Fwd: Human Spaceflight News - January 24, 2013 and JSC Today

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From: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Date: January 24, 2013 6:57:24 AM GMT-06:00
To: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Subject: FW: Human Spaceflight News - January 24, 2013 and JSC Today

 

 

 

Thursday, January 24, 2013

 

JSC TODAY HEADLINES

1.            Today is the Day of Remembrance

2.            Joint Leadership Team Web Poll

3.            AIAA Honors and Awards Nominations -- Deadline Feb. 1

4.            Post Office Rate Increases, New Services Go into Effect Jan. 27

5.            Celebrate Black Heritage Month: 'Breaking Barriers and Braving New Frontiers'

6.            Wanted: Volunteers for Astronaut Exercise Clothing Study

7.            Information for Individuals With Vision Impairments at Today's DAG Meeting

8.            Beginners Ballroom Dance: Spring 2013 Registration Ending Soon

9.            Intimate Partner Violence in the Workplace

10.          Building 11 Early Bird Breakfast -- Open at 6:30 a.m. in February

11.          Time to Renew Your Gilruth Center Fitness Membership

12.          New JSC Operator Hours Starting Feb. 4

13.          Welding and Cutting ViTS: March 4, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

14.          Fall Protection Authorized User ViTS: March 8, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

15.          Situational Awareness Class: April 30 to May 2 -- Building 20, Room 205/206

________________________________________     QUOTE OF THE DAY

" I am not built for academic writings. Action is my domain. "

 

-- Mahatma Gandhi

________________________________________

1.            Today is the Day of Remembrance

Today, Jan. 24, NASA will commemorate the men and women lost in the agency's space exploration program by celebrating their lives, their bravery and advancements in human spaceflight. All employees are encouraged to observe a moment of silence at their workplace or in the commemorative tree grove located behind and adjacent to Building 110 to remember our friends and colleagues.

At 9 a.m., we will honor our NASA families and conclude by honoring the Columbia crew on the 10-year anniversary. Barring any fog, a T-38 flyover is planned at approximately 9:40 a.m. as tribute to the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia.

These astronauts and their families will always be a part of the NASA family, and we will continue to honor their contributions. Our Day of Remembrance commemorates not only the men and women lost in NASA's space exploration program and their courage, but celebrates human space exploration since then.

-- Apollo 1 (Jan. 27, 1967): Astronauts Roger B. Chaffee, Virgil "Gus" Grissom and Edward H. White Jr.

-- Challenger (Jan. 28, 1986): Astronauts Francis R. "Dick" Scobee, Michael J. Smith, Judith A. Resnik, Ronald E. McNair, Ellison S. Onizuka, Gregory B. Jarvis and S. Christa McAuliffe

-- Columbia (Feb. 1, 2003): Astronauts Rick D. Husband, William C. McCool, Michael P. Anderson, David M. Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel B. Clark and Ilan Ramon

JSC External Relations, Office of Communications and Public Affairs x35111

 

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2.            Joint Leadership Team Web Poll

We don't really follow the day-to-day activities aboard space station that closely. Most only check in if they hear something interesting is going on. You were generally happy with the Texans season, but a little bummed about the ending. Me too. This weeks' question is about the contractor to civil servant relationship. Is it improving in your organization? Stagnant? Getting better? It's also time for your Super Bowl prediction. Are you a Baltimore fan? Forty-niner fan?

Chips your salsa on over to get this week's poll.

Joel Walker x30541 http://jlt.jsc.nasa.gov/

 

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3.            AIAA Honors and Awards Nominations -- Deadline Feb. 1

The following awards have a nomination deadline of Feb. 1:

o             Daniel Guggenheim Medal

o             Aerospace Guidance, Navigation and Control Award

o             Aerospace Power Systems Award

o             Aircraft Design Award

o             de Florez Award for Flight Simulation

o             Energy Systems Award

o             F. E. Newbold V/STOL Award

o             George M. Low Space Transportation Award

o             Haley Space Flight Award

o             Hap Arnold Award for Excellence in Aeronautical Program Management

o             Hypersonic Systems and Technologies

o             Mechanics & Control of Flight Award

o             Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Award

o             Otto C. Winzen Lifetime Achievement Award

o             Piper General Aviation Award

o             Space Operations & Support Award

o             Space Science Award

o             Space Systems Award

o             von Braun Award for Excellence in Space Program Management

For detailed award information and nomination forms, please visit the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) website or contact me at: honors2012@aiaahouston.org

Jennifer Wells 281-336-6302

 

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4.            Post Office Rate Increases, New Services Go into Effect Jan. 27

A new Global Forever stamp and a one-cent price increase for First Class stamps.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) will unveil a new forever stamp for all international destinations. The new First Class Global Forever Stamp will allow USPS customers to mail one-ounce letters anywhere in the world for the set price of $1.10.

The USPS increased the price for a First Class Mail, one-ounce letter to 46 cents.

Both of these forever stamps will allow postal customers to mail a one-ounce letter anytime in the future regardless of price changes.

Other rate changes include a one-cent increase to mail postcards, bringing the price to 33 cents.

The additional ounce price for first class letters remained unchanged at 20 cents per additional ounce.

For flat-rate changes, see the Information Resources Directorate home page under "Mail Services."

Joeva Ross Scott x34009

 

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5.            Celebrate Black Heritage Month: 'Breaking Barriers and Braving New Frontiers'

"Breaking Barriers and Braving New Frontiers," sponsored by the JSC African-American Employee Resource Group (AAERG) in observance of Black Heritage Month, is a panel discussion focusing on persevering through challenges while on the path to success.

Panelists include:

Deavra Daughtry, president and CEO of Excellent Care Management and founder of Texas Women's Empowerment Foundation

Ladell Graham, co-founder of Smith, Graham & Co. Investment Advisors

John Guess Jr., CEO, Houston Museum of African-American Culture

Craig Joseph Jr., owner, This Is It Soul Food restaurant

Event Date: Thursday, February 7, 2013   Event Start Time:10:30 AM   Event End Time:12:00 PM

Event Location: Teague Auditorium

 

Add to Calendar

 

Sheela Logan x34214

 

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6.            Wanted: Volunteers for Astronaut Exercise Clothing Study

Test Subject Screening is recruiting Wyle or NASA personnel to keep fit while supporting space research by participating in the next-generation IVA Exercise Clothing Study. The Advanced Clothing System (ACS) group is researching new types of clothing that are lightweight with long wear life. Participants will work out at the Gilruth Center in the prospective exercise clothes for a minimum of 15 45-minute to one-hour sessions. Two sets of clothing will be assigned to each person with set rules to follow. All input will help determine the next type of clothing.

Participants must be healthy non-smokers with no history of significant orthopedic or medical problems. Individuals must pass a Category I test subject physical in the clinic and will need to obtain a Gilruth membership. Physical and membership are both free. No compensation is provided.

If interested, please call Linda Byrd at x37284 or Rori Yager at x37240.

Linda Byrd, RN x37284

 

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7.            Information for Individuals With Vision Impairments at Today's DAG Meeting

Looking for information about community resources for individuals with vision impairments? Today's Disability Advisory Group (DAG) meeting will be an information session about "Community Resources for Individuals with Vision Impairments." Guests include: Texas Department of Assistive Rehabilitation Services (DARS)/Division of Blind Services (DBS), Bay Area Council of the Blind and Houston Eye Associates Foundation. Everyone is welcome. Join us and bring a friend. DAG meetings are held the fourth Thursday of each month from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in Building 1, Room 106G. For more information, please contact Janelle Holt via email or at x37504.

Event Date: Thursday, January 24, 2013   Event Start Time:10:30 AM   Event End Time:11:30 AM

Event Location: Building 1, Room 106G

 

Add to Calendar

 

Janelle Holt x37504

 

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8.            Beginners Ballroom Dance: Spring 2013 Registration Ending Soon

Do you feel like you have two left feet? Well, Starport has the perfect spring program for you:

Beginners Ballroom Dance!

This eight-week class introduces you to the various types of ballroom dance. Students will learn the secrets of a good lead and following, as well as the ability to identify the beat of the music. This class is easy, and we have fun as we learn. JSC friends and family are welcome.

Registration still open!

o             $110 per couple (ends Jan. 28)

Two class sessions available:

o             Tuesdays from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. -- Starting Jan. 29

o             Thursdays from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. -- Starting Jan. 31

All classes are taught in the Gilruth Center's dance studio.

To register or for additional information, please contact the Gilruth Center's information desk: 281-483-0304

Steve Schade x30304 http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/Fitness/RecreationClasses/RecreationProgram...

 

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9.            Intimate Partner Violence in the Workplace

On Jan. 30 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the Building 30 Auditorium, Pamela Paziotopoulos, a well-known speaker, will present on "Intimate Partner Violence in the Workplace." Workplace violence can manifest itself in a number of ways, from active shooters to domestic violence that spills into the workplace. The human cost is incalculable, and the financial costs to organizations from domestic violence alone can be as much as $5 billion per year. Participate in a compelling discussion on intimate partner violence and stalking in the workplace. Learn what it is, how to identify it, what to do about it and, most importantly, what can be done to prevent it. Acquire essential concepts to equip you as you help those facing this critical issue.

Event Date: Wednesday, January 30, 2013   Event Start Time:10:30 AM   Event End Time:11:30 AM

Event Location: Building 30 Auditorium

 

Add to Calendar

 

Alan Mather x32619

 

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10.          Building 11 Early Bird Breakfast -- Open at 6:30 a.m. in February

During the month of February, the Building 11 café will conduct a trial early opening, selling select breakfast items for our early birds! We will offer: breakfast tacos, muffins, bagels, assorted pastries, yogurt parfaits, coffee and juice. At 7 a.m., we will continue to have our full breakfast menu available. Depending upon participation, this trial may extend past February.

Marquis Edwards x30240 http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/

 

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11.          Time to Renew Your Gilruth Center Fitness Membership

With the new year comes renewals for fitness memberships at the Gilruth Center. If you receive a free membership as a NASA civil servant or contract employee working for a company that is a Starport Partner, you must renew your membership each January. Current memberships will expire at the end of January, so don't be left with an expired badge or try to renew at the last minute.

If you do not have a fitness membership at the Gilruth Center, now is a great time to join! NASA civil servants and Starport Partner contractors are eligible to receive access to our state-of-the-art strength-and-cardio center, basketball gym and group fitness classes at no cost. We also offer sports leagues, personal training, recreation classes and much more at nominal fees. Visit our website for information on renewing or joining for the first time.

Shelly Haralson x39168 http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/

 

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12.          New JSC Operator Hours Starting Feb. 4

As part of the center's efforts to reduce cost, effective Monday, Feb. 4, JSC's Information Resources Directorate (IRD) will reduce the hours for the JSC Switchboard Operator Console (x30123).

The JSC Switchboard Operator will now be available from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and noon to 5 p.m. Previously, the operator hours were from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Any calls from the general public, external NASA centers or onsite personnel outside of these hours will receive the automated message alerting callers that the switchboard is closed.

Please remember that there are various ways to get contact information for JSC/NASA personnel:

- http://phone.jsc.nasa.gov/cgi-isis/phone/phone.cgi

- https://people.nasa.gov

- The Apple/Android Mobile NASA Contacts App at the NASA App Store: https://apps.nasa.gov/applist

Should you need Security, they can be reached at x33333 for a JSC emergency, or x34658 for a JSC non-emergency.

JSC IRD Outreach x32704 http://ird.jsc.nasa.gov/default.aspx

 

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13.          Welding and Cutting ViTS: March 4, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

SMA-SAFE-NSTC-0064: This three-hour course is based on Occupational Safety and Health Administration CFR 1926.350 - Requirements for Working with Gas Welding and Cutting; 1926.351 - Arc Welding and Cutting; 1926.352 - Fire prevention, Ventilation and Protection in Welding Cutting and Heating; and 1926.354 - Welding Cutting and Heating in way of Preservation Coating in the Construction Industry. During the course, the student will receive an overview of those topics needed to work safely in welding and cutting operations. Registration in SATERN is required. Use this link to register.

https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHEDULED_...

Event Date: Monday, March 4, 2013   Event Start Time:9:30 AM   Event End Time:12:30 PM

Event Location: ViTS Room

 

Add to Calendar

 

Shirley Robinson x41284

 

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14.          Fall Protection Authorized User ViTS: March 8, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

This course provides all the information necessary to properly use, inspect and maintain fall protection equipment and meet the ANSI requirements to qualify as an authorized user. During this course, we will discuss all stages of the fall protection hierarchy, the four parts of a fall arrest system, fall protection equipment inspection and proper care and maintenance of fall protection equipment, among other topics. The authorized user will be able to demonstrate proper donning of the harness, proper usage of the equipment and be able to identify when and where the equipment is needed. This class is geared toward training the authorized persons who are the end-users of the fall protection equipment, and teaches the proper methods for utilizing fall protection equipment at heights. There will be a final exam associated with this course, which must be passed with a 70 percent minimum score to receive course credit. Use this direct link to register in SATERN:

https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHEDULED_OFFERING_DETAILS&scheduleID=67459

Event Date: Friday, March 8, 2013   Event Start Time:9:30 AM   Event End Time:5:30 PM

Event Location: ViTS Room

 

Add to Calendar

 

Shirley Robinson x41284

 

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15.          Situational Awareness Class: April 30 to May 2 -- Building 20, Room 205/206

NASA is involved in operations where there is always a potential for human error and undesirable outcomes. As part of a team, how we communicate, process information and react in various situations determines our level of success. In our efforts, we often run into glitches and the potential for human error. Situational Awareness is a course that addresses these issues. It involves combining our awareness of what's going on in the operations environment, a knowledge of system-failure design criteria and an understanding of expected outcomes from system failures to avoid hazardous situations and develop safe responses to unsafe conditions that may realistically be expected to arise. This course instructs students in the basic tenets and practices of situational awareness and how they apply to hazardous operations in NASA to promote the best proactive safety techniques in practice. Two-and-a-half days. SATERN Registration Required. (Contractors: Update Profile.)

https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHEDULED_...

Polly Caison x41279

 

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________________________________________

JSC Today is compiled periodically as a service to JSC employees on an as-submitted basis. Any JSC organization or employee may submit articles. To see an archive of previous JSC Today announcements, go to http://www6.jsc.nasa.gov/pao/news/jsctoday/archives.

 

 

 

 

NASA TV: 10:10 am Central (11:10 EST) – E34's Chris Hadfield w/Canadian Broadcasting Co.

 

Human Spaceflight News

Thursday – January 24, 2013

 

HEADLINES AND LEADS

 

Marathon Space Mission Research Targets Human Issues

 

Mark Carreau - Aviation Week

 

U.S. and Russian medical experts will draw from seven broad areas as they establish a research agenda in early 2013 for a one-year mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) flown by NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko, test cosmonaut from RSC Energia. The ISS veterans were selected in late November by the U.S. and Russian space agencies to train for the long flight expected to launch in March 2015 and potentially reveal health or performance concerns for deep-space exploration by humans.

 

Sex in space no panacea for conception challenges, Says former NASA flight surgeon

 

Bruce Dorminey - Forbes

 

Couples hoping to avoid in vitro fertilization in favor of natural conception at future space hotels are going to be sadly disappointed, says a former NASA flight surgeon. Contrary to what long-term in vitro candidates might be thinking, low gravity physics isn't going to be the panacea that ensures an individual male sperm makes it through the birth canal to successfully fertilize a single female egg. Microgravity could even make conception more difficult.

 

Startup Details Asteroid Prospecting Plans

 

Guy Norris - Aerospace Daily

 

Startup exploration company Deep Space Industries (DSI) has announced ambitious plans to launch a series of asteroid prospecting spacecraft from 2015 onward. Still seeking additional investors and sponsors, DSI says the initial series of FireFly craft will scout out potential target asteroids for resource exploitation following launch as hosted payloads on larger communications satellites. These initial prospecting missions will last two to six months and will pave the way for a series of sample-return flights starting in 2016.

 

Asteroid Mining Could Pave Way for Interstellar Flight

 

Mike Wall - Space.com

 

Exploiting the many resources of our solar system may enable humanity to venture beyond its confines for the first time, and blaze a trail to other stars. Building a spaceship that can travel to other star systems on human timescales — over the course of mere decades — will be a challenging and expensive proposition, with costs likely running into the hundreds of billions of dollars. But the economic and technological hurdles won't be so steep if our species has begun tapping the vast riches locked up in asteroids and other bodies beyond Earth orbit, advocates say.

 

From first Latina in space, to head of the Johnson Space Center

 

Kristina Puga - NBC Latino Online (NBCLatino.com)

 

This month, Dr. Ellen Ochoa, a four-time astronaut and the first Latina to go to space, launched into the next era of her stellar career. She became the first Hispanic and second female director of NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). "It's really quite an honor," says Ochoa who spent the last five years as deputy director. "I learned about being a senior leader and how the center operates, and I've had the opportunity to train for this role…There's a wonderful history here, and I'm really excited about what we're doing, and it's an honor to lead them and represent them."

 

Lawmakers announce deal on spaceport legislation

 

Barry Massey - Associated Press

 

New Mexico law will protect spacecraft part suppliers from damage lawsuits by passengers on space tourism flights launched from the state under a compromise proposal announced Tuesday by Democratic legislative leaders. House and Senate leaders said the agreement was vital for developing a commercial space travel industry at a state-financed spaceport in southern New Mexico. Virgin Galactic plans to fly tourists into outer space at $200,000-a-ticket from Spaceport America near the community of Truth or Consequences.

 

Monument to shuttle coming to Space View Park in Titusville

 

Scott Gunnerson - Florida Today

 

A monument to the space shuttle program is on schedule to be completed this fall at Space View Park. It will join displays that honor the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs and the people who worked on them. The project to preserve the space industry's history on the Space Coast continues, despite hard economic times due in part from the end of the shuttle program.

 

It's dead, Jim: White House petition to build Starship Enterprise fizzles

 

Alan Boyle - NBCNews.com's Cosmic Log

 

If the Death Star went up against the Starship Enterprise, who would win? When it comes to White House petition drives, it's the Death Star. The petition calling on the federal government to build a fully operational "Star Wars" battle station attracted more than 34,000 signatures, forcing the White House to issue a hilarious response. But a similar petition supporting a real-life version of Captain James T. Kirk's favorite ride fell far short of the 25,000-signature requirement when the one-month deadline passed on Monday.

__________

 

COMPLETE STORIES

 

Marathon Space Mission Research Targets Human Issues

 

Mark Carreau - Aviation Week

 

U.S. and Russian medical experts will draw from seven broad areas as they establish a research agenda in early 2013 for a one-year mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) flown by NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko, test cosmonaut from RSC Energia.

 

The ISS veterans were selected in late November by the U.S. and Russian space agencies to train for the long flight expected to launch in March 2015 and potentially reveal health or performance concerns for deep-space exploration by humans.

 

The flight, the first of its kind since cosmonaut Sergei Avdeyev returned from a 380-day mission to what was Russia's Mir space station in August 1999, will serve as a "checkpoint" for the studies now carried out on the multinational crews that spend 4-7 months aboard the six-person ISS, according to Julie Robinson, NASA's ISS program scientist, and Igor Ushakov, director of the Institute for Biomedical Problems in Moscow.

 

Kelly, 48, and Kornienko, 52, will be monitored closely for the emergence of health issues not seen in their previous shorter-duration missions—impairments that could influence discussions over expeditions to the Moon, a near-Earth asteroid and Mars. An expedition to Mars, the most challenging of those destinations, would require 2-3 years roundtrip, using current propulsion technologies.

 

The focus areas include an intracranial pressure rise blamed for blurred vision—a recent concern discovered by U.S. researchers and affecting one-third to one-half of astronauts logging an average of 108 days in space—as well as nutrition and bone loss. The latter, first noted among NASA's Gemini crews, appears to have been overcome through diet, adequate vitamin D intake and regular, vigorous, in-space, load-bearing exercise involving resistive exercise devices.

 

Other focus areas include degraded immune function; neuro-vestibular changes that affect astronauts as they re-adapt to gravity; behavior, performance and interpersonal interactions; radiation exposure; and the ability to retain preflight training on missions lasting many months.

 

The merits of a "checkpoint" mission have yet to fully emerge. There are no plans to repeat the marathon prior to 2020, the scheduled end of station operations agreed to by the U.S.-led, 15-nation ISS partnership.

 

"Virtually all research data for ISS are based on regular six-month missions. It is important that we continue to collect data at these intervals so that we can begin to draw statistically significant conclusions [from a significant sample size]," says Leroy Chiao, who commanded a 6.5-month mission to the ISS in 2004-05 and currently chairs the National Space Biomedical Research Institute's (NSBRI) user panel, a group of 20 former flight surgeons and astronauts that assesses research on space health issues.

 

The source of the blurred vision issue and an effective countermeasure, a new NSBRI focus, are among the issues in need of a significant sample size, he notes.

 

"A one-year mission would have some value," Chiao says. "Data could be used to compare to extrapolations made from six-month flights."

 

Russians account for all four space missions of a year or more, each flown on Mir between 1987 and 1999. Since then, the ISS has greatly advanced opportunities for peer-reviewed medical research, a factor in Russia's enthusiasm for undertaking at least one more marathon flight while the ISS is in orbit.

 

"We would like to renew this experience," says Alexey Krasnov, director of piloted space programs for Russian federal space agency Roscosmos. "The time is short. There are many things we don't know in spite of the fact that we have a lot of experience in spaceflight."

 

Kelly and Kornienko will face twice the usual 7% chance that one of them will require a minor or major medical intervention during their flight, yet another opportunity for lessons learned, according to Ushakov.

 

Nonetheless, Avdeyev; Vladimir Titov and Musa Manarov, who ended a 366-day stay on Mir in late 1988; and Valery Polyakov, who completed a world-record 438-day mission to Mir in 1995, are alive and well.

 

"Their health status is quite good for their age," says Ushakov, whose institute keeps up with their status. "So, the flights that happened 13-24 years ago did not negatively impact their health."

 

Kelly's three space flights include a 160-day ISS mission in 2010 in which he served as commander for much of the stay. Kornienko served as an ISS flight engineer in 2010. NASA expects to name a backup for Kelly within several months; Kornienko identified cosmonaut Sergei Volkov as his backup,

 

"It's definitely a challenge," says Kelly, a retired U.S. Navy aviator. "It's fun when you are done with it, not while you are doing it. It's like climbing Mt. Everest, not the kind of fun you have riding a roller coaster."

 

Sex in space no panacea for conception challenges, Says former NASA flight surgeon

 

Bruce Dorminey - Forbes

 

Couples hoping to avoid in vitro fertilization in favor of natural conception at future space hotels are going to be sadly disappointed, says a former NASA flight surgeon.

 

Contrary to what long-term in vitro candidates might be thinking, low gravity physics isn't going to be the panacea that ensures an individual male sperm makes it through the birth canal to successfully fertilize a single female egg.

 

Microgravity could even make conception more difficult.

 

"When you think about the sexual act itself, you realize that gravity actually facilitates the process," said James Logan, a physician and the former Chief of Medical Operations at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. "People get excited thinking about intercourse in microgravity, but given the physics involved, I think the fantasy will be better than reality."

 

While it's still not clear how a solitary sperm's actual fertilization of the egg would be affected in such an environment, Logan says it could be minimal. That's because in most cases the process happens in what he terms a "naturally fluid environment."

 

But while Logan cautions that although the act of ejaculation would likely not be impeded in space, microgravity would do nothing to enhance it.

 

"When you think about the mechanical properties of the ejaculate," said Logan, "you're not going to have a million sperm flying around the uterus like bodies in a zero gravity aircraft."

 

Thus, a costly trip to low earth orbit wouldn't offer potentially barren couples any better odds of natural conception than their earth-bound counterparts.

 

However, aside from a lack of gravity, Logan says high radiation is the real hurdle for living and procreating in low earth orbit and beyond.

 

"It's not sex in space that worries me," said Logan. "It's the development of a fetus in an environment that has no gravity and high radiation. That's a very dangerous proposition. Radiation damages DNA, so why would you want to expose a fertilized egg to a high radiation environment?"

 

People are obsessed by the more titillating aspects of this topic, says Logan, but he asserts that the whole issue of sexuality in space needs to be brought back down to biology and medicine.

 

As has been frequently reported, the issue of how to get around lethal radiation from high energy particles remains one of long duration spaceflight's biggest challenges.

 

"Unfortunately, NASA has chosen not to solve this problem," said Logan. "It's not because we weren't telling them they had the problem, it's that they chose not to really address it."

 

The other pressing issue is gravity itself. As Logan points out, all life on earth has long been steeped in a continuous gravity environment. So, he says it's naïve to think that mankind is poised to make a massive singular jump to a weightless civilization.

 

"From what we know from animal experiments," said Logan, "it appears that there are critical developmental milestones during gestation where gravity must be present, otherwise things go irreversibly wrong."

 

Startup Details Asteroid Prospecting Plans

 

Guy Norris - Aerospace Daily

 

Startup exploration company Deep Space Industries (DSI) has announced ambitious plans to launch a series of asteroid prospecting spacecraft from 2015 onward.

 

Still seeking additional investors and sponsors, DSI says the initial series of FireFly craft will scout out potential target asteroids for resource exploitation following launch as hosted payloads on larger communications satellites. These initial prospecting missions will last two to six months and will pave the way for a series of sample-return flights starting in 2016.

 

Unlike the initial FireFly scout vehicles, each weighing around 55 lb., the sample return spacecraft will be larger, weighing up to 70 lb. Dubbed the DragonFly, the follow-on missions will return 60-150 lb. of material, and will take two to four years to make the roundtrip, the company says.

 

DSI's leadership includes chairman Rick Tumlinson, the X Prize trustee and founder of commercial spacesuit company Orbital Outfitters, as well as chief executive David Gump, a co-founder of Transformational Space (t/Space) and Astrobotic Technology.

 

"Using resources harvested in space is the only way to afford permanent space development," Gump says. "More than 900 new asteroids that pass near Earth are discovered every year. They can be like the Iron Range of Minnesota was for the Detroit car industry last century — a key resource located near where it was needed. In this case, metals and fuel from asteroids can expand the in-space industries of this century. That is our strategy."

 

In an associated development, DSI is also unveiling a patent-pending, three-dimensional printer technology called the MicroGravity Foundry that is designed to transform raw asteroid material into complex metal parts. The foundry system comprises a 3D printer that uses lasers to draw patterns in a nickel-charged gas medium, causing the nickel to be deposited in precise patterns in zero gravity. Stephen Covey, the system inventor and DSI co-founder, says the foundry will have the edge over comparative processes because "other metal 3D printers sinter powdered metal, which requires a gravity field and leaves a porous structure, or they use low-melting-point metals with less strength."

 

DSI's entry into the race for deep-space resources follows that of asteroid mining company Planetary Resources, which is currently developing an initial prototype version of its prospecting spacecraft, the Arkyd-100 space telescope. These lightweight craft will be used to help identify suitable target near-Earth asteroids for potential exploitation. Planetary Resources, which was founded in 2009, signed a launch agreement in mid-2012 with Virgin Galactic, which plans to deliver the company's initial spacecraft to low Earth orbit using the LauncherOne system.

 

Asteroid Mining Could Pave Way for Interstellar Flight

 

Mike Wall - Space.com

 

Exploiting the many resources of our solar system may enable humanity to venture beyond its confines for the first time, and blaze a trail to other stars.

 

Building a spaceship that can travel to other star systems on human timescales — over the course of mere decades — will be a challenging and expensive proposition, with costs likely running into the hundreds of billions of dollars. But the economic and technological hurdles won't be so steep if our species has begun tapping the vast riches locked up in asteroids and other bodies beyond Earth orbit, advocates say.

 

"A solar-system-wide economy could kickstart research and development of the technologies that will allow us to engage in interstellar flight," said Richard Obousy, president of Icarus Interstellar, a nonprofit group devoted to pursuing interstellar spaceflight.

 

Light-years away

 

Interstellar flight is so daunting because of the vast distances separating stars. The extrasolar system closest to us, for example, is the three-star Alpha Centauri, which lies about 4.3 light-years away, or more than 25 trillion miles (40 trillion kilometers).

 

The farthest-flung spacecraft ever launched from Earth is NASA's Voyager 1 probe, which has covered about 11.3 billion miles (18.2 billion km) since blasting off in 1977. But it would take Voyager 1 roughly 70,000 more years to reach Alpha Centauri, and its newly discovered Earth-size planet, if the probe were headed toward that particular system (which it isn't).

 

So traditional chemical-propulsion technology, such as that used by Voyager 1 and other spacecraft plying the solar system today, is just not going to cut it for interstellar flight.

 

"We need to start looking at alternatives if we're ever going to bring into reality some of the stuff that we've been dreaming about and that makes up a staple of science fiction — how to explore these new worlds beyond the solar system," Obousy told SPACE.com.

 

Possible alternatives include harnessing the power of nuclear fusion or matter-antimatter reactions. Or a probe could cruise through space like a boat through the ocean, propelled by super-focused light beamed from the environs of Earth onto a gigantic sail.

 

Such approaches could accelerate a spacecraft to some appreciable fraction of the speed of light. But engineers may even be able to achieve faster-than-light travel by manipulating the fabric of space-time, creating a long-sought "warp drive." [Star Trek's Warp Drive: Are We There Yet? (Video)]

 

Researchers had thought that such a warp drive would require a power source with the minimum mass-energy of the planet Jupiter. But recent calculations by Harold "Sonny" White, of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, suggest that some design tweaks could bring that figure down to the mass-energy of a spacecraft like Voyager 1, which weighed 1,800 pounds (815 kilograms) at launch.

 

"I might have moved this idea from impractical to plausible," White, who is also an Icarus Interstellar team member, told SPACE.com. He and his colleagues are now building a small tabletop experiment as a first-step "existence proof" of the idea.

 

A solar system economy

 

None of these advanced propulsion technologies are close to flight ready, so any effort to build an interstellar spacecraft will require a lot of research and development work.

 

The costs will thus be quite high. While stressing the difficulty of estimating potential price tags at this early stage, Obousy ventured that an unmanned interstellar probe might cost several times more than the $100 billion International Space Station. And a crewed vehicle could top $1 trillion.

 

Those numbers might be off-putting to many governments, especially in these tough fiscal times. But tapping the riches of the solar system could help change things, Obousy said.

 

Asteroid mining is a good example. Scientists have estimated that a single near-Earth asteroid, the 1.5-mile-wide (2.5 km) Amun 3554, contains $20 trillion worth of platinum and other metals.

 

Such figures have enticed two separate companies, Planetary Resources and Deep Space Industries, Inc., to get into the asteroid-mining business within the last nine months. Both firms plan to extract from asteroids not only metals but also water, which can be split into its constituent hydrogen and oxygen — the chief components of rocket fuel.

 

If all goes according to plan, the companies' work could lead to the establishment of an in-space manufacturing industry that builds habitats, satellites and other spacecraft away from our planet. Asteroid mining could also help set up off-Earth "gas stations" that allow traditionally fueled craft to top up their tanks cheaply and efficiently.

 

These developments would help humanity extend its reach throughout the solar system, a necessary step along the path to interstellar flight, experts say.

 

"I think before we ever really undertake sending something to another star, we will probably have to be masters of our own solar system," Les Johnson, deputy manager of the Advanced Concepts Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. (and also an accomplished science-fiction writer), told SPACE.com.

 

Obousy voiced similar sentiments, pointing out the economic importance of such a big footprint.

 

"If we can become a civilization that has vast resources at its disposal — orders of magnitude more than we have today, as a product of space exploration, space mining and the solar-system-wide economy — then we may reach a stage where an interstellar mission doesn't actually cost us that much in the bigger scheme of the gross domestic product of the solar system," he said.

 

Flying to another star by 2100

 

Icarus Interstellar aims to help humanity achieve interstellar flight by the year 2100. Obousy said he believes that this can indeed happen, despite the economic and technological hurdles that must be overcome.

 

One reason for optimism is the ongoing exoplanet revolution, which has shown that our Milky Way galaxy is teeming with planets. Researchers have confirmed more than 800 worlds beyond our solar system, and scientists estimate that billions more are out there.

 

Astronomers have confirmed a planet in the Alpha Centauri system and detected five potential worlds circling the star Tau Ceti, just 11.9 light-years away. That includes two that might be in the star's habitable zone, the range of distances from a star in which liquid water could exist on the world's surface.

 

The discovery of the first true "alien Earth," a planet the size of our own in its star's habitable zone, could help build a groundswell of public support for interstellar spaceflight, Obousy said. Our species might want to examine such a world up close for any signs of life. The detection of electronic signals from an intelligent alien civilization could have a similar galvanizing effect.

 

Overall, Obousy thinks humanity has a good shot of launching its first interstellar mission by the end of the century. As an example of our species' potential, he points to how quickly air travel became routine after the Wright brothers' ramshackle first flight in 1903.

 

"I think a lot of people tend to overestimate what we can accomplish in the short term, in the next five to 10 years," he said. "But they also vastly underestimate what we can accomplish in the long term, decades or a century from now."

 

From first Latina in space, to head of the Johnson Space Center

 

Kristina Puga - NBC Latino Online (NBCLatino.com)

 

This month, Dr. Ellen Ochoa, a four-time astronaut and the first Latina to go to space, launched into the next era of her stellar career. She became the first Hispanic and second female director of NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC).

 

"It's really quite an honor," says Ochoa who spent the last five years as deputy director. "I learned about being a senior leader and how the center operates, and I've had the opportunity to train for this role…There's a wonderful history here, and I'm really excited about what we're doing, and it's an honor to lead them and represent them."

 

Born in California, and of Mexican descent, Ochoa is also a classical flutist and practices every morning before heading to work. She says space travel wasn't always in her plans. It didn't become a prospect in her life's agenda until sometime in graduate school, when she says she first started noticing women in the field.

 

"When the first space shuttle took off in 1981, Sally Ride flew for the first time," says, Ochoa who was busy getting a PhD to be a research engineer at the time. "Putting that all together with my interest in space is what led me to apply."

 

She says the versatility and excitement offered caused her to gravitate towards a career in space.

 

"You could do research in lots of different areas," says Ochoa who enjoyed learning about living and working in space, in addition to repairing spacecrafts. "The wide variety of tasks you could do with the space shuttle is something that really interested me."

 

She says she still remembers a moment in her final space mission clearly.

 

"We had docked in the international space center," says Ochoa. "We were looking down at the Earth, and we were watching bright green auroras, and the sun came up and it illuminated the station instantaneously. It was just an amazing visual view. It was amazing to see what we were building in space, and we had an international crew…There were a lot of amazing thoughts associated with that moment."

 

Fast forward years later, and the 54-year-old former astronaut is now responsible for overseeing approximately 13,000 employees at the JSC. She describes her day as being pretty varied.

 

"A lot of it is understanding what everybody is doing and current issues," says Ochoa, explaining she has to make sure shuttles are safe and effective, research how they can be made more affordable, and educate about the benefits space travel brings to people here on Earth.

 

At a time when the Center's budget has shrunk significantly, Ochoa has several challenges ahead of her, but she says she's keeping her focus.

 

"I'm making sure we move exploration forward as best as we can," she says, mentioning one of the big developments right now — the Orion multi-purpose crew vehicle. "The Orion spacecraft is capable of going to many destinations…further away and doing them more affordably."

 

She says the announcement was made last week that first test flight with the first rocket — Exploration Mission 1– should happen in 2017. According to Ochoa, a combined rocket and spacecraft gets the vehicle to a higher velocity to the moon.

 

"We want to look at how we do things, and what partnerships we can make so we can use not only our talented people, but be out in the commercial industry," says Ochoa, who is also looking into agreements with universities for research development, as well as international partners.

 

She says she is honored to have participated in different roles involving human space flights throughout her career.

 

"Being an astronaut, and part of a team, is really rewarding, and now I have a different perspective," says Ochoa. "The end goal is still the same — carrying out exciting and challenging missions is space."

 

Lawmakers announce deal on spaceport legislation

 

Barry Massey - Associated Press

 

New Mexico law will protect spacecraft part suppliers from damage lawsuits by passengers on space tourism flights launched from the state under a compromise proposal announced Tuesday by Democratic legislative leaders.

 

House and Senate leaders said the agreement was vital for developing a commercial space travel industry at a state-financed spaceport in southern New Mexico.

 

Virgin Galactic plans to fly tourists into outer space at $200,000-a-ticket from Spaceport America near the community of Truth or Consequences.

 

Current state law exempts Virgin Galactic from being sued for damages by passengers if there was an accident and they had been informed of the risks of space travel. However, that liability protection doesn't cover the suppliers and manufacturers of spacecraft parts and components.

 

Top House and Senate leaders said an agreement to limit the liability of parts suppliers was negotiated by trial lawyer representatives and officials of Virgin Galactic at the prodding of lawmakers. The talks have taken place for several months.

 

"Too much has been invested by both the state and Virgin Galactic to abandon this project," Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, a Belen Democrat and lawyer, said in a statement. "It is in New Mexico's best interests that the spaceport project moves forward quickly, with as much consumer protection as possible."

 

Legislation that would have exempted parts suppliers and manufacturers from damage lawsuits has stalled in the Legislature for several years despite warnings from government and business officials that commercial space companies will likely go to other states such as Florida without a change in New Mexico's law.

 

Senate President Mary Kay Papen, a Las Cruces Democrat who has sponsored the spaceport bill in the past, said she supported the latest proposal.

 

Virgin Galactic did not immediately respond to a telephone message and email seeking comment. A lobbyist for the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association also did not immediately return a message left at his law office requesting comment on the proposed legislation.

 

Lawmakers predicted the measure should clear the Democratic-controlled Legislature without problem. They said suppliers and manufacturers involved in space flights will be required to carry $1 million in liability insurance coverage.

 

"This is a bill that everybody has worked on and is very happy about. This is one of those successes that we can move along quickly," said House Speaker W. Ken Martinez, a Grants Democrat and lawyer.

 

Enrique Knell, a spokesman for Gov. Susana Martinez, said the governor's office hasn't seen the proposed legislation.

 

"The governor met with leaders from Virgin Galactic today and is hopeful that the final legislation that passes will lead to the company's commitment to stay in New Mexico, and that it will lead to making New Mexico capable of attracting other space industry business," said Knell.

 

Monument to shuttle coming to Space View Park in Titusville

 

Scott Gunnerson - Florida Today

 

A monument to the space shuttle program is on schedule to be completed this fall at Space View Park.

 

It will join displays that honor the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs and the people who worked on them.

 

The project to preserve the space industry's history on the Space Coast continues, despite hard economic times due in part from the end of the shuttle program.

 

Charlie Mars, president of the U.S. Space Walk of Fame Foundation, talked with Florida Today about the project, the foundation now and its future.

 

Question: What is the status of the shuttle monument?

 

Mars: The shuttle monument is paid for, which we are very proud of and we have that money set aside. I think we will have the dedication sometime in the fall, if our schedule goes well. Six pylons are in place already with names of the workers who sent us $100 before Christmas.

 

Q:What will the shuttle monument look like when it is finished?

 

Mars: It will be very similar to what we have displayed on the Apollo monument with the bronze panels. Each panel will basically feature one of the six orbiters — Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, Endeavour and Enterprise.

 

Three panels will depict the workers and what they did for the shuttle in different scenes.

 

We try very hard to honor the workers because that is what this whole project is all about.

 

Q:How do you pay for the monuments?

 

Mars: They are funded through the generosity of the space programs, the city of Titusville and Brevard County. A lot is through the engraving program, which is $100 per engraving, and we have not changed that price since the Mercury monument.

 

We have events throughout the year that help us with the monuments, plus the operating costs of the museum.

 

When we had launches, those were our major events and we made good revenue. Now, since there are no more launches, we depend on donations, events and the engravings.

 

Q:What is the interest level and involvement in the foundation since it was conceived in 1988?

 

Mars: We had a lot of interest initially because the space programs were still working. Things have settled down somewhat and we don't have the number of volunteers or the amount of interest that was there originally. But we still have a core group.

 

If it weren't for the people helping us and the volunteers that are putting their time in, I don't know if we would make it or not. It would be extremely difficult.

 

It's dead, Jim: White House petition to build Starship Enterprise fizzles

 

Alan Boyle - NBCNews.com's Cosmic Log

 

If the Death Star went up against the Starship Enterprise, who would win? When it comes to White House petition drives, it's the Death Star.

 

The petition calling on the federal government to build a fully operational "Star Wars" battle station attracted more than 34,000 signatures, forcing the White House to issue a hilarious response. But a similar petition supporting a real-life version of Captain James T. Kirk's favorite ride fell far short of the 25,000-signature requirement when the one-month deadline passed on Monday.

 

At last count, the Enterprise petition had 7,200 signatures, according to its creator, a Trek fan known publicly as BTE-Dan. "I'm disappointed that it didn't reach 25,000, because I would have genuinely liked to have seen the Obama administration respond to it," Dan told NBC News in an email.

 

Dan is the webmaster behind the "Build the Enterprise" website — and he says he's serious about wanting NASA to do a feasibility study for an Enterprise-like spaceship.

 

"I really do think that building an interplanetary spaceship that follows the form of the USS Enterprise would be uniquely inspirational to Americans, and people around the world, too," he wrote. "Once its construction started in space, people would be fascinated by it, and it would constantly be in the news. And it might well inspire a new generation of Americans to study the STEM subjects [science, technology, engineering, math]."

 

Dan likes the basic idea behind the Obama administration's "We the People" program, which provides an opportunity for petitioners to get a response from the White House if enough people sign on.

 

"Unfortunately, having a short 30-day window to gather signatures makes the petition system geared to getting high signature counts mainly for the most emotionally charged current events of the moment, like pro-gun control, or anti-gun control, or the desire of some to deport Piers Morgan," he said. "People are motivated by humor, too, like in the Piers Morgan case and for the Death Star petition, and there is nothing wrong with having some fun with the petitions. But I'd like to see the system changed so that more substantive petitions get considered."

 

Maybe the problem was that BTE-Dan's proposal was too substantive, especially for a concept that sounds like classic science fiction. The same issue might be working against another space-themed petition, calling on the federal government to build a nuclear thermal rocket. (NASA actually pursued a nuclear-rocket development program in the 1960s, and may do so again.) That campaign has attracted fewer than 2,300 of the required 25,000 signatures with 10 days to go before the deadline.

 

One thing's for sure: It'll be even harder for slightly wacky petitions like the Death Star plea, or an earlier effort to crack the alien conspiracy, to make their way into the spotlight in the future. That's because the White House raised the signature requirement from 25,000 to 100,000 last week. BTE-Dan's effort just might stand as the most ambitious effort to build a real-life Starship Enterprise until the year 2063 — when eccentric genius Zefram Cochrane achieves the first warp drive flight and brings the Vulcans in for first contact.

 

END