Fwd: Human Spaceflight News - August 21, 2013 and JSC Today

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From: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Date: August 21, 2013 6:26:59 AM GMT-06:00
To: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Subject: FW: Human Spaceflight News - August 21, 2013 and JSC Today

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

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JSC TODAY CATEGORIES Headlines -  NASA TV to Air Space Station Spacewalk Tomorrow -  New Student Video on ReelNASA -  Latest International Space Station Research -  Don't Miss Out - Check Out The Greener Side Today Organizations/Social -  SHPE-TBAC August General Meeting -  Sport-Tek Polos Available at Starport -  League Sports - Starport's Fall Season Jobs and Training -  Payload Safety Review and Analysis - Sept. 9-12 -  Stairways and Ladders ViTS: Sept. 13 -  Lockout/Tagout - Sept. 20, 1 p.m. - B20/R205/206 -  Basic Explosives Safety: Sept. 25 - B20/R116 -  Hand and Power Tools ViTS: Sept. 27 -  Job Opportunities Community -  Blood Drive - Aug. 21 and 22

Introducing the 2013 Astronaut Class

 

Headlines NASA TV to Air Space Station Spacewalk Tomorrow NASA Television will provide live coverage as two Russian cosmonauts venture outside the International Space Station on a spacewalk tomorrow, Aug. 22. NASA TV coverage will begin at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning. Flight Engineers Fyodor Yurchikhin and Alexander Misurkin will install equipment for the arrival of a new Russian module and begin preparations for the installation later this year of an optical telescope. Tomorrow's spacewalk is scheduled to begin at about 6:40 a.m and last about 4 1/2 hours. Yurchikhin and Misurkin will remove a space laser communications system from the hull of the Zvezda service module and install a pointing platform on which a small optical telescope will be installed on a future Russian spacewalk. Tomorrow's spacewalk will be the 173rd in support of space station assembly and maintenance, the eighth of Yurchikhin's career and the third for Misurkin. Yurchikhin will wear a Russian Orlan suit bearing red stripes, and Misurkin will wear a suit with blue stripes. Misurkin's suit also will be equipped with a U.S. helmet camera to provide close up views of the work he will be performing outside the station. JSC, Ellington Field, Sonny Carter Training Facility and White Sands Test Facility team members with wired computer network connections can view NASA TV using the JSC EZTV IP Network TV System on channels 404 (standard definition) or 4541 (HD). Please note: EZTV currently requires using Internet Explorer on a Windows PC connected to the JSC computer network with a wired connection. Mobile devices, Wi-Fi connections and newer MAC computers are currently not supported by EZTV. If you are having problems viewing the video using these systems, contact the Information Resources Directorate Customer Support Center at x46367. Event Date: Thursday, August 22, 2013   Event Start Time:6:00 AM   Event End Time:1:00 PM Event Location: http://iptv.jsc.nasa.gov/eztv/ Add to Calendar JSC External Relations, Office of Communications and Public Affairs x35111 http://www.nasa.gov/station [top] New Student Video on ReelNASA There is a new video called This is JSC: Tom Marshburn posted on ReelNASA, JSC's YouTube channel. The video features astronaut Tom Marshburn getting reacquainted with gravity after returning to Earth from the space station. This is the third video to be released in the This is JSC satirical series created by JSC's students. The second video just released last week, This is JSC: MMSEV , already has over 100,000 views on YouTube. This volunteer outreach project showcases different projects and features unique to JSC. Check it out! JSC External Relations, Office of Communications and Public Affairs x35111 [top] Latest International Space Station Research This week, Karen Nyberg worked with the JAXA Ice Crystal-2 experiment, which examines the growth rates and stability of ice crystals in super-cooled water with an antifreeze glycoprotein. Ice crystal morphologies growing in a super-cooled antifreeze protein solution are different from those growing in super-cooled pure water, in that they exhibit self-oscillation of growth. Results may open the way for new research related to the fundamentals of crystal growth mechanisms controlled by the biological macromolecules. Read more here. Liz Warren x35548 [top] Don't Miss Out - Check Out The Greener Side Today Are you curious to see some of how JSC affects our natural resources? Have you heard about the new air reporting form for painting activities? Find out about these topics and more in July's edition of The Greener Side. Check it out today! JSC Environmental Office x36207 http://www6.jsc.nasa.gov/bbs/scripts/files/367/GreenerSide%20v6n3.pdf [top]    Organizations/Social SHPE-TBAC August General Meeting The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)-Texas Bay Area Chapter (SHPE-TBAC) will hold a general meeting today, Aug. 21, from 6 to 7 p.m. Have you ever wondered what it takes to build a house? Our guest speaker will give an interview of the process and give some tips and pitfalls to avoid. In addition, we will be presenting opportunities for community outreach, professional development and social events. The meeting will be held at the Freeman Library in the Community Room (16616 Diana Lane). Refreshments and snacks will be provided. All are welcome to attend. Event Date: Wednesday, August 21, 2013   Event Start Time:6:00 PM   Event End Time:7:00 PM Event Location: Freeman Library in the Community Room Add to Calendar Rocio R. Garcia 512-483-1939 http://www.shpe-tbac.org [top] Sport-Tek Polos Available at Starport The Starport Gift Shops just received a new supply of the NASA logo Sport-Tek polos in various colors and sizes. This dry-mesh pro polo with strategically placed ventilation panels is perfect for your active lifestyle while offering a professional appearance. Only $45 in the Buildings 3 and 11 Starport Gift Shops. Come see what's new at Starport today! Cyndi Kibby x35352 http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/ [top] League Sports - Starport's Fall Season Registration is opening for Starport's popular league sports! Registration NOW OPEN: Flag Football (Co-ed) | Tuesdays | Registration ends Sept. 4 | Leagues start Sept. 10 Soccer (Co-ed) | Saturdays | Registration ends Sept. 3| League starts Sept. 7 Registration Opening Soon: Dodgeball (Co-ed) | Thursdays | Registration Sept. 9 to 30 | League starts Oct. 3 Softball (Co-ed) | Thursdays | Registration Sept. 9 to 30 | League starts Oct. 3 Softball (Men's D, DD, E) | Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays | Registration Aug. 26 to Sept. 18 | Leagues start Sept. 23 Volleyball (Rev 4s and Co-ed) | Mondays and Tuesdays | Registration Sept. 9 to Oct. 2 | Leagues start Oct. 7 Free-agent registration is now open for all leagues. All participants must register at IMLeagues. For more information, please contact the Gilruth information desk at 281-483-0304. Steve Schade x30304 http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/Fitness/Sports/ [top]    Jobs and Training Payload Safety Review and Analysis - Sept. 9-12 Class is 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. This course is designed as a guide to payload safety review for payload program safety and management personnel. The student will gain an understanding of payload safety as it relates to the overall payload integration process, how the payload safety review process works and the roles and responsibilities of the various players in the payload safety review process. In addition, the student will be instructed in the hands-on fundamentals of payload hazard analysis, hazard documentation and presentation of analyses to the Payload Safety Review Panel. The course will include a mock presentation to the Payload Safety Review Panel. Those with only support or supervisory responsibilities in payload safety should attend course SMA-SAFE-NSTC-0016, Payload Safety Process and Requirements. Use this direct link for registration. https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHEDULED_... Event Date: Monday, September 9, 2013   Event Start Time:8:00 AM   Event End Time:4:00 PM Event Location: Bldg. 20 Room 205/206 Add to Calendar Shirley Robinson x41284 [top] Stairways and Ladders ViTS: Sept. 13 This three-hour course is based on Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) CFR 1926.1050 through 1926.1059 Subpart X - Stairways and Ladders. During the class, the student will become familiar with the general requirements for working on stairways and ladders (OSHA CFR 1926.1051), OSHA CFR 1926.1052 (stairways), OSHA CFR 1926.1053 (ladders) and OSHA CFR 1926.1060 (training requirements in the construction industry). The student will be shown the working guidelines, training requirements and inspection requirements for ladders. There will be a final exam associated with this course, which must be passed with a 70 percent minimum score to receive course credit. Use this direct link for registration. https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHEDULED_... Event Date: Friday, September 13, 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 [top] Lockout/Tagout - Sept. 20, 1 p.m. - B20/R205/206 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. Occupational Safety and Health Administration 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_... Event Date: Friday, September 20, 2013   Event Start Time:1:00 PM   Event End Time:4:00 PM Event Location: Bldg. 20 Room 205/206 Add to Calendar Shirley Robinson x41284 [top] Basic Explosives Safety: Sept. 25 - B20/R116 This two-day course provides initial or refresher training for technicians, supervisors and managers who work with or in the presence of explosive systems, components or materials. In-class mishap case studies are used in addition to lecture and video to ensure student understanding. Topics include: Characteristics and hazards of explosives Explosive effects Types of explosive systems/components/devices used in NASA Operating procedures Explosive siting criteria Storage, handling and disposal of explosive wastes Fire protection Electricity, electromagnetic radiation, ESD and lightning protection Housekeeping Personal Protective Equipment Tooling and equipment safety Hazard classification systems and divisions Quantity/distance requirements Transporting, shipping and handling explosives, propellants and pyrotechnics Explosive hazards and exposure risk assessment Target audience: Safety, Reliability, Quality and Maintainability professionals. Technicians, supervisors and managers who work with or in the presence of explosive systems, components or materials. CEUs: 1.2. Use this direct link for registration. https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHEDULED_... Event Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2013   Event Start Time:8:00 AM   Event End Time:4:00 PM Event Location: Bldg. 20 Room 116 Add to Calendar Shirley Robinson x41284 [top] Hand and Power Tools ViTS: Sept. 27 This two-hour course is based on Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) CFR 1910.28 and 1926.451, requirements for working with hand tools safely in the general and construction industries. During the course, the student will receive an overview of those topics needed to work safely with hand and power tools, including: standards, terminology, inspection of hand and power tool components, and proper usage. There will be a final exam associated with this course, which must be passed with a 70 percent minimum score to receive course credit. Use this direct link for registration. https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHEDULED_... Event Date: Friday, September 27, 2013   Event Start Time:9:30 AM   Event End Time:11:30 AM Event Location: Bldg. 17 Room 2026 Add to Calendar Shirley Robinson x41284 [top] Job Opportunities   Where do I find job opportunities? Both internal Competitive Placement Plan (CPP) and external JSC job announcements are posted on the Human Resources (HR) portal and USAJOBS website. Through the HR portal, civil servants can view summaries of all the agency jobs that are currently open at: https://hr.nasa.gov/portal/server.pt/community/employees_home/239/job_opportu.. To help you navigate to JSC vacancies, use the filter drop-down menu and select "JSC HR." The "Jobs" link will direct you to the USAJOBS website for the complete announcement and the ability to apply online. If you have questions about any JSC job vacancies, please call your HR representative. Lisa Pesak x30476 [top]    Community Blood Drive - Aug. 21 and 22   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 (note start time change): Teague Auditorium lobby: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Building 11 Starport Café donor coach: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Gilruth Center donor coach: Noon to 4 p.m. (Thursday only) The 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 [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.

 

 

 

 

Human Spaceflight News

Wednesday – August 21, 2013

 

The "Eight Balls" officially join NASA's Astronaut Corps – welcome Class of 2013

 

HEADLINES AND LEADS

 

NASA's Global Plan for Space Exploration Gets an Upgrade

 

Clara Moskowitz - Space.com

 

When it comes to human missions to an asteroid and Mars, NASA can't go it alone, the agency's chief Charles Bolden said Tuesday. NASA and 11 other international space agencies committed to cooperating on deep space exploration together in the future in a plan released this morning. The "Global Exploration Roadmap" is an update to a plan first put forward in 2011 that unites the interests of the space agencies of Italy, France, Canada, Germany, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Ukraine, Russia, the United Kingdom, as well as the European Space Agency and NASA. The roadmap sends "a clear signal that the global community wants to be a part of NASA's unified deep-space exploration strategic plan, with robotic and human missions to destinations that include near-Earth asteroids, the moon and Mars," NASA administrator Charles Bolden said during a press conference at the Johnson Space Center in Houston to introduce the newest astronaut candidates selected to join the agency.

 

NASA introduces new astronaut class

 

William Harwood - CBS News

 

NASA introduced eight new astronaut candidates to the public Tuesday, four men and four women who initially will focus on space station operations before possible assignment to future missions to the moon, near-Earth asteroids or, eventually, Mars. "Their journey begins now, and the nation, as it always has, will be right beside them, reaching for the stars," said NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, a former shuttle commander. "Congratulations to all of you. Welcome, and have fun."

 

NASA Introduces New Astronaut Class of 2013

 

Gina Sunseri - ABC News

 

Eight shiny, new astronauts with the right stuff were introduced by NASA today at the Johnson Space Center. They are the class of 2013 - four women and four men who made it through the rigorous screening and are now on the fast track to go to space.

 

A new set of astronauts to head to the final frontier

 

Maegan Vazquez – NBC News

 

NASA introduced its newest class of astronaut candidates to the nation at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Tex., giving the media a glimpse of the group of eight potential space explorers. Four men and four women from across the country were picked out of over 6,000 applications. The candidates this year are Lt. Comm. Josh Cassada, Lt. Comm. Victor Glover, Lt. Col. Nick Hague, Christina Hammock, Maj. Nicole Aunapu Mann, Maj. Anne McClain, Maj. Andrew Morgan, and Jessica Meir. This year's class had the highest percentage of women in the history of the space program.

 

New astronaut candidates dish before getting down to work

 

Eric Berger - Houston Chronicle

 

As a fourth-grader in San Antonio, Andrew Morgan, now 37, says his dad gave him an assignment to write a letter to a famous Texas native. Morgan chose Alan Bean, the Apollo 12 astronaut, who wrote back on official NASA stationery. "I was convinced that was my acceptance as an astronaut candidate," Morgan recalled. Morgan, an emergency physician who now considers New Castle, Pa., home, had to wait nearly three decades for that dream to become a reality. On Tuesday, he and seven other astronaut candidates made it official, publicly appearing at Johnson Space Center as NASA's newest astronaut class.

 

Astronaut trainees are eager for the future, whatever it holds

 

James Dean - Florida Today

 

First mission accomplished. NASA's newest astronauts-in-training on Tuesday fielded questions from the media, exhibiting poise, intelligence and humor, and no hint of concern about the agency's uncertain human exploration program. "We're wide-eyed, and we're open," said Nicole Aunapu Mann, a 35-year-old Marine Corps major and pilot. "We're ready here, open, willing to learn and train (for) whatever mission that NASA has put forth for us, and we're all very excited about that." Mann is one of four women among the eight elite "ASCANs," or Astronaut Candidates, selected recently from more than 6,100 applicants, the second most NASA has ever received.

 

NASA Astronaut Recruits Asked Show Twitter Flair

 

Irene Klotz - Discovery News

 

In a sign of the times, aspiring astronauts were asked to write a Twitter post, a limerick or a haiku as part of their NASA applications. Here's a winning entry from Victor Glover, 37, a U.S. Navy pilot and one of the eight members of the newly announced Astronaut Class of 2013.

 

"Eyes fixed gazing off into space

My mind in awe of the human race

This is all dizzying to me

Because I gave so much blood and pee

Happy to be here (by the) colonoscopy place."

 

NASA's Newest Astronauts Discuss Having 'The Right Stuff'

 

Karin Zeitvogel - RIA Novosti

 

NASA on Tuesday welcomed its newest astronauts – four men and four women who grew up on farms, military bases and in suburbia across the country, studied "hard science" in college, and have a wide range of professional experience from researching penguins in Antarctica to flying US fighter jets. "They not only have the right stuff professionally, physically and personally, they also represent the full tapestry of American diversity," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said at a news conference to introduce the astronaut class of 2013. "And with half of them being women, this is the highest percentage of women ever in a class of astronaut candidates," Bolden added.

 

Meet the new NASA astronauts

 

Jeremy Desel - KHOU TV (Houston)

 

If there is a mold for the best and brightest, the eight new NASA Astronauts introduced Tuesday morning at the Johnson Space Center are it. "NASA is an organization with a goal that is as important as it can get. Which is to move us all forward," said new Astronaut Christina Hammock. The fact that they are the ones now reaching for the stars is still sinking in. "I don't think that it really has yet. Every time we do something it continues to remind you that: Wow, this is really happening," said new astronaut Victor Glover. It is a well-rounded group.

 

NASA introduces 2013 astronaut candidate class, training for travel to Mars

 

Pooja Lodhia - KTRK TV (Houston)

 

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden on Tuesday formally welcomed the eight newest candidates to the astronaut corps and unveiled a space exploration roadmap that makes clear the global community is working together on a unified deep space exploration strategic plan, with robotic and human missions to destinations that include near-Earth asteroids, the moon and Mars. At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the members of the 2013 astronaut class spoke with reporters about their new roles and their desire to help the agency push the boundaries of exploration and travel to new destinations in the solar system.

 

8 New NASA Astronauts

 

Damali Keith - KRIV TV (Houston)

 

Eight new residents to the Houston area are expected to have an out of this world impact on the economy. The eight new NASA astronauts were selected from 6,000 applicants. "I'm a major in the Army and a helicopter scout pilot," said newly named astronaut Anne McClain as she introduced herself. "I'm a Marine F-18 test pilot," added Nicole Mann. These eight new NASA astronauts include four men and four women. These eight new astronauts will be in training for two years and from there what space missions will they fly? "In the short term it's the International Space Station.

 

NASA's newest astronauts face the press — and the great unknown

 

Alan Boyle - NBCNews.com's Cosmic Log

 

NASA's brand-new class of astronauts met the press for the first time at Johnson Space Center in Houston on Tuesday — and addressed the not-completely-answerable questions about where they'll be going. The eight astronaut candidates represent the first group that's evenly split between men and women. They're also the first future spacefliers to be named since the retirement of the shuttle fleet two years ago.

 

NASA's New Astronaut Class, the '8 Balls,' Reports for Training

 

Robert Pearlman - collectSPACE.com

 

The "8 Balls" have landed in NASA's center pocket. On Tuesday, eight new astronaut candidates — nicknamed the "Eight Balls" — were formally welcomed to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they're set to begin two years of basic training. "For more than 50 years, from the early days of Gemini and the Apollo moon landings to the historic achievements of the 30-year space shuttle era and today's International Space Station, the Johnson Space Center has been home to America's human spaceflight program," Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator and a former astronaut, said Tuesday morning at a press conference.

 

Astronaut recounts near-drowning on spacewalk

 

Marcia Dunn - Associated Press

 

The Italian astronaut who nearly drowned in his helmet during a spacewalk last month is sharing more details about the terrifying experience, revealing how he felt all alone and frantically tried to come up with a plan to save himself. Luca Parmitano wrote in his online blog, posted Tuesday, that he could no longer see as the water sloshed around in his helmet outside the International Space Station. "But worse than that, the water covers my nose - a really awful sensation that I make worse by my vain attempts to move the water by shaking my head," the former test pilot wrote. "By now, the upper part of the helmet is full of water and I can't even be sure that the next time I breathe I will fill my lungs with air and not liquid."

 

$10,000 for your thoughts: What would you send to the Space Station?

Space agencies crowdsource lab research ideas for ISS

 

Michael Cooney - NetworkWorld.com

 

If you could send anything at all to the International Space Station, what would it be? No your mother-in-law or neighbor's dog don't qualify. The agency that manages the research being done onboard the International Space Station -- the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) - is offering a $10,000 prize for the best idea for its  "What Would You Send to the ISS?", contest which ends Sept. 16, 2013. Unlike Requests for Proposals CASIS has previously released, submissions for this contest can simply be ideas or concepts, not precise proposals for research, the group stated.

 

The five coolest jobs in space

 

Nick Collins - The Telegraph (UK)

 

The "open positions" page on the SpaceX website contains all manner of weird jobs from designing the company's space suits to "non-destructive testing" of its latest technology. Promising employees the opportunity to "advance the course of human history and pave the way to Mars", the company also warns that its vacancies are "insanely challenging projects" suitable only for "absurdly ambitious" applicants. But for those who spent their childhood dreaming of one day becoming a space cowboy, and who are brave enough to take on the challenge, what are the five coolest jobs in space today?

 

The 4 Weirdest Jobs You Could Get At SpaceX Right Now

 

Francie Diep - Popular Science

 

SpaceX, billionaire Elon Musk's private spaceflight company, appears to be on a hiring spree. On its careers page, the company--which currently employs more than 3,000 people--lists nearly 200 open positions. The page is up to date, SpaceX spokeswoman Hannah Post tells Popular Science. Many of the openings are for different types of engineers, but there's room for everyone from a line cook to a space suit engineer. New college grads might be happy to know there are four types of positions explicitly aimed at them.

 

A discussion with astronaut Bonnie Dunbar

Re-engineering America's space

 

Larry Bell - Forbes

 

My long-time friend and, most recently, University of Houston colleague Dr. Bonnie Dunbar, earned a Ph.D. in mechanical and biomedical engineering at the UH, and has put her science and technology background to work on Earth and in orbit. Bonnie logged more than 50 days in space as a mission specialist, or payload commander, onboard five Space Shuttle flights. She now directs the UH STEM Center which supports STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs, and also serves as director of the UH Cullen College of Engineering's graduate program in aerospace engineering…

 

The promise of the International Space Station

 

Marion Blakey - Washington Business Journal (Opinion)

 

(Blakey is President and CEO, Aerospace Industries Association)

 

In my role as President and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association, I'm sometimes asked this question: "Now that the Space Shuttle is retired, whatever happened to our human spaceflight program?" My response: "It's alive and well in the form of the International Space Station." I then tell them that if they go to the website spotthestation.nasa.gov, they will be able see the largest international cooperative science and engineering project ever constructed, gracefully arcing across the sky. Shuttle launches were exciting, but imagine what it must be like for a crew member to be up in space for six months to a year at a time, conducting research to better people's lives on Earth while also learning how we can extend our exploration reach to the planets.

__________

 

COMPLETE STORIES

 

NASA's Global Plan for Space Exploration Gets an Upgrade

 

Clara Moskowitz - Space.com

 

When it comes to human missions to an asteroid and Mars, NASA can't go it alone, the agency's chief Charles Bolden said Tuesday. NASA and 11 other international space agencies committed to cooperating on deep space exploration together in the future in a plan released this morning.

 

The "Global Exploration Roadmap" is an update to a plan first put forward in 2011 that unites the interests of the space agencies of Italy, France, Canada, Germany, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Ukraine, Russia, the United Kingdom, as well as the European Space Agency and NASA.

 

The roadmap sends "a clear signal that the global community wants to be a part of NASA's unified deep-space exploration strategic plan, with robotic and human missions to destinations that include near-Earth asteroids, the moon and Mars," NASA administrator Charles Bolden said during a press conference at the Johnson Space Center in Houston to introduce the newest astronaut candidates selected to join the agency.

 

Under the plan, the international group aims to work together to mount robotic and human missions to the moon, nearby asteroids, and to Mars. The roadmap also emphasizes the importance of continuing operation of the International Space Station for research into fundamental science, as well as for testing technologies and strategies to be used on deep space missions.

 

The joint space agencies, which make up the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG), outlined their common goals in space exploration, including using space activities to probe the question of whether life exists beyond Earth in the universe.

 

"The search for life is a central goal of space exploration," the ISECG officials wrote in the roadmap. "Pursuing this goal continues the cultural quest of humankind to determine whether we are alone in the universe, and answers deeply rooted questions about our origin and evolution."

 

NASA also plans to build on its long experience of moon exploration to help other countries and commercial companies launch robotic missions to the moon.

 

"These missions could demonstrate critical capabilities for future Mars missions while meeting other lunar exploration objectives, while we at NASA, we focus on deep space exploration to meeting the President's challenges of sending humans to an asteroid and on to Mars," Bolden said.

 

The roadmap outlines upcoming NASA missions that offer opportunities for international cooperation, such as NASA's plan to lasso an asteroid using a robotic spacecraft and drag it in toward the moon's orbit so that astronauts can visit it.

 

"The roadmap demonstrates the important role of NASA's asteroid mission in advancing the capabilities needed for exploring Mars and the economic and societal value such exploration can bring about," Bolden said.

 

The international space agencies also aim to work together to better understand the risks of weightlessness to the human body, and how to mitigate the negative health effects of space exploration on astronauts.

 

"This is essential for human exploration and will enable a human presence across the solar system," the roadmap states. "Pursuing this goal also yields innovation for Earth-based health care."

 

NASA introduces new astronaut class

 

William Harwood - CBS News

 

NASA introduced eight new astronaut candidates to the public Tuesday, four men and four women who initially will focus on space station operations before possible assignment to future missions to the moon, near-Earth asteroids or, eventually, Mars.

 

"Their journey begins now, and the nation, as it always has, will be right beside them, reaching for the stars," said NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, a former shuttle commander. "Congratulations to all of you. Welcome, and have fun."

 

The astronaut candidates, or "ascans," were selected from more than 6,100 applications, the second-largest pool of applicants in NASA history. Of that total, 120 were invited to the Johnson Space Center for initial interviews and medical exams.

 

Forty nine of those were asked to come back for follow-on interviews and more detailed physical exams. The eight men and women eventually selected reported to the Johnson Space Center last week to begin training.

 

Asked to describe the interview and selection process, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Victor Glover, a 37-year-old F/A-18 jet pilot with multiple advanced degrees, said "there was a lot of writing involved."

 

"The one that stands out the most is we were asked to compose a tweet, a limerick or a haiku," he said. "And I did a limerick, and it goes:

 

"Eyes fixed, gazing off into space

"My mind in awe of the human race

"This is all dizzying to me

"Because I gave so much blood and pee;

"Happy to be here (at) the colonoscopy place.

 

"And that's funny if you had to go through this interview process, specifically the medical portion," he joked.

 

Glover's fellow astronaut candidates are:

 

Josh A. Cassada, q 39-year old physicist and Navy test pilot with more than 2,400 hours flying time and a doctorate in high-energy particle physics.

 

Air Force Lt. Col. Tyler (Nick) Hague, 37, a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate who earned a master's in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School.

 

Christina M. Hammock, 34, former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Station Chief in American Samoa with a master's degree in electrical engineering.

 

Marine Maj. Nicole Aunapu Mann, 35, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Stanford University and the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. She is an F/A-18 pilot with more than 1,400 hours flight time and a master's in mechanical engineering.

 

Army Maj. Anne C. McClain, 34, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and a veteran helicopter pilot with more than 2,000 hours flying time. She holds master's degrees in aerospace engineering and international security.

 

Jessica U. Meir, 35, with a doctorate in marine biology from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She was serving as an assistant professor of anesthesia at Harvard Medical School when selected by NASA.

 

Army Maj. Andrew R. Morgan, 37, a graduate of The U.S. Military Academy at West Point with a doctorate in medicine and more than 380 parachute jumps with the Army's Black Knights sky diving team.

 

"Something that amazed me when we got here was that all of us come from such different backgrounds," McClain said. "We've just really taken the time to get to know each other and understand what our mission's going to be.

 

"It's extremely humbling to look around the astronaut office, see how much experience there is, see how many lessons there are to learn and it's truly starting at square one. ... Now our biggest responsibility is to learn from all these people around us, from years and years of history at NASA, so that when that baton does get passed to us we're ready to move forward."

 

McClain and her fellow candidates will spend the next two years or so learning the ins and outs of space station operations, gaining experience in NASA's T-38 jet trainers and visiting NASA field centers to get grounded in the agency's background and capabilities.

 

They eventually will support crews aboard the space station before becoming eligible for their own flight assignments.

 

NASA Introduces New Astronaut Class of 2013

 

Gina Sunseri - ABC News

 

Eight shiny, new astronauts with the right stuff were introduced by NASA today at the Johnson Space Center.

 

They are the class of 2013 - four women and four men who made it through the rigorous screening and are now on the fast track to go to space.

 

Lt. Commander Victor Glover told ABC News about the massive amount of writing on the application.

 

"The one that stands out the most: We were asked to compose a tweet, a limerick or a haiku," Glover said. "I believe I did a limerick and it goes:

 

"My eyes fixed off gazing into space

"My mind in awe of the human race

"This is all dizzying to me

"Because I gave so much blood and pee

"Happy to be here …..

"The colonoscopy place."   

 

Glover laughed.

 

"And that is funny if you had to go through this interview process, specifically the medical testing," Glover said.

 

Members of the new class will spend the next two years in basic training before they get an assignment.

 

The question is: What does this class have to look forward to?  The International Space Station is funded through 2020 but there is not a set course for any other human exploration of space.    Ideas have been floated to go back to the moon, rendezvous with an asteroid and, someday, to send humans to Mars – big ideas but without a congressional mandate and no funding, unlikely to get off the launch pad.

 

Salaries for civilian astronaut candidates are based on the federal government's general schedule pay scale for grades GS-12 through GS-13. Each person's grade is determined according to his/her academic achievements and experience.

 

Currently, a GS-12 starts at $65,140 per year and a GS-13 can earn up to $100,701 per year.

 

Military astronaut candidates are assigned to the Johnson Space Center and remain in an active duty status for pay, benefits, leave and other, similar military matters.    NASA currently has 47 astronauts on active duty, including the new class.

 

Maj. Andrew Morgan recalled the moment he decided to become an astronaut.

 

"I wrote a letter in elementary school to Alan Bean, and he actually wrote back," Morgan said. "I thought, 'Wow, I'm an astronaut,' but that was the moment that made me think it was possible."

 

A new set of astronauts to head to the final frontier

 

Maegan Vazquez – NBC News

 

NASA introduced its newest class of astronaut candidates to the nation at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Tex., giving the media a glimpse of the group of eight potential space explorers.

 

Four men and four women from across the country were picked out of over 6,000 applications. The candidates this year are Lt. Comm. Josh Cassada, Lt. Comm. Victor Glover, Lt. Col. Nick Hague, Christina Hammock, Maj. Nicole Aunapu Mann, Maj. Anne McClain, Maj. Andrew Morgan, and Jessica Meir. This year's class had the highest percentage of women in the history of the space program.

 

"This has been a lifelong dream of mine and it doesn't seem like too long ago that I was growing up on a farm," Air Force Lt. Col. Nick Hague said. "I submitted my first application a little over ten years ago…my wife and our two boys have been riding that emotional roller coaster over that decade…I'm just ready to get started with training."

 

One of the women in the program, Maj. McClain, an Army test pilot and a member of the U.S. Women's National Rugby Team, gave advice to young people aspiring to join the space program one day, saying:

 

"We all took very different paths to get here…don't think so much about what you're accomplishing but how you're accomplishing it."

 

The applicants come from a variety of backgrounds, stemming from oceanography, biology, medicine, and aviation. Six of the eight have served in the armed forces, and at least two have done research in Antarctica. Christina Hammock, a candidate from Jacksonville, N.C., said her career had one unifying theme, "discovery on the frontiers," and that the NASA's overarching goal "is to move us all forward."

 

One portion of the NASA astronaut program application requires applicants submit a tweet, limerick, or haiku. Lt. Comm. Victor Glover admitted to submitting a limerick that reads:

 

"Eyes fixed going off into space/ my mind in awe of the human race/ this is all dizzying to me/because I gave so much blood and pee/ by the colonoscopy place."

 

"That's funny if you've had to go through the interview process, specifically the medical portion," he added.

 

New astronaut candidates dish before getting down to work

 

Eric Berger - Houston Chronicle

 

As a fourth-grader in San Antonio, Andrew Morgan, now 37, says his dad gave him an assignment to write a letter to a famous Texas native.

 

Morgan chose Alan Bean, the Apollo 12 astronaut, who wrote back on official NASA stationery.

 

"I was convinced that was my acceptance as an astronaut candidate," Morgan recalled.

 

Morgan, an emergency physician who now considers New Castle, Pa., home, had to wait nearly three decades for that dream to become a reality. On Tuesday, he and seven other astronaut candidates made it official, publicly appearing at Johnson Space Center as NASA's newest astronaut class.

 

The right stuff: Meet the new astronauts

 

The group includes four men and four women from across the country who were culled from more than 6,000 applicants.

 

"They not only have the right stuff, they represent the full tapestry of American diversity," said NASA administrator Charles Bolden during the event.

 

He advised them to get to know, and enjoy, Houston.

 

"For more than 50 years now, Johnson Space Center has been the home of America's human spaceflight program, and it will be your new home," he said. "I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did," added the former astronaut.

 

For some candidates, including test pilot Victor Glover from Pomona, Calif., the weather will take some getting used to.

 

"This humidity is a major adjustment for me," Glover admitted.

 

The astronauts are joining NASA at a time of uncertainty. The space agency doesn't have its own spacecraft to launch astronauts into orbit, and replacements from private companies are not expected to come along until 2017, at the earliest.

 

The future of the International Space Station is in doubt after 2021, and there are questions about the viability of NASA's expensive program to build a next generation of heavy-lift rockets.

 

But for one day, at least, the smiling, fresh-faced 30-somethings brought an unmistakable exuberance to the sprawling space center south of Houston.

 

"From the time I was little girl, I have been very inspired by the exploits of NASA," said Anne McClain, a Spokane, Wash.-based engineer and test pilot. "I'm just overjoyed, humbled and truly grateful to be joining the team."

 

Hers was a sentiment shared by the other candidates, who face two years of training at Johnson Space Center before they will be considered for spaceflight opportunities.

 

"I'm still a little bit shocked," said Jessica Meir, a marine biologist from Caribou, Maine.

 

Tyler Hague, a test pilot from Hoxie, Kan., first applied to become an astronaut a decade ago. "This has been a lifelong dream of mine," he said. "Don't take no for an answer."

 

The astronauts will provide an influx of young blood to an astronaut corps that has seen many of its members leave after the space shuttle's retirement.

 

Josh Cassada, a physicist from White Bear Lake, Minn., was pragmatic about the competition for spaceflight opportunities.

 

"I'm encouraged that maybe mission assignment will be determined alphabetically," he said.

 

Astronaut trainees are eager for the future, whatever it holds

 

James Dean - Florida Today

 

First mission accomplished.

 

NASA's newest astronauts-in-training on Tuesday fielded questions from the media, exhibiting poise, intelligence and humor, and no hint of concern about the agency's uncertain human exploration program.

 

"We're wide-eyed, and we're open," said Nicole Aunapu Mann, a 35-year-old Marine Corps major and pilot. "We're ready here, open, willing to learn and train (for) whatever mission that NASA has put forth for us, and we're all very excited about that."

 

Mann is one of four women among the eight elite "ASCANs," or Astronaut Candidates, selected recently from more than 6,100 applicants, the second most NASA has ever received.

 

With a mockup exploration capsule as a backdrop, they were introduced at Johnson Space Center in Houston before beginning a two-year training program they must complete successfully to earn entry into the corps.

 

After that, there's no guarantee when they will fly, where they will go or how they'll get there.

Like the nearly 50 full-fledged astronauts still in NASA's flight rotation, they could go to the International Space Station, possibly as some of the first to fly aboard commercial-crew taxis now in development.

 

Station operations are slated to run through 2020, but could be extended.

 

After that, NASA's planned Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket and Orion capsule are targeting a first crewed flight in 2021, possibly to an asteroid. Flights will be infrequent and no destinations are set.

 

Ready to counter concerns with a brighter outlook, NASA on Tuesday also released an updated "Global Exploration Roadmap," an international collaboration outlining mission concepts that could send humans to Mars "in the 2030 timeframe."

 

The agency said the document validated as a stepping stone to Mars its proposed asteroid mission, which has met with skepticism or opposition from some lawmakers and scientists.

 

Asked where they'd like to go, none of the astronaut candidates ventured a goal beyond the ISS.

 

"I'll be happy to fly anywhere they tell me to," said Nick Hague, a 37-year-old Air Force lieutenant colonel.

 

The new crop undoubtedly will be ready when the call comes.

 

"They not only have the 'right stuff' professionally, physically and personally, they represent the full tapestry of American diversity," said NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, himself a former astronaut.

 

Joining Mann and Hague in the 2013 class, which ranges in age from 34 to 39, are Josh Cassada, Victor Glover, Christina Hammock, Anne McClain, Jessica Meir and Andrew Morgan.

 

The 50-50 gender balance represents the highest percentage of women yet in an astronaut class.

 

The group includes six members of the military, including five pilots and a flight surgeon, plus a scientist who has designed spacecraft instruments and another who has studied penguins in Antarctica.

 

"These are the people that NASA needs today," Janet Kavandi, director of flight crew operations at JSC, told an audience that included the candidates' families.

 

Kavandi said the eight trainees emerged from a grueling gauntlet of written applications, interviews, physical evaluations, team-building exercises and more interviews.

 

The initial thousands of applicants were winnowed to the top 120, then a final 45.

 

Not all the challenges were serious: applicants at one point were asked to compose a tweet, limerick or haiku.

 

Victor Glover, a 37-year-old Navy lieutenant commander, wrote a limerick poking fun at the candidates' arduous medical testing.

 

During the next two years, the classmates will study space station systems, learn to fly T-38 jets and visit NASA centers to familiarize themselves with agency operations, said Chief Astronaut Bob Behnken.

 

Their first extreme environment to explore is Houston in August.

 

"This humidity is a major adjustment for me," said Glover, of Pomona, Calif. "If I start sweating, that's why. It's not the lights."

 

The ASCANs said they felt humbled and grateful for the opportunity to represent NASA's next generation of astronauts, in some cases fulfilling childhood dreams.

 

Hague first applied for the job over 10 years ago, taking his family on "an emotional roller coaster." Morgan's destiny was set as a fourth-grader when Apollo moonwalker Alan Bean responded to a letter he'd written as part of Texas Day celebrations.

 

NASA may never recapture the popular support and funding those early moon missions enjoyed, but the future astronauts believe its human exploration mission remains compelling.

 

The agency's "overarching goal is about as important and fundamental as it can get, which is to move us all forward," said Christina Hammock, a 34-year-old scientist who until recently ran a remote climate observatory in the South Pacific. "I'm just excited to be a part of that team."

 

NASA Astronaut Recruits Asked Show Twitter Flair

 

Irene Klotz - Discovery News

 

In a sign of the times, aspiring astronauts were asked to write a Twitter post, a limerick or a haiku as part of their NASA applications. Here's a winning entry from Victor Glover, 37, a U.S. Navy pilot and one of the eight members of the newly announced Astronaut Class of 2013.

 

"Eyes fixed gazing off into space

My mind in awe of the human race

This is all dizzying to me

Because I gave so much blood and pee

Happy to be here (by the) colonoscopy place."

 

"That's funny, if you go through this interview process, specifically the medical portion," Glover told reporters during the group's first press conference on Tuesday.

 

The newly named astronauts will have two years of training before they are eligible for flight assignments. All but two have U.S. military backgrounds. Christina Hammock, 34, was serving as a station chief for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in American Samoa before she got the call to join NASA. Jessica Meir, 35, is an assistant professor of anesthesia at Harvard Medical School.

 

Rounding out the new group of astronauts are: Josh Cassada, 39, a physicist and Navy pilot; Tyler Hague, 37, an Air Force pilot;  Nicole Mann, 35, a Marine pilot; Anne McClain, 34, an Army helicopter pilot; and Andrew Morgan, 37, an emergency medical physician and surgeon with the Army.

 

NASA's Newest Astronauts Discuss Having 'The Right Stuff'

 

Karin Zeitvogel - RIA Novosti

 

NASA on Tuesday welcomed its newest astronauts – four men and four women who grew up on farms, military bases and in suburbia across the country, studied "hard science" in college, and have a wide range of professional experience from researching penguins in Antarctica to flying US fighter jets.

 

"They not only have the right stuff professionally, physically and personally, they also represent the full tapestry of American diversity," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said at a news conference to introduce the astronaut class of 2013.

 

"And with half of them being women, this is the highest percentage of women ever in a class of astronaut candidates," Bolden added.

 

All in their mid-to-late-30s, the new astronauts shared some tips on how to be chosen to join the select ranks of NASA spacefarers, and how they stood out in the pool of more than 6,000 Americans who applied 18 months ago.

 

Physical fitness is a must for would-be astronauts, as is US citizenship and studying a "hard science" – physics, chemistry, biology, a branch of engineering -- at a university, said Jessica Meir, who is leaving a job as an assistant professor of anesthesiology at Harvard Medical School to become an astronaut.

 

All of the new astronauts have multiple science degrees and several years of work experience, but, "We all took very different paths to get here," Army Maj. Anne McClain, who has played rugby on the US women's national team, said.

 

"My advice to young people is to find something you're passionate about, that you enjoy doing so that if you never get to the step of becoming an astronaut, you can look back and be satisfied," she said.

 

New astronaut Navy Lt. Cmdr. Victor Glover said the application process included a requirement to compose a tweet, a limerick or a haiku poem.

 

"I did a limerick and it goes:

 

'Eyes fixed gazing off into space

My mind in awe of the human race

This is all dizzying to me

Because I gave so much blood and pee

Happy to be here via the colonoscopy place.'"

 

"It's funny if you had to go through this interview process, specifically the medical portion," Glover said to laughs and applause from the small audience at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

 

The other new astronauts are: Navy Lt. Cmdr. Josh Cassada; Air Force Lt. Col. Nick Hague; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Station Chief in American Samoa Christina Hammock; Marine Corps Maj. Nicole Mann; and Maj. Andrew Morgan, who has served as an emergency physician and flight surgeon for Army special operations.

 

The new group of astronauts "will be among those who will have the opportunity to fly on new commercial space transportation systems that are now under development, and more importantly, they will be among those who plan and perhaps carry out the first human missions to an asteroid and on to Mars," Bolden said.

 

But for the next few years, they will undergo training to prepare them for missions to the International Space Station (ISS), a key stepping stone before NASA ventures deeper into space, he said.

 

The new astronauts will work in "support roles for Station crews before they are assigned onto missions," Bob Behnken, chief of NASA's astronaut office said.

 

In addition to learning about operations on board the ISS and "things the crews on board are going through," the astronaut class of 2013 will also be given flight training in a twin-engine supersonic T-38 Talon jet trainer, and will visit NASA centers around the United States, he said.

 

Once their training is completed, the new astronauts will "help us continue to lead the world in exploration and they will become the role models for boys and girls, men and women around the world," Bolden said, ending his introductory speech for the new astronauts almost as poetically as the limerick that Glover penned as part of his application to join NASA.

 

"Their journey begins now, and the nation, as it always has, will be right beside them reaching for the stars," Bolden said.

 

Meet the new NASA astronauts

 

Jeremy Desel - KHOU TV (Houston)

 

If there is a mold for the best and brightest, the eight new NASA Astronauts introduced Tuesday morning at the Johnson Space Center are it.

 

"NASA is an organization with a goal that is as important as it can get. Which is to move us all forward," said new Astronaut Christina Hammock.

 

The fact that they are the ones now reaching for the stars is still sinking in.

 

"I don't think that it really has yet. Every time we do something it continues to remind you that: Wow, this is really happening," said new astronaut Victor Glover.

 

It is a well-rounded group.

 

The eight include two Navy test pilots, a Marine Corps pilot, an Air Force flyer, an Army Helicopter pilot, an Army doctor who is also an elite Black Knight Parachutist, a professor at Harvard Medical School, and a weather station chief who also designs space equipment.

 

To become a part of this elite eight was quite a task. The application process lasts nearly two years with more than 6,000 applicants.

 

For now, the International Space Station is the only option, but they are the future space explorers.

 

"Some of them will probably get an opportunity to participate in an asteroid mission. They definitely will form the plans that will take us on to Mars," said former astronaut and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden.

 

The elite eight are already bringing lessons in persistence.

 

"I submitted my first application a little over ten years ago and I am thrilled to be here," said Josh Casada.

 

They are already teaching the next generation.

 

"Don't think so much about what you are accomplishing, but how you accomplish it. Be a good team member. Be a good leader," said new astronaut and Army Helicopter pilot Major Anne McClain.

 

US Navy Lt. Cmdr. Victor Glover is soon to reach for the stars, but wandering Building 9 the home of the Astronaut Corps at the Johnson Space Center, for now he is just star struck, "Being in this room. This is where we work! And that is...I don't know if it will ever sink in. I am OK with that!"

 

The adventure starts now.

 

NASA introduces 2013 astronaut candidate class, training for travel to Mars

 

Pooja Lodhia - KTRK TV (Houston)

 

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden on Tuesday formally welcomed the eight newest candidates to the astronaut corps and unveiled a space exploration roadmap that makes clear the global community is working together on a unified deep space exploration strategic plan, with robotic and human missions to destinations that include near-Earth asteroids, the moon and Mars.

 

At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the members of the 2013 astronaut class spoke with reporters about their new roles and their desire to help the agency push the boundaries of exploration and travel to new destinations in the solar system. These next-generation American astronauts will be among those who will have the opportunity to fly on new commercial space transportation systems that are now under development. They also will be among those to plan and perhaps carry out the first-ever human missions to an asteroid and Mars.

 

"This class joins a distinguished and elite group of Americans who have carried out historic missions to the moon, deployed space telescopes and built an orbiting laboratory the size of a football field, where U.S. astronauts have continuously lived, worked and conducted research for more than a dozen years now," said Bolden. "They are being asked to carry on this extraordinary legacy and ensure the United States remains the world's leader in exploration and scientific discovery -- carrying with them America's hopes, dreams and curiosity deep into space, first to an asteroid and one day on to Mars."

 

"That's part of why people come to NASA, because of the challenge and the fact that they're working on something that is really bigger than themselves," Johnson Space Center Director Ellen Ochoa said.

 

The 2013 astronaut candidate class comes from a pool of 6,000 applicants, the second largest in NASA history. Half of the selectees are women, making this the highest percentage of female astronaut candidates ever selected for a single class. The group will participate in extensive technical training at space centers and remote locations around the world to prepare for missions beyond low-Earth orbit.

 

"Our biggest responsibility is to learn from all these people around us, from years and years of history at NASA," astronaut candidate Anne McClain said.

 

Bolden also spoke about the updated Global Exploration Roadmap (GER), released publicly Tuesday. The roadmap reflects the work of 12 space agencies of the International Space Exploration Coordination Group. It highlights the international space community's shared interest in pursuing deep space exploration and reflects the degree of international cooperation on a unified deep space exploration strategic roadmap.

 

The shared global vision, as laid out in the GER, includes:

·         An examination of the critical part the International Space Station plays in deep space exploration

·         Robotic and human missions to destinations that include near-Earth asteroids, the moon and Mars

·         Validation of the vital role of NASA's asteroid mission in advancing the capabilities needed to explore Mars and the economic and societal value such exploration can bring

·         A conceptual scenario that demonstrates how missions in the lunar vicinity, including NASA's asteroid initiative, pave the way for international missions to Mars in the 2030s, while enabling important discoveries along the way.

 

8 New NASA Astronauts

 

Damali Keith - KRIV TV (Houston)

 

Eight new residents to the Houston area are expected to have an out of this world impact on the economy. The eight new NASA astronauts were selected from 6,000 applicants. "I'm a major in the Army and a helicopter scout pilot," said newly named astronaut Anne McClain as she introduced herself.

 

"I'm a Marine F-18 test pilot," added Nicole Mann. These eight new NASA astronauts include four men and four women.

 

"My experience is mainly in electrical engineering and physics, designing science instruments that fly on space science missions. I've also had the opportunity to work at science field sites, remote sites all over the world," explains Christina Hammock. The new space explorers all have very impressive resumes. They are truly going where no man has. With the shuttle program retired, no one really knows where space exploration is headed. "We're still trying to understand exactly where we're headed," admits NASA chief of the astronaut office Bob Behnken.

 

These eight new astronauts will be in training for two years and from there what space missions will they fly? "In the short term it's the International Space Station. We continue to ride with the Russians on the Soyuz rockets," Behnken explains.

 

"They all know they'll get an opportunity to fly on station. Some of them will probably get an opportunity to participate in an asteroid mission. They definitely will form the plans that will take us on to Mars," says NASA Administrator Charles Bolden.

 

Some of my Facebook friends couldn't make the news conference but I did ask a few questions on their behalf. "Some of our social media fans want to know what qualifications do you need to become an astronaut and do you have to be in certain physical shape when you're an astronaut?" I asked. "Really the minimum criteria are that you have a bachelor's degree in a hard science and then three years of experience beyond that or an advanced degree. You have to be a U.S. citizen and then you just apply on-line. We don't need to run a mile in less than six minutes or anything like that but of course there are strict criteria in terms of overall good health," answered new astronaut Jessica Meir.

 

Jose Muzaurieta Jr. on my Facebook page wants to know if astronauts have a fear of flying into the deep dark unknown? "That's a good question. My fear flying into space was something going wrong with something I couldn't control," answered Behnken.

 

"So many people are watching you. Your biggest fear is just not doing a good job," laughs Johnson Space Center Director Ellen Ochoa. The news conference revealed how funny the astronauts are, as they joked about the interview process. "Specifically the medical portion," new astronaut Victor Glover laughed.

 

50% of the new astronauts are women. That's the largest percentage ever. "I work with more women now than I ever have in my career," Ochoa adds. This news isn't only good for NASA but also Houston. Mike Furin with the Clearlake Area Chamber of Commerce says around Johnson Space Center business is booming. "Our business has continued to grow and develop. I don't think the layoffs and the decline at the Johnson Space Center has had any impact on our community long term," says Furin.

 

Astronaut Nick Hague also talked about how he first applied ten years ago attempting to become an astronaut and he says his persistence has finally paid off. He encourages to also pursue your dreams. "Don't take no for an answer. Keep working hard. It will pay off," Hague says.

 

Another question my Facebook friends have? Do you have to have military experience to be accepted as an astronaut? The answers is no. Six of the new astronauts have a military background, two do not. McClain encourages everyone with a dream to "Find your passion. Don't think so much about what you are accomplishing but how you accomplish it. Be a good team member. Be a good leader. Be a good follower. Be somebody that if you are selected people around you are proud. Never take advantage of somebody else in order to get ahead," says McClain.

 

NASA's newest astronauts face the press — and the great unknown

 

Alan Boyle - NBCNews.com's Cosmic Log

 

NASA's brand-new class of astronauts met the press for the first time at Johnson Space Center in Houston on Tuesday — and addressed the not-completely-answerable questions about where they'll be going.

 

The eight astronaut candidates represent the first group that's evenly split between men and women. They're also the first future spacefliers to be named since the retirement of the shuttle fleet two years ago.

 

"These next-generation American astronauts will be among those who will have the opportunity to fly on new commercial space transportation systems that are now under development," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden told the audience. "And more importantly, they will be among those who plan and perhaps carry out the first-ever human missions to an asteroid and on to Mars."

 

Itinerary is up in the air

 

NASA's current exploration plan calls for U.S.-built commercial spaceships to take astronauts to the International Space Station starting in 2017 or so. The space agency would send astronauts to rendezvous with a piece of an asteroid by the mid-2020s, and begin crewed trips to Mars and its moons in the mid-2030s.

 

However, that exploration plan is in flux: House Republicans say they want to scrap the asteroid mission and focus on the moon and Mars instead. And on Tuesday, NASA unveiled an updated "Global Exploration Roadmap" that foresees potential commercial and international missions to the moon and its vicinity.

 

With a mockup of NASA's next-generation Orion exploration capsule serving as a backdrop, the eight faced questions about where they'd like to go — and their answers generally played it safe. For example, Christina Hammock, who came to NASA from a research job at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, set her sights on the existing orbital destination.

 

"I have to say I'm actually most excited about the prospect of potentially contributing to the research on the International Space Station," she said. "It's doing amazing work, and it's a one-of-a-kind laboratory."

 

Nicole Mann, a major in the Marine Corps, said that "we're ready here, open, willing to learn and train for whatever mission NASA has put forth for us."

 

They've only just begun

 

One of the big reasons why the answers were so open-ended is that the astronaut candidates are just starting their training. Their selection was announced two months ago, and most of the time since then has been given over to putting their affairs in order and making the move to Houston. Some of the candidates were sworn in as NASA employees just last week.

 

"During the interview process, the focus was really on trying to find out what we were going to step into in terms of the next two years of training, and on station," said Nick Hague, an Air Force lieutenant colonel. "We've got senior leadership that's going to make their decisions, and I'll be happy to fly anywhere they tell me to."

 

Tuesday's event was something of a shakedown cruise for the astronaut candidates, known as "ascans" for short. "None of us has ever stood in front of a group like this, and really, getting questions like that and being interested in the answers — that's certainly new for all of us," said Ann McClain, an Army major and helicopter pilot.

 

Over the next two years, the trainees will be learning the ropes for space station operations and filling support roles for the station's expedition crews, who are currently flying back and forth on Russian Soyuz spacecraft. They'll be making the rounds at NASA centers across the country. Bob Behnken, chief of NASA's astronaut office, said they'll also have the opportunity to train on NASA's T-38 jets "to get that aviation background under their belts."

 

In addition to the questions about where they want to go, the eight fielded questions about how they got where they are today. That was a topic all of them were familiar with. Hague, for example, recalled that he first applied to become an astronaut a little over 10 years ago — and that he and his family rode an "emotional roller coaster" of applications, rejections, and finally acceptance.

 

Hague said future applicants should expect to employ a similar level of persistence: "If you find something ... you find it, you want to go for it, figure out the steps you need to get there. And don't take no for an answer. Just keep working hard, and it can pay off."

 

NASA's New Astronaut Class, the '8 Balls,' Reports for Training

 

Robert Pearlman - collectSPACE.com

 

The "8 Balls" have landed in NASA's center pocket.

 

On Tuesday, eight new astronaut candidates — nicknamed the "Eight Balls" — were formally welcomed to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they're set to begin two years of basic training.

 

"For more than 50 years, from the early days of Gemini and the Apollo moon landings to the historic achievements of the 30-year space shuttle era and today's International Space Station, the Johnson Space Center has been home to America's human spaceflight program," Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator and a former astronaut, said Tuesday morning at a press conference.

 

"The new astronauts we're introducing today are critical to achieving our ambitious goals," Bolden added. "They will help us continue to lead the world in exploration, and they'll become role models for boys and girls, men and women, from all over the world. Their journey begins now and the nation, as it always has, will be right beside them reaching for the stars."

 

Chosen in June from an applicant pool of more than 6,000, NASA's 21st astronaut class includes four men (Josh Cassada, Victor Glover, Nick Hague and Andrew Morgan) and four women (Christina Hammock, Nicole Mann, Anne McClain and Jessica Meir).

 

"These next generation American astronauts will...have an opportunity to fly on new commercial space transportation systems that are now under development," Bolden said. "More importantly, they will be among those who plan and perhaps carry out first-ever human missions to an asteroid and on to Mars."

 

"Of course, it all begins with preparing them for missions to the International Space Station," he said.

 

Tradition and training

 

Following a long-standing NASA tradition, the "Eight Balls" received their nickname from the prior class of astronauts, "The Chumps" selected in 2009, who are now beginning to receive their first assignments to fly to the space station.

 

"The eight ball [in billiards or pool] is played last, and the hope from the preceding class is that the [2013 astronaut candidates] will be assigned after all of them [fly]," Bob Behnken, chief of the Astronaut Office at Johnson Space Center, told collectSPACE.com.

 

It will be two years at the minimum before any member of the "Eight Balls" will be eligible for a mission assignment. First, they must undergo basic training.

 

"The eight of them will go through a wide range of new training opportunities," Behnken said. "Some of them will have some familiarity based on their prior military training, but the space business is new to all of them, so I think they are going to have an exciting time."

 

The training will involve three primary activities.

 

The astronaut candidates, or "ascans," will be instructed on the technical aspects of living and working aboard the space station. They'll also tour NASA's facilities across the country, "so that the class as a whole will have a good understanding of all the things that go into making NASA as successful as it is," Behnken said.

 

First, though, they will be given flight training at the nearby Ellington Field in Houston and, for some, at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Fla., as well.

 

"They will also have T-38 [supersonic jet] training, where those who already have an aviation background will hone their skills in the T-38 and those who do not will have the opportunity to get that aviation background under their belt before they start supporting crews who are on orbit," Behnken said.

 

Wide-eyed and open

 

"Our biggest responsibility is to learn from all these people around us, from years and years of the history at NASA, so when the baton is passed on to us, we are ready to go forward," Anne McClain told collectSPACE.

 

Perhaps distinguishing the "Eight Balls" from the previous ascans is the open nature of their path forward.

 

At the same time they were being welcomed, NASA and 11 other international space agencies released a "Global Exploration Roadmap," setting a united but generic vision for robotic and human missions to near-Earth asteroids, the moon and Mars.

 

The roadmap identifies the locations the agencies want to pursue but doesn't define the shape that the missions to reach those targets will take.

 

"We are wide-eyed and we are open," Nicole Mann said. "We all have a diverse background. We are ready to learn and train for whatever mission that NASA puts forth for us."

 

Astronaut recounts near-drowning on spacewalk

 

Marcia Dunn - Associated Press

 

The Italian astronaut who nearly drowned in his helmet during a spacewalk last month is sharing more details about the terrifying experience, revealing how he felt all alone and frantically tried to come up with a plan to save himself.

 

Luca Parmitano wrote in his online blog, posted Tuesday, that he could no longer see as the water sloshed around in his helmet outside the International Space Station.

 

"But worse than that, the water covers my nose - a really awful sensation that I make worse by my vain attempts to move the water by shaking my head," the former test pilot wrote. "By now, the upper part of the helmet is full of water and I can't even be sure that the next time I breathe I will fill my lungs with air and not liquid."

 

Parmitano, 36, a major in the Italian Air Force making just his second spacewalk, wasn't sure which direction to head to reach the station's hatch. He tried to contact his spacewalking partner, American Christopher Cassidy, and Mission Control. Their voices grew faint, and no one could hear him.

 

"I'm alone. I frantically think of a plan. It's vital that I get inside as quickly as possible," he wrote.

 

Parmitano realized Cassidy - making his way back to the air lock by a different route - could come get him. "But how much time do I have? It's impossible to know," he said.

 

That's when Parmitano remembered his safety cable. He used the cable recoil mechanism, and its 3 pounds of force, to "pull" him back to the hatch. On the way back, he pondered what he would do if water reached his mouth. The only idea he came up with, he said, was to open the safety valve on his helmet and let out some of the water.

 

"But making a `hole' in my spacesuit really would be a last resort," he wrote.

 

Parmitano said it seemed like an eternity - not just a few minutes - until he peered through "the curtain of water before my eyes" and spotted the hatch. Cassidy was close behind. The astronauts inside quickly began repressurizing the air lock, to get to the spacewalkers.

 

"The water is now inside my ears and I'm completely cut off," he said.

 

He tried to stay as still as possible to keep the water from moving inside his helmet. He knew that because of the repressurization, he could always open his helmet if the water overwhelmed him. "I'll probably lose consciousness, but in any case, that would be better than drowning inside the helmet," he wrote.

 

Cassidy squeezed his glove. Parmitano managed to give the universal OK sign.

 

"Finally, with an unexpected wave of relief," Parmitano saw the internal door open, and the crew pulled him out and his helmet off.

 

He remembers thanking his crewmates "without hearing their words because my ears and nose will still be full of water for a few minutes more."

 

NASA has traced the problem to his spacesuit backpack which is full of life-support equipment. But the precise cause is still unknown as the investigation continues into quite possibly the closest call ever during an American-led spacewalk. NASA has suspended all U.S. spacewalks until the problem is resolved.

 

The Russians, meanwhile, will stage their second spacewalk in under a week, this Thursday, to prepare for the arrival of a new lab by the end of this year. The two countries' suits are completely different.

 

More than a month has passed since the July 16 spacewalk, and it's given Parmitano time to reflect on the dangers surrounding him. The first-time space flier will return to Earth in November.

 

"Space is a harsh, inhospitable frontier and we are explorers, not colonisers," he wrote. "The skills of our engineers and the technology surrounding us make things appear simple when they are not, and perhaps we forget this sometimes.

 

"Better not to forget."

 

$10,000 for your thoughts: What would you send to the Space Station?

Space agencies crowdsource lab research ideas for ISS

 

Michael Cooney - NetworkWorld.com

 

If you could send anything at all to the International Space Station, what would it be? No your mother-in-law or neighbor's dog don't qualify.

 

The agency that manages the research being done onboard the International Space Station -- the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) - is offering a $10,000 prize for the best idea for its  "What Would You Send to the ISS?", contest which ends Sept. 16, 2013.

 

Unlike Requests for Proposals CASIS has previously released, submissions for this contest can simply be ideas or concepts, not precise proposals for research, the group stated.

 

Some of the basic rules for your cool space experiment idea include:

 

·         A description of the proposed research area, idea or concept - please include the rationale supporting the idea, including related research questions and hypotheses if appropriate; the benefit of using the ISS NL research platform over traditional ground-based experiments; and identification of any potential constraints based on current ISS NL facilities or capabilities

·         A description of the Earth benefit - clearly and concise explain the scientific value or possible commercial products/applications. If commercial potential exists, identify targeted market segments and size, estimate of time to market and suggest other significant variables that may provide insight into commercial application.

·         Submitted ideas are limited to two pages. A supplemental video submission is optional, is limited to 90 seconds and should be uploaded to YouTube.com with the link provided to CASIS.

 

CASIS says ideas will be evaluated for relevance to CASIS goals -- to enable and increase the use of the ISS NL as a unique dynamic platform for scientific discovery, technology development and education for the benefit of life on Earth -- and other criteria including:

 

·         Is the idea is bold, unconventional or exceptionally innovative?

·         Does the idea have the potential to significantly affect life on Earth through scientific advancement or commercial application?

·         Is this impact potentially attainable within 5 years?

·         Is the idea broad in scope?

 

A total of five submissions will receive awards for their ideas. The grand-prize winner will receive $10,000, a paid trip to Florida, a one-day pass to Disney World, an opportunity to witness a CASIS payloads launch from Florida's Space Coast as an invited VIP and the ability to work with CASIS staff to further discuss the winning proposal. Four runners-up will receive $5,000 each.

 

Getting the public more involved and excited about the ISS is just part of an overarching goal to pump up the use of the ISS as a lab.

 

According to a recent report from NASA's Inspector General, In August 2011, the space agency signed a cooperative agreement with CASIS to manage non-NASA research on the ISS. NASA currently provides $15 million annually to CASIS and the group is expected to raise additional funding through membership fees and donations.  The success of this effort largely hinges on two factors: the ability of CASIS to attract sufficient interest and funding from private users and investors, and the availability of reliable transportation to and from the Station for crew and cargo, NASA stated.

 

"CASIS's task is particularly challenging given the historic lack of interest from private entities in conducting research aboard the ISS in the absence of government funding. While CASIS's general goals for FY 2013 to award research grants from funds raised through donations and approve more self-funded investigations are positive first steps toward enhancing a market for non-NASA research aboard the ISS, neither CASIS nor NASA have developed specific, quantifiable metrics to measure CASIS's ability to meet these goals," the NASA IG stated.

 

Maximizing the ISS's research capabilities also depends upon the success of NASA's Commercial Cargo and Crew Programs. The Cargo Program is essential to ensuring the capacity to ferry experiments to and from the Station and the commercial crew vehicles currently under development will make it possible to staff the ISS with a full complement of seven crew members (rather than the current six), thereby increasing the amount of crew time available for research.

 

The five coolest jobs in space

A vacancies list published by SpaceX, the private company owned by billionaire Elon Musk, reads like it was dreamt up by an excitable primary school class. But what are the five coolest jobs on offer in space?

 

Nick Collins - The Telegraph (UK)

 

The "open positions" page on the SpaceX website contains all manner of weird jobs from designing the company's space suits to "non-destructive testing" of its latest technology.

 

Promising employees the opportunity to "advance the course of human history and pave the way to Mars", the company also warns that its vacancies are "insanely challenging projects" suitable only for "absurdly ambitious" applicants.

 

But for those who spent their childhood dreaming of one day becoming a space cowboy, and who are brave enough to take on the challenge, what are the five coolest jobs in space today?

 

Space Suit Design Engineer

 

Working with SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft team, the successful candidate will be in charge of ensuring that astronauts' space suits are engineered in such a way to overcome any technical challenges and be compatible with other equipment such as seats, control panels and life support systems.

 

The engineer will be able to express their creativity through "detailed space suit design", and even test the suits while they are in production to assess how their designs are working.

 

Candidates will need extensive knowledge of space suit designs and technologies, and an "innovative and creative but also achievable design philosophy", the company says.

 

Chief Sniffer

 

Perhaps the most famous 'weird job' in space is that of George Aldrich, Nasa's "chief sniffer" who smells materials and components before they are used in missions.

 

The job is crucial because smells intensify in the heat and confined space of a space capsule, and once a mission has launched astronauts "have no way of escaping" unpleasant odours, he explains. More crucially, smelling objects can identify dangerous chemicals which could have toxic effects and pose a serious health threat.

 

Aldrich, a chemical specialist, began work at Nasa's White Sands Test Facility in 1974 and has conducted more than 850 smell missions for Nasa, including Space Shuttle, Skylab and International Space Station missions.

 

Space Psychologist

 

While space agencies have a small army of doctors assessing every minute facet of astronauts' physical health and fitness at every stage of a space mission, they also employ specialist "space psychologists" to monitor mental well-being.

 

The monotony, cramped conditions and isolation of a space flight present a unique psychological challenge to astronauts who often spend months at a time in confinement with the same group of people.

 

The job of a space psychologist is to advise selection panels which astronauts are most suited to a particular team or mission, support crews before, during and after their flight, and develop "countermeasures" to help them stay sane during their long confinement.

 

Space Tour Guide

 

One for the future, perhaps, but a government-backed report in 2010 identified space tour guides as one example of the new jobs which will be created by breakthroughs in space travel.

 

With a host of private companies vying to be the first to escort tourists into space, and hundreds of deep-pocketed enthusiasts already on waiting lists, it may not be long before the services of specialist tour guides are needed.

 

The job is likely to require a degree of space knowledge, but may be a realistic option for those who dream of working in space but lack the technical expertise to be an astronaut.

 

Astronaut

 

Ok, it's a bit obvious, but come on – this is still the coolest job in the space industry.

 

From Yuri Gagarin to Neil Armstrong, astronauts (and cosmonauts) have captivated the imagination of schoolchildren and adults alike since the birth of human space flight in the 1960s.

 

Fifty years later, space travel may seem less mysterious but astronauts can still achieve superstar status. Chris Hadfield, the guitar-strumming Canadian astronaut, became an internet sensation by tweeting photographs and videos from space earlier this year and Britain's first official astronaut, Major Tim Peake became the envy of space enthusiasts across the country when he was selected for a mission to the International Space Station in May.

 

The 4 Weirdest Jobs You Could Get At SpaceX Right Now

A look at SpaceX's "open positions" page shows the company needs people in all types of positions, with a focus on its Dragon craft.

 

Francie Diep - Popular Science

 

SpaceX, billionaire Elon Musk's private spaceflight company, appears to be on a hiring spree. On its careers page, the company--which currently employs more than 3,000 people--lists nearly 200 open positions. The page is up to date, SpaceX spokeswoman Hannah Post tells Popular Science.

 

Many of the openings are for different types of engineers, but there's room for everyone from a line cook to a space suit engineer. New college grads might be happy to know there are four types of positions explicitly aimed at them.

 

The aerospace industry is a major employer in the U.S. (though prone to boom-bust cycles). Take heavyweights like Northrop Grumman, which employs about 70,000, and Boeing, which employs more than 170,000. As private spaceflight gains ground, smaller companies such as SpaceX are adding even more jobs to the industry.

 

About a dozen of the new SpaceX positions are related to the company's Dragon craft, which brings cargo to and from the International Space Station. In 2012, the Dragon became the first non-government-built craft to exchange cargo in space. The company is now working on tweaking the Dragon to send humans to space, according to its website.

 

So what else does it take to send private ships to space? Check out some of the surprising positions SpaceX is looking to fill, plus their job requirements:

 

Visual Coordinator

The visual coordinator has to "maintain on a daily basis [the] pristine aesthetic appearance of company corporate headquarters." He or she also "takes an active role in selecting furniture, décor, and interior details."

 

Crane Technician Assistant

Besides a minimum of two years in the crane service industry and a willingness to work overtime, SpaceX helpfully specifies that it wants someone with "no fear of heights" and "great hand skills."

 

General Helper

This job is exactly what it sounds like. The general helper would do everything from repairing machinery to landscaping to carpentry. He or she would need to know how to operate small power equipment, fix plumbing, install lights and more. Hats off to anyone who has all these skills.

 

Space Suit Design Engineer

Looks like SpaceX wants its own suits. The space suit design engineer would work with the Dragon crew systems team. He or she would design, analyze and test suit ideas. Applicants need at least a bachelor's degree and two years of experience in structural or composite hardware engineering.

 

A discussion with astronaut Bonnie Dunbar

Re-engineering America's space

 

Larry Bell - Forbes

 

My long-time friend and, most recently, University of Houston colleague Dr. Bonnie Dunbar, earned a Ph.D. in mechanical and biomedical engineering at the UH, and has put her science and technology background to work on Earth and in orbit. Bonnie logged more than 50 days in space as a mission specialist, or payload commander, onboard five Space Shuttle flights. She now directs the UH STEM Center which supports STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs, and also serves as director of the UH Cullen College of Engineering's graduate program in aerospace engineering.

 

We have previously enjoyed working with Dr. Dunbar at my SICSA center in conceptual planning of future collaborations with NASA, local industry, government and other academic institutions. Now that she is at back at her alma mater I look forward to working with her on many other joint projects.

 

Bonnie, you are one of a very favored few who has had…or more correctly one who has created… an opportunity to live and work in that weightless "new frontier" of space.  Yet a great deal of current uncertainty exists regarding prospects for others to realize their pathfinder dreams, whether as Earth-based program planners, designers  and facilitators, or as explorers of the beyond.

 

Where do you see the U.S. and international space programs going?

 

Larry, my wise grandfather, who emigrated from Scotland in 1909 and homesteaded in Oregon, used to ask me, "How do you know where you are going, if you don't know where you have been?"

 

So to follow that query, let's first consider how our space program reached its current place in history, discuss where we are now, and then consider where we should go from here.  In that process, we should also determine what will be required to be successful.

 

The amount of interdisciplinary planning, research and engineering, experimentation and innovation, prototyping and testing, refinement, and human training that delivered the first humans to the Moon was truly astounding. Americans, indeed the world, are still benefiting from the science and technology generated from those early investments in space exploration—investments in the education of our youth through the inspiration of a whole generation of scientists and engineers; investments in our academic institutions and national laboratories; and investments that led to new "spin-off" industries.

 

It was not an easy pathway, but Americans knew this when they started. As President John F. Kennedy stated, we do it not because it is "easy, but because it is hard—because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills".  In addition to reaching the Moon, the Apollo Program investments gave us space launch capability, satellite remote sensing to better understand our Earth, nearly infinite medical application technologies, new materials, remote telemetry, rovers on the Moon and Mars, a wealth of engineering inventions, computer software applications (including "special effects" and numerical analyses), satellite communications, and thousands of patents and innovations. It also gave us a generation of new engineers, scientists, and technicians with unique skill sets.  Apollo was not just a headline: it transformed our nation and our everyday lives. Bill Gates once said the he would not have been able to found Microsoft, if NASA hadn't developed the computer first to get us to the Moon.

 

It is perhaps less tangible, but when Neil Armstrong left that first human footstep on the Moon, he left more than an indentation.  It was a symbol that was reported world-wide as a "small step for a man, and a giant leap for mankind."  It was a bookmark for an important chapter in human history.

 

Bonnie, perhaps you might offer some examples of how the international space program, both government and commercial, is contributing value to spur progress?

 

This is a large topic, but yes, I will offer some brief thoughts.

 

Just as the Apollo program stimulated education, innovation and new technologies, our continued investment in both robotic and human space exploration builds on those achievements and moves us into the 21st Century economies.

 

When the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, it became the Earth's first man-made satellite. At the present time, while the number changes almost monthly, there are more than 3,000 satellites now in Earth orbit, sensing our weather, atmosphere, oceans, and earth; allowing us to communicate with the most remote regions of the world, and providing navigation information to anyone whom wishes on a cell phone.  Without satellites, related launch technologies, sensors, and a host of other governmental and commercial services, it would be a very different world both domestically and internationally.

 

Sometimes, though not often, I will have an audience member question me about why we spend "all that money" in space. I remind them that I have never spent any money in space. The NASA budget is spent entirely on the planet Earth in the American economy. It is sent to Universities to fund research and educate students. It is invested in small business for research and products. It funds government laboratories. It funds companies which pay their employees to build the "great observatories" such as the Hubble Space Telescope which is giving us an unprecedented view of our Universe, the Mars Curiosity Rover now exploring the Martian surface, and the Kepler Observatory (named after the Renaissance astronomer Johannes Kepler) which is helping us to seek Earth- like planets outside of our own Solar System.

 

To date, Kepler, along with other observatories, has identified more than 900 "exo-planets". Kepler, by the way, was built by a commercial company under contract to NASA: the Ball Aerospace Company in Colorado. It is certainly one which has evolved over time: I remember when Ball used to manufacture my mother's canning jars.

 

Space technology is also helping us to understand our own planet, through satellite- based remote sensing and weather monitoring.  This is an attribute that I believe much of the American public, including some of our legislators, no longer appreciates. Two examples stand out to me, and one is very personal.

 

The first involves a Congressional budget hearing a few years ago on the funding for the weather satellites which help us to perform early hurricane warnings. As I understand it on good authority, a Congressman questioned NASA and NOAA representatives why we needed to spend a $1billion on a weather satellite, when he could obtain the weather every morning on the internet.

 

The second involved a conversation with a first grade teacher. She explained to me that she didn't teach anything about "space" to her students, because "what did space ever do for me".  When I asked what she taught them, she replied "global climate change". I asked her how we knew anything about the temperature of the Earth, the composition of our atmosphere, or changes in our oceans.  She didn't know. When I explained that there were satellites in Earth orbit collecting this global data, she was surprised. When I asked her if she knew how these satellites were put into Earth orbit, she didn't know. She was equally surprised when I explained that they were put there by rockets, and that the technology for these rockets traced their origins back to the Apollo program. Obviously, she wasn't very well versed either on climate science or space history.

 

From a commercial perspective, I should note that all those rockets and orbital laboratories are built by commercial companies.  Although monitoring the weather is still largely a government public service, satellite communications has both a commercial and government sector. The early communications satellites were launched by governments and managed by governments. Now it is a world-wide business, although U.S. companies no longer have the market share of the launch business.

 

Most satellite launch business has been going to the French company, Arianespace, and to Russia. More recently, China announced their intention to own 15% of the market by 2020. The U.S. Company, SpaceX, is currently making in-roads into the international markets. Thirty years ago, U.S. companies had a monopoly on launches, but the nadir came in 2011, when not a single satellite operator besides the U.S. government chose an American company for its cargo.

 

In your view, where does the U.S. now stand?

 

We led the world in space exploration until early into the 21st Century.  However, I would postulate, that it is now debatable where our nation stands, especially with respect to human spaceflight exploration and concrete plans for the future.

 

The current star in our human spaceflight crown is the International Space Station (ISS), which we started designing nearly 30 years ago and then began assembling 15 years ago. At present, the U.S. remains the major investment partner in the ISS with its crew of six, representing five government agencies with 24 partner countries. The NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston shares mission control with the Russian Space Agency's control center in Moscow.

 

ISS is the most complex engineering and construction project of all time operating in the world's most hostile environment.  Among historic "wonders of the world", it must surely rank with the pyramids. A football field wide with four engineering and science research laboratories, it orbits about 200 miles above the Earth every 90 minutes.

 

Just as historic, that amazing development and assembly feat was accomplished with seamless international cooperation. The major national investors, in addition to the U.S./NASA are the European Space Agency (ESA), the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and the Russian Space Agency (RSA). This collaboration represents multinational support services and crews, a technological and cultural mix that symbolizes what nations can achieve working together.

 

To date, the ISS has been visited by 89 Russian vehicles, 37 Space Shuttle flights, three supply dockings by SpaceX, three Japanese supply vehicles, and three European supply vehicles.  Sometime in the future, we may need a space traffic control system not unlike the FAA for aviation.

 

The ISS has also provided lodging and work space for more than two hundred individuals, including professional astronauts and cosmonauts and a handful of paying "passengers."   In additional, thousands of researchers from all the partner nations have been utilizing the ISS research capabilities with the unique attributes of the microgravity and space environments which cannot be duplicated on the Earth. This research moves forward the fields of bioastronautics, fluid physics, combustion, biology, materials science, biotechnology, mechanics, engineering design, and —very importantly—spacecraft design itself. That peaceful and constructive lesson from space certainly demonstrates unlimited possibilities for "Spaceship Earth."

 

That's the good news. On the other hand, with the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2011 after 135 flights over 30 years, our nation's participation and visibility in human space flight has changed dramatically.  Crowds no longer gather at the Kennedy Space Center to watch American and international crews launch aboard our Space Shuttle from U.S. soil. Instead, we now depend upon "purchasing" rides on Russian Soyuz capsules launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

 

Incidentally, Russia has now tripled what they are charging us for that transportation since 2006. After spending $60 billion of American taxpayer money to help build ISS, $40 billion more in Space Shuttle services to help assemble it, plus $3 billion in addition annually to support operating costs, we are now paying $71 million per transport every single American astronaut there and back.

 

And whereas the Shuttle launched up to seven astronauts (and cosmonauts) each mission about 6-8 times per year, the Soyuz, with capacity for only three crewmembers, departs only about half as often. Accordingly, while 355 astronauts and cosmonauts flew on the Shuttle, peaking at about 50 per year, our trips to the ISS are now limited with about four –six NASA astronauts flying each year.  Because of bartering arrangements, there will be more Russian cosmonauts visiting the ISS, than NASA astronauts. The recent astronaut selection class of eight new astronauts was the smallest since Apollo.

 

Because of that loss of visibility of our space program, many Americans and most of the press do not believe that the U.S. still has a human space exploration program. This decline in presence also has not been lost in the eyes of the rest of the world.

 

Bonnie, will you comment about U.S. previous proposals to return to the Moon and exploring Mars via the now defunct "Constellation Program"?

 

The Constellation Program was born of the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE) following the Columbia accident in 2003. As fully approved by the G.W. Bush administration and a bi-partisan Congress, it was an international exploration program which would have taken us back to the Moon and on to Mars.  This program was also scheduled to provide a seamless transition of technology and NASA/industry workforce expertise following final retirement of the Space Shuttle.

 

In 2010 the Obama administration unilaterally cancelled the program before the Space Shuttle's last flight in 2011, and then replaced it with a proposed loosely-configured and congressionally unapproved robotic mission to rendezvous with  an as- yet unidentified asteroid. The idea is to tow the asteroid to a lunar orbit , then visit and examine it with a human crew, but never actually have anyone set foot on the Moon. This new proposal left our international partners adrift with no defined roles, and quite surprised.

 

I should note that planetary protection from asteroid impacts has been an important part of the NASA and DOD mission portfolios for research and robotic missions for many years. However, the current human mission to an asteroid, as described by the Obama Administration, has become both diversionary and divisive. The concept was not well developed from the outset, from either an engineering or scientific perspective before being proposed, and wasn't coordinated with NASA or within the normal peer review processes before being announced via a press release.

 

Most importantly, while we know where the Moon and Mars are located and can predict their orbits for planning purposes, this is certainly not the case with a yet-to-be-identified target asteroid. Only asteroids with certain orbits, sizes, rotation rates and surface characteristics would be candidates. However, this lack of information did not deter the Obama administration from identifying a date for this mythical rendezvous: as early as 2021.

 

Our traditional international governmental partners (ESA, JAXA, CSA, RSA) who are critical for spreading the funding risk involved with future space exploration, have not embraced a mission to an unidentified asteroid. This was very evident at a recent Association of Space Explorers meeting in Cologne, Germany, when ESA leadership stated that these missions could be more effectively performed by robotic spacecraft and that they did not plan to include them in their own strategies.

 

Even NASA's scientific advisory Small Bodies Assessment Group has criticized the idea as being too vague, costly and risky: "support for such a mission using planetary science resources isn't appropriate."

 

In summary, the U.S. currently has an outstanding space station, which is performing as intended and is a necessary stepping stone to future space exploration. However, the U.S. does not have a domestic crew launch capability, although a ""commercial crew competition" is in process with a selection in 2017, and the U.S. does not have a viable human space exploration strategy or budget. The nation is quickly losing the institutional technical expertise and facilities to put itself in the position of exploring. America's space leadership role is questionable at this point.

 

Bonnie, thank you for sharing your wise grandfather's advice with us. Let's think long and hard about where we came from, where we need to go, and where the necessary expertise and leadership will come from to get us there. Having accomplished so much and traveling so far, America can ill-afford to be content to remain where we are…a nation adrift in space.

 

The promise of the International Space Station

 

Marion Blakey - Washington Business Journal (Opinion)

 

(Blakey is President and CEO, Aerospace Industries Association)

 

In my role as President and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association, I'm sometimes asked this question: "Now that the Space Shuttle is retired, whatever happened to our human spaceflight program?" My response: "It's alive and well in the form of the International Space Station."

 

I then tell them that if they go to the website spotthestation.nasa.gov, they will be able see the largest international cooperative science and engineering project ever constructed, gracefully arcing across the sky. Shuttle launches were exciting, but imagine what it must be like for a crew member to be up in space for six months to a year at a time, conducting research to better people's lives on Earth while also learning how we can extend our exploration reach to the planets.

 

Often underappreciated in media stories about space is the great success story the ISS represents. Continuously occupied by human crews for nearly 13 years, the football field sized ISS currently has a six member crew, and regular cargo flights launched by the United States, Europe, Japan and Russia.

 

Congress has designated the U.S. segment of the ISS as a national laboratory, and through the work of the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, or CASIS, companies and university researchers are provided regular and affordable opportunities to get their experiments into the unique microgravity environment offered by the ISS. Transportation of research payloads is provided through CASIS essentially for free, offering companies a tremendous opportunity.

 

Examples of ISS research include the following:

 

·         Studies of Salmonella and other bacteria on ISS have identified the genes that cause increased virulence in microgravity, enabling development of candidate vaccines. Salmonella is one of the most common forms of food poisoning and a major cause of childhood death worldwide.

·         Scientists are using the space station to develop new treatments for diseases such as osteoporosis and the muscle loss due to old age.

·         Large, high quality crystals of a candidate treatment for inhibiting Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, the HQL-79 protein, were grown on ISS, allowing researchers to more accurately determine its 3-dimensional structure and increase its potency.

·         Identical twin astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly are participating in an upcoming experiment to study the longer term impacts of deep space exploration. Scott Kelly will be assigned to the ISS for a yearlong mission beginning March 2015. NASA will conduct a series of tests on him and his earthbound brother Mark and compare the results to determine the impacts of a lengthy space mission on the metabolism, organ functions and mental health of astronauts.

 

The ISS is slated to operate through 2020 and NASA believes it could function safely through at least 2028. An extension would be good news to American industry – both for the companies providing cargo and crew resupply services to ISS, as well as those interested in making use of this unique space platform for medicine, materials science and other research.

 

I certainly want our space program to take on bold new objectives, such as the human exploration of Mars — something research on the ISS will also help enable. But for the time being, we should not forget that this unique research platform is being utilized 24/7 to help make life better for all of us here on Earth.

 

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