Oct. 6, 2008
NASA SPACECRAFT READY TO EXPLORE OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM
GREENBELT, Md. -- The first NASA spacecraft to image and map the dynamic interactions taking place where the hot solar wind slams into the cold expanse of space is ready for launch Oct. 19. The two-year mission will begin from the Kwajalein Atoll, a part of the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
Called the Interstellar Boundary Explorer or IBEX, the spacecraft will conduct extremely high-altitude orbits above Earth to investigate and capture images of processes taking place at the farthest reaches of the solar system. Known as the interstellar boundary, this region marks where the solar system meets interstellar space.
"The interstellar boundary regions are critical because they shield us from the vast majority of dangerous galactic cosmic rays, which otherwise would penetrate into Earth's orbit and make human spaceflight much more dangerous," said David J. McComas, IBEX principal investigator and senior executive director of the Space Science and Engineering Division at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio.
The story of the outer solar system began to unfold when the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecrafts left the inner solar system and headed out toward the boundary between our solar system and interstellar space.
"The Voyager spacecraft are making fascinating observations of the local conditions at two points beyond the termination shock that show totally unexpected results and challenge many of our notions about this important region," said McComas.
Other spacecraft have continued the exploration of the interstellar boundary region. Recently, a pair of NASA sun-focused satellites, the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory mission, detected a higher-energy version of the particles IBEX will observe in the heliosphere. The heliosphere is an area that contains the solar wind. It stretches from the sun to a distance several times the orbit of Pluto.
IBEX is poised to thoroughly map this interstellar boundary region of the solar system. The images will allow scientists to understand the global interaction between our sun and the galaxy for the very first time.
IBEX will be launched aboard a Pegasus rocket dropped from under the wing of an L-1011 aircraft flying over the Pacific Ocean. The Pegasus will carry the spacecraft approximately 130 miles above Earth and place it in orbit.
"What makes the IBEX mission unique is that it has an extra kick during launch," said Willis Jenkins, IBEX program executive at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "An extra solid-state motor pushes the spacecraft further out of low-Earth orbit where the Pegasus launch vehicle leaves it."
The IBEX mission is the next in NASA's series of low-cost, rapidly developed Small Explorers spacecraft. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., manages the Explorers Program for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The mission was developed by Southwest Research Institute with national and international partner participation.
For more information about IBEX, visit: www.nasa.gov/ibex
Sept. 30, 2008
CABANA TO SUCCEED PARSONS AS KENNEDY SPACE CENTER DIRECTOR
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA announced Tuesday that William Parsons,
director of the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is leaving
the agency in mid-October to pursue opportunities in the private
sector. Parsons will be succeeded by former astronaut Robert Cabana,
currently director of NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
Gene Goldman, Stennis' deputy director, will become the acting center director.
Parsons, who joined NASA in 1990, also has served as director of
Stennis. His other NASA assignments have included launch site support
manager, manager of the Space Station Hardware Integration Office,
chief of operations of the Propulsion Test Directorate, space shuttle
program manager and deputy director of the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
"It has been my distinct privilege to have gotten to know and work
with Bill Parsons since joining NASA as the administrator," NASA
Administrator Michael Griffin said. "In managing both centers and
programs for NASA, Bill has demonstrated unswerving dedication to the
mission and unshakable loyalty to his teammates. I have learned to
expect that from Marines, and Bill's early training is always in
evidence. While wishing him well in his new endeavors, I will miss him greatly."
"My time with NASA has been extremely rewarding in many ways but made
more special because of the talented people I have worked with across
all the NASA centers," said Parsons. "Of course, each center I have
worked at holds a special place in my heart and I have many friends
at each one. Thank you all for allowing me the opportunity to serve
with you. I look forward to all of your future successes."
His successor, Cabana, is a native of Minnesota. He graduated from the
U.S. Naval Academy in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science in mathematics
and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. Cabana
is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and
has logged over 7,000 hours in 36 different aircraft.
After his selection as an astronaut candidate in June of 1985, Cabana
completed his training in 1986. He has flown four space shuttle
missions, serving as the pilot of Discovery on STS-41 in October
1990, the pilot of Discovery on STS-53 in December 1992, the
commander of Columbia on STS-65 in July 1994, and the commander of
Endeavour on STS-88 - the first International Space Station assembly mission - in December 1998.
Before being named the director at Stennis in October 2007, Cabana
served as deputy director of Johnson. In addition, Cabana has worked
as chief of NASA's Astronaut Office, manager of international
operations of International Space Station Program, director of NASA's
Human Space Flight Program in Russia, deputy director of the
International Space Station Program, and director of Flight Crew Operations.
"Bob Cabana is a longtime colleague, and another whose Marine training
has redounded to NASA's benefit," Griffin said. "Bob has seen it all
and done it all in human spaceflight, and done it with an open,
collaborative style. There is just no better teammate. He will be a
terrific successor to Bill Parsons as director of KSC."
For more information about NASA's Kennedy Space Center and the projects and programs it supports, visit: www.nasa.gov/kennedy
Sept. 29, 2008
NASA TO DISCUSS HUBBLE ANOMALY AND SERVICING MISSION LAUNCH DELAY
WASHINGTON -- NASA will host a media teleconference at 6 p.m. EDT
today to discuss a significant Hubble Space Telescope anomaly that
occurred this weekend affecting the storage and transmittal of
science data to Earth. Fixing the problem will delay next month's
space shuttle Atlantis Hubble servicing mission.
The briefing participants are:
Ed Weiler, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington
John Shannon, Shuttle Program manager at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston
Preston Burch, Hubble manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
As a result of the launch delay, NASA has postponed the planned Oct. 3
Flight Readiness Review and subsequent news conference. The review
will occur at a later date.
The malfunctioning system is Hubble's Control Unit/Science Data
Formatter - Side A. Shortly after 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27, the
telescope's spacecraft computer issued commands to safe the payload
computer and science instruments when errors were detected within the
Science Data Formatter. An attempt to reset the formatter and obtain
a dump of the payload computer's memory was unsuccessful.
Additional testing demonstrates Side A no longer supports the transfer
of science data to the ground. A transition to the redundant Side B
should restore full functionality to the science instruments and
operations.
The transition to Side B operations is complex. It requires that five
other modules used in managing data also be switched to their B-side
systems. The B-sides of these modules last were activated during
ground tests in the late 1980s and/or early 1990, prior to launch.
The Hubble operations team has begun work on the Side B transition and
believes it will be ready to reconfigure Hubble later this week. The
transition will happen after the team completes a readiness review.
Hubble could return to science operations in the immediate future if
the reconfiguration is successful. Even so, the agency is
investigating the possibility of flying a back-up replacement system,
which could be installed during the servicing mission.
Audio of the teleconference will be streamed live at: www.nasa.gov/newsaudio
Related images for the briefing will be available at: www.nasa.gov/hubble
For more information about the Space Shuttle Program, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Sept. 24, 2008
NASA ANNOUNCES NEW TARGET LAUNCH DATES, STATUS NEWS CONFERENCE
WASHINGTON -- The target launch date for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope has been reset to Oct. 14 at 10:19 p.m. EDT. A news conference is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 3, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to announce an official launch date.
With the delay of Atlantis' launch from Oct. 10 to Oct. 14, shuttle Endeavour's STS-126 supply mission to the International Space Station, also will move from Nov. 12 to Nov. 16 at 7:07 p.m. EST. The target launch date adjustments were made Wednesday during the Space Shuttle Program's Flight Readiness Review, which concludes Thursday.
Detailed assessments were presented Wednesday by Mission Operations, Flight Crew Operations, and training divisions affected by the closure of the NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, as a result of Hurricane Ike. While vehicle processing at Kennedy continues on schedule, the lost week of training and mission preparation due to the impacts of the storm led to the decision to slip the dates.
For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
For information about the upcoming shuttle missions, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Sept. 19, 2008
NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR MOVES TO LAUNCH PAD 39B
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - For the first time since July 2001, two shuttles are on the launch pads at the same time at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Space shuttle Endeavour completed a 4.2-mile journey to Launch Pad 39B on Friday, Sept. 19, at 6:59 a.m. EDT.
Endeavour left Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building at 11:15 p.m. Thursday, traveling at less than 1 mph atop a massive crawler-transporter.
Endeavour will stand by at pad B in the unlikely event that a rescue mission is necessary during space shuttle Atlantis' upcoming mission to repair NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, targeted to launch Oct. 10. After Endeavour is cleared from its duty as a rescue spacecraft, it will be moved to Launch Pad 39A for the STS-126 mission to the International Space Station. That flight is targeted for launch Nov. 12.
Video file of rollout will be available on NASA Television. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
For information about the upcoming shuttle missions, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Sept. 18, 2008
NASA'S JOHNSON SPACE CENTER TO REOPEN MONDAY AFTER IKE
HOUSTON - NASA'S Johnson Space Center in Houston is scheduled to reopen Monday, Sept. 22, ending its closure related to Hurricane Ike. Johnson shut down Sept. 11 as Ike approached the Texas coast.
International Space Station flight control is scheduled to resume from Mission Control in Houston during the morning of Friday, Sept. 19. Station flight control was transferred to a backup facility near Austin, Texas, and later, to another facility at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
The Mission Control Center and other key Johnson facilities are largely unscathed, partly because of extensive preparations and the work of a hurricane rideout team of more than 60 people. However, some center buildings suffered roof, window and facade damage. Several light poles were downed, as were a number of trees. The damage assessment and cleanup continues.
Johnson employees should check the center's Employee Information Line for status updates at 281-483-3351, and are encouraged to contact their supervisors if they have not already done so. NASA has a public Web site to distribute important information for NASA employees and contractors impacted by Hurricane Ike at: www.nasa.gov/eoc
Sept. 11, 2008
NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR TO MOVE TO LAUNCH PAD SEPT. 18
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, Sept. 18, in preparation for shuttle Atlantis' mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. Endeavour will stand by in the unlikely event a rescue mission is necessary following Atlantis' launch, which is targeted for Oct. 10.
After Endeavour is cleared from its duty as a rescue vehicle, it will move to Launch Pad 39A for the upcoming STS-126 mission to the International Space Station. That flight is targeted for launch Nov. 12.
On Thursday, Endeavour rolled over from Kennedy's Orbiter Processing Facility to the Vehicle Assembly Building. There, Endeavour will be attached to its external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters to prepare for its move to the pad.
The first motion of the shuttle toward the launch pad Sept. 18 is scheduled for 12:01 a.m. EDT. The fully assembled space shuttle, consisting of the orbiter, external tank and twin solid rocket boosters, will be delivered to the pad atop a crawler-transporter. The crawler will travel slower than 1 mph during the 4.2-mile journey. The process is expected to take approximately seven hours.
NASA Television will provide live coverage of Endeavour's rollout to the launch pad beginning at 6:30 a.m. Sept. 18. Video highlights of the rollout will air on the NASA TV Video File.
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
Sept. 11, 2008
NASA'S JOHNSON SPACE CENTER CLOSES FOR IKE
HOUSTON - NASA's Johnson Space Center will close at noon CDT Thursday and remain closed until the threat of Hurricane Ike has passed. Ike, a Category 2 hurricane in the western Gulf of Mexico, is expected to cross the Texas coast early Saturday as a Category 3 storm.
The International Space Station Flight Control Room at Mission Control in Houston was shut down Thursday morning. Station flight control continued through backup teams located near Austin, Texas, and Huntsville, Ala.
Most NASA aircraft at Ellington Field, located just north of Johnson, have been flown to a facility in El Paso, Texas. That includes 19 of 26 T-38s, a WB-57, and three of four shuttle training aircraft. Nine other aircraft are undergoing maintenance and have been secured in hangars at Ellington.
Johnson employees and journalists should call the Employee Information Line for updated news on the center's status. The local telephone number is 281-483-3351. If local communications are disrupted, employees can call a toll-free information line at 877-283-1947.
NASA has a Web site to convey important information to NASA employees and contractors impacted by Hurricane Ike at: http://www.nasa.gov/eoc
Sept. 8, 2008
NEW NASA SPACE EXPERIMENT RACK TO UNDERGO FLIGHT TESTS
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A new space experiment rack under development by NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., and Space Florida will undergo initial tests this week. The rack will fly aboard NASA's first commercially-provided research flights on Zero Gravity Corporation's reduced gravity aircraft.
Flight testing of the FASTRACK Space Experiment Platform will be performed on four consecutive days between September 9-12 from Ellington Field near NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston.
The experiment rack is designed to support two standard lockers that fit inside the space shuttle's crew middeck. It is being developed jointly by Kennedy and Space Florida to facilitate NASA and commercial use of reusable U.S. suborbital flight vehicles currently under development. The rack also will accommodate experiments aboard reduced gravity aircraft such as Zero Gravity's modified Boeing 727 jet, and may also be adapted in the future for orbiting vehicles and facilities.
FASTRACK will enable investigators to test experiments, apparatus and analytical techniques in hardware compatible with the International Space Station, and to perform science that can be carried out during the reduced gravity available for brief periods during aircraft parabolas. FASTRACK is designed to accommodate two single middeck lockers or one double locker, and other compatible experiment accommodations developed for use on the space shuttle and International Space Station.
Kennedy's FASTRACK project team will use NASA's commercial flight services contract with Zero Gravity Corporation to install and test a prototype rack along with three science investigations to verify interfaces, procedures and performance characteristics prior to fabrication of the FASTRACK flight units.
The three science investigations that will be performed on the flights this week are: baseline characterization data of the microgravity environment in the FASTRACK payload accommodations using instrumentation provided by NASA's Glenn Research Center; a fluid dynamics experiment by the University of Central Florida to study Faraday wave interfaces in microgravity; and tests of a biomedical sensor to evaluate its effectiveness in performing continuous, non-invasive monitoring and recording of human hemodynamics, or the movement of blood, during changes in gravity.
Another potential group of customers will be those participating in NASA's Facilitated Access to the Space Environment for Technology Development and Training, or FAST, Program. The FAST Program, which is managed by the Innovative Partnerships Program, will provide reduced-gravity or suborbital testing opportunities for emerging technologies developed by small businesses and others in partnerships with NASA.
With the expected emergence of commercial suborbital flights over the next few years, FASTRACK will support investigations that can benefit from longer exposure - between 2-3 minutes - of microgravity time, as well as actual spaceflight conditions.
The flights are sponsored and funded by NASA's Strategic Capabilities and Assets Program under the agency's commercial microgravity services contract with Zero Gravity Corporation.
The FASTRACK project has received support from the NASA Innovative Partnerships Program Office and the NASA Science Mission Directorate. It is being jointly developed under a Space Act Agreement between Kennedy and Space Florida, both of which have contracted with the Bionetics Corporation to accomplish design, fabrication and testing of the experiment rack. FASTRACK is a trademark of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
For more information about NASA programs and missions, visit: http://www.nasa.gov
Sept. 5, 2008
NASA CHANGES 2008 SHUTTLE TARGET LAUNCH DATES, SCHEDULES TCDT
HOUSTON - NASA has adjusted the target launch dates for the two remaining space shuttle missions in 2008. Shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to the Hubble Space Telescope is targeted for Oct. 10, while Endeavour's STS-126 supply mission to the International Space Station has moved to Nov. 12.
Shuttle managers made the decision after Atlantis was rolled to the launch pad and the effects of Tropical Storm Hanna were beyond NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. That allowed managers to more accurately assess the impacts of recent tropical systems on the launch schedule.
Atlantis began rolling from Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A Thursday at 9:19 a.m. EDT. The shuttle arrived at the pad at approximately 2 p.m. and was secured at 3:52 p.m. Atlantis now is targeted to launch at approximately 12:33 a.m. EDT, Friday, Oct. 10. NASA Television coverage of launch will begin at 7:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 9. The 11-day flight will include five spacewalks to repair and upgrade the Hubble telescope. Atlantis is scheduled to land at approximately 10:21 p.m., Oct. 20.
Scott Altman will command STS-125, with Gregory C. Johnson serving as pilot. Mission specialists include veteran spacewalkers John Grunsfeld and Mike Massimino, and first-time space fliers Andrew Feustel, Michael Good and Megan McArthur.
Endeavour will close 2008 with a 15-day mission to deliver supplies and cargo to the space station. During the STS-126 mission, NASA astronaut Sandra Magnus will replace Greg Chamitoff as an Expedition 18 crew member on the station. Chamitoff will return to Earth after five months in space. The mission's targeted launch time is 8:43 p.m. EST, Nov. 12. Landing will occur at approximately 2:45 p.m., Nov. 27.
Chris Ferguson will command STS-126, with Eric Boe serving as pilot. Mission specialists will be Steve Bowen, Shane Kimbrough, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Donald Pettit, Magnus and Chamitoff.
The formal launch dates for space shuttle flights are determined during the Flight Readiness Review, which is conducted about two weeks before launch. The STS-125 review is scheduled for Sept. 22-23. The review for STS-126 is scheduled for Oct. 30.
An STS-125 launch dress rehearsal, known as the terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT, is scheduled to take place at Kennedy Sept. 22-24. The test provides each shuttle crew with an opportunity to participate in simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency training.
For more information about the International Space Station, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station
For more about the two remaining shuttle missions of 2008, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
| Atlantis Rollout - September 4, 2008 - by Thomas Dunkerton |
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Sept. 3, 2008
NASA SETS SHUTTLE ATLANTIS' MOVE TO LAUNCH PAD THURSDAY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis is tentatively scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 10 a.m. EDT, on Thursday, Sept. 4. Managers will meet at 5:30 a.m. Thursday to confirm that weather conditions created by Tropical Storm Hanna will allow for the move.
NASA Television will provide live video of Atlantis' rollout beginning at 10 a.m. Video highlights of the rollout will air on NASA TV's Video File segments.
Atlantis is targeted to lift off Oct. 8 on an 11-day mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope.
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more information about the STS-125 mission and crew, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
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Technicians at NASA's Kennedy Space Center examine the Wide Field Camera 3 during preparations for its placement inside the Hubble Space Telescope. Processing of upgraded equipment and instruments for the Hubble is continuing in preparation for STS-125.
Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
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Sept. 2, 2008
SHUTTLE ATLANTIS' MOVE TO PAD ON STANDBY FOR HANNA
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Managers at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., will closely follow Tropical Storm Hanna to determine when would be the best time this week to move space shuttle Atlantis to its launch pad.
Currently, the earliest Atlantis will be rolled out from Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A is Thursday, Sept. 4, at 12:01 a.m. EDT.
If the storm stays on its current track, managers will wait until it passes off the coast of Kennedy and then move Atlantis to the pad, most likely Saturday morning. Rollout had been scheduled for Tuesday, but was delayed to allow managers to evaluate Hanna's possible affects on the center.
Atlantis is targeted to lift off Oct. 8 on an 11-day mission to service NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Managers will evaluate any affects from Hanna on supporting the target date.
Dates and times of this event are subject to change.
For more information about the STS-125 mission and crew, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Sept. 2, 2008
NASA AWARDS LANDSCAPING MAINTENANCE, PEST CONTROL CONTRACT
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA has selected S.C. Jones Services, Inc., of Dillwyn, Va., to provide grounds maintenance and pest control services at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
The new firm-fixed price contract begins on Oct. 1, 2008. It has a one-year base period and four, one-year option periods. The maximum value of the contract is approximately $13.5 million.
S.C. Jones Services will provide grounds maintenance and pest control services in support of all areas of Kennedy.
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov.
Aug. 28, 2008
NASA UPDATES SHUTTLE ATLANTIS' MOVE TO LAUNCH PAD TUESDAY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, Sept. 2. Atlantis is targeted to lift off Oct. 8 on an 11-day mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. This new rollout date accommodates additional work on Atlantis.
NASA Television will provide live video of Atlantis at the launch pad beginning at 6:30 a.m. on Sept. 2. Video highlights of the rollout will air on NASA TV's Video File segments.
Atlantis will be commanded by Scott Altman. Gregory C. Johnson will be pilot. Mission Specialists will be John Grunsfeld, Mike Massimino, Megan McArthur, Andrew Feustel and Michael Good.
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more information about the STS-125 mission and crew, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Aug. 25, 2008
NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS TO MOVE TO LAUNCH PAD SATURDAY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Saturday, Aug. 30. Atlantis is targeted to lift off Oct. 8 to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.
The first motion of the shuttle out of Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building is scheduled for 12:01 a.m. EDT. The fully assembled space shuttle, consisting of the orbiter, external tank and twin solid rocket boosters, was mounted on a mobile launcher platform and will be delivered to the pad atop a crawler-transporter. The crawler will travel slower than 1 mph during the 3.4-mile journey. The process is expected to take approximately six hours.
Repairs to Launch Pad 39A's flame trench wall were completed Aug. 5 after crews installed a steel grid structure and covered it in a heat-resistant material. The pad's north flame trench was damaged when bricks tore away from the wall during the May 31 launch of space shuttle Discovery.
NASA Television will provide live coverage of Atlantis' move to the launch pad beginning at 6:30 a.m. Video highlights of the rollout will air on NASA TV Video File.
During its 11-day mission that includes five spacewalks, the STS-125's crew of seven astronauts will install two new instruments in Hubble, as well as replace the Fine Guidance Sensor. The result will be six working, complementary science instruments with capabilities beyond those now available, and an extended operational lifespan of the telescope through at least 2013.
Atlantis will be commanded by Scott Altman. Gregory C. Johnson will be pilot. Mission Specialists will be John Grunsfeld, Mike Massimino, Megan McArthur, Andrew Feustel and Michael Good.
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more information about the STS-125 mission and crew, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Aug. 21, 2008
NASA KENNEDY TO REOPEN FOR NORMAL OPERATIONS FRIDAY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Managers at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., plan to reopen the center for normal operations Friday morning for workers' first shift. A slow-moving Tropical Storm Fay has kept Kennedy closed since Tuesday. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex also will reopen Friday.
The center was set to open Thursday morning for limited operations, but Fay stalled off the coast from Kennedy overnight and continued to bring heavy rain and tropical storm force wind to the area through mid-day.
Personnel are reminded to exercise caution when entering their work areas and report any unsafe conditions or damage to their immediate supervisor.
Based on initial assessments, there is no damage to space flight hardware, such as the space shuttles and Hubble Space Telescope equipment. Some facilities did sustain minor damage. Most reports are of water intrusion that will require mopping up.
A group of emergency personnel, known as a "ride-out crew," has been on-site since Tuesday and will remain on-duty until Friday morning to provide real-time assessments.
All Kennedy workers should check with the center's hurricane information phone line for the latest status at 321-861-7900 or 1-866-572-4877 before reporting to work Friday. Updates also are available online at the agency's emergency operation center Web site: www.nasa.gov/eoc
For information about Kennedy Space Center, visit: www.nasa.gov/kennedy
Aug. 20, 2008
NASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER PARTLY REOPENS THURSDAY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., will reopen Thursday at 10 a.m. EDT for "mission essential" personnel. Kennedy has been closed since Tuesday because of Tropical Storm Fay, which is continuing to bring heavy rain and wind to the region.
Individual center supervisors will define which workers are considered "mission essential." These will include employees who are needed to ensure center infrastructure is safe and working, and personnel who process space flight hardware, such as space shuttles and Hubble Space Telescope equipment. A liberal leave policy for employees will be in effect Thursday. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will remain closed Thursday, but reopen on Friday.
Plans call for the center to open to all employees and return to full operation Friday.
Based on initial assessments, there are no injuries, damage to flight hardware or flooding associated with Fay at the center. Only minor damage has been seen on a few facilities, including the Vehicle Assembly Building which lost one exterior panel from its east side.
About 200 emergency personnel, known as a "ride-out crew", will remain on-site overnight into Thursday morning to provide real-time storm assessments.
Kennedy workers should check with the center's hurricane information phone line for the latest status: 321-861-7900 or 1-866-572-4877. Employees should check with their supervisors if they have not been notified about their Thursday work status.
Center storm updates also will be available online at the agency's emergency operation center Web site at: www.nasa.gov/eoc
For information about Kennedy Space Center, visit: www.nasa.gov/kennedy
Aug. 20, 2008
NASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER REMAINS CLOSED WEDNESDAY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., will remain closed Wednesday because of the potential wind threat to workers from Tropical Storm Fay. Center managers decided Wednesday morning to keep Kennedy closed another day to general personnel through at least workers' second shift, which ends late Wednesday night.
Managers will reevaluate the situation at 11 a.m. EDT and update employees by noon through the center's hurricane phone lines and the agency's emergency operations Web site.
So far, there are no reports of any injuries or damage associated with Fay at the center.
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex also remains closed Wednesday.
The storm is forecast to pass over Kennedy around mid-day and move off shore by the afternoon. The top sustained wind recorded at Kennedy overnight was about 66 mph with peak gusts about 77 mph. The center is forecast to experience tropical force wind through the afternoon.
About 200 emergency personnel, known as a "ride-out crew," are staying on site through out the storm. They will begin making initial damage assessments two hours after the sustained wind drops below 58 mph and if there is daylight. The ride-out team hopes that will be today, but it depends on Fay's movement.
Kennedy workers should check with the center's hurricane information phone line for the latest status at 321-861-7900 or 1-866-572-4877
Center storm updates also will be available online at the agency's emergency operation center Web site at: www.nasa.gov/eoc
For information about Kennedy Space Center, visit: www.nasa.gov/kennedy
Aug. 19, 2008
NASA KENNEDY CLOSED THROUGH AT LEAST NOON WEDNESDAY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's Kennedy Space Center will remain closed at least through noon EDT Wednesday because of the potential threat to workers from Tropical Storm Fay. Kennedy managers will reevaluate the situation Wednesday morning and update employees at 6 a.m.
So far, there are no reports of any injuries or damage associated with Fay at the center.
The storm is forecast to pass very close to Kennedy Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, bringing heavy rain and possible tropical storm force wind. Kennedy was closed Tuesday morning as Fay made landfall along Florida's southwest coast.
About 200 emergency personnel, known as a "ride-out crew", will stay on site through out the storm to provide real-time assessments.
Kennedy workers should check with the center's hurricane information phone line for the latest status: 321-861-7900 or 1-866-572-4877.
Center storm updates also will be available online at the agency's emergency operation center Web site at: http://www.nasa.gov/eoc
For information about Kennedy Space Center, visit: www.nasa.gov/kennedy
Aug. 19, 2008
NASA'S KENNEDY SPACE CENTER CLOSES FOR TROPICAL STORM FAY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Kennedy Space Center will be closed Tuesday, Aug. 19, because of the potential threat from Tropical Storm Fay. Current plans call for the center to be closed for 24 hours, starting with workers' first-shift Tuesday morning. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex also is closed Tuesday.
Kennedy managers are scheduled to meet again at 5 p.m. EDT to reevaluate the storm's status and its impact on the center.
Fay made landfall Tuesday morning along Florida's southwest coast. It is forecast to affect Kennedy Tuesday afternoon with heavy rain and possible tropical storm force wind.
While most of Kennedy's almost 15,000 employees will not be at work, the center will have a small group of emergency personnel, known as a "ride-out crew," who will stay at the center to provide real-time assessments of the storm situation. There are about 200 people on the ride-out crew.
All three space shuttles have been secured in their Orbiter Processing Facilities. The shuttles have been powered down in their hangars and their payload bay doors have been closed to protect them from possible damage. Critical Hubble Space Telescope and International Space Station flight hardware has been protectively covered.
Kennedy workers should check with the center's hurricane information phone line for the latest status at 321-861-7900 or 1-866-572-4877
Center storm updates also will be available online at the agency's emergency operation center Web site at: www.nasa.gov/eoc
For information about Kennedy Space Center, visit: www.nasa.gov/kennedy
Aug. 15, 2008
NASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER AWARDS CUSTODIAL SERVICES CONTRACT
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA has selected Brevard Achievement Center Inc., of Rockledge, Fla., to provide custodial services at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
The new firm-fixed price contract begins on Oct. 1, 2008. It has a one-year base period and four, one-year option periods. The maximum value of the contract is approximately $41 million.
Brevard Achievement Center will provide custodial services for approximately 2.6 million square feet of general office, shop, warehouse and support areas at the space center.
For more information about the Kennedy Space Center, visit: www.nasa.gov/kennedy
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
August 15, 2008
NASA KEEPS ATLANTIS TARGET LAUNCH DATE, MOVES UP MILESTONES
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This nebula, imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope on August 10, is about 170,000 light-years away.
Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Larger image
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- After thoroughly reviewing an option to accelerate the upcoming launch dates of space shuttle Atlantis and Endeavour by a few days, shuttle program managers decided Thursday to keep the current target launch dates.
Atlantis' STS-125 mission to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope remains targeted for Oct. 8 at 1:34 a.m. EDT. Endeavour's STS-126 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for Nov. 10 at 9:31 p.m. EST.
Atlantis is scheduled to move from its processing hanger to the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, on Monday, Aug. 18, where it will be attached to an external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters.
The shuttle will roll out to Launch Pad 39A the week of Aug. 24. The date will be finalized early next week.
During its 11-day mission, STS-125's crew of seven astronauts will install two new instruments in Hubble, as well as replace the Fine Guidance Sensor. Five spacewalks will be conducted during the flight.
Atlantis will be commanded by Scott Altman. Gregory C. Johnson will be pilot. Mission specialists will be John Grunsfeld, Mike Massimino, Megan McArthur, Andrew Feustel and Michael Good.
For more information about the STS-125 mission and crew, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle.
For more information about Hubble, visit: www.nasa.gov/hubble.
Aug. 13, 2008
NASA ASTRONAUT READY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS FROM SPACE
HOUSTON -- Flying 220 miles above the Earth aboard the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Greg Chamitoff is ready to take your questions.
The public can now submit inquiries to Chamitoff and get answers direct from space on NASA's Web site. To submit a question, visit: www.nasa.gov/ask
Mission Control will transmit the questions to Chamitoff weekly. He will answer as many as his schedule will allow. Check back periodically to the link above for the transcript and audio clips of the astronaut's answers.
Chamitoff is a flight engineer for the Expedition 17 mission. He flew to the station aboard the space shuttle Discovery in June and will return to Earth aboard shuttle Endeavour in November.
For more on Chamitoff's mission and the International Space Station, visit: www.nasa.gov/station
Aug. 7, 2008
NASA TV TO AIR INTERVIEWS WITH HUBBLE SERVICING ASTRONAUTS
HOUSTON -- NASA Television will air interviews with each of the seven astronauts who will fly to the Hubble Space Telescope beginning at 8 a.m. EDT, on Monday, Aug. 11.
The crew includes Commander Scott Altman, Pilot Gregory C. Johnson, and Mission Specialists Michael Good, Megan McArthur, John Grunsfeld, Mike Massimino and Andrew Feustel.
The interviews will run repeatedly on NASA TV prior to launch. For information on when and for the complete NASA TV schedule and training footage, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
Aug. 4, 2008
NASA AWARDS MEDICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUPPORT CONTRACT
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA has selected Innovative Health Applications, LLC, or IHA, of Cape Canaveral, Fla., to provide medical and environmental services at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
The contract begins on Oct. 1, with a five-year base period, followed by two one-year options. It is a cost-plus-award-fee contract. The maximum potential value of this contract is approximately $163.5 million.
Innovative Health Applications will provide medical services, environmental health services, environmental services and agency occupational health program support at Kennedy.
Selected services also will be provided to the U.S. Air Force at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The company will furnish resources, including management, personnel, equipment and supplies to support Kennedy's work at the station.
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
July 28, 2008
HIGH SCHOOLERS HELP NASA TAKE ONE SMALL STEP BACK TO THE MOON
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - High school students from 35 Florida schools
recently experienced what it might be like to land a rocket on the
moon or excavate the lunar surface. During two, one-week sessions
this summer, eager students worked alongside NASA mentors at Kennedy
Space Center to participate in a Governor's School pilot program for
the gifted.
NASA's involvement in the pilot program included hosting the student
groups and creating research projects that explore challenges related
to lunar exploration. These challenges included lunar landing, lunar
excavating and protecting a pressurized habitat. At the end of each
session, the students presented their solutions to a NASA panel of
engineers and education coordinators.
Dr. Lesley Garner, the pre-college officer in NASA's Education Office
at Kennedy, coordinated NASA's portion of the pilot program. Garner
hopes the students will have a greater understanding of academic
majors they can pursue in science, technology, engineering and
mathematics for careers they didn't know existed.
Funding for the pilot program was provided by the state of Florida and
given to three universities, Florida Tech, Embry Riddle Aeronautical
University and Florida State University, to plan and pilot test the
program. Space Florida, NASA and Delaware North Park Services
provided the curriculum.
Kennedy mentors were Drs. Bob Youngquist and Philip Metzger, as well
as Rob Mueller and Greg Galloway, all from the Applied Technology
Directorate. They presented real space-related problems for the
students to solve along with hands-on activities.
Bailee Williams, a senior at Hardee Senior High in Wauchula, was one
of six students who conducted a team experiment to simulate
excavating on the moon. Under Galloway's guidance, Williams used a
scaled-down NASA prototype lunar excavator to investigate the amount
of force required to dig in a simulated lunar surface.
"This isn't something I get to do everyday, so it's great I was able
to participate in a program like this," Williams said. When she
returns to her school she will give a presentation to her physics
teacher and classmates on what she learned.
Corbin Ferris, a senior at St. Augustine High School, said the best
parts of his experience at Kennedy were the group projects and
learning about new technologies. Ferris learned about current methods
for locating and measuring defects in orbiter windows. With Dr.
Youngquist as mentor, Ferris and his team members learned about
optical techniques and carried out discussions of how they could be
utilized in a space station or lunar habitat scenario.
Ferris, who is looking into a career in engineering, said it was
interesting to see all the types of available jobs at NASA.
"NASA research will benefit from the students' fresh 'out of the box'
solutions for future lunar missions," Garner said. "It was a win-win
situation; and I hope a sustainable Governor's School for the gifted
is the end product."
Student participants are listed by county:
Bay: Amilea Borel, Bay High School, Panama City.
Brevard: Parker Allen, Melbourne High School, Melbourne; Joshua Emison, Bayside High School, Palm Bay; and Julia Rauchfuss, West Shore Jr./Sr. High, Melbourne Beach.
Broward: Aaron Lewis, JP Taravella High School, Coral Springs.
Calhoun: Harlea Perdue, Blountstown High School, Altha.
Charlotte: Ashley Kreher, Lemon Bay High School, Rotonda West.
Clay: Jessica Evans, Orange Park High School, Orange Park.
Columbia: Adam Griffy, Fort White High School, Fort White.
Duval: Jessica Yeung, Stanton College Preparatory School, Jacksonville.
Escambia: Victor Mendez, Pensacola High School I.B. Program, Cantonment.
Flagler: Rebecca Wight, Matanzas High School, Palm Coast.
Gilchrist: Sean Kirby, Trenton Middle High School, Trenton.
Hardee: Bailee Williams, Hardee Senior High School, Wauchula.
Hillsborough: Elisa Berson, Freedom High School, Tampa.
Lee: Brittany Kociuba, North Fort Myers High School, Cape Coral.
Leon: Jayshree Balakrishnan, James S. Rickards High School, Catherine Branch, Lawton Chiles High School, both in Tallahassee.
Marion: David Lakin, Forest High School, Ocala.
Miami-Dade: Natalia Slepak, Miami Palmetto Sr. High School, Miami.
Monroe: Daniella Fioravanti-Score, Coral Shores High School, Key Largo.
Orange: Linda Cao, Timber Creek High School, Orlando; Scott Palmese, Olympia High School, Ocoee.
Palm Beach: Michael Koester, Park Vista High School, Lake Worth.
Pasco: Stephanie Schlageter, Zephyrhills High School, Zephryhills.
Pinellas: Shailaja Emani, Palm Harbor University High, Safety Harbor; Sarah Gardiner, Lakewood High School, St. Petersburg.
St. Johns: Matthew Walsh, Bartram High School, Saint Johns; Corbin Ferris, St. Augustine High School.
St. Lucie: Gerald Condon, Lincoln Park Academy, Port St. Lucie.
Seminole: Alex Friedman, Lake Mary High School, Lake Mary.
Sumter: Connor Schofill, South Sumter High School, Bushnell.
Suwannee: Wendell Mellette, Branford High School, Branford.
Volusia: Deepak Sathyanarayan, Spruce Creek High School, Ormond Beach; Kyle Mays, DeLand High School, Deland.
July 16, 2008
NASA ASSIGNS CREW FOR EQUIPMENT DELIVERY MISSION TO SPACE STATION
WASHINGTON - NASA has assigned the crew for space shuttle mission STS-128. The flight will carry science and storage racks to the International Space Station.
Marine Corps Col. Frederick W. "Rick" Sturckow will command space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-128 mission, targeted for launch July 30, 2009. Retired Air Force Col. Kevin A. Ford will serve as the pilot. Mission specialists are NASA astronauts John D. "Danny" Olivas, retired Army Col. Patrick G. Forrester, Jose M. Hernandez and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Christer Fuglesang. The mission will deliver a new station crew member, Nicole Stott, to the complex and return Tim Kopra to Earth. Ford, Hernandez and Stott will be making their first trips to space. Stott and Kopra were previously assigned in February to station missions.
Atlantis will carry a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module filled with science and storage racks to the station. The mission will include three spacewalks to remove and replace a materials processing experiment outside ESA's Columbus module and return an empty ammonia tank assembly.
Sturckow flew as the commander of STS-117 in 2007, and was the pilot of STS-105 in 2001 and STS-88 in 1998. He considers Lakeside, Calif., his hometown. Sturckow has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from California Polytechnic State University. He was selected as an astronaut in 1994.
Ford considers Montpelier, Ind., his hometown. He has a bachelor's in aerospace engineering from the University of Notre Dame, master's degrees in international relations from Troy State University in Alabama and aerospace engineering from the University of Florida, and a doctorate in astronautical engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology. He was selected as an astronaut in 2000.
Olivas flew as a mission specialist and conducted two spacewalks during STS-117 in 2007. He was raised in El Paso, Texas. Olivas has a bachelor's in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas-El Paso, a master's in mechanical engineering from the University of Houston and a doctorate in mechanical engineering and materials science from Rice University. He was selected as an astronaut in 1998.
Forrester flew as a mission specialist on STS-117 in 2007 and on STS-105 in 2001. He has conducted four spacewalks. He was born in El Paso, Texas. Forrester has a bachelor's in applied sciences and engineering from the U.S. Military Academy and a master's in mechanical and aerospace engineering from the University of Virginia. He was selected as an astronaut in 1996.
Hernandez considers Stockton, Calif., his hometown. He has a bachelor's in electrical engineering from the University of the Pacific and a master's in electrical and computer engineering from the University of California-Santa Barbara. He was selected as an astronaut in 2004.
Fuglesang flew as a mission specialist and conducted three spacewalks on STS-116 in 2006. He was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Fuglesang has a master's in engineering physics from the Royal Institute of Technology and a doctorate in experimental particle physics from the University of Stockholm. He was selected to join the ESA astronaut corps in 1992 and began training at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston in 1996.
For complete astronaut biographical information, visit: www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios
For more information about NASA's Space Shuttle Program, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
July 16, 2008
FIRST HUBBLE FLIGHT HARDWARE ARRIVES AT KENNEDY FOR STS-125
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The first major flight hardware for the fifth
and final space shuttle servicing mission to NASA's Hubble Space
Telescope is starting to arrive at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., to
begin preparations for its targeted October launch.
Three carriers, which are pallets that will hold equipment in space
shuttle Atlantis' payload bay, were delivered to Kennedy Wednesday.
They will be prepared for the integration of telescope science
instruments, both internal and external replacement components, as
well as the flight support equipment to be used by the astronauts
during Atlantis' mission, designated STS-125 and SM4.
The three payload carriers are the Flight Support System (FSS), the
Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier (SLIC), and the Orbital
Replacement Unit Carrier (ORUC). At the end of July, a fourth and
final carrier, the Multi-Use Lightweight Equipment (MULE) carrier,
will join the others in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility
where the Hubble payload is being prepared for launch.
The Flight Support System will attach, secure and provide power to
Hubble and also contains the Soft Capture Mechanism that will assist
in the de-orbiting of the telescope when its science mission is over.
Among the components to be integrated onto the carriers are the Wide
Field Camera 3 that will be placed on the SLIC with Hubble's two new
battery modules. The Fine Guidance Sensor and the Cosmic Origins
Spectrograph will be on the ORUC, as well as the replacement gyros.
The Relative Navigation Sensors and the New Outer Blanket Layers will
be on the MULE. These components, which will be integrated onto the carriers, will be delivered to Kennedy during the first half of
August.
Numerous crew aids and tools that the astronauts will use during their
five planned spacewalks also will be integrated onto the carriers.
The new hardware will ensure Hubble is at the apex of its scientific
capability and that it functions efficiently for a minimum of five more years.
The processing and integration of the Hubble flight hardware will take
approximately two months. The payload is scheduled to go to Launch
Pad 39A in mid-September to be installed into Atlantis' payload bay.
Atlantis is targeted to launch Oct. 8 at 1:34 a.m. EDT.
For more information about the Hubble Space Telescope and its
research, visit: www.nasa.gov/hubble
For more information about the STS-125 mission and its crew, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
July 7, 2008
NASA SETS LAUNCH DATES FOR REMAINING SPACE SHUTTLE MISSIONS
HOUSTON -- Following a detailed, integrated assessment, NASA selected
target launch dates for the remaining eight space shuttle missions on
the current manifest in 2009 and 2010. The manifest includes one
flight to the Hubble Space Telescope, seven assembly flights to the
International Space Station, and two station contingency flights,
planned to be completed before the end of fiscal year 2010.
The agency previously selected Oct. 8 and Nov. 10 as launch dates for
Atlantis' STS-125 mission to service Hubble and Endeavour's STS-126 /
ULF-2 mission to supply the space station and service both Solar
Alpha Rotary Joints on the port and starboard end of its truss
backbone that supports equipment and solar arrays.
The approved target dates are subject to change based on processing
and other launch vehicle schedules. They reflect the agency's
commitment to complete assembly of the station and to retire the
shuttle fleet as transition continues to the new launch vehicles,
including Ares and Orion.
SHUTTLE FLIGHTS IN 2009
Feb. 12 Discovery (STS-119 / 15A) will kick off a five-flight
2009 with its 36th mission to deliver the final pair of U.S. solar
arrays to be installed on the starboard end of the station's truss.
The truss serves as the backbone support for external equipment and
spare components, including the Mobile Base System. Lee Archambault
will command the 14-day flight that will include four planned
spacewalks. Joining him will be pilot Tony Antonelli and mission
specialists John Phillips, Steve Swanson, Joseph Acaba, Richard
Arnold and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi
Wakata. Wakata will replace Sandy Magnus on the station as a flight
engineer. STS-119 marks the 28th shuttle flight to the station.
May 15 Endeavour (STS-127 / 2JA) sets sail on its 23rd mission
with the Japanese Kibo Laboratory's Exposed Facility and Experiment
Logistics Module Exposed Section, the final permanent components of
the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's contribution to the station
program. During the 15-day mission, Endeavour's crew will perform
five spacewalks and deliver six new batteries for the P6 truss, a
spare drive unit for the Mobile Transporter and a spare boom assembly
for the Ku-band antenna. Mark Polansky will be Endeavour's commander
with Doug Hurley as pilot. Mission specialists will be Christopher
Cassidy, Tom Marshburn, Dave Wolf, Tim Kopra and Canadian Space
Agency astronaut Julie Payette. Kopra will become a station flight
engineer replacing Koichi Wakata, who will return home with the
STS-127 crew. It will be the 29th shuttle flight to the station.
July 30 Atlantis (STS-128 / 17A) launches on its 31st flight, an
11-day mission carrying science and storage racks to the station. In
the payload bay will be a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module holding
science and storage racks. Three spacewalks are planned to remove and
replace a materials processing experiment outside the European Space
Agency's Columbus module and return an empty ammonia tank assembly.
The mission includes the rotation of astronaut Nicole Stott for Tim
Kopra, who will return to Earth with the shuttle crew. The remaining
crew members have yet to be named. STS-128 marks the 30th shuttle
flight dedicated to station assembly and outfitting.
Oct. 15 Discovery's (STS-129 / ULF-3) 37th mission will focus on
staging spare components outside the station. The 15-day flight
includes at least three spacewalks. The payload bay will carry two
large External Logistics Carriers holding two spare gyroscopes, two
nitrogen tank assemblies, two pump modules, an ammonia tank assembly,
a spare latching end effector for the station's robotic arm, a spare
trailing umbilical system for the Mobile Transporter and a
high-pressure gas tank. Canadian Space Agency astronaut Bob Thirsk
will return home aboard Discovery with its crew, which has yet to be
named. STS-129 marks the 31st shuttle mission devoted to station
assembly.
Dec. 10 Endeavour (STS-130 / 20A) will close 2009 with its 24th
mission to deliver the final connecting node, Node 3, and the Cupola,
a robotic control station with six windows around its sides and
another in the center that provides a 360-degree view around the
station. At least three spacewalks are planned during the 11-day
mission. The 32nd station assembly mission by a shuttle does not yet
have a crew named.
SHUTTLE FLIGHTS IN 2010
Feb. 11 Atlantis (STS-131 / 19A) begins its 32nd mission as the
first flight in 2010, carrying a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module
filled with science racks that will be transferred to laboratories of
the station. The 11-day mission will include at least three
spacewalks to attach a spare ammonia tank assembly outside the
station and return a European experiment that has been outside the
Columbus module. It will be the 33rd shuttle mission to the station.
The crew has yet to be named.
April 8 Discovery's (STS-132 / ULF-4) 38th mission will carry an
integrated cargo carrier to deliver maintenance and assembly
hardware, including spare parts for space station systems. In
addition, the second in a series of new pressurized components for
Russia, a Mini Research Module, will be permanently attached to the
bottom port of the Zarya module. The Russian module also will carry
U.S. pressurized cargo. The first Russian Mini Research Module to go
to the station is scheduled to launch on a Russian rocket in the
summer of 2009.
Additionally, at least three spacewalks are planned to stage spare
components outside the station, including six spare batteries, a boom
assembly for the Ku-band antenna and spares for the Canadian Dextre
robotic arm extension. A radiator, airlock and European robotic arm
for the Russian Multi-purpose Laboratory Module also are payloads on
the flight. The laboratory module is scheduled for launch on a
Russian rocket in 2011. The mission marks the 34th mission to the
station. The STS-132 crew has yet to be named.
May 31 Endeavour's (STS-133 / ULF-5) 25th mission will carry
critical spare components that will be placed on the outside of the
station. Those will include two S-band communications antennas, a
high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for Dextre and
micrometeoroid debris shields. At least three spacewalks are planned
to be carried out by the crew, which has yet to be named. The 15-day
mission will be the 35th to the station.
For the shuttle launch manifest, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/iss_manifest.html
For details on upcoming shuttle missions and their crews, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
June 26, 2008
NASA AWARDS INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT CONTRACT
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA has selected Abacus Technology Corp. of
Chevy Chase, Md., to provide information management and
communications support at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The contract begins on Oct. 1 with a five-year base period and four
one-year options to extend performance. It is a cost-plus-award-fee
contract with indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract line
items. If all options are exercised and the maximum amount of work is
ordered, the total potential value of the contract is approximately
$898 million.
Abacus Technology Corp. will furnish resources, including management,
personnel, equipment and supplies to support Kennedy's work,
including voice communications, visual imaging and timing,
transmission and cable systems, administrative phones, institutional
computer networks, network IT security, publications, library, and
computer services.
Selected services also may be provided to the U.S. Air Force at Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station and Patrick Air Force Base as IDIQ
efforts.
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
June 25, 2008
NASA AND FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT BUILD SOLAR POWER PLANTS AT KENNEDY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA and Florida Power & Light (FPL) are
teaming up to provide Florida residents and America's space program
with new sources of "green power."
NASA and the state's largest electric utility signed an agreement
Tuesday at Florida Governor Charlie Crist's global climate change
summit in Miami. The agreement is part of a new initiative that will
cut reliance on fossil fuels and improve the environment by reducing
greenhouse gas emissions.
The agreement will permit FPL to lease 60 acres of NASA Kennedy Space
Center's approximately 140,000 acres for a solar photovoltaic power
generation system. The facility will produce an estimated 10
megawatts of electrical power, which is enough energy to serve
roughly 3,000 homes. The solar power facility will be built and
maintained by FPL.
As part of the agreement, FPL will build a separate one megawatt solar
power facility at Kennedy that will support the electrical needs of
the center. It will also help NASA meet its goals for use of power
generated from renewable energy. In addition to generating
electricity, the facility will provide an opportunity for NASA
engineers and technicians to gain experience in energy production. It
also may serve as a test bed for solar power technology that could be
used on the surface of the moon and other planetary bodies.
"This is a major renewable energy project that will help both NASA and
the state of Florida advance efforts to reduce our dependence on
fossil fuels and improve our environment through use of clean
energy," said Kennedy Center Director Bill Parsons.
FPL refers to the large solar plant at Kennedy as the space coast
facility. The company estimates the plant will prevent more than
227,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere
during the life of the project. According to the Environmental
Protection Agency, that is the equivalent of eliminating the
emissions from more than 1,800 cars every year.
"This facility, the first cooperative solar effort with NASA, will
help power the space coast event as it leaves a smaller carbon
footprint here on Earth," said FPL Group CEO Lewis Hay III.
NASA and FPL managers signed a memorandum of understanding in December
2007 to explore developing renewable energy projects. Other concepts
under consideration include using biomass for energy production and
wind power generation. Details of the projects under consideration
still are being formulated and will be evaluated before moving into
development.
For information about Florida Power & Light and its programs, visit: www.fpl.com/
For more information about NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit: www.nasa.gov/kennedy
June 20, 2008
NASA ENCOURAGES EDUCATION IN CELEBRATION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA celebrates this year's 50th anniversary
with the creation of an educational card game, "You've Been
Sentenced! - NASA 50th Anniversary Special Edition." NASA and McNeill
Designs for Brighter Minds formed a partnership in April of 2008 to
create the game, which bears a few similarities to Scrabble.
NASA and McNeill Designs collaborated to create the Add-on Deck which
will present NASA terminology while promoting greater interest and
understanding of NASA's history and future. The 50th Anniversary
Special Edition Add-on Deck will contain words not only used in space
exploration, but also terminology from the past, current and future
explorers, missions, and programs. "You've Been Sentenced!" delivers
a unique way to understand these terms that is both fun and memorable
for students.
"As part of our 50th anniversary celebration, this is an informal and
fun venue to educate folks on American's space program, past and
present," said Gregg Buckingham, chief, Education Programs and
University Research Division at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. "We will
also learn more about the effectiveness of this kind of education
tool from McNeill."
The purpose of this project is to build a strategic partnership among
informal education providers, community groups, formal educators and
families to promote literacy, particularly focusing in the areas of
space, science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The game
"You've Been Sentenced!" can be used in classrooms to aid educators
in teaching curriculum based upon space and space exploration at
NASA.
For additional information about "You've Been Sentenced! - NASA 50th
Anniversary Special Edition" and McNeill Designs for Brighter Minds,
visit: www.mcneilbrighterminds.com
For more information about NASA missions and projects, visit: www.nasa.gov
June 20, 2008
NASA LAUNCHES OCEAN SATELLITE TO KEEP A WEATHER, CLIMATE EYE OPEN
PASADENA, Calif. -- A new NASA-French space agency oceanography
satellite launched today from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on a
globe-circling voyage to continue charting sea level, a vital
indicator of global climate change. The mission will return a vast
amount of new data that will improve weather, climate and ocean
forecasts.
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The NASA-French space agency Ocean Surface Topography Mission/Jason 2 satellite launched aboard a Delta II rocket from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., at 12:46 a.m. PDT.
Photo credit: NASA |
With a thunderous roar and fiery glow, the Ocean Surface Topography
Mission/Jason 2 satellite arced through the blackness of an early
central coastal California morning at 12:46 a.m. PDT, climbing into
space atop a Delta II rocket. Fifty-five minutes later, OSTM/Jason 2
separated from the rocket's second stage, and then, unfurled its twin
sets of solar arrays. Ground controllers successfully acquired the
spacecraft's signals. Initial telemetry reports show it to be in
excellent health.
"Sea-level measurements from space have come of age," said Michael
Freilich, director of the Earth Science Division in NASA's Science
Mission Directorate, Washington. "Precision measurements from this
mission will improve our knowledge of global and regional sea-level
changes and enable more accurate weather, ocean and climate
forecasts."
Measurements of sea-surface height, or ocean surface topography,
reveal the speed and direction of ocean currents and tell scientists
how much of the sun's energy is stored by the ocean. Combining ocean
current and heat storage data is key to understanding global climate
variations. OSTM/Jason 2's expected lifetime of at least three years
will extend into the next decade the continuous record of these data
started in 1992 by NASA and the French space agency Centre National
d'Etudes Spatiales, or CNES, with the TOPEX/Poseidon mission. The
data collection was continued by the two agencies on Jason 1 in 2001.
The mission culminates more than three decades of research by NASA and
CNES in this field. This expertise will be passed on to the world's
weather and environmental forecasting agencies, which will be
responsible for collecting the data. The involvement of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the European
Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites
(EUMETSAT) as mission partners on OSTM/Jason 2 helps establish this
proven research capability as a valuable tool for use in everyday
applications.
OSTM/Jason 2's five primary instruments are improved versions of those
flying on Jason 1. These technological advances will allow scientists
to monitor conditions in ocean coastal regions -- home to about half
of Earth's population. Compared with Jason 1 measurements, OSTM/Jason
2 will have substantially increased accuracy and provide data to
within 15 miles of coastlines, nearly 50 percent closer to shore than
in the past. Such improvements will be welcome news for all those
making their living on the sea, from sailors and fishermen to workers
in offshore industries. NOAA will use the improved data to better
predict hurricane intensity, which is directly affected by the amount
of heat stored in the upper ocean.
OSTM/Jason 2 entered orbit about 6 to 9 miles below Jason 1. The new
spacecraft will gradually use its thrusters to raise itself into the
same 830-mile orbital altitude as Jason 1 and position itself to
follow Jason 1's ground track, orbiting about 60 seconds behind Jason
1. The two spacecraft will fly in formation, making nearly
simultaneous measurements for about six months to allow scientists to
precisely calibrate OSTM/Jason 2's instruments.
Once cross-calibration is complete, Jason 1 will alter course,
adjusting its orbit so that its ground tracks fall midway between
those of OSTM/Jason 2. Together, the two spacecraft will double
global coverage. This tandem mission will improve our knowledge of
tides in coastal and shallow seas and internal tides in the open
ocean, while improving our understanding of ocean currents and
eddies.
CNES is providing the OSTM/Jason 2 spacecraft. NASA and CNES jointly
are providing the primary payload instruments. NASA's Launch Services
Program at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida was responsible for
launch management and countdown operations for the Delta II. NASA's
Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., manages the mission
for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.
To learn more about OSTM/Jason 2, visit: www.nasa.gov/ostm
June 18, 2008
NASA AWARDS KENNEDY SPACE CENTER INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT
WASHINGTON -- NASA has selected EG&G Technical Services Inc., of
Gaithersburg, Md., to provide institutional services at NASA's
Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The contract begins Oct. 1, 2008, with a five-year base period,
followed by five one-year options. It is a cost-plus-award-fee
contract. The maximum potential value of the contract is
approximately $1.5 billion.
EG&G Technical Services will perform facilities operations,
maintenance and engineering; propellants and life support operations;
logistics; transportation; and laboratory management for Kennedy.
Selected services also will be provided at Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station and Patrick Air Force Base in Florida. The company will
furnish resources, including management, personnel, equipment and
supplies to support Kennedy's work at those locations.
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
June 16, 2008
NASA EXTENDS EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLES SUPPORT CONTRACT
WASHINGTON -- NASA has awarded Analex Corporation of Fairfax, Va., an
option for the Expendable Launch Vehicles Integrated Support, or
ELVIS, contract.
This second option period award is a hybrid performance-based,
cost-plus-award-fee, fixed-price-award-fee, and fixed-price
indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract. It extends ELVIS
through Sept. 30, 2011. The award has a potential value of
approximately $90 million.
Analex Corporation currently is performing work under the contract's
first option period, a three-year option that ends Sept. 30, 2008.
The potential contract period, if all options are exercised, is nine
years, three months, with a total approximate value of $258 million.
The contract provides integrated support services in the areas of
business and administration, safety and mission assurance,
engineering, and technical, facility, and launch operations. Launch
vehicles include the Atlas, Delta, Pegasus, Taurus, and Falcon
rockets. The contract specifically provides engineering services and
analyses, communications, telemetry, special studies, and technical
services for ground and flight expendable launch vehicle systems and
payloads.
Services will be provided at NASA's Kennedy Space Center and Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, Vandenberg Air Force Base in
California, and other launch sites and NASA resident offices.
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
June 14, 2008
NASA'S SHUTTLE DISCOVERY GLIDES HOME AFTER SUCCESSFUL MISSION
 |
Kibo Means Hope
One of a series of digital still images documenting the Japanese Experiment Module, or JEM, also called Kibo, in its new home on the International Space Station, this view depicts Kibo's exterior, backdropped by solar array panels for the orbital outpost and one of its trusses.
The main Kibo lab was installed during the first spacewalk of this, the STS-124, mission.
Image Credit: NASA |
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery and its crew landed at
11:15 a.m. EDT Saturday, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.,
completing a 14-day journey of more than 5.7 million miles in space.
The STS-124 mission was the second of three flights to launch
components to the International Space Station to complete the Japan
Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory. Discovery delivered
Kibo's tour bus-sized Japanese Pressurized Module, or JPM, which is
the station's largest module. The mission included three spacewalks
to install and outfit the JPM and activate its robotic arm system.
The lab's logistics module, which was delivered and installed in a
temporary location in March, was attached to its permanent position
on top of the JPM.
Mark Kelly commanded the flight and was joined by Pilot Ken Ham,
Mission Specialists Karen Nyberg, Ron Garan, Mike Fossum, Greg
Chamitoff, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko
Hoshide. Chamitoff remained aboard the space station, replacing
Expedition 17 Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman, who returned to Earth
on Discovery after nearly three months on the station. Chamitoff will
return on shuttle Endeavour's STS-126 mission, targeted for launch
November 10.
STS-124 was the 123rd space shuttle flight, the 35th flight for
shuttle Discovery and the 26th flight of a shuttle to the station.
With Discovery and its crew safely home, the stage is set for the
launch of STS-125 on October 8. Atlantis' mission will return the
space shuttle to the Hubble Space Telescope for one last visit before
the shuttle fleet retires in 2010. Over 12 days and five spacewalks,
Atlantis' crew will make repairs and upgrades to the telescope,
preparing it for at least another five years of research.
For more about the STS-124 mission and the upcoming STS-125 mission,
visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
June 12, 2008
SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY SET TO LAND SATURDAY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The space shuttle Discovery crew is expected
to complete its 14-day flight to the International Space Station with
a landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:15 a.m. EDT
on Saturday, June 14.
The STS-124 mission began May 31 and delivered two new sections of the
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory to the station.
During three spacewalks, the crew installed the Japanese Pressurized
Module, or JPM, and Kibo's robotic arm system. Kibo's logistics
module, which had been attached temporarily to the Harmony node
during the STS-123 mission in March, was attached to the JPM. The
flight also delivered station resident Greg Chamitoff to the outpost.
Discovery will return with Garrett Reisman, who spent three months
aboard the complex.
For more about the STS-124 mission and the upcoming STS-125 mission,
visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
June 11, 2008
NASA'S GLAST LAUNCH SUCCESSFUL
CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. -- NASA's Gamma-ray Large Area
Space Telescope, or GLAST, successfully launched aboard a Delta II
rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 12:05 p.m.
EDT today.
The GLAST observatory separated from the second stage of the Delta II
at 1:20 p.m. and the flight computer immediately began powering up
the components necessary to control the satellite. Twelve minutes
after separating from the launch vehicle, both GLAST solar arrays
were deployed. The arrays immediately began producing the power
necessary to maintain the satellite and instruments. The operations
team continues to check out the spacecraft subsystems.
"The entire GLAST Team is elated the observatory is now on-orbit and
all systems continue to operate as planned," said GLAST program
manager Kevin Grady of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in
Greenbelt, Md.
After a 75-minute flight, the GLAST spacecraft was deployed into low
Earth orbit. It will begin to transmit initial instrument data after
about three weeks. The telescope will explore the most extreme
environments in the universe, searching for signs of new laws of
physics and investigating what composes mysterious dark matter. It
will seek explanations for how black holes accelerate immense jets of
material to nearly light speed, and look for clues to crack the
mysteries behind powerful explosions known as gamma-ray bursts.
"After a 60-day checkout and initial calibration period, we'll begin
science operations," said Steve Ritz, GLAST project scientist at
Goddard. "GLAST soon will be telling scientists about many new
objects to study, and this information will be available on the
internet for the world to see."
"The Delta II gave us a good flight. It put GLAST in an orbit that's
right on target," said NASA launch director Omar Baez.
NASA's GLAST mission is an astrophysics and particle physics
partnership, developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of
Energy, along with important contributions from academic institutions
and partners in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden, and the U.S.
For more information about the GLAST mission, please visit: www.nasa.gov/glast
For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
June 11, 2008
OSTM/JASON 2 SATELLITE READY FOR JUNE 20 LAUNCH FROM CALIFORNIA
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The launch of the Ocean Surface Topography
Mission, or OSTM/Jason 2, aboard a Delta II rocket is scheduled for
Friday, June 20, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The
launch window extends from 12:46 a.m. to 12:55 a.m. PDT. The
satellite will be placed in an 830-mile-high orbit at an inclination
of 66 degrees after separating from the Delta II 55 minutes after
liftoff.
The five primary science instruments of the Ocean Surface Topography
Mission aboard the Jason 2 spacecraft are dedicated to measuring
ocean surface height. These measurements will be used to evaluate and
forecast climate changes and improve weather forecasting. The results
also are expected to help forecasters better predict hurricane
intensity.
The mission is an international collaboration between NASA, the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the French
space agency Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), and the
European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological
Satellites (EUMETSAT). NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena,
Calif., manages the mission for NASA. NASA's Kennedy Space Center's
Launch Services Program is responsible for the agency's launch
management of the Delta II rocket.
June 6, 2008
NASA AWARDS GROUND EQUIPMENT CONTRACT FOR KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA has selected contractors for a multiple award contract to provide fabrication of ground support equipment for Constellation and other space programs at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The multiple award, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract has a maximum value of $400 million during a five-year ordering period, with potential for a one-year extension.
NASA awarded the electrical ground support equipment contract to Engravers Metal Fabricators of Cocoa, Fla., Jackson & Tull of Seabrook, Md., Spectrum Laser & Technologies Inc. of Colorado Springs, Colo., and TJ Inc. of Christmas, Fla.
The fluids ground support equipment contract was awarded to Hydraulics International Inc. of Chatsworth, Calif., Precision Fabricating & Cleaning Co. Inc. of Cocoa, Fla., Sierra Lobo Inc. of Milan, Ohio, and United Paradyne Corp. of Santa Maria, Calif.
The mechanical ground support equipment contract was awarded to Coastal Steel Inc. of Cocoa, Fla., Engravers Metal Fabricators of Cocoa, Fla., Met-Con Inc. of Cocoa, Fla., Oregon Iron Works of Clackamas, Ore., Precision Fabricating & Cleaning Co. Inc. of Cocoa, Fla., Rogers Associates Machine and Tool Corp. of Rochester, N.Y., Samson Metal & Machine of Lakeland, Fla., and Specialty Maintenance and Construction of Lakeland, Fla.
The contract covers all required management, labor, facilities, materials and equipment to fabricate, mark, package, deliver, clean, assemble, precision clean and test equipment, ground systems and other hardware for Kennedy as firm fixed price delivery orders.
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov
May 31, 2008
NASA'S SHUTTLE DISCOVERY LAUNCHES WITH JAPANESE LABORATORY
 |
| Space shuttle Discovery thunders off the launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: NASA TV |
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 5:02 p.m. EDT Saturday to deliver and install a Japanese laboratory on the International Space Station.
The mission, designated STS-124, is the second of three flights to launch components to complete the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory. Discovery is carrying Kibo's tour bus-sized Japanese Pressurized Module, or JPM, which will be the station's largest module. The shuttle astronauts will work with the three-member station crew and ground teams around the world to install the JPM and Kibo's robotic arm system.
Shortly before launch, Commander Mark Kelly thanked the teams that helped make the launch possible. "We're going to deliver Kibo, or hope, to the space station," Kelly said. "And while we tend to live for today, the discoveries from Kibo will certainly offer hope for tomorrow."
Joining Kelly on Discovery's 14-day flight are Pilot Ken Ham and Mission Specialists Karen Nyberg, Ron Garan, Mike Fossum, Greg Chamitoff and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide. Garan and Fossum will conduct three spacewalks during the mission. Chamitoff will replace current station crew member Garrett Reisman, who has lived on the outpost since mid-March. Chamitoff will return to Earth on Endeavour's STS-126 mission, targeted for Nov. 10.
NASA is providing continuous television and Internet coverage of Discovery's mission, which is the 123rd shuttle flight, the 35th for Discovery and the 26th shuttle mission to the station.
NASA Television features live mission events, daily mission status news conferences and 24-hour commentary. NASA TV is webcast at: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
NASA's Web coverage of STS-124 includes current mission information, interactive features, and news conference images, graphics and videos. Mission coverage, including the latest NASA TV schedule, also is available on the main space shuttle Web site at: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
For information about other NASA missions and activities, visit: http://www.nasa.gov
May 29, 2008
NASA TARGETS GLAST LAUNCH FOR JUNE 5
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The launch of NASA's GLAST spacecraft aboard a
United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket is scheduled for Thursday,
June 5. The launch window extends from 11:45 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. EDT
and remains unchanged through Aug. 7.
The June 5 date already is reserved for the launch of GLAST on the
Eastern Range. The date was chosen at the conclusion of Thursday's
Flight Readiness Review to give the launch team sufficient time to
make sure remaining open engineering issues are resolved.
Launch commentary on NASA Television (media channel 103) will begin at
9:45 a.m. For complete NASA TV downlink information, schedules and
links to streaming video, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more information about the GLAST mission, visit: www.nasa.gov/glast
May 23, 2008
NASA'S GLAST SPACE TELESCOPE TO LAUNCH ABOARD DELTA II ON JUNE 3
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Launch of NASA's Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope, or GLAST, is targeted for Tuesday, June 3, from Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The launch window extends from 11:45 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. EDT and remains unchanged through Aug. 7. The June 3 launch date is dependent on space shuttle Discovery's May 31 liftoff, and will move if the shuttle launch is delayed.
NASA's new gamma-ray observatory will open a wide window on the universe through the study of gamma rays, the highest-energy form of light. GLAST data will enable scientists to answer persistent questions across a broad range of topics, including supermassive black-hole systems, pulsars, the origin of cosmic rays, and searches for signals of new physics.
A prelaunch webcast will take place on Monday, June 2, at noon on NASA Direct, Kennedy's Internet broadcasting network. GLAST's launch director will explain how the countdown will unfold on launch day, discuss how the spacecraft and Delta II launch vehicle were prepared for liftoff, and viewers will hear GLAST's project scientist explain the mission's goals. To view the webcast, and for more information about the GLAST mission, visit: www.nasa.gov/glast
May 19, 2008
NASA GIVES 'GO' FOR SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH ON MAY 31
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA senior managers completed a review Monday
of space shuttle Discovery's readiness for flight and selected May 31
as the official launch date for the STS-124 mission. Commander Mark
Kelly and his six crewmates are scheduled to lift off to the
International Space Station at 5:02 p.m. EDT.
Discovery's 14-day flight will carry the largest payload so far to the
station and includes three spacewalks. It is the second of three
missions that will launch components to complete the Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory. The crew will install Kibo's
large Japanese Pressurized Module and Kibo's robotic arm system.
Discovery also will deliver new station crew member Greg Chamitoff
and bring back Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman, who will end a
three-month stay aboard the outpost.
Discovery's launch date was announced after the conclusion of Monday's
Flight Readiness Review. During the meeting, top NASA and contractor
managers assessed the risks associated with the mission and
determined the shuttle's equipment, support systems and procedures
are ready for flight.
Commander Kelly will be joined on STS-124 by Pilot Ken Ham and Mission
Specialists Karen Nyberg, Ron Garan, Mike Fossum, Chamitoff and
Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide. For more information about the
STS-124 mission, including images and interviews with the crew,
visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
May 8, 2008
NASA AWARDS CONTRACT FOR ARES I MOBILE LAUNCHER
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Kennedy Space Center has awarded a
contract to Hensel Phelps of Orlando, Fla., for the construction of
the Ares I mobile launcher for the Constellation Program. Ares I is
the rocket that will transport the Orion crew exploration vehicle,
its crew and cargo to low Earth orbit. The contract includes an
option for an additional Ares I mobile launcher. It is a firm
fixed-price contract with a value of $263,735,000, if all options are
exercised.
The mobile launcher will support the Ares I and the vehicle's
associated ground support equipment. It will be used in the assembly,
testing and servicing of the Ares I at existing Kennedy facilities.
The mobile launcher will transport the Ares I rocket to the launch
pad and provide ground support for launches. The mobile launcher
consists of the main support structure that comprises the base, tower
and facility ground support systems, which include power,
communications, conditioned air, water for cooling, wash-down, and
ignition over-pressure protection.
Hensel Phelps will supply all labor, materials and equipment necessary
for construction of the Ares I mobile launcher. Ground support
equipment, such as umbilicals, propellant and gases, instrumentation,
controls and communications, necessary to support the Ares I rocket
will be provided and installed under a separate contract or
contracts.
The tower of the mobile launcher will have multiple platforms for
personnel access and will be approximately 390 feet tall.
Construction will take place at the mobile launcher park site area
located north of Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building at the space
center in Florida.
For more information about NASA's Constellation Program, visit: www.nasa.gov/constellation
May 3, 2008
SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY ARRIVES AT LAUNCH PAD, COUNTDOWN TEST SET
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- After safely reaching its launch pad at NASA's
Kennedy Space Center, space shuttle Discovery now awaits its next
major milestone for the upcoming STS-124 mission. A launch dress
rehearsal, known as the terminal countdown demonstration test, is
scheduled to take place at Kennedy from May 6 to 9.
Discovery arrived at the pad at 4:25 a.m. EDT Saturday on top of a
giant crawler-transporter. The crawler-transporter left Kennedy's
Vehicle Assembly Building at 11:47 p.m. Friday, traveling less than 1
mph during the 3.4-mile journey. The shuttle was secured on the
launch pad at 6:06 a.m. Saturday.
Discovery is targeted to launch May 31 on a 13-day mission to the
International Space Station. The shuttle's seven crew members will
deliver the Kibo laboratory's large Japanese Pressurized Module, or
JPM, and its remote manipulator system to the International Space
Station. Three spacewalks will be conducted during the flight.
Mark Kelly will command the STS-124 mission. Ken Ham will be the
pilot. The mission specialists are Karen Nyberg, Ron Garan, Mike
Fossum, Greg Chamitoff and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
astronaut Akihiko Hoshide. Chamitoff will remain on the station as a
resident crew member, replacing station Flight Engineer Garrett
Reisman, who will return home on Discovery.
The STS-124 astronauts and ground crews will participate in the
practice countdown. The terminal countdown demonstration test
provides each shuttle crew with an opportunity to participate in
various simulated countdown activities, including equipment
familiarization and emergency training.
STS-124 is the 123rd shuttle flight, the 35th flight for Discovery and
the 26th flight to the station.
Video B-roll of the terminal countdown demonstration test will be
available on the NASA TV Video File. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more information about the STS-124 mission and crew, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
April 30, 2008
NASA TV TO AIR 2008 U.S. ASTRONAUT HALL OF FAME INDUCTION
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Television will provide live coverage of the 2008 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday, May 3, at 3 p.m. EDT. The ceremony will take place at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Joining the hall of fame this year are former astronauts John Blaha; Loren Shriver; Bryan O'Connor, NASA's chief of Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA Headquarters in Washington; and Bob Cabana, center director of NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
CNN correspondent John Zarrella will host the event. More than 25 hall-of-fame astronauts are scheduled to attend, including Scott Carpenter, John Young, Robert Crippen, Al Worden and Walt Cunningham.
For more information about the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, visit: www.kennedyspacecenter.com
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
April 29, 2008
NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY TO MOVE TO LAUNCH PAD SATURDAY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to roll
out to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on
Saturday, May 3, as preparations for the STS-124 mission move
forward. Discovery is targeted to lift off May 31 on a 13-day mission
to the International Space Station.
The first motion of the shuttle out of Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly
Building is scheduled for 12:01 a.m. EDT. The space shuttle vehicle,
consisting of the orbiter, external tank and twin solid rocket
boosters, was fully assembled on the mobile launcher platform and
will be delivered to the pad atop a crawler transporter. The crawler
slowly moves the shuttle out to the pad at less than 1 mph during its
3.4-mile journey. The process is expected to take approximately six hours.
NASA Television will provide live coverage of Discovery's rollout to
the launch pad starting at 6:30 a.m. Video highlights of the rollout
will air on the NASA TV Video File.
The mission will deliver the Kibo laboratory's large Japanese
Pressurized Module, or JPM, and its remote manipulator system to the
International Space Station. Three spacewalks will be conducted
during the flight.
Discovery will be commanded by Mark Kelly. Ken Ham will be the pilot.
The mission specialists are Karen Nyberg, Ron Garan, Mike Fossum,
Greg Chamitoff and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut
Akihiko Hoshide. Chamitoff will remain on the station as a resident
crew member, replacing station Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman, who
will return home on Discovery.
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more information about the STS-124 mission and crew, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
April 28, 2008
HOME FROM SPACE, IOWA ASTRONAUT PEGGY WHITSON SET FOR INTERVIEWS
HOUSTON-- NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson of Iowa, who returned to Earth
April 19 after approximately six months on the International Space
Station.
Whitson, the first female commander of the space station, has
accumulated more time in orbit than any U.S. astronaut in history.
She launched to the complex on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft Oct. 10,
2007, spending 192 days in space. Whitson previously spent 185 days
in space after serving as a flight engineer on Expedition 5, which
launched June 5, 2002, and returned to Earth Dec. 7. She conducted
five spacewalks on her recent mission and one on her previous flight,
totaling 39 hours and 46 minutes of spacewalking time, more than any
other female.
During Expedition 16, Whitson oversaw the first expansion of the
station's living and working space in more than six years. The
shuttle and station crews added the Harmony connecting node, the
European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory and the Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency's Kibo logistics pressurized module.
Whitson was born in Mt. Ayr, Iowa, and considers nearby Beaconsfield
her hometown. She received a bachelor's degree in biology and
chemistry from Iowa Wesleyan College and a doctorate in chemistry
from Rice University. She was selected as an astronaut in 1996.
Whitson's biography is available at: www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/whitson.html
For information about the space station, visit: www.nasa.gov/station
April 22, 2008
NASA AWARDS LAUNCH SERVICES CONTRACT TO SPACEX
WASHINGTON -- NASA has awarded Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, a NASA Launch Services contract for the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 launch vehicles.
The NASA Launch Services contracts are multiple awards to multiple
launch service providers. Twice per year, there is an opportunity for
existing and emerging domestic launch service providers to submit
proposals if their vehicles meet the minimum contract requirements.
The contract is an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ)
contract where NASA may order launch services through June 30, 2010,
for launches to occur through December 2012. Under the NASA Launch
Services IDIQ contracts, the potential total contract value is
between $20,000 and $1 billion, depending on the number of missions awarded.
The contract seeks a launch capability for payloads weighing 551
pounds or heavier into a circular orbit of 124 miles at an orbital
inclination of 28.5 degrees. Payloads would be launched to support
three NASA mission directorates: Science, Space Operations and Exploration Systems.
Because an IDIQ contract has been awarded to SpaceX, it can compete
for NASA missions using the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 launch vehicles as
specified by the NASA Launch Services contract process.
NASA's Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center is responsible
for program management. This award to SpaceX adds to the stable of
launch vehicles available to NASA under previously awarded contracts.
The original request for proposal was issued in 1999.
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
April 18, 2008
NASA DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR AND FLORIDA GOVERNOR DISCUSS BENEFITS OF SPACE EXPLORATION AT MIAMI FUTURE FORUM
MIAMI -- NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale and Florida Gov. Charlie
Crist discussed Friday how space exploration gives Floridians a more
competitive economy and better quality of life during a NASA Future
Forum at the University of Miami.
As an example, Crist used the event to announce a partnership between
state-funded Space Florida and SPACEHAB of Webster, Texas. They plan
to use the International Space Station's national laboratory
designation and the Space Life Sciences Lab at NASA's Kennedy Space
Center, Fla., to carry out space-based biomedical and biotech research.
"Today's announcement exemplifies why we're holding future forums in
cities such as Miami," Dale said. "It allows us to talk directly to
the public about the diverse ways America's long-term space
exploration goals lead to economic growth, scientific discoveries and
technological advancements for people right here on Earth, right in their own communities."
"Florida is committed to fostering a thriving aerospace industry and
is quickly becoming known as one of the nation's top biotech
centers," said Governor Crist. "The partnership reinforces our
dedication to the biotech industry. This is an exciting opportunity
to stimulate progress in this new market and in Florida's economy."
The forum was part of a yearlong series of events across the country
marking NASA's 50th anniversary.
Other NASA participants included astronauts Carl Walz and Steve Frick.
Walz, director of the Advanced Capabilities Division in NASA's
Exploration Systems Mission Directorate in Washington, discussed the
agency's plans to return to the moon and travel beyond. Frick
commanded space shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 mission to the
International Space Station in February.
Panel discussions among NASA representatives and Florida academic and
commercial groups highlighted the future of space exploration.
"To advance exploration and understanding of space is one of the most
ambitious human endeavors of our era," said Donna E. Shalala,
president of the University of Miami. "We are grateful for the
opportunity to connect space exploration, entrepreneurship and
education, as one of the selected sites to host a NASA Future Forum
in celebration of the agency's 50th anniversary."
On Thursday, engineers from NASA's Kennedy Space Center held a panel
discussion with engineering students from the University of Miami. It
included talk about what education and job skills will be needed from
future NASA engineers. The panel was followed by a workshop with
aerospace education specialists and education students.
The Miami Future Forum was sponsored, in part, by the University of
Miami; Space Florida; United Space Alliance, Houston; Raytheon,
Waltham, Mass.; Jacobs Engineering, Pasadena, Calif.; and ATK, Edina, Minn.
April 17, 2008
NASA TO BROADCAST EARTH VIEWS IN HIGH DEFINITION TELEVISION
HOUSTON -- Since humans first flew in space, nothing has captivated
astronauts more than the view of home out the window of their
spacecraft. In honor of Earth Day, April 22, NASA will make those
views available to people here on Earth with an event highlighting
imagery taken by astronauts and the science behind it.
For the first time ever, NASA Television will air a special hour-long
broadcast of views of Earth taken in High Definition, or HD, by
astronauts on past space shuttle and International Space Station missions.
The special HD broadcast will air between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. EDT on
Friday, April 18, and replay at the same time on Monday, April 21. It
will air every hour from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22.
The Friday HD broadcast will feature a silent version of the Earth
views. The broadcasts on Monday and Tuesday will include a discussion
of the views by Dr. Justin Wilkinson, a scientist with the Crew Earth
Observations Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The footage also will air on standard NASA TV during regularly
scheduled Video File broadcasts. For technical information on how to
receive the special broadcast in high definition, and for NASA TV
streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv Ê
For more information about NASA's Earth Day events, and the space
shuttle and space station programs, visit: www.nasa.gov Ê
April 11, 2008
NASA DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR VISITS MIAMI FOR FUTURE FORUM
WASHINGTON - On Friday, April 18, NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale
will present the keynote address to launch a daylong event at the
University of Miami's BankUnited Center celebrating the space
agency's 50th birthday.
NASA's Miami Future Forum focuses on how space exploration benefits
Florida's economy and is part of a yearlong series. Media are invited
to attend the day's events, as well as a media-only
question-and-answer session at 10:30 a.m. EDT.
Astronaut Carl Walz, director of the Advanced Capabilities Division in
NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, will provide an
overview of the agency's plans to return to the moon and explore
beyond. Astronaut Steve Frick, who commanded space shuttle Atlantis'
STS-122 mission to the International Space Station in February, will
deliver the luncheon address.
March 31, 2008
NASA UPDATES TARGET LAUNCH DATE FOR NEXT SPACE SHUTTLE FLIGHT
WASHINGTON -- NASA is targeting May 31 as the launch date for shuttle
Discovery's STS-124 mission to deliver the large Japanese Kibo
Pressurized Module to the International Space Station. The liftoff
time is approximately 5:01 p.m. EDT.
NASA decided to reschedule Discovery's target launch date from May 25
to May 31 after shipment of the mission's external fuel tank from its
assembly plant at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to
Florida was delayed by weather. The tank arrived at NASA's Kennedy
Space Center in Florida on March 26.
Additionally, NASA elected to move the liftoff date in order to avoid
having the launch team work through the Memorial Day weekend.
The official launch date for Discovery will be determined during the
standard Flight Readiness Review held approximately two weeks before launch.
Discovery's mission is the second of three flights that will launch
components to complete the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo
laboratory. The Japanese Pressurized Module will be the station's
largest science laboratory, measuring 37 feet long and 14 feet in
diameter, about the size of a large tour bus. The shuttle also will
deliver the lab's robotic arm system that support operations outside
of Kibo. The lab's logistics module, which was installed in a
temporary location during STS-123 in March, will be attached to the new lab.
Mark Kelly will command the seven-member crew, which includes Pilot
Ken Ham, Mission Specialists Karen Nyberg, Ron Garan Jr., Mike
Fossum, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide
and Greg Chamitoff. Chamitoff will replace Expedition 16/17 Flight
Engineer Garrett Reisman and remain aboard the station as a member of
the Expedition 17 crew. Reisman will return to Earth with the STS-124 crew.
For more information about the STS-124 mission and its crew, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle.
For more information about the space station, visit: www.nasa.gov/station.
March 28, 2008
NASA AWARDS EDUCATION GRANT
WASHINGTON -- NASA has awarded a cooperative agreement education grant to Oklahoma State University, Stillwater. The grant supports implementation of the Interdisciplinary National Science Program Incorporating Research Experience, also known as INSPIRE, program at NASA.
The grant features a one-year basic period of performance with four one-year extension options. The estimated value of the agreement is $2.6 million with a potential value of $22 million if all options are exercised.
The program is designed to encourage students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, also known as STEM. As part of NASA's education strategy to attract and retain students in STEM disciplines, students selected for INSPIRE will be given the opportunity to participate in unique summer experiences at NASA facilities, provided access to a variety of online resources and invited to participate in special videoconferences with NASA officials.
Oklahoma State University will provide administrative services for student recruitment, online resources, project logistics and program evaluation. NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida will manage the program with work being performed at each of NASA's ten field centers.
For information on NASA's education programs, visit:
www.nasa.gov
March 27, 2008
NASA AWARDS NITROGEN SUPPLY AND SERVICES CONTRACT
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA has awarded Air Liquide Large Industries of Houston the Kennedy Space Center - Cape Canaveral Air Force Station gaseous nitrogen supply and services contract.
The indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract has an estimated valued of $47.5 million during a five-year period, including a three-year base period and two, one-year option periods.
The contract will provide the continued supply of gaseous nitrogen for Kennedy and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, including the continued op erations and maintenance of the Kennedy pipeline system.
The contract requires Air Liquide Large Industries to provide personnel, materials, and the gaseous nitrogen production facility necessary to support current and future NASA launch programs and activities at Kennedy and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
March 26, 2008
NASA'S SHUTTLE CREW RETURNS HOME AFTER SUCCESSFUL MISSION
 |
Station, Moon and Earth
Framed by components of the International Space Station, a full moon is visible in this view above Earth's horizon and airglow. This image was taken during the STS-123 mission while the space shuttle Endeavour was docked with the station for a 16-day mission.
Image Credit: NASA |
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour and its crew landed at
8:39 p.m. EDT Wednesday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., after
completing a 16-day journey of nearly 6.6 million miles in space. The
first landing attempt at Kennedy was bypassed due to low clouds in
the area.
Endeavour's flight was the longest shuttle mission to the
International Space Station and included a record five spacewalks.
The shuttle's seven astronauts worked with the three-member station
crew and ground teams around the world to install the first section
of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory and the
Canadian Space Agency's two-armed robotic system, known as Dextre.
"The success of this mission makes the International Space Station
truly international," said NASA Associate Administrator for Space
Operations Bill Gerstenmaier. "Japan is now a full-time participant,
controlling the Kibo module from its center near Tokyo. We have teams
working around the clock in the United States, Russia, Germany and
Japan overseeing t
NASA TV Schedule - Titusville Cable Channel 15
