Keep the shuttle flying: May 2014

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Begin forwarded message:

From: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Date: May 30, 2014 12:25:39 PM CDT
To: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Subject: FW: NASA and Human Spaceflight News - Friday – May 30, 2014 and JSC Today

Happy Friday everyone.   Have a great and Safe weekend.

1.) Just an early reminder that next Thursday, June 5^th is our monthly NASA retirees Luncheon at Hibachi Grill at 11:30. Mark your calendars early to join the retirees and some of us "wanna be retirees" (J) for fellowship and to swap your fun stories of the glory days of JSCs past and share any fun trips you and your family have been on recently.

2.) Then be sure to join the NASA Alumni League for their first Thursday talks at the Gilruth:

From: E. Bob
Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2014 10:49 PM
To: E. Bob
Subject: NAL First Thursday Briefing

Don't forget -- We have a First Thursday Briefing as shown below.

June 5, 2014    2:30 - 4:00 PM

Wayne Hale      "My Experiences as a NASA Advisory Council Member"

At the Gilruth Center Alamo room !!!.

Thanks

Denny Holt

3.) Right after the NAL briefing @4pm … go join the Keg of the Month Retiree crowd out at the Gilruth Pavillion for a beer, soda or water for more fellowship with NASA colleagues.

Friday, May 30, 2014 Read JSC Today in your browser View Archives

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    JSC TODAY CATEGORIES

Headlines
- Forum Highlights Future of Research Aboard Station
- Check Out the InsideISS Channel on YouTube
- The New Travel System Can Help You Go Places
Organizations/Social
- TFAWS Call for Abstracts Extended to June 27
- JSC Weight Watchers at Work
- Presale Offer - Autographed Jerry Ross Books
- Starport's Father-Daughter Dance 2014
Jobs and Training
- Become an Ally in the Workplace
Community
- We're Still Looking for the Perfect Match!

Orion Crew Module Set for Connection to Heat Shield

   Headlines

Forum Highlights Future of Research Aboard Station

To highlight the direction for life and physical sciences aboard the space station, a panel of experts gathered at JSC last week for Destination Station: International Space Station Science Forum. This first in a new series of public discussions dedicated to research aboard the station emphasized current and future microgravity research that will prepare crews for long-duration missions farther into the solar system than ever before and provide lasting benefits to life on Earth.

Not only does the station provide a one-of-a-kind orbiting laboratory for researching many science disciplines in microgravity, but it also serves as a technology development test bed for deep-space exploration and is a destination to grow a robust commercial market in low-Earth orbit. While the use of the space station continues to grow, science studied aboard is underway at an unprecedented pace.

Watch this fascinating forum discussion here.

See the station's benefits for humanity.

Roger Weiss x47716 http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/index.html#.U4c_XhDN58E

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Check Out the InsideISS Channel on YouTube

Hi all,

Wanna see fun, entertaining videos about the International Space Station (ISS), science and more? If so, point your browser of choice here, and don't forget to bookmark it!

Be sure to check out the latest episode of the ISS Mailbag.

Dylan Mathis x48119 http://www.youtube.com/insideiss

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The New Travel System Can Help You Go Places

The new travel system can help you go places!

FedTraveler will soon be replaced by the new government-wide travel system CGE. CGE is scheduled to go live Monday, June 30. As we prepare for the transition to CGE, we have created a series of training classes specifically for JSC travelers, travel arrangers and travel approvers. JSC CGE training classes will begin Monday, June 2, and be offered the entire month of June.

To sign up for the new CGE training classes in SATERN, search for either JSC-IEM CGE FOR TRAVEL ARRANGERS or JSC-IEM CGE FOR TRAVEL APPROVERS in the Learner's Catalog.

Visit our new CGE SharePoint site.

Contact us through the CGE Outlook mailbox.

Alan Miyamoto x36500 https://insidecfo.jsc.nasa.gov/SBS/CGE/SitePages/Home.aspx

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   Organizations/Social

TFAWS Call for Abstracts Extended to June 27

You are invited to submit papers for the Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop (TFAWS) 2014. This year's workshop will be held at Glenn Research Center (GRC) from Aug. 4 to 8. The workshop will include short courses of general interest in thermal and fluids, discussions on special topics, hands-on training sessions in many thermal and fluid software packages, vendor demonstrations and paper sessions on the topics that cover active thermal/fluids, passive thermal, aerothermal and interdisciplinary. One ITAR-restricted session will be offered. The abstract submission deadline is June 27, and final manuscript submissions are due July 25. Submissions should be sent to Lauren Storrow at GRC (216-433-5565). Typically, 20 minutes will be allotted for each paper, and 10 additional minutes for questions from the audience.

Janice Makinen x42206 https://tfaws.nasa.gov/

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JSC Weight Watchers at Work

If you wanted to learn more about Weight Watchers at Work but had to miss the open house, it's not too late!

JSC Weight Watchers at Work will have a meeting on Monday, June 2, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This meeting will provide information and registration for the next 17-week session, which begins later this month and runs through September. Meetings will be on Mondays during lunchtime. We have our meetings in Building 12, a more central location that is close to the cafés.

We need at least 15 active participants to continue having at-work meetings here on-site, so if you've been thinking about joining, now is a great time!

Event Date: Monday, June 2, 2014 Event Start Time:11:30 AM Event End Time:12:30 PM
Event Location: Bldg. 12, Rooms 148/150

Add to Calendar

Jason Morrow x42234

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Presale Offer – Autographed Jerry Ross Books

Starport is accepting presale orders for autographed copies of Jerry Ross' book "Spacewalker." Order yours today! Please attend the book signing on June 19 in the Building 3 café. Watch JSC Today for more details.

Cyndi Kibby x47467

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Starport's Father-Daughter Dance 2014

Make Father's Day weekend a date your daughter will never forget! Enjoy a night of music, dancing, refreshments, finger foods, dessert, photos and more. Plan to get all dressed up and spend a special evening with the special little lady in your life. The dance is open to girls of all ages, and attire is business casual to semi-formal. A photographer will be on hand to capture this special moment with picture packages for you to purchase. One free 5x7 will be provided.

June 13 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Gilruth Center Alamo Ballroom
Cost is $40 per couple ($15 per additional child)

Register online or at the Gilruth Center information desk. You must register by June 11. There will be no tickets sold at the door.

Shericka Phillips x35563 https://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/en/programs/special-events/father-daughter...

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   Jobs and Training

Become an Ally in the Workplace

Are you concerned with equality in the workplace? Are you interested in learning how to, as a straight ally, support your LGBT friends and colleagues? On June 18, as part of Pride Month activities, the Out & Allied Employee Resource Group invites you to an informative and empowering seminar led by Lowell Kane. The day-long class will explore the unique needs and concerns that LGBT people face in the workplace while also building your own knowledge, skills and abilities for creating a more inclusive and affirming community as a straight ally. Participants will develop an understanding of LGBT terminology and symbols, history, concepts of privilege and identity development, and learn how to maintain a work environment that doesn't tolerate oppression based on sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Sign up now in SATERN using ID 73854.

Event Date: Wednesday, June 18, 2014 Event Start Time:8:30 AM Event End Time:3:00 PM
Event Location: Building 1, Room 320

Add to Calendar

Jennifer Mason x32424 https://collaboration.ndc.nasa.gov/iierg/LGBTA/SitePages/Home.aspx

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   Community

We're Still Looking for the Perfect Match!

Are you the one who will spread the word about what we are doing here at JSC? Can you take a little time to share your story about JSC and our space program? Check out these opportunities on the V-CORPs calendar, and sign up for one or all!

June 3: Goforth Elementary School Career Day. Talk about your career to groups of elementary school students (8:30 to 11:30 a.m.).

June 4: Northwoods Catholic School Career Day. These are middle school students, anxious to learn more about career paths (one hour, early afternoon).

June 12: Society of Allied Weight Engineers. This professional group is interested in our space program. Relevance to mass properties is a plus, but not required (evening program).

June 23, 24 OR 25: Mechanical Engineers Design Workshop. Another professional group with flexible dates/times to hear about our mechanical design processes. They are particularly interested in rovers, testing, trades, design risks and more. (On the V-CORPs calendar for June 23, but you'll pick your date with the requester.)

June 24, 25 OR 26: Flaming Arrow Twilight Camp. Were you a Cub Scout or Boy Scout? These young scouts are attending a day camp. You can pick your time on any of these three days, afternoon or evening, to inspire them about engineering. (On the V-CORPs calendar for June 24, but you'll pick your date with the requester.)

Check out all of the other exciting ways that you can share YOUR STORY during the summer months! For more information, please contact the V-CORPs administrator.

V-CORPs 281-792-5859

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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

Friday – May 30, 2014

HEADLINES AND LEADS

SpaceX unveils futuristic piloted space capsule

William Harwood - CBS News

With a showman's flair for the dramatic, electric car builder and rocket designer Elon Musk unveiled a futuristic space capsule Thursday, a sleek reusable ferry craft that could carry astronauts to the International Space Station and bring them home to a pinpoint, rocket-powered landing.

Who Will Fly Aboard Boeing's First Private CST-100 'Space Taxi'?

One-on-One Interview With Chris Ferguson, Last Shuttle Commander

Ken Kremer – AmericaSpace.com

A two-person crew comprising "one NASA astronaut and one Boeing test pilot will fly aboard the first orbital test flight of our commercial CST-100 manned capsule in 2017." Chris Ferguson, commander of NASA's final shuttle flight and now director of Boeing's Crew and Mission Operations, told AmericaSpace in an exclusive one-on-one interview about Boeing's human spaceflight efforts to build a private and efficient "space taxi" for American astronaut crews.

Elon Musk Unveils Spacecraft to Ferry Astronauts

Raquel Maria Dillon – Associated Press

A company that has flown unmanned capsules to the Space Station unveiled a spacecraft designed to ferry up to seven astronauts to low-Earth orbit that SpaceX founder Elon Musk says will lower the cost of going to space.

SpaceX unveils its new manned shuttle

Michael Winter – USA Today

The first commercial space capsule designed to shuttle astronauts into Earth's orbit was unveiled Thursday night at SpaceX's operations outside Los Angeles.

SpaceX unveils spaceship to fly U.S. astronauts

Irene Klotz – Reuters

Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, on Thursday unveiled an upgraded passenger version of the Dragon cargo ship NASA buys for resupply runs to the International Space Station.

SpaceX unveils first commercial capsule capable of manned flight

Jordan England-Nelson – Los Angeles Daily Breeze

The long-awaited presentation by Elon Musk, SpaceX's billionaire CEO and founder of Tesla Motors, showcased the 12-year-old company's engineering prowess with the flair of an Apple product release party.

House passes third '15 appropriations bill

Cristina Marcos – The Hill

The House early Friday passed the third 2015 appropriations bill that would fund the Departments of Commerce and Justice, as well as federal science programs.

Astronauts and Space Scientists Invade NYC for 2014 World Science Festival

Miriam Kramer – Space.com

NASA astronauts are taking over New York City this week for the World Science Festival.

NASA: Humans on Mars by 2035 is 'primary focus'

Carol Christian – Houston Chronicle

For a couple years, NASA has been talking about sending people to Mars by 2035.

That goal is still on the books, despite recent upheaval in the space program, according to two of the agency's top scientists.

The Battle Against What Spaceflight Does To Your Health

Elizabeth Howell – Universe Today

Why do some astronauts come back from the International Space Station needing glasses? Eye problems are one of the largest problems that have cropped up in the last three to four years of space station science, affecting 20% of astronauts. And the astronaut office is taking this problem very seriously, pointed out Scott Smith, who leads the Nutritional Biochemistry Lab at the Johnson Space Center.

NASA Testing Odd-Looking 'Earth Shoe' on Space Station

Irene Klotz - Discovery News

It's doubtful you'll be seeing these during the Paris Fashion Week Men's show next month — unless you're channel surfing and catch a glimpse of astronauts exercising aboard the International Space Station.

COMPLETE STORIES

SpaceX unveiled the Dragon V2 – the company's next-generation spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to space

SpaceX unveils futuristic piloted space capsule

William Harwood - CBS News

With a showman's flair for the dramatic, electric car builder and rocket designer Elon Musk unveiled a futuristic space capsule Thursday, a sleek reusable ferry craft that could carry astronauts to the International Space Station and bring them home to a pinpoint, rocket-powered landing.

"You'll be able to land anywhere on Earth with the accuracy of a helicopter, which is, I think, something a modern spaceship should be able to do," Musk told a throng of reporters and invited guests.

"It will be capable of carrying seven people, seven astronauts, for several days. It has an improved version of our heat shield and it's all around, I think, really a big leap forward in technology. It really takes things to the next level."

The SpaceX Dragon version 2, or V2, spacecraft is Musk's entry in an ongoing NASA competition to develop a commercial crew capsule to carry U.S. and partner astronauts to and from the space station, ending reliance on Russian Soyuz spacecraft that cost the space agency more than $70 million a seat under the latest contract.

The SpaceX unveiling came the day after a Soyuz launch that delivered three fresh crew members to the station, including a NASA flight engineer. The mission came amid increased tensions in the wake of Russia's actions in Ukraine, subsequent U.S. sanctions and Russian threats to pull out of the station program in 2020 and to stop supplying rocket engines used to help launch American military satellites.

Musk did not mention the Soyuz launching, but the SpaceX unveiling Thursday served to call renewed attention to NASA's current dependence on Russia for basic space transportation, a situation Musk wants to change with the Dragon V2.

But he is not acting alone. SpaceX is competing with Boeing, which is developing its own state-of-the-art capsule known as the CST-100, and Sierra Nevada, which is testing a winged lifting body known as the Dream Chaser that would glide to a runway landing much like NASA's retired space shuttle.

Depending on available funding from Congress, NASA is expected to award one and possibly two contracts late this summer to continue spacecraft development, with the ultimate goal of beginning NASA-sanctioned flights to the station in the 2017 timeframe.

With the dramatic unveiling of the Dragon V2 Thursday, Musk took center stage, showing off a spacecraft he described as a significant step forward. And he has said he plans to build it whether SpaceX wins the NASA contract or not. Uncrewed test flights could begin as early as late next year, he said, with the first piloted test flight by mid 2016.

The Dragon version 2 builds on the success of SpaceX's Dragon cargo ships now delivering supplies and equipment to the space station under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA. The cargo ships are the first commercially developed spacecraft to visit the station and the only U.S.-built vehicle now flying that is capable of bringing cargo back to Earth from orbit.

The Dragon version 2, with an improved heat shield, a propulsive landing system and state-of-the-art computer control, is a major upgrade.

"Going from Dragon version 1, we wanted to take a big step in technology and really create something that was a step change in spacecraft technology," Musk said.

Dressed in casual attire, Musk unveiled the version 2 spacecraft for invited reporters and guests at SpaceX's Hawthorne, Calif., factory, dropping a curtain after a recorded countdown to reveal the black-and-white capsule, prompting enthusiastic cheers and applause.

He said the Dragon V2 will be capable of flying automated or manual approaches to the space station, gliding for docking without needing any assistance from the lab's robot arm, which he described as "a significant upgrade."

And while it is equipped with a rocket-powered landing system, the capsule retains the parachutes used by the uncrewed Dragon V1 cargo ship.

"When it reaches a particular altitude just before landing, it will test the engines, verify that if all the engines are working it will then proceed to a propulsive landing," Musk said. "If there's any anomaly detected with the engines or the propulsion system, it will then deploy the parachutes to ensure a safe landing even in the event that the propulsion system is not working."

He said the capsule could safely land even if two of its SuperDraco engines failed. The engines, designed and built by SpaceX, generate 16,000 pounds of thrust and work in pairs. If one fails, Musk said, the other can increase power to compensate. He said the engines, which also would provide emergency launch abort power, will be built using 3D printing, a first for a production spacecraft.

Being able to land with rocket power is important, Musk said, because "it enables rapid reusability of the spacecraft. You can just reload propellants and fly again."

"This is extremely important for revolutionizing access to space," he said. "As long as we continue to throw away rockets and spacecraft we'll never have true access to space. It'll always be incredibly expensive. If aircraft were thrown away with each flight, nobody would be able to fly."

Showing off the interior of the spacecraft, Musk opened the hatch and climbed in, generating yet another round of cheers from an appreciative crowd. Sitting in the contoured pilot's seat, he pulled down a futuristic video panel where software-generated displays were seen along with a bank of physical controls.

"So there you have it," he concluded, "Dragon version 2, capable of carrying up to seven astronauts, propulsively landing almost anywhere in the world and something that's designed to be fully reusable, so you can fly this multiple times, allowing for potential dramatic reductions in the cost of access to space."

The SpaceX capsule would be launched atop the company's Falcon 9 rocket. Boeing and Sierra Nevada plan to use Atlas 5 rockets built by United Launch Alliance. The Atlas 5 first stage uses the Russian-built RD-180 engine that a Russian deputy prime minister has threatened to restrict.

The threatened ban would affect U.S. military launches and apparently would not apply to civilian missions like piloted NASA flights to the space station.

Musk did not mention launch vehicles during his presentation Thursday, but he has played a major role in the current debate over the RD-180, questioning its use in a lawsuit SpaceX filed challenging a sole-source Air Force contract for more than two dozen United Launch Alliance rockets.

A Pentagon panel has reportedly recommended building a U.S. replacement for the RD-180 and lawmakers are considering funding to begin development. How all that might factor into NASA's crew ferry craft competition remains to be seen.

Who Will Fly Aboard Boeing's First Private CST-100 'Space Taxi'?

One-on-One Interview With Chris Ferguson, Last Shuttle Commander

Ken Kremer – AmericaSpace.com

A two-person crew comprising "one NASA astronaut and one Boeing test pilot will fly aboard the first orbital test flight of our commercial CST-100 manned capsule in 2017." Chris Ferguson, commander of NASA's final shuttle flight and now director of Boeing's Crew and Mission Operations, told AmericaSpace in an exclusive one-on-one interview about Boeing's human spaceflight efforts to build a private and efficient "space taxi" for American astronaut crews.

"The first manned test flight could happen by the end of summer 2017 with a two person crew," Ferguson told me during a detailed conversation about Boeing's push to restore an indigenous U.S. capacity for launching our astronauts to low-Earth orbit (LEO) and the International Space Station (ISS).

The CST-100 is Boeing's entry into NASA's Commercial Crew program aimed at fostering the development of a next-generation crewed vehicle to replace the space shuttle after its forced retirement following wheel stop in July 2011. Three-time space flying veteran Chris Ferguson commanded the last shuttle flight, STS-135.

Since that day, no American astronauts have launched to space from American soil on American rockets seated inside American spaceships.

They have been totally dependent on the Russian Soyuz capsule for tickets to space and back—at a cost of over $70 million per seat under the latest contract with Roscosmos.

Boeing's philosophy is to make the CST-100 a commercial endeavor, as simple and cost effective as possible to kick start U.S. human spaceflight efforts as soon as possible—especially given the meager Commercial Crew budgets approved by a reluctant Congress.

"The CST-100 is a cheap, cost effective vehicle that doesn't need to be luxurious because it only needs to hold people for 48 hours. It's a simple ride up to and back from space," Ferguson emphasized.

I asked Ferguson: "Who will fly on the maiden CST-100 orbital test flight? Will it be a mixed NASA/Boeing astronaut crew?"

"From the latest NASA contracts regarding the test flight, NASA apparently wants to fly one of their astronauts aboard. So our assumption now is that there it will be one Boeing test pilot and one NASA astronaut," Ferguson said.

"A year ago, NASA officials specifically told me that no NASA astronauts would be allowed to fly on the first test mission until the spaceship was basically proven to be flight worthy."

"That's a clear change from NASA's earlier plan calling strictly for two company test pilots, is that right?"

"Yes, that's a change and the premise we are now operating under," Ferguson confirmed.

"Who will pick the crew?"

"Boeing will pick the test pilot. NASA will pick the astronaut."

"When will Boeing and NASA select the crew? Are we getting close to selection time?"

"The announcement of who is on the crew will come closer to when they are ready to start training for the flight."

"It's prudent to wait like NASA did [previously] because sometimes people develop health problems. It's much easier to wait until later and put someone on a crew, rather than announce it [too] early and have things move and change around."

"Where will Boeing look for a qualified test pilot?"

"Boeing will reach out to see who out there is qualified and wants to do this."

"The smartest thing would be to pick an old NASA astronaut!"

"So how about you? Would you like to do it?" I quickly inquired.

"I don't know. Sure I'd like to go to space again, who wouldn't like to go to space," Ferguson mused, as we chuckled.

"But it's a business for young, steely eyed missile men," he replied, taking himself out of the running. … Maybe …

"I think we could pry someone out of NASA and convince them to work for Boeing to fly a test flight. I wouldn't be surprised if the phone starts ringing here in the next few months looking for someone."

"I imagine you'd have at least 20 or 30 quick volunteers!"

"Yes, and Bob Cabana [Kennedy Space Center (KSC) director and former shuttle commander] is one of them. He's made that very public, although he knows it couldn't possibly happen!"

"So we are thinking about the crew."

Boeing's strategy for the first manned orbital flight test is exciting and ambitious and is sure to attract numerous applicants.

"We may go all the way to the space station. We want to dock and maybe spend a couple weeks there."

"SpaceX did it [as well as Orbital Sciences for their first unmanned cargo dockings]. So we think we can too."

"The question is can we make the owners of the space station comfortable with what we are doing. That's what it really comes down to."

"But our focus right now is making sure we build the vehicle the right way," Ferguson said.

Boeing plans to assemble and manufacture the CST-100 crew and service modules in Florida at KSC inside an old space shuttle hangar now sitting idle and undergoing refurbishment with funding from Space Florida.

"The CST-100 will be manufactured at the Kennedy Space Center inside a former shuttle hanger known as Orbiter Processing Facility 3, or OPF-3, which is now [transformed into] a Boeing processing facility," Ferguson told me.

Boeing will assume the lease to OPF-3 from Space Florida by late June 2014 and the project will bring jobs back to KSC.

"Over 300 people will be employed."

Boeing is one of three American aerospace firms vying to restore America's capability to fly astronauts to the space station by late 2017, using seed money from NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) in a public/private partnership.

The other competitors are the SpaceX Dragon and Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser. The next round of commercial crew contracts will be awarded by NASA around late summer.

The CST-100 is being designed at Boeing's Houston Product Support Center in Texas and is comprised of a crew module (CM) and service module (SM).

The combined CM/SM stands some 5.03 meters (16.5 feet) high. The capsule itself is 4.56 meters (175 inches) in diameter.

The reusable capsule will launch atop a man rated United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket and carry a mix of cargo and astronauts to the ISS. It must meet NASA's stringent safety and reliability standards.

"What is the crew size that can fly aboard CST-100?"

"The crew size will be five. We can go to seven if we have to. But NASA only wants four. Their requirement says four. We sell NASA the seats," said Ferguson.

"So will you carry some cargo up too if you aren't bringing up seven crewmembers?"

"Yes. We will take up come cargo. It's really up to what NASA wants and decides. If they want some cargo in addition to people."

"So in place of the astronauts seats would you have some type of storage lockers or compartments?"

"Yes, you could. Although that's not part of what we are designed to or for. So even if we carry five crewmembers we will also carry some cargo."

Therefore, the ISS crew size will increase to at least seven depending on how many seats NASA procures.

All three companies currently receiving funding from NASA's Commercial Crew Program are making excellent progress in achieving the agency's mandated milestones in the current contract period known as Commercial Crew Integrated Capability initiative (CCiCAP).

The direction and look of America's future crewed spaceship(s) for ISS operations will become clearer later this year, when NASA down selects to one or more vehicles in the next round of funding dubbed CCtCAP.

Elon Musk Unveils Spacecraft to Ferry Astronauts

Raquel Maria Dillon – Associated Press

A company that has flown unmanned capsules to the Space Station unveiled a spacecraft designed to ferry up to seven astronauts to low-Earth orbit that SpaceX founder Elon Musk says will lower the cost of going to space.

The futuristic, cone-headed craft dubbed Dragon V2 featured landing legs that pop out and a propulsion system designed to land almost anywhere "with the accuracy of a helicopter," Musk said Thursday at the Southern California rocket builder's headquarters near Los Angeles International Airport.

The technology would enable rapid reloading and reusability of the spacecraft, he said. He noted that in the past, many rockets and space craft return to Earth in a fireball, rendering them unusable.

"You can just reload, propel it and fly again," Musk said. "This is extremely important for revolutionizing access to space because as long as we continue to throw away rockets and space crafts, we will never truly have access to space. It'll always be incredibly expensive."

"If an aircraft is thrown away with each flight, nobody will be able to fly or very few (can)," he said. "The same is true with rockets and spacecraft."

The capsule also features a bright, sleek interior with swing-up computer screens at the control station, a two-level seating system to accommodate up to seven astronauts and large windows for them to marvel at Earth's curvature. The cone-shaped cap can open to allow for the manned craft to dock at the Space Station on its own. The spacecraft also has more powerful engines, better heat shields, the landing legs and backup parachutes to ensure a soft landing.

In a NASA briefing with reporters last year, Musk said Dragon V2 would look futuristic like an "alien spaceship" and promised "it's going to be cool."

Since the shuttle fleet retired in 2011, NASA has depended on Russian rockets to transport astronauts to orbit and back, paying nearly $71 million per seat. The space agency has said it wants U.S. companies to fill the void by 2017 and has doled out seed money to spur innovation.

SpaceX — short for Space Exploration Technologies Corp. — has made four cargo runs to the giant orbiting outpost some 200 miles above Earth. Just last month, its Dragon capsule splashed into the Pacific, returning nearly 2 tons of science experiments and old equipment.

Companies competing for the right to ferry station astronauts need to design a spacecraft that can seat a crew of four or more and be equipped with life support systems and an escape hatch in case of emergency. SpaceX has said it's designing a seven-seat spacecraft.

SpaceX and longtime NASA contractor Boeing Co. are "more or less neck and neck" in the competition, but there's a long way to go before astronauts can rocket out of the atmosphere on private spacecraft, said John Logsdon, professor emeritus of political science and international affairs at George Washington University.

Logsdon said progress by private companies is slower than anticipated mainly because Congress has not fully funded NASA's budget request for the effort. He said it's important for the U.S. to wean its reliance on Russia given the political tension over the annexation of Crimea.

"It's essential to have our own capability to transport people to space," he said. "This is an important step in that direction."

SpaceX unveils its new manned shuttle

Michael Winter – USA Today

The first commercial space capsule designed to shuttle astronauts into Earth's orbit was unveiled Thursday night at SpaceX's operations outside Los Angeles.

CEO Elon Musk, the mind behind the Tesla electric automobile, described and showed off the latest version of the SpaceX Dragon, which has robotically delivered cargo to the International Space Station since 2012. The unveiling was streamed live from the company's rocket factory in Hawthorne, Calif.

Musk stood on a stage beside the craft and described its features, showing with computer animation that the craft is capable of using its thruster engines to make a precision soft landing back on Earth after returning from orbit.

"That is how a 21st-century spacecraft should land,'' Musk said. "It allows rapid reusability of the spacecraft.''

He said the new model will feature "superpowered'' versions of the previous model's engines and will be capable of docking with the space station.

Like the space shuttle it is intended to replace, the Dragon V2 can carry a crew of seven. The first manned test flight is expected in two to three years. The capsule will be launched atop the company's Falcon 9 rocket, as will the unmanned version.

The V2 (Version 2) has one major distinction that sets apart from the shuttle and other spacecraft built by NASA: it features thruster engines to steer the craft to safety during a launch emergency. The small rockets could also be used to land the capsule on Earth, the moon, another planet or celestial body.

NASA has provided money to help SpaceX develop the manned Dragon capsule. The space agency said it hopes to have a U.S.-made astronaut taxi ready by 2017.

Two other companies, Sierra Nevada and Boeing, are also developing possible replacements for the space shuttle, which was retired in 2011 after 30 years of service.

In October, SpaceX successfully tested its Grasshopper rocket, which can take off, hover and land. The 10-story rocket rose more than a half mile before returning to the launch pad in Texas.

SpaceX unveils spaceship to fly U.S. astronauts

Irene Klotz – Reuters

Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, on Thursday unveiled an upgraded passenger version of the Dragon cargo ship NASA buys for resupply runs to the International Space Station.

Rather than parachuting down into the ocean, the new capsule is outfitted with beefed up motors and landing legs to make precision touchdowns on land, said SpaceX founder and chief executive Elon Musk, a billionaire technology entrepreneur who also runs the Tesla Motors Inc electric car company.

"You'll be able to land anywhere on Earth with the accuracy of a helicopter ... That is how a 21st century spaceship should land," Musk said before a jam-packed audience at SpaceX's Hawthorne, Calif., headquarters.

More than 32,500 people also watched the Dragon unveiling on a live SpaceX webcast.

Lifting the vehicle's hatch, Musk settled into a reclined gold-and-black pilot's seat and pulled down a sleek, rounded glass control panel. The cabin, designed to fly a crew of seven, looked more like a Star Trek movie set than the flight deck of NASA's now-retired space shuttle.

Dragon, which launches on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, is one of three privately owned space taxis vying for NASA development funds and launch contracts.

The U.S. space agency turned over space station cargo runs and crew ferry flights after retiring its fleet of shuttles in 2011. SpaceX already has a $1.6 billion contract for 12 station resupply missions. Orbital Sciences Corp has a separate, $1.9 billion contract for eight cargo flights.

NASA also has been working with SpaceX, Boeing Co and privately owned Sierra Nevada Corp on a related commercial program to develop spaceships to fly astronauts, with the goal of breaking Russia's monopoly on station crew transports before the end of 2017.

The United States currently pays Russia more than $60 million per person for round-trip flights on the Russian Soyuz capsule. The price climbs to more than $70 million in 2016 and to $76 million in 2017.

Musk hopes to bring down the cost of flying in space by reusing both the Falcon 9 rockets and Dragon spaceships.

"So long as we continue to throw away rockets and spacecraft we will never have true access to space. It'll always be incredibly expensive. If aircraft were thrown away with each flight, nobody would be able to fly ... or very few," Musk said.

NASA is expected to select one or two space taxi designs this summer for final development and test flights.

SpaceX unveils first commercial capsule capable of manned flight

Jordan England-Nelson – Los Angeles Daily Breeze

The long-awaited presentation by Elon Musk, SpaceX's billionaire CEO and founder of Tesla Motors, showcased the 12-year-old company's engineering prowess with the flair of an Apple product release party.

Starry-eyed engineers cheered and flashed their smartphone cameras inside SpaceX's Hawthorne factory as Musk took the stage in a crushed velvet blazer and a boy-band mic strapped to his ear.

After a 10-second countdown, a curtain dropped behind Musk to reveal the gumdrop-shaped Dragon V2, a seven-passenger capsule that could begin shuttling astronauts to the ISS as early as 2017.

"You'll be able to land anywhere on Earth with the accuracy of a helicopter," Musk told the sea of mostly 20-somethings who craned their necks to catch a glimpse of their boss. "That's the way a 21st century spaceship should land!"

The Dragon V2 has several fancy upgrades, including the world's first 3-D-printed rocket engine and super-powered reverse thrusters that allow the V2 to shoot around space and land on Earth like Tony Stark in his Iron Man suit.

The reusable V2 will be able to land and ready to relaunch within hours, Musk said.

"This is extremely important for revolutionizing access to space," Musk said. "So long as we continue to throw away rockets and spacecraft we will never have true access to space. It will always be incredibly expensive."

The long-awaited Dragon V2 is an upgraded version of the Dragon delivery capsule that has been used to ship cargo to the International Space Station. SpaceX already has completed three deliveries to the space station as part of a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to run 12 resupply missions through 2016.

The Dragon is the only resupply ship that can return to Earth. Others simply burn up when they re-enter the atmosphere.

SpaceX's successful round-trip missions to the space station make it the most likely candidate for transporting NASA's astronauts.

The United States lost the ability for manned space travel when NASA retired its space shuttle program in 2011. American astronauts now have to catch rides on Russian rockets.

NASA has been subsidizing private space companies to build small, manned spacecraft that could taxi U.S. astronauts to the ISS without Russia's help. SpaceX has received about a third of the $1.5 billion NASA has spent on commercial development projects.

Boeing and Colorado-based Sierra Nevada Corp. Space Systems also have received funding from NASA's Commercial Crew Program, but those projects are years away from orbital tests, let alone manned flight. NASA's own manned space program, the Space Launch System, has suffered ballooning costs and missed deadlines. Its first unmanned launch tests aren't planned until 2017.

The Obama administration has pushed for greater reliance on the private sector to advance NASA's goals. NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which helped SpaceX develop the Dragon V2, grew out of this idea.

"Let's allow the private sector to get in so that they can, for example, send these low-Earth orbit vehicles into space ... while the government focuses on the big breakthroughs that require much larger investments and involve much greater risk," President Barack Obama said in 2011.

SpaceX is poised to fill the low-Earth orbit role of shuttling astronauts to the ISS, but it is far from building a rocket the size of NASA's Space Launch System, the space shuttle's replacement program.

"It pretty much dwarfs anything on the commercial market," said Cristina Chaplain, director of acquisition and sourcing management at the Government Accountability Office, which monitors the cost of space programs for Congress. "Maybe someday SpaceX will get there, but right now NASA's on that path."

Musk has made no secret of SpaceX's interplanetary aspirations and his own desire to colonize Mars.

Congress passed legislation in 2010 to appropriate funds to support NASA's long-range space program, but cost and missed deadlines have placed the program on the Government Accountability Office's high-risk list.

NASA is expected to test its massive rocket within the next three years. If that milestone is delayed, the program risks losing its funding, some analysts say, because the immediate need of getting astronauts to the ISS will most likely be met by SpaceX before other spacecraft even get off the ground.

The problem is that the Space Launch System program lacks a clear mission, according to Marco Caceres, director of space studies at the Teal Group Corp., a defense industry think tank.

"They've toyed with lassoing an asteroid and hauling it to the moon, or using it as a vehicle to take people back to the moon, but it's not clear why" we're funding SLS, Caceres said.

The political landscape may have changed, however, now that Russia has blocked sales of its Russian RD-180 rockets, which are used to launch U.S. defense satellites. Russia also has announced that it plans to end its operations on the ISS in 2020, effectively disabling the station.

"There's a good chance that SLS will be developed and built, mainly because politically it just looks bad to not be developing your own national launch vehicle and we have to rely on Russia to launch our astronauts," Caceres said.

In the near-term, uncertainty with Russia creates pressure to come up with an American-made vehicle to transport astronauts. This is good for SpaceX since "commercial companies may be our closest ticket to getting people to the space station," Chaplain said.

SpaceX still has several regulatory hurdles it will have to jump before it can start booking seats on its Dragon V2. Any hiccups during the certification process could open SpaceX up to competition from NASA.

"If 2019 comes along and they still haven't sent up an astronaut, then they will be competing against SLS," the Teal Group's Caceres said. "NASA is their biggest customer, but they could become their biggest competitor."

House passes third '15 appropriations bill

Cristina Marcos – The Hill

The House early Friday passed the third 2015 appropriations bill that would fund the Departments of Commerce and Justice, as well as federal science programs.

Passed in a 321-87 vote, the bill would provide $51.2 billion in funding through September 2015, a reduction of nearly $400 million below the current spending level.

The legislation was considered under an open rule, which allowed members to offer an unlimited number of amendments. In total, the House considered more than 80 amendments over the course of two days.

Those amendments included increasing funding for the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) by $19.5 million in response to the mass shooting last week in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Immigration entered the fray during debate of the wide-ranging measure. Late Wednesday, the House gave voice vote approval to an amendment from Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) that would boost funding for the Justice Department's Executive Office of Immigration Review, which handles immigration court proceedings.

Earlier Thursday, the House adopted 218-193 an amendment offered by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) that would provide $5 million for the Justice Department to investigate the Obama administration's release of undocumented immigrants facing deportation who are also criminals. King said the current policy amounted to "de facto amnesty."

Consideration of the measure further included heated debates over drug policy. Shortly before final passage, the House adopted 219-189 an amendment from Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) that would prohibit the Justice Department from allowing states to implement their own medical marijuana laws. And earlier Thursday evening, the House rejected an amendment from Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.), whose state has legalized marijuana, that would cut funding to the Drug Enforcement Administration by $35 million. About $2 billion is allocated for the DEA in the legislation.

The controversy over the Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals' mishandling of wait times for medical care also made its way into the Commerce-Justice-Science bill. At nearly midnight Wednesday, the House gave voice vote approval to an amendment offered by Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) that would provide the Justice Department $1 million to conduct a criminal investigation into the VA.

The legislation includes provisions that prohibit the use of funds for transferring detainees at the Guantanamo Bay facility to the U.S. Rep. Jim Moran's (D-Va.) amendment to strike that part of the bill was rebuffed 169-230.

The legislation would also provide $17.9 billion for NASA, which is $250 million above the current spending level. Additionally, it includes $7.4 billion for the National Science Foundation, which is $232 million more than the 2014 level.

Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.), the retiring chairman of the House Appropriations Commerce-Justice-Science subcommittee, warned that the increased science funding should only be used for "scientifically meritorious" research grants.

"With increased funding comes increased responsibility," Wolf said. "No funny grants is what I'm trying to say."

The House passed the 2015 Military Construction-Veterans Affairs and legislative branch appropriations bills - considered the least controversial of the 12 annual appropriations measures - earlier this month. Passing all 12 of them before the end of September - the end of the current fiscal year - will be tough, especially in an election year.

But House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) nonetheless said his panel would try to pass as many of the individual appropriations bills as possible.

"We're moving at a very fast clip on the committee that should allow us to complete our appropriations work for the 2015 fiscal year on time. And I promise my committee will do everything it can to make that a reality," Rogers said.

The Senate, meanwhile, has yet to pass any 2015 appropriations bills.

Astronauts and Space Scientists Invade NYC for 2014 World Science Festival

Miriam Kramer – Space.com

NASA astronauts are taking over New York City this week for the World Science Festival.

Space agency scientists and engineers are giving presentations around New York from now until Sunday (June 1) on a variety of topics. Some astronauts will discuss their work and what it's like to fly in space, while others will help New Yorkers look up at the stars from the Brooklyn waterfront.

If you don't happen to be in the city this week, the World Science Festival will also have some events streaming live online that anyone can watch for free. For a full list of streaming events, including links to the webcasts themselves, head over to Space.com's sister site Live Science, to watch the World Science Festival broadcasts.

Here is Space.com's guide to NASA-centric and other space-y events at the World Science Festival this week. (Check the WSF website for more details and location information for each of the events):

See a Comet in Brooklyn - Thursday (May 29) to Sunday (June 1)
From WSF: "This summer, a spacecraft named "Rosetta" will rendezvous with the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko, having traveled 3.7 billion miles. "Rosetta," launched in 2004, will attempt a first-ever landing on the comet in November. Join the World Science Festival in Brooklyn Bridge Park to see a dynamic installation of a scale replica of the comet." NASA scientists and educators from the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will be on hand to discuss the comet and mission.

Pioneers in Science: Martin Rees – Thursday (May 29) from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. EDT
From WSF: "Great minds inspire greatness in others, which is why the Pioneers in Science program gives high school students from around the globe rare access to some of the world's most renowned scientists. This year, students will engage with British astrophysicist, Lord Martin Rees. Now the prestigious Astronomer Royal, Rees has worked on everything from black holes and quasars to quantum physics and the Big Bang. During this intimate gathering, he'll share his personal stories, life challenges, and career highlights, all toward inspiring the next generation of scientists and explorers."

All Hands On Deck: Science, Space And Astronomy Night At The Intrepid Museum – Thursday (May 29) from 7:30 p.m. EDT to 11:00 p.m. EDT
From WSF: "Join the World Science Festival and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum for a first of its kind evening that includes a special screening of "Gravity," under the space shuttle Enterprise, conversations with astronauts, stargazing, a search for exoplanets, after-hours access to the Exploreum Interactive Hall, and more." NASA astronauts John Grunsfeld and Sandra Magnus will take part in the event. Richard Garriott, a space tourist that flew to the International Space Station for about two weeks, will also be in attendance. Former NASA engineer Mark Weislogel, astrophysicist Mario Livio, planetarium professional Ted Williams, NASA engineer Bobak Ferdowsi and astrobiologist Paul Davies round out the list.

Galactic Classroom: Science Aboard the International Space Station – Friday (May 30) from 9:30 a.m. EDT to 10:30 a.m. EDT
From WSF: "In space, water becomes a spherical ball, hovering in the air. Plants grow sideways. Humans lose muscle mass. Without earth's gravity things behave…well, differently. Such is life—and science—aboard the International Space Station, where the extremes of microgravity make possible a whole new class of cutting-edge experiments ranging from fluid dynamics (try drinking a cup of coffee that won't stay in the cup) to vaccines, and research about the origin of the life to predicting natural disasters. ISS scientists join middle school students from across the country in a virtual classroom that brings research at 240 miles above earth's surface right down to earth." NASA astronaut Sandra Magnus, NASA engineer Mark Weislogel and NASA scientist Tara Ruttley will participate in the event.

Pioneers in Science: JohnGrunsfeld – Friday (May 30) from 11:30 a.m. EDT to 12:30 p.m. EDT
From WSF: "Great minds inspire greatness in others, which is why the Pioneers in Science program gives high school students from around the globe rare access to some of the world's most renowned scientists. This year, students will engage with NASA astronaut John Grunsfeld, veteran of five space shuttle flights and multiple spacewalks. Grunsfeld helped repair the Hubble Space Telescope and until recently managed the science program for the James Webb Space Telescope. During this intimate gathering, he'll share his personal stories, life challenges, and career highlights, all toward inspiring the next generation of scientists and explorers."

Ripples from the Big Bang: Listening to the Beginning of Time – Friday (May 30) from 8 p.m. EDT to 9:30 p.m. EDT
From WSF: "In March, a major breakthrough in understanding the origin of universe took the scientific community–and the general public–by storm. A team lead by astronomer John Kovac, using a powerful telescope at the South Pole, reported evidence of ripples in the fabric of space time produced by the big bang, a long-sought prediction of our most refined approach to cosmology, the inflationary theory. Amidst the worldwide celebration, though, some have been quietly suggesting that the champagne has been uncorked prematurely. Join a singular conversation, among the world's most respected pioneers in cosmological theory and observation, that will explore the state of the art in the ongoing quest to understand the beginning of the universe." Scientists Andrei Linde, Alan Guth, Amber Miller, John Kovac and Paul Steinhardt will participate in the panel moderated by Brian Greene.

The Search for Life: The 20 Year Horizon – Saturday (May 31) from 4 p.m. EDT to 5:30 p.m. EDT
From WSF: "An interdisciplinary study has grown out of the search for the origins of life, and collaborative plans for the next twenty years of this hunt are underway. Our panel will discuss the potential of three high-tech pieces of equipment: Starshade, a flower-shaped shield to block excess light and reveal distant Earth size planets; TESS, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite that will measure the brightness of roughly 500,000 stars; and the famed James Webb Space Telescope, infrared successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. The technology will advance the research in many areas of the research. In labs, what do chemists hope to cook up in the next twenty years? Thinking about the future has biologists, astronomers, and physicists alike working collaboratively to be ready for what's on the horizon." Participants include astronomer Dimitar Sasselov, exoplanet hunter Sara Seager and biologist Jack Szostak in a panel moderated by Mario Livio.

Alien Life: Will We Know it When We See it? – Saturday (May 31) from 8 p.m. EDT to 9:30 p.m. EDT
From WSF: Are we alone in the universe? Scientists haven't found aliens yet, but by scanning the sky they've shown that our galaxy harbors billions of planets, many of which likely have conditions similar to those on Earth. Which brings new questions into sharp relief: When searching for life beyond our home planet, how do we know what to look for? What human prejudices might cause us to overlook intelligent life forms very different from what we expect? Learn how scientists across disciplines—astronomers, chemists and microbiologists—are intensely studying the evolution of life on Earth to help identify life abroad, a research agenda with wide-reaching ramifications for science, philosophy, religion, and much more. Jack W. Szostak, Paul Davies, Sara Seager and Dimitar Sasselov will also participate in this panel.

The Night Sky from Brooklyn Bridge Park – Saturday (May 31) from 7 p.m. EDT to 11 p.m. EDT
From WSF: "Get out your telescope (or come borrow one of ours) for a night of urban stargazing and live music as we celebrate the dance of the planets. Learn even more about the universe at our Star Chat, where some of the world's best astronomers, physicists, and scientists will discuss hunting for life, landing crafts on Mars, and discovering planets trillions and trillions of miles away. Gear up for the Rosetta Mission that is slated to land on a comet later this year by visiting our model comet with interactive programming. Finally, get a taste of what it's like to be an exoplanet hunter with NASA's interactive game, The Hidden Light, and enjoy finding your favorite constellations without ever leaving the city." NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins, NASA engineer Bobak Ferdowsi, NASA scientist Steve Howell, Mario Livio and Christina Pease will take part in the event.

For more details about the 2014 World Science Festival, visit: http://www.worldsciencefestival.com/

NASA: Humans on Mars by 2035 is 'primary focus'

Carol Christian – Houston Chronicle

For a couple years, NASA has been talking about sending people to Mars by 2035.

That goal is still on the books, despite recent upheaval in the space program, according to two of the agency's top scientists.

"In the near term, Mars remains our primary focus," Ellen Stofan, NASA's chief scientist said May 15 in a talk at the Royal Institution in London. Her visit and that of Jim Adams, the agency's deputy chief technologist, can be viewed in this YouTube video.

"This is not something any one nation can do on their own," Stofan said. "It's something that humanity is going to do together."

A trip to Mars and back, with time spent exploring the planet, will take about three years, she said.

After making that huge initial effort, humans are likely to stay on the red planet, Stofan said.

"I don't think that first group will necessarily stay there, but we need to think of this as establishing an outpost," she said. "We want it to be possible for those people to come back if they want to, but it's the beginning of sustained human presence on Mars."

Stofan said the drive behind this huge undertaking is the fundamental question: "Are we alone?"

NASA also plans to continue studying the moon and asteroids, she said.

"The moon remains an extremely important target," she said. "People often call it a 'witness plate.' "

For example, Earth had craters similar to those on the moon and Mars, but erosion has wiped away the evidence," she said. "The moon has preserved our history," Stofan said.

Asteroids also are another important target, Adams said.

"We first thought, 'We'll send an astronaut to an asteroid,' " he said. "Then we realized how hard that is. Just to catch up to one requires so much rocket propulsion, it's almost impossible."

So the agency's scientists decided to "redirect" an asteroid into an orbit of the moon and are searching for an asteroid that's an appropriate candidate.

"Once we find the right one, we'll use all the technology we've got," he said. "We'll snag it, we'll bag it and we'll drag it into orbit around the moon. Then we can send humans to a target that enables us to practice deep space operations."

NASA is looking for an asteroid that's about 10 meters (33 feet) in diameter. One idea is to enclose the asteroid in a gigantic, 20-meter bag and push it into orbit around the moon, Adams said.

Astronauts would be sent to the asteroid to unwrap it and live there for months to explore the surface, he said.

"The point isn't the asteroid," he said. "It's the living and working together and the technology to be able to do that."

The plan is to accomplish that by 2020, Adams said.

Stofan and Adams didn't bring up the subject, but there are private groups talking about establishing a human colony on Mars by 2025. One such effort is Mars One, based in the Netherlands.

The nonprofit Inspiration Mars Project proposes to send a married couple on a "flyby" mission that would pass close to Mars and would rely heavily on NASA support. The initial target date was 2018, but that has changed to 2021, according to the group's website.

The Battle Against What Spaceflight Does To Your Health

Elizabeth Howell – Universe Today

Why do some astronauts come back from the International Space Station needing glasses? Eye problems are one of the largest problems that have cropped up in the last three to four years of space station science, affecting 20% of astronauts. And the astronaut office is taking this problem very seriously, pointed out Scott Smith, who leads the Nutritional Biochemistry Lab at the Johnson Space Center.

It's one example of how extended stays in flight can alter your health. Despite NASA's best efforts, bones and muscles weaken and months of rehabilitation are needed after astronauts spend a half-year on the space station. But in recent years, there have been strides in understanding what microgravity does to the human body — and how to fix it.

Take the vision problem, for example. Doctors believed that increased fluid shift in the head increases pressure on the optic nerve, a spot in the back of the eye that affects vision. There are a few things that could affect that:

Exercise. Astronauts are told to allot 2.5 hours for exercise on the International Space Station daily, which translates to about 1.5 hours of activity after setup and transitions are accounted for. Weight lifting compresses muscles and could force more blood into their heads. NASA installed an advanced Resistive Exercise Device on the space station that is more powerful than its predecessor, but perhaps this is also causing the vision problem, Smith said. "It's ironic that the exercise device we're excited about for working the muscles and bone, may hurt eyes."
CO2 levels. This gas (which naturally occurs when humans exhale) is "relatively high" on the space station because it takes more power and more supplies to keep the atmosphere cleaner, Smith said. "Increased carbon dioxide exposure will increase blood flow to your head," he said. If this is found to be the cause, he added, NASA is prepared to make changes to reduce CO2 levels on station.
Folate (Vitamin B) problems. Out of the reams of blood and urine data collected since before NASA started looking at this problem, they had been looking at a biochemical (nutrient) pathway in the body that moves carbon units from one compound to another. This is important for synthesizing DNA and making amino acids, and involves several vitamins and nutrients. After scientists started noticing changes in folate (a form of Vitamin B), they probed further and found an interesting thing regarding homocysteine, a type of amino acid at the heart of this one carbon pathway. It turns out those astronauts with vision issues after flight had higher (but not abnormal) levels of homocysteine in their blood before flight, as published here.

"It's speculating, but we think that genetic differences in this pathway may somehow alter your response to things that affect blood flow into the head," Smith said.

After finding these essentially "circumstantial" evidence of a genetic predisposition to vision issues, they proposed an experiment to look at genes associated with one carbon metabolism. "To give you an idea of the importance of this problem, we went to every crew member that's flown to space station, or will fly to space station. We asked if they would give us a blood sample and look at their genes for one carbon meytabolism," he said. "We approached 72 astronauts to do that, and 70 of them gave us blood, which is unheard of."

While NASA tries to nail down what is going on with astronaut vision, the agency has made substantial progress in preserving bone density during flights — for the first time in 50 years of spaceflight, Smith added.

We mentioned the advanced Resistive Exercise Device, an orbital weight-lifting device which was installed and first used during Expedition 18 in 2008 and has been in use on the space station ever since. It's a large improvement over the previous interim Resistive Exercise Device (iRED), which didn't provide enough resistance, allowing some astronauts to "max out" on the device and could not further increase weightlifting loads after some weeks or months of use.

"We flew the iRED on station and the bone loss on station looked just like it did on Mir, that is, with no resistive exercise device available," Smith said. But that changed drastically with ARED, which has twice as much loading capability. Crews ate better, maintained body weight and had better levels of Vitamin D compared to those that went before. Most strikingly, they maintained their bone density at preflight levels, as this paper shows.

While we think of bone as being cement-like and unchanging (at least until you break one!), it's actually an organ that is always breaking down and reforming. When the breakdown accelerates, such as when you are not putting weight on it in orbit, you lose bone density and are at higher risk for fractures.

Why is unknown, except to say that the bone seems to rely on some sort of "signalling" that indicates loads or weights are being put on it. Conversely, if you are to put more weight on your bones — maybe carrying a backpack with weights on it — your skeleton would gradually get bigger to accommodate the extra weight.

While it's exciting that the ARED is maintaining bone density, the question is whether the body can sustain two processes happening at a faster rate than before flight: the breakdown and buildup of bone. More study will be needed, Smith said, to pinpoint whether this affects the strength of the bone, which is ultimately more important than just mineral density. Nutrition and exercise may also be optimized, to further allow for better bone preservation.

That's one of the things scientists are excited to study with the upcoming one-year mission to the International Space Station, when Scott Kelly (NASA) and Mikhail Kornienko (Roscosmos) will be one of a small number of people to do one consecutive calendar year in space. The bone "remodelling" doesn't level off after six months, but perhaps it will closer to a year.

Smith pointed out the quality of health data has also improved since the long-duration Mir missions of the early to mid 1990s. Specific markers of bone breakdown and formation were just being discovered and implemented during that time, whereas today they're commonly used in medicine. Between that, and the fact that NASA's Mir data are from shorter-duration missions, Smith said he's really looking forward to seeing what the year in space will tell scientists.

This concludes a three-part series on astronaut health. Two days ago: Why human science is so hard to do in space. Yesterday: How do we make exercises work in Zero G?

NASA Testing Odd-Looking 'Earth Shoe' on Space Station

Irene Klotz - Discovery News

It's doubtful you'll be seeing these during the Paris Fashion Week Men's show next month — unless you're channel surfing and catch a glimpse of astronauts exercising aboard the International Space Station.

Which they do a lot, it turns out; two hours a day, every day in an attempt to stave off muscle wasting, bone loss and other not-so-wondrous side effects of living in zero-gravity.

These space-age Earth Shoes are an attempt to get more information about exactly what is happening to the astronauts' bodies during their workouts on a resistive exercise device specially designed to operate in weightlessness.

The Advanced Resistive Exercise Device, or ARED, has proven its usefulness, with astronauts returning after long-duration spaceflights in better condition than previous crewmembers who didn't have the equipment available.

"There is still progress to be made in understanding the effects of exercise on bone and muscle health," Andrea Hanson, an aerospace engineer with NASA contractor Wyle Science, Technology & Engineering, said in a NASA interview.

Enter the ForceShoe, an extreme platform sandal designed not for looks but to assess the loads put on astronauts' bodies during ARED exercises. The shoes are outfitted with sensors to measure forces in three different directions – up-and-down, side-to-side, and front-to back. It also can detect the twisting force, or torque, under the foot during ARED exercise.

"We are eager to understand how joint forces may be different between exercise performed on the ground and in space," Hanson said in the NASA interview.

Researchers hope the information will lead to better and more effective exercise regimes.

A pair of ForceShoes, developed by a company known as Xsens, was flown to the space station Wednesday night aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule that carried three new crewmembers to the orbital outpost.

An engineering assessment of the shoes is expected to begin soon.

Hanson and NASA's Human Research Engagement and Communications Office have not yet replied to a Discovery News query about how much the space shoes cost.

END

Keep the shuttle flying

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Friday, May 30, 2014

Dragon V2 Spacecraft Unveiled At SpaceX – Ability To Ferry Astronauts on Multiple Return Flights « Golden Age of Gaia

Fwd: I Found It!

Economists: The U.S. Economy Shrank In Q1, But Better Days Are Just Around The Corner

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Fwd: JSC Special: Pioneering Space: The Next Steps on the Path to Mars – June 5

Fwd: NASA and Human Spaceflight News - Friday – May 30, 2014 and JSC Today