Fwd: NASA and Human Spaceflight News – Feb. 12, 2014 and JSC today

Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Date: February 12, 2014 9:55:44 AM CST
To: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Subject: FW: NASA and Human Spaceflight News – Feb. 12, 2014 and JSC today

Another cold day in the metro Houston area ….but it will be short sleeve weather again by Friday.  Stay safe and warm everyone.  Warmer in Sochi today than it is here!

________________________________________

Wednesday, February 12, 2014  Read JSC Today in your browser

View Archives

JSC 2.0

Space To Ground

JSC External Homepage

Inside JSC

JSC Events

Submit JSC Today

JSC Roundup

NASA News

Connect

Category Definitions

                    JSC TODAY CATEGORIES

1.            Headlines

-  JSC WAN and JSC/WSTF Network Connectivity Outage

-  Safety Reminder

2.            Organizations/Social

-  I Heart Orion Cookies for Sale!

-  The Next Generation

-  Last Day for Valentine Orders

-  Starport's Flea Market - Register Now

-  T-Mobile in Bldg. 3 Café - Check Out JSC Disc

-  7th Annual NASA Golf Tourney Early Reg Ends Friday

-  Boot Camp at the Gilruth - Registration Now Open

-  Parent's Night Out at Starport - Feb. 21

3.            Jobs and Training

-  Lessons From Space Shuttle Integration

-  Space Available -- Intro to I&I

4.            Community

-  Applications Being Accepted for Scholarship

-  Blood Drive: Top 10 Reasons to Donate Blood

-  SpaceUp Houston 2014 Commercial Space Flight Panel

-  SpaceUp Houston 2014 Unconference

Landsat 8's First Year

 

 

   Headlines

1.            JSC WAN and JSC/WSTF Network Connectivity Outage

The Information Resources Directorate (IRD) has scheduled maintenance for the Wide Area Network (WAN). The maintenance window is from 8 a.m. CST Saturday, Feb. 15, through 11:59 p.m. CST Sunday, Feb. 16.

Minimal user impact is expected during the maintenance activity.

Those accessing external JSC resources may experience intermittent access to Internet, email and other NASA center network resources during this maintenance.

The WAN connection between JSC and White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) will be down from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CST Saturday, Feb. 15. This will not impact WSTF's Internet or local network resources. It will impact the JSC-to-WSTF disaster-recovery servers implemented by ITAMS and other organizations using WSTF as a backup site.

All replication will be down during this period, and any WSTF network resource assessable from JSC will be down.

For any issues related to the activity, please contact the Enterprise Service Desk at 281-483-4800.

JSC-IRD-Outreach x39515

 

[top]

2.            Safety Reminder

Did you know that during low-light hours, you should turn off your headlights when approaching the guard gate? Did you also know that not only should you be sure to turn your headlights back on when entering JSC, but the lack of lights puts you and others at risk? Please make this part of your daily routine. Remember:

"Turn lights off as you drive in, and when on-site, turn them on again!"

Brandy Ingram x46533

 

[top]

   Organizations/Social

1.            I Heart Orion Cookies for Sale!

It's the season of roses and chocolates, valentines and desserts, so why not spread some of that love to the Orion team? Today, Feb. 12, and tomorrow, Feb. 13, the Buildings 3 and 11 cafés will have cookies for you to purchase in celebration of the work that the team has accomplished so far toward Orion's first mission: Exploration Flight Test-1. With launch scheduled for the fall, this is a big year for the program and an excellent time to show your support!

While you're getting your tasty dessert, you can also learn more about the program and the mission by stopping by the Building 3 collaboration area on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. for a Lunch and Learn with Orion Chief Engineer Julie Kramer-White.

Orion Communications Office 281-792-7457

 

[top]

2.            The Next Generation

Have you ever wanted FREE PIZZA and DRINKS? How about getting together with colleagues to discuss your job and how to make the NASA experience better?

Then you'll definitely enjoy the Emerge Employee Resource Group's next monthly meeting. This is a great time to learn more about Emerge's efforts and how you can get involved!

Emerge is geared toward the next generation of employees, but anyone and everyone is welcome regardless of age or years of service.

Hope to see you there!

Event Date: Wednesday, February 19, 2014   Event Start Time:12:00 PM   Event End Time:1:00 PM

Event Location: Bldg 12/Rm 152

 

Add to Calendar

 

Elena C. Buhay 281-972-7976 https://collaboration.ndc.nasa.gov/iierg/emerge/SitePages/Home.aspx

 

[top]

3.            Last Day for Valentine Orders

Valentine gift baskets available at the Starport Gift Shops. Send a valentine message to your special someone or co-worker. Choose: On Fire for You; You're a Hoot; You're a Sport; You're a Hottie; Wild About You; You're Out of This World; Prince Charming; Like You a Latte; and more. Add flowers, balloons or a massage and make it extra special. Stop by Starport today to see the quality that our new florist, Lush Flowers, offers.

Cupid's delivery service is available Thursday, Feb. 13, and Friday, Feb. 14. Starport will deliver your Valentine order directly to your special someone's office for a nominal fee. Offer is only available for orders placed through Starport.

Cyndi Kibby x47467

 

[top]

4.            Starport's Flea Market - Register Now

Clean out those closets, attics and garages and sell your unwanted items at one big event! On April 19, Starport will host its annual Spring Festival at the Gilruth Center. Not only will there be a crawfish boil, children's Spring Fling complete with Easter bunny and egg hunt and an indoor craft fair, but we will also have a flea market. If you are interested in selling your unwanted items in the flea market for one big "yard sale," please click here for more information and the registration form. Spots are only $10 each!

Event Date: Saturday, April 19, 2014   Event Start Time:9:00 AM   Event End Time:2:00 PM

Event Location: Gilruth Center

 

Add to Calendar

 

Shelly Haralson x39168 https://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/

 

[top]

5.            T-Mobile in Bldg. 3 Café - Check Out JSC Discounts

Stop by the T-Mobile table in the Building 3 café on Wednesday, Feb. 19, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for information on applying your 15 percent NASA employee and contractor discount on their no contract, Simple Choice plans with unlimited talk, text and Web. T-Mobile's Employee Advantage team will also be offering details on how to get a $50 credit for each new line activated on both new and existing accounts. If you can't be there in person on Feb. 19, email for details. Also learn about new international features that let you text and use data for no extra charge while traveling in more than 100 countries!

Shelly Haralson x39168 https://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/en/programs/special-events/on-site-employe...

 

[top]

6.            7th Annual NASA Golf Tourney Early Reg Ends Friday

Golfers, registration is open and filling fast!

The 7th Annual NASA Golf Tournament will be the biggest and best one yet! Due to popular demand, the tournament now has TWO dates for you to choose from.

Tournament Date 1:

o             Thursday, April 10

o             8 a.m. shotgun start

o             Early Registration - $500 per team (price increases on Feb. 15)

o             Magnolia Creek Golf Club

-- OR --

Tournament Date 2:

o             Friday, April 11

o             8 a.m. shotgun start

o             Early Registration - $500 per team (price increases on Feb. 15)

o             Magnolia Creek Golf Club

The silent auction will be back for BOTH days.

Registration fee includes green fees, driving range, 2014 NASA golf polo, breakfast bar, barbecue lunch, participant bag, silent auction entry, drink tickets, tournament awards, door prizes and more.

Early Registration ends FRIDAY, FEB. 14, and spots are filling very fast. Register your team today!

Event Date: Friday, April 11, 2014   Event Start Time:6:30 AM   Event End Time:3:00 PM

Event Location: Mangolia Creek Golf Club

 

Add to Calendar

 

Steve Schade x30304 https://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/en/programs/special-events/golf-tournament

 

[top]

7.            Boot Camp at the Gilruth - Registration Now Open

Registration is now open for the next installment of Starport's popular boot vamp. Classes begin Monday, March 3, with both morning and evening sessions available.

Don't delay, as class sizes are limited and fill up fast!

Program Details

Registration: Feb. 10 to March 2

Cost: $90 before Feb. 22 or $110 thereafter

Classes Meet: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for six weeks (18 sessions)

Morning Session: 6 to 7 a.m.

Evening Session: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Register online! Visit the Starport website.

Joseph Callahan x42769 https://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/en/programs/recreation-programs/boot-camps

 

[top]

8.            Parent's Night Out at Starport - Feb. 21

Enjoy a night out on the town while your kids enjoy a night with Starport! We will entertain your children with a night of games, crafts, a bounce house, pizza, a movie, dessert and loads of fun.

When: Friday, Feb. 21, from 6 to 10 p.m.

Where: Gilruth Center

Ages: 5 to 12

Cost: $20/first child and $10/each additional sibling if registered by the Wednesday prior to event. If registered after Wednesday, the fee is $25/first child and $15/additional sibling.

Shericka Phillips x35563 https://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/en/programs/familyyouth-programs/parents-n...

 

[top]

   Jobs and Training

1.            Lessons From Space Shuttle Integration

Technical integration of large human spaceflight programs is very complex. Bo Bejmuk, former Boeing space shuttle orbiter program director and current member of the NASA Advisory Council Human Exploration and Operations Committee, has developed a presentation on lessons learned during systems integration of the space shuttle. The presentation covers both the development phase of the space shuttle and the subsequent transition to operations. Consequences of design decisions made during development to the cost of operations is also addressed. The presentation is open to all, but is specifically targeted toward those who are currently engaged in human spaceflight integration at both engineering and leadership levels.

Event Date: Friday, February 21, 2014   Event Start Time:9:00 AM   Event End Time:12:00 PM

Event Location: Building 1 Room 966

 

Add to Calendar

 

Wayne Jermstad x38816

 

[top]

2.            Space Available -- Intro to I&I

Register today!

Intro to Inclusion and Innovation - Feb. 18 and March 25

Join Dr. Steve Robbins at the Gilruth Center for a one-day Introduction to Inclusion and Innovation session. Behind the science of unintentional intolerance is something called "cognitive dissonance." Robbins explains this scientific term with memorable stories and insightful commentary.

Dates: (Please choose one session)

Tuesday, Feb. 18 (SATERN ID 71768)

Tuesday, March 25 (SATERN ID 71769)

Time: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Registration begins at 8 a.m.)

Location: Gilruth Center Alamo Ballroom

Target Audience: JSC civil servants

Diane Kutchinski x46490

 

[top]

   Community

1.            Applications Being Accepted for Scholarship

The NASA College Scholarship Program will award multiple scholarships agencywide to qualified dependents of NASA civil servant employees. The scholarship recipients must pursue a course of study leading to an undergraduate degree in science or engineering from an accredited college or university in the United States. Applications are available online.

The application deadline is March 31.

Amanda Gaspard x31387

 

[top]

2.            Blood Drive: Top 10 Reasons to Donate Blood

10. You will get free juice and cookies.

9. You will weigh less - one pint less when you leave than when you came in.

8. It's easy and convenient - it only takes about an hour.

7. It's something you can spare. (Most people have blood to spare … yet there is still not enough to go around.)

6. Nobody can ask you to do any heavy lifting as long you have a bandage on.

Check next week's JSC Today for the final five reasons.

You can donate from Feb. 19 to 20 in the Teague Auditorium lobby or at the donor coach located next to the Building 11 Starport Café from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

You can also donate at the donor coach in the Gilruth Center parking lot on Feb. 19 from noon to 4 p.m. Note: This is a change from Thursday to Wednesday for this blood drive only.

Teresa Gomez x39588 http://jscpeople.jsc.nasa.gov/blooddrv/blooddrv.htm

 

[top]

3.            SpaceUp Houston 2014 Commercial Space Flight Panel

Find out what's happening in commercial space directly from the source! Come to the free SpaceUp Houston 2014 Commercial Space Flight Panel on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21 and 22, at 7 p.m. at the Lunar and Planetary Institute (3600 Bay Area Blvd.). NASA Acting Chief Technologist Jim Adams returns to moderate a panel featuring presentations by Boeing, SpaceX, Orbital Sciences, XCOR and more. The event is free but space is limited, so register to attend today! Register at the link below, or click here for more information.

Event Date: Friday, February 21, 2014   Event Start Time:7:00 PM   Event End Time:9:00 PM

Event Location: 3600 Bay Area Blvd

 

Add to Calendar

 

Tristan Moody 785-760-3358 https://spaceuphouston.org/commercial-space-flight-panel-registration/

 

[top]

4.            SpaceUp Houston 2014 Unconference

Meet others who share your passion for space! Join in the discussion at the fourth annual SpaceUp Houston Unconference at the Lunar and Planetary Institute (3600 Bay Area Blvd.) on Saturday, Feb. 22. At SpaceUp Houston, *you* decide what the topics are, and everyone is encouraged to participate. Activities include fast-paced, Ignite-style T-minus-5 talks, roundtable discussions, demonstrations and more. Lunch and dinner will be provided, and T-shirts are available while supplies last.

All ages are welcome. Registration is $15 for adults and free for children 17 and under. Admission to the Commercial Space Flight Panel on Feb. 21 and 22 is included. Doors open at 9:30 a.m., and the event begins at 10 a.m. Register at the link below, or click here for more information.

Event Date: Saturday, February 22, 2014   Event Start Time:10:00 AM   Event End Time:9:00 PM

Event Location: 3600 Bay Area Blvd

 

Add to Calendar

 

Tristan Moody 785-760-3358 https://spaceuphouston.org/spaceup-houston-2014-registration/

 

[top]

 

JSC Today is compiled periodically as a service to JSC employees on an as-submitted basis. Any JSC organization or employee may submit articles.

Disclaimer: Accuracy and content of these notes are the responsibility of the submitters.

 

 

 

NASA and Human Spaceflight News

Wednesday – Feb. 12, 2014

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION: The photo below of Sochi, Russia from the ISS was shown on the NBC Nightly News, which has an audience of 7.86 million people, and 15 local TV broadcasts last night and this morning. It was tweeted by @NASA and retweeted more than 1,700 times.

HEADLINES AND LEADS

Sochi Olympics as Seen From Space

Paul Shin – ABC News                                                                        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sochi, Russia, as seen from the International Space Station. (NASA)

 

If some curious life form in outer space is paying attention to the global gathering that is the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, this photo shows what they may be seeing.

The astronauts on the International Space Station snapped a photo today of Sochi, Russia, as the spacecraft flew over the resort town on the shores of the Black Sea.

The photo shows the Sochi Olympic Park, including the Fisht Stadium and the Olympic flame burning at night.

(NO FURTHER TEXT)

 

First 'Cubesats' in Record-Breaking Fleet Launched from Space Station

Mike Wall – Space.com

 

The world's largest constellation of Earth-imaging satellites began taking shape today, as four tiny spacecraft were ejected from the International Space Station. The four "cubesats," each about the size of a loaf of bread, were deployed from the space station this morning and began zipping freely around Earth. Twenty-four more will join them over the coming days, filling out the "Flock 1" satellite fleet operated by San Francisco-based startup Planet Labs. Planet Labs' Flock 1 will provide frequent, low-cost, high-resolution imagery of Earth that could serve a variety of purposes, company officials say, from tracking deforestation and natural disasters to monitoring leaks in oil pipelines.

 

NASA Photos Show Possible Water Flows on Mars (Images)

Mike Wall – Space.com

 

New clues are emerging about the mysterious streaks that appear on Mars' surface during warm weather, though scientists still can't say for sure that they're caused by flowing water. The marks, known as recurring slope lineae (RSL), snake down some crater walls and other inclines when the mercury rises on the Red Planet. New research finds seasonal changes in iron minerals at RSL sites, suggesting that brines containing an iron antifreeze may flow there from time to time — but direct evidence of water remains elusive. "We still don't have a smoking gun for existence of water in RSL, although we're not sure how this process would take place without water," Lujendra Ojha, a graduate student at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, lead author of two recent RSL studies, said in a statement. (Ojha discovered the RSL in 2011, while an undergraduate at the University of Arizona.) [Photos: The Search for Water on Mars]

 

Bird lovers, space buffs square off over proposed Florida launch pad

Irene Klotz – Reuters

 

Florida's plan to build a commercial space launch complex in a federal wildlife refuge surrounding the Kennedy Space Center drew sharp words from environmentalists and strong support from business boosters during the project's first public hearing on Tuesday. Advocates say the proposed spaceport is needed to retain and expand Florida's aerospace industry, which lost about 8,000 NASA and civilian jobs after the shutdown of the space shuttle program in 2011. Opponents of the plan to carve out about 200 acres from the 140,000-acre (57,000-hectare) Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge cite concerns over protecting the refuge's water, seashore, plants and wildlife, which include 18 federally listed endangered species.

 

Checking in on Project Morpheus and it's kicking butt!

Eric Berger – Houston Chronicle

 

When we last checked on Project Morpheus, the lean and innovative effort to develop a spacecraft lander at Johnson Space Center, it was barely getting off the ground. Now the lander is truly flying, as evidenced by a spectacular flight on Monday:

On Monday the spacecraft flew to a height of 467 feet and then traversed 637 feet laterally in 30 seconds before landing in the hazard field.

 

Professor: Boost space industry: Front & Center

Orlando Sentinel

 

With NASA concentrating on deep-space exploration and interest growing in space tourism, the commercial space industry looks ready for takeoff in the United States. Florida, still the nation's No. 1 spaceport, is well positioned to benefit. But legal problems could stall the industry's ascent in the U.S., says University of Nebraska law professor Matthew Schaefer, who launched the nation's first academic program in space law five years ago. In an email interview with the Sentinel Opinions Editor Paul Owens, Schaefer argued that Congress needs to change laws to prevent the U.S. from losing business to competitors abroad.

 

Researching "super dust" and other materials that could reduce the cost of air and space travel

The Washington Post

 

Whether researching stronger, lighter materials for use in planes and spaceships or keeping squashed insects from sticking to airplane wings, Mia Siochi's work at NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia has the potential to improve aviation and save taxpayers millions of dollars.Siochi, a research materials engineer, leads a NASA team that is seeking to tap the potential of nanotechnology to reduce the weight of space launch vehicles by up to 30 percent, or about 200,000 pounds. With launch costs being about $10,000 per pound, lightening the load leads to significantly lower costs.

 

"It's a game-changing technology," said Siochi. "Every pound we save will make space travel much more affordable."

 

Siochi is working specifically with carbon nanotubes, a type of nanoparticle that has the potential to produce structural components far superior to materials now in use. These nanoparticles are about 25 times stronger than aluminum and nearly twice as strong as carbon fiber composites now in use, and have a diameter that is about 100,000 times smaller than a strand of hair.

 

 

COMPLETE STORIES

                                       

Sochi Olympics as Seen From Space

Paul Shin – ABC News

 

Sochi, Russia, as seen from the International Space Station. (NASA)

 

If some curious life form in outer space is paying attention to the global gathering that is the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, this photo shows what they may be seeing.

The astronauts on the International Space Station snapped a photo today of Sochi, Russia, as the spacecraft flew over the resort town on the shores of the Black Sea.

The photo shows the Sochi Olympic Park, including the Fisht Stadium and the Olympic flame burning at night.

 

First 'Cubesats' in Record-Breaking Fleet Launched from Space Station

Mike Wall – Space.com

 

The world's largest constellation of Earth-imaging satellites began taking shape today, as four tiny spacecraft were ejected from the International Space Station.

 

The four "cubesats," each about the size of a loaf of bread, were deployed from the space station this morning and began zipping freely around Earth. Twenty-four more will join them over the coming days, filling out the "Flock 1" satellite fleet operated by San Francisco-based startup Planet Labs.

 

Planet Labs' Flock 1 will provide frequent, low-cost, high-resolution imagery of Earth that could serve a variety of purposes, company officials say, from tracking deforestation and natural disasters to monitoring leaks in oil pipelines.

 

"Our company goal is to image everywhere very frequently, for everyone," Planet Labs co-founder Robbie Schingler said in a statement. "If you image everywhere, then that actually means that you can image anywhere. That's going to be quite transformative for a number of countries, for a number of companies, and so forth. Our monitoring capability is always on. We are always taking a picture."

 

Each of the 28 cubesats that make up Flock 1 measures just 12 inches long by 4 inches wide by 4 inches tall (30 by 10 by 10 centimeters). But the tiny spacecraft are quite capable, capturing images with a resolution of 10 to 16.5 feet (3 to 5 meters), Planet Labs officials say.

 

The Flock 1 satellites will fly around Earth at altitudes ranging from 240 miles and 400 miles (386 to 644 kilometers). They'll gather imagery within 52 degrees of the equator — a huge swathe that encompasses most of the planet's agricultural regions and populated land.

 

The constellation is designed to be flexible, as each satellite's software can be reprogrammed easily from the ground, company officials say.

                                                         

"Our ability to build and operate spacecraft will allow us to do more with these spacecraft in the future as we begin to think about the satellite segment as a very remote server with a whole bunch of sensors on board that could be reprogrammed to do other things," Schingler said.

 

The Flock 1 spacecraft were among 33 cubesats delivered to the orbiting lab Jan. 12 on the first contracted cargo mission of private spaceflight firm Orbital Sciences' unmanned Cygnus resupply spacecraft. All 33 will be ejected into Earth orbit over the coming days and weeks.

 

Today's deployment was not the first time Planet Labs has launched satellites into space. The company launched four prototype Earth-imaging cubesats as part of separate rocket launches last year, two in April and two in November.

 

NASA Photos Show Possible Water Flows on Mars (Images)

Mike Wall – Space.com

 

New clues are emerging about the mysterious streaks that appear on Mars' surface during warm weather, though scientists still can't say for sure that they're caused by flowing water.

 

The marks, known as recurring slope lineae (RSL), snake down some crater walls and other inclines when the mercury rises on the Red Planet. New research finds seasonal changes in iron minerals at RSL sites, suggesting that brines containing an iron antifreeze may flow there from time to time — but direct evidence of water remains elusive.

 

"We still don't have a smoking gun for existence of water in RSL, although we're not sure how this process would take place without water," Lujendra Ojha, a graduate student at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, lead author of two recent RSL studies, said in a statement. (Ojha discovered the RSL in 2011, while an undergraduate at the University of Arizona.) [Photos: The Search for Water on Mars]

 

 

Dark, seasonal flows emanate from bedrock exposures at Palikir Crater on Mars in this image from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Three arrows point to bright, smooth fans left behind by flows. This image was taken on June 27, 2011 and released on Feb. 10, 2014. 
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona

View full size image

 

Ojha and his colleagues studied images of 13 RSL sites taken by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM), an instrument aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). They saw relatively high concentrations of iron minerals at most of the sites.

 

"Just like the RSL themselves, the strength of the spectral signatures varies according to the seasons," Ojha said. "They're stronger when it's warmer and less significant when it's colder."

Many scientists think the recurring slope lineae are created by water flowing just beneath the Martian surface. This water — which would leave the iron antifreezes and other minerals in its wake — likely contains salts that lower its freezing point significantly, allowing it to stay liquid despite frigid Red Planet temperatures.

 

While the researchers didn't see any spectral signatures of water in the CRISM images, that doesn't rule out the substance's presence at RSL sites, scientists said.

 

For example, the observations were made exclusively in the afternoon and thus could have missed surface water appearing in the morning. Further, each CRISM image observed a large area, possibly making it tough to spot signs of water in the narrow RSL streaks.

 

The researchers reported these results late last year in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. In another study, due out next month in the journal Icarus, a team led by Ojha analyzed pictures snapped by MRO and NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter, looking for patterns in RSL formation on the Red Planet.

 

The team found 200 locations where conditions seemed ideal for seasonal streaks — areas in the southern mid-latitudes with rocky cliffs — but found only 13 with actual RSL marks.

 

"The fact that RSL occur in a few sites and not others indicates additional unknown factors such as availability of water or salts may play a crucial role in RSL formation," Ojha said.

 

Bird lovers, space buffs square off over proposed Florida launch pad

Irene Klotz – Reuters

 

Florida's plan to build a commercial space launch complex in a federal wildlife refuge surrounding the Kennedy Space Center drew sharp words from environmentalists and strong support from business boosters during the project's first public hearing on Tuesday.

 

Advocates say the proposed spaceport is needed to retain and expand Florida's aerospace industry, which lost about 8,000 NASA and civilian jobs after the shutdown of the space shuttle program in 2011.

 

Opponents of the plan to carve out about 200 acres from the 140,000-acre (57,000-hectare) Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge cite concerns over protecting the refuge's water, seashore, plants and wildlife, which include 18 federally listed endangered species.

 

"It's a very pristine, natural area. It's clear water … very unique. You don't have that anywhere else in Florida," said Ted Forsgren with Coastal Conservation Association of Florida, which strongly opposes the project.

 

Advocates point to blueprints for new commercial spaceports in Texas, Georgia, Arizona and other states that will operate under the more business-minded Federal Aviation Administration, rather than as a guest of NASA or the U.S. military, which run Kennedy Space Center and the adjacent Cape Canaveral Air Force Station primarily in support of their own missions.

 

"When NASA is again aggressively launching to the moon or Mars or asteroids or wherever we end up going, I don't see them standing down to allow commercial activity to proceed unimpeded," said Dale Ketcham, a strategist with the Space Florida economic development agency that is spearheading the proposed Shiloh Launch Complex.

 

The site on the Merritt Island refuge that the state wants to carve out for a commercial space launch complex would house one or two launch pads, processing hangars and support facilities, which would be built with private funds.

 

Prospective tenants include Blue Origin, a startup rocket company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Space Exploration Technologies, which is owned and operated by technology entrepreneur Elon Musk and which already flies its Falcon 9 rockets from leased Air Force launch pads in Florida and California.

 

The first public hearing on the project was hosted by the FAA on Tuesday in New Smyrna Beach. A second hearing is planned for Wednesday in Titusville. The environmental assessment and related studies are expected to take about 18 months.

 

WORRIES ABOUT LOSS OF PUBLIC ACCESS

 

Opponents cite environment threats, saying the project could upset habitats of the threatened Florida scrub jay, among other wildlife, and expose the Indian River lagoon system to potential contamination in case of a launch accident.

 

Critics also worry about the public's loss of access to the wildlife refuge and the undeveloped beaches of Canaveral National Seashore during rocket launches and ground tests.

 

Charles Lee with Audubon Florida environmental advocacy group says rocket launches from Shiloh, a former citrus community located north of Kennedy Space Center, would force the state to shut down public access to the refuge for safety reasons far more often than Space Florida says.

 

"At best they don't know. If they do know, they're not being candid with the public," Lee said.

 

The refuge drew nearly 1.2 million visitors and generated more than $60 million in economic benefits in 2012, a recently released study by the U.S. Department of the Interior shows.

 

An ongoing assessment by the FAA will guide decisions about where to locate roads and how to best minimize the impact of the spaceport on boating, fishing and other recreation.

 

"Some areas may be off-limits for six to 15 hours per launch," Space Florida wrote in a statement posted on its website.

 

"We anticipate people will still be able to fish much of the lagoon and watch from the beach during a launch, but the (environmental impact statement) will make that determination," Space Florida said.

 

Checking in on Project Morpheus and it's kicking butt!

Eric Berger – Houston Chronicle

 

When we last checked on Project Morpheus, the lean and innovative effort to develop a spacecraft lander at Johnson Space Center, it was barely getting off the ground.

 

Now the lander is truly flying, as evidenced by a spectacular flight on Monday:

 

On Monday the spacecraft flew to a height of 467 feet and then traversed 637 feet laterally in 30 seconds before landing in the hazard field.

 

The first prototype of the Houston-built lander crashed at Kennedy Space Center in August, 2012.

 

But since then, as I wrote this summer, a couple dozen engineers have redesigned and rebuilt the lander.

A Project Morpheus test flight from last summer, in Houston. (Mayra Beltran/Chronicle)

 

A Project Morpheus test flight from last summer, in Houston. (Mayra Beltran/Chronicle)

 

Within a few years, should all go well, Morpheus is the kind of lander that could safely travel to the moon carrying 1,100 pounds of cargo, such as a small rover.

 

When scaled up it could even be used for human missions.     

 

Professor: Boost space industry: Front & Center

Orlando Sentinel

 

With NASA concentrating on deep-space exploration and interest growing in space tourism, the commercial space industry looks ready for takeoff in the United States. Florida, still the nation's No. 1 spaceport, is well positioned to benefit. But legal problems could stall the industry's ascent in the U.S., says University of Nebraska law professor Matthew Schaefer, who launched the nation's first academic program in space law five years ago. In an email interview with the Sentinel Opinions Editor Paul Owens, Schaefer argued that Congress needs to change laws to prevent the U.S. from losing business to competitors abroad.

 

Q: Why does Congress need to get involved in developing the U.S. commercial space industry?

 

A: As explicitly recognized by Congress itself, the commercial space industry is critical to national security and national economy. The United States retired the shuttle and currently relies on paying ever-increasing prices to the Russian government to take astronauts to the International Space Station. Fortunately, two U.S. commercial companies already deliver cargo to the ISS, and even more companies are designing vehicles to take humans to the ISS. Sub-orbital flights, peaking at 105 km from the Earth's surface, with humans aboard, will launch first from the United States later this year or next. Even these flights have national security dimensions – research will be conducted in addition to tourism, and launch vehicles may be adapted for small satellite launches, something of increased interest to the U.S. military.

 

Rockets that launch satellites and space craft are filled with 20 times more propellant than the weight of the rocket itself and must travel 25 times faster than passenger aircraft to reach earth orbit. As such, there are inherent risks to such activity. While insurance covers all but a one-in-ten-million event, Congress must buffer companies against the exceedingly small possibility of a massive, catastrophic accident that causes hundreds of millions or billions of dollars in third-party damages.

 

Q: What has Congress done in the past in this area for the space industry?

 

A: Since 1988, Congress has promised to indemnify commercial space launch companies for third-party damages that exceed the required amount of insurance companies must obtain to cover such losses. However, Congress has let the government indemnification regime lapse twice for short periods of time in the past couple of years. It only extended the regime for one-year in January 2013, and three-years in January 2014, both times after a short lapse.

 

Given that many launch contracts are entered into a year to two before actual launch, short-term extensions of a year or even three years after short lapses of the program do not provide the appropriate level of certainty for commercial companies. Customerdecisions are impacted by the liability regime a launch provider's country maintains.

 

Q: What does Congress need to do now?

 

A: Congress needs to enact a permanent liability cap set at the amount of required insurance companies obtain. This will ensure that critical commercial space companies and assets are not eliminated in the event of a one-in-ten-million probability, catastrophic accident causing third-party damages in excess of insurance coverage. If Congress is unable to pass a liability cap, it should, at a minimum enact a ten-year extension of the government indemnification regime to provide stability and certainty to the commercial space industry, as well as a level playing field with foreign competitors.

 

Congress also needs to enact federal legislation that requires spaceflight participants (i.e. passengers aboard space craft that are not crew) to waive their rights, and that of their heirs, to sue except in cases of gross negligence, an approach the House of Representatives already favored in 2004. Spaceflight is inherently risky, as recognized by Congress, and that is why all other parties involved in commercial space activity relinquish their rights to sue one another for negligence. It is exceedingly difficult to define inherent risk and distinguish it adequately from negligence in the space environment, and thus allowing negligence suits stifles space activity. In the absence of federal legislation, six states including Florida have passed legislation seeking to provide space companies some measure of protection, but the state laws are inconsistent and contain ambiguities, leaving an uncertain liability situation for companies.

 

Q: Who is opposed to these steps?

A: With respect to third-party liability caps, some in Congress believe it amounts to corporate welfare, while others worry injured third-parties may go uncompensated. However, U.S. government policy is to promote the commercial space industry as a less-expensive route than solely relying on government programs, and no third-party claims have ever been made as a result of over 200 commercial launches since 1988. In such a massive, catastrophic incident, full compensation for third-parties already depends under the current government indemnification regime on Congress passing an appropriation law – that would not change with a liability cap. What does change with the enactment of a liability cap is that space-launch companies, and their suppliers and customers, know they will not be forced out of business to the detriment of U.S. national security and the U.S. economy.

 

With respect to spaceflight participant liability, trial lawyers tend to oppose banning negligence suits. Indeed, opposition of trial lawyers is in part responsible for the messy patchwork of state laws on the subject. However, participants in the early years of the industry will be very high-net worth individuals that have adequate opportunity to obtain personal accident insurance.

 

Q: Has Congress ever taken similar action for other industries?

 

A: Congress has passed liability caps for several industries for national security and national economic reasons in the past. Congressed passed liability caps for the anti-terrorism technology industry shortly after the 9/11 attacks to incentivize the development, manufacturing and sale of technologies critical to U.S. national security. As a critical national economic asset, the nuclear industry was afforded a liability cap by Congress until it was fully developed with over 60 operators. The U.S. commercial space industry has less than a dozen significant companies today. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the liability caps for the nuclear industry, and turned aside arguments the caps would encourage negligent behavior, given all the other incentives for industry to operate safely.

 

Q: How do other countries with commercial space industries handle these issues?

 

A: The largest U.S. competitors in the commercial space-launch sector have enacted third-party liability caps for their industry. France has such a cap, and although the regulations are not entirely transparent or clear, no one doubts that Russia and China afford their industries such a cap. Several other countries – including Australia, South Korea, and the Netherlands – also have legislation creating liability caps. No countries other than the United States have addressed spaceflight participant liability in their laws, but undoubtedly they will seek to attract commercial human spaceflight business in the future, including sub-orbital flights, with liability protections.

 

Q: How important is the commercial space industry to the nation's economy and to Florida's?

 

A: The Federal Aviation Administration found in a 2010 study that the "commercial space transportation and enhanced industries generated a total of $208.3 billion in economic activity in the United States. Over one million people throughout the country were employed as a result of this activity, with earnings that exceeded $53 billion." Florida has more launch sites than any other state with a total of four – two government-run and two commercial. Unsurprisingly, a Florida State University study released a year later found the aerospace industries in Florida accounted for over $26 billion in economic output and over 147,000 jobs.

 

Researching "super dust" and other materials that could reduce the cost of air and space travel

The Washington Post

 

Whether researching stronger, lighter materials for use in planes and spaceships or keeping squashed insects from sticking to airplane wings, Mia Siochi's work at NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia has the potential to improve aviation and save taxpayers millions of dollars.

 

Siochi, a research materials engineer, leads a NASA team that is seeking to tap the potential of nanotechnology to reduce the weight of space launch vehicles by up to 30 percent, or about 200,000 pounds. With launch costs being about $10,000 per pound, lightening the load leads to significantly lower costs.

 

"It's a game-changing technology," said Siochi. "Every pound we save will make space travel much more affordable."

 

Siochi is working specifically with carbon nanotubes, a type of nanoparticle that has the potential to produce structural components far superior to materials now in use. These nanoparticles are about 25 times stronger than aluminum and nearly twice as strong as carbon fiber composites now in use, and have a diameter that is about 100,000 times smaller than a strand of hair.

 

"If you see it in a jar it looks like soot, but when you look at it under a microscope, it looks like very small tubes. Its super dust," Siochi said.

 

Scientists have been able to produce, consistently and in large volumes, lengths of about a millimeter of good quality carbon nanotubes and are working to scale it up and to test the materials in flight.

 

The nanomaterial also has electrical properties that can make it highly conductive, offering potential to replace miles of copper wiring in aircraft and enabling it to serve as a sensor, Siochi said. It is envisioned that airplane wings designed with these materials can have sensors built in, allowing them to make slight adjustments while in flight, creating efficiencies that reduce fuel use.

 

"What she's doing is really significant," said Peter Lillehei, principal investigator for materials and structures. "She understands the state of the art and she knows where the field is lacking. That's what she's targeting."

 

Another of Siochi's projects is more down to earth—keeping insects from gumming up airplane wings. Mashed bugs can create drag and drive up fuel consumption, leading to increased costs and added pollution.

 

Siochi and her colleagues are experimenting with anti-stick coatings on wings to reduce residues that build up when bees, mosquitos or even gnats smash onto wings at high velocity. The "bug team" hopes to engineer surfaces to prevent bug remains from adhering and disrupting the smooth flow of air across the wings, creating turbulence.

 

The team designed a test to evaluate the performance of the surface coatings on airplane wings. "We're not finished analyzing all the data, but we know some surfaces have fewer visible bug splats versus uncoated ones," she said.

 

Another project involves self-repairing materials, a job Sochi said is turning what some see as science fiction into reality.

 

For example, if a puncture could repair itself within microseconds, the damage to a gas tank that gets shot at in enemy territory would not lose fuel, but would self-heal. Astronauts would not have go out and repair damage from a micrometeoroid that strikes their spaceship if the material does so for itself, she said.

 

"A lot of what we do are things that are more futuristic," said Siochi. "We imagine what can be possible and we're actually moving toward making that possible," she said. "It's like Star Wars or Star Trek."

 

Joining NASA was "a happy accident" that occurred when Siochi, who was finishing up her Ph.D. at Virginia Tech, gave a lab tour to a visiting speaker who was the head of the Composites and Polymers Branch at Langley. He offered to hire her as a contractor and eight years later, she was hired by NASA Langley.

 

Siochi, who is of Chinese ancestry, grew up in the Philippines and was familiar with NASA and the moon landing, and had an inclination for math and science. She has five siblings but she is the only one in the family who entered a science field.

 

"I've always been interested in science," she said. "It's the thrill of discovery."

 

END

 

More detailed space news can be found at:

 

http://spacetoday.net/