Happy April Fool's Day!
Hope you can join us this Thursday at Hibachi Grill for our monthly Retirees Luncheon @ 11:30.
| RETIREMENT | JSC | AO511 | PERM (SES) | LEESTMA, DAVID | 05/30/14 |
| | JSC TODAY CATEGORIES - Headlines
- April Sustainability Opportunities
- Have You Heard? Support is Ending for Windows XP
- Stormwater BMPs in Preparation for the EEFR
- NASA@work 101: Sign Up for this Training Today!
- What's New at the Spring Fair?
- Clear The Way - Organizations/Social
- The JSC Safety and Health Action Team (JSAT) Says
- Today is the First Tuesday Sale at Starport
- Childhood Depression
- Administrative Professionals Luncheon
- Beginners Ballroom Dance: April 1 and 3
- AIAA Houston Section Annual Technical Symposium
- A vs. A 5.05K Registration Deadline - Jobs and Training
- Russian Phase One Language Course - for Beginners
- FedTraveler Live Lab - April 2
- JSC Career Development Essentials Course - Community
- View the Lunar Eclipse at the George
- Co-ops and Interns Needed for Summer Mentorships
- Bone Marrow Donor Registration Drive
- Yuri's Night Houston 5k - Zero Mile Edition |  |
| Headlines - April Sustainability Opportunities
Tickle your interest in all things natural! Tuesday, April 22, is Earth Day, and JSC's "Music on the Mall" is back. Also, your JSC Green Team is hosting another Waste Management single-stream recycling tour on April 15. Get the details on these events and more in your monthly sustainability opportunities newsletter. Click here and scroll down to "What's New in Sustainability." Contact Laurie Peterson for any questions, comments or additions. - Have You Heard? Support is Ending for Windows XP
Effective April 8, Microsoft will no longer support Windows XP. This means Windows XP will no longer receive software updates from Windows, including updates that help protect your system and NASA's data. Which Windows operating system am I running? Do I have Windows XP? - Click Start (Windows icon bottom left)
- Select Control Panel
- Click System
- Look under section titled "Windows Edition"
- If this section shows Windows XP - then you have XP
- Or - - Click Start (Windows icon bottom left)
- Click Run
- Type winver and then press Enter
How do I get rid of it? What if I need to keep it? - Stormwater BMPs in Preparation for the EEFR
Construction activities will be a focus during the Environmental and Energy Functional Review (EEFR) in early April. Please be sure that your Best Management Practices (BMPs) are in place and effective, especially filter fences and other erosion barriers. Proper stormwater management helps JSC achieve our sustainability goals and meet regulatory requirements by ensuring that JSC reduces potential pollutants that may affect stormwater and nearby waterways, especially Armand Bayou and Clear Lake. For more information on BMPs and JSC's efforts to reduce impacts to our local environment, check out the Environmental Office Stormwater Web Site. - NASA@work 101: Sign Up for this Training Today!
Are you somewhat familiar with the NASA@work platform but want to learn more? Or are you interested in participating on NASA@work but not sure how? Or maybe you want to be a challenge owner but not sure what to do to get started? If you are looking for an outlet to flex your creativity, knowledge, and subject matter expertise on a variety of problems that NASA is trying solve, then join us for our NASA@work 101 training sessions. You can sign up for either session: Thursday, April 3rd from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. or Wednesday, April 9th from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Register here today! - What's New at the Spring Fair?
Come out to the Spring Safety, Health, and Environmental fair this Thursday and check out Texas A&M's Rollover Convincer. The convincer is basically the cab from a pickup truck attached to a frame with a motor and mounted on top of a trailer. The windshield and doors have been removed so the interior can be viewed. When the power is turned on, the cab rotates to simulate a rollover crash. When demonstrating, an adult dummy is in the driver position, and another dummy is used in the passenger position. First, the demo shows what happens when the dummies are correctly using their safety belts. Then, the dummies are unbuckled and the demo is repeated. Come see what happens. Event Date: Thursday, April 3, 2014 Event Start Time:10:00 AM Event End Time:1:00 PM
Event Location: JSC Gilruth Center
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Rindy Carmichael x45078
[top] - Clear The Way
Slips, Trips and Falls have been getting a lot of recent attention. The Web link below leads to a comprehensive study prepared by the NASA Safety Center that is worth reviewing given recent concerns. JSC's Safe Not, Sorry was featured in the study as a best practice to keep employees attention on safety. Slips, Trips and Falls continue to be a leading cause of injury at JSC, especially in April. We all have the power to reduce injuries throughout our work environment and at home by staying alert and focused on what we're doing and where we're going. Organizations/Social - The JSC Safety and Health Action Team (JSAT) Says
"No matter the day, safety is here to stay!" Congratulations to Margarita Hoyos-Lopez with Native Resource Development Company, Inc., for submitting the winning slogan for April 2014. Any JSAT member (all JSC contractor and civil servant employees) may submit a slogan for consideration to JSAT Secretary Reese Squires. Submissions for May are due by Tuesday, April 8. Keep those great submissions coming! You may be the next "JSAT Says" winner. - Today is the First Tuesday Sale at Starport
Did you know that Starport offers 10 percent off most items on the first Tuesday of every month to NASA and Starport Partner contractor employees? The discount is not applicable on tickets, stamps, Hallmark or other service items. Additional exclusions apply for pre-sale and special purchase items. Check to see if your company is a 2014 Starport Partner. Thank you for choosing Starport! - Childhood Depression
Are you a parent? Did you know that as many as one in every 33 children may have depression? In teens, that number may be as high as one in eight. So it's wise for parents and caregivers to learn about depression and how to help if your child, or a child you know, seems depressed. Please join Takis Bogdanos, MA, LPC-S, CGP, with the JSC Employees Assistance Program, as he presents an overview on "Childhood Depression," signs to look for, prevalence, latest treatments and how you can support a child who is afflicted by depression. - Administrative Professionals Luncheon
Treat your administrative staff to a lavish event on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 at 11:30 a.m. Enjoy the Alamo ballroom at the Gilruth Center as you have never seen it before, transformed into the ultimate restaurant experience. $20 per person or $150 per table of 8. Paid reservations are required by April 16th. Call Danial at 281-483-0240 to reserve your spot, or register online here. More information here. Appetizer: Caprese - fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil leaves drizzles with Olive Oil Salad Salad: Romaine Pear Salad Entrée: Lobster Ravioli or Chicken Marsala Dessert: Berry Sorbet - garnished with a sprig of mint and topped with a vanilla shortbread cookie - Beginners Ballroom Dance: April 1 and 3
Do you feel like you have two left feet? Well, Starport has the perfect spring 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 we have fun as we learn. JSC friends and family are welcome. Regular registration: o $110 per couple (Mar.22 to Apr.3) Two class sessions available: o Tuesdays from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. - starting Apr.1 o Thursdays from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. - starting Apr. 3 All classes are taught in the Gilruth Center's dance studio (Group Ex studio). - AIAA Houston Section Annual Technical Symposium
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Houston Section will hold its Annual Technical Symposium (ATS) on Friday, May 9, at the Gilruth Center. The ATS will be an all-day activity featuring multiple parallel technical sessions, morning and luncheon programs, etc. The ATS is designed to serve the local JSC civil servant and contractor community, as well as academia, allowing the professionals to present the technical knowledge from their current or past work and facilitate collaborative learning. This notice serves as a call for abstracts from presenters • 4/28/14: Abstract authors notified of abstract acceptance Symposium Details - Presentations will be limited to 30 minutes. - Only abstracts will be published. Civil servants must contact their Organization's Conference POC/Training Coordinator by April 10th to be registered to attend. Contractors and Academia should register here. - A vs. A 5.05K Registration Deadline
Early registration for Starport's upcoming Aliens vs. Astronauts 5.05K race ends this Friday, April 4th. Anyone registering after Friday will not be guaranteed an event t-shirt so make sure you register in time. Volunteers Needed We are also looking for a few good Earthlings to provide race support. The course will enter JSC and we need badged employees to direct runners while giving encouragement. If you have a NASA badge and would like to help, please contact Joseph Callahan. All race volunteers will receive an event t-shirt. For more information about the Aliens vs. Astronauts 5.05K, please visit the link below. Jobs and Training - Russian Phase One Language Course - for Beginners
Russian Phase One is an introductory course designed to acquaint the novice student with certain elementary aspects of the Russian language and provide a brief outline of Russian history and culture. Our goal is to introduce students to skills and strategies necessary for successful foreign language study that they can apply immediately in the classroom. The linguistic component of this class consists of learning the Cyrillic alphabet and a very limited number of simple words and phrases, which will serve as a foundation for further language study. Dates: May 12 to June 12 When: Monday through Thursday, Noon to 1 p.m. Where: Building 12, Room 158Q Please register via SATERN. The registration deadline is May 6. - FedTraveler Live Lab - April 2
Do you need some hands-on, personal help with FedTraveler.com? Join the Business Systems and Process Improvement Office for a FedTraveler Live Lab tomorrow, April 2, any time between 9 a.m. and noon in Building 12, Room 102-5. Our help desk representatives will be available to help you work through travel processes and learn more about using FedTraveler during this informal workshop. Bring your current travel documents or specific questions that you have about the system and join us for some hands-on, in-person help with the FedTraveler. If you'd like to sign up for this FedTraveler Live Lab, please log into SATERN and register. For additional information, contact Judy Seier at x32771. To register in SATERN, please click on this SATERN direct link. - JSC Career Development Essentials Course
JSC Career Development Essentials (CDE) training course is designed to assist each participant in maximizing their potential. The CDE will take you step by step in drafting an IDP and mentor you in how to have that meaningful conversation with your supervisor as you build and design strategies to achieve your goals. In addition, CDE connects you with resources, highlights your role in the interactive career development process, and exposes you to the various development opportunities at JSC and NASA. Course Details: (2) Half-day sessions Tuesday, April 29 8am-12pm JSC Bldg. 12-Rm 146 and Tuesday, May 6 8am-12pm JSC Bldg. 12-Rm 134 For: Civil Servant Employees Community - View the Lunar Eclipse at the George
The George Observatory will be open starting at 5 p.m. on Monday, April 14, for viewing of the lunar eclipse. The observatory will be open all night. The Discovery Dome and telescopes will be available until 11 p.m. Discovery Dome tickets are $3, and telescope tickets are $5. George Observatory is located in the heart of Brazos Bend State Park. Admission to the park is $7 for adults; kids under 12 are free. - Co-ops and Interns Needed for Summer Mentorships
Co-ops and interns can gain valuable leadership experience while sharing their NASA advice with the brightest high school students in Texas. Come celebrate the 15th anniversary of High School Aerospace Scholars (HAS) as a student mentor. Lead your team in completing engineering design challenges during a simulated mission to Mars. Please volunteer for any week(s) (20 hours per week): Week 1: June 15 to 20 Week 2: June 22 to 27 Week 3: July 6 to 11 Week 4: July 13 to 18 Week 5: July 20 to 25 Week 6: July 27 to Aug. 1 If interested, please: 1. Submit a mentor application. 3. Review mentor responsibilities. 4. Please apply before April 11. - Bone Marrow Donor Registration Drive
Please stop by and learn about bone marrow donation at the April 3, 2014 Spring Safety, Health & Environmental Fair. There are ~12,000 patients waiting for a bone marrow donor match and you can help out by joining the National Marrow Donor Program. You can help if you: *Are Between the ages of 18 and 44 *In good general health *Fill out a form and provide cheek swab samples *Are willing to donate to any patient until you are 60 years old It just takes 15 minutes! Event Date: Thursday, April 3, 2014 Event Start Time:10:00 AM Event End Time:1:00 PM
Event Location: Gilruth Recreation Center
Add to Calendar
Stacey Nakamura 281 483-4345
[top] - Yuri's Night Houston 5k - Zero Mile Edition
For those who can't make it, or don't like to run, we have added a special "Zero Mile Instant Gratification" race category. You don't even need to show up on raceday, but you will still be eligible for a race shirt, and you will still be supporting Space Science Education and Houston's Expedition Learning Center. And No! This is not an April Fools Joke. But today only, use promocode FOOL for a special discount. Reasons to attend: - See where many of those who flew to the moon used to live - Meet characters from Star Wars - Win gift cards to restaurants, museums, the Houston Symphony & more. Come join us this Sat in Nassau Bay to celebrate 53 years of human spaceflight. To register, sign up here. But hurry! Online registration ends this Thursday at 11:59 a.m. To volunteer, sign up here. ~CURITUR AD ASTRA~ | |
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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. Disclaimer: Accuracy and content of these notes are the responsibility of the submitters. |
NASA and Human Spaceflight News
Tuesday – April 1, 2014
HEADLINES AND LEADS
NASA Says It Will Extend Private ISS Cargo Delivery Contracts Through 2017
Dan Leone - Space News
Orbital Sciences Corp. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. could be hauling cargo to the international space station through 2017 under planned two-year contract extensions NASA announced March 31.
It's T-365 Until Astronaut and Cosmonaut Spend One Year on Space Station
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly has just a year left on Earth.
Space 'makes the heart grow rounder,' microgravity could lead to heart problems: study
Agence France Presse
Astronauts' hearts grow rounder while they are in space, suggesting that spending lots of time in microgravity could lead to heart problems, according to US research on Saturday.
Incredible Technology: How to Grab an Asteroid and Park It Near Earth
Editor's Note: In this weekly series, Space.com explores how technology drives space exploration and discovery. NASA's plan to lasso an asteroid, bring it into a stable orbit near the moon and let astronauts visit it might sound ambitious, but the space agency is looking at two different ways to make it happen.
Human Space Exploration: The Way Forward
O. Glenn Smith – Space News
In response to a congressional directive, NASA requested the National Research Council (NRC) to conduct a "comprehensive independent assessment of NASA's strategic direction and agency management," and in particular to examine NASA's goals, objectives and strategies. The NRC report, issued Dec. 6, 2012, was titled "NASA's Strategic Direction and the Need for a National Consensus." In part, it concluded that "the strategic importance of space is rising and the capabilities of other spacefaring nations are increasing, while U.S. leadership is faltering," and NASA's 2011 strategic plan "is vague and avoids stating priorities."
NASA Says It Will Extend Private ISS Cargo Delivery Contracts Through 2017
Dan Leone – Space News
Orbital Sciences Corp. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. could be hauling cargo to the international space station through 2017 under planned two-year contract extensions NASA announced March 31.
Russian Resupply Vehicle to Blast Off for Space Station Voyage
RIA Novosti
A Russian unmanned Progress resupply spacecraft is readying for an April 9 launch from the Baikonur space center to deliver essential cargo to the International Space Station, the Russian space agency Roscosmos has said.
UBC hosts NASA Appreciation Day
Bay Area (TX) Citizen
University Baptist Church (UBC), located in southeast Houston and only a few miles from Johnson Space Center, recently honored NASA and its contractor employees. The entire event entitled "In the Beginning" was held on Sunday, Feb. 23. The community was invited to Sunday worship services and a space-themed reception for a time of special recognition and gratitude.
Bill Nye to speak Tuesday night at UTPA - talks Mars, NASA, a potential return to TV
Amy Nichol Smith - The McAllen (TX) Monitor
Bill Nye — "the Science Guy," as so many know him — may have big news to share soon.
Mayor Tom Coyne's budget passes without a tweak
Grant Segall – Cleveland Plain Dealer
City Council has passed Mayor Tom Coyne's proposed budget to the penny.
NASA Scientists Testing New Aircraft Designs
George Putic – Voice of America
The U.S Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, is commonly associated with space exploration, but aeronautics is still a big part of the agency's research. Engineers at its Aeronautics Research Center, in Hampton, Virginia, are testing new ideas that someday may produce lighter, quieter and less polluting aircraft.
Orion Coming Together for EFT-1 Test Flight in December 2014
Ken Kremer – AmericaSpace
Piece by piece, fabrication of all the major hardware elements for NASA's inaugural unmanned Orion test flight, dubbed EFT-1, are coming together at Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center.
COMPLETE STORIES
NASA Says It Will Extend Private ISS Cargo Delivery Contracts Through 2017
Dan Leone - Space News
Orbital Sciences Corp. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. could be hauling cargo to the international space station through 2017 under planned two-year contract extensions NASA announced March 31.
In a note posted on an agency procurement website, NASA said plans to extend the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contracts it gave Orbital and SpaceX in 2008 "for up to 24 months from December 2015 to December 2017."
It was unclear how many additional launches would be covered under the planned contract extensions. NASA's posting said the modifications would be made "at no cost" to the agency, and that they would be "executed one year at a time."
"There's a lot of work ahead before we'd have a number of flights," NASA spokesman Trent Perrotto wrote in a March 31 email.
The "notional" cost of a CRS extension is included in NASA's 2015 budget request, Perrotto said.
Orbital, Dulles, Va., currently owes NASA eight space station resupply flights under its $1.9 billion CRS contract. It has flown one of these so far and is slated to launch a second in early May. SpaceX owes 12 flights under its $1.6 billion contract and has launched two so far. SpaceX's third CRS mission is awaiting a new launch date after a planned March 30 liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., was delayed by a problem with a downrange tracking radar.
Meanwhile, NASA is preparing for a follow-on CRS contract that would cover deliveries from 2017 to 2024. NASA envisions four to five flights a year under CRS 2, and a program budget of between $1 billion and $1.4 billion.
The White House announced in January it wants to extend space station operations through 2024. Congress has currently committed to fund the space station through 2020.
Although no company has publicly declared its intent to compete with SpaceX and Orbital for CRS business, the agency said it is leaving the door open for new entrants. The notice NASA posted March 31 said the CRS extension gives potential competitors time to develop and prove out competing cargo-delivery systems, as SpaceX and Orbital did by staging demonstration missions to the station in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
If a competing system is proved out in time, that system's owner could propose flying out the extended CRS missions NASA is planning for 2016 and 2017, or for the CRS 2 contract, the agency said.
It's T-365 Until Astronaut and Cosmonaut Spend One Year on Space Station
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly has just a year left on Earth.
A veteran space station commander and half of history's first pair of twins to fly into orbit, Kelly will leave the planet in 2015 to become the first U.S. astronaut to spend a year in space.
"T-365: 1 year to 1 year (in space)," Kelly wrote on Twitter Friday (March 28). "Actually, there are 365.2422 days in a year, but who's counting? Me!"
Kelly, together with cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko, are now entering their final 12 months training for the first yearlong mission on the International Space Station. The pair were selected for the extended long-duration stay in 2012.
The American and Russian are assigned to launch aboard Russia's Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft on March 28, 2015, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
"Posting daily tweets as I prepare to leave the planet for a year," Kelly wrote on Twitter.
NASA hopes to use the data collected during Kelly's and Kornienko's stay to help in the planning for future crewed missions beyond Earth orbit, including sending astronauts to the vicinity of the moon, to a redirected asteroid and out to Mars.
For the first 13 years it has been continuously crewed, the space station has hosted astronauts and cosmonauts for expeditions lasting about six months, at most. Kelly's and Kornienko's yearlong mission, which will concurrently take place with other crewmembers' half-as-long stays, will help further inform researchers on the effects microgravity has on bone density, muscle mass, strength, vision, and other aspects of human physiology, NASA officials said.
"This one-year mission opportunity will show if the trends continue as before or if we are approaching any 'cliffs' that will require new treatments while providing new insights," said John Charles, the chief of NASA's Human Research Program's International Science Office at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Although the mission will set a new duration record for the International Space Station (ISS), it will be the third time in history that humans have spent a year or longer in orbit. Four Soviet-era cosmonauts logged (at least) 365 days off the planet while living aboard the Mir space station during three missions spread out between 1988 and 1999.
"This [yearlong ISS flight] will build on the rich experience of long-duration flights, including the four flights of a year or more conducted by our Russian colleagues on the Mir station," stated veteran astronaut Michael Barratt, former program manager for NASA's Human Research Program. "We have progressed considerably in our understanding of the human physiology in space and in countermeasures to preserve bone, muscle and fitness since then."
Both Kelly and Kornienko already have experienced about half a year in space. Kelly has flown three times, including two short-duration space shuttle missions and a 159-day stay aboard the space station, for a career total to date of 180 days orbiting the Earth. Kornienko has flown just once before, completing a 176-day ISS expedition.
Kelly also brings an additional 54 days of space travel to the mission, in the form of his identical twin brother. Now retired from NASA, Mark Kelly flew four shuttle missions, including commanding Endeavour's final flight.
Together, the Kelly brothers — Scott in space and Mark on Earth — will take part in twin-focused experiments as a part of the yearlong mission's science objectives.
Kelly and Kornienko will arrive at the space station during the outpost's 43rd expedition and stay through Expedition 46. Kornienko will serve as a flight engineer throughout the year, while Kelly will serve as the station's commander for the second half of his stay.
Space 'makes the heart grow rounder,' microgravity could lead to heart problems: study
Agence France Presse
Astronauts' hearts grow rounder while they are in space, suggesting that spending lots of time in microgravity could lead to heart problems, according to US research on Saturday.
That could mean trouble for people who want to embark on long-term missions to Mars.
The data presented at an American College of Cardiology meeting in Washington was based on 12 astronauts who had ultrasounds while in space.
Their hearts grew 9.4 percent more spherical in microgravity, and they also weakened.
"The heart doesn't work as hard in space, which can cause a loss of muscle mass," said James Thomas, lead scientist for ultrasound at NASA and senior author of the study.
"That can have serious consequences after the return to Earth, so we're looking into whether there are measures that can be taken to prevent or counteract that loss."
The astronauts' hearts returned to their normal, more oval shape, shortly after their return to Earth.
Astronauts currently spend up to six months at the orbiting International Space Station, which is staffed by rotating crews.
Missions to Mars, foreseen in the next couple of decades, would take about 18 months and may offer no return trip.
Incredible Technology: How to Grab an Asteroid and Park It Near Earth
Editor's Note: In this weekly series, Space.com explores how technology drives space exploration and discovery. NASA's plan to lasso an asteroid, bring it into a stable orbit near the moon and let astronauts visit it might sound ambitious, but the space agency is looking at two different ways to make it happen.
In one mission, a robotic probe would fly out to a small asteroid and bring the whole thing back for astronauts to explore. The other mission involves the robot bagging a boulder from a larger space rock and parking it near the moon. Either one will help scientists work out some of technological hurdles that they could come up against while sending humans deeper into space than ever before. The new mission, first proposed in 2013, could also help researchers learn more about how to deflect a dangerous asteroid if it were on a path to Earth.
Getting to the asteroid, bringing it home and launching missions to the space rock from Earth, is no easy task, but it could serve a larger goal for NASA. By testing new technology, mission parameters and other science that hasn't yet been proved, officials with the space agency will learn more about how to accomplish the space agency's latest and greatest goal: launching astronauts to Mars.
"We really make a big deal out of this [asteroid] initiative, but you should all understand, this is a tiny, tiny piece of getting humans to Mars," NASA chief Charles Bolden said during a forum on the asteroid initiative Wednesday (March 26). "I don't want anybody to lose focus on that. The ultimate goal of this agency right now when it comes to human spaceflight is to put humans on Mars. That's hard. That is really hard. We need a proving ground to develop some of the technologies and everything else."
Snag a space rock
One idea for the asteroid retrieval mission hinges upon finding a small space rock that's relatively close to Earth and bringing it a little closer to home. For this concept, engineers would design a robot that would seal an approximately 32-foot (10 meter) near-Earth asteroid inside of a bag and deliver it into orbit near the moon.
Asteroid 2009 BD is a valid candidate for this mission. It has a slow rotation period, meaning it is easier to target, and NASA scientists estimate that it has about 30 to 145 tons of returnable mass. Under the current mission guidelines, the robotic probe would launch in 2019 and bring the rock to the Earth-moon system in 2023, with humans launching to it by 2024 or earlier.
This version of the asteroid is expected to include "a high performance solar-electric propulsion system much larger than anything that has been flown in space up to this time, something that would be applicable and expandable to human exploration beyond LEO [low-Earth orbit] with a number of applications," Brian Muirhead, chief engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., said during the forum.
Researchers are also looking at a few other space rocks that could be targeted, but they need to learn more about the asteroids before they can be considered valid targets. Scientists can also use this kind of mission to learn more about how to deflect an asteroid in danger of hitting Earth.
Pick a boulder, bring it home
Another concept for the asteroid-retrieval mission involves sending a robotic ship to a large asteroid, picking up a boulder on the space rock and delivering it to a stable orbit in the Earth-moon system. As with the other mission concept, astronauts would later be able to visit the asteroid when it arrives near Earth.
NASA officials are looking at four large asteroids that could be target candidates for this kind of mission. Asteroid Itokawa -- a space rock previously sampled by Japan's Hayabusa mission and Asteroid Bennu, the target of NASA's Osiris-Rex sample return mission to launch in 2018 — are both on the list of possible targets. The asteroids 199 JU and 2008 EV are also on the list of candidates for a mission that would launch no earlier than June 2019.
If the first attempt to pick up a boulder on one of these larger space rocks fails, engineers will have other opportunities. The robotic probe can make a few different attempts to snag a boulder before it's necessary for the spacecraft to make its way back toward Earth.
The boulder concept would also allow NASA engineers to learn a little more about asteroid deflection. Scientists would get the chance to attempt to move the orbit of the asteroid by pushing it one way or another through a variety of procedures.
"Going to a large, near-Earth asteroid allows us to be able to do a kinetic impactor as well as these other push techniques," Dan Mazanek of NASA's Langley Research Center said.
Human Space Exploration: The Way Forward
O. Glenn Smith – Space News
In response to a congressional directive, NASA requested the National Research Council (NRC) to conduct a "comprehensive independent assessment of NASA's strategic direction and agency management," and in particular to examine NASA's goals, objectives and strategies. The NRC report, issued Dec. 6, 2012, was titled "NASA's Strategic Direction and the Need for a National Consensus." In part, it concluded that "the strategic importance of space is rising and the capabilities of other spacefaring nations are increasing, while U.S. leadership is faltering," and NASA's 2011 strategic plan "is vague and avoids stating priorities."
Unfortunately, the situation is no better today, and even the long-term existence of U. S. human space exploration appears seriously at risk. Because U.S. astronauts must ride to space on Russian launchers, Russia will be seen as the geopolitical leader for at least four more years, perhaps even longer. Even China is launching people to orbit, while the United States is unable. What's more, NASA is spending more than $3 billion per year on the Space Launch System and Orion capsule following an unsustainable trajectory that most likely will be abandoned in a few years.
How on Earth did we let this happen? What can we learn from that process?
The fundamental path for human space exploration was defined at the end of Apollo. Following the vision of Wernher von Braun, it consisted of a transportation system and space station in low Earth orbit (LEO) that would function as a research facility and staging base for further exploration into the solar system. A second space station, acting as a forward base camp beyond LEO, could follow. That fundamental plan is still valid today.
The space shuttle was the face of NASA to most of the world for 30 years, building the international space station and transporting astronauts to and from space.
However, the shuttle was retired before its replacement was ready. Its budget replacement, the Constellation project, was then canceled because it was clearly unaffordable. The president's first budget request for fiscal year 2010 contained no plans for human space exploration beyond the ISS, but the Congress revived the most costly part of Constellation in the form of SLS/Orion, which is also clearly unaffordable and has no practical, worthwhile objective or destination.
Who is driving this bus? Where are we headed?
Nevertheless, there are three ongoing bright spots in NASA today.
The NASA science program of exploration with robots and telescopes is exciting to many inquiring minds who want to know, "What is out there, and how does our world relate to the solar system and the universe"? However, to maintain general public support, this world-class science program must be accompanied by a meaningful and affordable human space exploration program.
Another bright spot is the ongoing success of the international space station, which has set the stage for the next incremental move for human space exploration outward into the solar system in geosynchronous Earth orbit or at a Lagrangian point (L1 or L2). SLS/Orion is not needed for this move; moreover, budget requirements of a continuing SLS/Orion project could preclude meaningful human space exploration beyond the ISS.
A third bright spot is the continuing progress of commercial spaceflight systems and capabilities, aimed at more efficient transportation from Earth to the ISS. We must take extraordinary care to prevent a random accident from halting this extremely valuable way of conducting NASA business.
NASA now has an opportunity to define a rational and affordable roadmap for human space exploration that can guide the U.S. space program, inspire Americans for decades to come and persist in times of changing administrations and changing budgets. In concert with the United States' international partners, this policy and roadmap could become a positive part of the legacy of the current administration — or not.
First of all, and contrary to the way budgets and projects have been chosen in the past few years, America's human space exploration program must be responsive to the American public's expectations and investments of less than 0.5 percent of the annual federal budget. The American public wants and deserves:
- The United States to be recognized as No. 1 in the world in mastering and utilizing unique and valuable regions in space.
- To periodically see U.S. astronauts launched on U.S. launchers, working in space doing things that no other nation can do.
- To see astronauts contributing to scientific knowledge in space, and to watch their safe return on live television.
- The United States to be leading international efforts in space. Geopolitical leadership in space is very valuable to U.S. commercial and military interests.
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It is especially important to note that NASA space activities have a disproportionately large leverage on the U.S. economy in the form of positive vibes and an optimistic outlook for U.S. citizens, and for U.S. geopolitical leadership in the world.
Essentials for a rational and affordable human space exploration strategic plan must include:
Goals
Both a near- and long-term goal for human space exploration could be as concise as, "Explore, occupy and utilize human presence in important strategic regions of space, moving in affordable increments from the ISS outward into the solar system."
Incremental and cumulative achievement
Build steppingstones that are significant accomplishments in themselves, and contribute directly toward long-term goals. Conduct periodic flights assuring incremental and cumulative achievement. Require that each mission or test contribute to the next or subsequent mission or achievement. Plan at least two human spaceflight missions per year beyond the ISS to report progress to the tax-paying public and to efficiently utilize large fixed costs.
Synergy
Integrate robotic and human projects to support each other. For much-needed efficiency, utilize commercial contracting methods, systems and capabilities when advantageous to all participants.
Robotic spacecraft for long and dangerous missions
Assign exploration beyond the Moon to robotic spacecraft and telescopes until long-duration human space missions are proved safe, reliable and affordable. Most exploration beyond the Moon can be done by robots for one-tenth the cost, while avoiding extreme risk to human life on very long trips.
International cooperation
Include opportunities for meaningful international participation complementary to U.S. human space exploration. Cooperative ventures with the other spacefaring nations will attract and maintain U.S. and international support. The rest of the world will want to participate.
Specific destinations and schedules
For even minimal efficiency, specific destination stations and schedules must be defined. Note that our major achievements — Apollo, shuttle, ISS — were never dependent on hundreds of millions of dollars or years-long "technology" developments. It is a lot easier to advocate new technology than it is to make it happen.
Most advanced technology development should be done primarily by NASA civil servant personnel with little contracted to outside research organizations or industry. Larger technology development activities must be part of a defined project with definite schedules, and subject to the good judgment of a project manager who is held accountable for a given result on a given schedule and budget.
Sustainable operations
At whatever destination stations are chosen, sustained human presence is needed to assure long-term usefulness. They may be human-tended initially, with sustained occupancy to follow.
Sustainable budgets
Sustainable budgets are critical. The Augustine committee's foremost recommendation was, "Whatever space program is ultimately selected, it must be matched with the resources needed for its execution." Constellation was clearly a bridge too far. SLS/Orion will be a white elephant and is set to dissipate NASA resources for a very long time with very little useful result. As SLS/Orion is necessarily canceled, NASA needs to switch available funds to tasks that will contribute to the next destination station in geosynchronous orbit or at a Lagrangian point, while retaining critical skills in the space community.
The overarching challenge to NASA is to define and execute exciting and inspiring programs that produce the greatest possible return to the American public within necessarily restricted budgets.
It is clear that NASA, with strong White House support, must take the lead in this most important task.
O. Glenn Smith is former manager of shuttle systems engineering at NASA's Johnson Space Center.
NASA Says It Will Extend Private ISS Cargo Delivery Contracts Through 2017
Dan Leone – Space News
Orbital Sciences Corp. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. could be hauling cargo to the international space station through 2017 under planned two-year contract extensions NASA announced March 31.
In a note posted on an agency procurement website, NASA said plans to extend the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contracts it gave Orbital and SpaceX in 2008 "for up to 24 months from December 2015 to December 2017."
It was unclear how many additional launches would be covered under the planned contract extensions. NASA's posting said the modifications would be made "at no cost" to the agency, and that they would be "executed one year at a time."
"There's a lot of work ahead before we'd have a number of flights," NASA spokesman Trent Perrotto wrote in a March 31 email.
The "notional" cost of a CRS extension is included in NASA's 2015 budget request, Perrotto said.
Orbital, Dulles, Va., currently owes NASA eight space station resupply flights under its $1.9 billion CRS contract. It has flown one of these so far and is slated to launch a second in early May. SpaceX owes 12 flights under its $1.6 billion contract and has launched two so far. SpaceX's third CRS mission is awaiting a new launch date after a planned March 30 liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., was delayed by a problem with a downrange tracking radar.
Meanwhile, NASA is preparing for a follow-on CRS contract that would cover deliveries from 2017 to 2024. NASA envisions four to five flights a year under CRS 2, and a program budget of between $1 billion and $1.4 billion.
The White House announced in January it wants to extend space station operations through 2024. Congress has currently committed to fund the space station through 2020.
Although no company has publicly declared its intent to compete with SpaceX and Orbital for CRS business, the agency said it is leaving the door open for new entrants. The notice NASA posted March 31 said the CRS extension gives potential competitors time to develop and prove out competing cargo-delivery systems, as SpaceX and Orbital did by staging demonstration missions to the station in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
If a competing system is proved out in time, that system's owner could propose flying out the extended CRS missions NASA is planning for 2016 and 2017, or for the CRS 2 contract, the agency said.
Russian Resupply Vehicle to Blast Off for Space Station Voyage
RIA Novosti
A Russian unmanned Progress resupply spacecraft is readying for an April 9 launch from the Baikonur space center to deliver essential cargo to the International Space Station, the Russian space agency Roscosmos has said.
"The spaceship will carry more than 2.5 tons of diverse cargo, including fuel for the ISS, additional hardware, food, water and oxygen for the crew, as well as scientific equipment for conducting experiments," the agency said in a statement.
The craft, which is now being fueled by a team of experts, will soon taxi to a hangar where it will be readied for the upcoming launch.
Baikonur, the world's largest space launch facility, is situated on the sandy steppes of western Kazakhstan in Central Asia.
The Progress M-23M is one of the latest generation of Progress-M spacecraft, which routinely conduct resupply missions to the International Space Station. Its predecessors made history carrying provisions to a range of Soviet and later Russian stations, including the famed Mir station that plunged into the Pacific Ocean in 2001 during a controlled de-orbit maneuver.
A total of 130 Progress spacecraft have supported orbiting outposts over the past three decades, lifting tons of supplies to low Earth orbit.
The Progress features an automated docking system, called Kurs, which will handle the rendezvous with the ISS under the supervision of the station's crew. A manual docking system serves as a backup system in the case of technical issues.
The next launch of a Progress, the M-24M, is scheduled for June.
UBC hosts NASA Appreciation Day
Bay Area (TX) Citizen
University Baptist Church (UBC), located in southeast Houston and only a few miles from Johnson Space Center, recently honored NASA and its contractor employees. The entire event entitled "In the Beginning" was held on Sunday, Feb. 23. The community was invited to Sunday worship services and a space-themed reception for a time of special recognition and gratitude.
Houstonians have a lot for which they can be grateful. They enjoy its varied industries, cultural diversity, sophisticated cuisine and the arts, as well as the mild winter climate of the Gulf Coast and that friendly Texas charm. As if those reasons weren't enough, Houston has the indelible claim as "Space City."
In 1961, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced the location for the new Manned Spacecraft Center, now known as Johnson Space Center (JSC). This place would be the heart of the space program for human spaceflight training, research, and flight control; and was to be located on a rural tract of land on Clear Lake—about 25 miles southeast of downtown Houston.
For more than 50 years, NASA has been synonymous with life in the Clear Lake area. Just as its tangible relics of rockets and other space paraphernalia are carefully preserved and revered, this community recognizes the importance of acknowledging the history and contributions of its NASA family. Space flight is tightly woven into every aspect of this community. Here, if one does not have a personal past with NASA, he or she has a myriad of friends that do.
Along with the community, UBC also has a long association with NASA—both in triumph and tragedy. Members of their congregation had personal ties to the first steps on the moon and the maiden ride of the shuttle to the International Space Station. UBC has recognized NASA's milestones in previous events, such as the 25th anniversary of the first landing on the moon and the "Forty Years Since NASA Moon Landing" celebration. They also grieved with the rest of the community for the men and women whose lives were lost in the tragedies.
As one would celebrate and honor the life of a loved one, UBC wished to honor their JSC family just the same. On February 23rd, they took that opportunity.
The Sunday morning events kicked off with a 9:30 a.m. traditional worship service. Special participants in the program included Bob Doremus, associate director for Safety and Mission Assurance; Jim McElroy, project lead for Department of Defense Space Test Program; John Casper, former astronaut and now manager for NASA Program Orion; and Bob Voss, retired division chief for the Space Shuttle Program Control Office. The program was a brief and touching overview of "pasture through tragedy to the moon", and a look at what's to come. And there was just the right amount of humor injected into the proceedings, notably, as Casper narrated a video scene of the Mars rover taking a selfie.
When the first service concluded, attendees joined the reception. As a harpist played, guests entered with a walk under a black canopy filled with twinkling stars into a second room where they were offered a pastry and fruit/cheese buffet. Sights and sounds of space displays and narrated videos dominated the room, and there was even a rotating model of Earth and a 10-foot mock-up of the space shuttle. The theme carried through to a chapel area where guests could relax and find delight with their food and memories. The chapel also had space memorabilia displays and a spacesuit photo op for guests to enjoy and further mark the day.
This day honoring NASA and its contractor employees was part of UBC's special 40-year commemoration in the Clear Lake community. To celebrate this milestone, UBC has planned special events throughout the year to express appreciation in the community for valuable contributions and past partnerships. Other groups to be recognized later this year include educators (May 18); veterans of military service (July 4); Bay Area recreation participants (September 28); and community first responders (November 16).
Events for the NASA Community Day concluded with an 11:00 a.m. contemporary worship service, where attendees enjoyed more of the same tributes, but with a stylized band and a more contemporary twist.
Bill Nye to speak Tuesday night at UTPA - talks Mars, NASA, a potential return to TV
Amy Nichol Smith - The McAllen (TX) Monitor
Bill Nye — "the Science Guy," as so many know him — may have big news to share soon.
The scientist, engineer and entertainer who brought science to the small screen in the '90s with his popular, award-winning television show Bill Nye the Science Guy may be returning to TV.
"What we would do is a grown-up version of the show," the 58-year-old said in a recent phone interview.
Nye will be speaking at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the University of Texas-Pan American as part of the Edinburg campus' Distinguished Speaker Series.
"I admit I think about it often," he said of rebooting his show.
With the help of Peacock Productions, Nye created a sizzle reel, or demo reel, to shop around to interested networks.
Nye always seems to dream big and shoot for the stars.
Long before he took on Ken Ham in a highly publicized creationism vs. evolution debate, before he earned seven Emmy awards, before he won a Steve Martin lookalike contest, before he worked for Boeing, he developed a fascination with his bicycle. His interest in how it worked led him to a career as a mechanical engineer.
Now the scientist has an even bigger goal: to inspire America to innovate. So, what should young minds be focused on?
"Electric power generation, storage and transmission," he said. "There's enough wind power in North Dakota to power North America five times over, and that's just an example — Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado (are) extraordinary wind resources."
However, we do not have the means, Nye said, to capture, store and reallocate the power across the continent.
"If we did, it would utterly change the world," he said.
And "change the world" is Nye's mantra. In fact, it was the first line of a document he titled "Rules of the Road" for his TV crew.
Inspiring a generation of innovators can be challenging, though, but Nye has a few ideas on how government, educators, students and citizens can do just that.
"If we had a modest increase in the investment in NASA, we would have these innovations without having to run around all day yelling, 'STEM, STEM, STEM, STEM,' which is now a word, I guess," Nye said.
The acronym refers to the subjects of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, which are all being pushed in American schools in order to increase competitiveness in tech-based development and careers.
To ensure there are plenty of scientists, engineers and innovators for the technology-paved future, Nye said it's important to integrate science, art and music into school's curricula, rather than having them off to the side.
Another way to encourage students in science actually does not hinge on science, Nye said, but rather on algebra.
"So, people who embrace algebra apparently have an easier time, or are more inclined to think abstractly about all sorts of other things," he said.
He suggests schools begin teaching algebra sooner, such as in fourth grade, rather than springing it on students once they reach seventh grade.
In the 2012 Program for International Student Assessment report, U.S. teen students dropped to 24th place in science — which could impede the nation's future role as a leader in space exploration.
A majority of Americans — 58 percent — polled in a 2011 study by the Pew Research Center believe it is imperative that the United States remain on top in space, and Nye agrees.
"There are two deep questions that all of us have asked at some point in our lives … Where did we come from? Are we alone? And if you want to answer those two questions, you have to explore space," he said. "Space exploration brings out the best in us."
Nye serves as the CEO of the Planetary Society, a nonprofit group of people who seek to inspire others to get involved in space exploration.
"We at the Planetary Society believe that the most cost-effective way to have a modest increase in the space exploration budget that would lead to innovation is to invest in planetary science," he said.
Nye bemoans the idea that NASA has stalled.
"People think the space program is canceled, meanwhile we're landing a freakin' rover on Mars, lowered onto its surface by a crane powered by rockets," he said.
There's also a mission on the way to Jupiter called Juno, and by spring or summer in 2015, we'll get pictures of Pluto.
"We talk about NASA all the time just not being that good at (public relations)," he said. "They're OK, and they're getting better."
Although we don't fixate on every launch of every probe or every rocket sent to space, there's plenty of exploration going on outside of Earth's atmosphere.
"We do have humans in space. You can even ask the administrator of NASA, 'Who's on the international space station right now?' And he will not be able to tell you. He'll tell you two out of the six," Nye said. "Because it is no longer 'to boldly go where no man has gone before'; now it's 'to timidly go where 600 people have already been.'"
However, America watched with excitement and curiosity the past few years as the Mars rover rolled across the red planet, transmitting images of terrain and horizons.
"People have this romantic notion of Mars that I disagree with completely," Nye said.
The only planet Nye has a romantic notion of is a bit closer than Mars.
"Well, Earth," he said. "It's my favorite. No, I love it here. I grew up here; all my friends are here. It's ideal for guys like me, really."
The idea of setting up bases on Mars and having a sort of 21st century "gold rush," Nye said, isn't realistic. He does, though, see the importance of sending humans to explore and make new discoveries.
"Our very best probes, our very best robots, our very best robot-probe drivers, our very best scientists directing the robot drivers, what those people can do in a week, it is estimated that a human geologist or explorer could do in about a minute," he said.
And if evidence of life were discovered on Mars, what then?
It "would utterly change the world," Nye said. "It would change the world in the same way Galileo, Copernicus and Newton changed the world."
SPACEX
Recently, space exploration has become an important topic of conversation in the Rio Grande Valley since SpaceX showed interest in building a rocket launch pad in Cameron County. Other locations being considered include Florida, Georgia and Puerto Rico.
"We love SpaceX," Nye said.
He noted that Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla Motors, used to be on the board of directors for the Planetary Society, but he had to recuse himself as his company became more successful and influential, Nye said.
"It is the way of the future," Nye said of privatized space exploration. "But let us keep in mind that SpaceX has received at least $500 million from NASA to develop this rocket, and by some estimates $850 million if you add it all up. And that's not a bad thing, it's just a thing."
However, SpaceX hasn't landed on Mars, Nye said. Not yet, anyway. NASA has decades of experience under its belt. And, as Nye pointed out, humans have a history of leaning on the government to fund research and exploration first.
"The East India Company was not formed until after someone had explored India on the government's dime, or penny, or shilling," Nye said. The "transcontinental railroad wasn't built until after Louis and Clark went across the (United States) mapping it. …Believe me, if SpaceX gets its Red Dragon spacecraft on the surface of Mars, they will be using maps and data produced by NASA — not by an internal Mars mapping division. It's just the way of history."
Mayor Tom Coyne's budget passes without a tweak
Grant Segall – Cleveland Plain Dealer
City Council has passed Mayor Tom Coyne's proposed budget to the penny.
They didn't add money for a single sewer line, swing set or anything else to the roughly $57 million budget.
Council President Dennis Patten said, "There was a good review, but we felt it was a good budget. It's tight."
Councilman-at-Large Carl Burgio said, "There's not a lot of room to tweak it. A lot of times, we'd ask for added streets to be done, but the money's not there."
Said Coyne, "You can't argue about money you don't have."
The budget includes an expected deficit of $1.6 million. The city has just $2.6 million in reserves.
Coyne still plans to ask council to budget about $2 million more for capital improvements and borrow the money to pay for them. He has already asked council to put an income tax hike and a new property tax on August's ballot. Members plan to vote on the measures sometime in April.
Brook Park has run up similar budget deficits in recent years. Officials blame them on job losses, especially at the city's two biggest employers: NASA Glenn Research Center and Ford.
Coyne spent 20 years as mayor and 12 out of office before returning in January. "We prided ourselves on services second to none in Ohio," he said. "We're trying to maintain them with a diminishing tax base."
NASA Scientists Testing New Aircraft Designs
George Putic – Voice of America
The U.S Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, is commonly associated with space exploration, but aeronautics is still a big part of the agency's research. Engineers at its Aeronautics Research Center, in Hampton, Virginia, are testing new ideas that someday may produce lighter, quieter and less polluting aircraft.
By 2030, NASA would like to see planes that burn 60 to 70 percent less fuel, pollute less and are quieter than 2005 models.
Scientists say achieving those goals calls for lightweight materials, better aerodynamics, new kinds of fuels and alternative aircraft configurations.
In NASA's huge Transonic Dynamics Wind Tunnel, engineers are testing a new design of airplane wing made of a composite material that is considerably lighter than the industry standard, aluminum alloy.
Senior aerospace engineer Robert C. Scott says in the future, wings will likely be made out of materials like this.
"With advances in material, advances in design and analysis capability and the need for higher efficiency, you're driving yourself toward very lightweight designs," said Scott.
One of those designs is the long, truss-supported wing, says project scientist Richard Wahls.
"That allows you to stiffen the wing, keep the wing thin, grow the span to reduce drag," said Wahls.
If someone decides to build one of these advanced configurations, they will be able to use the results of tests done by NASA.
In another part of the center, researchers are testing a new way of manufacturing composite materials.
Instead of aligning the fibers in straight, parallel lines, these fibers are molded around the points of heavy load, explains materials research engineer Karen Taminger.
"That allows the fibers to continue to carry the load all the way around the corners instead of being interrupted if we cut that out from a straight aligned composite," said Taminger.
Taminger says new structural designs will allow manufacturers to reduce the weight of airplanes and make them more energy efficient.
NASA researchers also want to reduce the pollution that comes out of airplane engines, says Fay Collier, who manages the Environmentally Responsible Aviation project.
"We want to take advantage of alternative fuels and the emergence of alternative fuels, and we want to design advanced combustors to minimize the output," said Collier.
To learn what's in the exhaust of an airplane burning a mixture of petroleum and alternative-based fuel, NASA scientists fly a second plane right behind the first one. On-board sensors measure the percentage of pollutants contained in different fuel mixtures.
Project scientist Richard Wahls says NASA is constantly looking for ways to revolutionize aviation.
"We hope to find technologies that we can accelerate forward through the research, but other technologies - they may not be possible for 20 or 30 years," he said.
In the meantime, he says, there are incremental improvements moving the aviation industry towards better, safer and more efficient aircraft.
Orion Coming Together for EFT-1 Test Flight in December 2014
Ken Kremer – AmericaSpace
Piece by piece, fabrication of all the major hardware elements for NASA's inaugural unmanned Orion test flight, dubbed EFT-1, are coming together at Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center.
Orion is a state of the art spacecraft and NASA's next step in manned deep space exploration aimed at sending American astronauts back to the Moon and then beyond on voyages to Asteroids and Mars over the coming decades, if funding continues.
The main elements of the Orion stack includes the crew module (CM), service module (SM) and the launch abort system (LAS) as well as the Delta IV Heavy Booster.
During my recent visit to KSC and the Cape I inspected all the main Orion spacecraft and Delta rocket hardware currently on site for an assessment of the current status and projected launch date.
As of today, two of the three 1st stage Delta IV core boosters manufactured by United Launch Alliance (ULA) in Decatur, Alabama have arrived by barge at the Cape.
They were revealed to the media, including this author, in mid March inside the Horizontal Integration Facility at Launch Complex 37 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS).
Each core is powered by a liquid fueled RS-68 engine providing a nominal thrust of some 663,000 pounds.
The final port side booster and the Centaur upper stage are due to be shipped by ULA to Cape Canaveral in April, a ULA spokesperson confirmed to me.
The triple barreled Delta IV Heavy booster is now the mightiest rocket in America's arsenal with some 2 million pounds of thrust, following the forced retirement of the space shuttle program.
The Delta IV booster will deliver Orion to high orbit, about 3600 miles above Earth on a two-orbit, four- hour flight lofting the pathfinding spacecraft to an orbital altitude some 15 times higher than the International Space Station (ISS). That's farther out than any human spacecraft has ventured beyond Earth in four decades.
"This mission is a stepping stone on NASA's journey to Mars," said NASA Associate Administrator Robert Lightfoot during the booster unveiling at the Cape. "The EFT-1 mission is so important to NASA. We will test the capsule with a reentry velocity of about 85% of what's expected by [astronauts] returning from Mars."
"We will test the heat shield, the separation of the fairing and exercise over 50% of the eventual software and electronic systems inside the Orion spacecraft. We will also test the recovery systems coming back into the Pacific Ocean."
Blastoff of the Orion EFT-1 flight was recently postponed from the planned September/October window to early December 2014 to make way for a newly declassified and critical national security surveillance payload for the US Air Force.
Orion will swap launch slots with the covert GSSAP satellites, which were unveiled during a Feb. 2014 speech by General William Shelton, commander of the US Air Force Space Command.
Despite the launch postponement, Lockheed Martin technicians are pressing forward with assembly activities around the clock in order to meet the original September launch should developments warrant another switcheroo.
"Our plan is to have the Orion spacecraft ready because we want to get EFT-1 out so we can start getting the hardware in for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) and start processing for that vehicle that will launch on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket in 2017," Bob Cabana, director of NASA's Kennedy Space Center and former shuttle commander, told me.
"They will get the vehicle ready to roll out for the EFT-1 mission and be mounted on top of the Delta IV Heavy."
"Orion will be ready to go on time, as soon as we get our opportunity to launch that vehicle on its first flight test and that is pretty darn amazing," Cabana stated.
Despite lasting only a few hours, the mission will fly high enough to position the vehicle for plunging back into Earth's atmosphere and a Pacific Ocean splashdown to test the crew module, its heat shield and parachutes at deep-space reentry speeds of 20,000 mph.
Orion will endure temperatures exceeding 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit – approximating those of the Apollo moon landing missions that ended four decades ago.
The EFT-1 mission will provide engineers with critical data about Orion's heat shield, flight systems and capabilities to validate designs of the spacecraft, inform design decisions, validate existing computer models and guide new approaches to space systems development. All these measurements will aid in reducing the risks and costs of subsequent Orion flights before it begins carrying humans to new destinations in the solar system.
The crew module is now in the final stages of construction by prime contractor Lockheed Martin.
CM completion is due later this spring, Lockheed Martin managers told me during a visit to the spacecraft inside a specially renovated high bay in the Operations and Checkout Building (O&C) at KSC.
"We are working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week," said Schneider, Orion Project manager for Lockheed Martin at KSC. "We are moving fast!"
Assembly of the Launch Abort System (LAS) was completed in December 2013 at KSC. In the event of a launch emergency, the LAS pulls the crew module away from the rocket in a split second to save astronauts lives.
The individual components were joined together in the Launch Abort System Facility (LASF), formerly the Canister Rotation Facility during the shuttle era.
The service module was completed in January 2014. It provides in-space power, propulsion capability, attitude control, thermal control, water and air for the astronauts.
However, for the EFT-1 flight, the SM is not fully outfitted. It is a structural representation simulating the exact size and mass.
The crew module will be mounted atop, similar to NASA's Apollo Moon landing architecture.
One significant change from Apollo is that Orion is equipped with a trio of massive fairings that encase the SM and support half the weight of the crew module and the launch abort system during launch and ascent. The purpose is to improve performance by saving weight from the service module, thus maximizing the vehicles size and capability in space.
All three fairings are jettisoned at an altitude of 100 miles up when they are no longer need to support the stack.
The European Space Agency (ESA) will manufacture the SM for the second Orion flight, EM-1, in 2017.
"We are making steady progress towards the launch," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden at a prior KSC media briefing, back dropped by the Orion service module inside the O&C facility.
"It's very exciting because it signals we are almost there getting back to deep space and going much more distant than where we are operating in low Earth orbit at the ISS."
"And I'm very excited for the young people who will have an opportunity to fly Orion," Bolden told me in the O&C.
END
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