Sent from my iPad
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Date: May 1, 2014 1:10:40 PM CDT
To: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Subject: FW: NASA and Human Spaceflight News - Thursday – May 1, 2014
And now for their version.Great seeing those who were able to join us at lunch today for great fellowship and revisit fond memories of years past at JSC and our other NASA sites.It was such a beautiful day ----ashame we could not eat our meal together outdoors on a patio!NASA and Human Spaceflight NewsThursday – May 1, 2014HEADLINES AND LEADS'Trampolines' to space? Where Ukraine crisis leaves a Russia-dependent US.A House panel's move to find a replacement for a Russian rocket motor highlights US second thoughts over its heavy dependence on Russia for flight hardware – a bit late in the game, analysts suggest.Pete Spotts – The Christian Science MonitorUS-led sanctions against top Russian officials over Moscow's annexation of Crimea and its efforts to undermine the government of Ukraine have been heightening concerns over American dependence on the Russian space program.Lawmakers seek end to U.S. reliance on Russian rocket engineDavid Alexander – ReutersLawmakers called for a program to develop a next-generation liquid-fuel rocket engine within five years, proposing legislation aimed at reducing U.S. dependence on Russian engines to launch military and spy satellites.Elon Musk's SpaceX granted injunction in rocket launch suit against governmentChristian Davenport – The Washington PostU.S. Court of Federal Claims judge issued an injunction late Wednesday prohibiting a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing from proceeding with plans to buy Russian-made rocket engines.Dobbs: Is space the final frontier in U.S.-Russia relations?Greg Dobbs – The Denver Post (Opinion)Now it's getting serious!Because of the Ukraine crisis, the last visible vestige of cooperation between the United States and Russia is in play: space.As Obama tightens sanctions, Russia notes its control of U.S. space accessAndrew Malcolm - Investors Business DailyPresident Obama is rather proud of using words and economic sanctions as his major diplomatic weapon to convince recalcitrant countries to abide by international law.Panel approves $785M for NASA shuttle replacement programLedyard King – USA TodayCongress may be warming up to NASA's plan to fly astronauts to the International Space Station on private rockets, but the agency still may not meet its 2017 launch target.Asteroid-Capture Mission Will Pave Way for Manned Flight to Mars, NASA SaysMiriam Kramer – Space.comNASA's ambitious plan to snag an asteroid and put it into orbit for astronauts to explore should help put people on Mars, space agency officials said Tuesday (April 29).The People Have Voted, and NASA's New Spacesuit Design Is HotBelinda Lanks – Bloomberg BusinessWeekJust because NASA has stopped flying manned space missions doesn't mean it wants to stop developing the suit that will be used to walk on the moon. Last month, NASA asked the public to vote on three versions of its next-generation spacesuit design, the Z-2, and now it has a winner: "technology," a gray uniform with glowing patches of turquoise on its upper and lower torso.NASA Unveils Futuristic Z-2 Spacesuit: Mars-Tough Duds that GlowMike Wall – Space.comNASA's next-generation spacesuit is really coming together, with a little help from the public.Space station exhibit lands at Indiana State MuseumShari Rudavsky – Indianapolis StarYou won't be able to see the International Space Station in the sky for another few weeks — and even then it will pass overheard during daylight — but you can learn a lot more about it at an exhibit at the Indiana State Museum.Orbital Sciences Takes Off in Space — and on Capitol HillJonathan Salant – Bloomberg NewsOrbital Sciences Corp., which announced yesterday that it would merge with Alliant Techsystems Inc., has been flying high due to the success of its Antares rocket, which carries the Cygnus supply capsule to the International Space Station.Morpheus lander completes test flight at KSCJames Dean – Florida TodayNASA's prototype Morpheus lander completed another test flight at Kennedy Space Center around 2 p.m. today.The Big Move: 747 shuttle carrier reaches Space Center HoustonThe Associated PressA modified jumbo jet that transported shuttles piggyback to Florida following flights has arrived at its new home in Houston after an 8-mile highway trek.SpaceX launch from Cape set for May 10James Dean – Florida TodayBetween 9:39 a.m. and 10:33 a.m. EDT, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will attempt to launch the first batch of a new constellation of small commercial satellites for New Jersey-based Orbcomm Inc.
COMPLETE STORIES'Trampolines' to space? Where Ukraine crisis leaves a Russia-dependent US.A House panel's move to find a replacement for a Russian rocket motor highlights US second thoughts over its heavy dependence on Russia for flight hardware – a bit late in the game, analysts suggest.Pete Spotts – The Christian Science MonitorUS-led sanctions against top Russian officials over Moscow's annexation of Crimea and its efforts to undermine the government of Ukraine have been heightening concerns over American dependence on the Russian space program.The critical Russian hardware ranges from the space taxis that deliver crews to the International Space Station to powerful engines used in rockets that launch sensitive national-security satellites.The latest discomforting reminder came Tuesday, when Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dimitry Rogozin, who oversees Russia's defense and space industries, took to Twitter to offer a thinly veiled threat: "After analyzing the sanctions against our space industry, I suggest to the USA to bring their astronauts to the International Space Station using a trampoline."By Wednesday morning, in response, a US House Armed Services subcommittee had added money to the Pentagon's fiscal 2015 budget to develop a home-grown replacement for a Russian liquid-fuel motor that is used extensively for launching heavy military and civilian payloads.The quick move highlights second thoughts the US is having about such a heavy dependence on Russia for flight hardware – if a bit late in the game, space-policy analysts suggest.Twenty years ago, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it made sense to many space-policy and national-security specialists to embrace former Soviet technology.The tighter integration of Russian technology into Western spaceflight plans was seen as a way to keep Russia's rocket scientists from seeking work in North Korea or Iran while supplying the US with cheap, reliable components for some of its rockets, explains James Lewis, director of the strategic technology program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington."What you could be critical of is that we didn't have the foresight to realize that things were going to change," he says.While crew transportation to and from the International Space Station (ISS) is the highest-profile example of the current US dependence on Russia for access to space, it's not the only activity that is potentially vulnerable to tit-for-tat sanctions involving space hardware, should they arise.The US also relies on Russian rocket motors for one of two large rockets used to loft hefty military and civilian payloads. And one of two companies currently ferrying cargo to the space station relies heavily on components built in Ukraine for the first stage of the rocket it uses for the resupply missions.Despite Mr. Rogozin's tweet, it remains unclear whether Russia would withhold space hardware bound for the US or for launching suppies to space-station crew members, says Dr. Lewis. Russia has been sending signals at various levels that it is discussing the possibility. But it doesn't count unless Russian President Vladimir Putin says it, he says.Among the factors that weigh against such a move: Russia relies on US business for hard currency. Moreover, Russia's involvement in the space station is just as important to Russia as it is to the US, if for no other reason than it is one source of international respect for Russia, respect Mr. Putin reportedly is so desperate to build for his country.Indeed, space-station activities are exempt from a more general ban on NASA contacts with Russia that the US government recently imposed."It is very important to both governments to keep the space station operating," says Marcia Smith, a former aerospace and telecommunications analyst for the Congressional Research Service and now president of Space and Technology Policy Group, a consulting firm based in Arlington, Va."It would be extremely difficult for either one of us to do it without the other," she says. But she also cautions that events transpiring on Earth could overshadow interdependence in space."It is certainly possible that either government could decide that because of whatever is happening down here on Earth, that cooperation could not continue," she says. "But I do think that they are going to try to keep that going, despite the tensions down here."And if they don't? In the short term, the US civilian and military payloads lined up for launches are likely to leave Earth as scheduled.United Launch Alliance (ULA), which recently inked a five-year deal with the Pentagon for 35 rocket cores, uses a Russian-made liquid-fuel motor for the boost stage of its Atlas V rocket, which along with the Delta IV has been a workhorse for launching large military, civilian, and NASA payloads into space. It was an Atlas V, for instance, that sent the Mars rover Curiosity on its way to the red planet.ULA has a two- to-three-year supply of the motors on hand "to minimize potential supply disruptions," according to ULA spokeswoman Jessica Rye, who adds that the alliance – a partnership between Boeing Corp. and Lockheed Martin Corp. – has developed the capability to produce the motors in the US. In addition, if the Atlas Vs become unavailable, the Delta IVs could pick up the slack. All of the Delta's motors are home grown.The Pentagon, which is studying options for home-grown motors for the Atlas V and future rockets, has estimated that it would take five years and $1 billion to develop a suitable liquid-fuel motor from scratch.Orbital Sciences Corp., which along with Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) is providing cargo services to the space station, uses a pair of Russian-designed rocket motors in its Antares rocket. These have been refurbished in the US, and Orbital officials have said that the company has enough motors on hand to complete its cargo obligation to NASA through 2017 and to spare.However, the first stage of the Antares is largely built in Ukraine. Orbital has "about three of those" on hand, according to Ms. Smith, the Space and Technology Policy Group president. Attempts to reach Orbital Sciences by phone and e-mail to confirm its inventory were unsuccessful, but the company reportedly is looking for Russian suppliers to meet its need in anticipation of bidding on ISS cargo launches beyond 2017.Meanwhile, SpaceX, with its fully home-grown rockets and rocket motors, is suing the Pentagon for closing it out of any competition for the national-security launches currently slated for ULA through the block purchase of rocket cores. Elon Musk, the company's CEO and chief designer, says the company's Falcon 9 has proven itself and in essence is ready for business.And later this month, SpaceX is set to unveil a full, flight-hardware version of its Dragon Mark 2, capsule designed to carry humans to and from the space station.SpaceX is one of three companies receiving NASA funds to develop crew-transport systems. But, Smith adds, the other two companies – Boeing and Sierra Nevada Corp. – rely on the Atlas V. If the Atlas is sidelined for a prolonged period for lack of motors, that could leave SpaceX as NASA's only carrier.Not one to take Rogozin's trampoline tweet lying down, Mr. Musk responded, "Sounds like this might be a good time to unveil the new Dragon Mk 2 spaceship that @SpaceX has been working on w @NASA. No trampoline needed."Lawmakers seek end to U.S. reliance on Russian rocket engineDavid Alexander – ReutersLawmakers called for a program to develop a next-generation liquid-fuel rocket engine within five years, proposing legislation aimed at reducing U.S. dependence on Russian engines to launch military and spy satellites.The measure, proposed on Wednesday amid U.S. concerns over Russia's actions in Ukraine, authorizes Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to spend $220 million to begin developing a liquid rocket engine that would be made available to all U.S. space launch providers.The legislative proposal, which would be included in the House of Representatives' 2014 annual defense policy bill, directs Hagel to develop a rocket engine that "enables the effective, efficient and expedient transition from the use of non-allied space launch engines to a domestic alternative."The draft proposal for the National Defense Authorization Act calls for a "full and open competition" to develop an engine made in the United States that meets the needs of the national security community and is available no later than 2019.United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing, currently uses the RD 180 rocket engine made by Russia's NPO Energomash to launch Atlas V rockets carrying U.S. military and spy satellites.Air Force officials have assured lawmakers their long-standing relationship with the Russian firm has not been affected by the current crisis in Ukraine, in which Moscow's forces seized control of the Crimean peninsula.Air Force Undersecretary Eric Fanning told lawmakers last month the United States has enough rocket engines to support launches well into 2016.U.S. reliance on Russian engines has been a long-time concern for lawmakers, but those worries have been heightened by Russian actions Washington believes are destabilizing Ukraine.Senators also raised concerns about U.S. dependence on Russian rocket engines at a hearing Wednesday and said they would press for work on an alternate engine.Chief Pentagon arms buyer Frank Kendall told the Senate Armed Services Committee the United States has a license to build the Russian engines itself and could do that if necessary. But he said it would require some technical work first and that the license only goes through about 2022."I've never been entirely comfortable with that dependency," Kendall said. "And we have looked at it in the budget process options a couple of times to try to do something about that, but it just hasn't been affordable and we've accepted the risk.""That risk seems to be becoming much more real," he added.Air Force Chief of Staff Mark Welsh has said it would cost about $1 billion and take about five years for Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp, to start co-producing the Russian rocket engine.Some sources familiar with the issue said the cost would be closer to $700 million and take three to four years.Lawmakers also have been concerned about the lack of competition among firms that carry out launches.The Air Force awarded a multibillion-dollar, non-compete contract for 36 launches to United Launch Alliance earlier this year, prompting privately held Space Exploration Technologies, known as SpaceX, to file a lawsuit on April 25.Elon Musk, the company's chief executive, said the contract blocks companies like SpaceX, whose costs he said are far lower than those of ULA, from competing for national security launches.SpaceX says its rockets are American made.Senator John McCain, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told the panel U.S. dependence on Russian President Vladimir Putin for rocket motors was a reason "we should be looking desperately for competition" in space launches.Elon Musk's SpaceX granted injunction in rocket launch suit against governmentChristian Davenport – The Washington PostU.S. Court of Federal Claims judge issued an injunction late Wednesday prohibiting a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing from proceeding with plans to buy Russian-made rocket engines.Judge Susan G. Braden's ruling came after SpaceX, a California-based rocket company, sued the federal government Monday, protesting the Air Force's award of a lucrative space contract, saying it should have been competitively bid.In the suit, SpaceX criticizes United Launch Alliance (ULA) for using Russian engines in some of its rockets, which SpaceX founder Elon Musk said might be a violation of U.S. sanctions and was unseemly at a time when Russia "is the process of invading Ukraine."Musk alleged that the deal would benefit Dmitry Rogozin, the deputy prime minister who heads the Russian defense industry and is named by the U.S. government in the sanctions.In reaction to the sanctions, Rogozin tweeted: "After analyzing the sanctions against our space industry, I suggest the U.S. delivers its astronauts to the ISS [International Space Station] with a trampoline."Braden's ruling prohibits ULA from making payments to the Russian engine manufacturer.The contract, for 36 rockets to launch defense payloads, such as satellites, was awarded to ULA — a 50-50 venture of Boeing and Bethesda-based Lockheed — on a sole-source basis in December. By 2030, the Pentagon expects to spend almost $70 billion on the program.At a news conference last week announcing the suit, Musk, the entrepreneur who co-founded PayPal and Tesla Motors, said SpaceX could provide rockets at considerably lower cost than ULA. Since then, he has gained the support of some members of Congress, including Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who have called for increased competition in the awarding of large multiyear contracts."This is not SpaceX protesting and saying these launches should be awarded to us," Musk said at the news conference. "We're just saying these launches should be competed. If we compete and lose, that's fine. But why would they not even compete it? That doesn't make sense."In a statement issued this week, ULA said it is "the only government certified launch provider that meets all of the unique . . . requirements that are critical to supporting our troops and keeping our country safe."A rigorous acquisitions process "saved the government and taxpayers approximately $4 billion while keeping our nation's assured access to deliver critical national security assets safely to space," the company said.Dobbs: Is space the final frontier in U.S.-Russia relations?Greg Dobbs – The Denver Post (Opinion)Now it's getting serious!Because of the Ukraine crisis, the last visible vestige of cooperation between the United States and Russia is in play: space.Until now, we've held the Ukraine upheaval at arm's length, partly because everything Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted there is more important to him than it is to us. Sure, he's a bully and we've protested and rightly so, and we're turning up whatever heat we can. But our own nation's well-being? No different than when the Crimea crisis crystalized two months ago.Until this week. That's when, after we tightened sanctions against Russia and its high-tech industries, a deputy prime minister in Moscow indignantly declared in response, "If they want to make an economic blow to the Russian rocket building industry, then they should consider using a trampoline to deliver their astronauts to the International Space Station."That might sound funny if it weren't so serious. Because in the case of space, we need them more than they need us.At $60 million per seat, Russia loves what we pay to put our people in their Soyuz capsules for a ride to the space station. However, despite it being an important piece of their space program's budget, they can survive without it.Several years ago, during a joint training exercise at the Yuri Gagarin Spaceflight Center outside Moscow, American astronaut Al Drew told me, "If things go sour between the U.S. and Russia, I can guess our (manned) space program can be one of the first casualties."In other words, it will die. Which raises the uncomfortable question, what about our astronauts who are up in space right now?Our astronauts and their counterpart cosmonauts have always gotten along. They don't just work and eat and laugh and live with one another; they depend on each other, because they face life and death together. But the crisis in Ukraine might be bigger than those personal bonds in space.In a rational world, where this extraterrestrial teamwork is a win for both countries, space would never be introduced as a weapon in the clash between us. But sometimes, geopolitics isn't rational. We signed on to fly with the Russians because once the space shuttle program was shut down, they were the only game in town. We hoped we could count on them because we had to.Michael Griffin, NASA's boss at the time, told me in Washington, "Embarking upon a planned period of dependence upon Russia ... obviously is at some risk." He called the arrangement "unseemly." And yet, he assured me that there had never been so much as a hiccup between the Russian Federal Space Agency and NASA.Then I interviewed Russia's director of manned space flight, and he told me the same, adding: "I believe in the future that the politics will not interfere." But perhaps prophetically, he went on, "However, space will be very close to politics any time." When I asked him what he meant by that, he said, "It's very subject to politics. Because space will be a policy instrument."Sitting there in the Moscow headquarters of the Russian space agency, then spending a couple of days watching Americans training with Russians at the Gagarin Center, it was a little hard to believe that not so long before, we had faced off in the Cold War. But it's not hard anymore.What people at NASA always said under their breath about the Russian partnership was, "Their spacecraft is reliable, but are they?" Now we have our answer. If they choose to hold us hostage, it is no.Greg Dobbs of Evergreen was a correspondent for ABC News for 23 years, then for HDNet television's "World Report."As Obama tightens sanctions, Russia notes its control of U.S. space accessAndrew Malcolm -Investors Business DailyPresident Obama is rather proud of using words and economic sanctions as his major diplomatic weapon to convince recalcitrant countries to abide by international law.He admits they're not "sexy." Also, they haven't worked anywhere -- not on Iran, for instance. Not on Syria.But Monday the Democrat announced another round of sanctions anyway on Russian leaders and industrial sectors to convince President Putin to live up to his agreement to help settle down Russian insurgents in eastern Ukraine.Secy. of State John Kerry says the militants are directed from Moscow with the goal of disrupting Ukraine's May 25 national elections.Russia, the U.S. and European countries signed a previous accord in 1993 guaranteeing Ukrainian territorial integrity as an incentive for Ukraine to give up its nuclear stockpiles. Ukraine complied. And we saw last month in Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea how much stock the ex-KGB colonel puts in written agreements.Obama has indicated he, along with less-enthusiastic European allies, will ratchet up sanctions until Russia complies. But don't hold your breath.More than 100,000 Russian troops remain massed on Ukraine's border, Insurgents continue violently seizing government buildings in eastern Ukraine. Reports from Moscow give little indication of adverse sanction effects. Travel agents are already packing spring-break tourist flights to the Black Sea coast of Russia's newly-conquered territory in Crimea.In the event of escalating sanctions, Russian diplomats promise a "tit for tat" exchange of punishments. Which might seem comical given Russia's relatively small economic power.Except for one major thing.Because Obama allowed the U.S. space shuttle program to die in 2011, scores of missions short of the crafts' designed lifespans, the only way for American astronauts to reach space and return now is in Soyuz spacecraft atop Russian rockets. This relinquished America's hard-won space superiority. The U.S. has also withdrawn from future joint Mars missions, its spot taken by Russia.A round-trip ticket to the International Space Station to and from Kazakhstan costs U.S. taxpayers more than $60 million per seat.For decades, the two Cold War enemies competed in space. Russia launched the first successful earth satellite and the first man into space. The U.S. was first -- and last -- on the Moon. China recently landed a craft there as preparation for future manned flights. It's building its own space station and global GPS satellite system.When the Cold War ended, Russian and American competitors turned to cooperation in manned exploration, building the space station. It's been manned and womaned continuously now for more than a decade by rotating crews from the U.S., Russia, Europe and Japan. Russians and Americans take turns as ISS commander.Dmitry Rogozin is Putin's Deputy Prime Minister overseeing defense and space programs. He's also among Putin confidantes targeted with asset freezes and travel bans.He warned vaguely, but ominously, Tuesday that the latest sanctions on Russia's science industry had the potential for also hurting Americans in space dependent on Russian technology and logistics for survival. "We warned them," he said, "we will reply to statements with statements, to actions with actions."Then, a defiant Rogozin added mockingly: "After analyzing the sanctions against our space industry, I suggest the U.S. deliver its astronauts to the ISS with a trampoline."Panel approves $785M for NASA shuttle replacement programLedyard King – USA TodayCongress may be warming up to NASA's plan to fly astronauts to the International Space Station on private rockets, but the agency still may not meet its 2017 launch target.A key House Appropriations subcommittee voted unanimously Wednesday to approve a spending plan that would provide $785 million for the Commercial Crew Program in fiscal 2015.That's $89 million more than the program will receive this fiscal year, and it's the most the Republican-led panel has ever endorsed. But it still falls short of the $848 million the Obama administration is requesting.The money is included in a broad spending bill that also funds Justice and Commerce department programs. The bill now heads to the full Appropriations Committee for action.The $17.9 billion the package would give NASA is about $250 million more than the agency received in fiscal 2014. The bill would continue financing the space agency's top priorities, notably a crewed mission to Mars within 20 years and the powerful James Webb Space Telescope set for launch in 2018.It also would provide slightly more money than Obama has requested for science programs, aeronautics and security. Lax security at NASA centers has undermined the agency's sensitive technology network, according to a recent report from an independent group led by former Attorney General Richard Thornburgh."The systems are being compromised," Rep. Frank Wolf, the Virginia Republican who chairs the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, said Wednesday.Congress has been less generous with Commercial Crew since the Obama administration began asking for money to fund the shuttle replacement program, beginning with the fiscal 2011 budget. The last shuttle trip to the space station was Atlantis' flight in July 2011.NASA officials initially hoped Congress would approve enough money to begin using private rockets by 2015 to ferry crew from the U.S. to the space station. That's been pushed back to 2017, and the agency's inspector general warned last year the schedule could be delayed up to another three years if there's not enough money.NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden Jr. has been clear that not funding the full $848 million this time would almost certainly push that first flight to 2018. That would mean buying more seats on Russian rockets for trips to the space station, at a cost of about $70 million for each trip."Budgets are about choices," Bolden told members of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee in March. "The choice here is between fully funding the request to bring space launches back to American soil, or continue to send millions to the Russians. It's that simple."The agency plans to award a contract in August or September to at least one of the companies — Boeing, Sierra Nevada and SpaceX — now competing to fly crews to the orbiting lab. Agency officials hope to receive enough money to award multiple contracts, saying continued competition as systems are developed and tested would result in safer, more affordable rides.The Commercial Spaceflight Federation, an industry trade group, was disappointed with the amount approved by the House subcommittee Wednesday."NASA's Commercial Crew Program offers the most cost-effective, safe source for routine flights to low-Earth orbit from American soil," federation Chairman Stuart Witt said. "Reduced funding for Commercial Crew (compared to Obama's request) will delay the process of returning astronauts to space on American vehicles and prolong our dependence on Russian vehicles."On Thursday, a key Senate Appropriations subcommittee is scheduled to hear from Bolden about the budget request.The Senate traditionally has approved more for the Commercial Crew program than the House, often leading to negotiations that split the difference. As a result, it's likely the program will get more than $785 million when Congress approves a final spending plan for NASA.Contributing: James Dean, Florida TodayAsteroid-Capture Mission Will Pave Way for Manned Flight to Mars, NASA SaysMiriam Kramer – Space.comNASA's ambitious plan to snag an asteroid and put it into orbit for astronauts to explore should help put people on Mars, space agency officials said Tuesday (April 29).Called the Asteroid Redirect Mission, NASA's plan involves capturing a relatively small asteroid using a robotic spacecraft and placing it into orbit around the moon where astronauts can visit the asteroid in 2025. While this may sound like a very specific kind of mission, the technology and skills used to get astronauts safely to and from the asteroid will help NASA get to the Red Planet. On the asteroid mission, scientists and engineers will be able to work out some potential problems that astronauts could encounter on a mission to Mars, expected to take place sometime in the 2030s.Just as the Mercury and Gemini missions helped the Apollo missions reach the moon, the Asteroid Redirect Mission will help NASA pave the way for a trip to Mars, William Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator of the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, said here at NASA headquarters during today's forum on Mars exploration."We need to hone our skills in the proving ground of space, much like we did with the Mercury and Gemini [missions] leading up to Apollo," Gerstenmaier said. "We built skills. We built techniques. We built operational techniques … We're really preparing ourselves for that ultimate goal toward Mars."NASA officials are still working out the specifics of the asteroid redirect mission. They plan to pick one of two possible asteroid capture missions by December, Michele Gates, senior technical advisor of the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, said during the forum.In one proposed mission, a robotic spacecraft would snag a small asteroid and park it next to the moon, where astronauts could visit the asteroid. In the other mission profile, the robotic emissary would grab a boulder off a larger asteroid and bring that back to lunar orbit. Both missions would allow humans to visit the asteroid by around 2025 using the Orion space capsule and Space Launch System rocket, two pieces of equipment that could transport astronauts to Mars eventually."This mission significantly contributes to the extension of human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit [LEO] and into deep space," Gates said. "In fact, we'll go 1,000 times farther than LEO for the first time in 40 years, and for a longer duration in deep space than humans have ever been before."One of the major feats that NASA needs to accomplish before a manned Mars mission is astronaut self-sufficiency while far from Earth. Astronauts on the space station today can speak to mission controllers on Earth in close to real time. That just won't be possible on a lengthy trip to the Red Planet, NASA officials said today.Astronauts sent to sample and explore the asteroid pulled into orbit around the moon won't be able to communicate with Earth in real time, either. This allows ground controllers and spaceflyers to use that asteroid mission as proving ground to test out what a less Earth-dependent mission — like traveling to Mars — could be like."It won't be easy to go to Mars in any way, shape or form, and we really need to prepare to do that," Gerstenmaier said. "We'll do that preparation first on the [International] Space Station and then push the envelope a little bit further. [We'll] look at the vicinity around the moon where we can have this asteroid redirected into this location to continue to build those skills that are necessary for us to eventually go to Mars."The People Have Voted, and NASA's New Spacesuit Design Is HotBelinda Lanks – Bloomberg BusinessWeekJust because NASA has stopped flying manned space missions doesn't mean it wants to stop developing the suit that will be used to walk on the moon. Last month, NASA asked the public to vote on three versions of its next-generation spacesuit design, the Z-2, and now it has a winner: "technology," a gray uniform with glowing patches of turquoise on its upper and lower torso.The new design, a subtle homage to spacesuits of yore, is a follow-up to 2012's Z-1, a Buzz Lightyear-esque getup that won accolades, including being named one of the year's best inventions by Time. It was also the first major overhaul of the spacewalking suit in about three decades, featuring a soft, flexible body for greater astronaut mobility.
This year the NASA team returned to the hard composite torso of previous iterations, finding in testing that the Z-1's flexibility also created restrictions, such as a smaller allowable torso size. Such engineering details were worked out internally, but to decide on the surface details, the space organization turned to its patrons: American taxpayers. The winning design, dubbed "technology," uses Luminex wire and light-emitting patches that could be customized to help identify individual crewmembers.The Z-2, which cost $4.4 million to develop, according to Wired, despite using 3D printing technologies that make prototyping quicker and cheaper. The suit combines a number of firsts: It's the first "surface specific" mobility suit (in other words, it's made for walking on the surface of the moon) to be tested in a full vacuum; it's also the first time 3D-printed hardware has been used to develop a uniform with a resizable hard upper torso. It integrates a "suitport" on the back of its rigid shell, which allows astronauts to put on a suit hanging outside the spacecraft while still in the vehicle, then detach without debris entering and contaminating the interior.Those functions were decided by the pros at NASA. But following the positive response to the Z-1, the agency acknowledged that innovative design can kick up interest in space exploration at a time when the cash-strapped organization's most high-profile projects have fallen victim to budget cuts. The Z-2 is still in the experimental phase and won't be deployed. (Although the outer layer of the Z-2 can resist the abrasion and snags that occur in testing, it does not offer protection from the micrometeorites, heat, and radiation found in space.) It will instead be used to test new technologies in safer environments before being deployed in the field."Technology," which will be built by November, beat out two other candidates: "biomimicry," which mirrors the bioluminescence of aquatic creatures found in the deep ocean and the tough, scaly skin of fish and reptiles, as well as "trends in society," a rather unimaginative prediction of what everyday clothes will look like in the future—contrast stitching and bright colors that are frankly not that different from today's workout pants. All three designs were produced in collaboration with ILC Dover, NASA's primary suit vendor, and Philadelphia University.Visual flair aside, the Z-2 is a far cry from the skintight Star Trek uniforms one might expect in the 21st century. At the same time, maybe we should thank our lucky stars that the spacesuits of the future are unflattering on every body type.NASA Unveils Futuristic Z-2 Spacesuit: Mars-Tough Duds that GlowMike Wall – Space.comNASA's next-generation spacesuit is really coming together, with a little help from the public.The space agency revealed today (April 30) the "Tron"-like new look of its prototype Z-2 spacesuit, which sports an external "cover layer" chosen by public vote.The cover layer option dubbed "Technology" won the spacesuit design challenge with 147,354 votes, or just over 63 percent of the total ballots cast, NASA officials said. The other two choices — "Biomimicry" and "Trends in Society" — received 53,057 and 33,020 votes, respectively.The newly selected cover layer now becomes part of the Z-2, which should be fully constructed and ready to be tested by November, officials said.That extensive testing campaign won't prepare the Z-2 for spaceflight, however. The Z-series spacesuit line is still in the prototype phase, seeking to advance and develop technologies that will allow astronauts to amble about on the surface of Mars someday. So whatever NASA learns about the Z-2 will inform the design of the next iteration, the Z-3.The Z-2, for example, features some key improvements over the Z-1 spacesuit, which was named one of Time Magazine's best inventions in 2012. The Z-2's hard upper torso makes it more durable, officials said, and the suit uses materials designed to function well in the vacuum of space.The newly selected cover layer — which sports electroluminescent wiring and a stark, futuristic look — will provide services beyond mere aesthetics, officials said."The cover layer of a non-flight suit still performs an important function in ground-based testing. The cover protects the lower layers and technical details from abrasion and snags during testing," NASA officials wrote in a press release today."The cover layer on flight suits used for spacewalks performs many other important functions like protecting the spacewalker from micrometeorite strikes, the extreme temperatures in space and the harmful effects of radiation," they added. "These requirements drive selection of specific high-performance materials and design details that aren't necessary at this stage in a prototype suit."Space station exhibit lands at Indiana State MuseumShari Rudavsky – Indianapolis StarYou won't be able to see the International Space Station in the sky for another few weeks — and even then it will pass overheard during daylight — but you can learn a lot more about it at an exhibit at the Indiana State Museum."Destination Station" has landed at the museum, depicting life on the space station and detailing the many scientific experiments conducted in outer space. It runs through June 29.In conjunction with the exhibit, NASA has had its "Driven to Explore" mobile unit, which features a lunar touchstone, in town this week. On Friday the vehicle will stop at the Indiana State Museum to mark International Space Station Day.It's all part of a plan to increase NASA's exposure in places like Indianapolis, which do not have a significant NASA presence nearby."We want to make NASA more accessible," said Jenny Knotts, a NASA spokeswoman. "We want to let them know we're still in business, and we want to inspire the next generation."NASA wanted to reach out to places here like Eli Lilly and Co. and Roche Diagnostics to talk about potential partnerships with experiments, Knotts said.The Indiana State Museum leapt at the opportunity to teach their visitors more about the space station."I find myself surprised that people don't know about what the space station is, what they do. It's really an orbiting science lab. It's really important we on Earth know what its function is," said Peggy Fisherkeller, the museum's curator of geology who curated the exhibit.Astronauts today strive to be more accessible, making frequent school visits to talk about the work they do. Earlier this week, Dr. Serena Auñón, an Indianapolis native, visited the museum to highlight aspects of the exhibit."Destination Station" details some of the more than 500 experiments conducted on the space station in medicine, human biology, material science, biology, plant growth and animal life. The space station houses six astronauts at a time and has been home home to ants, spiders, minnows and other animals.Geared toward grade-school children and older visitors, the exhibit does not offer much in the way of hands-on activities. Instead, it offers glimpses into the workings of the International Space Station through video, text and pictures.One video, for instance, shows how space affects every-day activities like eating — don't knock the cashews out of the container because if you do they will float all over the place — and washing one's hair — how easy it is to make it stand up on end.Still, it helps to have an astronaut like Auñón there in person to point out the interesting things, facts like tortillas, which are made fresh, are one of the most popular foods in space.Or one of the biggest everyday problems that the astronauts face: Taking out the trash.Basically they don't. Instead they store their trash until a cargo vehicle comes up to deliver supplies, which happens every three to four weeks, Auñón said.Auñón, 38, has not yet left Earth. As a doctor, however, she has worked on the mission both in Texas and in Russia and like every astronaut can both read and write Russian (fluency in English and Russian is required for those from other countries.)Since she was a girl, Auñón, who was born in Indianapolis and spent part of her childhood in West Lafayette, dreamed of working for NASA. Even the space shuttle Challenger disaster, which occurred when she was in fifth grade, did little to dissuade her."It's certainly been a lifelong dream just to explore," she said.And if this exhibit sparks an interest in the International Space Station, one can still look for it in the night sky. The website http://spotthestation.nasa.gov tells you when it will next be overhead and where to look for it.Orbital Sciences Takes Off in Space — and on Capitol HillJonathan Salant – Bloomberg NewsOrbital Sciences Corp., which announced yesterday that it would merge with Alliant Techsystems Inc., has been flying high due to the success of its Antares rocket, which carries the Cygnus supply capsule to the International Space Station.Unlike its competitors in the space race, such as Elon Musk's Space Exploration Technologies Corp., Orbital launches from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore.The company received financial incentives to launch from there. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority built a 60-foot-high hangar-like structure, painted white except for the NASA logo and American flag on its side, for Orbital to assemble Antares and attach the Cygnus capsule.The authority, a state agency, leased land from NASA and built a launch pad for Antares.There are also some other benefits for Orbital. It can launch Antares when it wants to, without having to wait for an open date as do its competitors that use Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida or Vandenberg Air Force Base in California."Sometimes the scheduling becomes difficult," Orbital's chief executive officer, David Thompson, said in an interview. "There's traffic congestion for rockets. Wallops gave us an opportunity to avoid the conflict of launch dates."As Jeff Foust, a senior analyst at Futron Corp., a Bethesda, Maryland-based consulting firm, put it: "Orbital's basically the big man on campus."With another space station supply launch scheduled for June, Antares' record of success makes it more attractive to potential customers, said former NASA Associate Administrator Scott Pace, director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University in Washington."No one wants to be the first, second or even third payload to go up in a new vehicle," Pace said.There are some benefits to Virginia as well. State officials are using Orbital's presence to try to attract space-related companies such as those that grew up around the Kennedy Space Center. NASA reported that its spending pumped $2.15 billion into Florida's economy and created 16,050 jobs during the 12 months ending Sept. 30, 2012.Big launches also attract tourists. Local businesses sport photos of Antares. A restaurant touts its view of the pad.NASA and Virginia officials have met with other companies to entice them to come. "Pretty much everybody in the rocketry business has visited us," said Bruce Underwood, a NASA deputy director.If someone else wants to come, there's room for another launch pad, said Zigmond Leszczynski, deputy director of the space authority.Thanks in part to the $1.9 billion space station supply contract, Orbital's share of revenues from government work increased to 83 percent in 2013 from 71 percent in 2011. Its lobbying expenditures have grown as well; in 2013, Orbital spent $390,000 to lobby, the most ever. It spent $355,000 in 2012.Morpheus lander completes test flight at KSCJames Dean – Florida TodayNASA's prototype Morpheus lander completed another test flight at Kennedy Space Center around 2 p.m. today.Recently added sensors selected the vehicle's landing site near the former shuttle runway, in a hazard field that simulates a lunar landscape.The sensors will control the four-legged lander's descent during "closed loop" test flights planned next month.The Johnson Space Center-led Project Morpheus is testing an engine burning non-toxic liquid methane and new autonomous hazard avoidance and landing sensors that could be integrated into future spacecraft.The Big Move: 747 shuttle carrier reaches Space Center HoustonThe Associated PressA modified jumbo jet that transported shuttles piggyback to Florida following flights has arrived at its new home in Houston after an 8-mile highway trek.
What was known as the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, reached Space Center Houston early Wednesday after a slow-moving trip from Ellington Field.
Some giant flatbed trailers on Monday began hauling the biggest disassembled pieces of the old 747 jumbo jet that flew shuttles on cross-country trips. The entourage arrived at Space Center Houston late Tuesday night.
The jet will be put together and topped with a shuttle replica about 60 feet off the ground as a museum piece. The site is expected to open next year just outside NASA's Johnson Space Center.
Mission Control in Houston served as the center for the nation's manned space flights.Click here for a photo slideshow of the carrier during the move.SpaceX launch from Cape set for May 10James Dean – Florida TodayBetween 9:39 a.m. and 10:33 a.m. EDT, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will attempt to launch the first batch of a new constellation of small commercial satellites for New Jersey-based Orbcomm Inc.The rocket will carry the first six of Orbcomm's 17 OG2 satellites, which from low Earth orbit will provide machine-to-machine (M2M) communications for customers in the transportation and distribution, heavy equipment, oil and gas, maritime and other industries.Sunday, May 11, is a backup launch date.The rest of the OG2 satellites, built by Sierra Nevada Corp., are expected to be launched on another Falcon 9 later this year.END
No comments:
Post a Comment