Fwd: Human Spaceflight News - June 26, 2013 and JSC Today

Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Date: June 26, 2013 5:58:19 AM GMT-06:00
To: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Subject: FW: Human Spaceflight News - June 26, 2013 and JSC Today

 

 

 

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Read JSC Today in your browser

View Archives

 

JSC 2.0 JSC External Homepage Inside JSC JSC Events Submit JSC Today JSC Roundup Daily News Summary Reader's Room NASA News Connect Category Definitions

JSC TODAY CATEGORIES Headlines -  Latest International Space Station Research -  JSC DNS/DHCP Maintenance June 28 Through June 30 Organizations/Social -  Prescription Drug Abuse -  Starport Summer Camp - Still Taking Registrations -  Starport Gift Shops Closing at 12:30 p.m. Friday -  Vacation or Staycation -- Get Tickets at Starport -  Today - Hispanic Employee Resource Group Meeting -  CLNAC-Palooza: Member Orientation -  Late Summer Sport Leagues -- Registration Opening Jobs and Training -  Scientific & Technical Info Training Tomorrow -  OCFO SME Course: Financial Performance Dashboard Community -  Summer Water-Bots Camp Deadline June 28 -  Deadline July 3: Mentor NASA GIRLS and NASA BOYS -  Blood Drive Thank You

Earthrise

 

Headlines Latest International Space Station Research This week, NASA Astronaut Karen Nyberg prepared DECLIC-HTI-R hardware in preparation for the first session of DEvice for the study of Critical LIquids and Crystallization - High Temperature Insert planned for July. The investigation is important for the development of cooling systems for use in space, as well as systems which may be useful in waste disposal (treatment of household waste, nuclear waste, and extraction of oil fuels) and recycling on Earth. Read more here. Liz Warren x35548 [top] JSC DNS/DHCP Maintenance June 28 Through June 30 The Information Resources Directorate (IRD) has schedule maintenance for JSC Domain Name System (DNS) and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) services. Maintenance is scheduled to begin Friday, June 28, at 6 p.m., and should be complete by Sunday, June 30, at 6 p.m. No user impact is expected during the maintenance activity. For additional information or to report issues related to the activity, please contact the Enterprise Service Desk (ESD) at 281-483-4800. JSC-IRC-Outreach x41334 [top]    Organizations/Social Prescription Drug Abuse Did you know that more than half of all prescription drugs are taken incorrectly? More people die and are injured by abusing prescription drugs than from using all other illegal drugs combined. Prescription drug abuse affects all age groups and backgrounds. We will be discussing the signs, risks and impact of abusing prescription medications. Come and learn prevention strategies for managing the potential of prescription abuse. Please join Anika Isaac, MS, LPC, LMFT, LCDC, CEAP, NCC, of the JSC Employee Assistance Program today, June 26, at 12 noon in the Building 30 Auditorium as she presents "Prescription Drug Abuse." Event Date: Wednesday, June 26, 2013   Event Start Time:12:00 PM   Event End Time:1:00 PM Event Location: Building 30 Auditorium Add to Calendar Lorrie Bennett, Employee Assistance Program, Clinical Services Branch x36130 [top] Starport Summer Camp - Still Taking Registrations Summer Camp is off and running with a great start! There are a few spots left in the upcoming sessions, so register your child before it fills up. We have tons of fun activities planned, and weekly themes are listed on our website, as well as information regarding registration and all the necessary forms. We will hold a three-day camp next week for the holiday week. Ages: 6 to 12 Times: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Dates: Now through Aug. 16 in one-week sessions Fee per session: $140 per child for dependents | $160 per child for non-dependents NEW for this summer -- ask about our sibling discounts. Shericka Phillips x35563 http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/ [top] Starport Gift Shops Closing at 12:30 p.m. Friday The Buildings 3 and 11 Starport Gift Shops will be closing at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, June 28. Cynthia Kibby x35352 http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/ [top] Vacation or Staycation -- Get Tickets at Starport Whether you are planning a vacation or a staycation this summer, you will find discount tickets at Starport. Tour the great state of Texas and visit Fiesta Texas, Six Flags Over Texas, Sea World and Schlitterbahn Galveston for great summer fun. Or, stay in town and visit the local attractions such as Space Center Houston, AMC Movies, SplashTown, the Kemah Boardwalk and Main Event to keep the kids entertained. You can also find great deals on other attractions and hotels online via the Starport website. Save on your summer fun at Starport! ShopNASA x35352 http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/Giftshop/DiscountTickets/ [top] Today - Hispanic Employee Resource Group Meeting The Hispanic Employee Resource Group (HERG) will be having a monthly meeting today, June 26, in Building 1, Room 360A, from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. ALL JSC employees are invited to attend and participate. Event Date: Wednesday, June 26, 2013   Event Start Time:11:45 AM   Event End Time:12:45 PM Event Location: B1 Rm 360A Add to Calendar Michael Ruiz x38169 [top] CLNAC-Palooza: Member Orientation The International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) - Clear Lake NASA Area Chapter (CLNAC) is hosting their annual "CLNAC-Palooza: Member Orientation." This invite is open to all administrative professionals. Come meet the leadership team and find out what IAAP is all about. Join us for a fun-filled morning and enter to win door prizes. Brunch will be provided. Please RSVP by close of business Thursday, June 27. Event Date: Saturday, June 29, 2013   Event Start Time:9:00 AM   Event End Time:11:00 AM Event Location: Panera Bread, 19305 Gulf Frwy, Webster Tx Add to Calendar Ymelda Calvillo 281-282-6878 http://www.iaap-clnac.org [top] Late Summer Sport Leagues -- Registration Opening Registration is opening for Starport's popular league sports! Registration NOW OPEN: - Volleyball (Rev 4s and coed) | Mondays and Tuesdays | Registration ends July 16 | Leagues start July 22 and 23 Registration Opening Soon: - Basketball (open) | Wednesdays and Thursdays | Registration July 1 to 25 | League starts July 31 - Kickball (coed) | Mondays | Registration July 8 to 31 | League starts Aug. 5 - Softball (coed) | Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays | Registration July 8 to 31 | Leagues start Aug. 6, 7 and 8 - Ultimate Frisbee (coed) | Mondays | Registration July 8 to 30 | Leagues start Aug. 5 Free-agent registration opens when the league opens. Flag Football, Soccer and Men's Softball will return in the fall. All participants must register here. For more information, please contact the Gilruth information desk at 281-483-0304. Steve Schade x30304 http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/Fitness/Sports/index.cfm [top]    Jobs and Training Scientific & Technical Info Training Tomorrow Access to official NASA scientific and technical information is available in the NASA Aeronautics & Space Database (NA&SD) and the public website, National Technical Report Server. A representative from the Center for Aerospace Information will provide information on the registration process and subject-matter collections, as well as basic and advanced search techniques. The training will be held via WebEx from 10 to 11: 45 a.m. CDT. This training is open to the JSC and White Sands Test Facility community. To register, click here. Also, stay tuned for an upcoming information session on the Document Availability Authorization (DAA) process! This training is provided by the Information Resources Directorate. Event Date: Thursday, June 27, 2013   Event Start Time:10:00 AM   Event End Time:11:45 AM Event Location: WebEx Add to Calendar Ebony Fondren x34245 http://library.jsc.nasa.gov [top] OCFO SME Course: Financial Performance Dashboard To make budget information more handy and less cumbersome, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) has budget tools to help you gain valuable insight into the financial performance at JSC. Nadia Iglesias from our Central Budget Office will be demonstrating the new OCFO Financial Performance Dashboard and show how easy it is to understand and to use JSC financial information. Topics include: the latest news in federal budgets; expiring funds at JSC; fiscal year obligation and cost status; JSC FTE workforce performance; hands-on lab. The course is scheduled for July 17 from 9 to 11 a.m. in Building 12, Room 144. This is open to everyone at JSC! For SATERN registration: Class registration link: https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHEDULED_... WebEx registration link: https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHEDULED_... Event Date: Wednesday, July 17, 2013   Event Start Time:9:00 AM   Event End Time:11:00 AM Event Location: B12 / Room 144 Add to Calendar Ryan Schaefer x47920 [top]    Community Summer Water-Bots Camp Deadline June 28 Join us for Water-Bots 2013! The San Jacinto College Aerospace Academy is offering an outstanding opportunity for students to experience the excitement of underwater robotics. Intermediate Camps: July 15 to 18 and July 22 to 25. Requires campers with previous robotic experience. The 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. Ages: 12 to 16 years old Cost: $250 Email for more information. Sara Malloy x46803 http://www.aerospace-academy.org [top] Deadline July 3: Mentor NASA GIRLS and NASA BOYS NASA wants to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and innovators! We need YOU to help these young middle school students see how science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are FUN! Women@NASA has created NASA Giving Initiative and Relevance to Learning Science (GIRLS) and NASA Building Outstanding Young Scientists (BOYS) to cultivate excitement in the STEM fields. Each participant will complete online lessons with his/her assigned mentor while virtually connected through Skype or Google Chat over a five-week period this summer from July 8 to Aug. 11. You will meet with your student one time per week and will be provided suggested lessons, or you can create something on your own. Volunteer to be a mentor by sending an email to mamta.nagaraja@nasa.gov by Wednesday, July 3. There is no application or other requirement. Contractors and civil servants are eligible to be mentors. To learn more, click here. Mamta Patel Nagaraja, NASA Headquarters 202-358-2014 [top] Blood Drive Thank You Thank you to all those who took the time to donate at last week's blood drive. St. Luke's collected a total of 207 units of blood. Each donation can help up to three people -- that's 621 lives! Mark your calendar for the next blood drive from Aug. 21 to 22. For additional information, check out our website. Teresa Gomez x39588 [top]

 

JSC Today is compiled periodically as a service to JSC employees on an as-submitted basis. Any JSC organization or employee may submit articles. Disclaimer: Accuracy and content of these notes are the responsibility of the submitters.

 

 

 

 

 

NASA TV: 5 am Central THURSDAY (6 EDT) – E36's Luca Parmitano talks with Pope Francis

 

Human Spaceflight News

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

 

ORION SUIT CHECKS: Cady Coleman & Ricky Arnold participate in a series of fit checks June 13 at the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility. Orion will serve as transport & home during missions to an asteroid, Mars and other destinations.

 

HEADLINES AND LEADS

 

The Cure For Cancer Could Be Found In Space

Biologists find microgravity conditions are optimal for cancer research

 

Lacey Henry - Popular Science

 

Cancer researchers looking for a breakthrough might want to relocate to the International Space Station. Biologists have found that microgravity research and other space-based experiments provide greater insight into abnormal cell behavior. In Earth-bound labs, cells grow flat, unable to fully mimic the three-dimensional architecture shaped by proteins and carbohydrates of a working human organ. This gap provides an obstacle for scientists studying changes in cell growth and development. In space, cells clump together easily, arranging themselves into three-dimensional groupings that better replicate cell activity. They also experience less fluid shear stress, a type of disturbance that affects their behavior outside of the body.

 

So you wanna go to space. Can you put up with the superpower bacteria?

 

Elizabeth Howell - Universe Today

 

We all love space here and we're sure, given that thousands of people applied for a one-way trip to Mars, that at least some of you want to spend a long time in a spacecraft. But have you thought about the bacteria that will be going along with you? If you don't feel too squirmy to read on, understand this: one type of bacteria grown aboard two shuttle missions ended up being bigger and thicker than control colonies on Earth, new NASA research shows. Two astronaut crews aboard space shuttle Atlantis grew colonies of bacteria (more properly speaking, biofilms) on behalf of researchers on Earth. Most biofilms are harmless, but a small number could be associated with disease.

 

Space capsule returns from mission to Chinese lab

 

Christopher Bodeen - Associated Press

 

 

A Chinese space capsule with three astronauts landed safely Wednesday on the country's northern grasslands after a 15-day trip to a prototype space station, marking the latest success for China's manned space program as it enters its second decade. The Shenzhou 10's descent module landed by parachute in the vast territory of Inner Mongolia early Wednesday with the three crew members smiling and waving on live television after wriggling through the blackened capsule's narrow hatch.

 

Chinese astronauts return to Earth

 

William Harwood - CBS News

 

After 15 days in space and two dockings with a prototype space station module, China's Shenzhou 10 spacecraft, carrying a veteran astronaut and two first-time fliers, fell back to Earth Tuesday (U.S. time), closing out the country's fifth manned spaceflight with an on-target landing. The re-entry was carried live on Chinese television, with infrared shots of the spacecraft's long re-entry plume as it streaked across the sky, followed by inflation of its main parachute as it descended toward the landing zone in the Siziwang Qi region of Inner Mongolia.

 

Three Chinese Astronauts Land After Record-Breaking Spaceflight

 

Mike Wall - Space.com

 

A Chinese space capsule carrying three astronauts returned safely to Earth Tuesday, wrapping up the longest manned space mission in the nation's history. The Shenzhou 10 spacecraft touched down at 8:08 p.m. EDT Tuesday (0008 GMT), capping a 15-day mission to China's orbiting Tiangong 1 lab module. The spacecraft landed in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, where the local time was 8:08 a.m. on Wednesday.

 

Cureton's successor picked at NASA

 

Frank Konkel - Federal Computer Week

 

Larry Sweet, a NASA veteran who began his career at the space agency in 1987, will officially take the reins as the agency's CIO on June 30. Sweet replaces Linda Cureton, who retired in April. NASA's associate deputy administrator Richard Keegan has been acting CIO since Cureton's departure. Sweet has served as the Johnson Space Center's CIO and information resources director since 2007.

 

New Astronaut Recruits Come At A Time Of Change For NASA

 

Emily Canal - Forbes

 

For the first time in its 54-year history, the latest class of NASA astronaut trainees has an equal number of men and women. The group of eight, ranging from pilots to scientists, will be training for a stint at the International Space Station and, hopefully, a trip to an asteroid or Mars. Dr. Janet Kavandi, the director of flight crew operations at the Johnson Space Center, was part of a team discussing the news on a Google+ hangout last week. She said NASA doesn't determine how many people of each gender they select for recruits.

 

Faced with Constant Risk, an Astronaut's Decision for Family

 

Arabic Knowledge@Wharton

 

By 1996, Terrence "Tom" Henricks was a success, by any measure: the son of an Ohio farmer, he was the first member of his family to graduate college, and a senior flight leader and astronaut piloting space shuttle flights to the Russian space station Mir. Then came the moment when a glance out the window and a meeting with his children changed the course of his life. After a decade of space missions, Henricks measured the risks and its effects on his personal life. During a visit to Abu Dhabi for the recent Festival Of Thinkers, said his decision to retire was about his family and acknowledging that career ambition comes with a cost. "I'd had my fair share of space flight, and I didn't have to risk my life to experience it again."

 

Restored Star Trek shuttle getting closer to Houston

 

Craig Hlavaty - Houston Chronicle

 

 

A restored Star Trek prop is one step closer to coming to Space Center Houston after being brought back to life in New Jersey by some Trekkies and master craftsmen. The Galileo shuttle, fully restored to its original luster when it was featured in the 1967 Trek episode "The Galileo Seven," is now finished and being crated for shipment to Clear Lake where it will be on display. It should arrive in Houston next week. It will be shipped in three pieces and reassembled for a July 31st grand opening, says Jack Moore with Space Center Houston. Organizers for Space City Con, which will be held Aug. 2-4, will be throwing a bash for the spacecraft on that day.

__________

 

COMPLETE STORIES

 

The Cure For Cancer Could Be Found In Space

Biologists find microgravity conditions are optimal for cancer research

 

Lacey Henry - Popular Science

 

Cancer researchers looking for a breakthrough might want to relocate to the International Space Station. Biologists have found that microgravity research and other space-based experiments provide greater insight into abnormal cell behavior.

 

In Earth-bound labs, cells grow flat, unable to fully mimic the three-dimensional architecture shaped by proteins and carbohydrates of a working human organ. This gap provides an obstacle for scientists studying changes in cell growth and development.

 

In space, cells clump together easily, arranging themselves into three-dimensional groupings that better replicate cell activity. They also experience less fluid shear stress, a type of disturbance that affects their behavior outside of the body.

 

Many of the cells in space will likely die due to a lack of blood vessels providing necessary oxygen and nutrients. That might seem like a disadvantage, but it actually resembles the condition of tumors with areas of dead tissue at their centers, biologists say.

 

The Cellular Biotechnology Operations Support System (CBOSS-1-Ovarian) investigation, located aboard the space station, contains a cell incubator that grows 3-D clusters of cells. These structures have enhanced the ability of researchers to understand protein production, a key element of cell behavior.

 

Jeanne Becker, Ph.D., a cell biologist at Nano3D Biosciences in Houston and principal investigator for the CBOSS-1-Ovarian study, recently authored a paper that examined cell biology research in microgravity from the past four decades.

 

"So many things change in 3-D, it's mind-blowing -- when you look at the function of the cell, how they present their proteins, how they activate genes, how they interact with other cells," Becker said in a statement. "The variable that you are most looking at here is gravity, and you can't really take away gravity on Earth. You have to go where gravity is reduced."

 

Among the studies covered in the paper: one investigation conducted on the Columbia space shuttle in 1998 revealed cultured cells with altered genetic expressions. The results of another space-based experiment indicated that microgravity suppresses the immune system.

 

While the unique physical conditions of space have proven apt, research on Earth is also making headway with the construction of 3-D cell structures using a collagen gel matrix. Combined with microgravity studies, such research advances could greatly help biologists understand the cellular changes that lead to cancer and develop ways to prevent them.

 

So you wanna go to space. Can you put up with the superpower bacteria?

 

Elizabeth Howell - Universe Today

 

We all love space here and we're sure, given that thousands of people applied for a one-way trip to Mars, that at least some of you want to spend a long time in a spacecraft. But have you thought about the bacteria that will be going along with you?

 

If you don't feel too squirmy to read on, understand this: one type of bacteria grown aboard two shuttle missions ended up being bigger and thicker than control colonies on Earth, new NASA research shows.

 

Two astronaut crews aboard space shuttle Atlantis grew colonies of bacteria (more properly speaking, biofilms) on behalf of researchers on Earth. Most biofilms are harmless, but a small number could be associated with disease.

 

Biofilms were all over the Mir space station, and managing them is also a "challenge" (according to NASA) on the International Space Station. Well, here's how they appeared in this study:

 

"The space-grown communities of bacteria, called biofilms, formed a 'column-and-canopy' structure not previously observed on Earth," NASA stated. "Biofilms grown during spaceflight had a greater number of live cells, more biomass, and were thicker than control biofilms grown under normal gravity conditions."

 

The type of microorganism examined was Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which was grown for three days each on STS-132 and STS-135 in artificial urine. That was chosen because, a press release stated, "it is a physiologically relevant environment for the study of biofilms formed both inside and outside the human body, and due to the importance of waste and water recycling systems to long-term spaceflight."

 

Each shuttle mission had several vials of this … stuff … in which to introduce the bacteria in orbit. The viles included cellulose membranes on which the bacteria could grow. Researchers also tested bacteria growth on Earth with similar vials. Then, all the samples were rounded up in the lab after the shuttle missions where the biofilms' thickness, number of cells and volume was examined, as well as their structure.

 

This is still early-stage work, of course, requiring follow-up studies to find out how the low-gravity environment affects these microorganisms' growth, according to lead researcher Cynthia Collins from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Metabolism and virulence are what the scientists are hoping to learn more about in the future.

 

"Before we start sending astronauts to Mars or embarking on other long-term spaceflight missions, we need to be as certain as possible that we have eliminated or significantly reduced the risk that biofilms pose to the human crew and their equipment," stated Collins, an assistant professor in the department of chemical and biological engineering.

 

While these research has more immediate implications for astronaut health, the researchers added that better understanding the biofilms could lead to better treatment and prevention for Earth diseases.

 

"Examining the effects of spaceflight on biofilm formation can provide new insights into how different factors, such as gravity, fluid dynamics, and nutrient availability affect biofilm formation on Earth. Additionally, the research findings could one day help inform new, innovative approaches for curbing the spread of infections in hospitals," a NASA press release stated.

 

If you're not feeling too itchy by now, you can read the entire study in an April issue of PLOS ONE.

 

Space capsule returns from mission to Chinese lab

 

Christopher Bodeen - Associated Press

 

 

A Chinese space capsule with three astronauts landed safely Wednesday on the country's northern grasslands after a 15-day trip to a prototype space station, marking the latest success for China's manned space program as it enters its second decade.

 

The Shenzhou 10's descent module landed by parachute in the vast territory of Inner Mongolia early Wednesday with the three crew members smiling and waving on live television after wriggling through the blackened capsule's narrow hatch.

 

"Space is our dream, the fatherland is our home. Thanks to all compatriots who supported us and best wishes for the wealth and success of our fatherland and the ever greater happiness of our people," mission commander and two-time space traveler Nie Haisheng said to the cameras.

 

Wang Haiping, China's second female astronaut to complete a mission, said the trip had been especially worthwhile for the opportunity to conduct China's first science class in space, beamed live to 60 million schoolchildren across the country.

 

"I hope all our young friends may wish beautiful dreams and may their dreams come true," said Wang, who, like her two colleagues, was still clad in her space suit and seated under bright sunshine in white folding chairs in front of the round-edged module.

 

Back at the Beijing command center, manned space program director Zhang Youxia declared the mission - China's longest to date - a "complete success" and said all three astronauts were in perfect health.

 

He was followed by the Communist Party's seventh-ranked official, Zhang Gaoli, who conveyed congratulations from the party leadership and declared that the manned program was entering a new and more challenging stage.

 

The program has "tremendous significance for the advance of our country's economic and technological strength and ethnic unity, and displays the great Chinese path, spirit and power," Zhang said.

 

China's military-backed space program is a source of massive national pride, and the successful mission stands as the latest milestone in the party's smooth consolidation of support under its new leader, President Xi Jinping, who also commands the armed forces.

 

China sent its first astronaut into space in 2003, becoming the third nation after Russia and the United States to achieve manned space travel independently, and has powered ahead in a series of methodically timed steps. Meanwhile, the American program, now in its sixth decade of putting people into space, routinely works on the International Space Station and has long-term plans to go to an asteroid and Mars.

 

The latest Chinese mission was the second crewed trip to the Tiangong 1 experimental space station, launched in 2011. It's due to be replaced by a three-module permanent station, Tiangong 2, seven years from now.

 

The future station will weigh about 60 tons, slightly smaller than NASA's Skylab of the 1970s and about one-sixth the size of the 16-nation International Space Station. China was barred from participating in the ISS, largely because of U.S. objections over political differences and the Chinese program's close military links.

 

Work on Tiangong 2 is going according to plan, and the station's laboratory module should be launched around 2015, another leading manned space program official, Wang Zhaoyao, told a news conference Wednesday. He said its core module would be launched around 2018 and the entire station assembled by 2020.

 

Alongside the manned program, China is developing the Long March 5 heavier-lift rocket needed to launch the Tiangong 2. It also plans to send a rover to the moon, possibly followed by a crewed lunar mission if officials decide to combine the human spaceflight and lunar exploration programs.

 

Chinese astronauts return to Earth

 

William Harwood - CBS News

 

After 15 days in space and two dockings with a prototype space station module, China's Shenzhou 10 spacecraft, carrying a veteran astronaut and two first-time fliers, fell back to Earth Tuesday (U.S. time), closing out the country's fifth manned spaceflight with an on-target landing.

 

The re-entry was carried live on Chinese television, with infrared shots of the spacecraft's long re-entry plume as it streaked across the sky, followed by inflation of its main parachute as it descended toward the landing zone in the Siziwang Qi region of Inner Mongolia.

 

With commander Nie Haisheng at the controls in the command module's center seat, flanked by Zhang Xiaoguang and Wang Yaping, China's second female astronaut, the Shenzhou 10 spacecraft settled to a jarring rocket-assisted touchdown around 8:07 p.m. EDT (GMT-4; 8:07 a.m. Wednesday local time).

 

The spacecraft appeared to be dragged a short distance by its still-inflated parachute before coming to a rest on its side. Mission duration as 14 days 14 hours and 29 minutes.

 

Recovery forces stationed nearby reached the capsule within a few minutes, opened its main hatch and carried out initial medical checks. About an hour and a half after landing, Nie and his crewmates were helped out of the descent module, smiling and waving to recovery crews.

 

All three appeared healthy and in good spirits, accepting flowers and ceremonial scarves presented by a trio of colorfully dressed Mongolians.

 

"This is my second time to fly into space and this is a great privilege and honor for me," Nie said, resting in a chair near the descent module. "I feel very good back at home and at this moment what I want to say most is that space is our dream, that ... I want to wish for a more prosperous future for our country and better life for our people. I would like to thank all the people in China for their support."

 

Speaking from the Chinese mission control center, Zhang Gaoli, China's vice premier, congratulated "the astronauts and all the technicians, experts and families of the workers on the successful conclusion of this mission."

 

Following past practice, Nie and his crewmates were expected to be flown to Beijing for more extensive medical exams, debriefings and reunions with friends and family.

 

Shenzhou 10 was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center atop a Long March-2F rocket on June 11. Nie, veteran of a 2005 Shenzhou flight, monitored an automated docking with the Tiangong 1 space station module two days later.

 

Amid a full slate of science and technology development experiments, Wang delivered a space lecture broadcast to more than 60 million school kids. Last weekend, the crew undocked and Nie guided the Shenzhou 10 spacecraft to a manual linkup in another test of rendezvous procedures.

 

Monday evening, the crew undocked a final time, carrying out yet another close approach and ground-commanded flyby before departing Tiangong 1 for good.

 

The Shenzhou 10 mission "carries the space dream of the Chinese nation," President Xi Jinping told the crew before launch. "It will also show the Chinese passion to reach for the stars and reach into space. You have made all of us very proud."

 

The Shenzhou 10 flight was the latest in a series of incremental steps laying the groundwork for assembly of a much larger Mir-class space station around the end of the decade. Building a large space station is the official goal of China's manned space program.

 

During the mission, Xi called the crew again, telling them "the space dream is part of the dream to make China stronger. With the development of space programs, the Chinese people will take bigger strides to explore further into the space."

 

"This is your time in space," he radioed, his words translated by Central China Television. "Have you gotten accustomed to the work and life there?"

 

"President Xi, during the past 13 days in space, we've quickly become accustomed to zero gravity," Nie replied. "I feel good in all respects. We have made smooth progress on our space experiments. Right now, we all feel energetic and enthusiastic. We are committed to our space mission."

 

Wang told Xi the crew enjoyed a "normal" diet and "we can all rest seven to eight hours each day."

 

"I also served as a teacher in space, demonstrating to youngsters across China physical phenomena in the zero-gravity environment," she said. "For me, it's an opportunity to learn and improve."

 

Xi told the crew the space lecture was carried live to more than 60 million students in some 80,000 schools across the nation.

 

"It was of great significance," he said. "It helps them develop an interest in science and space exploration. We hope you focus on your work, closely cooperate with each other and complete the rest of your work. We all look forward to your triumphant return."

 

China became the third nation, after the United States and the Soviet Union/Russia, to launch a manned spacecraft in October 2003 when Yang Liwei blasted off aboard the Shenzhou 5 spacecraft.

 

Shenzhou 6, carrying two crew members, was successfully launched in October 2005 and Shenzhou 7, carrying a three-man crew, flew in September 2008.

 

In September 2011, Tiangong 1 was launched to serve as a target for rendezvous and docking missions. One month after the solar-powered module reached orbit, China launched the unmanned Shenzhou 8 spacecraft, which carried out an automated rendezvous and televised docking with the research module two days later.

 

China followed that flight by launching two men and a woman on the Shenzhou 9 mission in June 2012. They carried out the program's first manned rendezvous and docking.

 

Joan Johnson-Freese, an expert on China's space program, told CBS News the latest mission was aimed at gathering the experience needed to build the larger space station planned later this decade.

 

"After this, they supposedly will move on to Tiangong 2, which will allow them to keep a crew of three in orbit for 20 days," she said before launch. "It's all building to part three, which is the space station they will launch when they have the capability to launch it on the Long March 5 (rocket)."

 

Chinese astronauts land safely after "perfect" space mission

 

Terril Yue Jones & Michael Martina - Reuters

 

Three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth on Wednesday, touching down in north China's Inner Mongolia after a successful 15-day mission in which they docked with an experimental manned space laboratory.

 

The Shenzhou 10 spacecraft, China's fifth manned space mission since 2003, completed the final trial docking with the Tiangong (Heavenly Palace) 1, critical in Beijing's quest to build a working space station by 2020.

 

China Central Television showed the re-entry of the capsule, dangling from an orange parachute, and its landing on flat grasslands shortly after 8 a.m. China time.

 

China successfully carried out its first manned docking exercise with Tiangong 1 last June, a milestone in an effort to acquire the technological and logistical skills to run a full space station that can house people for long periods.

 

The Shenzhou 10 was commanded by Nie Haisheng, with Zhang Xiaoguang and female astronaut Wang Yaping also on board.

 

The astronauts began emerging about 90 minutes after landing, helped out of the nose of the capsule by workers in white jumpsuits and into waiting chairs, smiling and waving to the TV camera.

 

"It's good to be home," Nie told CCTV. "Space is our dream. The motherland is always our home."

 

Wang gave a 50-minute televised physics lecture last week on the effects of weightlessness, widely viewed by middle school students around the country.

 

"This mission made me realize two dreams: my dream of flying to outer space, and my dream of being a teacher," she told CCTV. "If you have a dream, you can succeed."

 

The Global Times, a tabloid published by the same company that puts out the official Communist Party newspaper the People's Daily, echoed some criticism among the public about the expense of China's space programme.

 

"Currently, China's passion to develop space technology mainly lingers at the government level. Some even blame the government for political vanity and question whether the money couldn't be spent improving people's livelihoods," the paper said in an editorial, published before the landing.

 

The mission went "perfectly", Wang Zhaoyao, director of China's manned space programme, said at a news conference in Beijing.

 

China is still far from catching up with the established space superpowers, the United States and Russia, which decades ago learned the docking techniques carried out by the Shenzhou 10.

 

China must still master launching cargo and fuel via space freighters and recycling air and water for extended manned missions, state media have said. Plans call for a working space lab, the Tiangong 2, to be put into orbit in two years.

 

Beijing insists its space programme is for peaceful purposes, but the U.S. Defense Department has highlighted China's increasing space capabilities and said Beijing is pursuing a variety of activities aimed at preventing its adversaries from using space-based assets during a crisis.

 

Three Chinese Astronauts Land After Record-Breaking Spaceflight

 

Mike Wall - Space.com

 

A Chinese space capsule carrying three astronauts returned safely to Earth Tuesday, wrapping up the longest manned space mission in the nation's history.

 

The Shenzhou 10 spacecraft touched down at 8:08 p.m. EDT Tuesday (0008 GMT), capping a 15-day mission to China's orbiting Tiangong 1 lab module. The spacecraft landed in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, where the local time was 8:08 a.m. on Wednesday.

 

During their time aboard Tiangong 1, Nie Haisheng, Wang Yaping (the second Chinese woman to fly in space) and Zhang Xiaoguang performed a variety of experiments, beamed a microgravity science lesson down to 330 schoolkids and chatted with President Xi Jinping

 

Xi lauded the three taikonauts (as Chinese astronauts are called) during the phone call on Monday and stressed that their mission is part of a broader plan to advance China's presence and capabilities in the final frontier.

 

"The space dream is part of the dream to make China stronger. With the development of space programs, the Chinese people will take bigger strides to explore further into space," Xi said, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

 

Shenzhou 10 launched June 11 and docked automatically with Tiangong 1 two days later. The spaceships separated briefly on Saturday (June 22) before joining up again, this time in a manual docking with Nie piloting the Shenzhou 10. The vessels detached for good on Monday evening (June 24), with Shenzhou 10 then flying around the lab module in a rendezvous test.

 

Such spaceflight maneuvers are viewed as key steps toward the construction and long-term occupancy of an orbiting space station, which China hopes to have up and running by 2020.

 

The Shenzhou 10 mission was China's fifth human spaceflight. The nation first launched a taikonaut in October 2003, sending Yang Liwei into orbit for 21 hours. A two-person crew spent five days in space two years later, and three taikonauts blasted off on a three-day trip in September 2008.

 

The next manned mission was Shenzhou 9, which sent three taikonauts — including Liu Yang, China's first woman in space — on the first flight to Tiangong 1 in June 2012. The 13-day mission featured automatic and manual dockings with the lab module, as Shenzhou 10 did.

 

Tiangong 1 launched to Earth orbit in September 2011 and was first visited by the unmanned Shenzhou 8 spacecraft two months later. China plans to launch a larger module, called Tiangong 2, later this year. ("Tiangong" means "Heavenly Palace" in Chinese, while "Shenzhou" is typically translated as "Divine Vessel.")

 

Cureton's successor picked at NASA

 

Frank Konkel - Federal Computer Week

 

Larry Sweet, a NASA veteran who began his career at the space agency in 1987, will officially take the reins as the agency's CIO on June 30.

 

Sweet replaces Linda Cureton, who retired in April. NASA's associate deputy administrator Richard Keegan has been acting CIO since Cureton's departure. Sweet has served as the Johnson Space Center's CIO and information resources director since 2007.

 

Sweet will be responsible for ensuring NASA's information assets are in line with federal policies, procedures and legislation, and he'll also manage several major IT efforts. The most important of those efforts is likely the IT Infrastructure Integration Program (I3P), which will consolidate and integrate NASA's IT contracts to increase collaboration and reduce costs at the agency.

 

Perhaps more important moving forward, though, is that Sweet will be installed at the same time the agency is supposed to improve IT governance, enhance CIO authority and make fixes to other IT problems that have dogged the agency for decades, according to a June report by NASA's Office of Inspector General.

 

NASA's decentralized IT operations "hinder the agency's ability to implement effective IT governance," leaving the agency CIO with limited visibility or control over IT investments and unable to enforce security measures across all NASA computers, the IG reported. Of the $1.46 billion allocated for IT in fiscal 2012, the agency CIO had direct control of only $159 million, or about 11 percent.

 

In 2010, decentralized IT operations and limited CIO control actually caused NASA to overspend on its fiscal 2010 IT budget by $400 million, highlighting the seriousness of the problem.

 

NASA administrator Charles Bolden concurred or partially concurred with all eight OIG recommendations stemming from the report. They include requiring the CIO to approve all IT procurement expenditures over an established threshold and consolidating overall IT governance within OCIO. All recommendations were due to be addressed within one year.

 

In his response, presumably written before NASA had selected Sweet for the job, Bolden wrote that NASA would look for candidates who had demonstrated strong governance in their careers to take on these new challenges. Based on Bolden's other statements in response to the OIG criticism, it seems Sweet will have no shortage of work to do when he begins. "I will ask the new CIO to conduct a comprehensive assessment of existing NASA IT governance and the IT organization and recommend any necessary improvements to address the findings in this report," Bolden said.

 

Sweet and NASA are at least one step ahead of several other agencies, however: the Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Personnel Management, Social Security Administration and Departments of Veteran Affairs, Homeland Security and Housing and Urban Development are all still searching for their next permanent CIO.

 

New Astronaut Recruits Come At A Time Of Change For NASA

 

Emily Canal - Forbes

 

For the first time in its 54-year history, the latest class of NASA astronaut trainees has an equal number of men and women. The group of eight, ranging from pilots to scientists, will be training for a stint at the International Space Station and, hopefully, a trip to an asteroid or Mars Mars.

 

Dr. Janet Kavandi, the director of flight crew operations at the Johnson Space Center, was part of a team discussing the news on a Google+ hangout last week. She said NASA doesn't determine how many people of each gender they select for recruits.

 

"It turned out they happen to be half men and half women in the end, which I think is a great tribute to women today," Kavandi said in the online chat.  "They've achieved and are going into fields that are much more demanding and make them on equal footing as the male candidates."

 

Nicole Aunapu Mann, a major in the U.S. Marine Corps and an F/A 18 pilot, was one of the eight individuals selected out of 6,100 applicants.

 

"It's going to be an amazing class," said Mann, 35, from Penngrove, Calif. "I read their bios and I'm truly humbled to be part of an amazing group of people who have done amazing things."

 

The new additions are a huge step for female astronauts, as they make up 12 of the 49 members in the current corps. They are also part of a growing number of women earning leadership positions at NASA in the last five to 10 years. Elizabeth Robinson, the chief financial officer, and Lori B. Garver, the deputy administrator, both took their new positions at NASA in 2009.

 

Mamta Patel Nagaraja, an engineer and project manager for the Women@NASA program, an initiative designed to encourage young women to pursue STEM careers, said the number of female supervisors has increased by nearly 60% in the last decade. Additionally, 20% of NASA engineers are female, a 76% increase since the early 90s. According to the NASA website, there are 5,909 full-time on-duty female employees and 11,224 full-time on-duty male employees.

 

"If we continue to make these steps, then someday it's not news and 50 percent [of women recruits] is normal," said Nagaraja.

 

But for some younger ladies, a chance to work with NASA can come as early as middle school. There are two programs currently operating that encourage female students to pursue math and science studies, or careers at NASA.

 

Women in STEM High School Aerospace Scholars (WISH) is an interactive online community for female high school juniors facilitated by NASA. The students complete lessons on future, current and past space exploration and are able to chat with NASA subject matter experts on the topics. They may also compete to attend a summer workshop at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, where they work with engineers to design a mission to Mars. Additionally, Women@NASA runs a virtual mentoring program for middle school-aged girls and boys across the country.

 

"I think it's great and think women in leadership roles are reaching out and fostering innovation in youth and teaching them to get excited about math and science," Mann said. "Kids realize that anything is possible and they can achieve those dreams and I think that's a big factor of women in more leadership roles these days."

 

Meet the recruits:

 

• Nicole Aunapu Mann, 35, is a major in the U.S. Marine Corps and an F/A 18 pilot, serving as an integrated product team lead at the U.S. Naval Air Station. Originally from Penngrove, Calif., she graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, Stanford University and the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School

 

• Jessica U. Meir, 35, hails from Caribou, Maine and is an assistant professor of anesthesia at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital. She holds degrees from Brown University, the International Space University and a doctorate from Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

 

• Anne C. McClain, 34, is from Spokane, Washington and a OH-58 helicopter pilot. She graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the University of Bath, the University of Bristol and the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at Naval Air Station.

 

• Christina Hammock, 34, from Jacksonville, N.C., is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Station Chief in American Samoa. She earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from North Carolina State University.

 

Faced with Constant Risk, an Astronaut's Decision for Family

 

Arabic Knowledge@Wharton

 

By 1996, Terrence "Tom" Henricks was a success, by any measure: the son of an Ohio farmer, he was the first member of his family to graduate college, and a senior flight leader and astronaut piloting space shuttle flights to the Russian space station Mir. Then came the moment when a glance out the window and a meeting with his children changed the course of his life.

 

After a decade of space missions, Henricks measured the risks and its effects on his personal life. During a visit to Abu Dhabi for the recent Festival Of Thinkers, Henricks told Arabic Knowledge@Wharton that his decision to retire was about his family and acknowledging that career ambition comes with a cost. "I'd had my fair share of space flight, and I didn't have to risk my life to experience it again."

 

An edited transcript of the conversation follows.

 

Arabic Knowledge@Wharton: Can you explain your decision and what led to it?

 

Tom Henricks: It was my fourth mission in space; very long and productive. I was very comfortable in space and I could do the job. We had a quiet moment and I decided, looking down at the earth, that I'd had my fair share of space flight, and I didn't have to risk my life to experience it again. I had satisfied my personal goals as an astronaut. It was one of those winds in the road of my life where I realized I didn't have to do that or pay the same price for those experiences that I had. That's when I sat down with the family and had the discussion.

 

Arabic Knowledge@Wharton: To talk about what was the price of those experiences?

 

Henricks: Time away from family, the risk, and then being a government employee, as opposed to (making) more money in industry.

 

Arabic Knowledge@Wharton: How old were your children, and how did they react when you called the meeting?

 

Henricks: Katie was 14, Tommy, 12, and Heather was eight. We discussed it at home around the kitchen table. I just wanted to hear their views. I told them I would have to move if I stopped working for the government. Their reaction convinced me it was time to move on. I realized they understood the danger of being on the shuttle. They would rather see us re-locate than watch me risk my life.

 

Arabic Knowledge@Wharton: Were they emotional?

 

Henricks: No, but it just struck me, at that time that they were more passive than active in family meetings anyway. In this case, they said it was okay. They didn't want to see me take the risk again -- that's just the way I interpreted it.

 

Arabic Knowledge@Wharton: What was their understanding of the dangers of the job?

 

Henricks: When we arrived as a family in Houston, it was just six months before the Challenger accident. (The U.S. space shuttle Challenger exploded just after launch on January 28, 1986, killing all seven astronauts aboard).

 

At launch, they treat the families of crew special. They're isolated in case something does go wrong. And they saw how concerned my own parents were, so they understood. I didn't understand that they understood until we had that conversation. We never had a discussion after that. Probably should have. At that time, they may have had trouble expressing that. They wouldn't now.

 

Arabic Knowledge@Wharton: Since fatherhood is also leadership, what sort of example do you think this decision and the discussion of it set for your children?

 

Henricks: I think it helped them understand that there was a balance. I'm sure they felt they were being shorted on time with me. My first marriage failed, which was not unusual, so we were having this meeting with their stepmother. You have to make more of an effort to see them. If an astronaut has demands on his time -- and he does -- it's the families who tend to suffer some of it. I don't think of the percentage of failed marriages (at NASA) as different to the general population. But there is some expectation when you live a public life that your life is more stable. We had stresses, like any other families, plus the added strains of space, every so often.

 

Arabic Knowledge@Wharton: Can you describe those added strains?

 

Henricks: Each time, after the four missions, came that reunion with the kids. Every time but once, it was back in Houston. So I had been back on the ground for hours or overnight. It's a public reunion. You get off the airplane in front of the public. So it's kind of emotional, but again, a public setting, so it's not a private reunion, and yeah, it's hard on the emotions -- you can't fully express that emotion.

 

Arabic Knowledge@Wharton: Did that also take a toll on your relationships?

 

Henricks: My ex-wife's stepbrother was one of my college classmates and a good friend of mine before I ever met her. He was killed in an aircraft accident on New Year's Day of her senior year of college. I already knew his parents and went to visit them after his death and that's when I met her. Her sister was dating a naval aviator who was also killed in an aircraft accident. The danger of aviation, I think, was driven home to her.

 

Arabic Knowledge@Wharton: Did being the first of your family at college serve as motivation?

 

Henricks: It wasn't a real motivator. The way I explain it to young people now is not to set their goals short, they can dream big. When I was on the farm, I just wanted to get through college. Then, at the Air Force academy, I could be a pilot. I never considered being an astronaut until I was older. So I was selling myself short for no reason. So I try to encourage young people not to set artificial barriers to their dreams.

 

Arabic Knowledge@Wharton: Can you explain how an astronaut calculates and accepts risk?

 

Henricks: Test pilots don't take as much risk as fighter pilots. Test flying is very controlled, with engineers supporting every mission. If it's a new type of aircraft, the government and the company have a lot invested. There's risk, but there's a lot of control of that risk. An operational fighter pilot goes out three or four times a week, training for combat, if not going to combat. If you end up as an astronaut, it's a high-risk event that you only do, at most, every other year. So I looked at it overall as a relatively even risk. You took a lower risk, more frequently, as a fighter pilot and a higher risk, less frequently as an astronaut. Being a test pilot was probably the safest flying I ever did!

 

Restored Star Trek shuttle getting closer to Houston

 

Craig Hlavaty - Houston Chronicle

 

 

A restored Star Trek prop is one step closer to coming to Space Center Houston after being brought back to life in New Jersey by some Trekkies and master craftsmen.

 

The Galileo shuttle, fully restored to its original luster when it was featured in the 1967 Trek episode "The Galileo Seven," is now finished and being crated for shipment to Clear Lake where it will be on display. It should arrive in Houston next week.

 

It will be shipped in three pieces and reassembled for a July 31st grand opening, says Jack Moore with Space Center Houston. Organizers for Space City Con, which will be held Aug. 2-4, will be throwing a bash for the spacecraft on that day.

 

Project manager and memorabilia collector Adam Schneider bought the Galileo last year at an auction for $61,000. The prop's condition was less than stellar, and the vehicle was covered in rust.

 

"The craftsmen from Master Shipwrights have made many vessels seaworthy but never before space-worthy," said Schneider in a press release.

 

The team unveiled the finished product this past Saturday, and it was christened with a bottle of champagne at a special shipyard ceremony where it was being rebuilt.

 

Three hundred and fifty people were on hand for the cermony in New Jersey.

 

There have been some close calls for the Galileo since it has been decommissioned.

 

Sometime in the 1980s it was sold at auction for $2,000 and put into storage.  It was thought to be lost for some 20 years before it showed up at another auction last year looking haggard.

 

It came to the Master Shipwrights warehouse in New Jersey around the time Hurricane Sandy hit the area last October. Just as it survived space hazards, Galileo withstood the ensuing flood at the workshop.

 

It was hijacked by space hippies in the Trek episode "The Way To Eden," so here's hoping security is tight at Space Center Houston, just in case.

 

Schneider says that he and his family will be on hand for the July opening at Space Center Houston.

 

END