Fwd: Human Spaceflight News - September 18, 2013 and JSC Today

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From: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Date: September 18, 2013 6:03:20 AM GMT-06:00
To: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Subject: FW: Human Spaceflight News - September 18, 2013 and JSC Today

Looks like the Apollo collectible offer was sold out before it got started.  I am checking to see if more will be made available and will let you know.

 

 

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

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JSC TODAY CATEGORIES Headlines -  Watch Cygnus Launch on NASA TV -  Morpheus Test Rescheduled for Today -  2013 Hispanic Heritage Month Observance -  Latest International Space Station Research Organizations/Social -  Thriller Dance Class for Halloween - Register Now -  Starport's Spooky Spin - Register Now -  JSC Holiday Bazaar - Taking Vendor Applications -  Starport Sports: Fall '13 Season Registration Info -  Emerge - The Next Generation Meet & Greet -  JSC SE Forum -  Tomorrow! Low-Cost Computing CoLab -  INCOSE TGCC Sept. 19 Program Jobs and Training -  Training Required for Admin Rights - MEP

Flag at Half-Staff at Wallops Flight Facility

 

Headlines Watch Cygnus Launch on NASA TV NASA TV will provide live launch coverage of Orbital Sciences Corporation's cargo resupply demonstration mission to the International Space Station.   The company's Cygnus cargo carrier will be the first spacecraft launched to the orbiting laboratory from Virginia. It will be launched aboard Orbital's Antares rocket today between 9:50 to 10:05 a.m. CDT, from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad-0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in eastern Virginia. Cygnus will deliver about 1,300 pounds (589 kilograms) of cargo, including food and clothing, to the Expedition 37 crew aboard the space station. Future flights of Cygnus will significantly increase NASA's ability to deliver new science investigations to the nation's only laboratory in microgravity. 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 32bit 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: Wednesday, September 18, 2013   Event Start Time:9:50 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 [top] Morpheus Test Rescheduled for Today Morpheus is planning a tether test of its "Bravo" prototype lander today. The test will be streamed live on JSC's UStream channel. View the live stream and progress updates here. Test firing is planned for approximately 1 to 2 p.m. The live stream will begin  about 45 minutes before ignition. As a safety reminder, on-site viewers should stay back by Building 14 or Building 18, and not enter the field during operations. Morpheus is a vertical test bed vehicle being used to mature new, non-toxic propulsion systems and autonomous landing and hazard detection technologies. Note: Testing operations are dynamic; actual firing time may vary and tests may be postponed or rescheduled with little notice. Follow Morpheus on Twitter @MorpheusLander or view the feed from our website for updates. For more information, visit: http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/exploration/morpheus/ Or, contact Wendy Watkins. Wendy Watkins http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov [top] 2013 Hispanic Heritage Month Observance Please join the JSC Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity (OEOD) as we recognize Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. The 2013 theme is "Hispanics: Serving and Leading our Nation with Pride and Honor." America celebrates the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of central America, South America and the Caribbean. This month has been designated to celebrate the rich heritage and cultural diversity that Hispanic-Americans have contributed to our country. Generations of Hispanics have shaped and strengthened the fabric of the United States since its inception. Hispanic-Americans have exerted a profound influence on our country through their strong commitment to family, faith, hard work and public service. To read the presidential proclamation, click here. JSC Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, x30607 http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oeod/ [top] Latest International Space Station Research This week, astronaut Karen Nyberg activated growth of plant samples for JAXA's Resist Tubule experiment. After 32 days, the plants will be harvested, imaged and fixed for return to Earth. This investigation uses microgravity and a centrifuge for hypergravity to examine changes in cellular components that are responsible for gravitropism plants. The knowledge obtained from this investigation may enable more efficient crop production in both space and on Earth. Read more here. Liz Warren x35548 [top]    Organizations/Social Thriller Dance Class for Halloween - Register Now The Thriller Dance is baaaaaaack! Have a blast learning the Thriller Dance routine and then performing it in your best zombie attire at the Gilruth Center as part of our Halloween Fright Fest. Learn the dance on Oct. 18 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The big performance is Oct. 25 from 5:45 to 7:15 p.m. The fee is $25, or $15 to attend just one night. Plus, this year we have added a kid's Thriller Dance class! Ages 6 and up will learn and perform the Thriller dance all in one day. Kids will get to dress like a zombie and perform the dance to their family and friends. Learn and perform the dance on Oct. 19 from 10 to 11:30 a.m., with a performance at about 11:15 a.m. in the Gilruth Center gymnasium. It's $15/per child. Register at the Gilruth Center front desk. More info is here. Event Date: Friday, October 25, 2013   Event Start Time:5:30 PM   Event End Time:7:30 PM Event Location: Gilruth Center Add to Calendar Shelly Haralson x39168 http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/ [top] Starport's Spooky Spin - Register Now Take a Spooky Spin ride for Halloween at Starport's Annual Fright Fest! The Spinning Studio will be transformed into the "Spooky Studio" for this frightful workout. Dress is your favorite costume for the spin ride with a Halloween theme, and join in on the fun on Oct. 25 from 6 to 7 p.m. There's a $15 registration fee. Register at the Gilruth Center front desk. More information can be found here. Event Date: Friday, October 25, 2013   Event Start Time:6:00 PM   Event End Time:7:00 PM Event Location: Gilruth Center Add to Calendar Shelly Haralson x39168 http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/ [top] JSC Holiday Bazaar - Taking Vendor Applications The Starport JSC Holiday Bazaar at the Gilruth Center will be Nov. 9, and we are now taking applications for vendors. If you have special arts and crafts, jewelry, candles, holiday décor, baked goods and more that would be a great addition to our event, submit your application by Sept. 27 for consideration. The application and more information can be found on our website. Shelly Haralson x39168 http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/ [top] Starport Sports: Fall '13 Season Registration Info Registration is now open for Starport's popular league sports! Registration ENDING TODAY: o Softball (Men's DD) | Tuesday and Wednesday | Registration ends Today, Sept. 18 | Leagues start Sept. 24 and 25 Registration NOW OPEN: o Dodgeball (Co-ed) | Thursdays | Registration ends Sept. 30 | League starts Oct. 3 o Softball (Co-ed) | Thursdays | Registration ends Oct. 10 | League starts Oct. 17 o Volleyball (Rev 4s and Co-ed) | Mondays and Tuesdays | Registration ends Oct. 2 | Leagues start Oct. 7 Free-agent registration is now open for all leagues. COMING SOON: o 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, Ultimate Frisbee, League Basketball and Kickball All participants must register at IMLeagues. For more information, please contact the Gilruth information desk at 281-483-0304. Robert Vaughn x30304 https://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/en/programs/league-sports [top] Emerge - The Next Generation Meet & Greet The JSC community is invited to celebrate Emerge, the center's new Employee Resource Group (ERG), at the Next Generation Meet & Greet on Wednesday, Sept. 25, from noon to 1 p.m. Emerge's mission is to leverage the unique perspectives of the next generation, evolve the JSC onboarding experience, foster cross-center collaboration, engage the community in JSC's mission and develop the leaders of tomorrow! Come network and participate in activities at our committee booths while learning how Emerge can benefit you! Refreshments will be provided. For more information about this group, contact Elena C. Buhay. Specific points of contact for this event: Mario Tijerina at 910-546-7385 or Ebony Fondren at 281-483-2490. Event Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2013   Event Start Time:12:00 PM   Event End Time:1:00 PM Event Location: Bldg 3 Collaboration Center Add to Calendar Elena C. Buhay 281-792-7976 [top] JSC SE Forum The next JSC Systems Engineering (SE) Forum meeting entitled "Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Systems Engineering, or Seven Years of Terror" will be Thursday, Sept. 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in Building 1, Room 966. Synopsis: On Aug. 5, 2012, the MSL spacecraft was bearing down on the Red Planet at more than 12,000 mph. The Entry, Descent and Landing phase required the Curiosity rover to shed its many layers of specialty hardware to have a soft touchdown at close to zero mph in less than seven minutes - the "Seven Minutes of Terror." Ann Devereaux, who was MSL's lead flight system engineer, will be presenting an overview of the mission and the SE challenges in getting Curiosity first off the ground at Kennedy Space Center and then back down, successfully, on the surface of Mars. If you have any questions, contact George Salazar at 281-483-0162, or find dial-in information here. Event Date: Thursday, September 19, 2013   Event Start Time:11:30 AM   Event End Time:1:00 PM Event Location: Building 1 Room 966 Add to Calendar George Salazar x30162 [top] Tomorrow! Low-Cost Computing CoLab Are you currently working on or interested in starting a project involving Arduino, Raspberry Pi or other low-cost, small-scale computing hardware? If so, you are invited to join the Low-Cost Computing (LCC) CoLab. CoLabs, or Collaborative Labs, provide a casual forum to share lessons learned and generate innovative new ideas and uses of technologies. Come make cross-directorate contacts and learn more about what others are doing with these exciting technologies. The LCC CoLab will be held tomorrow from noon to 1 p.m. in Building 30A, Room 2085A (Armstrong Room). Feel free to bring your lunch and your co-workers. Event Date: Thursday, September 19, 2013   Event Start Time:12:00 PM   Event End Time:1:00 PM Event Location: Bldg 30A/Rm 2085A (Armstrong Room) Add to Calendar Elena C. Buhay 281-792-7976 https://collaboration.ndc.nasa.gov/colab/SitePages/Home.aspx [top] INCOSE TGCC Sept. 19 Program An Energy Sector Systems Engineering Success Story Mark Powell will relate how he used aerospace-style Systems Engineering (SE) to convert a presumably doomed project into a standard for how to execute projects in the energy sector, which is subject to DOE and EPA oversight and compliance. Many of the challenges on the project that were overcome by using good SE approaches are the very same that plague the oil and gas energy sector projects. Powell has practiced SE for more than 40 years in a wide range of technical environments. The INCOSE Texas Gulf Coast Chapter Program is at the Lockheed Martin Orion Conference Center (2625 Bay Area Blvd.). Networking and refreshments start at 5:30 p.m. Please check our local chapter website for more details and on how to attend remotely using GlobalMeet.com. RSVP to Larry Spratlin. Refreshments are free for INCOSE members, and a $10 donation for non-members. Larry Spratlin 281-461-5218 [top]    Jobs and Training Training Required for Admin Rights - MEP NASA is implementing Managed Elevated Privileges (MEP) on all IT devices to reduce the security risks. Everyone who needs elevated privileges (admin rights) must take training courses via SATERN by searching for "Elevated Privileges on NASA Information Systems" (ITS-002-09). Deployment is beginning the week of Sept. 23 to the first of several pilot groups. This will happen in various stages, and your organizations will be notified in advance before they are scheduled for deployment. Once implemented, NASA end users will not be granted administrative rights to NASA IT resources without training and authorization. Please take appropriate actions to be sure you get your training and testing done before we start to deploy. Additional information can be found here. Heather Thomas x30901 [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.

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NASA TV:

·         9 am Central (10 EDT) – Video footage of Antares/Cygnus processing & mission animation

·         9:15 am Central (10:15 EDT) – Antares/Cygnus launch coverage begins

·         9:50 am Central (10:50 EDT) – LAUNCH (ISS will be 261 miles above the South Atlantic)

·         11:30 am Central (12:30 pm EDT) – Orbital Sciences/Cygnus post-launch news conference

 

Human Spaceflight News

Wednesday – September 18, 2013

 

NASA's Bill Ingalls captured the ISS on ramp ahead of today's Antares/Cygnus launch

 

HEADLINES AND LEADS

 

Orbital set for critical station test flight

 

William Harwood – CBS News

 

In a major milestone for NASA, Orbital Sciences Corp. is readying a two-stage Antares rocket for launch Wednesday from the coast of Virginia to boost an unmanned Cygnus cargo ship on a maiden flight to the International Space Station. The so-called demonstration mission is a high-stakes test run for Orbital to prove the company's new rocket and cargo ship can execute a normal autonomous rendezvous with the space station and, if necessary, safely carry out an abort if something ever goes wrong. "This is the first time we've ever actually launched a dedicated spacecraft carrying cargo for human consumption in space," said Frank Culbertson, a former space shuttle commander and Orbital vice president. "So this is a big deal for us.

 

Va. company about to make first space station run

 

Marcia Dunn - Associated Press

 

A Virginia company is all set to make its first-ever supply run to the International Space Station. On the eve of its premiere rendezvous mission, Orbital Sciences Corp. said everything looked good for Wednesday's launch from Virginia's Eastern Shore. An unmanned Antares rocket was scheduled to blast off from NASA's Wallops Island Facility at 10:50 a.m. EDT, carrying 1,300 pounds of food, clothes and other items as part of a test flight. A Sunday delivery is planned. A launch demo of the rocket in April went well.

 

Orbital Sciences set to launch to space station in NASA test mission

 

W.J. Hennigan - Los Angeles Times

 

A commercially built rocket carrying a spacecraft packed with cargo is set to be launched off the coast of Virginia in a NASA test flight to the International Space Station. The Antares rocket and Cygnus capsule, developed by Orbital Sciences Corp., is set to blast off Wednesday at 7:50 a.m. Pacific time from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. It will be the Dulles, Va., company's first trip to the space station and a demonstration flight for NASA, so it can begin on a $1.9-billion contract for eight flights to transport cargo to the space station in coming years.

 

Private space race takes off as new firm heads for ISS

 

Jacob Aron - New Scientist

 

SpaceX, the darling of private spaceflight, is about to get a rival. That means commercial space will no longer be a one-horse race, which could be good news for science, industry and humanity's relationship with space. Orbital Sciences of Dulles, Virginia, is currently preparing to follow in the footsteps of SpaceX and become the second commercial entity to dock a craft with the International Space Station (ISS). Orbital's uncrewed cargo-carrying craft Cygnus is due to launch this week from Wallops, Virginia, via its newly minted Antares rocket. In addition to some healthy competition, Orbital's entry onto the scene should bring new technological capabilities, lower prices and some welcome reliability to the ISS programme, which may allow the full scientific and human potential of the space station to be realised.

 

Second private spacecraft set for space station run

 

Traci Watson - USA Today

 

Sending a package to outer space is not as simple as dialing a parcel company, but it's getting there. If all goes well, on Wednesday morning a privately owned robotic spaceship, the Cygnus, will blast off from Wallops Island, Va., to deliver cargo to NASA astronauts living on the International Space Station. Crews in space have already received three loads of freight on robotic spaceships belonging to California-based SpaceX, but Cygnus is owned by a rival firm. And that means that Wednesday's flight will mark a milestone of its own: the beginning of competition in the high-stakes business of supplying astronauts in orbit. "When two companies have done it, it will prove that we have an industry, not just one success," says James Muncy, a commercial space policy consultant.

 

Orbital Sciences' Cygnus set for maiden voyage

Cargo ship to launch this morning on ISS re-supply mission

 

James Dean - Florida Today

 

Packed with 1,300 pounds of astronaut food, clothing and office supplies, a new cargo ship is set to blast off this morning from Virginia on a maiden voyage to the International Space Station. NASA is depending on Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Cygnus freighter, along with SpaceX's already proven Dragon spacecraft, which launches from Cape Canaveral, to deliver most of the supplies and science experiments the orbiting research complex will need in the coming years. "This is so critical to NASA to continue to resupply the station so it can do its amazing discoveries on orbit," said Alan Lindenmoyer, head of the NASA program that helped the two companies develop their rockets and spacecraft.

 

New Space Station Freighter Poised For Debut Flight

 

Irene Klotz - Discovery News

 

NASA's post-shuttle plans for ferrying cargo — and eventually crew — to the International Space Station rely on private industry to not only design and build the spaceships, but also to foot a substantial share of the costs. The first company to successfully emerge from the process was California-based Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, which so far has made a test fight and two supply runs to the station. SpaceX also is among three firms developing space taxis to fly station crew members under a related NASA program. On Wednesday, a second firm, Orbital Sciences Corp., will attempt to follow SpaceX to the station's door. Launch of Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo capsule is scheduled for 10:50 a.m. EDT from a commercial spaceport on Wallops Island, Va.

 

New Private Cygnus Spacecraft Launches to Space Station Today

 

Tariq Malik - Space.com

 

A new commercial spaceship is poised to launch on a critical test flight to the International Space Station from Virginia's Eastern Shore today, and you can watch it live online. The unmanned Cygnus spacecraft is the first space cargo ship built by the company Orbital Sciences Corp. to haul food and other vital astronaut supplies to the space station for NASA. Liftoff from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility here is set for 10:50 a.m. EDT (1450 GMT). The launch is also expected to be visible from a large area of the U.S. East Coast, ranging from New York City in the north to South Carolina in the south, weather permitting.

 

Private spacecraft launch Wednesday visible from US East Coast

 

Tariq Malik - Space.com

 

A new commercial spacecraft built to haul cargo to the International Space Station will launch into space from Virginia's Eastern Shore Wednesday, and it just might be visible from a wide swath of the U.S. East Coast, NASA says. The new Cygnus spacecraft, built by the spaceflight company Orbital Sciences Corp., is poised to launch into orbit atop the firm's Antares rocket Wednesday at 10:50 a.m. EDT (1450 GMT) in a major test flight from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility here. The rocket launch could be visible to observers as far north as New York City and as far south as South Carolina, weather permitting.

 

Commercial craft Cygnus cleared for launch

 

Alex Macon - Galveston County Daily News

 

The field in the commercial race to the International Space Station is about to get a little more crowded. Poor weather and a technical issue delayed the launch of Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft Tuesday, but the company has been cleared for takeoff from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia at about 10 a.m. today. The technical issue delaying the mission, a problem with communication between ground equipment and the Antares flight computer, has been resolved, and Orbital is all clear to launch, NASA said Tuesday. The space agency will broadcast the launch on its website, www.nasa.gov, and is set to begin coverage at about 9:15 a.m.

 

Cygnus vs. Dragon: How two private spaceships compare

 

Miriam Kramer - Space.com

 

An unmanned private spacecraft is set to launch from Virginia Wednesday on its maiden trip to the International Space Station. If successful, Orbital Sciences' Cygnus spacecraft will become the second private robotic American cargo ship to dock with the orbiting laboratory. The first was the Dragon capsule, built by billionaire Elon Musk's California-based spaceflight firm SpaceX. Orbital Sciences' first Cygnus spacecraft is scheduled to launch toward the space station Wednesday at 10:50 a.m. EDT (1450 GMT). Both SpaceX and Virginia-based Orbital Sciences have deals with NASA to haul cargo to the International Space Station for astronauts living and working aboard the orbiting outpost. SPACE.com compiled this handy cheat sheet to help you keep Dragon and Cygnus straight.

 

NASA Visits Navy Before Space Capsule Recovery

 

Corey Jones - Military.com

 

Senior project managers from NASA managing the Orion spacecraft's Exploration Flight Test (EFT-1) visited San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego (LPD 22), Sept. 12 in preparation for a test to retrieve the Orion space capsule in January off the coast of Southern California. NASA representatives met with Rear Adm. Frank Ponds, commander Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 3 and Capt. William R. Grotewold, the ship's commanding officer to discuss plans for the upcoming recovery mission. "We had a chance to display the ship's capability, show the crew's enthusiasm and demonstrate that our amphibious capability is multi-dimensional - just one more thing that our Navy can do," said Ponds. "The LPD 17-class ships have one of the most robust command and control communications systems in our Navy inventory."

 

Asteroid Scheme Still Under Way

NASA is full steam ahead in the development of its asteroid retrieval mission

 

Camille Carlisle - Sky & Telescope

 

NASA isn't exactly the Federation of Star Trek. But in their asteroid-snatch pitch last week to attendees of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics' Space 2013 Conference, NASA associate administrator William Gerstenmaier (Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate) and his colleagues sure struck a Trekkie note — with epic music to boot. In sum? They want to boldly go where no one has gone before. The space agency's asteroid retrieval mission surprised a fair number of folks when announced in April. But despite ongoing Congressional budget stalemates, the NASA team was upbeat. "People are always dreaming about doing bold and different things and exploring different worlds," deputy director of engineering Steve Stich (NASA Johnson Space Center) said during a press conference later that afternoon. "Going to an asteroid is something we've never done."

 

Drowning in Space

 

David Mantey - Product Design and Development

 

Sometimes it takes a crisis to realize just how good you have it, and when it comes to drowning in isolation, it doesn't get much more critical. The cryptic tone relates to the hairy situation Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano found himself in on July 16, 2013. During his second spacewalk at the International Space Station (ISS), Parmitano's helmet began inexplicably filling with water. In a harrowing retelling of his experience in his online blog, he described the water sloshing around in his helmet while outside of the space station. The water blinded him, making it difficult to navigate back to the air lock, and it slowly covered his nose. He couldn't be sure that his next breath would fill his lungs with air and not water.

 

State lawmakers back NASA's plan for Pad 39A

It should be put to use as soon as possible, they say

 

James Dean – Florida Today

 

Florida's congressional delegation has unanimously backed NASA's process for leasing a historic Kennedy Space Center launch pad for commercial use, countering concerns expressed by a handful of colleagues. SpaceX and Blue Origin are competing to win the lease of launch pad 39A, a former Apollo and shuttle launch pad that NASA says it no longer needs. NASA was considering a lease to SpaceX, of Hawthorne, Calif., which wants exclusive use of the pad to support frequent launches it anticipates as soon as 2015.

 

Florida congressional delegation backs NASA plan to lease old shuttle pad

 

Dan Leone - Space News

 

Two weeks after Blue Origin filed a protest with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) about NASA's tenant search for an unwanted space shuttle launch pad, Florida's entire congressional delegation has banded together in support of NASA's approach, which has come under fire from another group of lawmakers not keen to see the agency grant an exclusive lease. "We have an opportunity to recapture the commercial space launch business," the 27 Florida members of the U.S. House of Representatives wrote in a Sept. 16 letter to NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "But unnecessary delays could hamper our ability to do that." Florida's two U.S. senators, Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio, sent Bolden a similar letter Sept. 13.

 

Vision cast for Ellington as a future Spaceport

 

Jeff Newpher - Bay Area Citizen

 

Until about nine years ago, you could drive to Ellington Field and buy a Continental Airlines ticket to fly to Bush Intercontinental Airport, on the north side of town. At the time, it was said to be the country's shortest fixed-wing scheduled commercial air route, approximately 25 miles. Today: Ellington Field is now Ellington Airport, Continental is now United and the flight destination from Ellington currently generating the most conversation is either space or on the other side of the world, instead of across town. Space is the new ocean for the world," Houston Aviation Director Mario C. Diaz said recently during a forward-looking presentation about Ellington.

 

Is this the best job in the world:

Nasa recruits volunteers to spend 70 days in bed

 

Heather Saul - London Independent

 

Not one for early mornings? Does the thought of an early exit from bed fill you with dread? Never fear - Nasa may have the dream (and well-paid) job for you. The US space agency is seeking volunteers willing to lounge about whilst completing minimal activities in the comfort of a bed for a 70-day period. Successful candidates for this job can expect to earn approximately £3,000 per month and will be expected to remain lying down for 24 hours a day. Recruits are needed as part of Nasa's research into microgravity and the effect it may have on the human body.

 

How China's Space Program Has Developed, Despite ITAR

 

Aviation Week (Editorial)

 

It is a plausible approach on its face. The U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) is a detailed list of munitions no one wants to fall into the wrong hands. It includes deadly hardware up to and including nuclear weapons. In the late 1990s, it also came to include satellite components, regardless of their end use. But because the State Department export-licensing bureaucracy proved more difficult to manage than the Commerce Department counterpart, the U.S. satellite industry found itself hobbled at the very time it faced growing competition abroad. The reasons are complex, but the upshot is the U.S. share of worldwide satellite sales fell to 30% in 2008 from 63% in 1999. Ever since the export control of satellites and components shifted to ITAR as the tumble began, industry has lobbied long and hard for some relief.

 

NASA's Paul Holloway was a leader in human space flight program

 

Tamara Dietrich – Newport News Daily Press

 

Paul Holloway was the son and grandson of Poquoson watermen and loved to fish, clam and crab — but he spent his life and career studying the stars and the technology to reach them. Fresh out of college in 1960, Holloway began a long and distinguished career at NASA — first as an engineer at Langley Research Center in Hampton, and finally as its center director before retiring in 1996. "The thing that drove me here," Holloway told the Daily Press that year, "was a complete lack of inherited skills as a waterman and a good capability with math." Those who knew him best might consider that an understatement on both counts. Holloway passed away Sunday at the age of 75, leaving behind his wife, Barbara, son, Eric, a reputation for intelligence and precision, and a legacy as a leader in furthering human space flight.

__________

 

COMPLETE STORIES

 

Orbital set for critical station test flight

 

William Harwood – CBS News

 

In a major milestone for NASA, Orbital Sciences Corp. is readying a two-stage Antares rocket for launch Wednesday from the coast of Virginia to boost an unmanned Cygnus cargo ship on a maiden flight to the International Space Station.

 

The so-called demonstration mission is a high-stakes test run for Orbital to prove the company's new rocket and cargo ship can execute a normal autonomous rendezvous with the space station and, if necessary, safely carry out an abort if something ever goes wrong.

 

"This is the first time we've ever actually launched a dedicated spacecraft carrying cargo for human consumption in space," said Frank Culbertson, a former space shuttle commander and Orbital vice president. "So this is a big deal for us.

 

"Antares is the largest rocket we've ever developed, and this will be the first payload that we've ever launched that will rendezvous directly and autonomously with another vehicle of this size. It's been a long road to get to this point."

 

With forecasters predicting a 75 percent chance of good weather, Orbital plans to launch its second Antares rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Island Flight Facility at 10:50 a.m. EDT (GMT-4) Wednesday.

 

Using recycled engines originally built for Russia's moon program and now provided by Aerojet Rocketdyne, the Antares first stage was expected to fire nearly four minutes, boosting the vehicle out of the dense lower atmosphere.

 

The rocket's second stage, powered by an Alliant Techsystems solid-fuel motor, then will take over, igniting at an altitude of 116 miles and firing for two-and-a-half minutes to put the spacecraft into an orbit with a high point, or apogee, of about 186 miles and a low point, or perigee, of around 151 miles.

 

After its solar panels deploy and engineers complete their initial checkout, Cygnus will begin a series of carefully planned rocket firings to catch up with the International Space Station early Sunday.

 

Along the way, NASA and Orbital flight controllers will test communications links, verify command and control procedures, check out the spacecraft's GPS navigation system and carry out a series of test maneuvers before clearing the ship for final approach to the station.

 

Assuming no major problems develop, the spacecraft will pull up to within about 30 feet of the lab complex around 7:15 a.m. Sunday.

 

After flight controllers complete a final round of checks, Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano, operating the station's robot arm, will lock onto a grapple fixture and the spacecraft will be pulled in for berthing at the Earth-facing port of the forward Harmony module.

 

For the demonstration flight, the Cygnus will be carrying about 1,600 pounds of food, clothing and other non-critical supplies and equipment. Culbertson would not say whether any "surprises" for the station's crew might be on board, quipping "if I told you what they were, they wouldn't be surprises."

 

With a successful demonstration flight, NASA will complete the primary objectives of its Commercial Orbital Transportation Services -- COTS -- program, which funded development of two commercial cargo carriers to take over U.S. space station logistics in the wake of the space shuttle's retirement.

 

Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, holds a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to provide 12 cargo flights to the station for delivery of more than 44,000 pounds of equipment and supplies. A separate $396 million contract covered initial test and demonstration flights.

 

Orbital Sciences holds a contract valued at $1.9 billion for eight resupply flights to deliver 20 tons of cargo. Another $288 million ultimately was budgeted for development, the Antares test flight and this week's demonstration mission.

 

SpaceX successfully launched its Falcon 9 rocket with a dummy payload in 2010. The company then launched two test flights, sending company-built Dragon cargo ships to the station, and two operational resupply missions, the most recent flight in March.

 

Orbital launched the new Antares rocket, carrying a dummy payload, on a successful maiden flight last April. With this week's demonstration mission, the company expects to be ready to begin operational resupply missions later this year.

 

"We'll be attached to the station for approximately 30 days, and then 47 days after deorbit, we expect to launch ORB-1, as we call it, our first contract mission," Culbertson said. "So we are deep in preparation for that one already and going through the testing required."

 

Having Orbital and SpaceX on board with operational cargo vehicle will allow NASA to "get into a cadence," said space station Program Manager Mike Suffredini.

 

"It's time for us really to start having flights on a regular basis and expect that the next one will be there," he said. "So I'm looking at this next year, 2014, to be the year where we really settle in, where we have regular Orbital flights and regular SpaceX flights, and we actually see them within a few weeks of when we expect to have them there."

 

That's important, he said, for NASA's long-range plan "to reduce the amount of up mass we have for logistics, which we can do if we have a consistent supply chain, and really fill these vehicles up with research. That's the big transition we have to make in the next year now that we have Orbital flying as well."

 

Alan Lindenmoyer, director of NASA's commercial crew and cargo program, said this week's mission marks the end of one era for NASA and the beginning of another.

 

"Seven years ago, we started the program with a vision that we would be able to go to a catalogue or the internet and order up some argo delivery services to the International Space Station, similar to what you can do today with global overnight package delivery," said NASA COTS director

 

"Well, it's not exactly overnight yet, but last year we came very close to seeing that vision become a reality with our first COTS partner, SpaceX, completing a demonstration flight to the station and then providing followup missions, operational flights."

 

With a successful demonstration flight by Orbital, NASA will have a "second commercial partner ready to provide those services," he said. "So it's been a tremendous success. That vision is becoming reality."

 

Va. company about to make first space station run

 

Marcia Dunn - Associated Press

 

A Virginia company is all set to make its first-ever supply run to the International Space Station.

 

On the eve of its premiere rendezvous mission, Orbital Sciences Corp. said everything looked good for Wednesday's launch from Virginia's Eastern Shore.

 

An unmanned Antares rocket was scheduled to blast off from NASA's Wallops Island Facility at 10:50 a.m. EDT, carrying 1,300 pounds of food, clothes and other items as part of a test flight. A Sunday delivery is planned.

 

A launch demo of the rocket in April went well.

 

If this latest mission succeeds, Orbital Sciences will start launching more Cygnus cargo ships under a $1.9 billion contract with NASA. The commercial effort began more than five years ago.

 

The California-based SpaceX already is shipping goods from Cape Canaveral, Fla., under a separate $1.6 billion contract. Its first trip was in May last year.

 

Formally known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp., the company founded by billionaire Elon Musk of PayPal fame has the only unmanned vessel capable of returning space station items to Earth. The SpaceX Dragon parachutes into the Pacific off the Southern California coast.

 

The smaller Cygnus capsule will be filled with space station trash following its monthlong visit and burn up upon descent. That's the same fate as the Russian, European and Japanese supply ships.

 

NASA is looking to private U.S. industry to keep the space station stocked in the post-shuttle era. It's also putting seed money into SpaceX and other companies for development of a manned capsule. That's still years away, so NASA will continue to buy rides for its astronauts on Russian rockets. One American will be aboard the Soyuz capsule due to take off next week from Kazakhstan, along with two Russians. The trio will double the station population to its normal six.

 

Wallops was in the spotlight earlier this month. On Sept. 6, NASA launched a robotic explorer, named LADEE, to the moon. It's still en route. Orbital Sciences provided the Minotaur V rocket used in the moonshot, which was widely seen in the night sky along the East Coast. Wednesday's daytime launch won't be nearly as visible.

 

Frank Culbertson, the company's executive vice president and a former space shuttle commander, said Tuesday that the excitement level is high.

 

"This is one of the most exciting things that is happening in the middle of a very exiting month for Orbital, for NASA and for space programs around the world," Culbertson said at a news conference, referring to all the various launches and re-entries.

 

"We're happy to be the focus of attention for today and tomorrow," he added. "Launching Antares ... is going to be a major step in our program."

 

Orbital Sciences set to launch to space station in NASA test mission

 

W.J. Hennigan - Los Angeles Times

 

A commercially built rocket carrying a spacecraft packed with cargo is set to be launched off the coast of Virginia in a NASA test flight to the International Space Station.

 

The Antares rocket and Cygnus capsule, developed by Orbital Sciences Corp., is set to blast off Wednesday at 7:50 a.m. Pacific time from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility.

 

It will be the Dulles, Va., company's first trip to the space station and a demonstration flight for NASA, so it can begin on a $1.9-billion contract for eight flights to transport cargo to the space station in coming years.

 

"Our engineering and operations teams are very excited to be on the threshold of launching and conducting this mission, which they have been working toward for the last five years," said Orbital Chief Executive David W. Thompson.

 

The test is another crucial step in NASA's plan to privatize space missions. Now that the space shuttle fleet has been retired, NASA is eager to give private industry the job of carrying cargo and crews, in hopes of cutting costs.

 

Meanwhile, the space agency will focus on deep-space missions to land probes on asteroids and Mars.

 

If successful, Orbital will be the second commercial company to ever dock at the station.

 

The other company, Space Exploration Technologies Corp., has resupplied the space station in two missions. The Hawthorne firm, better known as SpaceX, most recently pulled off the feat in March.

 

Orbital first launched its Antares rocket with a successful test mission in April. The next test is to demonstrate Cygnus' cargo transportation system to reliably deliver cargo to the space station. It could lead to regularly scheduled missions beginning as early as December.

 

During the upcoming mission, Cygnus will be carrying about 1,600 pounds of food, clothing and cargo for the crew aboard the space station.

 

Cygnus will carry out a series of tests and maneuvers over a four-day period to demonstrate its readiness to dock with the station. Rendezvous is now planned for Sunday. It will also be webcast on NASA TV.

 

Private space race takes off as new firm heads for ISS

 

Jacob Aron - New Scientist

 

SpaceX, the darling of private spaceflight, is about to get a rival. That means commercial space will no longer be a one-horse race, which could be good news for science, industry and humanity's relationship with space.

 

Orbital Sciences of Dulles, Virginia, is currently preparing to follow in the footsteps of SpaceX and become the second commercial entity to dock a craft with the International Space Station (ISS). Orbital's uncrewed cargo-carrying craft Cygnus is due to launch this week from Wallops, Virginia, via its newly minted Antares rocket.

 

In addition to some healthy competition, Orbital's entry onto the scene should bring new technological capabilities, lower prices and some welcome reliability to the ISS programme, which may allow the full scientific and human potential of the space station to be realised.

 

"The importance of these cargo delivery flights is to provide the benefits, the scientific knowledge and the experience it was built for in the first place," says Scott Pace of George Washington University's Space Policy Institute in Washington DC.

 

ISS experiments

 

At first glance, Orbital's voyage may not seem that exciting. Unlike SpaceX, founded by billionaire Elon Musk in 2002, Orbital is a 30-year-old industry stalwart with hundreds of satellite launches under its belt, including NASA's LADEE moon probe earlier this month. But Cygnus will give NASA new flexibility.

 

SpaceX can lift heavier payloads, but Orbital provides a larger pressurised volume, meaning astronauts can unload the craft directly (see graphic). By contrast, part of SpaceX's Dragon capsule can only be unloaded by a robotic arm, a far more complex procedure.

 

The two craft also give NASA different capabilities in terms of carting cargo off the station. "SpaceX's vehicle is designed to return to Earth, which allows us to bring home some of the science on board the station," says NASA spokesman Joshua Byerly. "Orbital's vehicle is designed to allow us to pack it full of trash and be destroyed upon re-entry."

 

Having two options should increase the number of flights to the ISS, which in turn can help NASA exploit the station's full potential. The station has been a technical and diplomatic success but must still prove its worth as a laboratory, says Pace.

 

Luxury items

 

What's needed is a full complement of astronauts with enough time to conduct experiments rather than just maintain the station. Though Dragon has yet to carry crew, and Cygnus is not designed to, these flights can help keep the station at full crew capacity by ensuring there are enough supplies.

 

Frequent commercial deliveries could allow for more timely experiments on the station, says Roger Launius of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC.

 

The extra capacity could help make life on the ISS less stark, for example by giving the astronauts more luxury items, such as the guitar recently used by astronaut Chris Hadfield to cover the David Bowie song Space Oddity. "If you're basically maxed out on just bringing up the necessities then you're not going to send that," says Launius. It's an important step if space is to become a norm for humanity.

 

Orbital's success will also drive competition, says Greg Sadlier, space analyst at consultancy firm London Economics. "It will increase availability and decrease the price of launches, which will allow the space economy to grow," he says.

 

Excitement butterflies

 

Once both companies have established that they can reliably resupply the ISS, they can look for other customers. Nevada-based Bigelow Aerospace wants to build a commercial space station based on inflatable habitats, but has so far been delayed by a lack of low-cost launch capability. A test module is due to launch on-board a Dragon capsule in 2015.

 

"The space station alone is a really important early market, but it's not a very large market, so finding other uses and customers is really important," says Pace.

 

Dragon or Cygnus could also act as independent orbiting labs to fly microgravity experiments – the first such Dragon mission is set for 2016. Or they could send cargo to the moon, which Orbital is considering, says Orbital's Frank DeMauro. Musk has also declared his desire for SpaceX to reach Mars (see "Making plans for Mars", below).

 

First, though, Orbital must make good on its plans. Antares blasted off for the first time in April, carrying a dummy Cygnus. This week's launch is the real deal. Once Cygnus reaches ISS altitude, expected on 21 September, it must demo a bunch of manoeuvres before astronauts on the ISS are allowed to grab it with a robotic arm and slot it into a port for unloading. This is a demonstration mission but Cygnus is carrying 700 kilograms of cargo, including food and clothes.

 

"I'm feeling very confident, very excited," says DeMauro. "It's natural for us to have butterflies, but that's not out of fear, it's out of excitement to get there, and show what Cygnus can do."

 

Making plans for mars

 

While a second company prepares to send a craft to the ISS, SpaceX, the first firm to do so, is starting to test reusable rocket technology that could one day enable a return-trip to Mars.

 

The mission, scheduled for last weekend but pushed back to the end of September, is the launch of an upgraded version of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. The firm's first for a non-NASA customer, it will deliver a Canadian Space Agency satellite to orbit– and test rocket reusability.

 

Today's rockets are single-use, which makes them costly. After the new Falcon 9 takes off, instead of letting the rocket's first stage fall into the sea, SpaceX will fire its engine just above the water to simulate a landing. It's ambitious. "Upcoming Falcon 9 demo has a lot of new technology, so the probability of failure is significant," tweeted SpaceX founder Elon Musk.

 

Eventually the company hopes to have its rocket stages return to the launch pad. One day, such tech could allow a rocket to land on Mars, nicely positioning it for the return trip.

 

More immediately, SpaceX is one of a cluster of firms planning to carry people to the ISS, in order to truly replace the space shuttle. SpaceX wants crewed flights to start within three years, while Boeing and Sierra Nevada are working on space taxis.

 

Second private spacecraft set for space station run

 

Traci Watson - USA Today

 

Sending a package to outer space is not as simple as dialing a parcel company, but it's getting there.

 

If all goes well, on Wednesday morning a privately owned robotic spaceship, the Cygnus, will blast off from Wallops Island, Va., to deliver cargo to NASA astronauts living on the International Space Station. Crews in space have already received three loads of freight on robotic spaceships belonging to California-based SpaceX, but Cygnus is owned by a rival firm. And that means that Wednesday's flight will mark a milestone of its own: the beginning of competition in the high-stakes business of supplying astronauts in orbit.

 

"When two companies have done it, it will prove that we have an industry, not just one success," says James Muncy, a commercial space policy consultant.

 

The fact that companies are tackling the job doesn't mean the risk has disappeared: "Spaceflight is hard. It's really important not to crash a spacecraft into the space station."

 

The Cygnus, developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation, hasn't been tested even once in zero gravity, but the rocket that will blast Cygnus into orbit had a nearly flawless trial run in April, and the Cygnus must pass a series of rigorous maneuvering tests in space before it's allowed to approach the space station, an orbiting laboratory designed to support a crew of six. No one cares to re-stage the terrifying 1997 crash of a Soviet cargo ship into Russia's space station, Mir.

 

When the private spaceship blasts off from its Virginia launch pad, millions of people from New York City to South Carolina will have a view of a plume of fire or, at the very least, a strange cloud arcing through the sky.

 

"Unless you're very close ... you will not actually see a rocket flying through the sky," NASA test director Sarah Daugherty said Tuesday. However, many viewers will see rocket flames or a contrail that "certainly won't look like an aircraft contrail. It'll be much larger and much lower and a different shape."

 

If Cygnus proves itself worthy, on Sunday it will creep toward the station until it's a mere 36 feet away, allowing crewmembers Luca Parmitano and Karen Nyberg to grab the ship with the station's robotic arm. The pair will anchor Cygnus onto the station, then open the hatch to the visiting vehicle and unload the 1,500 pounds of supplies tucked inside it.

 

VIDEO: Orbital Sciences/Cygnus demonstration flight animation

 

"It's a new vehicle, and you have to expect that something could go wrong, and you have to be ready for all scenarios," Nyberg told the Associated Press on Monday. Even so, she and her two crewmates are "really, really excited" about the ships' arrival, partly because Cygnus will drop off care packages from home.

 

Until recently, private industry had little incentive to get involved in the space delivery business. The space shuttle, the station wagon of space vehicles, seated seven and boasted a trunk big enough for 50,000 pounds of gear. Russia's Soyuz spaceship regularly trundles three passengers to orbit, and Japanese, European and Russian robotic ships haul cargo to station crews. But when the shuttle retired in 2011, NASA turned to industry to keep the U.S. space program from having to rely entirely on foreign partners.

 

So far SpaceX's Dragon capsule has delivered two loads of supplies to the station, and the company and two others are testing new spacecraft to ferry astronauts off the Earth.

 

"For a long time … we've seen a lot of promises and PowerPoint presentations about proposed (private) spacecraft," says Jeff Foust, senior analyst at technology consulting firm Futron. "Now we're seeing those Power Points turn into actual hardware."

 

Orbital Sciences' Cygnus set for maiden voyage

Cargo ship to launch this morning on ISS re-supply mission

 

James Dean - Florida Today

 

Packed with 1,300 pounds of astronaut food, clothing and office supplies, a new cargo ship is set to blast off this morning from Virginia on a maiden voyage to the International Space Station.

 

NASA is depending on Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Cygnus freighter, along with SpaceX's already proven Dragon spacecraft, which launches from Cape Canaveral, to deliver most of the supplies and science experiments the orbiting research complex will need in the coming years.

 

"This is so critical to NASA to continue to resupply the station so it can do its amazing discoveries on orbit," said Alan Lindenmoyer, head of the NASA program that helped the two companies develop their rockets and spacecraft.

 

The Cygnus is targeting a 10:50 a.m. launch atop Orbital's Antares rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Va.

 

The launch will be the second for the 131-foot Antares, after a successful test flight in April, and first for the Cygnus.

 

The demonstration mission is the last of 29 milestones Dulles, Va.-based Orbital must complete under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program.

 

Under that partnership, NASA has contributed technical support and $288 million to help Orbital develop its vehicles.

 

SpaceX completed the program last year and has flown two contracted station resupply missions.

 

Successful or not, the Cygnus demonstration flight is expected to allow Orbital to start its $1.9 billion contract for eight resupply missions, with the first possible as soon as December.

 

"This launch and delivery is extremely important to the future of the company on this line of business," said Frank Culberston, executive vice president at Orbital.

 

After reaching orbit, the Cygnus must complete 10 tests of its propulsion, navigation and communications systems before receiving a final "go" to approach the station early Sunday.

 

The station's three-person crew will grapple and berth the spacecraft with a robotic arm.

 

Over 30 days, they'll unload the Cygnus and fill it with trash. Unlike SpaceX's Dragon, the Cygnus will not return to Earth but burn up in a destructive re-entry through the atmosphere.

 

New Space Station Freighter Poised For Debut Flight

 

Irene Klotz - Discovery News

 

NASA's post-shuttle plans for ferrying cargo — and eventually crew — to the International Space Station rely on private industry to not only design and build the spaceships, but also to foot a substantial share of the costs.

 

The first company to successfully emerge from the process was California-based Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, which so far has made a test fight and two supply runs to the station. SpaceX also is among three firms developing space taxis to fly station crew members under a related NASA program.

 

On Wednesday, a second firm, Orbital Sciences Corp., will attempt to follow SpaceX to the station's door. Launch of Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo capsule is scheduled for 10:50 a.m. EDT from a commercial spaceport on Wallops Island, Va.

 

If the launch goes as planned, the Cygnus would reach the station on Sunday and remain attached to the outpost for about a month. Unlike SpaceX's Dragon capsules, which return to Earth intact, Cygnus spacecraft are designed to burn up in the atmosphere during re-entry.

 

The mission marks the final milestone of a NASA program that began seven years ago and so far has cost the government $681.5 million. Orbital Sciences stands to collect another $2.5 million under the development program, and then turn its attention to regular resupply flights as part of a follow-on, $1.9 billion contract.

 

Like SpaceX, which has more than 40 other launches on its manifest for customers besides NASA, Orbital Sciences is looking to market its Antares rocket beyond the U.S. space agency. It also sees a future for Cygnus flying cargo to destinations beyond the space station, which flies about 250 miles above Earth.

 

"We know that there's not 10 customers coming forward right now asking for cargo delivery to low-Earth orbit," Orbital Sciences executive vice president Frank Culbertson told reporters during a prelaunch press conference.

 

"Right now there's only one customer, but developing this capability for both us and SpaceX shows that you can have a commercial service that can keep something as complicated and as important as the space station going," Culbertson said.

 

New Private Cygnus Spacecraft Launches to Space Station Today

 

Tariq Malik - Space.com

 

A new commercial spaceship is poised to launch on a critical test flight to the International Space Station from Virginia's Eastern Shore today, and you can watch it live online.

 

The unmanned Cygnus spacecraft is the first space cargo ship built by the company Orbital Sciences Corp. to haul food and other vital astronaut supplies to the space station for NASA. Liftoff from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility here is set for 10:50 a.m. EDT (1450 GMT).

 

The launch is also expected to be visible from a large area of the U.S. East Coast, ranging from New York City in the north to South Carolina in the south, weather permitting.

 

NASA is expecting good weather today, with a 75 percent chance of clear skies at launch time. The mission was delayed one day due to a minor technical glitch on the Antares rocket that has since been resolved.

 

Private spaceship's big test flight

 

For Orbital Sciences, there's a lot riding on this test flight, which marks the first U.S. launch to the space station from Virginia. The company has a $1.9 billion contract with NASA for eight more deliveries to the space station using its Cygnus vehicles and Antares rockets. Its first Antares rocket launched successfully in April.

 

"Orbital has been involved in human spaceflight for a long time, but this is the first time we've ever actually launched a dedicated spacecraft carrying cargo for human consumption in space," said Frank Culbertson, the company's executive vice president and a former NASA astronaut. "So this is a big deal for us."

 

If all goes well, the robotic Cygnus spacecraft should arrive at the International Space Station early Sunday, where astronauts on the orbiting lab will use a robotic arm to capture the cargo ship and attach it to a docking port.

 

The first Cygnus is carrying about 1,300 pounds (700 kilograms) of food, clothing and spare parts to support the space station's Expedition 37 crew. That includes some "goodies" for the crew, but it is only a partial load for Cygnus, which is expected to haul more than three times that amount on full-up delivery flights, according to Orbital officials.

 

The Dulles, Va.-based Orbital Sciences has been developing the Cygnus spacecraft and its 13-story Antares rocket since 2008, when NASA tapped the company to receive $288 million in funding as part of the agency's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program. Today's launch is Orbital Sciences' final milestone in that deal.

 

"Antares is the largest and most complex rocket Orbital has ever produced," Orbital President and CEO David Thompson said. "After its flawless inaugural flight in April, we have been actively preparing for this next critical, much-anticipated milestone. Likewise, Cygnus is one of the most sophisticated spacecraft Orbital has developed and built."

 

NASA ultimately picked Orbital as one of two private spaceflight companies to receive billion-dollar deals for robotic cargo delivery missions. The other company, California-based SpaceX founded by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, has a $1.6 billion deal to provide 12 cargo missions for NASA using its Dragon space capsules and Falcon 9 rockets. SpaceX, which has already launched two of its 12 resupply flights, also received about $396 million to help develop its rocket and spacecraft.

 

Space station launch from Virginia

 

In addition to the first flight of the Cygnus, today's launch will mark the first space mission ever to launch toward the International Space Station from a U.S. spaceport that is not in Florida. The Antares rocket carrying Cygnus will lift off from Pad 0A operated by the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, a commercial Virginia spaceport located on the grounds of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. It's the same pad used by the first Antares launch in April.

 

Until today, U.S. launches to the space station have typically blasted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Russian spacecraft launch to the station from Kazakhstan, while Europe launches cargo ships from French Guiana and Japanese supply spacecraft lift off from Japan.

 

NASA officials are expecting at least 1,000 people to watch the launch from the Wallops visitor center. Thousands more are expected to watch from nearby areas, and an unknown number of spectators may see the rocket's exhaust plume as it streaks toward space.

 

Private spacecraft launch Wednesday visible from US East Coast

 

Tariq Malik - Space.com

 

A new commercial spacecraft built to haul cargo to the International Space Station will launch into space from Virginia's Eastern Shore Wednesday, and it just might be visible from a wide swath of the U.S. East Coast, NASA says.

 

The new Cygnus spacecraft, built by the spaceflight company Orbital Sciences Corp., is poised to launch into orbit atop the firm's Antares rocket Wednesday at 10:50 a.m. EDT (1450 GMT) in a major test flight from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility here. The rocket launch could be visible to observers as far north as New York City and as far south as South Carolina, weather permitting.

 

"If you're anywhere on the central East Coast there, you should be able to get a glimpse of the launch tomorrow," NASA test director Sarah Daugherty said in a press conference here.

 

What you might see

 

Because the Cygnus launch will occur in the daytime, observers will not get spectacular nighttime rocket launch photos like those seen during the Sept. 6 launch of NASA's LADEE moon probe, which blasted off from Wallops atop a smaller Minotaur V rocket — also built by Orbital Sciences.

 

Daugherty said that, depending on their location and weather, observers should be able to see the Antares rocket's plume and engine flames. You can watch the Cygnus spacecraft launch live on SPACE.com Wednesday, courtesy of NASA TV.

 

"It certainly won't look like a regular contrail," Daugherty said.

 

Orbital Sciences has released a series of viewing maps showing how the rocket launch will look from various locations, including parts of Washington, D.C., New York, Maryland and Virginia.

 

Commercial craft Cygnus cleared for launch

 

Alex Macon - Galveston County Daily News

 

The field in the commercial race to the International Space Station is about to get a little more crowded.

 

Poor weather and a technical issue delayed the launch of Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft Tuesday, but the company has been cleared for takeoff from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia at about 10 a.m. today.

 

The technical issue delaying the mission, a problem with communication between ground equipment and the Antares flight computer, has been resolved, and Orbital is all clear to launch, NASA said Tuesday.

 

The space agency will broadcast the launch on its website, www.nasa.gov, and is set to begin coverage at about 9:15 a.m.

 

The craft is still scheduled to rendezvous with the space station early Sunday after several days of demonstration maneuvers and testing.

 

The test flight is the culmination of NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program, Orbital Sciences Executive Vice President Frank Culbertson said in a news conference Tuesday.

 

Orbital is set to become the second company to send a cargo craft to the station. SpaceX has conducted three flights to resupply astronauts on orbit. 

 

The craft is named after the late George David Low, a NASA astronaut and Orbital executive.

 

The solar-powered, unmanned ship will be filled with about 1,300 pounds of supplies, mostly food and clothing. It will spend about 30 days docked with the space station. Astronauts will empty it, fill it with trash and send the vehicle to be destroyed by the Earth's atmosphere.

 

If the demonstration mission is successful, NASA's $1.9 billion contract with the company calls for eight cargo flights to the station.

 

The agency's goal is to have Orbital and SpaceX split resupply missions to the station, allowing NASA to focus on deeper-space exploration, said Alan Lindenmoyer, program manager of NASA's Commercial Crew and Cargo program.

 

The agency also hopes to encourage innovation and growth in the commercial space industry.

 

"It's some good healthy competition as the market for space service is growing," Lindenmoyer said.

 

Cygnus vs. Dragon: How two private spaceships compare

 

Miriam Kramer - Space.com

 

An unmanned private spacecraft is set to launch from Virginia Wednesday on its maiden trip to the International Space Station.

 

If successful, Orbital Sciences' Cygnus spacecraft will become the second private robotic American cargo ship to dock with the orbiting laboratory. The first was the Dragon capsule, built by billionaire Elon Musk's California-based spaceflight firm SpaceX. Orbital Sciences' first Cygnus spacecraft is scheduled to launch toward the space station Wednesday at 10:50 a.m. EDT (1450 GMT).

 

Both SpaceX and Virginia-based Orbital Sciences have deals with NASA to haul cargo to the International Space Station for astronauts living and working aboard the orbiting outpost. SPACE.com compiled this handy cheat sheet to help you keep Dragon and Cygnus straight.

 

How does it get into space?

 

Cygnus: Orbital Sciences' vehicle will fly into space atop the company's Antares rocket, which is expected to launch from Pad 0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Wednesday at 10:50 a.m. EDT (1450 GMT). The spaceflight firm launched the first Antares test flight in April, but Wednesday's liftoff marks the debut of the fully functional Cygnus.

 

Antares is about the size of a 13-story building, standing 131.5 feet (40 meters) tall. The two AJ26 engines used in the rocket's first stage are based on the NK-33 engine, which was originally developed to launch Russia's giant N-1 moon rocket — the Soviet answer to America's famous Saturn V — in the 1960s. However, the Soviet heavy-lifter was never launched successfully.

 

Orbital Sciences is contracted for eight cargo missions with Cygnus and Antares under a $1.9 billion agreement with NASA. Wednesday's launch kicks off a demonstration flight designed to see if the company is ready to begin these contracted supply runs.

 

Dragon: The Dragon capsule — named for the fictional "Puff the Magic Dragon" in the song by the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary — is launched to space using SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. While Antares' design is modeled after a Russian rocket, the Falcon 9's Merlin engines are new. The two-stage rocket stands taller than Antares at 224.4 feet (68.4 m), and it can lift 28,991 pounds (13,150 kg) into low-Earth orbit.

 

The Falcon 9 first stage has nine Merlin engines. The rocket can lose up to two of these engines and still finish a mission, SpaceX officials have said. SpaceX designers were inspired by the Saturn V, "which had flawless flight records in spite of engine losses," officials said.

 

SpaceX is contracted to fly 12 missions to the space station using Dragon and the Falcon 9 under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA.

 

How do they stack up?

 

Cygnus: Orbital Sciences has designed two Cygnus vehicles for different purposes. The standard configuration of the spacecraft's cargo module will have the ability to carry up to 4,409 pounds (2,000 kg) of cargo, while the enhanced version will carry up to 5,952 pounds (2,700 kg) of material, company officials have said.

 

The mission Wednesday will use the standard configuration and is expected to deliver 1,543 pounds (700 kg) of supplies to the space station. This Cygnus is 17 feet (513.6 cm) tall and will remove up to 2,425 pounds (1,100 kg) of disposable cargo from the station when it leaves about one month after docking.

 

Dragon: SpaceX's capsule can carry up to 13,228 pounds (6,000 kg) of supplies to the International Space Station. It became the first private American spacecraft to deliver supplies to the orbiting outpost and return cargo back to Earth during its demonstration mission in May 2012.

 

SpaceX has also already completed two of its 12 contracted supply runs to the International Space Station. Dragon is scheduled to make its third cargo trip for NASA in January 2014.

 

How do they come back from space?

 

Cygnus: Once the Cygnus spacecraft undocks from the orbiting lab, it will burn up in Earth's atmosphere. Engineers on the ground will guide the capsule into a "destructive re-entry" above the South Pacific Ocean, according to Orbital Sciences officials.

 

Dragon: SpaceX's ship is the only spacecraft flying today with the ability to return substantial amounts of cargo to the Earth from the International Space Station, company officials have said. The capsule can safely return 6,614 pounds (3,000 kg) of supplies, experiments and other material to Earth.

 

The last Dragon to dock with the International Space Station splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of Mexico on March 25 with more than 3,000 pounds (1,361 kg) of cargo aboard.

 

NASA Visits Navy Before Space Capsule Recovery

 

Corey Jones - Military.com

 

Senior project managers from NASA managing the Orion spacecraft's Exploration Flight Test (EFT-1) visited San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego (LPD 22), Sept. 12 in preparation for a test to retrieve the Orion space capsule in January off the coast of Southern California.

 

NASA representatives met with Rear Adm. Frank Ponds, commander Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 3 and Capt. William R. Grotewold, the ship's commanding officer to discuss plans for the upcoming recovery mission.

 

"We had a chance to display the ship's capability, show the crew's enthusiasm and demonstrate that our amphibious capability is multi-dimensional - just one more thing that our Navy can do," said Ponds. "The LPD 17-class ships have one of the most robust command and control communications systems in our Navy inventory."

 

The uncrewed EFT-1 flight will take Orion to an altitude of approximately 3,600 miles above the Earth's surface,, After the test flight, Orion will reenter the atmosphere at a speed of more than 20,000 miles per hour, returning to Earth faster than any current human spacecraft. Orion will land in the Pacific, where the U.S. Navy will locate and recover the craft into the ship's well-deck. The test flight is intended to test the capsule's avionics, heat shield and parachutes.

 

"It's all about relationships, to make sure our priorities are the same and clearly everyone is on the same page and we're excited about it," said Mark Geyer, NASA Orion program manager. "This ship that is going to support our mission possesses an incredible capability."

 

NASA and the Navy have a long history of working together, notably with the recent stationary recovery of Orion in the well-deck of the USS Arlington (LPD 24) while berthed at Naval Station Norfolk's Pier 12 Aug. 15.

 

"NASA did a trade study whether they wanted Orion to land on the ground or in the water," said Andy Quiett, Detachment 3 deputy operations lead for the Orion program and DoD liaison for NASA, "and because of the size, weight and the deep space requirements of the vehicle, they determined it needed to land in water."

 

Orion's unique life support, propulsion, thermal protection and avionics systems enable extended duration for deep space missions with the goal to eventually land on Mars.

 

"We are working hard to go to Mars and EFT-1 is our first step in that direction," said Dan Dumbacher, deputy associate administrator for NASA's exploration systems. "EFT-1 will be the furthest we've sent a human spacecraft since our moon travels in 1972, so we need to get the design experience, we need to get the test experience and we need to get the operations experience such as the recovery operations that we're looking at here."

 

EFT-1 is to be the first of many such future recovery missions.

 

"It's important to participate in an event that's bigger than us," said Grotewold. "This is going to go on for the entire life of this ship and to be able to get in on the ground floor for something like this in an awesome opportunity for all of us."

 

ESG 3 and USS San Diego operate within Third Fleet's area of responsibility.

 

Joint, interagency and international relationships strengthen U.S. 3rd Fleet's ability to respond to crises and protect the collective maritime interests of the U.S. and its allies and partners.

 

Asteroid Scheme Still Under Way

NASA is full steam ahead in the development of its asteroid retrieval mission

 

Camille Carlisle - Sky & Telescope

 

NASA isn't exactly the Federation of Star Trek. But in their asteroid-snatch pitch last week to attendees of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics' Space 2013 Conference, NASA associate administrator William Gerstenmaier (Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate) and his colleagues sure struck a Trekkie note — with epic music to boot. In sum? They want to boldly go where no one has gone before.

 

The space agency's asteroid retrieval mission surprised a fair number of folks when announced in April. But despite ongoing Congressional budget stalemates, the NASA team was upbeat.

 

"People are always dreaming about doing bold and different things and exploring different worlds," deputy director of engineering Steve Stich (NASA Johnson Space Center) said during a press conference later that afternoon. "Going to an asteroid is something we've never done."

 

The basic mission concept has three components. One, search for small near-Earth asteroids that would be good targets. Two, send a robotic spacecraft to rendezvous with one of these asteroids, bag it, and drag it back to lunar orbit. Three, fly a crew out on the future Orion capsule to check it out.

 

The second two segments combined would take five years: 1.5 years for the robotic craft to reach the asteroid, three years to tow it back, and about 26 days for the roundtrip human visit. The asteroid's orbit would be stable for 100 years, said Paul Chodas (NASA Near-Earth Object program), so there would be plenty of time for follow-up visits before sending the rock home.

 

But the details of the asteroid-snatching scheme are still fuzzy. Mission planners don't have a target yet; in fact, they're still deciding whether to grab the 7- to 10-meter asteroid originally envisioned or instead pluck a boulder off a larger asteroid, such as Itokawa. Another idea suggested by William Bottke (Southwest Research Institute) and his colleagues is to target mini-moons, small asteroids that Earth temporarily snags as satellites. Earth picks up these bodies near two of the Sun-Earth system's shallow gravitational wells, called Lagrangian points. Simulations suggest these bodies are fairly common, so mini-moons could be straightforward objects to target. The mini-moon suggestion is one of 96 mission-related ideas that will be considered at a workshop at month's end. (You can read the abstracts on the workshop website.)

 

Gerstenmaier said they hope to have the game plan finalized by next February. Once they do, they can nail down the cost — which has a current ballpark estimate (sans launch vehicle) of $1 billion.

 

NASA is doing everything it can to keep costs at a minimum, especially given the climate in Congress right now. A lot of that effort manifests as pooling existing resources and research efforts from across the agency, from propulsion technology development (the robotic craft will use a ramped-up version of the Dawn spacecraft's solar electric propulsion system) to the crew's spacesuit design.

 

The agency is also pulling in science missions. WISE is being roused to help look for near-Earth asteroids, and Spitzer will join in to study two potential targets next year, Chodas said.

 

Gerstenmaier repeatedly stressed that the asteroid retrieval mission is not a destination mission. He summed the initiative into three points:

 

1.     Improves near-Earth asteroid detection: hunting for targets will allow NASA to spend time and money finding the smaller objects it normally wouldn't look for.

 

2.     Pushes technology development: NASA will need solar electric propulsion (and associated solar cell array advancements) for future exploration, and this mission is exactly what the agency needs as a good demo case for the technology, said James Reuther (NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate).

 

3.     Provides a stepping stone for moving humans to deep space: if humans are ever to go to Mars, we'll have to venture to places where it takes more than a few hours to come home. Plus, an asteroid will take advantage of humans' ability to adapt to unexpected situations — astronauts won't be quite sure what they'll find inside the bag until they open it.

 

While good science might come out of the mission, that's not the focus. It's about pushing ourselves to the next level.

 

"You need to turn off that logical side of your brain, and you need to turn on that emotional touchy-feely side, the one you never use," Gerstenmaier said. Jump up and down a few times, even pull out the breakdancing if you can (yes, he actually said that), and get your friends excited about this mission. "We're gonna go grab a rock and move it here."

 

Drowning in Space

 

David Mantey - Product Design and Development

 

Sometimes it takes a crisis to realize just how good you have it, and when it comes to drowning in isolation, it doesn't get much more critical. The cryptic tone relates to the hairy situation Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano found himself in on July 16, 2013.

 

During his second spacewalk at the International Space Station (ISS), Parmitano's helmet began inexplicably filling with water. In a harrowing retelling of his experience in his online blog, he described the water sloshing around in his helmet while outside of the space station.

 

The water blinded him, making it difficult to navigate back to the air lock, and it slowly covered his nose. He couldn't be sure that his next breath would fill his lungs with air and not water.

 

Attempts to contact his spacewalking partner failed, setting off an overwhelming sense of desperate isolation. "I'm alone," Parmitano recalled. "I frantically think of a plan. It's vital that I get inside as quickly as possible."

 

As a test pilot, Parmitano has been trained to maintain his cool in the most intense scenarios. Things grew desperate outside the space station when he remembered his safety cable, which, equipped with a recoil mechanism, was able to slowly pull him to safety with a mere three pounds of force.

 

Likely the longest ride of his life, he spent the slow draw to the hatch thinking about what he would do if the water reached his mouth. If it came to it, he planned to open the safety valve on his helmet, essentially making a hole in his spacesuit, as a last ditch effort to keep his head "above" water.

 

Luckily, Parmitano survived. He made it to the hatch, and he was even able to wait for the air lock to repressurize, so he didn't pass out when they removed his helmet. NASA traced the problem to the spacesuit backpack, which is loaded with life-support equipment. A repair kit has since been sent to ISS aboard an unmanned Russian spacecraft and arrived 11 days later (July 27, 2013).

 

What could possibly cause the closest call ever experienced in an American led spacewalk? The investigation continues, and Parmitano will remain at the space station until November, replaying his dire straight a short distance away from where the instance occurred.

 

In my experience with drowning near misses, the only thing that you want to do, after you're 95 percent certain that your lungs will continue to take air, is get as far away from the incident as possible – and you certainly don't venture back into the water for some time.

 

I understand that astronauts are trained, mentally and physically, to survive the rigors of space travel, but the trauma of a near death experience is still difficult to stomach. As an aside, I also can't imagine managing a product recall at such a distance – NASA halted all spacewalks until the root cause could be identified and repaired.

 

On the other side of every crisis comes clarity; and while Parmitano now realizes that "space is a harsh, inhospitable frontier and we are explorers, not colonizers," I find his subsequent reflection most poignant. "The skills of our engineers and the technology surrounding us make things appear simple when they are not, and perhaps we forget this sometimes."

 

This statement is accurate for all technologies we take as truths, and our dependency on such luxuries has made us vulnerable. While I find it laughable to compare drowning in an advanced life support system to a smartphone shattering after it is forgotten on the roof of an automobile, I think that they both represent an overleveraged investment in technology, as well as a widening divide between us and self-sufficiency.

 

The skills of our engineers are great, contributing to everything from extended life expectancies to richer experiences in travel, communication, and quality of life, but I think that something is lost when you become too far removed from the struggle and too reliant on creature comforts.

 

Do I think that we should return to the land? No. However, we should consider exactly which skills we are bartering for certain technologies that may be otherwise trivial. Then again, I could just be a hypocrite as I wrote this on a laptop, with a wireless hotspot, as I travel 900 miles in just under 14 hours.

 

State lawmakers back NASA's plan for Pad 39A

It should be put to use as soon as possible, they say

 

James Dean – Florida Today

 

Florida's congressional delegation has unanimously backed NASA's process for leasing a historic Kennedy Space Center launch pad for commercial use, countering concerns expressed by a handful of colleagues.

 

SpaceX and Blue Origin are competing to win the lease of launch pad 39A, a former Apollo and shuttle launch pad that NASA says it no longer needs.

 

NASA was considering a lease to SpaceX, of Hawthorne, Calif., which wants exclusive use of the pad to support frequent launches it anticipates as soon as 2015.

 

Kent, Wash.-based Blue Origin won't have a rocket until 2018, but proposed operating the pad to support multiple users, and this month formally protested NASA's handling of the matter.

 

Two congressmen and five senators, mostly from states that are home to SpaceX competitors, endorsed that multi-user approach and questioned NASA's rush to lease the facility.

 

In their own letters over the past week, Florida's representatives offer a different perspective.

 

They describe NASA's competition for pad 39A as fair and encourage the agency to put it to use as soon as possible.

 

"We have an opportunity to recapture the commercial space launch business, but unnecessary delays could hamper our ability to do that," says a Sept. 16 letter signed by the state's 27 U.S. House members, led by Bill Posey, R-Rockledge.

 

U.S. Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio co-signed a Sept. 13 letter expressing similar views.

 

"NASA should apply its extensive expertise in this area and not yield to outside influences when determining what factors to consider in choosing partners to ensure that its selection process yields the best outcome for our nation's space program," they wrote. "We look forward to timely decisions to that end."

 

The U.S. Government Accountability Office is expected to weigh in on Blue Origin's protest by mid-December.

 

NASA had wanted to lease pad 39A for at least five years starting as soon as next month. The agency says it cannot afford to maintain the mothballed pad indefinitely at a cost of more than $1 million annually.

 

Florida congressional delegation backs NASA plan to lease old shuttle pad

 

Dan Leone - Space News

 

Two weeks after Blue Origin filed a protest with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) about NASA's tenant search for an unwanted space shuttle launch pad, Florida's entire congressional delegation has banded together in support of NASA's approach, which has come under fire from another group of lawmakers not keen to see the agency grant an exclusive lease.

 

"We have an opportunity to recapture the commercial space launch business," the 27 Florida members of the U.S. House of Representatives wrote in a Sept. 16 letter to NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "But unnecessary delays could hamper our ability to do that."

 

Florida's two U.S. senators, Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio, sent Bolden a similar letter Sept. 13.

 

NASA announced in May it was seeking proposals to lease Launch Complex 39A, one of two space shuttle launch pads at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, to a commercial operator. Blue Origin offered to operate the pad as a multi-user facility, while Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) sought exclusive use. Blue Origin protested the terms of the solicitation Sept. 3 with the GAO, effectively putting the selection on hold until the protest is resolved.

 

Florida's House delegation of 10 Democrats and 17 Republicans said they saw no reason to question the particulars of what they called NASA's "open, competitive process."

 

"Given the [Kennedy Space Center's] expertise, it should be within their purview and judgment to determine what factors to consider and what outcomes to render," the lawmakers wrote. Rep. Bill Posey, a Republican whose district includes the Kennedy Space Center, was the lead signer.

 

Three days earlier, Sens. Nelson and Rubio — one a Democrat, the other a Republican — lashed out against what they characterized as outside interference in Kennedy's affairs.

 

"NASA should apply its extensive expertise in this area and not yield to outside influence when determining what factors to consider in choosing partners to ensure that its selection process yields the best outcome for our nation's space program," Nelson and Rubio wrote.

 

Since July, two congressmen, five U.S. senators and launch services provider United Launch Alliance — which has a business relationship with Blue Origin and is facing competition from SpaceX for U.S. national security payloads — have all expressed support for a multi-user Pad 39A.

 

In July, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.), chairman of the House Appropriations commerce, justice, science subcommittee, and Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) wrote NASA to question why the agency was considering an exclusive-use lease of Pad 39A. Aderholt in particular was concerned that an exclusive lease would deprive the heavy-lift Space Launch System NASA is building for deep-space missions of a backup pad. Aderholt's district includes United Launch Alliance's rocket assembly facility in Decatur, Ala., and is not far from the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., which is managing design and construction of the Space Launch System.

 

NASA says that because it has no further use for Pad 39A — the Space Launch System would launch from Pad 39B — it no longer has room in its roughly $17 billion budget for the $1.2 million in annual maintenance costs required to preserve the pad. In addition, NASA officials including Bolden said because the deep-space rocket was only slated to fly about once every three or four years, Pad 39B could easily be shared with commercial companies who wanted to launch from Kennedy.

 

NASA had hoped to turn Pad 39A over to a lessee by Sept. 30.

 

The GAO has until December to rule on Blue Origin's protest. By law, NASA must brief GAO officials by Oct. 3 about Blue Origin's complaint. SpaceX is participating in the case as an intervenor, according to Ralph White, GAO's managing associate general counsel for procurement law.

 

Vision cast for Ellington as a future Spaceport

 

Jeff Newpher - Bay Area Citizen

 

Until about nine years ago, you could drive to Ellington Field and buy a Continental Airlines ticket to fly to Bush Intercontinental Airport, on the north side of town.

 

At the time, it was said to be the country's shortest fixed-wing scheduled commercial air route, approximately 25 miles.

 

Today: Ellington Field is now Ellington Airport, Continental is now United and the flight destination from Ellington currently generating the most conversation is either space or on the other side of the world, instead of across town.

 

"Space is the new ocean for the world," Houston Aviation Director Mario C. Diaz said recently during a forward-looking presentation about Ellington.

 

Diaz asked "How does the city dubbed 'Space City USA' in the last century hold on to that title in the 21st century?"

 

Then he unveiled renderings of a variety of new buildings that would function as airplane terminals, academic institutions, research facilities, business centers and other uses.

 

Key to the plan is to add Ellington's name to the list of eight space ports already operating in this country.

 

The acreage to build the Spaceport, Diaz said, is available on the southeast corner of airport property.

 

A piece of the growing commercial spaceflight industry is what Diaz is after.

 

After recalling President John Kennedy's space challenge words from 50 years ago, Diaz said, "Now it's time for Houston to step forward once again."

 

Feasibility and commercial studies are done and an application for the spaceport license has been made. Diaz said.

 

He mentioned sub-orbital flights, experimentation, miniature satellite launches, a "FedEx-type" operation and geo-mapping as possible uses of the spacecraft that could take-off horizontally from Ellington, then go vertical once it is over the Gulf of Mexico.

 

This is "a vision, a conceptual plan," Diaz said in response to questions about financing the project, but it could come through a mix of public and private investment, plus the rental of terminal, hangar and support square footage.

 

"I really view this as an opportunity for Houston, that rather than expecting the federal government to bail out billions and billions and billions of dollars on an annual basis to maintain and prop up an industry, isn't it better for the private sector to step in, to do things more inexpensively, more efficiently and effectively and thereby, grow the industry faster than the federal government could ever, and in the process, put Houston at the forefront?" Diaz said.

 

Local economic development specialists believe Ellington's growth is a reflection of the rest of the area's economic health.

 

The Houston Spaceport, they believe, would make Ellington a leader, also.

 

"Having Houston Spaceport here is going to be a tremendous lever as we talk to the world about the technology advantages that we have in the Houston area and why this kind of development makes a lot of sense for this region," said Dan Seal, the Executive Director of Special Initiatives for the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership.

 

Is this the best job in the world:

Nasa recruits volunteers to spend 70 days in bed

 

Heather Saul - London Independent

 

Not one for early mornings? Does the thought of an early exit from bed fill you with dread? Never fear - Nasa may have the dream (and well-paid) job for you.

 

The US space agency is seeking volunteers willing to lounge about whilst completing minimal activities in the comfort of a bed for a 70-day period.

 

Successful candidates for this job can expect to earn approximately £3,000 per month and will be expected to remain lying down for 24 hours a day.

 

Recruits are needed as part of Nasa's research into microgravity and the effect it may have on the human body. On their website, Nasa explain that the position held whilst lying in a bed is similar to the "head-down" tilt position many astronauts experience in a low gravity environment.

 

The study will aim to find ways of developing measures to counter the effects of reduced gravity experienced by those undertaking long duration space missions.

 

Nasa even have their own dedicated "bed rest" facility as part of their Flight Analog Research Unit (FARU) at the University of Texas Medical Branch, equipped with specialist beds that can be manipulated in order to reproduce the effects of various gravitational levels on the body.

 

Nasa said: "Of all the potential challenges crewmembers encounter in the space environment, microgravity has proven to be one of the most difficult to mimic in an experimental setting."

 

The bed rest study will "encompass multiple areas of focus", such as the musculoskeletal and psychological effects of spending extended periods of time in low gravity, they added.

 

How China's Space Program Has Developed, Despite ITAR

 

Aviation Week (Editorial)

 

It is a plausible approach on its face. The U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) is a detailed list of munitions no one wants to fall into the wrong hands. It includes deadly hardware up to and including nuclear weapons. In the late 1990s, it also came to include satellite components, regardless of their end use. But because the State Department export-licensing bureaucracy proved more difficult to manage than the Commerce Department counterpart, the U.S. satellite industry found itself hobbled at the very time it faced growing competition abroad.

 

The reasons are complex, but the upshot is the U.S. share of worldwide satellite sales fell to 30% in 2008 from 63% in 1999. Ever since the export control of satellites and components shifted to ITAR as the tumble began, industry has lobbied long and hard for some relief.

 

It is coming, but ever so slowly (see page 52). President Barack Obama ordered changes in all munitions-export procedures in 2009, and signed legislation in January that gave him explicit authority to remove satellite components from the munitions list. But modified regulations will not be ready until next year, and after that, it will be another 180 days before the new regulations take effect.

 

An objective of the satellite-export crackdown was to hobble China's efforts to become a space-faring nation. U.S. satellite technology is so ubiquitous that, the theory went, blocking its export to China effectively denied that country the technology and financial incentives it needed to build advanced launchers and spacecraft.

 

It has not worked out that way. Even without open access to U.S. technology and customers, China continues to advance steadily in civilian and, yes, military space. It has sent 10 military pilots into orbit for increasingly complex maneuvers aimed at building a small space station in 2020. It is sending a robotic lander to the Moon soon. It has also added dramatically to the cloud of potentially deadly space debris surrounding Earth with its ill-advised anti-satellite weapon test in January 2007.

 

You need look no farther than the International Space Station to see that there is another way. Basically, the ISS would not exist had the Soviet Union and U.S. not engaged in joint civil-space projects that predated even the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975, at the height of the Cold War. Time and again, the so-called soft power of space cooperation has outweighed the disadvantages that accompany the suspicion and mistrust of China that has damaged the U.S. satellite industry.

 

NASA's Paul Holloway was a leader in human space flight program

 

Tamara Dietrich – Newport News Daily Press

 

Paul Holloway was the son and grandson of Poquoson watermen and loved to fish, clam and crab — but he spent his life and career studying the stars and the technology to reach them.

 

Fresh out of college in 1960, Holloway began a long and distinguished career at NASA — first as an engineer at Langley Research Center in Hampton, and finally as its center director before retiring in 1996.

 

"The thing that drove me here," Holloway told the Daily Press that year, "was a complete lack of inherited skills as a waterman and a good capability with math."

 

Those who knew him best might consider that an understatement on both counts.

 

Holloway passed away Sunday at the age of 75, leaving behind his wife, Barbara, son, Eric, a reputation for intelligence and precision, and a legacy as a leader in furthering human space flight.

 

"He was very serious, extremely accurate — I don't think Paul ever had a vague notion about anything," said Sidney Pauls. "He was born to be an engineer, and he was a good one."

 

Pauls, also a Poquoson native, worked with Holloway at Langley before retiring as associate director in 1995.

 

"He was very thorough in his approach to things," said Delma Freeman, another Poquoson native and retired Langley director. "He was extremely bright. He was very dedicated to his job and to his family, and he was a fine gentleman."

 

Holloway attended Poquoson High School, where classmates voted him and his then-girlfriend, Barbara Menetch, "Most in Love." The couple married just after graduation, two weeks after Holloway turned 18.

 

He studied aeronautical engineering at Virginia Tech, and after graduating with honors he and his wife returned to Hampton Roads.

 

He was hired at NASA Langley and for eight years worked as a research engineer. Afterward, he held a variety of leadership posts before being appointed director in 1991. In between, he had occasional brief stints at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., but always returned.

 

In his leisure time, said Pauls, Holloway was about fishing and family.

 

"We just sort of grew up together," said Pauls, 77. "Sort of grew old together."

 

At NASA, Holloway's most significant contribution may have been leading a team of about 300 NASA engineers from Langley and other centers in the 1970s to hone the development of the fledgling space shuttle.

 

"That was Paul's research area — hypersonic aerodynamics and entry flight mechanics," said Steve Jurczyk, deputy director at NASA Langley. "So not only did he lead the organization, but he was in on many of the reviews of the space shuttle, and also the space station.

 

"That was a big activity within the agency," he added, "and Langley had a big, significant role in the development of the space shuttle."

 

As center director, Jurczyk said, Holloway "reinvigorated" efforts to transfer new inventions and patented technologies to industry. After Holloway retired, the Paul F. Holloway Non-Aerospace Technology Transfer Award was renamed in his honor.

 

He's the recipient of numerous awards, himself, including the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, the Presidential Rank of Meritorious Service, and two Senior Executive Service Distinguished Presidential Rank Awards.

 

"Paul was very passionate about the mission of the center and the agency," said Jurczyk. "And very dedicated to what the center and agency did for the country."

 

"He was a dear treasure," said Pauls. "And we'll miss him."

 

END