Friday, June 13, 2014

Fwd: NASA News --my version and JSC Today



Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Date: June 13, 2014 10:52:15 AM CDT
To: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Subject: NASA News --my version and JSC Today

Thank goodness its POETS day.   Happy Friday everyone.    And have a great and safe Father's day weekend.

PAO is late so if it shows up later ,,,I will pass their version on.

 

JSC Logo

 

 

 

 

   Headlines

  1. Expedition 38/39 Crew Debrief & Awards Ceremony

The Expedition 38/39 Crew Debrief and Awards Ceremony is Wednesday, June 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the Space Center Houston Theater. This International Space Station expedition special event features Koichi Wakata, Expedition 38 flight engineer and Expedition 39 commander; Oleg Kotov, Expedition 37 flight engineer and Expedition 38 commander; Mikhail Tyurin, Expedition 38/39 flight engineer; Rick Mastracchio, Expedition 38/39 flight engineer; Sergey Ryazanskiy, Expedition 37/38 flight engineer; and Michael Hopkins, Expedition 37/38 flight engineer. The event will consist of awards, slides, a video presentation and question-and-answer session. This event is free and open to JSC employees, contractors, friends, family members and public guests. For more information, contact Samantha Nehls at x27804.

Event Date: Wednesday, June 18, 2014   Event Start Time:7:30 PM   Event End Time:9:00 PM
Event Location: Space Center Houston

Add to Calendar

Samantha Nehls x27804

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  1. Houston, We Have a Salad!

This week on the International Space Station, astronaut Steve Swanson harvested three lettuce plants from the Veggie greenhouse facility, took microbial swabs of the plants and inserted all of the samples in the lab freezer for return on SpaceX-4. The crew won't be able to eat any of the lettuce yet, as the samples must first be analyzed on the ground for safety.

Learn more about Veggie in this video!

Liz Warren x35548

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  1. Short Free-Range Bike Survey

Do you use free-range bikes on-site? If you don't, would you like to? Please take this brief survey and provide your input on the free-range bike program. With your help, we can pinpoint the problems you're experiencing and use your suggestions to make on-site travel easier.

Kim Reppa x28322

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   Organizations/Social

  1. Save the Date to Find Your Social Media Zen

Social media is everywhere, and if you're not already onboard—you're being left behind. Make sure your organization not only understands social media, but knows how to use it for maximum success.

Save this date—June 26, from 11 a.m. to noon—to see how you or your organization can locate its social media marketing Zen and move forward with confidence and a plan.

Learn from Shama Kabani, the CEO of the Marketing Zen Group, about "Seven Digital Trends Every Leader Must Know to Grow Your Organization," as well as:

    • How important is social media?
    • How is social media changing the way we communicate?
    • Can NASA's "brand" be strengthened using social media?
    • How important are current digital trends to NASA's future?

Kabani is the author of the bestselling book, "The Zen of Social Marketing," and is an oft-quoted social media expert.

Event Date: Thursday, June 26, 2014   Event Start Time:11:00 AM   Event End Time:12:00 PM
Event Location: Teague Auditorium

Add to Calendar

Della Cardona/Juan Traslavina 281-335-2074/281-335-2272

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  1. Starport Summer Camp: Session 2 Still Available

Starport will be offering summer camp for youth at the Gilruth Center all summer long. We have tons of fun planned, and we expect each session to fill up, so get your registrations in early! Weekly themes are listed on our website, as well as information regarding registration.

Ages: 6 to 12

Times: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Dates: June 9 to Aug. 22 in one-week sessions

Fee per session: $140 per child | $125 per sibling

Register for all sessions and receive a DISCOUNT!

Register online or at the Gilruth Center information desk.

Like us on Facebook to receive daily information about camps!

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

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  1. JSC Lunarfins SCUBA Club Local Dive

Has it been a while since you blew bubbles under water? Join the JSC Lunarfins at Beautiful Blue Lagoon in Huntsville, Texas, on June 21! Spend the day with your dive friends, get some underwater time and enjoy the Piney Woods. We'll supply the water, hot dogs, buns, condiments and grill. Bring chips, salads or desserts and any additional drinks. Remember your C card, dive gear, sunscreen, bug repellant, chairs and cash.

The reservation is under Lunarfins. Look for the Lunarfin dive flag to locate the group. The cost for divers and non-divers is $17; children under 10 accompanying divers get in free. Cash payment is required at the office for admission and any air fills. See the website for additional information.

Members should contact the equipment officer for tank rentals ($5)/air fills (free). The time is early, but it ensures good diving before the lake gets stirred up. Hope to see you there!

Event Date: Saturday, June 21, 2014   Event Start Time:8:00 AM   Event End Time:2:00 PM
Event Location: Huntsville, Texas

Add to Calendar

Barbara Corbin x36215 http://www.lunarfins.com

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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.

 

 

LEADING THE NEWS

• NASA Helps Celebrate The World Cup.

NASA NEWS

• Nelson Says He Does Not Trust China Yet For Joint Space Missions.

• New Russian Space Rivalry May Push US.

• UNC Charlotte Team Wins Student Launch Competition.

HUMAN EXPLORATION AND OPERATIONS

• Cabana: SLS Is KSC's "Number One Priority."

• SNC Announces New Partnership With Craig Technologies.

• Wiseman's Tweets Praised.

• Extroverts May Not Be Good Members Of Mars Missions.

• McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center Hosting Aerospacefest 2014.

• SpaceX Dragon V2 Compared To Tesla Model S.

 

 

LEADING THE NEWS

NASA Helps Celebrate The World Cup.

Coverage continues on NASA and the ISS astronauts celebrating the World Cup. Many articles continued to tout the recent video showing ISS astronauts playing soccer aboard the station, such as NBC Nightly News (6/12, story 7, 2:20, Neely, 7.86M), which noted the astronauts are "celebrating its start."

        ABC World News with Diane Sawyer (6/12, 6:36 p.m. ET) has a similar brief note about the ISS astronauts.

        Other coverage includes the International Business Times (6/12, Poladian, 697K), which notes that NASA also has a Flickr page of images of the nations participating in the World Cup taken from space. Furthermore, ISS astronauts Alexander Gerst and Reid Wiseman tweeted more views of the World Cup taken from the ISS. NASA itself also tweeted similar images.

        Popular Science (6/12, Diep, 6.56M) reports that NASA also created an illustration showing how the size of the ISS compares to a soccer pitch.

        The Ponte Al Dia (6/12, Killion), Discovery News (6/12, O'Neill, 252K), NASA Space Flight (6/12, Bergin, 305), NBC News (6/12, 7.5M) website, and Universe Today (6/12, Howell, 18K) also cover the story.

        About 370 TV broadcasts note either the astronaut's images of the World Cup events or the video released yesterday.

        Blog Coverage. Jesus Diaz at Gizmodo (6/12, 1.03M) writes that NASA has explained why World Cup players this year should like the official ball, the Brazuca, much better than the one used four years ago, the Jabulani. NASA said that Adidas "worked with hundreds of players to develop the Brazuca football." Rabi Mehta of the Ames Research Center, who tested the ball at the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory, said that even though the ball has only six panels, when compared to the previous ball, "it is more stable in flight and will handle more like a traditional 32-panel ball." According to Diaz, the test proved that players this year should have "a lot more control."

Nelson Says He Does Not Trust China Yet For Joint Space Missions.

Space News (6/12, Klotz, Subscription Publication, 481) reports that at the recent tour of Boeing's CST-100 capsule at the Kennedy Space Center, Sen. Bill Nelson said he basically agreed with the National Research Council (NRC) report, but had an issue with its recommendation that the US should work more with China. Nelson said, "I just don't trust them at this point. ... Things can change. I mean whoever thought we'd have the cooperation with the former Soviet Union — despite czarist Putin." Other than that point, Nelson said that the report was "positive" and "realistic."

New Russian Space Rivalry May Push US.

In an article for TIME (6/12, 24.1M) scheduled to appear in the June 23, 2014 issue, Jeffrey Kluger writes that while the situation in Ukraine is stressing the relationship between the US and Russia in space, this may be good for NASA in the end. The two nations' work at the ISS has been "good politics and good optics," but the "unintended benefit" of the potential end to that is that NASA's manned spaceflight program may be "jolted" back after being "adrift" recently. Kluger backed this view by highlighting the commercial spacecraft being developed for NASA, as well as NASA's work on the Orion, although he is more critical of NASA than he is of the commercial companies. Kluger thought that a new sense of competition with Russia may have the same affect on spaceflight today as it did during the Cold War.

        Meanwhile, in his column for the Alamogordo (NM) Daily News (6/13, 19K), Alan Hale writes that the ISS is the current "showpiece" of both manned and unmanned international cooperating space, but that is threatened if the situation between the US and Russia "severely worsens." While international activities at the station continue, Hale believes it is a "fair question" to ask what the US is doing to maintain access. Citing the commercial crew program, NASA's work on the Orion and SLS, and even suborbital spacecraft companies, Hale believes that there is a chance for "an increased human presence in space, both in terms of access to and from the ISS and for other near-space destinations," although it may take time to see whether that "potential" is realized.

UNC Charlotte Team Wins Student Launch Competition.

The Charlotte (NC) Observer (6/13, Thornton, 585K) reports that last month, students from UNC Charlotte took away the Best Vehicle Design award from NASA's Student Launch competition, which NASA holds to develop student talent and "to glean valuable research data." Karen Thorsett-Hill, the team's faculty mentor, said that NASA was interested in the thrust modulation system the students developed, because that was a technology NASA has "struggled with through history." Meanwhile, the article notes that "mirroring NASA's own difficulties," the team had "struggled" to raise the funds needed for the competition.

Cabana: SLS Is KSC's "Number One Priority."

The WAFF-TV Huntsville, AL (6/12, 41K) website reported that Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana was at the Space and Rocket Center to discuss his career "and the future of NASA, including the Space Launch System." Cabana said, "Our number one priority is supporting NASA programs. ... Our number one priority, the reason the Kennedy Space Center exists, the reason we have Launch Complex 39, is to support SLS and get us to Mars, to explore beyond Planet Earth."

        The Huntsville (AL) Times (6/12, Roop, 127K) notes Cabana was in the region for today's to help unveil the T-38 NASA astronaut trainer jet at the center "that bears his name." Former NASA flight engineer Larry LaRose is also scheduled to be at the event.

        The WAAY-TV Huntsville, AL (6/12, 3K) website also covers the story.

SNC Announces New Partnership With Craig Technologies.

Florida Today (6/12, Dean, 208K) reports that Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) Space Systems announced that it has contracted with Craig Technologies to help prepare its Dream Chaser to launch on an uncrewed mission from the Kennedy Space Center as early as 2016. This would be ahead of potential manned flights to the ISS in 2017. Mark Sirangelo, vice president of SNC Space Systems, said that the would, which will be done at the former NASA Shuttle Logistics Depot, is an example of how Florida is "rebounding" from the end of the shuttle program. He also stressed that the Dream Chaser is not "solely" for NASA, as it is also being designed with other clients and projects in mind. Scott Colloredo, head of KSC's Center Planning and Development office, said, "It's very gratifying to see former shuttle assets, whether they're facilities or equipment or people, being transformed in support of new programs."

        SPACE (6/12, Howell, 261K) reports that SNC expects the Dream Chaser to make another "series of flights" this year, that Sirangelo said could include "automated ones, followed by piloted trips." Sirangelo also said the company was "well positioned" for the next round of the Commercial Crew Program.

        Also covering the story are the Bay News 9 Tampa (FL) (6/12, Hume, 61K) website, Central Florida News 13-TV (6/12, Hume, 25K) website, WKMG-TV Orlando, FL (6/12, Warmoth, 78K) website, and Boulder County Business Report (6/12, Wu, 21K).

        About 65 TV broadcasts cover the new deal involving the Dream Chaser and other recent commercial crew developments.

Wiseman's Tweets Praised.

In the "Entertainment" section of the Martinsville (IN) Reporter-Times (6/13, 14K), Elizabeth Limbach lists some of Wiseman's best tweets, praising Wiseman for his "jaw-dropping photos, honest space-life insights, and recaps of humorous rookie mistakes."

        Blog Coverage. Jason Samenow at the Washington Post (6/12, 4.22M) "Capital Weather Gang" blog writes at the end of a post that Wiseman tweeted what looked like a "square cloud" next to the Kamchatka's volcano field. Samenow notes that Tom Yulsman at the Discover Magazine (6/12, 6.89M) "ImaGeo" blog showed it was a trick of the perspective by posting images of the same cloud taken by the Aqua satellite.

Extroverts May Not Be Good Members Of Mars Missions.

LiveScience (6/12, Rettner, 612K) reports that Suzanne Bell, an associate professor of psychology at DePaul University, led a team in a NASA-funded study that examined the "types of personalities" that would be most beneficial on a long mission to Mars. Researchers found that extroverts may become a "liability" on long-term missions because their "gregarious nature" could negatively impact other team members. While in general, extroverts are good team members, the scientists determined that the confined spaces involved in a trip to mars may change the situation. According to the article, Bell noted that "more specific studies" on the subject would be needed, which could be done on the ISS.

McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center Hosting Aerospacefest 2014.

The Bedford (NH) Bulletin (6/12) reports on Aerospacefest 2014 at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center this weekend. Astronaut Lee Morin, who took part in a shuttle mission to the ISS, was noted as the festival's "featured guest." Currently, Morrin is working on the cockpit of the Crew Exploration Vehicle, "NASA's newest spacecraft."

SpaceX Dragon V2 Compared To Tesla Model S.

Bold Ride (6/13, Doell, 100K) profiles the SpaceX Dragon V2 spacecraft. The website compares the Dragon V2, which could carry seven to the ISS, with the Tesla Model S luxury electric automobile. The comparison notes that while it "remains to be seen how reusable the Dragon V2 will prove to be," SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk believes that "topping off the fuel tanks might be all that's needed for prepping the ship for a relaunch."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Larry Moon 

 

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