mainstream media will enable a real space policy debate with meaningful questions.

The eventual GOP nominee needs to be vetted on space policy in the wake of the Chinese pronouncement of intent to send human taikonauts to the Moon and the announced Japanese corporate effort to deploy space-based solar power demonstrators in this decade. Moreover, all the presidential candidates need to address more serious technology issues of the modern Space Age on the range of commercial, civil and military space activities involving billions of federal dollars, international scientific relationships and jobs.

While the Florida primary may help start the debate, especially between Gingrich and Romney, the Sunshine state will be "in play" for its electoral votes in the fall General Election. Defining space policy in Florida is important to state voters and the President does understand the importance. Commercial space states Virginia, New Mexico and Colorado will also be critical electoral vote states "in play" this fall. The four critical swing states do have significant aerospace economies.

The politics of 2012 will demand the presidential candidates to talk commercial, civil and military space policy regardless of the candidate's personal desires. It can not be mocked as a sideshow or a joke any more. Newt Skywalker, or not - his South Carolina victory may result in launching a more serious space policy debate.

RetroLook at Mars 500 International Test

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 20:52:00 +0000

A look back at the crew and mission of the European, Russian and Chinese Mars 500 simulated Mars planetary mission for 520 days. The search for post-flight effect continue at the Institute of Biomedical Problems in Moscow, Russia.

For 17 months six volunteers took part in the first full-length, high-fidelity simulation of a human mission to our neighbouring planet. The international crew, two Europeans, three Russains and a Chinese, were isolated in a spacecraft mock-up.They were faithfully following the phases of a real mission: a long flight to Mars, insertion into orbit around the planet, landing, surface exploration, return to orbit, a monotonous return trip and arrival at Earth. Americans did not participate in the unique and highly publicized experiment.

During the flight, the crew performed more than 100 experiments, all linked to the problems of long-duration missions in deep space.

Roscosmos Seeks Plan for Moon Colonization

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:58:00 +0000

Russia's Space Agency's announced ambitious plans to step up exploration of the Moon and has even called for the creation of a permanent base there. Roscosmos says it'll also boost cooperation with its partners in the US and the European Union. RT's Peter Oliver brings more on the lunar plans proposed.

Lunar colonization has been an ambition of many-a-space pioneer and one of science fiction's most prevalent themes. Because of its proximity to Earth, the Moon has been seen as a prime candidate for the location of humanity's first permanently occupied extraterrestrial base in the first-half of the 21st century.

Human & Tech Resource Requirements for Moon Colonization Considered

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:57:00 +0000

Compilation video of NASA's field tests - Lunar Surface Systems.
When planners consider the robotic technologies needed on the surface of the Moon to commence the first human outpost, human skills must be considered for the first missions. Interaction with electronics, robots, surface mining and building skills must be considered as prime mission skills for the human crew.

In the next twenty-years, perhaps the NextGeneration of lunar explorers will have to have construction engineering and mining engineering backgrounds to operate in the lunar environment. Of course, there will be the need for lunar spacecraft pilots, doctors, nutritionists, biologists and other careers, especially as a surface colony grows in scale.

Astronauts (commercial or government) will need power sources when they return to the moon and establish a lunar outpost. NASA engineers are exploring the possibility of nuclear fission to provide the necessary power and taking initial steps toward a non-nuclear technology demonstration of this type of system.

NASA Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) requires a Human Robotic Systems project. The effort requires development of technologies for surface mobility and equipment handling, human-system interaction, and lunar surface system repair. Dexterous robots and autonomous rovers that can traverse rough terrain will help the crew explore, assemble, and maintain the lunar outpost.

Colorado may become 5th state to adopt a spaceflight passenger liability limit regime

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 12:49:00 +0000

Colorado’s biggest obstacle in becoming a center of commercial space travel is not a lack of infrastructure or marketing, but the threat of injury-related lawsuits, economic development leaders believe. So, the 2012 Colorado General Assembly (state legislature) may join Virginia, Florida, New Mexico and Texas with a liability limit on human space travel - known as the Colorado Space Jobs Act.

With the Front Range Airport in Colorado applying for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) designation to become a commercial spaceport, Colorado state Sen. Mary Hodge, D-Brighton, has introduced a bill that would limit liability for any space-travel company that gets customers to sign an injury waiver, reports Ed Sealover at the Denver Business Journal.

Virginia was the first state to adopt a spaceflight liability waiver in 2007, followed by Florida in 2008, New Mexico in 2010, and Texas in 2011. If Colorado enacted a similar measure, ten percent of the states will then limit the exposure of commercial spaceflight companies as to passenger liability, thereby negating more costly insurance.

Perhaps, California or Hawaii may be next to adopt the spaceflight passenger liability waiver in 2013. Or, in the alternate, will the Federal government give states designated jurisdiction to uphold the state laws from subsequent challenge. There does appear momentum building in the states for federal recognition of state jurisdiction.

What Happened to all the Earthly Snow?

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:34:00 +0000

Winter seems to have been on hold this year in some parts of the United States. Snowfall has been scarce in places that were overwhelmed with the white stuff at the same time last year. In this ScienceCast, JPL climatologist Bill Patzert explains what's going on.

Earth from Space: Golden curves

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:31:00 +0000

Earth from Space is presented by Kelsea Brennan-Wessels from the ESA Web-TV virtual studios. In the seventh edition, we examine an image showing graceful golden curves - can you guess what they are? The ESA video discusses satellite remote sensing for minerals.

NASA Joins MIT and DARPA for Out-Of-This-World Student Robotic Competition @ISS

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:31:00 +0000

NASA will join the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and high school student teams from the U.S. and abroad for the third annual Zero Robotics SPHERES Challenge on Monday, Jan. 23. The event will take place on the MIT campus in Cambridge, Mass., and be broadcast live on NASA Television from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EST.

For the competition, NASA will upload software developed by high school students onto Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES), which are bowling ball-sized spherical satellites aboard the International Space Station. The top 27 teams from previous competitions will have their code sent Monday to the space station, where an astronaut will command the satellites to execute the teams' flight program. During a simulated mission, the teams will complete a special challenge inspired by future satellite technologies, such as formation flight and close proximity operations.

Student finalists will be able to see their flight program live in the televised finals. The team with the highest software performance over several rounds of the competition will win the challenge. The winning team will be awarded certificates and a SPHERES flight patch that was flown to the space station.

In addition to their use in this competition, the satellites are used inside the space station to conduct formation flight maneuvers for spacecraft guidance navigation, control and docking. The three separate satellites that make up SPHERES fly in formation inside the space station's cabin. The satellites provide opportunities to test a wide range of hardware and software at an affordable cost. (NASA)

Moon Express, Inc. Seeking Lunar Payloads

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 02:58:00 +0000

Moon Express Inc. is a Google Lunar X PRIZE Team based at NASA-Ames Research Park and partnered with NASA-Ames on lunar lander development.

Moon Express plans to fly a series of robotic commercial lunar landing missions. These missions will carry scientific, educational, and commercial payloads to the lunar surface, beginning in late 2013 with Moon Express-1 (ME-1). Moon Express is also now soliciting payloads for ME-2, to fly in 2014/2015.

Several payloads are already under agreement to fly on ME-1 but open payload space remains on ME-1, and ME-2 has not yet begun to fill.

Moon Express seeks to discuss payload flight opportunities with funded US or overseas PIs and organizations with research or educational payloads that can be ready for launch aboard ME-1 in late 2013, as well as PIs/organizations interested in proposing to NASA, NSF, or other agencies/sources for the ME-2 launch in 2014/2015. Those interested should be in contact with Dr. Alan Stern.

Ebb & Flow Circle the Moon

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:17:00 +0000

NASA's twin GRAIL spacecraft have new names, thanks to some enthusiastic 4th graders from Bozeman, Montana who reveal the names in dramatic fashion. The two spacecraft were previously known as GRAIL-A and GRAIL-B, now Ebb and Flow.

The students came up with the name and wrote the winning essay in this nationwide contest. As a prize, they will be the first classroom to target the MoonKAM cameras on board the spacecraft. The complete press conference below.

PromISSe mission: André's music on ISS

noreply@blogger.com (JackKennedy) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 03:07:00 +0000

During his five-month PromISSe mission, ESA astronaut André Kuipers is listening - of course - to a lot of his favourite music. He has taken a selection of music with him on the ISS and soon a song a day will be featured on his blog (blogs.esa.int/andre-kuipers). Here some of the artists included on André's playlist send their best wishes, including Marillion, Pink Floyd and one of Andre's all-time favourites, Dutch guitarist, Harry Sacksioni. More from SpaceRef.