Keep the shuttle flying: Fwd: Human Spaceflight News

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Begin forwarded message:

From: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Date: March 27, 2013 6:11:56 AM GMT-06:00
To: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Subject: FW: Human Spaceflight News - March 27, 2013 and JSC Today

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

JSC TODAY HEADLINES
1.            A STEM Panel Discussion to Wrap Up Women's History Month
2.            Special Access Opportunity for Social Media Experts!
3.            Bringing Creativity Back Like it's 1958
4.            JSC Has More Technologies Noted in March 2013 NASA Tech Briefs
5.            JSC/UHCL/BAHEP Cyber Security Collaboration Forum on April 4
6.            Spring Fair -- Safety NASA Style!
7.            Administrative Professionals Luncheon
8.            JSC Annual Picnic at SplashTown on April 28 -- Tickets on Sale Now
9.            Starport Volleyball -- Late Spring Reverse 4s League
10.          Blood Drive April 17 and 18
11.          LEaD Application Prep Sessions
12.          Latest International Space Station Research
13.          Summer Water-Bots Camps
14.          Confined Space Entry 8:30 a.m.; and Lockout/Tagout 1 p.m. -- April 15, Building 20, Room 205/206
15.          Situational Awareness Class: April 30 to May 2 - Building 20, Room 205/206
16.          Fire Protection and Prevention in Construction ViTS: May 10 - Building 17, Room 2026
17.          Do You Have a Telescope You Don't Know How to Use?
________________________________________     NASA FACT
" On March 16, the Soyuz TMA-06M spacecraft brought home Expedition 34 Commander Kevin Ford of NASA, Soyuz Commander Oleg Novitskiy and Flight Engineer Evgeny Tarelkin to a landing northeast of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, following a one-day delay due to inclement weather in the area."
________________________________________
1.            A STEM Panel Discussion to Wrap Up Women's History Month
Join us today for the dynamic panel discussion that will wrap up March's Women's History Month.
- 11 to 11:05 AM - greeting/introduction
- 11:05 to 11:10 AM - welcome remarks by Dr. Janet Kavandi, director, Flight Crew Operations Directorate
- 11:10 AM to 12:30 PM - panel discussion featuring Regina Blue, Irene Chan, Sabrina Gilmore, Kam Lulla, Heather Paul and Alma Stephanie Tapia
- 12:30 to 12:40 PM - audience Q&A
- 12:40 to 12:50 PM - conclusion remarks by Deborah Urbanski, director, Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity (OEOD), and photo op hosted by OEOD and the Office of Education
The panel will discuss their accomplishments and offer encouragement to women and girls considering technical careers to become the trailblazers of tomorrow. See why science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) is where it's at, and why promoting women to choose STEM education and career fields will influence sustainable and inclusive growth in our own sector.
Before you attend, get inspired by a Women's History Month video profile posted about JSC's own Barbara Janoiko, program manager for NASA's Analog Missions.
To view and print the 2013 Women's History Month poster, click here.
Event Date: Wednesday, March 27, 2013   Event Start Time:11:00 AM   Event End Time:1:00 PM
Event Location: Teague Auditorium

Add to Calendar

JSC Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity x40266 http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oeod/

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2.            Special Access Opportunity for Social Media Experts!
Do you love to use social media?
Do you have a bundle of followers with whom you frequently share your NASA experiences?
As a badged employee, you may have the opportunity for a special access experience and share a unique facility at NASA JSC!
We are taking registrations for up to five badged employees to join us for a one-time viewing of the new James Webb Space Telescope vacuum chamber in Building 32.
This special access is a closed event on Thursday, April 4, from 8 a.m. to noon.
To register to be accepted as a social media NASA/contractor-badged employee experience attendee, please send your social media information to Megan Sumner.
Include:
o             Name
o             Company
o             Email address
o             Social media IDs (Twitter, Facebook, Google +, etc.)
o             Number of followers
We will notify you of your selection to the special access event via email on Monday, April 1.
Megan Sumner x27520

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3.            Bringing Creativity Back Like it's 1958
There's a new take on an old building in town, and it's guaranteed to get your creative juices flowing. Building 35--a new collaboration space dubbed 1958--is part acceleration center, part escape from the monotony of doing things the way you've done them before--just because.
Ever been to the redesigned Building 35? Before you go in person, read more about this unique space and see what it offers. Also, get a feel for what you'll see there with this photo gallery. If it looks like your kind of thing, take your laptop, take your meeting or take your co-workers over to this expansive, neat place--and get to innovating!
JSC External Relations, Office of Communications and Public Affairs x33317 http://open.nasa.gov/1958/

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4.            JSC Has More Technologies Noted in March 2013 NASA Tech Briefs
The March 2013 issue of NASA Tech Briefs includes several new innovative technologies from JSC.
NASA Tech Briefs magazine introduces details about new innovations and technologies that stem from advanced research and technology programs conducted by NASA and its industry partners/contractors.
The JSC briefs recognized in the March issue include: Non-Toxic, Non-Flammable, 80 ºC Phase Change Materials; Soft-Bake Purification of SWCNTs Produced by Pulsed Laser Vaporization; and Improved Cell Culture Method for Growing Contracting Skeletal Muscle Models.
You can read and learn more about these exciting new JSC innovations and the inventors. Just visit the Strategic Opportunities & Partnership Development (SOPD) website.
To review all of the current NASA Tech Briefs, click here.
Holly Kurth x32951

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5.            JSC/UHCL/BAHEP Cyber Security Collaboration Forum on April 4
Cyber security is vital for the future of human space exploration endeavors, and JSC strongly supports the development of robust infrastructure related to cyber security. JSC, through the Strategic Opportunities and Partnership Development Office and the JSC External Relations Office of University Research, Collaboration and Partnerships, is collaborating with the University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL) and the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership (BAHEP) to create the UHCL Cyber Security Institute (UHCL-CSI) with members from variety of industries. As an introduction, the UHCL-CSI invites individuals interested in learning more about the institute to attend the first Cyber Security Collaboration Forum being held on April 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Gilruth Center. For information on the agenda and registration ($20 includes lunch), click here.
Event Date: Thursday, April 4, 2013   Event Start Time:9:00 AM   Event End Time:4:00 PM
Event Location: JSC Gilruth Center

Add to Calendar

Walter Ugalde x38615 http://ao.jsc.nasa.gov/pages.ashx/56/UHCL%20Cyber%20Security%20Institute...

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6.            Spring Fair -- Safety NASA Style!
In these tough times, we are often distracted, making it even more important to pay close attention to safety and health. Take the opportunity on Wednesday, April 3, to come to the JSC Spring Safety, Health and Environmental Fair at the Gilruth Center from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Being part of a great community means sharing valuable lessons for being environmentally conscious and improving safety and health in the workplace and at home. Don't miss this great chance to relax, have fun and learn a lot. It's Safety, NASA Style!
Event Date: Wednesday, April 3, 2013   Event Start Time:10:00 AM   Event End Time:1:00 PM
Event Location: JSC Gilruth Center

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Rindy Carmichael x45078 http://www6.jsc.nasa.gov/safety/whatsnew/docs/2013_JSC_Spring_Fair.pdf

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7.            Administrative Professionals Luncheon
Treat your administrative staff to a lavish event on Wednesday, April 24, at 11:30 a.m. Enjoy the Gilruth Alamo Ballroom as you have never seen it before, transformed into the ultimate restaurant experience. It's $20 per person or $150 per table of 8. Reservations are required by April 17. Call Danial at 281-483-0240 to reserve your spot.
Appetizer:
Chipotle salmon cake over hill country slaw w/ lime cilantro ailoli
Salad:
Mixed greens, spiced candied walnuts, red onion, sliced apples, bleu cheese crumbles with lemon tarragon vinaigrette
Entrée:
Herb-seared chicken breast over goat cheese and chive mashed potatoes with roasted asparagus and sundried tomato pesto cream sauce
Vegetarian entrée:
Ratatouille stuffed Portobello cap with goat cheese over brown rice with roasted asparagus and balsamic gastrique
Dessert:
Sponge cake with Chambord mixed berries and crème chantilly
Event Date: Wednesday, April 24, 2013   Event Start Time:11:30 AM   Event End Time:1:00 PM
Event Location: Gilruth Center Alamo Ballroom

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Danial Hornbuckle x30240 http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/

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8.            JSC Annual Picnic at SplashTown on April 28 -- Tickets on Sale Now
SplashTown is closed to the public to allow NASA family and friends to attend a private day at the water park.
Tickets are on sale now through April 19 in the Buildings 3 and 11 Starport Gift Shops and at the Gilruth Center. Tickets will be $33 each for ages 3 and up. After April 19, tickets will be $37.
A ticket includes: private-day admission at SplashTown from noon to 6 p.m., a barbecue lunch, beverages, snow cones, kids' games, Bingo, face-painting, moon bounce, balloon artist, DJ, horseshoes, volleyball, basketball and plenty of thrills!
Event Date: Sunday, April 28, 2013   Event Start Time:12:00 PM   Event End Time:6:00 PM
Event Location: Splashtown

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

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9.            Starport Volleyball -- Late Spring Reverse 4s League
Starport is thrilled to offer a Late Spring Reverse 4s Volleyball League! Registration is now open online, so sign your team up today.
Late Spring Reverse 4s Volleyball
o             Monday evenings at the Gilruth
o             Eight games per team
o             League starts on April 8
o             $175 per team
Registration:
o             March 20 to April 3
o             Must register online here
For detailed league and registration information, please visit our website or call the Gilruth information desk at 281-483-0304.
Steve Schade x30304 http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/Fitness/Sports

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10.          Blood Drive April 17 and 18
There is no substitute for blood. It has to come from one person in order to give it to another. Will there be blood available when you or your family needs it? A regular number of voluntary donations are needed every day to meet the needs for blood. Make the "Commitment to Life" by taking one hour of your time to donate blood. Your blood donation can help up to three patients.
You can donate at one of the following locations:
o             Teague Auditorium lobby: 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
o             Building 11 Starport Café donor coach: 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
o             Gilruth Center donor coach: Noon to 4 p.m. (Thursday only)
Criteria for donating can be found at the St. Luke's link on our website. T-shirts, snacks and drinks are available for all donors.
Teresa Gomez x39588 http://jscpeople.jsc.nasa.gov/blooddrv/blooddrv.htm

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11.          LEaD Application Prep Sessions
JSC is currently accepting applications for Leadership Enrichment and Development Program (LEaD) Class 3. LEaD is designed to provide GS-11 and GS-12 non-AST individual contributors and influence leaders with the opportunity to develop foundational leadership skills. Participants will participate in a year-long program consisting of four modules designed around the core competencies: Leading Change; Leading People and Coalitions; Results Driven; and Business Acumen. Elements include: online and classroom training, subject-matter expert events, book clubs with senior management, 360-feedback tool and mentorship.
If you are interested in applying for LEaD and want more details on the program and application tips, please feel free to attend the LEaD Prep Session on Tuesday, April 2, from 10 to 11 a.m. in Building 12, Conference Room 146, or Tuesday, April 9, from 1 to 2 p.m. in Building 12, Conference Room 134.
For additional information, please contact Jessica Feinstein at x40989 or Christine Eagleton at x27838.
Christine Eagleton 281-792-7838

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12.          Latest International Space Station Research
Some Human Research Program investigations don't require any on-orbit crew time at all - the data is collected on the astronauts preflight and postflight.
One example is the Physiological Factors Contributing to Postflight Changes in Functional Performance (Functional Task Test) (FTT). FTT maps physiological changes to alterations in functional performance and aids in the design of future countermeasures.
In this video, JSC Principal Investigator Jacob Bloomberg describes FTT and some of his preliminary findings.
Liz Warren x35548

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13.          Summer Water-Bots Camps
The Aerospace Academy at San Jacinto College is offering an outstanding opportunity for students to experience the excitement of underwater robotics!
Beginner Camps (June 17 to 20 and June 24 to 27): Experience will include basic electronics instruction, an introduction to soldering, tours of JSC, professional speakers and much more.
Intermediate Camps (July 15 to 18 and July 22 to 25): Requires campers with previous robotic experience. Camp experience will include constructing algorithms in scripting languages such as Python/Matlab/Scilab; working with Arduino boards, sensors and shields; methods of making underwater robotics using a tether system; and much more.
Cost: $250
Email for more information.
Sara Malloy x46803 http://www.aerospace-academy.org

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14.          Confined Space Entry 8:30 a.m.; and Lockout/Tagout 1 p.m. -- April 15, Building 20, Room 205/206
Confined Space Entry: The purpose of this course is to provide employees with the standards, procedures and requirements necessary for safe entry to and operations in confined spaces. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard 29 CFR 1910.146, "Confined Space," is the basis for this course. The course covers the hazards of working in or around a confined space and the precautions one should take to control these hazards. A comprehensive test will be offered at the end of the class. Use this direct link for registration.
https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHEDULED_...
Lockout/Tagout: The purpose of this course is to provide employees with the standards, procedures and requirements necessary for the control of hazardous energy through lockout and tagout of energy-isolating devices. OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.147, "The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout)," is the basis for this course. A comprehensive test will be offered at the end of the class. Use this direct link for registration. https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHEDULED_...
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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16.          Fire Protection and Prevention in Construction ViTS: May 10 - Building 17, Room 2026
SMA-SAFE-NSTC-0070: This basic course introduces students to the recognition of potential fire hazards and procedures required to meet Occupational Safety and Health Administration 1926.150 - Fire Protection; 1926.151 - Fire Prevention; 1926.152 - Flammable and Combustible Liquids; 1926.153 - Liquefied Petroleum Gas; 1926.154 - Temporary Heating Devices; 1926.155 - Definitions to This Subpart F to Minimize Losses Due to Fires. There will be a final exam associated with this course, which must be passed with a 70 percent minimum score to receive course credit.
https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHEDULED_...
Event Date: Friday, May 10, 2013   Event Start Time:9:30 AM   Event End Time:12:30 PM
Event Location: Bldg. 17 Room 2026

Add to Calendar

Shirley Robinson x41284

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17.          Do You Have a Telescope You Don't Know How to Use?
Do you have a telescope you don't know how to use? Take a class at the George Observatory. We will be offering two classes on April 6. The first class will be on how to use a refracting or reflecting telescope, and starts at 2:30 p.m. (cost - $30). The second class will be how to use a go-to telescope, and starts at 4:30 p.m. (cost - $35). For more information about these classes and to purchase tickets for a class, visit this website.
Note: Park entrance fees apply -- $7 per person for everyone over 12 years old.
Megan Hashier 281-226-4179 http://www.hmns.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=589&Ite...

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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: 2 pm Central (3 EDT) – Russian State Comm meeting & E35/36 pre-launch news conf

Human Spaceflight News
Wednesday, March 27, 2013

The Dragon returns with splashdown at 12:34 pm EDT Tuesday off the Baja coast (SpaceX photo)

HEADLINES AND LEADS

SpaceX Dragon cargo ship splashes into Pacific

Marcia Dunn - Associated Press

The SpaceX Dragon capsule returned to Earth on Tuesday with a full science load from the International Space Station — and a bunch of well-used children's Legos. The privately owned cargo ship splashed down in the Pacific right on target, 250 miles off the coast of Mexico's Baja Peninsula, five hours after leaving the orbiting lab. The California-based SpaceX confirmed the Dragon's safe arrival via Twitter. "Special delivery! Dragon now being recovered in the Pacific," the company said in a tweet.

SpaceX Dragon capsule returns from International Space Station

Irene Klotz - Reuters

A Space Exploration Technologies' Dragon cargo capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, bringing back science experiments and gear from the International Space Station. The spacecraft left the orbital outpost at 6:56 a.m. ET, and parachuted into the ocean about 225 miles west of Mexico's Baja California at 12:34 p.m. ET. "Recovery ship just heard the sonic booms from Dragon re-entry and has data transmission lock," Elon Musk, founder and chief executive of the privately held company known as SpaceX, wrote on Twitter just before splashdown.

Second Dragon Cargo Mission Splashes Down Safely

Mark Carreau - Aviation Week

SpaceX retrieval crews began recovery of the company's Dragon CRS-2 resupply craft from Pacific waters off the coast of Baja, Calif., on March 26, following its departure from the International Space Station and a successful plunge through the Earth's atmosphere. Slowed by three parachutes, the unpiloted capsule splashed down 200 mi. west of Baja at 12:34 p.m. EDT, with a nearly 2,700-lb. cargo of research gear and equipment for distribution to scientists, refurbishment or disposal. "Dragon splashed down safely in the Pacific," SpaceX announced by Twitter. "Welcome home."

SpaceX fired up after 2nd Dragon success
Spacecraft back on Earth with ISS cargo after 23-day trip

Todd Halvorson - Florida Today

A cargo-carrying SpaceX capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean Tuesday, completing a successful, 23-day round trip to the International Space Station. "That's great news," U.S. astronaut Thomas Marshburn said when Mission Control told the outpost crew the Dragon spacecraft had finished a 10-minute engine firing that dropped it out of orbit. "That's incredible. We wish them well," added station commander Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency.

SpaceX Dragon capsule splashes down with ton of space station cargo

Alan Boyle - NBCNews.com's Cosmic Log

SpaceX said its robotic Dragon capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, bringing back more than a ton of cargo from the International Space Station. "Welcome home!" the California-based company said in a Twitter update, heralding the Dragon's return to Earth after more than three weeks in space. SpaceX said its recovery crew watched the spacecraft descend to the sea at the end of its parachutes, and a ship headed to the site to haul the capsule aboard and bring it back to port. "Time to go fishing!" the Canadian Space Agency said in a congratulatory tweet.

SpaceX Dragon Completes Space Station Mission

Deborah Crowe – Los Angeles Times

SpaceX's Dragon capsule returned to Earth on Tuesday after a nearly month-long supply mission to the International Space Station. The unmanned cargo ship, operated by Hawthorne's Space Exploration Technologies Corp., splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off Mexico's Baja Peninsula this morning. It returned with about a ton of completed science projects and refuse from the space station. "Special delivery! Dragon now being recovered in the Pacific," SpaceX announced in a tweet. The company, which has a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to supply the space station, is run by billionaire Elon Musk, who also owns electric car developer Tesla Motors. The recovered reusable capsule is scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, and will be shipped to Texas for unloading. (NO FURTHER TEXT)

SpaceX Dragon splashes down in Pacific ending second supply mission

Lee Roop - Huntsville Times

The SpaceX Dragon capsule splashed down in the Pacific at 11: 34 a.m. CDT Tuesday, March 26, 2013, to end a second successful resupply mission of the International Space Station by the California company. The mission was a success despite a bumpy start when some of the Dragon's maneuvering engines would not fire shortly after takeoff. SpaceX engineers solved that problem and got the engines working again, and the remainder of the mission went off without a hitch. The Dragon returned with more than 3,000 pounds of space station cargo and packaging. Returning science samples include experiments in how microgravity affects the growth of plant seeds, the human body and semiconductors, NASA says. SpaceX is the first of several private companies planning to resupply the space station while NASA moves on to other projects. It is the farthest along in the ultimate race to ferry astronauts to and from the station as well as cargo.
(NO FURTHER TEXT)

SpaceX brings home Dragon with 2,700 pounds of cargo

Stephen Clark - SpaceflightNow.com

A suite of refrigerated biomedical research samples and other equipment traveled from the International Space Station back to Earth on Tuesday, nestled inside a commercial Dragon spaceship completing a 25-day resupply flight to the orbiting scientific laboratory. The Dragon spacecraft, blackened by the searing heat of atmospheric re-entry, splashed down in the Pacific Ocean under parachutes at 12:34 p.m. EDT (1634 GMT), hitting a bullseye aim point about 200 miles west of Baja California.

Splashdown! SpaceX Dragon Capsule Returns to Earth

Miriam Kramer - Space.com

An unmanned Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) space capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean March 26, reaching the wet finish line of the spaceflight company's second cargo delivery flight to the international space station for NASA. The Dragon space capsule left the space station early March 26 and, under bright red and white parachutes, splashed into the Pacific at 12:34 p.m. EDT. The capsule was aimed at a drop zone about 344 kilometers off the coast of Baja California, Mexico.

Dragon returns to Earth with 'space fish,' toothpaste research

David Ewalt - Forbes

SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft successfully returned from its mission to the International Space Station on Wednesday, delivering 1,200 pounds of supplies and returning with more than 2,300 pounds of cargo, including "space fish" and an experiment meant to help improve the shelf life of toothpaste. The CRS-2 supply mission, operated by privately-owned Hawthorne, California-based SpaceX, lifted off successfully on a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on March 1st. Approximately 15 minutes after launch, an on-board Dragon spacecraft separated from the rocket and made its way to the International Space Station; after docking on March 3rd, the craft spent three weeks attached to the ISS while astronauts unloaded crew supplies and scientific materials for 160 different experiments, and then refilled the vehicle with an assortment of cargo.

SpaceX Breathes Success as Dragon Roars Back to Earth

Ben Evans - AmericaSpace.com

Less than a month after its rousing launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., SpaceX's CRS-2 Dragon cargo ship was Tuesday recovered from the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Early indications suggest that the commercial spacecraft's unberthing and release from the International Space Station, followed by three burns of its Draco thrusters, the de-orbit burn, and the descent itself, proceeded without incident.

State panel to approve makeup of Soyuz spaceship int'l crew

Itar-Tass

The State Commission at the Baikonur space launch center is to deliver a final verdict on the composition of an international crew of next long-duration expedition to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a Soyuz spaceship that will set out on a journey to orbit on March 29. A Commission member told Itar-Tass, "If nothing unforeseen occurs, Russian cosmonauts Pavel Vinogradov and Alexander Misurkin and American astronaut Christopher Cassidy will set out on the journey aboard the Soyuz TMA-08M spaceship Friday".

Strange visitor, the Super Guppy, lands at Hanscom

Laura Crimaldi - Boston Globe

A massive cargo aircraft known as the Super Guppy landed Tuesday at Hanscom Air Force Base to deliver a heat shield for the NASA spacecraft Orion. The heat shield is in the area to have a protective coating known as Avcoat applied to it at Textron Defense Systems in Wilmington, according to NASA. It will arrive at Textron on Wednesday, said Brandi Dean, a NASA spokeswoman.

Kazakhstan to host meeting of Kazakhstan-Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Baikonur complex

Anar Bazmukhametova - BNews Service (BNews.kz)

First meeting of the Kazakhstan-Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Baikonur complex will be held in Baikonur. On March 28-29 there will be the first meeting of Baikonur Kazakhstan-Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Baikonur complex. The sides will discuss various issues on Baikonur complex as well as socio-economic issues and further development of the city of Baikonur. Also, the participants of the meeting will watch the launch of the manned spacecraft "Soyuz-TMA-08M" from the Baikonur cosmodrome.

Russia May Build Own Space Station From New Modules – Energia

RIA Novosti

Russia may use future modules of its segment of the International Space Station (ISS) to build its own orbital station, a senior space industry official said on Tuesday. Russia is planning to launch four new ISS modules – a multirole laboratory module (MLM), a node module and two science-power modules – by 2020, when the time comes to de-orbit the existing international outpost in space.

Russia may build own space station

Indo-Asian News Service (IANS)

Russia may use future modules of its segment of the International Space Station (ISS) to build its own orbital station, a senior space industry official said. Russia is planning to launch four new ISS modules - a multirole laboratory module (MLM), a node module and two science-power modules - by 2020, when the time comes to de-orbit the existing international outpost in space. "If the need arises, we could undock the new modules (from the ISS), starting with the MLM, and they will serve as a foundation for a new generation Russian space station," said Alexander Derechin, deputy chief designer for Russia's space corporation RKK Energia.

Russia eyes lunar fly-by expedition beyond 2030

Xinhua News Service

Russia plans to send a manned spacecraft to fly by the Moon after 2030, a local official said Tuesday. "This task has set for (a period) after 2030," said Anatoly Malchenko, deputy head of the Central Research Institute of Machine Building (TsNIIMash), which is managed by the Russian federal space agency Roscosmos. The United States planned to fly by the Moon in 2021, Malchenko told an innovation forum.

Xcor tests piston pump-fed rocket engine

Zach Rosenberg - FlightInternational.com

Xcor has successfully fired its wholly piston pump-fed rocket, the first of its kind, a major milestone in the company's quest to build a reusable suborbital vehicle. The burn lasted 67s, roughly half the planned full burn time of 150s. Previous long-duration burns have been made with kerosene, but with a different system for the liquid oxygen. "Through use of our proprietary rocket propellant piston pumps we deliver both kerosene and liquid oxygen to our rocket engines and eliminate the need for heavy, high-pressure fuel and oxidizer tanks. It also enables our propulsion system to fly multiple times per day and last for tens of thousands of flights," says XCOR Chief Executive Officer Jeff Greason. "This is one more step toward a significant reduction in per-flight cost and turnaround time, while increasing overall flight safety."

Space Shuttle Enterprise Added to Historic Places Registry

Robert Pearlman - collectSPACE.com

The Enterprise, NASA's original prototype space shuttle, is now more than just a historic spacecraft. It is a historic place, too. Located at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City, the test orbiter has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, becoming the first of NASA's retired space shuttles to receive the distinction. "We are extremely proud to be the home of the space shuttle Enterprise," Susan Marenoff-Zausner, president of the Intrepid, said in a statement. "It is an honor to receive this distinction from the National Park Service."

Apollo 13 Souvenir Rakes In $84,100 in Space History Auction

Miriam Kramer - Space.com

A keepsake from NASA's nearly disastrous Apollo 13 moon mission of 1970 nabbed top spot in an auction Monday of more than 300 artifacts from the early years of the U.S. space program. The space history artifacts — sold by Bonhams — included an engine burn note detailing how the crew can return to Earth annotated by astronaut Jim Lovell during the Apollo 13 mission that went for $84,100 and various items from the space agency's first mission to the moon.

Don't send Bruce Willis to do a robot's job

Jeff Foust – SpacePolitics.com

The Senate Commerce Committee's space subcommittee hearing last Wednesday on "Assessing the Risks, Impacts, and Solutions for Space Threats" was seen by many as the Senate's counterpart to a House Science Committee hearing the day before on the subject of threats posed by near Earth objects (NEOs).

Miners shoot for the stars in tech race

Amy Coopes - Agence France Presse

A self-sustaining mechanised colony that mines and exports resources from the Moon could be a reality within a generation, helping to meet demand for materials key to innovation on Earth. That was the view of a recent gathering in Sydney aimed at bringing together some of the top minds in space exploration with firms hoping to cash in on the final frontier of mining: astronomical bodies. "There's nothing really science-fiction about any of this," explained Andrew Dempster, from the Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research. "It's about joining the dots, and I think we've got to the point where people are saying 'yeah, we can do this'". In some ways the trail has been forged; man has landed six times on the Moon and is in the process of demonstrating that drilling -- albeit in small quantities -- is possible on Mars with NASA's rovers.

Who Has the Right to Mine an Asteroid?

Glenn Harlan Reynolds - Popular Mechanics (Opinion)

(Reynolds is a contributing editor, University of Tennessee professor & co-author - with Robert Merges - of Outer Space: Problems of Law and Policy)

Suddenly, the idea of asteroid mining is everywhere. As a recent feature here in Popular Mechanics noted, asteroid mining has gone from a "someday" idea to a business plan for more than one company. As a professor who's been writing, teaching, and practicing space law since the 1980s, I say, why not? Asteroids are valuable, they're out there, and they are free for the taking. Or are they?
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COMPLETE STORIES

SpaceX Dragon cargo ship splashes into Pacific

Marcia Dunn - Associated Press

The SpaceX Dragon capsule returned to Earth on Tuesday with a full science load from the International Space Station — and a bunch of well-used children's Legos.

The privately owned cargo ship splashed down in the Pacific right on target, 250 miles off the coast of Mexico's Baja Peninsula, five hours after leaving the orbiting lab. The California-based SpaceX confirmed the Dragon's safe arrival via Twitter.

"Special delivery! Dragon now being recovered in the Pacific," the company said in a tweet.

The capsule brought back more than 1 ton of science experiments and old station equipment, as well as 13 toy sets of Lego building blocks that were used by space station crews over the past couple years to teach children about science.

It's the only supply ship capable of two-way delivery. With the space shuttles retired, NASA is paying SpaceX more than $1 billion for a dozen resupply missions.

The unmanned capsule will be shipped to Los Angeles — arriving Wednesday night — and then trucked to Texas for unloading.

Earlier in the day, astronauts released the unmanned capsule from the end of the space station's giant robot arm. The 250-mile-high parting was a poignant moment for the three space station's residents, who helped to snare the Dragon three weeks earlier.

"Sad to see the Dragon go," astronaut Thomas Marshburn told Mission Control. "Performed her job beautifully. Heading back to her lair. Wish her all the best for the splashdown today."

The Dragon used old-NASA-style parachutes to plop into the ocean; company officials indicated all appeared to go well during the re-entry.

SpaceX launched the capsule from Cape Canaveral at the beginning of March. Mechanical trouble delayed the capsule's arrival at the space station by a day. SpaceX flight controllers at company headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif., managed to fix the problem within hours.

Bad weather at mission's end in the Pacific recovery zone kept it in orbit an extra day.

Once the Dragon pulls into port, NASA will retrieve the science samples meticulously collected over the weeks and months by space station astronauts, as well as experiments that flew up with Dragon, including hundreds of flowering weeds. Mouse stem cells stayed behind on the space station, at the request of the Japanese researchers.

Old space station equipment and other items aboard the Dragon will be removed by SpaceX in McGregor, Texas. In all, more than 1 ton of gear — 2,668 pounds — was loaded into the capsule.

SpaceX — Space Exploration Technologies Corp. — is run by billionaire Elon Musk, who made his fortune as a co-creator of PayPal. He also owns the electric car maker Tesla Motors.

This was the second flight of a Dragon to the space station under the $1.6 billion contract with NASA, and the third delivery mission altogether for SpaceX. The next flight is slated for late fall.

A competitor, Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va., plans a test flight of its Antares rocket and a dummy payload next month. That launch will be conducted from Wallops Island, Va. Orbital, too, has a NASA contract to deliver supplies.

Russia, Japan and Europe also periodically send up supplies, but SpaceX has the only craft capable of returning goods. All the others burn up upon re-entry.

Three astronauts are aboard the space station right now. They will be joined by three more following Thursday's Soyuz launch from Kazakhstan.

With its space shuttles now museum pieces, NASA is paying Russia to launch U.S. astronauts until SpaceX or another American company comes up with spaceships than can safely fly crews. Musk anticipates that happening by 2015 with a modified Dragon.

SpaceX Dragon capsule returns from International Space Station

Irene Klotz - Reuters

A Space Exploration Technologies' Dragon cargo capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, bringing back science experiments and gear from the International Space Station.

The spacecraft left the orbital outpost at 6:56 a.m. ET, and parachuted into the ocean about 225 miles west of Mexico's Baja California at 12:34 p.m. ET.

"Recovery ship just heard the sonic booms from Dragon re-entry and has data transmission lock," Elon Musk, founder and chief executive of the privately held company known as SpaceX, wrote on Twitter just before splashdown.

A minute later, recovery ship personnel reported seeing Dragon's parachutes, Musk said.

"Recovery ship has secured Dragon," Musk wrote. "Cargo looks A-OK."

The ship will take the capsule to the Port of Los Angeles, near the company's Hawthorne, California, headquarters, a journey expected to take about 30 hours.

Dragon's return began 252 miles above Earth when astronauts aboard the station used a robotic crane to pluck the capsule from its berthing port and set it into orbit.

SpaceX flight controllers then stepped in and remotely commanded Dragon to fire its steering thrusters and begin the 5.5-hour journey home.

"It looks beautiful from here," station flight engineer Thomas Marshburn radioed to Mission Control in Houston as the capsule flew away.

"Sad to see the Dragon go. Performed her job beautifully, heading back to her lair. Wish her all the best for the splashdown today," Marshburn said.

The Dragon cargo ship reached the station on March 3 with more than 2,300 pounds (1,043 kg) of science equipment, spare parts, food and supplies. It was the second of 12 planned cargo runs for NASA under a $1.6 billion contract. A second freighter, built and operated by Orbital Sciences Corp, is expected to debut this year.

The U.S. space agency hired both firms to fill the gap left by the retirement of its space shuttle fleet in 2011.

Dragon's arrival was delayed a day while SpaceX engineers grappled with a thruster pod problem that had threatened to derail the mission.

"I don't want to go through that again. That was hard-core," Musk said during a keynote speech at the South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas, earlier this month.

Precision rendezvous

Engineers believe the glitch was caused by a blockage in a pressurization line or a stuck valve. It was cleared and the capsule made a precision rendezvous with the station with no problems. An investigation remains under way, said company spokeswoman Christina Ra.

Dragon returned to Earth with 2,668 (1,210 kg) of cargo, including a freezer filled with biological samples from the crew for medical research.

While Russian, European and Japanese freighters also service the station, only the SpaceX vessel is designed to return cargo to Earth, a critical transportation link that had been lost with the retirement of the shuttles.

SpaceX is working to upgrade the Dragon capsule to fly people as well. A test flight with company astronauts is targeted for 2016.

In addition to enhancing the Dragon capsules, SpaceX is working on an upgraded Falcon 9 rocket. Last week, the rocket's new Merlin engines completed a 28th and final test run, certifying it for flight, Ra said.

The company plans to debut its upgraded Falcon 9 rocket on a science satellite-delivery mission for the Canadian Space Agency in June.

That rocket also will be the first flight from SpaceX's new launch pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Five previous Falcon 9 flights have launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Dragon's return initially was scheduled for Monday, but it was docked an extra day because of high seas in the Pacific.

Meanwhile, Orbital Sciences Corp, which holds an eight-flight, $1.9 billion NASA contract for station resupply flights, plans to test launch its new Antares rocket as early as April 16 from the commercial Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

Orbital's Cygnus cargo capsule is targeted to make a demonstration run to the space station later in the year.

Second Dragon Cargo Mission Splashes Down Safely

Mark Carreau - Aviation Week

SpaceX retrieval crews began recovery of the company's Dragon CRS-2 resupply craft from Pacific waters off the coast of Baja, Calif., on March 26, following its departure from the International Space Station and a successful plunge through the Earth's atmosphere.

Slowed by three parachutes, the unpiloted capsule splashed down 200 mi. west of Baja at 12:34 p.m. EDT, with a nearly 2,700-lb. cargo of research gear and equipment for distribution to scientists, refurbishment or disposal.

"Dragon splashed down safely in the Pacific," SpaceX announced by Twitter. "Welcome home."

"Recovery ship has secured Dragon," Elon Musk, SpaceX founder and chief engineer, added by Twitter at 1 p.m. EDT. "Cargo looks A-OK."

The recovery marked the end of a 25-day flight, the second launched by Hawthorne, Calif.-based SpaceX under a $1.6 billion, 12-mission NASA Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract awarded in late 2008. The Dragon CRS-3 mission is currently scheduled for a late September liftoff.

"Sad to see Dragon go. She performed her job beautifully," U.S. astronaut Tom Marshburn informed NASA's Mission Control as he released the supply craft from the grasp of the station's 58-ft.-long Canadian robot arm at 6:56 a.m. EDT. Marshburn, assisted by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, worked from a robot arm control post in the station's Cupola observation deck. The 10-min. braking maneuver that started Dragon's descent kicked off at 11:42 a.m. EDT.

Dragon's return cargo was dominated by U.S., European, Japanese and Canadian research equipment, including frozen medical specimens supporting experiments focused on human adaptation to weightlessness.

The capsule's return cargo included an investigation of skeletal changes in Medaka fish, which occupied a space station aquarium; protein crystals grown in space; plant samples cultured to evaluate their response to weightlessness; and the long-running Spheres experiment, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology investigation into the autonomous control of multiple satellites. Other returning equipment included spacewalk tools and discarded food containers.

The SpaceX recovery fleet — a 100-ft.-long primary retrieval ship with hoist, crew vessel with a mission communications link and two smaller inflatable boats — will head for the Port of Los Angeles, where the highest priority research materials will be offloaded and flown to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston for distribution to scientists.

The recovery fleet should reach port by late March 27. The reusable capsule will be trucked to a SpaceX rocket proving ground in McGregor, Texas, for further processing.

Launched from Cape Canaveral atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on March 1, the CRS-2 Dragon spacecraft reached the station two days later, once SpaceX flight controllers overcame early difficulties with the thruster system crucial to orbital maneuvers and attitude control.

Dragon's delivery included its first ISS external cargo, a pair of grapple bars that will be installed on space station radiators during spacewalks set for later this year, and nearly 1,300 lb. of research gear and internal supplies.

SpaceX fired up after 2nd Dragon success
Spacecraft back on Earth with ISS cargo after 23-day trip

Todd Halvorson - Florida Today

A cargo-carrying SpaceX capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean Tuesday, completing a successful, 23-day round trip to the International Space Station.

"That's great news," U.S. astronaut Thomas Marshburn said when Mission Control told the outpost crew the Dragon spacecraft had finished a 10-minute engine firing that dropped it out of orbit.

"That's incredible. We wish them well," added station commander Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency.

The parachute-assisted return to Earth concluded at about 12:34 p.m. EDT Tuesday.

"SPLASHDOWN! At 9:34 a.m. PT, #Dragon splashed down safely in the Pacific. Welcome home!" the company tweeted.

SpaceX ships and personnel already were on hand at the recovery zone 214 miles off the coast of Baja California. The return had been scheduled for Monday but rough seas prompted a one-day delay.

The SpaceX recovery fleet includes a 185-foot barge equipped with cranes to lift the spacecraft onto the vessel. A smaller crew boat carries engineers and a dive team. Two rigid-hulled inflatable boats round out the fleet.

The Dragon capsule is loaded with 2,668 pounds of experiment equipment and science samples.

The mission was SpaceX's second of at least 12 under a $1.6 billion NASA resupply contract.

SpaceX Dragon capsules are the only spacecraft capable of returning large amounts of cargo to Earth now that the U.S. shuttle fleet is retired. Other station resupply ships are filled with trash and deliberately incinerated during atmospheric re-entry.

The Dragon should be returned to the Port of Los Angeles late today.

Launched March 1 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the Dragon overcame thruster trouble and reached the station two days later. More than a ton of supplies were delivered to the station.

The commercial cargo carrier departed the orbital laboratory complex at 6:56 a.m. EDT Tuesday. The capsule had been grappled with the station's Canadian-built robot arm, and then moved off of the Earth-facing port of the U.S. Harmony module.

The space station and the Dragon were flying about 252 miles above the southwest coast of Australia at the time.

"There goes Dragon away from the arm," said NASA mission commentator Josh Byerly.

"Looks both beautiful and nominal from here," Hadfield said.

SpaceX flight controllers then executed a series of three thruster firings, pushing the Dragon out of the station's immediate vicinity. The Dragon began a 56-minute atmospheric re-entry at 11:42 a.m. EDT Tuesday.

Coming up on Thursday, U.S. astronaut Chris Cassidy and Russian cosmonauts Pavel Vinogradov and Alexander Misurkin are scheduled to blast off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Their six-hour flight to the outpost will mark the first same-day launch-to-docking at the International Space Station. Two-day trips have been the norm since the first expedition crew opened the orbiting laboratory complex in November 2000.

The three-man crew already onboard also includes Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko.

SpaceX Dragon capsule splashes down with ton of space station cargo

Alan Boyle - NBCNews.com's Cosmic Log

SpaceX said its robotic Dragon capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, bringing back more than a ton of cargo from the International Space Station.

"Welcome home!" the California-based company said in a Twitter update, heralding the Dragon's return to Earth after more than three weeks in space. SpaceX said its recovery crew watched the spacecraft descend to the sea at the end of its parachutes, and a ship headed to the site to haul the capsule aboard and bring it back to port.

"Time to go fishing!" the Canadian Space Agency said in a congratulatory tweet.

The on-time splashdown came at 12:34 p.m. ET, five and a half hours after the Dragon was released from the grip of the space station's robotic arm. "It looks both beautiful and nominal from here," Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, the station's commander, reported as the orbital outpost flew 256 miles (411 kilometers) above the Pacific.

NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn said he was "sad to see the Dragon go. ... Performed her job beautifully, heading back to her lair."

This marks the third time that SpaceX's commercial cargo craft has made a round trip to the space station. The first visit, in May 2012, showed NASA that the California-based company could deliver payloads safely. Last October, another Dragon took on the first of 12 cargo runs under the terms of a $1.6 billion contract with the space agency. This latest mission launched on March 1, carrying 1,200 pounds (544 kilograms) of supplies and equipment.

SpaceX had to cope with a post-launch glitch involving the Dragon's thruster system, but the mission went swimmingly after that. Astronauts unloaded the cargo soon after its was brought in for its berthing at the station, and then refilled it with 2,600 pounds (1,180 kilograms) of payload items due to be returned to Earth — including scientific experiments, station hardware and trash. Packaging brought the total weight past the 3,000-pound (1,360-kilogram) mark, SpaceX said.

NASA said the plant samples that were brought back from the station could help scientists enhance crop production on Earth and develop food production systems for future space missions. Other experiments carried by the Dragon could help in the development of more efficient solar cells, detergents and electronics.

The returned cargo also included 13 sets of Lego toy blocks that went up to the station two years ago aboard the shuttle Endeavour. The blocks were used by the astronauts in educational videos to demonstrate how machines work in weightlessness. One of the kits, a 3-foot-long (meter-long) scale model of the space station, was so bulky that it would have collapsed under its own weight in Earth's gravity.

Dragon's return was originally scheduled for Monday, but "fairly aggressive" seas at the intended splashdown zone forced a one-day postponement, NASA spokesman Josh Byerly said. The weather was better on Tuesday, and the splashdown target was a couple of hundred miles nearer to shore, at a point in the Pacific 214 miles (344 kilometers) west of Baja California.

SpaceX's billionaire founder, Elon Musk, said the capsule was secured aboard its recovery ship without incident. "Cargo looks A ok," he reported in a Twitter update.

The ship is due to make a 30-hour voyage back to the port of Los Angeles, where time-sensitive biological samples will be offloaded. Then the Dragon and its remaining cargo will be trucked to SpaceX's facility in McGregor, Texas.

The next SpaceX cargo run is scheduled at the end of September. Another company, Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corp., is working on a second commercial delivery system that's due for its first test launch next month. But only the Dragon is capable of bringing significant amounts of cargo back to Earth.

NASA selected SpaceX and Orbital to help fill the gap left by the retirement of the space shuttle fleet in 2011. Russian, European and Japanese cargo craft also service the space station. For now, Russia's Soyuz capsules are the only spacecraft that transport people to and from the station, but NASA intends to have U.S.-built commercial spaceships — perhaps including an upgraded version of the Dragon — carrying astronauts within five years.

SpaceX brings home Dragon with 2,700 pounds of cargo

Stephen Clark - SpaceflightNow.com

A suite of refrigerated biomedical research samples and other equipment traveled from the International Space Station back to Earth on Tuesday, nestled inside a commercial Dragon spaceship completing a 25-day resupply flight to the orbiting scientific laboratory.

The Dragon spacecraft, blackened by the searing heat of atmospheric re-entry, splashed down in the Pacific Ocean under parachutes at 12:34 p.m. EDT (1634 GMT), hitting a bullseye aim point about 200 miles west of Baja California.

Designed, built and operated by SpaceX, the California-based space firm founded by Elon Musk, the capsule arrived on Earth less than six hours after departing the space station with nearly 2,668 pounds of cargo strapped inside the craft's shirtsleeve-environment cabin.

Recovery boats were on hand to retrieve the floating capsule and hoist the gumdrop-shaped spaceship on deck to sail to the Port of Los Angeles, where it was supposed to arrive as soon as Wednesday.

NASA plans to take charge of the most sensitive experiment samples in Los Angeles and fly the cargo back to laboratories in Houston. The rest of the equipment will be handed over to NASA once SpaceX transports the capsule to its facility in McGregor, Texas.

SpaceX has a $1.6 billion contract with NASA for at least 12 unmanned resupply missions to the space station. Tuesday's splashdown ended the second of the dozen contracted missions, coming five months after the first operational flight in October 2012.

Before the Dragon spacecraft left the space station, astronauts packed biological specimens, including bags of blood and urine, into freezers to preserve the samples for scientists on Earth. Researchers will use the samples from space station crews to study how the human body reacts to long-term spaceflight.

A SpaceX spokesperson said all the cargo was in good shape, including the refrigerated specimens, which were kept at cold temperatures throughout the descent, splashdown and recovery procedures. A freezer lost power on the Dragon's last flight in October, but no such problems occurred Tuesday, the spokesperson said.

Other science payloads returned inside the Dragon spacecraft focused on the growth of plants in space, solar power generation, the formation of crystals in metal alloys, medical diagnoses aboard the space station, and scores of other investigations.

The space station astronauts closed the hatch leading into the Dragon spacecraft Monday, and the lab's robotic arm removed the capsule from a berthing port on the complex early Tuesday. Controlled by ground controllers and then astronaut Tom Marshburn, the 58-foot arm let go of the resupply vehicle at 6:56 a.m. EDT (1056 GMT).

One minute later, the Dragon guided itself away from the space station and toward return to Earth.

"Sad to see the Dragon go," Marshburn radioed mission control in Houston. "Performed her job beautifully heading back to her lair."

A deorbit burn beginning at about 11:42 a.m. EDT (1542 GMT) put the craft on course for re-entry. Shielded by an envelope of carbon ablator, the Dragon fell through the atmosphere about a half-hour later, encountering temperatures as hot as 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit as it streaked across the Pacific Ocean toward the splashdown zone southwest of San Diego.

Parachutes unfurled to stabilize the craft as the capsule plunged into the stratosphere, then three main chutes opened at an altitude of about 10,000 feet to slow the Dragon's descent to less than 15 mph.

Recovery teams spotted the capsule before it hit the water and were alongside the spacecraft within a half-hour to begin safing operations.

The Dragon cargo carrier launched March 1 on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and almost immediately encountered trouble. Three-fourths of the spacecraft's thrusters failed to activate after deployment from the Falcon launcher, leaving SpaceX engineers scrambling to salvage the mission.

Working in a control center at SpaceX's headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif., engineers commanded the Dragon's propulsion system to open and close a series of pressurization valves, a procedure known as "pressure slamming," to resolve the problem, which Musk attributed to possible blockage in helium pressurant lines.

The Dragon spacecraft's propellant tanks were supposed to pressurize shortly after arriving in orbit, but with one of four thruster pods activated normally, the unmanned freighter was left drifting around Earth while controllers tried to fix the glitch.

SpaceX convinced NASA it had a handle on the problem, and the space agency cleared the Dragon spacecraft to approach the space station March 3, one day later than scheduled because the capsule missed a maneuver to catch up to the complex while SpaceX struggled with the propulsion system malfunction.

The Dragon delivered 1,869 pounds of supplies to the space station when it arrived March 3.

The scientific research delivered and being returned by Dragon enables advances in every aspect of NASA's diverse space station science portfolio, including human research, biology and physical sciences," said Julie Robinson, International Space Station program scientist, in a statement issued by NASA. "There are more than 200 active investigations underway aboard our orbiting laboratory in space. The scientific community has eagerly awaited the return of today's Dragon to see what new insights the returned samples and investigations it carries will unveil."

After the retirement of the space shuttle, the Dragon spacecraft is the only vehicle capable of returning large amounts of cargo from the space station to Earth. Russia's crewed Soyuz capsule can only accommodate limited cargo when landing with a three-person crew.

Space station managers value the capacity to return cargo to Earth. Some experiments require the hands-on attention and analysis of researchers on the ground, and broken components from the space station's extensive power, life support and other systems could be examined and refurbished for launch on a later mission, helping engineers understand failure modes and avoid unnecessary purchases of new hardware.

The space station's fleet of logistics vehicles also includes the Russian Progress freighter, the European Space Agency's Automated Transfer Vehicle, and Japan's H-2 Transfer Vehicle.

NASA partnered with SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corp. to design and test commercial cargo spacecraft to pick up some of the station resupply duties of the space shuttle. The space agency provided technical support and funding to support the privately-led effort.

Orbital Sciences plans to start flying its Cygnus spacecraft to the space station as soon as this summer. The first test launch of Orbital's Antares rocket is scheduled for mid-April from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Va.

Splashdown! SpaceX Dragon Capsule Returns to Earth

Miriam Kramer - Space.com

An unmanned Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) space capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean March 26, reaching the wet finish line of the spaceflight company's second cargo delivery flight to the international space station for NASA.

The Dragon space capsule left the space station early March 26 and, under bright red and white parachutes, splashed into the Pacific at 12:34 p.m. EDT. The capsule was aimed at a drop zone about 344 kilometers off the coast of Baja California, Mexico.

"At 9:35am PT, Dragon splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean," SpaceX officials wrote from Twitter. "Welcome home!"

The Dragon capsule is returning to Earth with about 2,670 pounds (1,210 kg) of cargo, including a set of LEGO toys that have been on the station for the last two years. The equipment will be returned to NASA as soon as recovery teams return the Dragon capsule to dry land.

"Sad to see the Dragon go," NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn said from inside the station when the capsule undocked. "She performed her job beautifully, now heading back to her lair."

Another space station resident wished the spacecraft well upon its departure.

"Fly little Dragon, fly, safely home again ro a soft landing in the Pacific," wrote Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency via his Twitter accound (@Cmdr_Hadfield).

SpaceX's founder, Elon Musk, also used his Twitter page (@elonmusk) to send updates about Dragon's progress.

"Recovery ship has secured Dragon. Powering down all secondary systems," Musk wrote. "Cargo looks A ok."

This is SpaceX's second of 12 contracted missions as part of a $1.6 billion deal with NASA to fly cargo to the orbiting laboratory. Once Dragon is found and recovered, it will take the team about 30 hours to get the capsule back to shore, NASA officials said in a statement.

Dragon's splashdown was originally slated for Monday (March 25), but weather concerns and high seas at its splashdown point prompted NASA and SpaceX officials to delay the undocking. None of the returning experiments should be affected by the one-day delay, NASA officials said.

The spacecraft launched toward the space station atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on March 1 from the firm's launch pad at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to deliver about 1,200 pounds (1,210 kilograms) of equipment, supplies and scientific experiments.

Currently, Dragon is the only operating cargo vessel that can bring supplies back to Earth as well as deliver them to astronauts in low-Earth orbit. Russia's Progress spacecraft, Europe's Automated Transfer Vehicles and Japan's H-2 Transfer Vehicles burn up upon re-entry into the planet's atmosphere.

SpaceX is one of two private spaceflight companies with a NASA contract for unmanned cargo delivery missions to the International Space Station. The company's next launch is scheduled for the end of September this year.

The Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corp. signed on with the space agency to make eight unmanned flights with its Antares rocket and Cygnus capsule in a deal for $1.9 billion. The Antares rocket's first test flight is scheduled for mid-April.

With the retirement of NASA's space shuttle fleet in 2011, the U.S. space agency is currently dependent on Russia's Soyuz spacecraft to ferry astronaut crews to and from the space station. NASA plans to use new private space taxis to launch American astronauts on trips to the space station once they become available.

SpaceX is one of four companies currently competing for the NASA crew launch contract. The company is developing a manned version of its Dragon capsule designed to ferry seven astronauts into low-Earth orbit and return them to Earth.

Dragon returns to Earth with 'space fish,' toothpaste research

David Ewalt - Forbes

SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft successfully returned from its mission to the International Space Station on Wednesday, delivering 1,200 pounds of supplies and returning with more than 2,300 pounds of cargo, including "space fish" and an experiment meant to help improve the shelf life of toothpaste.

The CRS-2 supply mission, operated by privately-owned Hawthorne, California-based SpaceX, lifted off successfully on a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on March 1st. Approximately 15 minutes after launch, an on-board Dragon spacecraft separated from the rocket and made its way to the International Space Station; after docking on March 3rd, the craft spent three weeks attached to the ISS while astronauts unloaded crew supplies and scientific materials for 160 different experiments, and then refilled the vehicle with an assortment of cargo.

Dragon was released from the International Space Station at 3:56am PT on Wednesday morning, and following several of engine burns to point itself in the right direction and navigate the narrow path of safe travel through Earth's atmosphere, the capsule's parachutes deployed and it splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at 9:35am PT, approximately 200 miles off the coast of Baja California.

Recovery ships secured the capsule a few minutes later, and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk reported via Twitter that the Dragon's cargo "looks a ok."

The returned cargo on the Dragon capsule includes samples from experiments meant to measure how microgravity affects living organisms, including several "space fish" that have lived on the station since October 2012. Japanese researchers will now study how the bone density of the Medaka fish has changed over time, helping them understand similar changes that occur in human astronauts.

Dragon also returns new research meant to benefit scientists trying to improve the shelf life of consumer products like toothpaste and laundry detergent. The Advanced Colloids Experiment-M-1 was performed on behalf of Procter & Gamble, and took advantage of the station's microgravity to study how microscopic particles spread out and clump together in gels and creams: "Particle additives can make a product last longer by maintaining its consistency, but they sink and clump together after a certain amount of time, which can spoil a product. It's difficult to study these dynamics on Earth because gravity gets in the way, making the space station an ideal research platform for these important industrial processes," NASA explained in a statement.

Elon Musk, a billionaire entrepreneur also known for starting PayPal (now a subsidiary of eBay) and electric-car company Tesla Motors, founded SpaceX in 2002; the company went on to develop its own launch vehicle, the Falcon 9 rocket, and its own spacecraft, called the Dragon. In 2008, NASA awarded contracts to deliver cargo to the International Space Station to SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corporation. The CRS-2 mission is the second of twelve missions SpaceX is contracted to send to the ISS.

SpaceX is also a leading contender to provide crew transport to and from the space station: In August 2012, the company was awarded $440 million to develop crew transport vehicles as part of NASA's ongoing Commercial Crew Development program, along with Sierra Nevada Corporation (which received $212.5 million) and Boeing (which received $460 million).

SpaceX Breathes Success as Dragon Roars Back to Earth

Ben Evans - AmericaSpace.com

Less than a month after its rousing launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., SpaceX's CRS-2 Dragon cargo ship was Tuesday recovered from the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Early indications suggest that the commercial spacecraft's unberthing and release from the International Space Station, followed by three burns of its Draco thrusters, the de-orbit burn, and the descent itself, proceeded without incident.

Recent tweets from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk also indicate that the 2,668 pounds of science payload returned from the space station is intact, although it will be several days before detailed NASA examinations at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, verifies this.

Originally scheduled to occur yesterday, the return of CRS-2—which represents SpaceX's second dedicated cargo mission under a $1.6 billion Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA—was postponed by 24 hours, due to predicted high seas in the primary splashdown zone, off the western coast of Baja California. Early this morning, Expedition 35 Commander Chris Hadfield and Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn, based inside the space station's multi-windowed cupola, oversaw the intricate procedure to unberth Dragon from the nadir (Earth-facing) port of the Harmony node. Physical separation of the cargo craft from the node occurred at 4:10 a.m. EDT (8:10 a.m. GMT), with Dragon firmly in the grasp of the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm. Marshburn gingerly maneuvered Dragon to a release position, about 30 feet "below" the ISS, and the two vehicles finally parted company at 6:56 a.m. EDT (10:56 a.m. GMT).

Backdropped by spectacular views of Earth, SpaceX's baby then proceeded to execute a pair of burns of its Draco maneuvering thrusters to depart the vicinity of the space station. Both burns were complete within a few minutes of release and a third burn at 7:07 a.m. EDT (11:07 a.m. GMT) finally pushed the cargo craft beyond the boundaries of the Keep-Out Sphere, a collision-avoidance zone which extends approximately 200 meters around the ISS. After passing this point, SpaceX—the Hawthorne, Calif.-based organization responsible for building both Dragon and its launch vehicle, the Falcon 9—assumed primary control for the impending return to Earth. In the meantime, aboard the station, Hadfield and Marshburn completed the safing of Canadarm2 after a job well done.

Despite a troubled start, CRS-2 has proven a remarkable success and an indicator that, once again, SpaceX can rebound from real-time difficulties to accomplish its primary goals. Last October, the CRS-1 mission's Falcon 9 booster experienced an engine-out anomaly, 80 seconds after launch, which doomed a small "piggyback" Orbcomm satellite, yet still provided the impetus to deliver Dragon to the International Space Station. Then, in the minutes following the launch of CRS-2 just three weeks ago, on 1 March, a glitch occurred with Dragon's maneuvering thrusters which threatened to ruin the mission. Within hours, however, the hard work of SpaceX controllers remarkably reversed CRS-2's fortunes and a triumphant berthing with the space station was concluded on 3 March.

The ten-minute de-orbit burn, which commenced today at 11:40 a.m. EDT (3:40 p.m. GMT), demonstrated that the troubleshooting associated with the Draco thrusters had worked. Shortly afterwards, the pressurized capsule—laden with 2,668 pounds of scientific samples from human research, biology and biotechnology studies, physical science investigations, and educational activities—and its unpressurized Trunk parted company. The latter burned up in the dense upper atmosphere, whilst the former plunged toward a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. Dragon's drogue parachute was deployed at 12:28 p.m. EDT (4:28 p.m. GMT), at an altitude of 45,000 feet, slowing the craft, followed by a trio of red-and-white main canopies at 12:30 p.m. EDT (4:30 p.m. GMT), at 10,000 feet. Seconds later, the first visual sighting of the spacecraft was made by the crew of the recovery vessel, American Islander. On hand to receive Dragon were tracking gear, a team of engineers and technicians, a full diving team, and a large A-frame to lift the capsule from the water.

Splashdown was confirmed at 12:34 p.m. EDT (4:34 p.m. GMT), several hundred miles off the western coast of Baja California, and SpaceX was among the first to announce success on its Twitter page. The organization has now supported three Dragon missions in less than a year, whilst fellow award-winner in the Commercial Resupply Services contract—Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va.—has yet to test-launch its Antares booster, much less fly a demo mission of its own Cygnus cargo craft to the ISS. As a result, SpaceX is the United States' only home-grown vehicle, launched from home soil, with the capability to transport payload to and from the International Space Station. Two thousand pounds of payload is a far cry from the enormous payload capacity of the shuttle, but coming from a commercial concern the accomplishments of SpaceX cannot be underestimated.

"The scientific research delivered and being returned by Dragon enables advances in every aspect of NASA's diverse space station science portfolio, including human research, biology, and physical sciences," said ISS Program Scientist Julie Robinson. "There are more than 200 active investigations underway aboard our orbiting laboratory in space. The scientific community has eagerly awaited the return of today's Dragon to see what new insights the returned samples and investigations it carries will unveil."

Among the returned investigations was the Coarsening in Solid-Liquid Mixtures (CSLM)-3 experiment, which also launched to space aboard this Dragon. CLSM-3 studies how crystals known as dendrites form as a metal alloy becomes solid. The research could help engineers develop stronger materials for use in automobile, aircraft, and spacecraft parts. Current projections are that Dragon will be transferred to port, near Los Angeles, and thence returned to SpaceX's test facility in McGregor, Texas. Whilst most of the payload will be subsequently sent to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, there are plans for the time-critical biological samples—including those aboard a General Laboratory Active Cryogenic ISS Experiment Refrigerator (GLACIER)—to be returned to NASA "within 48 hours."

Dragon transported a wide variety of payloads to the space station, including the first dedicated occupant of its unpressurized "Trunk": a pair of Heat Rejection Subsystem Grapple Fixtures (HRSGFs)—nicknamed "grapple bars"—which will be installed on the outboard S-1 and P-1 trusses in July, during a pair of EVAs by Expedition 36 crewmen Chris Cassidy and Luca Parmitano. The bars will support the future repair or replacement of ISS radiators. Also aboard the commercial vehicle's pressurized section were two GLACIERs, a space electronics box for a Minus-Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI), a carbon dioxide removal assembly, and general crew provisions, including fresh foodstuffs. The mission was the second of at least 12 resupply flights to be made by SpaceX by 2016.

State panel to approve makeup of Soyuz spaceship int'l crew

Itar-Tass

The State Commission at the Baikonur space launch center is to deliver a final verdict on the composition of an international crew of next long-duration expedition to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a Soyuz spaceship that will set out on a journey to orbit on March 29.

A Commission member told Itar-Tass, "If nothing unforeseen occurs, Russian cosmonauts Pavel Vinogradov and Alexander Misurkin and American astronaut Christopher Cassidy will set out on the journey aboard the Soyuz TMA-08M spaceship Friday".

Earlier the inter-agency commission estimated the results of the qualification exam of the primary crew as excellent.

Backup pilots Oleg Kotov, Sergei Ryazansky, and Michael Hopkins also demonstrated excellent skills in working on the mockups of the Russian segment of the ISS and the spaceship Soyuz TMA-M.

Following the termination of the flights of US space shuttles last year, the Russian Soyuz spaceship remains the only vehicle for the delivery of crews to the ISS, a Federal Space Agency official recalled.

The Soyuz TMA-08M is scheduled to blast off from Baikonur at 00:43, Moscow time, on March 29. The orbital mission of the ISS 35-36 crew will last more than four months.

Strange visitor, the Super Guppy, lands at Hanscom

Laura Crimaldi - Boston Globe

A massive cargo aircraft known as the Super Guppy landed Tuesday at Hanscom Air Force Base to deliver a heat shield for the NASA spacecraft Orion.

The heat shield is in the area to have a protective coating known as Avcoat applied to it at Textron Defense Systems in Wilmington, according to NASA. It will arrive at Textron on Wednesday, said Brandi Dean, a NASA spokeswoman.

Orion is NASA's new spacecraft and is scheduled to take its first test flight next year, Dean said. The test flight will take Orion 3,600 miles into space or 15 times farther away from Earth than the International Space Station, Dean said.

The protective coating being applied to the heat shield is designed to protect the spacecraft from surface temperatures expected to equal more than 4,000 degrees, Dean said.

The Super Guppy that transported the heat shield was acquired by NASA from the European Space Agency under an International Space Station barter agreement, according to a NASA website. The aircraft has a cargo compartment that is 25 feet tall, 25 feet wide, 111 feet long, and carries a maximum load of 26 tons.

Kazakhstan to host meeting of Kazakhstan-Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Baikonur complex

Anar Bazmukhametova - BNews Service (BNews.kz)

First meeting of the Kazakhstan-Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Baikonur complex will be held in Baikonur.

On March 28-29 there will be the first meeting of Baikonur Kazakhstan-Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Baikonur complex.

The meeting will be chaired by Kairat Kelimbetov, Deputy Prime Minister and Igor Shuvalov, First Deputy Prime Minister. The chairman of the National Space Agency of Kazakhstan Talgat Musabayev, head of the Federal Space Agency of Kazakhstan Vladimir Popovkin, head of the administration of Baikonur Alexander Mezentsev, special representative of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Baikonur Rzakhul Nurtayev, as well as experts and representatives of relevant ministries and agencies of the parties will participate in the meeting.

The sides will discuss various issues on Baikonur complex as well as socio-economic issues and further development of the city of Baikonur.

Also, the participants of the meeting will watch the launch of the manned spacecraft "Soyuz-TMA-08M" from the Baikonur cosmodrome.

Russia May Build Own Space Station From New Modules – Energia

RIA Novosti

Russia may use future modules of its segment of the International Space Station (ISS) to build its own orbital station, a senior space industry official said on Tuesday.

Russia is planning to launch four new ISS modules – a multirole laboratory module (MLM), a node module and two science-power modules – by 2020, when the time comes to de-orbit the existing international outpost in space.

"If the need arises, we could undock the new modules [from the ISS], starting with the MLM, and they will serve as a foundation for a new generation Russian space station," Alexander Derechin, deputy chief designer for Russia's space corporation RKK Energia, told a scientific forum in Moscow.

The launch of the MLM module is tentatively scheduled for the end of 2013, Derechin added.

The current ISS project involves NASA, Roscosmos, the Canadian Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and 11 members of the European Space Agency (ESA).

The participants in the project are discussing the possibility of extending the ISS life until 2028.

The ISS currently has five Russian-built modules: the Zvezda service module, the Zarya cargo block, the Pirs docking module, the Poisk ("Search") research module and Rassvet ("Dawn") research module.

Russia's Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) announced plans to build a low-orbit space station to support future exploration of the Moon and Mars in 2009.

Russia may build own space station

Indo-Asian News Service (IANS)

Russia may use future modules of its segment of the International Space Station (ISS) to build its own orbital station, a senior space industry official said.

Russia is planning to launch four new ISS modules - a multirole laboratory module (MLM), a node module and two science-power modules - by 2020, when the time comes to de-orbit the existing international outpost in space.

"If the need arises, we could undock the new modules (from the ISS), starting with the MLM, and they will serve as a foundation for a new generation Russian space station," said Alexander Derechin, deputy chief designer for Russia's space corporation RKK Energia.

The launch of the MLM module is tentatively scheduled for the end of 2013, Derechin added.

The current ISS project involves NASA, Roscosmos, the Canadian Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and 11 members of the European Space Agency (ESA).

The participants in the project are discussing the possibility of extending the ISS life until 2028.

The ISS currently has five Russian-built modules -- the Zvezda service module, the Zarya cargo block, the Pirs docking module, the Poisk ("Search") research module and Rassvet ("Dawn") research module.

Russia's space agency Roscosmos announced plans to build a low-orbit space station to support future exploration of the Moon and Mars in 2009.

Russia eyes lunar fly-by expedition beyond 2030

Xinhua News Service

Russia plans to send a manned spacecraft to fly by the Moon after 2030, a local official said Tuesday.

"This task has set for (a period) after 2030," said Anatoly Malchenko, deputy head of the Central Research Institute of Machine Building (TsNIIMash), which is managed by the Russian federal space agency Roscosmos.

The United States planned to fly by the Moon in 2021, Malchenko told an innovation forum.

"The year of 2021 is an unbearable task for us but after 2030 the manned flight will happen. It will be not just a flight, but an exploration mission," Malchenko said.

Malchenko noted that the Russian space industry currently works to build a new-generation manned spaceship and the country would launch 68 spacecraft in total by 2015.

"All of them have been in the making now," he said.

According to the federal program of space research, Russia will operate 95 satellites in 2015 and 113 by 2020.

Xcor tests piston pump-fed rocket engine

Zach Rosenberg - FlightInternational.com

Xcor has successfully fired its wholly piston pump-fed rocket, the first of its kind, a major milestone in the company's quest to build a reusable suborbital vehicle.

The burn lasted 67s, roughly half the planned full burn time of 150s. Previous long-duration burns have been made with kerosene, but with a different system for the liquid oxygen.

Liquid rocket engines have separate tanks for both fuel and oxidizer, necessary for creating a spark. The fuel and oxidizer are normally fed to the engine by either a turbopump or gravity. Piston pumps, often used in cars and aircraft for internal combustion engines, have never been applied to spaceflight before for a host of reasons.

"Through use of our proprietary rocket propellant piston pumps we deliver both kerosene and liquid oxygen to our rocket engines and eliminate the need for heavy, high-pressure fuel and oxidizer tanks. It also enables our propulsion system to fly multiple times per day and last for tens of thousands of flights," says XCOR Chief Executive Officer Jeff Greason. "This is one more step toward a significant reduction in per-flight cost and turnaround time, while increasing overall flight safety."

Space Shuttle Enterprise Added to Historic Places Registry

Robert Pearlman - collectSPACE.com

The Enterprise, NASA's original prototype space shuttle, is now more than just a historic spacecraft. It is a historic place, too.

Located at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City, the test orbiter has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, becoming the first of NASA's retired space shuttles to receive the distinction.

"We are extremely proud to be the home of the space shuttle Enterprise," Susan Marenoff-Zausner, president of the Intrepid, said in a statement. "It is an honor to receive this distinction from the National Park Service."

The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the United States' properties that are considered worthy of preservation. Authorized in 1966 as part of the National Historic Preservation Act, the register is part of a national program to coordinate and provide support for public and private efforts to identify, evaluate and protect America's historic and archeological resources.

The space shuttle Enterprise is a full-scale test craft that was used for flight trials inside the atmosphere and tests on the ground, and paved the way for the subsequent space-worthy orbiters to launch into orbit. In 2012, Enterprise was transferred to its permanent home on board the Intrepid, a converted World War II aircraft carrier that is a National Historic Landmark.

Prior to landing in Manhattan, Enterprise was displayed by the Smithsonian at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, the Virginia annex to the National Air and Space Museum.

Enterprise's exhibit on the Intrepid's flight deck debuted to the public in July 2012. Its environmentally-controlled, air-supported structure was open for only three months when Hurricane Sandy damaged the pavilion beyond repair. The shuttle also sustained minor damage to its tail.

A protective cover and scaffolding was erected above and around Enterprise to assist with the repairs to the orbiter. That temporary shelter was being taken down this week, revealing the repaired Enterprise in preparation for a new display structure to be raised around it.

The new space shuttle pavilion is expected to open to the public in early summer.

"We look forward to creating an exciting showcase of the extraordinary history of Enterprise, so that it may continue to educate and inspire the next generation of innovators for years to come," Marenoff-Zausner said.

The Intrepid's application for Enterprise to be considered for the National Register of Historic Places was prepared in September 2012, with letters of endorsement from New York Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, as well as Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and astronauts Robert Crippen, Fred Haise and Richard Truly.

"I am pleased to offer my support for a nomination of the space shuttle Enterprise, OV-101, to the National Register of Historic Places," wrote Truly, who served on board the USS Intrepid as a naval aviator before being selected as a NASA astronaut and piloting Enterprise. "I am proud to be one of only four astronauts to fly this historic spacecraft and I can personally attest to its historic significance."

Enterprise was granted Historic Place status on March 13.

Enterprise is not the only structure from space history to be listed in the registry. The iconic large countdown clock and flag pole located at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida were granted Historic Place status as a combined entity in 2000. In addition, the Saturn V rockets on display in Houston, Texas and Huntsville, Ala. are both registered structures.

Since its creation in 1966, more than 1.4 million buildings, sites, districts, structures and objects have been added to the National Register of Historic Places, providing a link to the United States' heritage at the national, state, and local levels.

Apollo 13 Souvenir Rakes In $84,100 in Space History Auction

Miriam Kramer - Space.com

A keepsake from NASA's nearly disastrous Apollo 13 moon mission of 1970 nabbed top spot in an auction Monday of more than 300 artifacts from the early years of the U.S. space program.

The space history artifacts — sold by Bonhams — included an engine burn note detailing how the crew can return to Earth annotated by astronaut Jim Lovell during the Apollo 13 mission that went for $84,100 and various items from the space agency's first mission to the moon.

"Documents from Apollo 11 also impressed bidders, including an Apollo 11 Command and Service Module maneuver card selling for $64,900 and a postal cover taken to the moon during the mission which achieved $35,000," officials from Bonhams wrote in a statement. "An Apollo 11 activation checklist carried to the lunar surface realized $25,000."

Although some items in the auction were previously owned by Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, none of the articles being sold were currently owned by the moonwalker.

Officials with the auction house noted a few pieces of space history that outperformed expected estimates. An Apollo 17 lunar surface checklist sold for $28,750 largely because it was "heavily soiled with lunar dust."

"As auctions like Bonhams' recent sale and private efforts such as Jeff Bezos' ocean salvage of two Apollo F-1 engines demonstrate, interest in collecting and preserving space history artifacts remains strong," Robert Pearlman, editor of the space history-focused collectSPACE.com, a SPACE.com partner site said. "These tangible remnants of our early space exploration efforts may change hands over the years, but in doing so they are saved for future generations."

Pearlman also notes that these artifacts can serve as artwork for their new owners.

"Checklists and flight plan pages may not be conventional works of art, but to a space history enthusiast, they are an eye-catching display of what it took to fly astronauts to the moon and back," Pearlman said.

Bonhams will host another "space history" sale in the spring of 2014.

Don't send Bruce Willis to do a robot's job

Jeff Foust – SpacePolitics.com

The Senate Commerce Committee's space subcommittee hearing last Wednesday on "Assessing the Risks, Impacts, and Solutions for Space Threats" was seen by many as the Senate's counterpart to a House Science Committee hearing the day before on the subject of threats posed by near Earth objects (NEOs).

While it didn't have the star power of the House hearing, which featured NASA administrator Charles Bolden and presidential science advisor John Holdren, the Senate hearing did include Jim Green, head of the planetary science division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, as well as Ed Lu, chairman and CEO of the B612 Foundation, which is raising funding for Sentinel, a mission to look for NEOs.

In fact, the hearing went far beyond NEOs. The "space threats" considered during the hearing went beyond NEOs to include orbital debris, geomagnetic storms, radiofrequency interference for communications satellites, reliability concerns among spacecraft and launch vehicles, and even the lack of awareness the public has about the importance space plays in modern society. The result was a hearing that, while perhaps informative for those who attended (although only two senators, subcommittee chairman Bill Nelson and new ranking member Ted Cruz, were present), didn't break much new ground in terms of policy.

They did, though, try to give a boost to actor Bruce Willis's career. After Nelson read the list of four witnesses testifying before the subcommittee, Cruz chimed in. "I will confess, given the topic today, disappointment that Bruce Willis was not available to be a fifth witness today on the panel," he joked, referring to the actor's role in the 1998 asteroid impact movie Armageddon.

Later, after the witnesses' opening statements, Nelson went back to that earlier comment. "Maybe we ought to have Bruce Willis start doing another Armageddon movie to get everybody sensitized to the fact of how space could well play such a huge consequence in our lives if one of these asteroids starts coming towards us," Nelson said (perhaps forgetting that Willis's character, Harry Stamper, dies in Armageddon.) Cruz then chimed in. "There is probably no doubt that actually Hollywood has done more to focus attention on this issue than perhaps a thousand congressional hearings, although I would not wish a thousand congressional hearings on anyone."

Joan Johnson-Freese of the Naval War College, who testified about her concerns that space is not appreciated by the public, argued that movies like Armageddon did more harm than good with respect to raising public awareness. "What that movie did was basically convince the American public that if anything bad happened, people would get into the shuttle and go fix it," she said. There needs to be more of an effort, she said, to get the facts about NEOs and the threats they pose to the public, and the ability—or inability—to deal with them. "The movie industry has really convinced much of the American public that we're all over it, we can take care of it."

Moreover, if there was any effort to try and deflect a threatening NEO, humans likely wouldn't be flying to such an object. Asked by Nelson if NASA's goal of a human asteroid mission by 2025 would be useful for mitigation activities, Lu said there there would be "great science" in such a mission, but it would be less relevant for deflecting asteroids. "I think likely the deflection mission that we have to mount someday—and we will have to, someday, we know that—is likely to be done robotically, just because the distances are quite large from the Earth," he said. If only Harry Stamper had known that in 1998.

Miners shoot for the stars in tech race

Amy Coopes - Agence France Presse

A self-sustaining mechanised colony that mines and exports resources from the Moon could be a reality within a generation, helping to meet demand for materials key to innovation on Earth.

That was the view of a recent gathering in Sydney aimed at bringing together some of the top minds in space exploration with firms hoping to cash in on the final frontier of mining: astronomical bodies.

Australia does not have a space agency, but it is home to some of the world's largest mining companies and at the edge of technological advances in the industry, making it a natural fit for what was billed as the world's first Off-Earth Mining Forum.

"There's nothing really science-fiction about any of this," explained Andrew Dempster, from the Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research.

"It's about joining the dots, and I think we've got to the point where people are saying 'yeah, we can do this'".

In some ways the trail has been forged; man has landed six times on the Moon and is in the process of demonstrating that drilling -- albeit in small quantities -- is possible on Mars with NASA's rovers.

Talks at last month's two-day conference ranged across a breadth of topics from mine automation in Australia and Antarctic testing of drills for use on Mars to converting lunar rocks to waterless cement and fuel.

There is real motivation to shoot skyward, according to the researchers; rare earth minerals vital to everything from wind turbines and hybrid cars to cruise missiles and the ubiquitous smartphone are thought to be abundant.

Vast troves of hydrogen that could be used for fuel are also likely, opening the door to ever-further exploration and exploitation.

NASA's Phil Metzger has mapped a business case for space mining showing that a self-sustaining robot mining colony could be established on the Moon in 20 years with as little as 12 metric tonnes of equipment shipped.

Metzger says that within another 30 years, the industrial capacity of space could be a staggering one billion times that of the United States.

"It's getting very exciting in this field, we are becoming very convinced that the technologies are here now so we can access the billion-fold resources of the solar system," Metzger said.

"We don't have a resource problem in this vast system, we have an imagination problem."

Once established on the Moon, Metzger said the space industry could push even further afield, into the asteroid belt and beyond.

"Space commerce is now exploding as visionaries see that this is possible today," he said. "The benefits are almost impossible to imagine."

It's not a venture without challenges; full automation will be required to overcome the tyranny of communicating over vast distances, while energy and even building materials will have to be sourced locally.

Resource giant Rio Tinto is moving towards remote-controlled extraction with its so-called "Mine of the Future" programme -- several companies involved in developing its robots and automated truck and rail systems gave presentations to the conference.

But such hefty machines may be inappropriate for space, with the costs for rocketing objects into orbit remaining prohibitive at about $100,000 per kilogram.

This is where the work of NASA and other space agencies comes in, developing and licensing state-of-the-art technologies for their missions and collecting royalties from private firms who repurpose them for commercial ends.

Rene Fradet, deputy director of engineering at NASA's Mars Curiosity Rover project, said he believed science and industry went "hand in hand", rejecting the notion that there was a conflict of interest.

"We're coming at it strictly from the scientific understanding of planets and bodies and so forth, but we're also addressing and solving a lot of issues that the community will have to face," Fradet told AFP.

Fradet offered a detailed insight into the challenges of operating on Mars, where there is 38 percent the gravity of Earth and its atmosphere is less than one percent the thickness, meaning extreme cold and exposure to radiation.

Communication was delayed by an average of 14 minutes.

Practicalities aside, there are also bigger questions at stake, such as who owns the resources of space and how commercial activities there can be governed.

More than 100 countries, including all the major space powers, have ratified the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which holds signatory nations responsible for activities in space, including those by private firms, but is yet to be tested.

It mandates that the Moon and other celestial bodies be used "exclusively for peaceful purposes" and activities "shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries", raising questions of how mining would fit.

"We're talking about things probably 20-30 years from now, but I think it's a good time to engage in these things and say 'ok where do we want to go, what are some of the milestones?" said Fradet.

"I think it's a good thing to start playing out these scenarios to see what makes sense and where the future leads and so forth. That's a big part of the challenge."

Who Has the Right to Mine an Asteroid?

Glenn Harlan Reynolds - Popular Mechanics (Opinion)

(Reynolds is a contributing editor, University of Tennessee professor & co-author - with Robert Merges - of Outer Space: Problems of Law and Policy)

Suddenly, the idea of asteroid mining is everywhere. As a recent feature here in Popular Mechanics noted, asteroid mining has gone from a "someday" idea to a business plan for more than one company. As a professor who's been writing, teaching, and practicing space law since the 1980s, I say, why not? Asteroids are valuable, they're out there, and they are free for the taking.

Or are they?

Asteroids are certainly available, and they're valuable. More than 750,000 asteroids measure at least 1 kilometer across, and millions of smaller objects are scattered throughout the solar system, mostly in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Even a comparatively small asteroid is potentially quite valuable, both on Earth and in space.

A 79-foot-wide M-type (metallic) asteroid could hold 33,000 tons of extractable metals, including $50 million in platinum alone. A 23-foot-diameter C-type (carbonaceous) asteroid can hold 24,000 gallons of water, useful for generating fuel and oxygen. Even 1 gallon of water, at 8.33 pounds per, can cost tens of thousands of dollars to launch into Earth orbit. Prices will probably come down now that SpaceX and other private launch companies are in the game. But the numbers would need to improve a lot for water launched from Earth to compete with water that's already floating in space.

Larger asteroids could be worth as much as the GDP of a superpower. Asteroid 1986 DA is a metallic asteroid made up of iron, nickel, gold, and platinum. Estimates of its value range between $6 and $7 trillion. Something that size won't be retrieved anytime soon, but the figure gives some idea of just how much wealth is out there.

So it's raining soup—let's get a bucket! Or, rather, let's sidle up to a convenient-size asteroid, latch on, and tow it to Earth orbit, where we can exploit its resources. Oh, sure, moving it may take a while and cost a bit—but so does launching water into orbit or mining platinum here on Earth.

But remember that open question. If you go get an asteroid and bring it back, is it yours? On Earth, of course, no one would open a mine without being sure they owned the land or at least the mineral rights. The same is true in space. But while mining law on Earth is pretty much settled, asteroid-mining law isn't so clear yet.

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty prevents nations from making territorial claims beyond Earth: "Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means," it states. But what is "national appropriation"? And what is a "celestial body"?

Those are the kinds of issues that lawyers grapple with. Space law used to be mainly an academic pursuit, but no longer—in fact, the American Bar Association just published a guidebook in the field. Most experts—including me—believe that a ban on "national appropriation" doesn't prohibit private property rights. The Outer Space Treaty was designed to prevent the winner of the 1960s space race from claiming the moon for itself. The United States and the Soviet Union were each worried about what would happen if the other nation beat it there. They were thinking of missile bases and territorial disputes, not mines or lunar tourist resorts. The "celestial bodies" language was added by way of expansiveness, but the Outer Space Treaty doesn't define the term, except to make it clear that the moon is one.

An agreement called the 1979 Moon Treaty did try to outlaw private property on the moon and beyond, but no spacefaring power signed on, and it's generally considered a failure. It certainly wouldn't bind any American—or Chinese or Russian—company that headed for space.

So are asteroids celestial bodies like the moon? Or something different? A number of space-law scholars have weighed in recently. The bottom-line argument is, as Andrew Tingkang noted in a Seattle University Law Review article, that if you can move it, it isn't a celestial body.

We see a similar distinction on Earth between "real" and "personal" property. Real estate is land. One of its chief characteristics is that it stays put. Personal property can be huge—a supertanker or a 747—but it's movable. The rules relating to real property are different, and usually more stringent, than the rules relating to personal property. Land is accounted for by deeds and registries; for personal property, possession is enough to establish a presumption of ownership.

The biggest asteroids, like Ceres or Vesta, are probably too big to move, so even though they're smaller than the moon, they might count as celestial bodies. But a 100-meter class-M asteroid is readily movable. It's not real estate; it's just a rock.

This seems right to me, but it's not the end of legal issues for potential asteroid miners. Those who move asteroids have a duty—both under the Outer Space Treaty and by common sense—to exercise great care to ensure that the rocks don't go astray. A 100-meter asteroid would probably burn up before striking the surface of Earth, but some pieces might survive, and the risks climb exponentially as the asteroids get bigger. There's also a duty to prevent so-called back-contamination of Earth with dangerous extraterrestrial matter: microbes and the like.

That's not a huge risk—after all, asteroids strike Earth regularly without spreading Andromeda Strain–like plagues—but it is nonetheless one worth keeping in mind. Some carbonaceous chondrites—and, even more likely, comets, should we start capturing those—have chemistry that might allow for life. It isn't likely, and it's even less likely that such life, adapted to space, would turn out to be a threat here on Earth. Still, we shouldn't take chances. We have enough trouble with invasive species as it is.

There's also a question about what it takes to claim an asteroid. Would a company that sent a robot to a likely rock, assayed it, and then left a transponder or a radar reflector to mark it for easy retrieval establish a property right to that asteroid? The answer to this question is probably yes—similar claims involving robots have been upheld in underwater-salvage cases—but at this point it's not entirely clear.

Going forward, there are two ways this kind of thing can shake out. One is that nations—or at least one nation—will promulgate a set of rules governing claims and exploitation. Another is that companies will just proceed on their own, hoping that few conflicts arise—a good bet, considering that it's a big solar system with lots of asteroids available.

This Wild West approach may work just fine, at least for the first decade or two. And after that, the issues may be clear enough that lawmakers will be able to catch up and offer something constructive. For now, there don't appear to be insuperable legal barriers to anyone who wants to tag and bag an asteroid. Let the space gold rush begin!

END

Keep the shuttle flying

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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

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