Fwd: Human Spaceflight News 1 and JSC Today

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From: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Date: October 22, 2013 12:32:51 PM CDT
To: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Subject: FW: Human Spaceflight News 1 and JSC Today

Sorry about the late news.    PAO substitute does not publish as early as Kyle normally does.  L

 

 

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

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JSC TODAY CATEGORIES Headlines -  NASA TV Coverage for Cygnus, ATV, Soyuz Activities -  Free Flu Shots Tomorrow, Oct. 23 -  2013 Hispanic Heritage Month Observance -  Careful With That SmartCard -  POWER of One Award - Nominate Someone Today -  Orchestrating Through the Unknown Case Study -  NASA@work October Monthly Bulletin Organizations/Social -  JSC Systems Engineering Forum Correction -  NASA 55th Anniversary T-Shirt Distribution -  Non-Traditional Cooking Class -  Starport's Spooky Spin This Friday: Register Now -  Join the Fun Communicating with Toastmasters -  AIAA Houston Section - Lunch & Learn -  NO HSI ERG Meeting This Month Jobs and Training -  RLLS Portal WebEx Training for Oct. 23 & 24

Earth from Juno

 

Headlines NASA TV Coverage for Cygnus, ATV, Soyuz Activities NASA TV will provide live coverage of the departure of the newest U.S. commercial cargo spacecraft to deliver supplies to the International Space Station and undocking of the fourth European Space Agency cargo vehicle. Coverage for departure of the Cygnus spacecraft begins at 6 a.m. CDT today, Oct. 22. The spacecraft has been attached to the space station since Sept. 29 on a demonstration cargo resupply mission by Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va.   Coverage for departure of the fourth European Space Agency (ESA) Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV-4) cargo spacecraft begins at 3:45 a.m.  Monday, Oct. 28.   Cygnus delivered about 1,300 pounds (589 kilograms) of cargo, including food, clothing and student experiments 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 only laboratory in microgravity.   Astronauts will load Cygnus with items no longer needed and detach the spacecraft from the station's Harmony module using the orbiting complex's robotic arm. The crew will release Cygnus at 7:30 a.m. Orbital engineers then will conduct a series of planned burns and maneuvers to move Cygnus toward a destructive re-entry in Earth's atmosphere Wednesday, Oct. 23.   Cygnus was launched on the company's Antares rocket on Sept. 18 from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad-0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.   The ATV-4 spacecraft, named Albert Einstein by ESA in honor of the 20th century theoretical physicist and icon of modern science, launched atop an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana June 5. The spacecraft docked to the aft port of the Russian Zvezda Service Module June 15, delivering more than 7 tons of supplies.   ATV-4 also will be loaded with items no longer needed aboard the space station. The spacecraft will back away from the station to a safe distance for an engine firing that will enable it to make a planned destructive return through Earth's atmosphere Sunday, Nov. 2.   Preparations also are under way for launch of a new expedition crew to station. Launch is scheduled for 10:14 p.m. CDT Wednesday, Nov. 6, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. New video of launch preparations will begin airing on NASA TV Oct. 22.   JSC, Ellington Field, Sonny Carter Training Facility and White Sands Test Facility team members with wired computer network connections can also 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. JSC External Relations, Office of Communications and Public Affairs x35111 http://www.nasa.gov/station [top] Free Flu Shots Tomorrow, Oct. 23 The Occupational Health Branch is offering FREE flu shots to JSC civil servants and contractors who are housed on-site tomorrow, Oct. 23, in the Building 30 lobby from 8:30 to noon. To expedite the process, PLEASE visit the website below, read the Influenza Vaccine Information Statement and complete the consent form prior to arrival. On the day of the flu shot, wear clothing that allows easy to access your upper arm (short sleeves or sleeveless). If you can't make it, future outreach sessions are being planned and will be posted to the Web page below. Event Date: Wednesday, October 23, 2013   Event Start Time:8:30 AM   Event End Time:12:00 PM Event Location: Building 30 Lobby Add to Calendar Bob Martel x38581 http://sd.jsc.nasa.gov/omoh/scripts/OccupationalMedicine/Fluprogram.aspx [top] 2013 Hispanic Heritage Month Observance Please join the JSC Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity (OEOD) as we recognize Hispanic Heritage Month. 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 observance 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, please click here. To view or print 2013 poster, please visit JSC OEOD's website. JSC Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity x30607 http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oeod/ [top] Careful With That SmartCard With many JSC employees now able to use their PIV smartcard credentials for computer login, we've noticed that sometimes people leave their badge in the card reader and depart the center. If you find yourself in this situation, don't sweat it. Need to get back on site? Swing by the awesome and efficient self-service kiosk in Building 110 for a temporary badge. If, on the other hand, you forget your badge and need computer access, the Enterprise Service Desk (x34800, option 2) can temporarily remove the restriction of logging in with the PIV smartcard. On the topic of badges, now is good time to remind everyone to secure theirs in a safe place when not at work. For instance, you should avoid leaving it in plain sight. Although hanging it in the car may be convenient, it can invite theft. In addition, the heat inside the car can damage the badge. Badging Office x32111 [top] POWER of One Award - Nominate Someone Today The POWER of One Award has been a great success, but we still need your nominations. We're looking for standout achievements with specific examples of exceptional and superior performance. Make sure to check out our award criteria to help guide you in writing the short write-up needed for submittal. If chosen, the recipient can choose from a list of JSC experiences and have his/her name and recognition shared in JSC Today. Nominations for this quarter close Nov. 15, so nominate someone deserving today! Click here for complete information on the JSC Awards Program. Jessica Ocampo 281-792-7804 https://powerofone.jsc.nasa.gov/index.cfm [top] Orchestrating Through the Unknown Case Study Orchestrating Through the Unknown: How Cufflinks Saved the Space Station. Some call it their Apollo 13 moment, and others say it was just plain fun. A few consider it the experience of a lifetime. How did the experts figure out that something as simple as a high-tech cufflink could be the solution for a torn solar array on the International Space Station? Find out yourself by checking out the P6 Solar Array Cufflink Repair Case Study here. Consider what lessons we can take away from this effort and apply to our own tasks. While you are there, please take the time to give us your feedback. Also, we would like your suggestions for potential topics. Share your ideas here. Brent J. Fontenot x36456 https://knowledge.jsc.nasa.gov/?event=casestudies [top] NASA@work October Monthly Bulletin Check out what's inside this month's bulletin, including our latest Super Solvers Spotlight, recent NASA@work challenge winners and the NASA@work tip of the month. And, don't forget to check out our active challenges here. Are you new to NASA@work? NASA@work is an agencywide, collaborative problem-solving platform that connects the collective knowledge of experts (like YOU) from all centers across NASA. Challenge owners post problems, and members of the NASA@work community participate by responding with their solutions to posted problems. Anyone can participate! Kathryn Keeton 469-450-1864 [top]    Organizations/Social JSC Systems Engineering Forum Correction Correction: The presentation will begin at 11:30 a.m. The JSC Systems Engineering Forum presents Bill Othon, deputy branch chief of the Guidance, Navigation and Control Development and Test Branch, Thursday, Oct. 24, at 11:30 a.m. in Building 1, Room 966. Othon will discuss the application of Model-Based Systems Engineering to design and test in Integrated Power Avionics and Software. Event Date: Thursday, October 24, 2013   Event Start Time:11:30 AM   Event End Time:1:00 PM Event Location: B1/Rm 966 Add to Calendar Miriam Sargusingh x31358 https://oasis.jsc.nasa.gov/infra/syseng [top] NASA 55th Anniversary T-Shirt Distribution Starport will be distributing the online orders of the NASA 55th Anniversary T-Shirt per the following schedule. Please bring your NASA badge to pick up your shirts. If you are picking up shirts for another employee, bring an email from that employee stating such. Your receipt may be helpful, but is not required. Thank you for choosing Starport! Building 3: Monday, Oct. 28, and Tuesday, Oct. 29, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Building 11: Tuesday, Oct. 30, and Wednesday, Oct. 31, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Gilruth Center: Friday, Nov. 1, from 2 to 5 p.m. Cyndi Kibby x37467 http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/ [top] Non-Traditional Cooking Class Tired of cooking the same old turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and green bean casserole? Sign up for a "non-traditional holiday cooking class" and learn how to make a holiday sushi tree. The class is Tuesday, Nov. 12, at the Gilruth Center from 5 p.m. until we get finished. The class cost is $49.95 and includes wine, a sushi roller, course book and serving plate. Please call Danial Hornbuckle at x30240 for reservations. Reservations are required and must be made by Tuesday, Nov. 5. Event Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2013   Event Start Time:5:00 PM   Event End Time:7:00 PM Event Location: Gilruth Center Add to Calendar Danial Hornbuckle x30240 http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/ [top] Starport's Spooky Spin This Friday: 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. Join in on the fun Oct. 25 from 6 to 7 p.m. It's $15 per person or two for $20 if you sign up with a friend. 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] Join the Fun Communicating with Toastmasters Communicating is a skill we can all improve. Practice is required and FUN! Challenge yourself and make an investment in your personal growth. The Space Explorers Toastmasters club meets on Fridays in Building 30A, Room 1010, at 11:45 a.m. for 60 minutes of practice and laughter. Event Date: Friday, October 25, 2013   Event Start Time:11:45 AM   Event End Time:12:45 PM Event Location: B. 30A/Rm. 1010 Add to Calendar Carolyn Jarrett x37594 [top] AIAA Houston Section - Lunch & Learn Join John M. DiIorio Nov. 13 for a lunch-and-learn session entitled "Global Warming Effects (GWE) on the Operations of Human Infrastructure." It will focus on various types of weather and climate damage to the operations of supporting human infrastructure. Bridges, windows, city landscaping, communications and food sources will be discussed using lecture notes, videos and photographs. Please see the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Houston Section website for event details and updates. Event Date: Wednesday, November 13, 2013   Event Start Time:11:30 AM   Event End Time:12:30 PM Event Location: Lockheed Martin 2625 Bay Area Blvd. Houston,TX Add to Calendar BeBe Kelly-Serrato 281-798-9060 http://www.aiaahouston.org/event/space-operations-hosted-technical-lunch... [top] NO HSI ERG Meeting This Month Due to the furlough, we are cancelling this month's Human Systems Integration (HSI) Employee Resource Group (ERG) membership meeting, which would have normally occurred today, Oct. 22. The new leadership team is lining up several interesting topics for future meetings. Please join us then! Deb Neubek (for James Taylor) 281-222-3687 https://collaboration.ndc.nasa.gov/iierg/HSI/SitePages/Home.aspx [top]    Jobs and Training RLLS Portal WebEx Training for Oct. 23 & 24 The October Weekly RLLS Portal Education Series: Oct. 23 at 2 p.m. CDT, Flight Arrival Departure Training Oct. 24 at 2 p.m. CDT, Transportation Request Training The 30-minute training sessions are computer-based WebEx sessions, offering individuals the convenience to join from their own workstation. The training will cover the following: System login Locating support modules Locating downloadable instructions Creating support requests Submittal requirements Submitting on behalf of another Adding attachments Selecting special requirements Submitting a request Status of a request Ending each session there will be opportunities for questions and answers. Please remember that TTI will no longer accept requests for U.S.-performed services unless they are submitted through the RLLS Portal. Email or call 281-335-8565 to sign up. James Welty 281-335-8565 https://www.tti-portal.com [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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Human Spaceflight News

Tuesday – Oct. 22, 2013

 

HEADLINES AND LEADS

 

 

 

Vitter blocks NASA nomination

 

The Advocate

 

WASHINGTON — Sen. David Vitter announced Monday he plans to block, for now, the nomination for undersecretary of the Department of Energy because of project delays at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.

 

 

 

In Focus: Why Spaceflight is Becoming Blurrier over Time

 

Sci&Tech -- By Nikita Marwaha

 

 

Scientists have long known that extended spaceflight leads to changes in the human body such as muscle atrophy, bone loss, and fluid shift. Increasing evidence has now been collected that suggests why astronauts may be experiencing visual problems as a result of spaceflight conditions.

Russian biological experiment Bion-M1 revealed further insight into the issue of astronaut eyesight deterioration in space

 

 

 

Navy seeks better red tide forecasts from space

 

Jim Waymer  -- Florida Today –

 

As the Navy hunts for red tide from the International Space Station, beachgoers may soon get improved early warnings of the harmful algae and other blooms that discolor the water and can cause respiratory problems.

 

 

How Twitter fans kept NASA alive during the US shutdown

 

The Conversation (Australia)  --  Vanessa Hill, CSIRO, Alice Gorman, Flinders University

 

Now that the US government is back in business, all "non-essential" services will resume. For 15 days we went without NASA's full operation, US Antarctic research and federally-funded clinical studies. Even this relatively short time frame will see a science fallout that could last for years.

 

 

 

What will we call the next generation of astronauts? Holidaymakers…

The commercialisation of space travel will lead to the next giant step for mankind

 

Maggie Aderin-Pocock -- The Observer

 

My personal quest for space began at the age of three and it was all because of the magic of The Clangers. These small, wonderful, knitted creatures and their animated adventures captured my heart and my imagination, and with the logic of a child I planned my visit to the Clanger home world. People at that time were telling me excitedly about astronauts who had landed on the moon. So it should be quite easy to get one small child to Clangersville.

 

 

Mars spacecraft integrated with rocket, new launch date to be decided on Tuesday: ISRO

 

Press Trust of India

 

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said   the Mars spacecraft, whose launch has been delayed by almost a week, had been integrated with the launch vehicle.

 

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COMPLETE STORIES

 

 

Vitter blocks NASA nomination

 

The Advocate

 

 

WASHINGTON — Sen. David Vitter announced Monday he plans to block, for now, the nomination for undersecretary of the Department of Energy because of project delays at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.

President Barack Obama nominated NASA Chief Financial Officer Elizabeth Robinson for the undersecretary position.

Vitter, R-La., contends she is directly responsible for delayed, job-creating contracts at Michoud.

The Michoud facility has tried to reinvent itself since the end of the space shuttle program and has contracted more with commercial and government contractors to use the site.

NASA is using Michoud for constructing components of its Space Launch System, a 70-ton heavy-lift rocket, and the Orion module, which would hold a small crew of astronauts.

The space program hopes its next mission will take astronauts to Mars.

Vitter contended Monday that contracting delays related to the projects have postponed the creation of hundreds of jobs at Michoud.

"Under the Obama administration, NASA has been stalling on a job-creating project at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans for no apparent reason," Vitter stated in his announcement. "Ms. Robinson needs to answer questions about why they've delayed the project, and other questions about NASA's operations before she leaves her job overseeing their finances."

Vitter is asking Robinson for a "thorough" self-review of her job performance, as well as for more details on timelines and the allocations of funds.

Vitter also expressed concerns that the "sequester" budget cuts remaining in effect may disproportionately hurt the Orion and Space Launch System projects. "Are you intentionally trying to kill SLS and Orion?" Vitter wrote.

The Louisiana senator also asked her several questions about her possible use of private emails to conduct work communications, as well as the use of private emails by other NASA leaders.

 

 

In Focus: Why Spaceflight is Becoming Blurrier over Time

 

Sci&Tech -- By Nikita Marwaha

 

 

Scientists have long known that extended spaceflight leads to changes in the human body such as muscle atrophy, bone loss, and fluid shift. Increasing evidence has now been collected that suggests why astronauts may be experiencing visual problems as a result of spaceflight conditions.

Russian biological experiment Bion-M1 revealed further insight into the issue of astronaut eyesight deterioration in space. Launched into space on April 19th, Russia's first biological research satellite since 2007 carried into orbit a 2,450 kg space zoo before returning to Earth 30 days later.

The extended length of the mission allowed researchers to gain a better understanding of the effects that long-term spaceflight exposure has on living organisms. With 45 mice, 8 Mongolian gerbils, 15 geckos, slugs, snails, and containers of microorganisms and plants on board, Bion-M1 orbited the Earth on a 30-day mission. The flight unfortunately proved fatal for all gerbils and 29 mice, however a key insight into the mechanisms behind the orbital visual problems was gained.

Deputy Director of Russia's Institute of Medical and Biological Studies Vladimir Sychev explained:

We used to think that in zero-gravity, fluid travelled upward and that the quality of blood improved, but it turns out that it is the other way around. The arteries of the brain come under duress and their capacity is reduced by 40 percent.

The institute also gathered valuable data on the influence of space travel on the spinal cord, inner ear, and processes at the genetic level.

Bion-M1 revealed that the capacity of the cerebral arteries decreases vastly in space, a symptom of orthostatic intolerance. Triggered by a disruption in blood flow, orthostatic intolerance is common in astronauts upon returning to Earth and readjusting to gravity.

Speaking to Space Safety Magazine, retired NASA food scientist Charles Bourland provides an insight into the link between space food research, orthostatic intolerance, and astronaut vision:

There's a procedure to reduce the sodium [in space food] because there was some evidence that high sodium might contribute to vision problems that they've had on some of the missions.

A recent study into the role of nutritional research in the success of human space flight has noted that prepackaged foods for the International Space Station were originally high in sodium at 5300 mg/d. This amount has now been substantially reduced to 3000 mg/g as a result of NASA reformulation of over ninety foods as a conscious effort to reduce astronaut sodium intake.

Bourland also stated that salt tablets are used as a method of counter-acting the reduction in arterial capacity before reentry:

They have a test called orthostatic tolerance… it basically says 'can you stand up?' and a lot of [the astronauts] were failing that, they couldn't even stand up, and it was because they had low blood fluid levels. So they found out if they give them salt tablets or salt solution just before they come home, it improves their ability to stand up. If you take sodium you retain more fluids and build up your fluid volume.

The subject of astronaut visual quality has been investigated previously. Research from 2012 in the journal Radiology analyzed MRI scans of astronauts returning from at least one month in space and confirmed that fluid shift also contributes to visual disruption as a result of intracranial pressure.

Mercury astronaut John Glenn carried a pair of 'space anticipation glasses' on board his capsule in order to improve his visual acuity. As well as this, a NASA survey of 300 male and female astronauts found that 49 percent of long-flight and 23 percent of short-flight astronauts had experienced problems with both near and distance vision. In some cases these visual problems persisted for years after their time in space.

 

 

Navy seeks better red tide forecasts from space

 

Jim Waymer  -- Florida Today –

 

As the Navy hunts for red tide from the International Space Station, beachgoers may soon get improved early warnings of the harmful algae and other blooms that discolor the water and can cause respiratory problems.

"Our goal is to develop a system that can detect blooms early enough to assist with the planning preparation for remedial measures to reduce economic damage, health risk, etc.," Ruhul Amin, the principal investigator at the Naval Research Laboratory, said via email.

The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space recently announced a partnership with the Naval Research Laboratory to study what contributes to red tide and other harmful algae blooms.

CASIS — a Brevard nonprofit organization formed to maximize the use of the orbiting outpost's national laboratory — awarded $250,000 to the Naval Research Lab, to expand Amin's research.

The technology Amin is developing is specifically for the Hyperspectral Imager of the Coastal Ocean (HICO) sensor mounted on the space station.

The lab plans to use the advanced imaging technology on the station to develop early detection of red tide and other harmful algae blooms, possibly even those affecting the Indian River Lagoon.

"Our goal is to develop a general technology that is capable of detecting various algal blooms including brown tides from any (past, current or future) HICO imagery including imagery over Indian River Lagoon," Amin said.

Coupled with field observations, scientists use satellite sensors, such as HICO on the station and MODIS on the NASA Aqua satellite, to distinguish different algae species based on the different wavelengths of light they absorb and reflect.

Amin said they will quantify algae blooms in terms of chlorophyll. But that's doesn't reveal toxicity. "It is very difficult to identify toxic blooms from space," he said. So the lab has developed a classification technique for red tide and hopes to do the same with other species.

The HICO sensor can reveal substances other than algae as well.

"We used it during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to identify some of the oil," said Mitchell A. Roffer, president of Roffer's Ocean Fishing Forecasting Service, Inc., based in West Melbourne.

HICO verified that what Roffer observed with other, lower resolution satellites, was oil, he said.

Early detection of red tide and other harmful algae blooms is important for protecting public health, wild and farmed fish and shellfish, and endangered species such as marine mammals, Amin said.

 

How Twitter fans kept NASA alive during the US shutdown

 

The Conversation (Australia)  --  Vanessa Hill, CSIRO, Alice Gorman, Flinders University

 

Now that the US government is back in business, all "non-essential" services will resume. For 15 days we went without NASA's full operation, US Antarctic research and federally-funded clinical studies. Even this relatively short time frame will see a science fallout that could last for years.

During the past few weeks, many have made their thoughts on the shutdown of science known on Twitter. In the world of space science, there was distinct lack of news and mission updates from the network of telescopes, spacecraft and rovers around our solar system — no @NASA, @NASA_Hubble, @MarsCuriosity or @NASAVoyager… the list could continue for the hundreds of NASA twitter accounts.

NASA's Twitter account and other public communication efforts at a standstill during the US government shutdown --  https://twitter.com/nasa

Science-minded tweeters took matters into their own hands and we saw the growth of the #ThingsNASAmighttweet hashtag, a crowd-sourced feed of NASA news and mission updates. Use of the hashtag saw 15,229 posts, 42.3 million impressions, and "unquantifiable love". Sixty percent of the tweets came from female tweeters, where the majority of science and space enthusiasts are typically male.

For those unfamiliar with Twitter lore, the hashtag was implemented by Twitter users themselves in 2007 to enable people to engage with topics of interest outside the follower networks—so they didn't have to "eavesdrop" on conversations. Social media scholars Axel Bruns and Jean Burgess note that hashtags are aimed at "imagined communities" or an "ad hoc public".

Within this community, the #ThingsNASAMightTweet-ers weren't just exchanging news amongst themselves: they were recreating a service on which a broad range of people had come to rely. Some tweeters had scientific expertise, some were NASA staff, most were an interested public. Effectively, an international public took on the communication role of a US government agency — possibly a first in the annals of governance.

The topics covered by the #ThingsNASAMightTweet-ers included the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE), Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, International Space Station, Mars Odyssey orbiter, Juno spacecraft and the impending arrival of the Orionids, a meteor shower which occurs every October. When people posed space questions to NASA on Twitter, they were answered by others with expertise in the relevant area.

This image of Earth is one of the first snapshots sent back home by NASA's Juno spacecraft during its flyby on October 9, 2013. NASA/JPL/SwRI/MSSS/Ken Kremer

An interesting feature of the #ThingsNASAMightTweet hashtag is what it didn't say. While there were other hashtags explicitly about the US government shutdown – #shutdown, #shutdownUS, #shutdownpickuplines – that were critical or satirical, the #ThingsNASAMightTweet hashtag was more positive and constructive.

It brings to mind Voltaire's much-cited aphorism about God: if NASA didn't exist, it would be necessary to invent it. It was a clear statement of how the space community felt about the role of NASA social media in its collective life.

It's hard to know what impact #ThingsNASAMightTweet had beyond the space community; this may have to wait for more sustained analysis. But the campaign did not go unnoticed in other media, being reported by the Los Angeles Times, NBC News and a number of international websites.

Thanks to the profile of the hashtag, we didn't miss events that occurred during the shutdown, like NASA's 55th birthday and the Juno spacecraft doing a cool fly-by of Earth en route to Jupiter.

This public support for NASA wasn't born only out of people's love of space and exploration. Since NASA began using social media, they have endeavoured to create a community of science enthusiasts.

Since 2009, NASA has been running events called NASA Socials. The concept is ingenious: a bunch of interested people come to NASA facilities, see rocket launches, meet astronauts, see rovers in clean rooms. They share their behind-the-scenes experience with their friends and followers on social networks like Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

NASA have hosted countless Socials, and the Space Tweep Society is a thriving online community. It's a huge benefit of "engaging the engaged", when fostering geek love turns into community action, the community using social media as its voice.

 

 

What will we call the next generation of astronauts? Holidaymakers…

The commercialisation of space travel will lead to the next giant step for mankind

 

Maggie Aderin-Pocock -- The Observer

 

My personal quest for space began at the age of three and it was all because of the magic of The Clangers. These small, wonderful, knitted creatures and their animated adventures captured my heart and my imagination, and with the logic of a child I planned my visit to the Clanger home world. People at that time were telling me excitedly about astronauts who had landed on the moon. So it should be quite easy to get one small child to Clangersville.

But some 40 years later and nearly 60 years into the space era, the dream has not materialised; rather than holidaying on the moon we seem to have barely got off the ground. But the eternal optimist in me tells me that this is all about to change.

My theory is this: in the 56 years since Sputnik 1 left the planet we have had three phases of space. I call them the three Cs. The first phase was confrontation, the second collaboration and the third commercialisation, which is the phase that will get us all out there.

It is easy to forget that confrontation is what got the space era started. The art of war is reliant on technology development. From the Romans to the present day, war is a great incubator for advancement, and the second world war was no exception. I shudder and yet marvel at the accuracy and devastation of the smart bombs we see today, but their early predecessors were V2 rockets, developed by the Germans to strike targets from afar with minimum engagement on their part. Hundreds landed on London.

After the war both the USSR and the Americans tried to obtain the scientific minds behind the bombs. In the cold war, designing rockets that could travel across the planet was the goal and skirting space seemed to be the answer. But once we made that journey people realised that we could get more out of a presence in space and the science of Earth observation was born. From the lofty heights of space, surveillance was a doddle. Why risk a pilot being shot down when you can silently observe the enemy's movement from hundreds of miles up? The first images were primitive but, as with any war, the technology advanced fast.

This was a time before digital photography, so images were taken on photographic film in the satellite and then dropped towards the Earth where planes would pluck it from the air. This programme continued into the early 70s and only stopped when a Soviet sub was spotted below one of the drop sites.

Space continues to be used for defence today despite the expense, and it is the cost that led to the next phase: collaboration. Around the late 1960s and early 70s, many countries started to form space agencies. They could see the use of having their own satellites, but with each one costing around $100m – and the price of launching it about the same – they could also see the benefit of collaboration on some projects. For scientific missions, budgets are limited. The European Space Agency (ESA) was formed in 1975 as a collaboration between 10 nations; today it has 20 member countries contributing about $4bn. This money is spent on a range of projects, from commercial programmes such as Galileo (an enhanced global navigation satellite system for Europe) to science missions such as ExoMars, an autonomous Mars rover. ESA also has a Space Corps that supports 14 active astronauts and includes Tim Peak, the first British member to be accepted.

Collaboration continues through the International Space Station, a partnership between Canada, Russia, Japan, Nasa and the ESA. It has also led to some great discoveries. The Hubble space telescope, a Nasa/ESA venture, redefined the way we see the universe.

The collaborative era is the period I have spent my career as a space scientist working in, and although I love being part of big international teams, at the same time it feels as if progress is slow.

Everything is decided by committee, and although lots gets done, it feels as if the really exciting projects, such as landing the first person on Mars, get delayed and postponed because of a lack of consensus. This is the very opposite of the environment that got the first guys to the moon. So to make the next exciting steps in space I feel that we need a new age. The age of space commercialisation.

I have to confess that my vision of humans in space has been unduly influenced by Star Trek, but I would argue that if we are ever to fulfil such a future, we need the commercialisation of space to get us there.

Commercialisation is the magic dust that lets blue-sky thinking become commonplace in a matter of years. We have all seen it happen: the mobile phones of the 80s that cost the earth and needed a small trailer to carry around were replaced by the sleek little numbers we have today (which, might I add, look a lot like Star Trek communicators); from computers that took up the space of three offices in the 70s to the ultra-light notebook that I am writing this on now.

Commercialisation has the power to transform and, in terms of space, this change is happening now – and it's not just the likes of Virgin Galactic or the plans of Mars One that I am referring to but companies such as SpaceX, which now supplies the International Space Station. Companies such as Reaction Engines, here in the UK, which has come up with a novel design for a new reusable spacecraft that uses oxygen from the Earth's atmosphere to partly fuel its journey into space.

For those who think that my vision is rose-tinted, I say to you, when the Wright brothers made their first flight, no one could have anticipated easyJet. So welcome to the new space era but pack light, excess baggage on space flights is truly exorbitant.

Maggie Aderin-Pocock is a space scientist and research fellow at UCL

 

 

Mars spacecraft integrated with rocket, new launch date to be decided on Tuesday: ISOR

Press Trust of India

 

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said Sunday the Mars spacecraft, whose launch has been delayed by almost a week, had been integrated with the launch vehicle.

"The integration is completed," spokesman Deviprasad Karnik said. ISRO had announced the decision to defer the launch of the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) on board the PSLV-XL on Saturday.

A new launch date would be decided Tuesday, Karnik said. The initial launch window for the MOM was from October 28 to November 19.

ISRO decided to defer the launch due to bad weather in the South Pacific Ocean, where two Indian ship-borne terminals are moving slowly to reach their intended location, about 300 nautical miles from the Fiji Island.

The two ships — SCI Yamuna and SCI Nalanda — leased from Shipping Corporation of India to study the crucial period when the rocket ejects the spacecraft into space left for the South Pacific Ocean in mid-September from Visakhapatnam.

 

 

END