Wednesday, October 10, 2012
10/10/12 news
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
JSC TODAY HEADLINES
1. NASA Safety Culture Survey -- This is YOUR Chance
2. Safety and Health Day Walk/Run Participants Register Online -- It's Free
3. Free Flu Shots Tomorrow
4. Read All About Safety and Health Day
5. FREE at the Fair
6. JSC Library Booth at Safety and Health Day Fair Tomorrow
7. Latin Music in the Building 3 Café
8. Discussion on Community Resources for Individuals With Disabilities
9. Featured: Return Science Sample Capability as Important as Station Resupply
10. Latest International Space Station Research
11. JSC: See the Space Station
12. White Sands Test Facility: See the Space Station This Week
13. Blood Drive: Oct. 16 - Ellington; Oct. 17 and 18 - JSC
14. Register for Thriller Dance and Spooky Spin Classes at the Gilruth Center
15. Volunteers Wanted: Upcoming Electronics Recycling Event
16. IEEE Member Professional Awareness Conference: Difference Makers
17. INNOVATION and Workshop on Automation and Robotics
18. Shuttle Knowledge Console v2.0
________________________________________ QUOTE OF THE DAY
“ Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.”
-- Anonymous
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1. NASA Safety Culture Survey -- This is YOUR Chance
During Oct. 9 and 16, the NASA Safety Culture Survey will be available online at: https://www.nasascs.org/mainpage.aspx?page=782&surveyid=996020
The survey gives all JSC and White Sands Test Facility employees an opportunity to share their thoughts on our safety culture. You can also visit booth 36A (located in the Building 4 breezeway) on Oct. 11 (Safety and Health Day) to take the survey real-time and receive a token of appreciation.
The survey is anonymous and can be taken from any computer or phone with Internet access at home or work. The results will be submitted to the JSC director and the survey point of contact. No results will be shown of any demographic with five or fewer people. Comments are welcome, and we will keep them word for word (except for inappropriate language, which may be modified or removed). All employees are asked to participate. Let's work together!
Stacey Menard x45660
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2. Safety and Health Day Walk/Run Participants Register Online -- It's Free
Interested in participating in the annual Safety and Health Day Walk/Run that will be held at 4 p.m. on Thursday? Please register at the following website:
http://sthday.jsc.nasa.gov/2012/walk_run
There is no fee involved with this event.
http://sthday.jsc.nasa.gov/2012/walk_run/SHD12_WalkRunMap.htm
Greta Ayers x30302 http://sthday.jsc.nasa.gov/2012/walk_run/
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3. Free Flu Shots Tomorrow
The Occupational Health Branch is offering FREE flu shots to JSC civil servants and contractors who are housed on-site.
TOMORROW:
Oct. 11: Building 2 South (Teague lobby) from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 3 p.m.
UPCOMING DATE:
* Oct. 18: Building 30 lobby from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.
To expedite the process, PLEASE visit the website below, read the Influenza Vaccine Information Statement and complete the consent form prior to arrival. On the day of the flu shot, wear clothing that allows easy to access your upper arm (short sleeve or sleeveless).
* We may not have enough vaccine to last the entire day. This will likely be our last outreach session for this flu season.
Bob Martel x38581 http://sd.jsc.nasa.gov/omoh/scripts/OccupationalMedicine/Fluprogram.aspx
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4. Read All About Safety and Health Day
One of the year's most important events covering safety and health will be here Thursday, and if you want the scoop on what you'll see and do, be sure to read the "JSC Safety & Health News," now online for your reading convenience.
Notice the exciting "extras" that are planned as well.
For even more info, see: http://sthday.jsc.nasa.gov/default.htm
And, it's that time of year again! The Children's Art Calendar Contest has kicked off, and you'll find details on entries and what the 36 winners will receive.
Don't miss the final installment of the page 3 Health Reports for all you need to know about on-the-job injuries and workers' comp.
Finally, see the flu questions on page 4 and be better prepared for the season.
These, plus Letters from Readers, the cryptogram and a yummy-yet-healthful banana-chocolate-chip muffin recipe, all at the link below.
Mary Peterson x38783 http://www6.jsc.nasa.gov/safety/newsletters/latest_publication.pdf
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5. FREE at the Fair
The JSC 2012 Safety and Health Day is tomorrow. Your JSC Safety Action Team will once again host the "Why I Work Safely" photo-laminating booth. This is your last chance to round up your favorite photos to have them ready to laminate for display on your lanyard. Show everyone your reason(s) for working safely!
Note: Please trim photos to 2 inches wide by 2.5 inches in length. Scanned photos work well also.
Reese Squires x37776
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6. JSC Library Booth at Safety and Health Day Fair Tomorrow
The JSC Library provides access to safety and health resources that are available to JSC contractors and civil servants. These include, but are not limited, to online journals, e-books and databases such as PubMed, TOXNET, Medline Plus, Nature, Journal of the American Medical Association and the Wiley Online Library. Stop by our booth in the mall area between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 11. Brochures, flyers, bookmarks and other library materials will be available.
Provided by the Information Resources Directorate: http://ird.jsc.nasa.gov/default.aspx
Ebony Fondren x32490 http://library.jsc.nasa.gov
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7. Latin Music in the Building 3 Café
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Starport Cafés will be serving Hispanic-themed cuisine on the following Wednesdays: Oct. 10 and 17. To complement the café's effort to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, the JSC Hispanic Employee Resource Group will play Latin music in the Building 3 café during the themed lunches (from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.).
Stephanie Tapia x40162
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8. Discussion on Community Resources for Individuals With Disabilities
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. In recognition, the JSC Disability Advisory Group and Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity will host a panel discussion to equip attendees with information about tools and resources available to foster a more inclusive and enriching personal and work life. You do not have to have a disability to participate. Everyone is welcome. The panel will include representatives that offer unique perspectives on community resources available for individuals with disabilities.
The panel will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 24, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in Building 1, Conference Room 966.
Should you require special assistance to participate for a specific disability, accommodations are available. Please contact Janelle Holt (x37504) no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 17, to submit your request.
Herbert Babineaux x34263
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9. Featured: Return Science Sample Capability as Important as Station Resupply
While the first NASA Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) flight to the International Space Station (ISS) is historic, the delivery and, more importantly, the return of science samples, is pivotal. Since the retirement of the shuttles, the only return capability available from the space station was via the Russian Soyuz vehicle, with cold stowage even more limited -- but not anymore. Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, is now able to provide this service as well.
This latest Dragon launch, the first of 12 contracted flights, flew cargo, equipment and supplies to begin 63 new investigations aboard station. Read more about this important capability and what it means for science on the ISS Research and Technology page: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/crs_1.html
JSC External Relations, Office of Communications and Public Affairs x35111
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10. Latest International Space Station Research
Last week on the International Space Station (ISS), five small satellites called CubeSats were deployed.
One of those CubeSats, TechEdSat, was developed by San Jose State University students in California.
TechEdSat demonstrates two new technologies: The first technology to be demonstrated is AAC Microtec's plug-and-play electronics architecture, which has the goal of rapidly advancing reconfigured nanosatellite technologies based on miniaturized avionics components. The second technology demonstrates two different tracking and communication modules that utilize the Iridium and Orbcomm satellite phone networks.
The primary goal of this investigation is to provide a rapid development demonstration for simplifying hardware and operations infrastructure for future spacecraft design and development.
Read more here: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/TechEdSat.html
Liz Warren x35548
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11. JSC: See the Space Station
Viewers in the JSC area will be able to see the International Space Station this week.
Wednesday, Oct. 10, 7:19 p.m. (Duration: 6 minutes)
Path: 11 degrees above SW to 11 degrees above NE
Maximum elevation: 73 degrees
Friday, Oct. 12, 7:21 p.m. (Duration: 3 minutes)
Path: 28 degrees above WNW to 10 degrees above NNE
Maximum elevation: 29 degrees
The International Space Station Trajectory Operations Group provides updates via JSC Today for visible station passes at least two minutes in duration and 25 degrees in elevation. Other opportunities, including those with shorter durations and lower elevations or from other ground locations, are available at the website below.
Joe Pascucci x31695 http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/view.cgi?country=U...
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12. White Sands Test Facility: See the Space Station This Week
Viewers in the White Sands Test Facility area will be able to see the International Space Station this week.
Wednesday, Oct. 10, 7:57 p.m. (Duration: 3 minutes)
Path: 29 degrees above W to 21 degrees above NNE
Maximum elevation: 41 degrees
Thursday, Oct. 11, 7:07 p.m. (Duration: 5 minutes)
Path: 19 degrees above SW to 11 degrees above NE
Maximum elevation: 85 degrees
Saturday, Oct. 13, 7:07 p.m. (Duration: 3 minutes)
Path: 24 degrees above WNW to 11 degrees above NNE
Maximum elevation: 26 degrees
The International Space Station Trajectory Operations Group provides updates via JSC Today for visible station passes at least two minutes in duration and 25 degrees in elevation. Other opportunities, including those with shorter durations and lower elevations or from other ground locations, are available at the website below.
Joe Pascucci x31695 http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/view.cgi?country=U...
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13. Blood Drive: Oct. 16 - Ellington; Oct. 17 and 18 - JSC
There is no substitute for blood. It has to come from one person in order to give it to another. Will there be blood available when you or your family needs it? A regular number of voluntary donations are needed every day to meet the needs for blood. Your blood donation can help up to three people. Please take an hour of your time to donate at our next blood drive.
You can donate at Ellington Field on Oct. 16. A donor coach will be located between Hangars 276 and 135 for donations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
You can donate at JSC from Oct. 17 to 18 in the Building 2 Teague lobby or at the donor coach located next to the Building 11 Starport Café from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
You can also donate in the Gilruth Center Coronado Room on Oct. 18 from 7:30 a.m. to noon.
Teresa Gomez x39588 http://jscpeople.jsc.nasa.gov/blooddrv/blooddrv.htm
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14. Register for Thriller Dance and Spooky Spin Classes at the Gilruth Center
Join in on the Halloween fun at the Gilruth Center on Oct. 26 with a Thriller dance performance and Spooky Spin ride! You'll have a blast learning the Thriller dance routine then performing it in your best zombie attire. Learn the dance on Oct. 19 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The big performance is Oct. 26 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The fee is $20 if registered by Oct. 12 ($25 after, or $15 just to attend one night). Or, take a Spooky Spin ride in our specialty spin class with a Halloween theme! Come dressed in costume for this fun and frightful workout on Oct. 26 from 6 to 7 p.m. The fee is $10 if registered by Oct. 20 ($15 if registered after). Register for both classes at the Gilruth Center front desk.
Shelly Haralson x39168 http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/
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15. Volunteers Wanted: Upcoming Electronics Recycling Event
The JSC Contractor Environmental Partnership is hosting another electronic recycling and document-shredding event at Space Center Houston on Nov. 10 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. We are looking for volunteers to help staff the event. There are three different shifts available, and volunteers can sign up for whenever and as many shifts as they would like. Sign up using the website link below. We hope to see you there!
JSC Contractor Environmental Partnership x40878 http://www.mysignup.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?datafile=jsc_ewaste
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16. IEEE Member Professional Awareness Conference: Difference Makers
The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Galveston Bay Section presents Michael R. Andrews speaking on "Difference Makers." Every individual, independent on what they do, who they know, their education level or field of interest, has the ability to "move the needle" for someone, an organization, region or a nation. The presentation will be on the guiding principles and life skill of difference makers, and identify ways to develop skills that with enhance your abilities as a volunteer and improve your work performance in your chosen profession. Andrews is a managing partner of Andrews & Associates, a consulting firm specializing in business and management development, new product research and development and emergency planning.
The program will take place Wednesday, Oct. 17, from 6:30 to 9:15 p.m. in the Gilruth Center Discovery Room. Dinner is available for $12; there is no charge for the presentation. Please RSVP to Stew O'Dell at stewart.c.odell@nasa.gov by Thursday, Oct. 11.
Stew O'Dell x31855 http://ewh.ieee.org/r5/galveston_bay/events/events.html
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17. INNOVATION and Workshop on Automation and Robotics
The annual INNOVATION and Workshop on Automation and Robotics (WAR), organized jointly by Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Galveston Bay Section, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Technical Committee on Robotics and Automation, and Clear Lake Council of Technical Societies, takes place Friday, Oct. 12, from 8 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. at the Gilruth Center. Technical sessions include: Robotics and Games; Complex Systems; Computer Performance; Biomedical topics; Cloud Security; and Telecom. Conference advance registration can be made via email to ZTaqvi@gmail.com, or register on-site at the conference.
Dr. Zafar Taqvi 713-392-1280 http://ewh.ieee.org/r5/galveston_bay/events/events.html
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18. Shuttle Knowledge Console v2.0
As part of JSC's ongoing space shuttle knowledge capture process, the JSC Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO) and the JSC Engineering Directorate are pleased to announce the second release of the Shuttle Knowledge Console: https://skc.jsc.nasa.gov
New content: Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS)/Reaction Control System (RCS) added to the Subsystem Manager page; Integrated Hazard Analysis added to the Shuttle Information System archive page; and additional shuttle records content added to the Shuttle Records page. Also added is an export control warning on all pages. Questions about the new website can be directed to Howard Wagner in the JSC Engineering Directorate or Brent Fontenot in the CKO office. We would love your feedback on this new site. Click the "Submit Feedback" button located on the top of the site navigation and give us your comments.
Brent J. Fontenot x36456 https://skc.jsc.nasa.gov/Home.aspx
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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.
NASA TV: UNDERWAY – Dragon berthing coverage (grapple was 5:56 Central)
Human Spaceflight News
Wednesday – October 10, 2012
“Looks like we’ve tamed the Dragon:” Expedition 33 Commander Suni Williams at 5:56 am Central (6:56 EDT)
HEADLINES AND LEADS
SpaceX cargo ship grappled by station arm
William Harwood – CBS News
After getting off to a rocky start with an engine failure during launch Sunday, a commercial cargo capsule loaded with a half-ton of equipment and supplies, including ice cream, carried out a flawless final approach to the International Space Station early Wednesday, pulling up to within 60 feet so Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, operating the lab's robot arm, could pluck it out of open space for berthing. Making the first of at least 12 cargo deliveries under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA, the SpaceX Dragon capsule, after a successful test flight last May, is the first commercially developed spacecraft to visit the station, the centerpiece of a push to restore U.S. resupply capability in the wake of the space shuttle's retirement last year. Hoshide used station's robot arm to latch onto a grapple fixture on the side of the Dragon capsule at 6:56 a.m. EDT (GMT-4) as the two spacecraft sailed 250 miles above the Pacific Ocean west of Baja California.
SpaceX Dragon capsule arrives at space station
Marcia Dunn – Associated Press
A private company successfully delivered a half-ton of supplies to the International Space Station early Wednesday, the first official shipment under a billion-dollar contract with NASA. The SpaceX cargo ship, called Dragon, eased up to the orbiting lab, and station astronauts reached out with a robot arm and snared it. "Looks like we've tamed the Dragon," reported space station commander Sunita Williams. "We're happy she's on board with us."
SpaceX Dragon Capsule Arrives at Space Station With Precious Cargo
Tariq Malik - Space.com
A privately built robotic space capsule arrived at the International Space Station early Wednesday to make the first-ever commercial cargo delivery to the orbiting lab under a billion-dollar deal with NASA. The unmanned Dragon spacecraft was captured by station astronauts using a robotic arm after an apparently flawless approach by the cargo-laden space capsule, which was built by the private spaceflight company SpaceX. It is the first of 12 resupply flights SpaceX will fly for NASA under a $1.6 billion deal.
Blown SpaceX Engine May Have Been Best of Bad Things
Richard Adhikari - TechNewsWorld.com
Despite one of its engines failing in mid-launch, the first commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station continues. "I think what they experienced was as bad as it could get, or pretty close, which is good, because even with that engine failure they succeeded," said Ben Corbin, the spokesperson for Astronauts4Hire. One of the nine Merlin engines of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket suffered what the company called "an anomaly" after the vessel's launch on Sunday. The "anomaly" looks a lot like one of the rocket's nine engines failing in mid-launch, as can be seen in the slow-motion video.
Next generation NASA rocket booster to be developed at Marshall
Martin Swant - Huntsville Times
The core booster for NASA's next-generation rocket will be developed at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. Tuesday, ATK -- which will be utilizing the center's facilities and engineers -- announced it's won a $50-million contract from NASA as part of a 30-month contract. The total contract is valued at $137.3 million. The purpose of NASA's efforts is to get feedback on high-risk areas in order to work on solutions or mitigation strategies before the advanced booster is designed around 2016, according to Paul Karner, program manager for the advanced booster development effort.
NASA gets VAB ready for the next generation
KSC landmark undergoes upgrades to allow assembly of NASA's newest rockets
Todd Halvorson – Florida Today
Jim Bolton spent a quarter-century working on the nation’s shuttle program at Kennedy Space Center. For seven years and seven months, he even served as NASA’s vehicle manager for the orbiter Atlantis. Now Bolton, 54, is playing a key role in an extreme makeover: modifying the landmark Vehicle Assembly Building for supersized rockets being designed to send American astronauts to deep space destinations.
Is Singer Sarah Brightman the Next Space Tourist?
Clara Moskowitz - Space.com
Famed classical singer Sarah Brightman could be the next tourist to visit space as a paying passenger, ABC News is reporting. The singer may have paid more than $51 million to the Russian Federal Space Agency for a seat on a spacecraft bound for the International Space Station, according to ABC News. Space Adventures, the Virginia-based firm reportedly brokering the deal, has not confirmed that Brightman will be flying in space. However, company officials said Brightman would make a "groundbreaking announcement" during a press conference in Moscow Oct. 10 at 4 p.m. Moscow time (8 a.m. EDT).
Indiana astronaut gearing up for trip into space
Taylor Bennett - WIBC Radio (Indianapolis)
Indiana astronaut Kevin Ford is in Russia preparing for a launch this month to the International Space Station. The Blackford County native is leaving October 23rd to join the Russian team as the Expedition Commander for a four-and-a-half month mission.
Indiana native to command space station
Associated Press
An astronaut from Indiana is in Russia getting ready to become commander of the International Space Station. Kevin Ford is scheduled to launch on a Russian Soyuz capsule with two Russian cosmonauts to the space station on Oct. 23 and remain in orbit until March. The 52-year-old who grew up in Montpelier will spend much of that time as commander of the space station’s six-person crew.
Endeavour ready for 2-mph trip through Los Angeles and Inglewood
Kristin Agostoni - Contra Costa Times
The space shuttle Endeavour's flight into Los Angeles last month brought hoards of people out of their homes, schools and offices, their eyes drawn to the sky as the retired orbiter buzzed past local landmarks. This week, Endeavour hits the streets for a close-up. Crowds are expected to track the shuttle's carefully planned two-day, 2-mph trek through Los Angeles and Inglewood to its permanent home at the California Science Center. Endeavour's 12-mile journey starts early Friday, when it's expected to inch away from Los Angeles International Airport aboard a special transporter, following a path leading to Exposition Park.
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COMPLETE STORIES
SpaceX cargo ship grappled by station arm
William Harwood – CBS News
After getting off to a rocky start with an engine failure during launch Sunday, a commercial cargo capsule loaded with a half-ton of equipment and supplies, including ice cream, carried out a flawless final approach to the International Space Station early Wednesday, pulling up to within 60 feet so Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, operating the lab's robot arm, could pluck it out of open space for berthing.
Making the first of at least 12 cargo deliveries under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA, the SpaceX Dragon capsule, after a successful test flight last May, is the first commercially developed spacecraft to visit the station, the centerpiece of a push to restore U.S. resupply capability in the wake of the space shuttle's retirement last year.
Hoshide used station's robot arm to latch onto a grapple fixture on the side of the Dragon capsule at 6:56 a.m. EDT (GMT-4) as the two spacecraft sailed 250 miles above the Pacific Ocean west of Baja California.
"Houston, station on (channel) two, capture complete," Expedition 33 commander Sunita Williams radioed. "Looks like we've tamed the dragon. We're happy she's on board with us. Thanks to everybody at SpaceX and NASA for bringing her here to us. And the ice cream."
"We copy, Suni, nice flying," replied astronaut Rick Sturckow from mission control. "We'll put the post-capture configuration in work."
Williams and Hoshide planned to berth the Dragon capsule at the Earth-facing port of the forward Harmony module to complete the capture sequence.
The long-awaited mission began with a spectacular launch Sunday night from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. But during the climb to space, one of the Falcon 9 booster's nine first-stage engines malfunctioned and shut down, forcing the flight computer to fire the other engines longer than planned to compensate for the shortfall.
The Dragon capsule ended up in a useable orbit, but the engine failure prevented the Falcon 9 second stage from boosting a small secondary payload, an Orbcomm data relay satellite, into its planned orbit. As it was, SpaceX flight controllers had to quickly revise the Dragon rendezvous sequence to keep the craft on course and to conserve propellant.
All of that went off without a hitch and the spacecraft moved into position for grapple right on schedule.
The capsule will remain attached to the space station for the next three weeks while the lab crew unloads science gear, spare parts and crew supplies, including ice cream packed in a science freezer as a special treat for the three-person crew. The capsule will be re-packed with no-longer-needed hardware, failed components and experiment samples for return to Earth around Oct. 28.
Unlike Russian, European and Japanese cargo craft that routinely visit the station, the Dragon capsule was designed to make round trips to and from the lab complex, giving it the ability to bring major components and experiment samples back to Earth for the first time since shuttles stopped flying last year.
"The SpaceX Dragon is a really important vehicle for us because it supports the laboratory use of ISS, both in bringing cargo up to the space station and in bringing research samples home," said Julie Robinson, the space station program scientist at NASA Headquarters.
"It has a great return capability, it essentially replaces that capacity that we lost when the shuttle retired so that now we'll be able to bring home a wide variety of biological samples, physical sciences samples and we'll be able to bring home research equipment that we need to refurbish and then relaunch again."
The NASA contract with SpaceX requires the company to deliver 44,000 pounds of equipment and supplies over 12 flights. To pave the way for operational resupply missions, SpaceX carried out two successful test flights, one that tested the capsule's systems in a solo flight and another that included a berthing at the station last May.
The Dragon capsule measures 14.4 feet tall and 12 feet wide, with trunk section that extends another 9.2 feet below the capsule's heat shield that houses two solar arrays and an unpressurized cargo bay. The spacecraft can carry up to 7,297 pounds of cargo split between the pressurized and unpressurized sections.
For the first resupply mission, the Dragon capsule is loaded with 882 pounds of hardware, supplies and equipment including:
· 260 pounds of crew food, clothing, low-sodium food kits and other crew supplies
· 390 pounds of science gear, including a low-temperature Glacier freezer for experiment samples, fluids and combustion facility hardware, a commercial generic bioprocessing apparatus, cables for the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and research gear for the Japanese and European space agencies
· 225 pounds of space station hardware, including crew health care system components, life support system parts, filters and electrical components
· 7 pounds of computer gear
For its return to Earth, the Dragon spacecraft will be carrying 1,673 pounds of experiment samples and hardware, including:
· 163 pounds of crew supplies
· 518 pounds of vehicle hardware
· 123 pounds of computer gear, Russian cargo and spacewalk equipment
· 866 pounds of science gear and experiment samples, including 400 samples of crew urine
Under a separate $440 million contract with NASA, SpaceX engineers are working on upgrades to convert the Dragon capsule into a manned spacecraft that can ferry crews to and from the station. SpaceX managers believe they will be ready for initial manned test flights in the 2015 timeframe, assuming continued NASA funding. Two other companies, Boeing and Sierra Nevada, are developing their own spacecraft designs under similar contracts.
SpaceX Dragon capsule arrives at space station
Marcia Dunn – Associated Press
A private company successfully delivered a half-ton of supplies to the International Space Station early Wednesday, the first official shipment under a billion-dollar contract with NASA.
The SpaceX cargo ship, called Dragon, eased up to the orbiting lab, and station astronauts reached out with a robot arm and snared it.
"Looks like we've tamed the Dragon," reported space station commander Sunita Williams. "We're happy she's on board with us."
Williams thanked SpaceX and NASA for the delivery, especially the chocolate-vanilla swirl ice cream stashed in a freezer.
The linkup occurred 250 miles above the Pacific, just west of Baja California, 2½ days after the Dragon's launch from Cape Canaveral, Fla.
"Nice flying," radioed NASA's Mission Control.
It's the first delivery by the California-based SpaceX company under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA. The contract calls for 12 such shipments.
This newest Dragon holds 1,000 pounds of groceries, clothes, science experiments and other gear. It will remain at the space station for nearly three weeks before departing with almost twice that much cargo at the end of the month. Dragon is the only cargo ship capable of bringing back research and other items, filling a void left by NASA's retired shuttles.
SpaceX — owned by PayPal's billionaire creator Elon Musk — launched Dragon aboard a Falcon 9 rocket Sunday night. One of the nine first-stage engines failed a minute into the flight, but the other engines compensated and managed to put the capsule into the proper orbit. The mishap, however, left a secondary payload aboard the rocket — an Orbcomm communication satellite — in too low of an orbit.
This is the second Dragon to visit the space station. Last May, SpaceX conducted a test flight.
NASA is hiring out space station supply runs to American companies now that the shuttles are museum relics. The shuttle fleet was retired in 2011 after 30 years so the space agency could focus on human trips beyond low-Earth orbit; the destinations include asteroids and Mars.
Space station partners Russia, Japan and Europe also launch cargo ships, but those vessels are filled with trash and destroyed during descent. NASA scientists eagerly are awaiting nearly 500 samples of astronauts' blood and urine that have been stockpiled aboard the complex since Atlantis visited for the last time more than a year ago.
SpaceX is working to make its Dragon capsule safe enough to carry astronauts, possibly in three years. For now, NASA is paying the Russian Space Agency tens of millions of dollars to launch astronauts to the space station. Other U.S. companies also are vying for crew-carrying rights.
The space station currently houses three astronauts from America, Russia and Japan. Another American and two more Russians will arrive in two weeks.
SpaceX Dragon Capsule Arrives at Space Station With Precious Cargo
Tariq Malik - Space.com
A privately built robotic space capsule arrived at the International Space Station early Wednesday to make the first-ever commercial cargo delivery to the orbiting lab under a billion-dollar deal with NASA.
The unmanned Dragon spacecraft was captured by station astronauts using a robotic arm after an apparently flawless approach by the cargo-laden space capsule, which was built by the private spaceflight company SpaceX. It is the first of 12 resupply flights SpaceX will fly for NASA under a $1.6 billion deal.
"Looks like we've tamed the Dragon," station commander Sunita Williams said as the spacecraft was captured by a robotic arm. "We're happy she's onboard with us. Thanks to everyone at SpaceX and NASA for bringing her to us … and the ice cream."
The astronauts' chocolate-vanilla swirl ice cream, a rare treat for the space station crew, was a last-minute item packed along with the nearly 1,000 pounds (453 kilograms) of supplies riding up to the orbiting lab on the Dragon capsule.
The SpaceX spacecraft was captured at about 6:56 a.m. EDT (1122 GMT) by Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide as the space station soared 250 miles (402 kilometers) above the Pacific Ocean, just west of Baja California. The capsule will be attached to an open docking port on the station in the next few hours.
SpaceX launched the Dragon spacecraft into orbit on Sunday (Oct. 7) atop a Falcon 9 rocket (also built by the company) from a pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. It is expected to spend at least three weeks linked to the space station and be filled with nearly 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms) of experiment results and station gear for the return trip to Earth.
SpaceX officials watched over the Dragon capsule's arrival from the company's mission control center in Hawthorne, while NASA monitored the orbital rendezvous from its station Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. The spacecraft is expected to splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near Southern California on Oct. 28.
The station crew said Dragon was a welcome sight as it approached their orbital home.
"It's nice to see Dragon flying over the U.S.," Williams said during the space rendezvous.
With NASA's space shuttle fleet retired, the space agency is relying on private spacecraft to ferry supplies and astronaut crews to and from the International Space Station. SpaceX's Dragon is the first American spacecraft to launch to the space station since NASA's final shuttle mission in July 2011.
Wednesday's Dragon arrival followed on the success of a May test flight to the station by SpaceXto prove that its privately built space capsules could rendezvous with the orbiting lab and return home safely.
The Hawthorne, Calif.-based SpaceX is one of two companies with a NASA contract for unmanned cargo delivery missions. The other company, Orbital Sciences Corp., of Virginia, has a $1.9 billion contract for eight resupply missions using its new Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft. Orbital's first rocket test flight is expected later this year.
SpaceX is also developing a manned version of its Dragon spacecraft. The company is one of four spaceflight firms pursuing private space taxis to serve NASA's need to fly astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
Blown SpaceX Engine May Have Been Best of Bad Things
Richard Adhikari - TechNewsWorld.com
Despite one of its engines failing in mid-launch, the first commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station continues. "I think what they experienced was as bad as it could get, or pretty close, which is good, because even with that engine failure they succeeded," said Ben Corbin, the spokesperson for Astronauts4Hire.
One of the nine Merlin engines of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket suffered what the company called "an anomaly" after the vessel's launch on Sunday. The "anomaly" looks a lot like one of the rocket's nine engines failing in mid-launch, as can be seen in the slow-motion video.
Initial data suggest that Engine 1 lost pressure suddenly and an engine shutdown command was issued, SpaceX said in a statement.
Although the video shows debris being flung out, SpaceX contends that the engine didn't explode, and what the video shows is the rupture of the fairing that protects the engine from aerodynamic loads.
The Dragon capsule is expected to dock with the International Space Station on Wednesday.
What Apparently Happened
About 1 minute and 19 seconds into the launch, the anomaly was detected on Engine 1, SpaceX said. Panels designed to relieve pressure within the engine bay were ejected to protect the stage and the other engines.
The fairing protecting the engine ruptured because of the loss in pressure. Neither the eight other Merlin 1 engines nor the rocket stage of the Falcon 9 were affected.
The flight computer recomputed a new flight path in real time as it was designed to do, to ensure the Dragon capsule would be placed in orbit for rendezvous with the space station.
Dragon will begin its approach to the international space station on Wednesday. It is scheduled to splash down again on Earth Oct. 28.
The engine anomaly occurred "about the time that the Space Shuttle reached what is called 'MaxQ,' where the aerodynamic forces on the spacecraft are at their absolute maximum," Ben Corbin, the spokesperson for Astronauts4Hire, told TechNewsWorld.
It could be that a faulty valve caused an improper mixture of fuel to oxidizer in the combustion chamber, Corbin speculated. This would have caused a drop in pressure
That Didn't Hurt
Falcon 9 shuts down two of its engines to limit accelerations to 5 Gs, so the rocket could have lost another engine and still complete its mission, SpaceX said.
"The fact that the Falcon was still able to reach orbit safely despite [the anomaly] is overwhelming evidence that SpaceX knows what they're doing and that they have had safety, reliability, and robustness of design in mind since the beginning of their design work," Astronauts4Hire's Corbin remarked.
"A systems-level analysis could uncover bigger problems," Corbin pointed out. "Considering the rocket was near MaxQ, I think what they experienced was as bad as it could get, or pretty close, which is good, because even with that engine failure they succeeded."
SpaceX will continue to review the flight data to understand the cause of the anomaly.
Neither SpaceX nor NASA responded to our request to comment for this story.
Next generation NASA rocket booster to be developed at Marshall
Martin Swant - Huntsville Times
The core booster for NASA's next-generation rocket will be developed at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville.
Tuesday, ATK -- which will be utilizing the center's facilities and engineers -- announced it's won a $50-million contract from NASA as part of a 30-month contract. The total contract is valued at $137.3 million.
The purpose of NASA's efforts is to get feedback on high-risk areas in order to work on solutions or mitigation strategies before the advanced booster is designed around 2016, according to Paul Karner, program manager for the advanced booster development effort. That way the project can avoid having "money pits." Karner said ATK also plans to identify technological advances that have come about since the last booster was designed four decades ago.
The majority of the work will take place between June 2014 and February 2015.
"It's a really exciting opportunity and a good move by NASA to incrementally break this up, working with the industry base to address key technical issues early rather than later," Karner said in an interview. "So when they get into design work in the future, they don't get into any technical challenged."
Huntsville-based Dynetics was awarded $73.3 million as part of the NASA contract. The awarding is for the company to produce and test several primary components of the F-1 rocket engine that was originally developed for the Apollo Programs. Also awarded today was a contract to California-based Northrop Grumman Corporation Aerospace Systems, which will design new composite propellant tanks.
The first of the rockets in the ATK system will use solid-fuel boosters strapped on the side of the central core, but future generations could use different methods to generate more power. The rocket will eventually scale up from 70-metric-ton lifting capability to 130-metric-ton. The bigger version will have enough power and fuel for deep-space destinations such as Mars.
Karner said it will focus on technological challenges to the bigger boosters, including developing a high performing propellant, lightweight composite rocket motor case, an advanced nozzle. ATK will also develop a "lithium-ion battery-powered electric thrust vector control system." At the end of the contract, it will test fire an integrated booster containing the technologies it develops. The test firing will take place in Utah.
NASA gets VAB ready for the next generation
KSC landmark undergoes upgrades to allow assembly of NASA's newest rockets
Todd Halvorson – Florida Today
Jim Bolton spent a quarter-century working on the nation’s shuttle program at Kennedy Space Center. For seven years and seven months, he even served as NASA’s vehicle manager for the orbiter Atlantis.
Now Bolton, 54, is playing a key role in an extreme makeover: modifying the landmark Vehicle Assembly Building for supersized rockets being designed to send American astronauts to deep space destinations.
“You know, working in the shuttle program my whole career, it was bittersweet to see the shuttle end,” Bolton said.
“But to know that we are actually stepping forward toward the future is really neat. I kind of feel like we are pioneering something, and so it’s very fulfilling.”
Back in the early 1960s, President John F. Kennedy challenged America to send astronauts to the moon and return them safely to Earth by the end of the decade. To that end, NASA designed the 363-foot-tall Saturn V rocket.
Sketching with pencil on paper, German rocket scientist Kurt Debus conceived a huge hangar for Saturn V assembly.
Etched into the drawing are high bays in each corner of the giant, boxlike building, and there is a transfer aisle in between for the delivery of rocket stages and other hardware.
Construction began in July 1963 and was completed in early 1966. Still one of the largest buildings by volume in the world, the VAB covers eight acres and is 525 feet, 10 inches tall.
NASA modified the building for the shuttle program in the late 1970s, and now, with the orbiter fleet retired, engineers are preparing the VAB for its next role: rockets that will rival the Saturn V.
NASA’s Space Launch System is being developed to launch Orion crew vehicles and astronauts on missions to asteroids, the moon, Mars and other destinations, starting in the mid-2020s.
The first version of what will be an evolvable family of rockets will stand 320 feet tall and be capable of lofting 70 metric tons — more than double any operational vehicle today.
A first unmanned flight test of the 320-foot rocket, and an Orion capsule is scheduled for late 2017, and hardware for the vehicle will begin arriving at KSC in 2016.
NASA also is developing a 130 metric-ton behemoth that will stand 384 feet tall — 21 feet taller than the Saturn V moon rockets.
So Bolton and other engineers with NASA’s Ground Systems Development and Operation Program are in the midst of the most extensive renovation ever of the VAB.
Much of the building’s infrastructure is original. So NASA’s aim in part is to bring the facility up to modern building and safety codes.
A corroded fire suppression system will be replaced along with aging boilers and chillers that feed hot and cold water to the facility.
More than 50 miles of Apollo-era copper cabling is being pulled out, and a modern fiber-optic network will be put in. The building’s electrical system will be upgraded.
Also to be refurbished: Four 456-foot doors to the four high bays — the world’s largest — and five primary overhead cranes that hoist rocket stages and other hardware.
Bolton, a married father of two, is now focusing on the removal of work platforms in High Bay 3, which is being renovated for the super-sized rockets. The work platforms enabled technicians, engineers and inspectors to assemble and check out Saturn V rockets and space shuttles.
“They will be taken down, and they are going to be deconstructed and the components will be taken away, and that will leave a high bay basically a shell,” Bolton said.
During the next few years, NASA will install 20 new platforms to provide access to towering Space Launch System rockets.
“The idea is we will be able to accommodate the Space Launch System rocket and any derivations of the design that we can foresee,” Bolton said.
“I think the real fulfillment will be in a few years when we actually start seeing the hardware mature, and when we see the ground systems starting to be put in place,” he said.
Is Singer Sarah Brightman the Next Space Tourist?
Clara Moskowitz - Space.com
Famed classical singer Sarah Brightman could be the next tourist to visit space as a paying passenger, ABC News is reporting.
The singer may have paid more than $51 million to the Russian Federal Space Agency for a seat on a spacecraft bound for the International Space Station, according to ABC News.
Space Adventures, the Virginia-based firm reportedly brokering the deal, has not confirmed that Brightman will be flying in space. However, company officials said Brightman would make a "groundbreaking announcement" during a press conference in Moscow Oct. 10 at 4 p.m. Moscow time (8 a.m. EDT). Space Adventures has arranged the trips of the seven other space tourists who've flown to the space station on Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
Brightman, who gained fame starring in the original Broadway production of "Phantom of the Opera," will reportedly make her 10-day trip to low-Earth orbit in 2014 or 2015, according to ABC News.
With NASA's space shuttles now retired, Russian Soyuz spacecraft are the only vehicles currently able to carry people to the space station. As a result, open seats available for tourists have been scarce in recent years. The most recent paying passenger on a Soyuz was Canadian Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte, who flew in 2009.
However, NASA and Russia recently announced that astronauts and cosmonauts would begin serving out yearlong missions on the space station, as opposed to the six-month stints that have been de rigueur. That move is likely what opened up the spot for Brightman.
Still, she must pay more than similar tourist jaunts have cost in the past. Laliberte paid about $35 million, and the first space tourist, American investor Dennis Tito, forked over a relatively modest $20 million when he flew in 2001.
Russian Soyuz vehicles are the only spacecraft that have flown space tourists so far. NASA has never sold seats on its space shuttles to civilians, and the handful of suborbital space tourism outfits, such as California-based Virgin Galactic, are still ramping up toward launching their first passengers. Those trips will last only a few hours, and offer just about five minutes of weightlessness, for lower price tags around $200,000.
Indiana astronaut gearing up for trip into space
Taylor Bennett - WIBC Radio (Indianapolis)
Indiana astronaut Kevin Ford is in Russia preparing for a launch this month to the International Space Station.
The Blackford County native is leaving October 23rd to join the Russian team as the Expedition Commander for a four-and-a-half month mission.
Ford says they've had a lot of training on various science projects dealing with fluid dynamics, combustion, medicine, and various kinds of things. The expedition will mark Ford's second space flight. Ford previously served as pilot aboard space shuttle Discovery on its mission to the station in September 2009.
"There's very little room for cargo at all. Functionally its a different space craft than the space shuttle was"
The 52-year-old is from Montpelier, and graduated from Blackford High School in 1978. Ford says he thinks of his home state a lot.
"I was up there in the summer time and we went up to some of the lakes in Northern Indiana and enjoyed time up there. it's just a wonderful state."
Indiana native to command space station
Associated Press
An astronaut from Indiana is in Russia getting ready to become commander of the International Space Station.
Kevin Ford is scheduled to launch on a Russian Soyuz capsule with two Russian cosmonauts to the space station on Oct. 23 and remain in orbit until March. The 52-year-old who grew up in Montpelier will spend much of that time as commander of the space station’s six-person crew.
Ford told WIBC-FM that the crew has undergone much training on science projects dealing with fluid dynamics, combustion and medicine.
This will be Ford’s second space flight as he was the space shuttle Discovery’s pilot for a 2009 space station mission.
The former Air Force colonel is a graduate of Blackford High School and the University of Notre Dame.
Endeavour ready for 2-mph trip through Los Angeles and Inglewood
Kristin Agostoni - Contra Costa Times
The space shuttle Endeavour's flight into Los Angeles last month brought hoards of people out of their homes, schools and offices, their eyes drawn to the sky as the retired orbiter buzzed past local landmarks.
This week, Endeavour hits the streets for a close-up.
Crowds are expected to track the shuttle's carefully planned two-day, 2-mph trek through Los Angeles and Inglewood to its permanent home at the California Science Center.
Endeavour's 12-mile journey starts early Friday, when it's expected to inch away from Los Angeles International Airport aboard a special transporter, following a path leading to Exposition Park.
Los Angeles and Inglewood police officials, with Science Center representatives, late last week offered details about the shuttle's schedule and limited public viewing areas. More information on road closures in both cities is expected to come out in the coming days and, in some cases, could change, police said.
One thing's for sure: The shuttle route will be well protected, making public access difficult in places. Police said they will conduct rolling closures along the path both days, working about a mile ahead of the orbiter, and will close some cross streets as a precaution. Given the shuttle's 78-foot wingspan, officials said sidewalks also will be off limits in many areas because they won't be large enough to accommodate the orbiter along with pedestrians.
LAX officials, meanwhile, are warning travelers who have early Friday flights to plan ahead and avoid taking Lincoln Boulevard to the airport.
That's because the shuttle and its transporter will begin moving out of an LAX hangar about 11:30 p.m. Thursday, with the goal of clearing airport property by 2 a.m. Friday, said Nancy Castles, a Los Angeles World Airports spokeswoman.
The shuttle will then travel east on Northside Parkway to Lincoln, and turn left onto McConnell Avenue and right onto Westchester Parkway before ending up on La Tijera Boulevard.
"We're advising passengers that they need to be aware that the area northeast of LAX ... they should expect it to be impacted, along with Lincoln Boulevard," Castles said.
The Endeavour will follow La Tijera past busy Sepulveda Boulevard in Westchester and end up on Manchester Avenue - its path east into Inglewood.
But first, the 122-foot-long orbiter will take a pit stop in a parking lot behind a Quiznos shop and a Sprint wireless store on La Tijera near Sepulveda Eastway.
The lot is partially owned by the longtime Westchester management firm Drollinger Properties, which has agreed to house the shuttle for what's expected to be a nine-hour layover before it moves through Inglewood.
LAPD officials said the orbiter is expected to reach downtown Westchester from 5 to 7 a.m. Friday, where parking will be in high demand. As a protective measure, barricades will be erected around it - about 10 feet beyond the shuttle's wingspan, LAPD Cmdr. Matt Blake said.
Although pedestrians will be able to access some of the parking areas, he said officials are trying to manage expectations, given that massive crowds are anticipated throughout the day.
"Huge numbers. Minimal parking. There will be parking in people's neighborhoods," Blake said. "As a result we'll have a police presence there."
Westchester will say goodbye to the orbiter around 2 p.m. as it continues east toward the San Diego (405) Freeway. "Much of the route from there to Inglewood is going to be difficult to see," Blake said.
The official handoff between the two police jurisdictions should happen about 4 p.m. Friday at the intersection of Manchester Boulevard and Glasgow Avenue - just west of the 405 near the famous Randy's Donuts. The shop is apparently a fan, having recently suspended a replica of the shuttle from the hole of its massive rooftop doughnut.
The Endeavour is expected to make another rest stop - this time for six hours - before it starts moving across the freeway overpass about 10 p.m. It will need to be lifted onto a different transporter for the trip across the bridge "to eliminate stress on the structure," Inglewood police Lt. James Madia said.
Initial plans for the journey included a Saturday morning stop in front of Inglewood City Hall at 1 W. Manchester Blvd. But Madia said that event has been replaced by a two-hour celebration starting at 8 a.m. at The Forum, which can accommodate 10,000 to 14,000 spectators.
Free public parking at nearby Hollywood Park will be available starting at 4 a.m. Police said no overnight camping will be permitted.
"As far as the public is concerned, the earliest they can start lining up to stake their claim to a spot is 4 in the morning," Madia said.
Still, Inglewood City Hall may be a good place to get a look at the shuttle that completed 25 space missions, given that several streets that cross Manchester Boulevard - and Manchester itself - will be closed to pedestrians.
Those rolling closures are planned as a precaution while the shuttle crosses seven power lines that will need to be de-energized temporarily, he said.
"Almost every block it has to stop for electrical lines. It moves when it can and it stops when it has to," Madia said.
"The viewing area at City Hall is excellent. It won't stop, but it's moving pretty slow. It's a pretty big open area."
After passing The Forum, the shuttle will continue east on Manchester to Crenshaw Boulevard and north to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, where another public celebration will feature dancers and various performers. Planned around 2 p.m., the event near Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza will be produced and directed by choreographer Debbie Allen.
The nearly 48-hour road trip is scheduled to end around 9 p.m at the Science Center after the shuttle passes by what officials expect will be a large crowd gathered in a public parking area at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Hoover Street.
Endeavour will go on display Oct. 30 in a new pavilion, but that's only temporary. Fundraising is under way for an addition where visitors will be able see the massive shuttle displayed vertically, as if being launched into space.
END
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