7/25/12 news

 
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
 
JSC TODAY HEADLINES
1.            'Out in Space! A Forum on Leadership, Inclusion & Innovation'
2.            'Summer of Curiosity' Mission To Mars - Landing on Mars
3.            Feds Feed Families July Wrap-up
4.            Building 1 Café Phone Number
5.            'Foldit and Games for Scientific Discovery'
6.            'The Greener Side' -- JSC's Environmental Newsletter
7.            Parent's Night Out This Friday -- Register by Today for Discounted Price
8.            Half-Marathon Training -- Starport's Run To Excellence
9.            Beginners Ballroom Dance -- Summer 2012 Discount
10.          UCF Alumni Houston Chapter Membership Drive
11.          Facility Managers Training
12.          Train-The-Trainer for Forklift-Certifying Officials
13.          Train-The-Trainer Aerial Platform-Certifying Officials
14.          Train-The-Trainer for Crane Operations and Riggings Safety
15.          Certified Pressure Systems Operator and Refresher Training
16.          Relief Valve Set Testing and Hydrostatic Testing for Designated Verifiers
17.          Steel Erection ViTS: 8 a.m. on Sept. 14
18.          Excavation and Trenching Safety Seminar ViTS: Sept. 14, Noon
________________________________________     QUOTE OF THE DAY
“ When there is an original sound in the world, it wakens a hundred echoes. ”
 
-- John A. Shedd
________________________________________
1.            'Out in Space! A Forum on Leadership, Inclusion & Innovation'
The Out & Allied Employee Resource Group (ERG) will host Out and Equal Houston for a special event, "Out in Space! A Forum on Leadership, Inclusion & Innovation," on Aug. 10 in the Gilruth Alamo Ballroom. This is an LGBT-focused event, but will cover a wide range of topics that are applicable to all of JSC's ERGs and their objectives to support the entire JSC workforce.
 
This event will include a luncheon and a panel discussion with Out and Equal Houston. Panelists will consist of representatives from several Fortune 500 companies such as Chevron, KPMG and EMC Software. In addition, NASA and Out and Equal Workplace Advocates, both local and national, will have representation on the panel.
 
This is an RSVP-only event with limited seating. For details and to RSVP, please contact the Out and Allied co-chair listed below. The RSVP deadline is Aug. 1.
 
Bryan Snook x41092 http://collaboration.ndc.nasa.gov/iierg/LGBTA/SitePages/Home.aspx
 
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2.            'Summer of Curiosity' Mission To Mars - Landing on Mars
In celebration of the Mars Science Laboratory's arrival to the Red Planet later this summer, the External Relations Office is sharing a variety of activities and online resources with JSC employees. JSC families are encouraged to complete the weekly activities that illustrate what's needed for a six-month journey to Mars, a one-year stay and a six-month return trip to Earth.
 
All JSC families are invited to the Voyage Back to School event at Space Center Houston on Aug. 16 to celebrate their summer STEM experiences and Mars challenge results.
 
Week 7 of the Summer of Curiosity Mission to Mars Challenge focuses on how the habitat and astronauts will land on the surface of Mars.
 
There is nothing easy about landing on Mars! So, how do you land? Well, very carefully, of course! As your spacecraft hurtles toward the planet at thousands of miles per hour, you are going to have to hit the brakes in a hurry.
 
NASA has developed several methods for landing on Mars. The Curiosity rover will demonstrate one of these methods on Aug. 5!
 
This week, families will learn about NASA's current landing methods and create and test a landing system of their own.
 
Please visit http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/centers/johnson/student-activities/summ... for more information.
 
JSC External Relations, Office of Education x36686
 
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3.            Feds Feed Families July Wrap-up
This is the last week to contribute food to the July donation for Feds Feeds Families. We are expecting a big jump in our donations with the Office of the Chief Financial Officer collection on Friday. Thanks to John Saiz and the AB organization, the ITAMS team in Building 423 and the Procurement team in Building 265 for donations this week! Welcome to the Engineering Directorate, who just joined the drive. It's not too late to do your part to help us meet the 50,000-pound goal! We will be collecting until the end of August.
 
Karen Schmalz x47931 http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/
 
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4.            Building 1 Café Phone Number
Feel free to call the Building 1 café at 281-483-6175 to find out what the daily special will be for that day. Ask for Janet or Mike. The café is open between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
 
Janet x36175
 
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5.            'Foldit and Games for Scientific Discovery'
Jeff Flatten, researcher at the University of Washington, will present "Foldit and Games for Scientific Discovery" on Aug. 3 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in the Building 30 Auditorium.
 
Foldit is an online multiplayer video game that enables anyone to contribute to real scientific discoveries in biochemistry. By combining the natural problem-solving skills of humans with the raw number crunching power of computers, Foldit aims to accomplish what neither could do alone. Foldit has already made significant contributions to scientific problems, and the lessons learned from Foldit have the potential to be applied to a wide variety of scientific fields.
 
Carissa Vidlak 281-212-1409 http://sa.jsc.nasa.gov
 
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6.            'The Greener Side' -- JSC's Environmental Newsletter
Buying recycled? The list of bio-based and recycled-content products keeps growing! New tools now make environmental purchasing easier than ever. Find out more in JSC's "The Greener Side" newsletter.
 
Environmental Office x36207 http://www6.jsc.nasa.gov/bbs/scripts/files/365/theGreenerSide%20v5n3%20(...
 
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7.            Parent's Night Out This Friday -- Register by Today for Discounted Price
Enjoy a night out on the town while your kids enjoy a night with Starport! We will entertain your children at the Gilruth Center with a night of games, crafts, a bounce house, pizza, movie and dessert.
 
When: July 27 from 6 to 10 p.m.
Where: Gilruth Center
Ages: 5 to 12
Cost: $20/first child and $10/each additional sibling if registered by the Wednesday prior to event. If registered after Wednesday, the fee is $25/first child and $15/additional sibling.
 
Register at the Gilruth Center front desk. Visit http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/Youth/PNO.cfm for more information.
 
Shelly Haralson x39168 http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/
 
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8.            Half-Marathon Training -- Starport's Run To Excellence
Are you ready to take your training up a notch? The time is NOW for you to accept the fitness challenge and train for a half marathon!
 
Starport's Run to Excellence program is for anyone who wants to run, walk or run-and-walk a half marathon. The group meets at 6 a.m. on Saturday mornings for long-distance sessions with our amazing instructors. Each member will get a training log and an AWESOME Run to Excellence tech shirt. Take that step toward doing something healthy, empowering and successful.
 
Registration ends Friday, July 27.
- $120 per person (28 hours of training)
 
The program begins at 6 a.m. on July 28 at the Gilruth Center. Sign up today!
 
Steve Schade x30304 http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/Fitness/RecreationClasses/RecreationProgram...
 
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9.            Beginners Ballroom Dance -- Summer 2012 Discount
Do you feel like you have two left feet? Well, Starport has the perfect summer program for you: Beginners Ballroom Dance!
 
This eight-week class introduces you to the various types of ballroom dance. Students will learn the secrets of a good lead and following, as well as the ability to identify the beat of the music. This class is easy, and participants have fun as they learn. JSC friends and family are welcome.
 
Discounted registration:
- $90 per couple (ends Aug. 3)
 
Regular registration:
- $110 per couple (Aug. 4 to 13)
 
Two class sessions available:
- Tuesdays, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. -- Starting Aug. 14
- Thursdays, 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. -- Starting Aug. 16
 
All classes are taught in the Gilruth Center's dance studio.
 
To register or for additional information, please contact the Gilruth Center's information desk at 281-483-0304.
 
Steve Schade x30304 http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/Fitness/RecreationClasses/RecreationProgram...
 
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10.          UCF Alumni Houston Chapter Membership Drive
Join us! If you are a JSC civil servant or contractor who attended or currently attends the University of Central Florida (UCF), please contact Gary Johnson at gary.johnson@knights.ucf.edu or update your contact information at: http://www.ucfalumni.com/contactupdates
 
You will be contacted for upcoming UCF Alumni-sponsored networking events. Meet other UCF alums and students working at JSC and the surrounding areas. If you know others who are alumni or pre-alums, please forward this announcement to them. Thank you!
 
Gary L. Johnson x47749
 
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11.          Facility Managers Training
The Safety Learning Center invites you to attend an eight-hour Facility Mangers Training. The course provides JSC Facility Managers with insight into the requirements for accomplishing their functions.
 
- Includes training on facility management, safety, hazard identification and mitigation, legal, security, energy conservation, health and environmental aspects.
- Attendees of this course must also register in SATERN for a half-day Fire Warden Training. Others that need Fire Warden Training can register through the normal process.
 
Date/time: Aug. 22 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Safety Learning Center, Building 226N, Room 174
 
Registration via SATERN required:
https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHEDULED_...
 
Aundrail Hill x36369
 
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12.          Train-The-Trainer for Forklift-Certifying Officials
In order to assist with the transition of responsibility for certifying lift operators to line organizations, the Safety Learning Center is offering training for forklift-certifying officials.
 
Date/time: Aug. 6 from 8 to 11 a.m.
Location: Safety Learning Center, Building 226N, Room 174
 
Registration via SATERN Required:
https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHEDULED_...
 
This class is a train-the-trainer class for those certifying operators for forklifts. JSC line organizations and contractors are now responsible for ensuring their lift equipment operators are certified in accordance with the NASA Standard for Lifting Devices and Equipment 8919.9. The operators will need to be certified by individuals who are qualified and approved as lift-certifying officials. Qualifications for both operators and lift-certifying officials are listed at: http://www6.jsc.nasa.gov/safety/LIFT_Certification
 
Certifying officials need only to be approved for the lift types for which they certifying operators.
 
Aundrail Hill x36369
 
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13.          Train-The-Trainer Aerial Platform-Certifying Officials
In order to assist with the transition of responsibility for certifying lift operators to line organizations, the Safety Learning Center is offering training for aerial platform-certifying officials.
 
Date/time: Aug. 20 from 1 to 4 p.m.
Location: Safety Learning Center, Building 226N, Room 174
 
This class is a train-the-trainer class for those certifying operators for aerial lifts. JSC line organizations and contractors are now responsible for ensuring their lift equipment operators are certified in accordance with the NASA Standard for Lifting Devices and Equipment 8919.9. The operators will need to be certified by individuals who are qualified and approved as lift-certifying officials.
Qualifications for both operators and lift-certifying officials are listed at: http://www6.jsc.nasa.gov/safety/LIFT_Certification
 
Certifying officials need only to be approved for the lift types for which they certifying operators.
 
Registration via SATERN Required:
https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHEDULED_...
 
Aundrail Hill x36369
 
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14.          Train-The-Trainer for Crane Operations and Riggings Safety
In order to assist with the transition of responsibility for certifying lift operators to line organizations, the Safety Learning Center is offering training for lift-certifying officials.
 
Date/Time: Aug. 6 from 1 to 4 p.m.
Location: Safety Learning Center, Building 226N, Room 174
 
This class is a train-the-trainer class for those certifying operators for crane operations and rigging safety. JSC line organizations and contractors are now responsible for ensuring their lift equipment operators are certified in accordance with the NASA Standard for Lifting Devices and Equipment 8919.9. The operators will need to be certified by individuals who are qualified and approved as lift-certifying officials. Qualifications for both operators and lift-certifying officials are listed at: http://www6.jsc.nasa.gov/safety/LIFT_Certification
 
Certifying officials need only to be approved for the lift types for which they certifying operators.
 
Registration via SATERN required:
https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHEDULED_...
 
Aundrail Hill x36369
 
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15.          Certified Pressure Systems Operator and Refresher Training
Certified Pressure Systems Operator and Refresher Training covers updated pressure systems requirements, lessons learned and written hazard analysis.
 
Date: Aug. 10
Location: Safety Learning Center, Building 226N, Room 174
 
Use these direct links to SATERN for course times and to register.
 
Certified Pressure Systems Operator - 9 to 11 a.m.
https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHEDULED_...
 
Certified Pressure Systems Operator and Refresher - 11:01 a.m. to 12:01 p.m.
https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHEDULED_...
 
Aundrail Hill x36369
 
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16.          Relief Valve Set Testing and Hydrostatic Testing for Designated Verifiers
This course covers the fundamentals and requirements regarding hydrostatic testing of pressure vessels and pressure systems and pressure relief valve set-testing.
 
Course objectives include:
- Define Designated Verifier (DV)
- Test area guidelines
- References: JPR 1710.13, NS-PRS-009, NT-QAS-024
- Safety guidelines
- Procedures
 
Re-certification required every two years.
 
Date/time: Aug. 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Where: Safety Learning Center, Building 226N, Room 174
 
Registration via SATERN required:
 
https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHEDULED_...
 
Aundrail Hill x36369
 
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17.          Steel Erection ViTS: 8 a.m. on Sept. 14
SMA-SAFE-NSTC-0060: The primary purpose of the course is to provide employees with the standards, procedures and requirements necessary for safe operations involving erection of steel structures. The course will emphasize safety awareness for steel erectors, supervisors and safety personnel, and will further their understanding of standards and regulations related to such work, including: Occupational Safety and Health Administration 1926.750 Subpart R, ANSI standards and NASA requirements.
 
Students are provided with basic information concerning scope and application; definitions; site layout; erection plan; hoisting and rigging; and structural steel assembly. There will be a final exam associated with this course, which must be passed with a 70 percent minimum score to receive course credit.
 
Registration in SATERN is required.
 
Shirley Robinson x41284
 
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18.          Excavation and Trenching Safety Seminar ViTS: Sept. 14, Noon
SMA-SAFE-NSTC-0045: The purpose of this course is to provide employees with the standards, procedures, and practices necessary to meet the standards in CFR 1926.650 Subpart P - Excavations and Trenching Construction. Excavation, trenching, and soil testing are the fundamental concepts covered in this course. There will be a final exam associated with this course which must be passed with a 70% minimum score to receive course credit.
Registration in SATERN is required.
Shirley Robinson X41284
 
Shirley Robinson 281-244-1284
 
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________________________________________
JSC Today is compiled periodically as a service to JSC employees on an as-submitted basis. Any JSC organization or employee may submit articles. To see an archive of previous JSC Today announcements, go to http://www6.jsc.nasa.gov/pao/news/jsctoday/archives.
 
 
 
WEBCAST:
·         9 am Central (10 EDT) – Senate Commerce Committee: ISS – A Platform for Research, Collaboration, and Discovery - http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Home
 
Witness List:
·         Bill Gerstenmaier – Associate Administrator, Human Exploration and Operations
·         Don Pettit – Astronaut (Expeditions 6 & 32)
·         James Royston – Interim Executive Dir, Center for the Advancement of Science in Space
·         Thomas Reiter – ESA astronaut & Director, Directorate of Human Spaceflight and Operations
 
NEWS NOTE: Distribution may be later each day through Aug 2 as I will be on West Coast time
 
Human Spaceflight News
Wednesday – July 25, 2012
 
HEADLINES AND LEADS
 
Russian Craft Has Glitch in Docking With Space Station
 
Andrew Kramer - New York Times
 
A Russian cargo spaceship experimenting with a new type of autopilot failed to dock with the International Space Station on Tuesday, in the latest glitch for the Russian space program. Russian space officials said the malfunction should not be considered a serious setback. The ship that malfunctioned had already docked with the station to unload supplies. It decoupled on Monday and backed off to try out the new autopilot, which has smaller hardware and is supposed to be more accurate. But the glitch recalled the near-destruction of the Mir space station and the threat to its crew in 1997, when a Progress craft, experimenting with a remote-control approach, bumped into the module and ripped open a hole in the station’s airtight skin.
 
ULA Completes Critical Design Review For Human Rating Atlas V
 
Jason Rhian - AmericaSpace.org
 
United Launch Alliance (ULA) is one step closer to seeing their Atlas V rocket send astronauts to orbit. ULA is one of the competitors in NASA’s Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program phase 2. ULA has completed a critical design review of the Atlas V held to determine if the rocket is suitable to transport astronauts to low-Earth-orbit (LEO). The Atlas V has been tapped by both established and NewSpace companies to power their proposed spacecraft to orbit. The Atlas V has been selected to launch Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Dream Chaser space plane, Boeing’s CST-100 space taxi and Blue Origin’s Space Vehicle.
 
Boeing Awarded $175 Million To Modify Delta 4 Upper Stage for SLS Flights
 
Dan Leone - Space News
 
The Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lift rocket will use a modified Delta 4 upper stage provided by Boeing Co., for its first two missions, according to the terms of an eight-year, $175 million contract announced by NASA July 23. Boeing’s contract includes options for NASA to order two additional upper stages for SLS flights beyond 2021. If NASA exercises these options, Boeing’s contract will be worth $307 million over 12 years. Boeing will also provide flight spares for any rocket stages ordered by NASA. SLS will launch the Lockheed-built Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle to the Moon and back in 2017 and 2021. Only the second mission will be crewed.
 
Brevard County approves a deal for XCOR
Company would build rocket components
 
Dave Berman - Florida Today
 
Brevard County commissioners approved $182,400 in incentives to help persuade rocket maker XCOR Aerospace Inc., to open a manufacturing and operations center at Kennedy Space Center, a project the company said would create 152 jobs. In a presentation prepared for delivery at Tuesday’s County Commission meeting, XCOR indicated that the potential Florida operation would be at KSC and its shuttle landing facility. The project would include hangar and flight operations, vehicle manufacturing, engine assembly and space tourism elements.
 
NASA Already Planning Meals For 2030 Mars Mission
 
Audie Cornish - National Public Radio's All Things Considered
 
Audie Cornish talks to Maya Cooper, research scientist at Lockheed Martin, about leading the new food menu for NASA's planned mission to Mars sometime in the 2030s. Now, to a food menu that's out of this world. Specifically, it's meant for Mars. That's right. NASA is already cooking up a menu for astronauts on a planned mission to the red planet in the 2030s and, lucky for those aboard the spaceship, the cuisine will include more than just Tang and freeze-dried ice cream. Maya Cooper is a senior research scientist at Lockheed Martin. She told us that NASA's current space food doesn't last long enough.
 
The Women Who Would Have Been Sally Ride
 
Alexis Madrigal - The Atlantic
 
Whenever the Soviets beat us to a milestone in space, it caused a moral-scientific panic in the United States. They got a satellite up there first in 1957, sparking "Sputnik Mania." Their space program was the first to put a man in space in 1961, sending the American effort to redouble its efforts. So, one might have expected great movement when Valentina Tereshkova left the Earth's atmosphere on June 16, 1963 to become the first woman in space. But no, there was no Tereshkova moment. In fact, one NASA official who declined to give his name to a reporter, said it made him "sick to his stomach" to think of women in space. Another called Tereshkova's flight "a publicity stunt." It would be another 20 years before Sally Ride, who died yesterday at the age of 61, would become the first American woman in space.
 
The humility and determination of Sally Ride
 
Michel Martin - National Public Radio's Tell Me More
 
America's first woman in space inspired thousands of women and girls. Astronaut Sally Ride died Monday of pancreatic cancer. For more on Ride's life and legacy, Martin speaks with Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic American woman astronaut; and retired AF Col. Pam Melroy, a former NASA astronaut and the 2nd woman to command a shuttle mission. (NO FURTHER TEXT)
 
Remembering Sally Ride: The first photo
 
Red Huber - Orlando Sentinel
 

 
The first time I had the opportunity to photograph and meet astronaut Sally Ride was 29 years ago during training for the seventh space shuttle mission. Ride died Monday of cancer and as the first American woman in space, she’s remembered for handling her fame with class. What she accomplished in her lifetime will benefit women and space travel forever. Sally will be greatly missed. To get this early photo of Ride, I remember I received a message from Eddie Harrison, who is retired from NASA Public Affairs at Kennedy Space Center. He told me that there was going to be a photo-op of the STS-7 crew, taking part in a fire-training exercise at KSC and I “really needed” to attend the event. This was six months prior to the historic launch.
 
Sally Ride's Legacy: 1st Female Space Shuttle Commanders Speak Out
 
Clara Moskowitz - Space.com
 
The news of Sally Ride's death Monday has impacted many around the globe, most especially those who traveled directly in her footsteps. Sally Ride became the first American woman in space when she flew on the space shuttle Challenger in 1983. Since then, dozens of U.S. females have made spaceflights. Two of them, Eileen Collins and Pamela Melroy, achieved another historic milestone, becoming the only women to command a space shuttle mission.
 
NASA scores high on innovation
 
Camille Tuutti - Federal Computer Week
 
Federal employees are eager to innovate, but garnering enough support from their managers and agency leaders to do so has proven to be anything but easy. Analysis by the Partnership for Public Service and Deloitte revealed an overwhelming majority of employees (91.5 percent) said they are exploring new ways to do their jobs better. However, only 60 percent said they are encouraged to think creatively and come up with innovative ways of doing things. Additionally, just 40 percent said creativity and innovation are rewarded in the workplace, according to the "Achieving a Culture of Innovation” report.
 
But we’ve always done it that way…
 
Sean Reilly – Federal Times
 
Thinking new–so hard to do. Set it to music and that might be the refrain of a new report on how federal workers view their agencies’ attitude toward the cutting edge. Only about 40 percent of feds believe that agencies reward creativity and innovation, the Partnership for Public Service found. And although more than nine out of ten say they are looking for fresh approaches to doing their jobs better, just 59 percent feel encouragement from higher-ups “to come up with new and better ways of doing things.” In the private-sector workforce, the comparable figure is 71 percent. Overall, the report, titled “Achieving a Culture of Innovation,” reflects little change from a similar review released last year. The report taps 266,000 responses to last year’s Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey to come up with agency-by-agency innovation scores. Among 30 large agencies, NASA and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission were again the only two to rank above 70. The government’s cumulative score was about 63, virtually the same as last year’s.
__________
 
COMPLETE STORIES
 
Russian Craft Has Glitch in Docking With Space Station
 
Andrew Kramer - New York Times
 
A Russian cargo spaceship experimenting with a new type of autopilot failed to dock with the International Space Station on Tuesday, in the latest glitch for the Russian space program.
 
Russian space officials said the malfunction should not be considered a serious setback. The ship that malfunctioned had already docked with the station to unload supplies. It decoupled on Monday and backed off to try out the new autopilot, which has smaller hardware and is supposed to be more accurate.
 
But the glitch recalled the near-destruction of the Mir space station and the threat to its crew in 1997, when a Progress craft, experimenting with a remote-control approach, bumped into the module and ripped open a hole in the station’s airtight skin.
 
In the new case, there was no threat of a collision. The spaceship, a workhorse called Progress-M, was 100 miles away when the autopilot failed, the Russian space agency said in a statement. Controllers backed the vessel — basically a flying cylinder with stubby space wings — 300 miles from the station, and it will try to dock again on Sunday. If the autopilot fails again, the controllers will simply send the craft back to earth for an ocean landing, and engineers will set about fixing the design.
 
Aleksandr Zheleznyakov, a scientist with the Federation of Russian Cosmonautics, said in a telephone interview that all hardware, including that for space, takes time to perfect. “Failures and mishaps of all sorts are just par for the course in the creation of new equipment,” he said.
 
Still, the glitch is the latest for the Russian system of rockets and manned and unmanned spacecraft, which the United States has relied on to keep American astronauts in orbit since the retirement of the space shuttle program, and before private-sector space transport is ready.
 
Last summer, a Russian rocket carrying a Progress ship sailed into a Siberian forest rather than into orbit because of a breakdown in its third-stage motor. This was alarming because NASA astronauts fly on similar rockets, as the only means for Americans to reach space.
 
The unmanned flights are less critical. The space agencies of Europe and Japan also launch cargo vehicles. In May, SpaceX, an American company, sent its first vessel, called a Dragon, to the space station.
 
ULA Completes Critical Design Review For Human Rating Atlas V
 
Jason Rhian - AmericaSpace.org
 
United Launch Alliance (ULA) is one step closer to seeing their Atlas V rocket send astronauts to orbit. ULA is one of the competitors in NASA’s Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program phase 2. ULA has completed a critical design review of the Atlas V held to determine if the rocket is suitable to transport astronauts to low-Earth-orbit (LEO).
 
The Atlas V has been tapped by both established and NewSpace companies to power their proposed spacecraft to orbit. The Atlas V has been selected to launch Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Dream Chaser space plane, Boeing’s CST-100 space taxi and Blue Origin’s Space Vehicle.
 
ULA’s Engineering Review Board detailed all of the steps that it has completed thus far in terms of seeing the Atlas V power crews to orbit. NASA provided technical consultation during the review. The Atlas V is the latest iteration of the rocket that sent John Glenn to orbit. Given that initial versions of this rocket ferried astronauts to orbit.
 
This is the fifth milestone that ULA has successfully completed under an unfunded Space Act Agreement (SAA) that ULA has signed with NASA. The review has determined that the Atlas V can comply with the strict requirements for crewed flight. This is part of a larger effort to develop a safe and cost effective Crew Transportation System (CTS).
 
Although ULA conducted the System Requirements Review (SRR) and Systems Design Review (SDR) itself, it was conducted under the watchful eyes of NASA. The review team was comprised of ULA design and development engineers, NASA technical experts as well as representatives from the firm’s that want to utilize the Atlas V to launch their spacecraft. The SRR/SDR was conducted across various disciplines with the purpose of ensuring that the designs are capable of providing launch services for NASA’s commercial human space flight efforts.
 
“The SRR/SDR were the result of an extensive effort with NASA and our commercial spacecraft partners during which we cooperatively established the baseline from which we will proceed into the detailed design and development phase of NASA’s Crew Transportation System,” said Dr. George Sowers, ULA’s vice president for Human Launch Services. “We continue to receive valuable insight from NASA’s human spaceflight experts as we move forward towards the certification of Atlas V for human spaceflight.”
 
Unlike other potential launchers, the Atlas V has an extensive track record supporting it. Thirty-one successful missions over the course of a decade have proven the Atlas V to be a reliable launch platform. The missions that the Atlas V have been used on range from NASA’s planetary probes and rovers to classified payloads for the National Reconnaissance Office.
 
“Our partnership with ULA during this round of development has really been focused on understanding the co-redesign of the launch vehicle,” said NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Manager Ed Mango said. “In these reviews we were able to see how ULA plans to modify the vehicle for human spaceflight.”
 
Boeing Awarded $175 Million To Modify Delta 4 Upper Stage for SLS Flights
 
Dan Leone - Space News
 
The Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lift rocket will use a modified Delta 4 upper stage provided by Boeing Co., for its first two missions, according to the terms of an eight-year, $175 million contract announced by NASA July 23.
 
Boeing’s contract includes options for NASA to order two additional upper stages for SLS flights beyond 2021. If NASA exercises these options, Boeing’s contract will be worth $307 million over 12 years. Boeing will also provide flight spares for any rocket stages ordered by NASA. SLS will launch the Lockheed-built Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle to the Moon and back in 2017 and 2021. Only the second mission will be crewed.
 
The so-called Interim Cryogenic Propulsion system NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., is buying from Boeing is powered by the same Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL-102 engine that powers the Delta Cryogenic Second Stage (DCSS) on which it is based.
 
NASA says that Delta 4’s 5-meter upper stage requires relatively minor modifications to be used for SLS missions. The modifications include adding redundancy and increasing design margins to make the DCSS suitable for manned missions and either stretching the liquid hydrogen stage a matter of centimeters or using the DCSS attitude control system for a final, third burn for additional performance.
 
NASA announced Boeing’s award on an online post explaining the agency’s reasons for sole-sourcing the contract. NASA said it received three proposals for an interim cryogenic propulsion stage, but that only Boeing’s could meet the agency’s requirements “with relatively minor modifications.” Boeing will have to complete these modifications and deliver the first of the two stages to NASA by Sept. 30, 2016.
 
Before ordering Delta 4 upper stages from Boeing for any flights after 2021, NASA must conduct a formal review of alternative engines, the agency said in its July 23 “Justification For Other Than Full and Open Competition.”
 
By law, SLS must eventually be capable of lifting 130 metric tons to orbit. The version of the rocket that flies in 2017 and 2021 will be capable of lifting only about 70 metric tons using two five-segment, side-mounted solid-rocket motors provided by Alliant Techsystems, four space shuttle main engines provided by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, and the modified Delta upper stage provided by Boeing.
 
To lift 130 metric tons, SLS will need new and more powerful side-mounted boosters and a different upper stage. Earlier this month, NASA announced it will spread $200 million of study money among four companies to study options for advanced boosters. The competition to build the boosters will not start until 2015.
 
Meanwhile, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is already working on the J-2X upper-stage engine that more powerful SLS variants will use to lift heavy cargo such as the landing craft and habitation modules that NASA says it needs for future human exploration missions beyond Earth orbit. NASA has yet to announce an SLS mission that will use a J-2X.
 
Brevard County approves a deal for XCOR
Company would build rocket components
 
Dave Berman - Florida Today
 
Brevard County commissioners approved $182,400 in incentives to help persuade rocket maker XCOR Aerospace Inc., to open a manufacturing and operations center at Kennedy Space Center, a project the company said would create 152 jobs.
 
In a presentation prepared for delivery at Tuesday’s County Commission meeting, XCOR indicated that the potential Florida operation would be at KSC and its shuttle landing facility.
 
The project would include hangar and flight operations, vehicle manufacturing, engine assembly and space tourism elements.
 
County Commission Chairman Chuck Nelson, Vice Chairman Andy Anderson and Commissioner Mary Bolin Lewis voted in favor of the incentives; Commissioner Trudie Infantini voted no; and Commissioner Robin Fisher was absent.
 
Infantini said she supports the jobs but not the approach of offering economic incentives through upfront cash before the jobs are created.
 
Because the project would be on KSC property, a more traditional approach of the county providing property-tax breaks for the company tied to job creation would not work in this case, according to Assistant County Manager Stockton Whitten.
 
The county incentives will act as a local match for nearly $1 million worth of state incentives under the Florida Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund Program.
 
“Multiple locations across the United States are being considered by the project’s leadership for the company's first suborbital operations center, as well as for the manufacture of rocket engines and suborbital vehicles,” the company said. But it described KSC as “uniquely suited.”
 
California-based XCOR, which was founded in 1999, said it hopes to open its KSC center in October 2014 and to create 152 technical jobs with an average wage of $60,833 over a five-year period.
 
XCOR builds, tests, sells and operates reusable, rocket-powered space vehicles and rocket engines that can be used for suborbital, orbital and deep-space applications. It hopes to develop such businesses as launching small satellites to low-earth orbit, as well as having a role in environmental and military-related missions.
 
In documents submitted to the County Commission, XCOR said it now employs more than two dozen “highly skilled professionals with a primary focus of developing and producing rocket-powered launch systems.”
 
NASA Already Planning Meals For 2030 Mars Mission
 
Audie Cornish - National Public Radio's All Things Considered
 
Audie Cornish talks to Maya Cooper, research scientist at Lockheed Martin, about leading the new food menu for NASA's planned mission to Mars sometime in the 2030s.
 
Now, to a food menu that's out of this world. Specifically, it's meant for Mars. That's right. NASA is already cooking up a menu for astronauts on a planned mission to the red planet in the 2030s and, lucky for those aboard the spaceship, the cuisine will include more than just Tang and freeze-dried ice cream.
 
Maya Cooper is a senior research scientist at Lockheed Martin. She told us that NASA's current space food doesn't last long enough.
 
MAYA COOPER: So it takes six months to get from Earth to Mars. They spend about a year and a half on the Martian surface and then they have six months to get back.
 
CORNISH: OK. Maya, 2030 feels really far away. Help us understand sort of what exactly you researchers are trying to do when you're figuring out what astronauts are going to eat on a trip like this.
 
COOPER: We are looking at three main menu options. One option that we've heard talked about a lot is a greenhouse option, where the crew will actually be able to grow fresh fruits and vegetables, have strawberries, have tomatoes, have lettuce.
 
CORNISH: And they'd grow it in what, Martian soil?
 
COOPER: No. They actually use a hydroponic system, so if you've ever been to Epcot and seen the ride where they grow the food sort of on shelf-like infrastructure and it has a nutrient solution, so the roots are actually based in a nutrient solution rather than soil.
 
CORNISH: So it's grown in a liquid instead of dirt?
 
COOPER: Absolutely. And that's done now here in the U.S. There are certain hydroponic systems that people will use for different rooftop growing, et cetera, so it's an established technology.
 
There's a second option to where we continue what we're doing now and we send prepackaged food to the Martian surface. The challenge with that is that that current food supply lasts about two years and we need the food to last five years in order to be still of good quality by the end of the mission.
 
The third option actually looks at combining both the greenhouse with the supply of prepackaged foods. It would allow us to add meats to a salad food system, vegetable, but it doesn't have the same risk of food scarcity that perhaps a complete greenhouse system would.
 
CORNISH: Hearing all this is making me wonder exactly what's on the menu. Give me a typical breakfast, lunch and dinner that you have in the works.
 
COOPER: So a typical breakfast menu for our greenhouse system would include pancakes. There's a tofu bacon recipe, where you have tofu and you're able to make a bacon substitute. Scrambled eggs are also on the menu. For lunch, they could potentially have a marinated tomato salad accompanied by, perhaps, a soup, sweet potato fries. And then, for dinner, tofu mushroom stroganoff accompanied by a spinach bread and a nice dessert, such as a spice caramel coffee cake or a ultimate lemon cake, et cetera.
 
CORNISH: Do you pay attention to sort of the emotional part of food, as well as the science of it? I mean, does it matter what you put on the menu?
 
COOPER: We absolutely do. You know, research has shown that mood and people can be directly linked, at times, to the type of food that they have with them and we think that this will be very important as people go to Mars. So, as we were looking at the food items on the menu, we were very conscious to choose foods that we would consider comfort foods at home. So there's a garlic mashed potatoes on the menu. There is a French fry item on the menu. There's a peanut butter cookie.
 
We didn't want everything on the menu to be so foreign that it would intensify any feelings of alienation that they may experience while they're on Mars.
 
CORNISH: Maya Cooper, thank you so much for talking to us.
 
COOPER: Oh, thank you. It was a pleasure being here.
 
CORNISH: That's Maya Cooper. She's helping to create a new menu for NASA's planned mission to Mars in the 2030s.
 
The Women Who Would Have Been Sally Ride
 
Alexis Madrigal - The Atlantic
 
Whenever the Soviets beat us to a milestone in space, it caused a moral-scientific panic in the United States. They got a satellite up there first in 1957, sparking "Sputnik Mania." Their space program was the first to put a man in space in 1961, sending the American effort to redouble its efforts.
 
"We look back now [at Gagarin's flight] and say, 'Oh, that was just a small incident,' but in those days there were serious writings about the future of communism around the world, whether it was going to be a dominant factor," astronaut John Glenn recalled. "We took this very seriously -- the administration, President Kennedy and President Eisenhower after he came around to believe in the importance of it. At the time, we looked at this as representing our country in the Cold War."
 
So, one might have expected great movement when Valentina Tereshkova left the Earth's atmosphere on June 16, 1963 to become the first woman in space. After all, Tereshkova spent three days in space, completed 48 orbits around Earth, and logged more time in orbit than all the Americans (three) who had been in space to that point. She'd proven that a woman was physically capable of withstanding the rigors of spaceflight. Surely, the Americans would rush to get a woman into space! Rosie the Riveter, perhaps, dusting herself off after her stint as a factory laborer in the successful war effort?
 
But no, there was no Tereshkova moment. In fact, one NASA official who declined to give his name to a reporter, said it made him "sick to his stomach" to think of women in space. Another called Tereshkova's flight "a publicity stunt."
 
It would be another 20 years before Sally Ride, who died yesterday at the age of 61, would become the first American woman in space.
 
The truth is: the sexism of the day overwhelmed the science of the day. Because NASA already knew that women were capable of spaceflight, and Tereshkova's success confirmed that. A later space-agency review of possible physiological problems in spaceflight admitted that women appeared to be great candidates for flight.
 
"During training, the [Soviet] women seemed to adapt faster to weightlessness than the men, and there was no difference between the sexes concerning the effects of prolonged sensory deprivation," the report noted (PDF), "although takeoff and landing stress seems to be worse in the women during ovulation, Phases of the menstrual cycle under weightless conditions are not significantly important."
 
But, the report went on to say, "Information regarding women during periods of stress is scanty. This lack, plus previously mentioned problems, will make it difficult for a woman to be a member of the first long-duration space missions. However, it is just as unlikely to think that women cannot adapt to space?"
 
There was no "information regarding women during periods of stress" because they had not been allowed to subject themselves to that stress. This sad twist was lost on the NASA planners, who just seemed to think it implausible that women could really serve as astronauts, though they do regularly now. "Initial exploration parties are historically composed of men, for various cultural and social reasons," the report concluded. "Once space exploration by men has been successfully accomplished, then women will follow."
 
Various cultural and social reasons indeed.
 
However, there was one job that the NASA planners thought a woman might be suited for:
 
The question of direct sexual release on a long-duration space mission must be considered... It is possible that a woman, qualified from a scientific viewpoint, might be persuaded to donate her time and energies for the sake of improving crew morale; however, such a situation might create interpersonal tensions far more dynamic than the sexual tensions it would release... Thus, it appears that methods involving sublimation are more practical than these more direct alternatives.
 
The word sublimation could have tipped you off that the NASA researchers were leaning heavily on Freud's largely discredited theories about psychology and the mind. If the space agency's people should shoulder some of the blame for the sexism that kept women out of orbit, the prevailing paradigms of the era sure made it easy.
 
The NASA review, which was published in 1971, also happens to ignore a privately funded and fascinating effort that proved that people with two X chromosomes would make great astronauts. The participants of the Women in Space Program experienced tremendous success. "Nineteen women enrolled in WISP, undergoing the same grueling tests administered to the male Mercury astronauts," Brandon Keim wrote in 2009. "Thirteen of them -- later dubbed the Mercury 13 -- passed 'with no medical reservations,' a higher graduation rate than the first male class. The top four women scored as highly as any of the men."
 
For context, it's worth noting that women had a long and distinguished history in aviation, which was the field from which aerospace sprung, from Amelia Earhart on down. And two of the very best pilots in the nation were partially responsible for the creation of WISP.
 
Geraldyn "Jerrie" Cobb was a (as every article about her liked to remind readers) pretty lady who liked clothes. Here's a typical opener to a story about her from 1960:
 
"What is America's first lady Astronaut really like? She's a pretty 29-year-old miss who would probably take high heels along on her first space flight if given the chance ... She's a woman who would be mistaken for an average housewife on TV's 'What's My Line?' She's a girl who is "scared to death" to make a speech ... She's Jerrie Cobb, woman career pilot.
 
Cobb was deeply religious, perhaps even a mystic, who set all kinds of records and once said she'd like to go to the moon, even if she never came back, and that she just had an "urge to infinity." That's her in the photos above, undergoing two of the 87 physical feats that qualified astronauts for space flight. 
 
After she successfully completed the physiological tests that the (male) Mercury astronauts had, including surviving nine hours in a sensory deprivation tank, far longer than any man, the publicity about her began to pour in. Jacqueline Cochran, another pilot and businesswoman, decided to fund the testing and training of 19 other women, given that neither the Air Force nor NASA was willing to put up the money.
 
As the others tested, Cobb took the lead making her case to the public. She gave talks and wrote a book, even got herself named an advisor to NASA. Cobb received much support, but she had many, many detractors. Here's columnist Ruth Heimbucher rebuking her efforts with a little lighthearted clucking:
 
Now I am all for equality of the sexes job opportunities, suffrage, all that. I am even willing to stand on the bus while the men stay seated. But when it comes to exploring the fringes of the cosmos, then it's time to call a halt. By all means, leave the stratosphere to the men.
 
Why? Because men make fun of women for being bad drivers. Seriously, that's her answer. Actually, her friends had a few more:
 
"The hand that rocks the cradle should not steer a rocket," said one girl.
 
Another opined that "we should leave some realms exclusively to men, such as major league baseball, grilling steaks on the patio, the Saturday night dice games, chewing tobacco, submarine warfare. I say we should give them the air too."
 
Said a third, "A woman in space is a woman alone. Need I say more?" She needn't. We get the message.
 
While Heimbucher poked fun, twelve other women had completed the brutal tests administered by William Randolph "Randy" Lovelace at his clinic. Their names were: Wally Funk, Irene Leverton, Myrtle "K" Cagle, Jane B. Hart, Gene Nora Stumbough, Jerri Sloan, Rhea Hurrle, Sarah Gorelick, Bernice "B" Trimble Steadman, Jan Dietrich, Marion Dietrich, and Jean Hixson. Along with Jerrie Cobb, they became known as the Mercury 13.
 
For a short while, it seemed that their quest to fly might advance. In 1962, the women were scheduled to continue testing at the Naval School of Aviation Medicine in Pensacola, Florida, but NASA declined to support their visit. Without official backing, the Navy canceled the trip. Cobb tried to save the program, flying to Washington and testifying before Congress. But NASA officials, John Glenn among them, told the Congressmen that women couldn't be astronauts because they hadn't flown jets, which were only available to the military, which also barred women.
 
This argument apparently proved persuasive and the Mercury 13 never got another chance to make their case for space, even after Tereshkova's record-setting flight. Among the many hagiographies and biopics dedicated to America's astronauts, a single scholarly monograph has been written about these women. It's by Margaret Weitekamp and the title about sums it up, Right Stuff, Wrong Sex.
 
Remembering Sally Ride: The first photo
 
Red Huber - Orlando Sentinel
 

 
The first time I had the opportunity to photograph and meet astronaut Sally Ride was 29 years ago during training for the seventh space shuttle mission. Ride died Monday of cancer and as the first American woman in space, she’s remembered for handling her fame with class. What she accomplished in her lifetime will benefit women and space travel forever. Sally will be greatly missed.
 
To get this early photo of Ride, I remember I received a message from Eddie Harrison, who is retired from NASA Public Affairs at Kennedy Space Center. He told me that there was going to be a photo-op of the STS-7 crew, taking part in a fire-training exercise at KSC and I “really needed” to attend the event. This was six months prior to the historic launch.
 
Myself and only a few other photographers of the media attended this planned event.  We were escorted to the area on KSC property a few miles south of space shuttle launch pad 39A.  The STS-7 Challenger crew of Commander Robert Crippen, Pilot Frederick Hauck, Mission Specialists John Fabian, Norman Thagard and Sally Ride were there. The access for documenting their training session was up-close and personal.
 
During the hour or so training session I had noticed that Sally was quiet and shy. She took on her task seriously, as did the other astronauts.  As the crew went through their paces, Sally appeared camera shy and would shield her self behind other crew members. 
 
Near the end, I had thoroughly documented the event but I still wanted to capture an image of Sally that showed a personal side. The moment happened came when she took off her oxygen mask. She shared a slight grin with the rest of the crew. She let her guard down for just a moment and showed a personal side.
 
This was the seventh launch of a space shuttle and what made it special was that a woman, Sally Ride, was assigned to the mission. At the time, early in training for the mission, I don’t believe NASA was heavily promoting the first American woman astronaut. A couple months later the media hype started and the request for candid photos of astronaut Sally Ride were off the charts.
 
In June of 1983 I was at the astronaut walkout for STS-7 in the early morning hours when Sally Ride left the Operation and Checkout building with the rest of the crew. This time, she was grinning from ear to ear.
 
Sally Ride's Legacy: 1st Female Space Shuttle Commanders Speak Out
 
Clara Moskowitz - Space.com
 
The news of Sally Ride's death Monday has impacted many around the globe, most especially those who traveled directly in her footsteps.
 
Sally Ride became the first American woman in space when she flew on the space shuttle Challenger in 1983. Since then, dozens of U.S. females have made spaceflights. Two of them, Eileen Collins and Pamela Melroy, achieved another historic milestone, becoming the only women to command a space shuttle mission.
 
"I knew I wanted to be an astronaut from watching the Apollo astronauts land on the moon, but Sally cemented the belief inside me that I could do it," Melroy wrote in an email to SPACE.com. "She paved the way for women to work in space and made it so much easier for other women to follow where she led."
 
Collins became the first female space shuttle commander when she led the STS-93 flight of the shuttle Columbia in July 1999, just 16 years after Ride's first flight. Melroy then commanded the space shuttle Discovery in 2007, becoming the last woman to command a shuttle before the fleet retired in 2011.
 
"I am surprised and saddened by the news of Sally Ride’s passing," Collins wrote in an email yesterday. "She was such a wonderful role model and source of inspiration to me.  People around the world still recognize her name as the first American woman in space, and she took that title seriously even after departing NASA.  She mentored me several times during my astronaut career, leaving me with many cherished memories."
 
Collins, who retired from NASA in 2006, said Ride inspired by example.
 
"She never sought media attention for herself, but rather focused on doing her normally outstanding job," Collins said. "Her 'Sally Ride Science' programs have reached thousands of middle school girls, giving them the confidence to stay focused on math and science, even when the mass media message was otherwise. She also played a notable role in both the Challenger and Columbia accident investigations.  Sally left us too soon. God Speed Sally, you will be greatly missed."
 
Collins and Melroy are not the only women to have commanded space missions. NASA's current chief astronaut is veteran spaceflyer Peggy Whitson, who commanded the International Space Station's Expedition 16 mission in 2007 and 2008. The space station's second female commander, Sunita Williams, is on the orbiting laboratory now and will take command later this year.
 
"The selection of the 1978 Astronaut Class that included Sally and several other women, had a huge impact on my dream to become an astronaut. The success of those woman, with Sally paving the way, made my dream seem one step closer to becoming a reality," Whitson said in a statement.
 
Ride, a physicist, took her status as role model seriously, and harnessed it to reach out to students through Sally Ride Science, the company she founded in 2001. The organization worked to inspire boys and girls in the subjects of science, math and technology through outreach in classrooms and teacher training.
 
"I met Sally for the first time on her speaking tour after her first flight, shortly after I had graduated from Wellesley College," said Melroy, who retired from NASA in 2009 and now works at the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Commercial Space Transportation. "She was fascinating, smart, humble, very nice - and completely inspirational."
 
Ride died at age 61 in San Diego, Calif., of pancreatic cancer.
 
NASA scores high on innovation
 
Camille Tuutti - Federal Computer Week
 
Federal employees are eager to innovate, but garnering enough support from their managers and agency leaders to do so has proven to be anything but easy.
 
Analysis by the Partnership for Public Service and Deloitte revealed an overwhelming majority of employees (91.5 percent) said they are exploring new ways to do their jobs better. However, only 60 percent said they are encouraged to think creatively and come up with innovative ways of doing things. Additionally, just 40 percent said creativity and innovation are rewarded in the workplace, according to the "Achieving a Culture of Innovation” report.
 
“These scores suggest that the government needs to improve and is at risk of falling behind as the nation’s problems and challenges grow more complex,” the report stated. “Federal workers are motivated to drive change, but need stronger support from their organizations and leaders to do so.”
 
For the second consecutive year, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ranked highest on agency innovation. NASA’s score of 75 is almost 12 points higher than the governmentwide average. The space agency was followed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the General Services Administration and the State Department.
 
The least innovative agency was the Securities and Exchange Commission, whose score dipped 2.1 percent from 2010. Slightly more than one-fifth of SEC employees said creativity and innovation are rewarded – a 17 percent decrease from the 2010 worker survey. The departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Labor and Housing and Urban Development scored five points or more below the governmentwide average for innovation.
 
The report called on government leaders to bridge the innovation gap between the federal and private sectors, urging leaders to “take the initiative to foster a culture of innovation, engage, empower and encourage employees and reward creativity.”
 
The data for the report was taken from the 2011 Office of Personnel Management’s Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey to examine the views of government workers on innovation in the workplace.
 
But we’ve always done it that way…
 
Sean Reilly – Federal Times
 
Thinking new–so hard to do.
 
Set it to music and that might be the refrain of a new report on how federal workers view their agencies’ attitude toward the cutting edge.
 
Only about 40 percent of feds believe that agencies reward creativity and innovation, the Partnership for Public Service found. And although more than nine out of ten say they are looking for fresh approaches to doing their jobs better, just 59 percent feel encouragement from higher-ups “to come up with new and better ways of doing things.” In the private-sector workforce, the comparable figure is 71 percent.
 
Overall, the report, titled “Achieving a Culture of Innovation,” reflects little change from a similar review released last year.
 
“The numbers aren’t getting better and they should be,” Partnership President Max Stier said in a Monday interview. “Government is going to need to be supportive of a more innovative culture if we’re going to meet the crushing demands that are being placed on it.”
 
The report taps 266,000 responses to last year’s Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey to come up with agency-by-agency innovation scores. Among 30 large agencies, NASA and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission were again the only two to rank above 70. The government’s cumulative score was about 63, virtually the same as last year’s.
 
The Office of Personnel Management saw the most improvement, as its rating rose 4 percent to 63. Conversely, the Agency for International Development’s score slumped 5 percent to around 64. The Securities and Exchange Commission again came in last; its score of 53 was down more than 2 percent from last year.
 
That seems particularly surprising (and alarming), given that the SEC helps to oversee a ceaselessly evolving financial services industry that almost plunged the nation into an economic depression four years ago. Here’s how SEC spokesman John Nester responded via a prepared statement:
 
“These rankings are based on outdated data that does not reflect a series of measures we’ve put in place to encourage innovative ideas and creative thinking, including a new technology center that encourages staff to work smarter through innovation and data analytics, specialized units that enable staff to better share ideas to become more efficient, and recognition for those employees who come up with ways to improve how we operate.”
 
END
 
 


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