NASA SUPPORTS NEW FAA COMMERICAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION CENTER
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida will support the new Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation (COE), a university-led consortium sponsored and announced Wednesday by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The new center will perform research and development to help build a safe and strong U. S. commercial space industry.
The nationwide team selected by the FAA and based at New Mexico State University will lead other core university members to establish and operate the new Center of Excellence (COE). Those universities include the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne and the Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion (FCAAP) in Tallahassee, which is a consortium of other Florida universities. Kennedy provided support for the COE during the development of proposals submitted to the FAA, along with a number of other industry and government affiliates.
"Kennedy Space Center is pleased to participate in the FAA's new Center of Excellence and to support this winning team," said Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana. "We look forward to active involvement in these research and development initiatives. This collaborative effort initiated by the FAA aligns perfectly with NASA's evolving relationship and support for a vital U. S. commercial space industry and with our vision of a 21st Century Space Launch Complex."
Kennedy is prepared to serve as a flight test center for COE research efforts as they evolve through cooperative agreements among the partner institutions. The COE's research and development will be targeted on focus areas defined by the FAA.
"The FAA's new Center of Excellence will help build the nation's future space transportation capabilities," said Jim Ball, Kennedy's program manager for Strategic Partnerships.
SPACE COAST TASK FORCE DELIVERS ECONOMIC STRATEGIES REPORT
WASHINGTON -- The President's Task Force on Space Industry Workforce and Economic Development, co-chaired by NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden, Jr. and U. S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, today released its report to President Barack Obama with recommendations to enhance economic development strategies along Florida's Space Coast.
The task force was charged with developing a plan for how best to invest $40 million in transition assistance from the federal government in the Space Coast region as the space shuttle program winds down.
Bolden, Locke, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, and several other senior administration officials visited the region several times since the creation of the task force to meet with area workers and experts.
"Over the past few months, we have worked diligently with local government officials, economic development agencies and affected corporations and employees to develop a comprehensive plan that will create high-skill, high-wage jobs and a strong economic base in the Space Coast," Locke said. "Space is a key driver of the 21st century American economy, and that's why the president believes so strongly in empowering NASA to pursue new avenues of discovery."
After review of the Space Coast's economic assets, employment needs, and development priorities, as well as suggestions submitted through a public website, the task force developed four key recommendations for the president:
1. To sustain regional investments already underway including: -- Retraining resources for displaced workers --The Space Shuttle Transition Liaison Office -- Recovery Act funding for the region, and other government programs
2. To spur immediate opportunity by:
-- Launching a new Commercial Spaceflight Technical Center -- Investing $600,000 of the Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) and Small Business Administration FY 2010 budget to support small businesses and industry clusters -- Holding a federal government job fair for the highly skilled displaced workers -- Facilitating a technology export exposition hosted by the Department of Commerce to increase access to international markets for small- and medium-sized businesses
3. To invest in smart economic growth initiatives through a new competitive fund by:
-- Establishing a fast-track competitive grant process through the EDA
4. To build lasting infrastructure for success by:
-- Engaging a public-private partnership between the federal government, venture capitalists, and corporations to catalyze new, long-term business creation along the Space Coast
The majority of the $40 million investment will be dedicated to a fast-track competitive grant process through Commerce's EDA. Thirty-five million dollars in grants will be awarded to the most promising job creation and economic development programs, with competition announced Sept. 1. The additional $5 million will fund a new Commercial Spaceflight Technical Center to support commercial space launch and reentry activities.
"For decades, the dedicated members of the Space Coast workforce have used their wide-ranging talents to safely create, launch, and maintain some of the world's most complex aerospace and technical systems," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "As we transition to a new era in our national space policy, President Obama has made it a top priority to foster innovation and create job opportunities for those who helped make America the leader in international space exploration. The investments we're making with these Task Force recommendations are investments in our nation's most important asset -- our skilled workforce."
In addition to funding set aside in President Obama's 2011 budget for the Space Coast, another $60 million was set aside for other areas across the country that will be impacted by changes to the nation's space policy, including $45 million for economic development through EDA and another $15 million for job training activities through the Department of Labor. Earlier this year, President Obama announced a new, ambitious space initiative that includes a budget increase of $6 billion over five years to support a bold new path of innovation and discovery that will create thousands of jobs at Kennedy Space Center, on the Space Coast, and nationwide.
And in May, he established the Task Force on Space Industry Workforce and Economic Development to lead the initiative to coordinate and implement a plan to grow the region's economy and prepare its workers for the opportunities of tomorrow as the shuttle program comes to a close. The $40 million, multi-agency initiative builds on and complements ongoing local and federal economic and workforce development efforts.
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
Aug. 5, 2010
NASA MOVES SPACE STATION REPAIR SPACEWALK TO SATURDAY
HOUSTON -- The first of two spacewalks by NASA astronauts to replace a failed ammonia pump on the International Space Station has been moved to Saturday, Aug. 7. A second spacewalk is planned for Wednesday, Aug. 11, to complete the repairs.
Teams of flight controllers, engineers, and spacewalk experts have made significant progress in preparing for the first spacewalk, but need an additional day to get ready. The additional time allows for final procedures to be sent late Thursday to the station, giving the crew a full day to review the plans developed by Mission Control. Managers also moved the second spacewalk to Wednesday to give the crew more time to rest and prepare.
Expedition 24 Flight Engineers Doug Wheelock and Tracy Caldwell Dyson are scheduled to perform the spacewalks, which will air on NASA Television. Coverage will begin at 6 a. m. EDT. The spacewalks are scheduled to begin at 6:55 a. m. Saturday's spacewalk will be the fourth for Wheelock and the first for Caldwell Dyson.
Approximately two hours after the conclusion of each spacewalk, NASA TV will broadcast a briefing from NASA's Johnson Space Center. The briefing participants will be Mike Suffredini, International Space Station program manager; Courtenay McMillan, Expedition 24 spacewalk flight director; and David Beaver, Expedition 24 spacewalk officer.
Johnson's newsroom will be open for credentialed reporters to attend the briefing. Johnson also will operate a telephone bridge for reporters with valid media credentials issued by a NASA center. Journalists planning to use the service must contact the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 no later than 15 minutes prior to the start of a briefing. Phone bridge capacity is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Engineers and flight controllers continue to review data on the July 31 pump failure, which caused the loss of one of two cooling loops aboard the station. This failure resulted in a power down and required adjustments to maintain as much redundancy as possible for the station systems. The systems are stable, and the station's six crew members are not in any danger.
For NASA TV streaming video, schedules and downlink information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Kennedy Space Center is helping with the unprecedented effort to save wildlife from the effects of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The first group of hatchlings from endangered sea turtle eggs brought from beaches along the northern U.S. Gulf Coast are being released into the Atlantic Ocean off NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Jane Provancha, Kennedy's lead biologist at the hatchery, is heading-up the project. The release and relocation work is part of an effort by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the National Park Service, NOAA, FedEx and conservationists to help minimize the risk to this year's sea turtle hatchlings from impacts of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. This plan involves carefully moving an anticipated 700 nests deposited on Florida Panhandle and Alabama beaches during the next several months. Note: The photos were shot using a red filter to protect the hatchlings. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
The first group of hatchlings from endangered sea turtle eggs brought from beaches along the northern U. S. Gulf Coast was released into the Atlantic Ocean off Kennedy's central Florida coast on July 11. Twenty-two Kemp's ridley turtles were set free on a Kennedy Space Center beach, which is part of the Canaveral National Seashore.
After being collected on June 26, the Kemp's ridley nest from Walton County, Fla., was packed in a Styrofoam box with sand and transported by a specially-equipped FexEx truck to a secure, climate-controlled facility at Kennedy where it was monitored until incubation was complete. Most of the nests that will be collected are from loggerhead turtles, but nests from leatherback and green turtles, in addition to Kemp's ridley, may be brought to the Kennedy hatchery.
Video of the hatchery at Kennedy, the nest and release of the first group of hatchlings is airing on NASA Television's Video File segment. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
In an effort to have a minimal impact on the initial incubating eggs and hatchling releases, there are no opportunities currently planned for news media to visit the Kennedy hatchery or view a turtle release. However, as the ocean release process is refined, it is expected media opportunities will be scheduled. Media who want to be added to a notification list for opportunities should contact Pat Behnke at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The release and relocation work is part of an environmental endeavor by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the National Park Service, NOAA, FedEx and conservationists to help minimize the risk to this year's sea turtle hatchlings from impacts of the oil spill. During the next several months, this plan involves carefully moving an anticipated 700 nests to Kennedy that have been laid on Florida Panhandle and Alabama beaches.
The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1963 as an overlay of Kennedy Space Center, where it shares the land with space shuttle launch pads, rockets and research and development facilities. As part of the Deepwater Horizon Response, six brown pelicans, four laughing gulls and one common tern also were released at Kennedy on June 6.
The complete turtle relocation plan, along with other wildlife related plans and recommended wildlife protocols, is available at: www.fws.gov/northflorida
GOOD INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION SIGHTING OPPORTUNITY ON JULY 15
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Central Florida will have a good opportunity to see the International Space Station pass overhead on Thursday, July 15, at about 9:27 p.m. EDT, weather permitting.
The station with its six-person Expedition 24 crew, including NASA astronauts Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Shannon Walker and Doug Wheelock, is about 225 miles above Earth.
The station will approach from the north/northwest and for about two
minutes will be two-thirds of the way up in the sky as it moves to
the east/southeast.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The National Space Grant Foundation is the recipient of NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) Space Grant Cooperative Agreement.
The agreement began July 1, 2010 and runs until June 30, 2013. The $1.8 million award will be used for ESMD Space Grant internships, senior design projects, faculty fellowships, faculty workshops, course developments and student competitions.
The program is designed to encourage college students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, also known as STEM. It is part of NASA's education strategy to attract and retain students in STEM disciplines.
Formed in 2006, the ESMD Space Grant project has provided opportunities for students and faculty through individual grants to each of the 52 Space Grant Consortia. The agreement will enable a more efficient and streamlined process for NASA and the Consortia.
The National Space Grant Foundation supports the Space Grant Consortia in every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico by implementing education, research, and public outreach activities in STEM and additional fields, related to space, aeronautics, aviation, and Earth systems science.
For more information about the National Space Grant Foundation, visit: www.spacegrant.org/
EXTERNAL FUEL TANK FOR LAST SHUTTLE FLIGHT TO ARRIVE AT KENNEDY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Media are invited to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, July 14 for the arrival of the last space shuttle external fuel tank scheduled to fly. ET-138 is designated for Endeavour's STS-134 mission, the last scheduled flight for the Space Shuttle Program.
The tank departed NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana aboard the Pegasus barge on a six-day, 900-mile journey to Kennedy on July 8. Depending on conditions at sea, the barge will arrive at Kennedy on July 13 or 14, but will not be taken off the barge until July 14.
Video highlights of the move will air on the NASA TV Video File Wednesday afternoon. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
Endeavour's STS-134 mission is targeted to launch to the International Space Station on Feb. 26, 2011. For more information about the Space Shuttle Program and missions, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
July 1, 2010
NASA UPDATES SHUTTLE TARGET LAUNCH DATES FOR FINAL TWO FLIGHTS
WASHINGTON -- NASA is targeting approximately 4:33 p.m. EDT on Nov. 1 for the launch of space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 mission and 4:19 p.m. EST on Feb. 26, 2011, for the liftoff of shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 flight from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The target dates were adjusted because critical payload hardware for STS-133 will not be ready in time to support the previously planned Sept. 16 launch. With STS-133 moving to November, STS-134 cannot fly as planned, so the next available launch window is in February 2011.
NASA will schedule the official launch date for each mission following the agency's Flight Readiness Reviews, which typically occur about two weeks prior to launches. All target launch dates are subject to change.
For more information about the shuttle missions and their crews, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
NASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER HOSTS NATURALIZATION CEREMONY JULY 1
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA will help welcome more than 100 people as new U. S. citizens during a naturalization ceremony at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Fla., on July 1 at 9 a. m. EDT.
U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will administer the Oath of Allegiance at Kennedy to a group of candidates representing 36 countries in honor of the upcoming Independence Day holiday. An estimated 3,800 candidates will become citizens at 55 special ceremonies, including the one at Kennedy, held across the country and around the world from July 1-6. This will be the first time a naturalization ceremony will be held at a NASA facility.
For more information about Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, visit: www.kennedyspacecenter.com
Images of the ceremony will be posted on Kennedy's Media Gallery at: mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov
For more information about U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, visit: www.uscis.gov
For more information about NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit: www.nasa.gov/kennedy
June 25, 2010
NASA & SPACE FLORIDA BREAK GROUND ON NEXT-GEN SCI-TECH PARK
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Work on a next-generation science and technology commerce park is under way at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. NASA, Space Florida, and local, state and Congressional leaders held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday for Exploration Park at Kennedy's Space Life Sciences Laboratory (SLSL), adjacent to where the park will be built.
The SLSL will be the anchor facility for Exploration Park, which is expected to open its first new facility in early 2012. The park will host diverse aerospace-related research and development activities for interested commercial, civil and military tenants, and bring new work to Central Florida.
"Exploration Park will provide opportunities for enhancing commercial space capabilities to support NASA's mission, as well as the benefit of space commerce to the economy of this entire nation," said Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana. "I believe Exploration Park will play a very key role in helping Kennedy take advantage of new opportunities emerging from the transition we have begun and it will help facilitate the center's future, where we are the world's premiere spaceport, supporting a diversity of space transportation services and home to world-leading research and technology in space and space-related fields."
"Today's groundbreaking is a tremendous milestone in the transformation of Florida's $8 billion-a-year space industry and will enable the Sunshine State to tap into a greater share of the $250-billion global space marketplace," said Florida Gov. Charlie Crist.
"Exploration Park is building on Kennedy Space Center's rich history of innovation," said Florida Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp. "The types of cutting-edge businesses that will operate from Exploration Park will play a significant role in growing Florida's innovation economy. On behalf of the State of Florida, we look forward to watching Exploration Park grow to become a leading research and technology campus for our state."
Phase 1 of Exploration Park currently is expected to include eight new buildings totaling 315,000 sq. ft. NASA signed a 60-year land-use lease with Space Florida to develop 60 acres on Kennedy property for the park, which also will incorporate the SLSL and facilitate other new laboratory and high bay capabilities. To date, six Letters of Intent have been signed by potential tenants of Phase 1 facilities. These companies cannot be identified at this time as they currently are protected under Non-Disclosure Agreements with Space Florida. Tenant announcements are anticipated in the near future.
In November 2009, NASA and Florida Power & Light, Florida's largest utility, announced plans for a new research and development facility to support continual improvement of solar renewable energy that would be established by SunPower and FPL's other partners at Exploration Park. The dedicated R&D facility could result in at least 50 high-salary science and engineering positions permanently established at Kennedy by SunPower and FPL's other partners, a potential for solar panel manufacturing located nearby and new construction jobs.
"We are thankful to our State legislators for leading the charge on attracting increased commercial opportunities to our state's space industry," noted Space Florida President Frank DiBello. "More than 1,700 jobs are possible within Phase 1 of this park, and we look forward to working with a wide variety of innovative companies to establish and grow their operations here."
For information about Space Florida and Exploration Park, visit: www.spaceflorida.gov
For more information about NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit: www.nasa.gov/kennedy
Exploration Park is adjacent to the world-class Space Life Sciences Laboratory at Kennedy Space Center. Known for its first-rate laboratory environments, SLSL has facilitated vital research for NASA's astronaut and International Space Station programs. Exploration Park tenants will be in close proximity to this innovative facility, as well as the historic launch complexes and processing infrastructure located at KSC and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
SPACE ECONOMIC TASK FORCE SEEKS FLORIDA PUBLIC COMMENTS
WASHINGTON -- The Task Force on Space Industry Workforce and Economic Development has launched an interactive Web site to encourage public comment on ways to promote economic growth and sustainability in Florida's Space Coast region as it adapts to changes in America's space program.
The site offers valuable information about the work the administration is doing to create jobs in the region by fostering a more supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem.
"We consider the new interactive Web site an important tool to understand public concerns and challenges about the economic growth and well being of Florida's Space Coast," said Woodrow Whitlow, NASA's associate administrator for the Mission Support Directorate in Washington. "This tool and our other outreach efforts will help the task force prepare recommendations for the president that reflect the greatest needs and concerns of both the public and the area's aerospace-related industries."
On May 3, President Obama issued a presidential memorandum establishing the task force. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke are co-chairing the effort.
"President Obama is committed to helping Florida's Space Coast adapt and thrive in the years ahead," said U. S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development John Fernandez. "The work of the task force adds to this administration's unprecedented level of transparency, and ensures public trust, participation and confidence. Our efforts depend on the participation of local stakeholders who will ultimately devise and implement a bottom-up, regionally driven strategic plan."
The task force's mission is to develop an interagency strategic action plan to enhance economic development along Florida's Space Coast and related areas. Plans will include recommendations to ensure the region is equipped to adapt to changes in local economies resulting from developments in America's space program.
Among these recommendations will be a strategic investment plan for $40 million in new federal funding for the Space Coast region that the president included in his 2011 budget request. The task force will present the plan to the president by Aug. 15.
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
June 22, 2010
NASA AWARDS LAUNCH SERVICES CONTRACT FOR OCO-2 MISSION
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA has selected Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va., to launch the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) mission. The spacecraft will fly in February 2013 aboard a Taurus XL 3110 rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
The total cost of the OCO-2 launch services is approximately $70 million. The estimated cost includes the task-ordered launch service for a Taurus XL 3110 rocket, plus additional services under other contracts for payload processing, OCO-2 mission-unique support, launch vehicle integration, and tracking, data and telemetry support.
OCO-2 is NASA's first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in the Earth's climate. OCO-2 will provide the first complete picture of human and natural carbon dioxide sources and "sinks," the places where the gas is pulled out of the atmosphere and stored. It will map the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. The OCO-2 spacecraft will replace OCO-1, lost during a launch vehicle failure in 2009.
The OCO-2 project is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. NASA's Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida is responsible for launch vehicle program management of the Taurus XL 3110 rocket.
For more information about NASA and agency missions, visit:
www.nasa.gov
June 21, 2010
NASA FAMILY EDUCATION NIGHT JUNE 26
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA and Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex are hosting the first-ever NASA family education night June 26 from 6 to 10 p. m. EDT at the U. S. Astronaut Hall of Fame near NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
The event, for fifth- through eighth-grade students and their parents, will focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, educational activities that will feature "gee-whiz" presentations, astronaut appearances, a hovercraft, vortex cannon and alternative fuel vehicles.
The event is part of NASA's Summer of Innovation initiative to provide interactive learning experiences to middle school students nationwide during the summer months, when many students experience what is known as the "summer slide," a loss of skills acquired during the school year. The program is a cornerstone of the Educate to Innovate campaign announced by President Barack Obama last November.
TO EXPLORATION PARK 'GROUNDBREAKING' EVENT AT KENNEDY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A groundbreaking ceremony for NASA and Space Florida's new technology and commerce park, known as "Exploration Park" at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., June 25 at 10 a.m. EDT. It will take place outside the Space Life Sciences Laboratory (SLSL).
Exploration Park is designed to be a strategically located complex, adjacent to the SLSL, for servicing diverse tenants and uses that will engage in activities to support the space and space-related activities of NASA, other government agencies and the U.S. commercial space industry, as well as bring new aerospace work to the Space Coast.
Scheduled speakers at the event include Florida Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp, Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana, Space Florida President Frank DiBello and executives from The Pizzuti Companies, Exploration Park's Master Developer.
Video highlights of the June 25 event and supporting video b-roll will air that afternoon on the NASA TV Video File. For NASA TV schedules, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
Images of the event will be posted that afternoon on the Kennedy Media Gallery at: mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov Ê
For more information about NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit: www.nasa.gov/kennedy
June 15, 2010
NASA ANNOUNCES EDUCATION RESEARCH PROGRAM AWARD RECIPIENTS
WASHINGTON -- NASA has awarded $16.8 million to colleges and universities nationwide to conduct research and technology development in areas of importance to the agency's mission. In addition to the research and technology development, the awards enable faculty development and higher education student support.
The selections are part of NASA's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or EPSCoR. The program is designed to assist states in establishing an academic research enterprise directed toward a long-term, self-sustaining and competitive capability that will contribute to the states' economic viability and development. EPSCoR assists in developing partnerships between NASA research assets, academic institutions and industry.
A total of 24 proposals were selected for funding in Puerto Rico and the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wyoming. Winning proposals were selected through a merit-based, peer-reviewed competition.
Two proposals were selected from each of the following colleges, universities and organizations:
College of Charleston; University of Alaska, Fairbanks; University of Idaho; Vanderbilt University; West Virginia University Research Corporation
One proposal was selected from each of the following universities and organizations:
Brown University; Louisiana Board of Regents; Maine Space Grant Consortium; Montana State University System; Nevada System of Higher Education; South Dakota School of Mines and Technology; University of Alabama in Huntsville; University of Hawaii Systems; University of Kentucky; University of Mississippi; University of Northern Iowa; University of Puerto Rico; University of Wyoming; University System of New Hampshire
For additional information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
June 15, 2010
NASA ANNOUNCES SYSTEMS ENGINEERING COMPETITION WINNERS
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass., are the 1st place winners of NASA's systems engineering paper competition. The winning paper, "Cathode/Anode Satellite Thruster for Orbital Repositioning" earned the team a $3,500 scholarship and an invitation to view a future launch at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
The competition, sponsored by NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, asked teams of undergraduate and graduate students to submit a paper on an Exploration Systems mission topic. A total of 11 papers from students throughout the country were submitted.
The 2nd place award of $2,500 was presented to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va., and 3rd place of $1,500 was awarded to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich. Both teams will also receive invitations to view a future launch.
The competition is designed to engage students in the science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, disciplines critical to NASA's missions.
NASA AWARDS LAUNCH SERVICES CONTRACT FOR IRIS MISSION
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA has selected Orbital Sciences Corporation of Dulles, Va., to launch the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph spacecraft known as IRIS. The spacecraft will fly in December 2012 aboard a Pegasus XL rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
The total cost of the IRIS launch services is approximately $40 million. This estimated cost includes the task ordered launch service for a Pegasus XL, plus additional services for launch site support, integrated services, and support unique to the mission.
IRIS will make detailed measurements of the flow of energy and plasma through the sun's atmosphere and heliosphere. The IRIS mission will open a window of discovery into a crucial gap in current solar observational capabilities.
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., manages the IRIS project. NASA's Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center is responsible for program management of the launch services.
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
June 8, 2010
NASA RELEASES FIRST-EVER INSIDE VIEW OF SHUTTLE AFTER LANDING
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA has released the first-ever up close, high-definition video taken from inside a space shuttle during "towback" following a landing.
Shuttle Atlantis touched down at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on May 26 after 12 days in space, completing its STS-132 mission to the International Space Station.
Following every shuttle landing, about 150 trained workers assist the crew out and prepare the shuttle for towing atop a large diesel-driven tractor to its processing hangar.
The video, which includes views of Atlantis' hatch opening and closing from the inside, shows United Space Alliance employees inside Atlantis' crew compartment working through an extensive checklist to "safe" the spacecraft for towback from Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility runway to Orbiter Processing Facility-1. Inside the facility, Atlantis will be prepared for the unlikely event it is needed as a rescue spacecraft for the final planned shuttle flight, Endeavour's STS-134 mission.
The video will be broadcast on NASA Television's Video File. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more information about the Space Shuttle Program, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
June 4, 2010
NASA ADMINISTRATOR'S STATEMENT ON FIRST FALCON 9 LAUNCH
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The following is a statement by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden regarding Friday's launch of Space Exploration Technologies' Falcon 9 rocket.
"Congratulations to Space X on today's launch of its Falcon 9 launch vehicle. Space X's accomplishment is an important milestone in the commercial transportation effort and puts the company a step closer to providing cargo services to the International Space Station.
"Preparations are proceeding for the first NASA-sponsored test launch under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services project later this year. COTS is a vital development and demonstration partnership to create a commercial space transportation system capable of providing cargo to the station.
"This launch of the Falcon 9 gives us even more confidence that a resupply vehicle will be available after the space shuttle fleet is retired."
NASA AND COMMERCE PRESENT UPDATE ON SPACE INDUSTRY TASK FORCE
WASHINGTON -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke will present an update about the Presidential Task Force on Space Industry Work Force and Economic Development..
The event will be carried live on NASA Television and also available online.
The administration recently launched a $40 million, multi-agency initiative for regional economic growth and to prepare space industry workers for future opportunities. Task force activities will complement local and federal economic and workforce-development efforts.
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
June 1, 2010
KENNEDY VISITOR COMPLEX ANNOUNCEMENT JUNE 2
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will host Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis Wednesday, June 2, for a major announcement to assist NASA workers who will be dislocated as a result of the impending retirement of the Space Shuttle Program.
NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver will open the event, which will include Rep. Suzanne Kosmas of Florida, Brevard Workforce President Lisa Rice and other community leaders.
NASA TV AIRING U.S. ASTRONAUT HALL OF FAME INDUCTION ON JUNE 5
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Television will provide live coverage of the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame 2010 induction ceremony on Saturday, June 5, at 2:30 p.m. EDT. The ceremony will take place at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.
Joining the hall of fame this year are former astronauts Guy Bluford Jr., the first African-American to fly in space; Ken Bowersox, pilot of the first maintenance mission to restore NASA's Hubble Space Telescope; Frank Culbertson Jr., commander of the first space shuttle night landing at Kennedy; and Kathy Thornton, a mission specialist during the first three-person spacewalk flight.
Jon Cryer, Emmy Award-winning comedian in the TV series "Two and a Half Men," is hosting the event. NASA Administrator and former astronaut Charles Bolden will introduce one of the inductees.
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
May 28, 2010
NASA RELEASES FIRST-EVER HIGH-DEF FOOTAGE OF SHUTTLE "ICE TEAM"
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Ð NASA has released the first-ever up close, high-definition video of Kennedy Space Center's Final Inspection Team walkdown in the final hours before a space shuttle launch. The footage was shot on May 14 at Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A during the countdown for shuttle Atlantis' STS-132 mission.
The six-member inspection team, also known as the "Ice Team," walks on every level of the launch pad's fixed service structure and mobile launcher platform base, inspecting the shuttle, external fuel tank, solid rocket boosters, pad structure and ground equipment for signs of ice buildup, debris or anything else that might be amiss prior to launch. As part of the inspection, photos are taken and transmitted to the launch team for review.
A NASA videographer was included on the team for Atlantis' launch to document this important and hazardous process. The footage was captured with a Panasonic HPX 3700 high definition, cinema-style camera with 1080 progressive scanning at 24 frames per second.
The video will be broadcast in standard definition on NASA Television's Video File. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more information about Atlantis' STS-132 mission and the Space Shuttle Program, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
May 26, 2010
SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS RETURNS HOME AFTER ITS FINAL PLANNED MISSION
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis and six astronauts ended a 12-day journey of more than 4.8 million miles with an 8:48 a. m. EDT landing Wednesday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The third of five shuttle missions planned for 2010, this was the last scheduled flight for Atlantis. The mission, designated STS-132, delivered the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the International Space Station. Also known as Rassvet ("dawn" in Russian), the module provides additional storage space and a new docking port for Russian Soyuz and Progress spacecraft.
Ken Ham commanded the flight and was joined by Pilot Tony Antonelli and Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman, Michael Good, Steve Bowen and Piers Sellers.
The mission's three spacewalks focused on replacing and installing components outside the station, including replacing six batteries, installing a communications antenna and adding parts to the Canadian Dextre robotic arm. A welcome ceremony for the astronauts will be held Thursday, May 27, in Houston. The public is invited to attend the 4 p. m. CDT event at Ellington Field's NASA Hangar 990.
Highlights from the ceremony will be broadcast on NASA Television's Video File. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
STS-132 was the 132nd shuttle flight, the 32nd flight for Atlantis and the 34th shuttle mission dedicated to station assembly and maintenance.
With Atlantis and its crew safely home, the stage is set for the launch of shuttle Discovery on its STS-133 mission, targeted to lift off in September 2010. Discovery's flight will deliver the Leonardo Permanent Multipurpose Module to house experiments. STS-133 also will bring critical spare components and a cargo carrier to the station. Robonaut 2, or R2, will be the first human-like robot in space when it flies on Discovery to become a permanent resident of the station.
For more information about the STS-132 mission and the upcoming STS-133 flight, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
NASA KICKS OFF VIRTUAL EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA will provide college students from across the country with the opportunity to participate in virtual interactive educational sessions focusing on NASA technical challenges and competitions. The agency's new Minority Innovation Challenges Institute, or MICI, will kick off a series of year-round sessions with a virtual conference at 3 p. m. EDT Monday, May 24.
The sessions will teach students how to apply and participate in various competitions, such as the agency's Centennial Challenges Program, the NASA University Student Launch Initiative, and the Great Moonbuggy Race. The online program is free.
The MICI is designed to inspire minority undergraduate students to pursue advanced degrees and careers in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, disciplines critical to NASA's future missions.
"The Minority Innovation Challenges Institute will be a great asset to NASA, as we strive to build the pipeline of future scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians," said Carl Person, NASA's Minority University Research and Education Programs manager. "It will help us educate and inspire more underrepresented and underserved students, not only to participate in NASA challenges and competitions, but also to pursue advanced STEM degrees and NASA-related careers."
MICI is managed for NASA by Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee, Fla., through the agency's Minority University Research and Education Programs Small Programs project.
For more information and to register for the kickoff, visit: www.NASAMICI.com
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
May 25, 2010
SPACE SHUTTLE CREW SET TO RETURN TO EARTH WEDNESDAY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis and its six-member crew are expected to return to Earth on Wednesday, May 26, after a 12-day mission. NASA managers will evaluate weather conditions at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida before permitting Atlantis to land.
Wednesday landing opportunities at Kennedy are at 8:48 a. m. and 10:22 a. m. EDT. If Atlantis is unable to land Wednesday, additional opportunities are available at Kennedy on Thursday at 9:13 a. m. and 10:48 a. m. There are opportunities Friday at Kennedy and backup landing site Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. For recorded updates about landing, call 321-867-2525.
After touchdown, the astronauts will undergo routine physical examinations and meet with their families. The crew will participate in a post-landing news conference approximately four and a half hours after landing. The news events will be broadcast live on NASA Television and streamed on the agency's Web site.
The NASA News Twitter feed is updated throughout the shuttle mission and landing. To follow, visit: www.twitter.com/nasa
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
For the latest information about the STS-132 mission and accomplishments, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
For more information about the space station and its crew, visit: www.nasa.gov/station
May 25, 2010
INAUGURAL LUNABOTICS MINING COMPETITION GOES LIVE WITH NASA EDGE
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA EDGE, an award-winning agency talk show, will host a live webcast from the Lunabotics Mining Competition at 11 a.m. EDT on May 28 from the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex's Astronaut Hall of Fame.
More than 20 university teams from around the country built remote-controlled or autonomous excavators, called lunabots, for the competition. NASA EDGE will take viewers behind the scenes as the teams prepare their robots for lunar excavation.
The mining competition is a NASA Exploration Systems Mission Directorate project designed to engage and retain students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, fields. It also provides a competitive environment that may result in innovative ideas and solutions that could be applied to actual lunar excavation for NASA.
Video highlights of the setup, practice and competition will air on the NASA TV Video File. For downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more information about the competition and a list of participating teams, visit: www.nasa.gov/lunabotics
May 14, 2010
NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS LIFTS OFF TO PUT FINISHING TOUCHES ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - One of the final space shuttle visits to the International Space Station began at 2:20 p. m. Friday with the launch of Atlantis and six astronauts from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission will deliver cargo, critical spare parts and a Russian laboratory to the station.
The third of five shuttle missions planned for 2010, this was the last planned launch for Atlantis. The Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 is inside the shuttle's cargo bay. Also known as Rassvet (dawn in Russian), it will provide additional storage space and a new docking port for Russian Soyuz and Progress spacecraft. The laboratory will be attached to the bottom port of the station's Zarya module.
Ham is joined on the STS-132 mission by Pilot Tony Antonelli and Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman, Michael Good, Steve Bowen, and Piers Sellers, all veteran space fliers. Good and Sellers rode Atlantis into orbit on their first space missions in 2009 and 2002, respectively.
The shuttle crew is scheduled to dock to the station at 10:27 a. m. EDT on Sunday, May 16. The mission's three spacewalks will focus on storing spare components outside the station, including six batteries, a communications antenna and parts for the Canadian Dextre robotic arm.
After completing the 12-day STS-132 mission, the shuttle's first landing opportunity at Kennedy is scheduled for 8:44 a. m. on Wednesday, May 26. STS-132 is the 132nd shuttle flight, the 32nd flight for Atlantis and the 34th shuttle mission dedicated to station assembly and maintenance.
Mission coverage, including the latest NASA Television schedule, is available on the main space shuttle Web site at: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
NASA is providing continuous television and Internet coverage of the mission. NASA TV features live mission events, daily status news conferences and 24-hour commentary. For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
Live updates to the NASA News Twitter feed will be added throughout the mission and landing. To access the feed, go to the NASA.gov homepage or visit: www.twitter.com/nasa
NASA ENABLES STUDENTS TO LAUNCH VIRTUAL SPACE SHUTTLE
WASHINGTON - As NASA prepares to launch a space shuttle on Friday, May 14, the agency is offering the ABCs of 3,2,1 liftoff to students and educators throughout the nation. A new computer simulation program will allow them to take on the roles of NASA engineers and launch the shuttle from their own classrooms.
The program is based on software used for training at the shuttle Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Kennedy Launch Academy Simulation System, or KLASS, gives students the chance to monitor important shuttle systems during a launch countdown and decide whether they are "go" for liftoff. They will work together as a team and learn about the different responsibilities behind-the-scenes of a shuttle launch.
KLASS was designed for sixth- through 10th-grade students to develop their science, technology, engineering and math skills.
In addition to the launch simulation software, KLASS is offering 40 hours of lesson plans and interactive resources for teachers. These materials can be used for one-day lessons or one-year curriculums.
NASA ANNOUNCES SHUTTLE PRELAUNCH COUNTDOWN DETAILS
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Atlantis' STS-132 mission to the International Space Station is scheduled to lift off at 2:20 p. m. EDT on Friday, May 14. The mission is the last scheduled flight for Atlantis. Including STS-132, there are only three remaining shuttle missions scheduled before the fleet is retired. Detailed lists of countdown milestones are available at: www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/news
A NASA blog will provide countdown updates beginning at 9 a. m. on May 14. Originating from Kennedy, the blog is the definitive Internet source for information leading up to launch. During the mission, visitors to NASA's shuttle Web site can read about the crew's progress and watch the mission's three spacewalks live.
As Atlantis' flight concludes, the NASA blog will detail the spacecraft's return to Earth. For NASA's launch blog and continuous mission updates, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
NASA will make live updates to the NASA News Twitter feed throughout the shuttle launch countdown, mission and landing. To access the feed, go to the NASA.gov home page or visit: www.twitter.com/nasa
For NASA Television streaming video, scheduling and downlink information, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
President Obama and Advisers Visit Space center
President Barack Obama, left, exits of Air Force One with, from left, Representative US Representative Suzanne M. Kosmas (D - FL), U.S Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Apollo 11 Astronaut Buzz Aldrin after landing at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. on Thursday, April 15, 2010. Obama visited Kennedy to deliver remarks on the bold new course the administration is charting to maintain U.S. leadership in human space flight.
Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
STS-132 Space Shuttle Atlantis Launch
Scheduled for Friday, May 14, 2010 at 2:19 p.m. ET.
NASA Causeway and Visitor Complex viewing tickets on sale Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. ET.
Atlantis embarks on its final voyage. Witness Commander Ken Ham and the
STS-132 crew launch to the International Space Station on the last scheduled mission for the orbiter Atlantis. Launch time and date subject to change.
*Virtual waiting room opens at 8:45 a.m. ET.
Launch tickets go on sale at 9:00 a.m. ET.
Please review STS-132 ticket options and sales information.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 2010, 2:55 P.M. EDT
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
ON SPACE EXPLORATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY
John F. Kennedy Space Center
Merritt Island, Florida
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody. Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you so much. Thank you, everybody. Please have a seat. Thank you.
I want to thank Senator Bill Nelson and NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden for their extraordinary leadership. I want to recognize Dr. Buzz Aldrin as well, who's in the house. (Applause.) Four decades ago, Buzz became a legend. But in the four decades since he's also been one of America's leading visionaries and authorities on human space flight.
Few people -- present company excluded -- can claim the expertise of Buzz and Bill and Charlie when it comes to space exploration. I have to say that few people are as singularly unimpressed by Air Force One as those three. (Laughter.) Sure, it's comfortable, but it can't even reach low Earth orbit. And that obviously is in striking contrast to the Falcon 9 rocket we just saw on the launch pad, which will be tested for the very first time in the coming weeks. Click here for SpaceX (Falcon 9) information.
A couple of other acknowledgments I want to make. We've got Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee from Texas visiting us, a big supporter of the space program. (Applause.) My director, Office of Science and Technology Policy -- in other words my chief science advisor -- John Holdren is here. (Applause.) And most of all I want to acknowledge your congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas, because every time I meet with her, including the flight down here, she reminds me of how important our NASA programs are and how important this facility is. And she is fighting for every single one of you and for her district and for the jobs in her district. And you should know that you've got a great champion in Congresswoman Kosmas. Please give her a big round of applause. (Applause.)
I also want to thank everybody for participating in today's conference. And gathered here are scientists, engineers, business leaders, public servants, and a few more astronauts as well. Last but not least, I want to thank the men and women of NASA for welcoming me to the Kennedy Space Center, and for your contributions not only to America, but to the world.
Here at the Kennedy Space Center we are surrounded by monuments and milestones of those contributions. It was from here that NASA launched the missions of Mercury and Gemini and Apollo. It was from here that Space Shuttle Discovery, piloted by Charlie Bolden, carried the Hubble Telescope into orbit, allowing us to plumb the deepest recesses of our galaxy. And I should point out, by the way, that in my private office just off the Oval, I've got the picture of Jupiter from the Hubble. So thank you, Charlie, for helping to decorate my office. (Laughter.) It was from here that men and women, propelled by sheer nerve and talent, set about pushing the boundaries of humanity's reach.
That's the story of NASA. And it's a story that started a little more than half a century ago, far from the Space Coast, in a remote and desolate region of what is now called Kazakhstan. Because it was from there that the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth, which was little more than a few pieces of metal with a transmitter and a battery strapped to the top of a missile. But the world was stunned. Americans were dumbfounded. The Soviets, it was perceived, had taken the lead in a race for which we were not yet fully prepared.
But we caught up very quick. President Eisenhower signed legislation to create NASA and to invest in science and math education, from grade school to graduate school. In 1961, President Kennedy boldly declared before a joint session of Congress that the United States would send a man to the Moon and return him safely to the Earth within the decade. And as a nation, we set about meeting that goal, reaping rewards that have in the decades since touched every facet of our lives. NASA was at the forefront. Many gave their careers to the effort. And some have given far more.
In the years that have followed, the space race inspired a generation of scientists and innovators, including, I'm sure, many of you. It's contributed to immeasurable technological advances that have improved our health and well-being, from satellite navigation to water purification, from aerospace manufacturing to medical imaging. Although, I have to say, during a meeting right before I came out on stage somebody said, you know, it's more than just Tang -- and I had to point out I actually really like Tang. (Laughter.) I thought that was very cool.
And leading the world to space helped America achieve new heights of prosperity here on Earth, while demonstrating the power of a free and open society to harness the ingenuity of its people.
And on a personal note, I have been part of that generation so inspired by the space program. 1961 was the year of my birth -- the year that Kennedy made his announcement. And one of my earliest memories is sitting on my grandfather's shoulders, waving a flag as astronauts arrived in Hawaii. For me, the space program has always captured an essential part of what it means to be an American -- reaching for new heights, stretching beyond what previously did not seem possible. And so, as President, I believe that space exploration is not a luxury, it's not an afterthought in America's quest for a brighter future -- it is an essential part of that quest.
So today, I'd like to talk about the next chapter in this story. The challenges facing our space program are different, and our imperatives for this program are different, than in decades past. We're no longer racing against an adversary. We're no longer competing to achieve a singular goal like reaching the Moon. In fact, what was once a global competition has long since become a global collaboration. But while the measure of our achievements has changed a great deal over the past 50 years, what we do -- or fail to do -- in seeking new frontiers is no less consequential for our future in space and here on Earth.
So let me start by being extremely clear: I am 100 percent committed to the mission of NASA and its future. (Applause.) Because broadening our capabilities in space will continue to serve our society in ways that we can scarcely imagine. Because exploration will once more inspire wonder in a new generation -- sparking passions and launching careers. And because, ultimately, if we fail to press forward in the pursuit of discovery, we are ceding our future and we are ceding that essential element of the American character.
I know there have been a number of questions raised about my administration's plan for space exploration, especially in this part of Florida where so many rely on NASA as a source of income as well as a source of pride and community. And these questions come at a time of transition, as the space shuttle nears its scheduled retirement after almost 30 years of service. And understandably, this adds to the worries of folks concerned not only about their own futures but about the future of the space program to which they've devoted their lives.
But I also know that underlying these concerns is a deeper worry, one that precedes not only this plan but this administration. It stems from the sense that people in Washington -- driven sometimes less by vision than by politics -- have for years neglected NASA's mission and undermined the work of the professionals who fulfill it. We've seen that in the NASA budget, which has risen and fallen with the political winds.
But we can also see it in other ways: in the reluctance of those who hold office to set clear, achievable objectives; to provide the resources to meet those objectives; and to justify not just these plans but the larger purpose of space exploration in the 21st century.
All that has to change. And with the strategy I'm outlining today, it will. We start by increasing NASA's budget by $6 billion over the next five years, even -- (applause) -- I want people to understand the context of this. This is happening even as we have instituted a freeze on discretionary spending and sought to make cuts elsewhere in the budget.
So NASA, from the start, several months ago when I issued my budget, was one of the areas where we didn't just maintain a freeze but we actually increased funding by $6 billion. By doing that we will ramp up robotic exploration of the solar system, including a probe of the Sun's atmosphere; new scouting missions to Mars and other destinations; and an advanced telescope to follow Hubble, allowing us to peer deeper into the universe than ever before.
We will increase Earth-based observation to improve our understanding of our climate and our world -- science that will garner tangible benefits, helping us to protect our environment for future generations.
And we will extend the life of the International Space Station likely by more than five years, while actually using it for its intended purpose: conducting advanced research that can help improve the daily lives of people here on Earth, as well as testing and improving upon our capabilities in space. This includes technologies like more efficient life support systems that will help reduce the cost of future missions. And in order to reach the space station, we will work with a growing array of private companies competing to make getting to space easier and more affordable. (Applause.)
Now, I recognize that some have said it is unfeasible or unwise to work with the private sector in this way. I disagree. The truth is, NASA has always relied on private industry to help design and build the vehicles that carry astronauts to space, from the Mercury capsule that carried John Glenn into orbit nearly 50 years ago, to the space shuttle Discovery currently orbiting overhead. By buying the services of space transportation -- rather than the vehicles themselves -- we can continue to ensure rigorous safety standards are met. But we will also accelerate the pace of innovations as companies -- from young startups to established leaders -- compete to design and build and launch new means of carrying people and materials out of our atmosphere.
In addition, as part of this effort, we will build on the good work already done on the Orion crew capsule. I've directed Charlie Bolden to immediately begin developing a rescue vehicle using this technology, so we are not forced to rely on foreign providers if it becomes necessary to quickly bring our people home from the International Space Station. And this Orion effort will be part of the technological foundation for advanced spacecraft to be used in future deep space missions. In fact, Orion will be readied for flight right here in this room. (Applause.)
Next, we will invest more than $3 billion to conduct research on an advanced "heavy lift rocket" -- a vehicle to efficiently send into orbit the crew capsules, propulsion systems, and large quantities of supplies needed to reach deep space. In developing this new vehicle, we will not only look at revising or modifying older models; we want to look at new designs, new materials, new technologies that will transform not just where we can go but what we can do when we get there. And we will finalize a rocket design no later than 2015 and then begin to build it. (Applause.) And I want everybody to understand: That's at least two years earlier than previously planned -- and that's conservative, given that the previous program was behind schedule and over budget.
At the same time, after decades of neglect, we will increase investment -- right away -- in other groundbreaking technologies that will allow astronauts to reach space sooner and more often, to travel farther and faster for less cost, and to live and work in space for longer periods of time more safely. That means tackling major scientific and technological challenges. How do we shield astronauts from radiation on longer missions? How do we harness resources on distant worlds? How do we supply spacecraft with energy needed for these far-reaching journeys? These are questions that we can answer and will answer. And these are the questions whose answers no doubt will reap untold benefits right here on Earth.
So the point is what we're looking for is not just to continue on the same path -- we want to leap into the future; we want major breakthroughs; a transformative agenda for NASA. (Applause.)
Now, yes, pursuing this new strategy will require that we revise the old strategy. In part, this is because the old strategy -- including the Constellation program -- was not fulfilling its promise in many ways. That's not just my assessment; that's also the assessment of a panel of respected non-partisan experts charged with looking at these issues closely. Now, despite this, some have had harsh words for the decisions we've made, including some individuals who I've got enormous respect and admiration for.
But what I hope is, is that everybody will take a look at what we are planning, consider the details of what we've laid out, and see the merits as I've described them. The bottom line is nobody is more committed to manned space flight, to human exploration of space than I am. (Applause.) But we've got to do it in a smart way, and we can't just keep on doing the same old things that we've been doing and thinking that somehow is going to get us to where we want to go.
Some have said, for instance, that this plan gives up our leadership in space by failing to produce plans within NASA to reach low Earth orbit, instead of relying on companies and other countries. But we will actually reach space faster and more often under this new plan, in ways that will help us improve our technological capacity and lower our costs, which are both essential for the long-term sustainability of space flight. In fact, through our plan, we'll be sending many more astronauts to space over the next decade. (Applause.)
There are also those who criticized our decision to end parts of Constellation as one that will hinder space exploration below [sic] low Earth orbit. But it's precisely by investing in groundbreaking research and innovative companies that we will have the potential to rapidly transform our capabilities -- even as we build on the important work already completed, through projects like Orion, for future missions. And unlike the previous program, we are setting a course with specific and achievable milestones.
Early in the next decade, a set of crewed flights will test and prove the systems required for exploration beyond low Earth orbit. (Applause.) And by 2025, we expect new spacecraft designed for long journeys to allow us to begin the first-ever crewed missions beyond the Moon into deep space. (Applause.) So we'll start -- we'll start by sending astronauts to an asteroid for the first time in history. (Applause.) By the mid-2030s, I believe we can send humans to orbit Mars and return them safely to Earth. And a landing on Mars will follow. And I expect to be around to see it. (Applause.)
But I want to repeat -- I want to repeat this: Critical to deep space exploration will be the development of breakthrough propulsion systems and other advanced technologies. So I'm challenging NASA to break through these barriers. And we'll give you the resources to break through these barriers. And I know you will, with ingenuity and intensity, because that's what you've always done. (Applause.)
Now, I understand that some believe that we should attempt a return to the surface of the Moon first, as previously planned. But I just have to say pretty bluntly here: We've been there before. Buzz has been there. There's a lot more of space to explore, and a lot more to learn when we do. So I believe it's more important to ramp up our capabilities to reach -- and operate at -- a series of increasingly demanding targets, while advancing our technological capabilities with each step forward. And that's what this strategy does. And that's how we will ensure that our leadership in space is even stronger in this new century than it was in the last. (Applause.)
Finally, I want to say a few words about jobs. Suzanne pointed out to me that the last time I was here, I made a very clear promise that I would help in the transition into a new program to make sure that people who are already going through a tough time here in this region were helped. And despite some reports to the contrary, my plan will add more than 2,500 jobs along the Space Coast in the next two years compared to the plan under the previous administration. So I want to make that point. (Applause.)
We're going to modernize the Kennedy Space Center, creating jobs as we upgrade launch facilities. And there's potential for even more jobs as companies in Florida and across America compete to be part of a new space transportation industry. And some of those industry leaders are here today. This holds the promise of generating more than 10,000 jobs nationwide over the next few years. And many of these jobs will be created right here in Florida because this is an area primed to lead in this competition.
Now, it's true -- there are Floridians who will see their work on the shuttle end as the program winds down. This is based on a decision that was made six years ago, not six months ago, but that doesn't make it any less painful for families and communities affected as this decision becomes reality.
So I'm proposing -- in part because of strong lobbying by Bill and by Suzanne, as well as Charlie -- I'm proposing a $40 million initiative led by a high-level team from the White House, NASA, and other agencies to develop a plan for regional economic growth and job creation. And I expect this plan to reach my desk by August 15th. (Applause.) It's an effort that will help prepare this already skilled workforce for new opportunities in the space industry and beyond.
So this is the next chapter that we can write together here at NASA. We will partner with industry. We will invest in cutting-edge research and technology. We will set far-reaching milestones and provide the resources to reach those milestones. And step by step, we will push the boundaries not only of where we can go but what we can do.
Fifty years after the creation of NASA, our goal is no longer just a destination to reach. Our goal is the capacity for people to work and learn and operate and live safely beyond the Earth for extended periods of time, ultimately in ways that are more sustainable and even indefinite. And in fulfilling this task, we will not only extend humanity's reach in space -- we will strengthen America's leadership here on Earth.
Now, I'll close by saying this. I know that some Americans have asked a question that's particularly apt on Tax Day: Why spend money on NASA at all? Why spend money solving problems in space when we don't lack for problems to solve here on the ground? And obviously our country is still reeling from the worst economic turmoil we've known in generations. We have massive structural deficits that have to be closed in the coming years.
But you and I know this is a false choice. We have to fix our economy. We need to close our deficits. But for pennies on the dollar, the space program has fueled jobs and entire industries. For pennies on the dollar, the space program has improved our lives, advanced our society, strengthened our economy, and inspired generations of Americans. And I have no doubt that NASA can continue to fulfill this role. (Applause.) But that is why -- but I want to say clearly to those of you who work for NASA, but to the entire community that has been so supportive of the space program in this area: That is exactly why it's so essential that we pursue a new course and that we revitalize NASA and its mission -- not just with dollars, but with clear aims and a larger purpose.
Now, little more than 40 years ago, astronauts descended the nine-rung ladder of the lunar module called Eagle, and allowed their feet to touch the dusty surface of the Earth's only Moon. This was the culmination of a daring and perilous gambit -- of an endeavor that pushed the boundaries of our knowledge, of our technological prowess, of our very capacity as human beings to solve problems. It wasn't just the greatest achievement in NASA's history -- it was one of the greatest achievements in human history.
And the question for us now is whether that was the beginning of something or the end of something. I choose to believe it was only the beginning.
So thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America. Thank you. (Applause.)
END 3:21 P.M. EDT
April 12, 2010
THE WHITE HOUSE
PRESIDENT OBAMA TO DELIVER REMARKS AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
WASHINGTON - On the afternoon of Thursday, April 15 President Barack Obama will visit Cape Canaveral, Florida and deliver remarks on thebold new course the Administration is charting for NASA and the future of U.S. leadership in human space flight.
Air Force One will arrive and deparg from the Shuttle Landing Facility. His presentation will be at the NASA Operations and Checkout Building.
Air Force One Scheduled Arrival: 1:30 PM.
Air Force One Scheduled Departure: 3:45 PM.
The event will be streamed at: www.nasa.gov/ntv.
April 20, 2010
SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY CREW RETURNS TO EARTH AFTER FORTIFYING INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION SCIENCE
Space Shuttle Mission: STS-131
Space shuttle Discovery lands at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Tuesday, April 20, 2010. Discovery and the STS-131 mission crew, Commander Alan Poindexter, Pilot James P. Dutton Jr. and Mission Specialists Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Rick Mastracchio, Stephanie Wilson, Clayton Anderson and Japanese astronaut Naoko Yamazaki returned from their mission to the International Space Station. Image credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery and seven astronauts ended a 15-day journey of more than 6.2 million miles with a 9:08 a. m. EDT landing Tuesday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The STS-131 mission to the International Space Station delivered science racks, new crew sleeping quarters, equipment and supplies. During three spacewalks, the crew installed a new ammonia storage tank for the station's cooling system, replaced a gyroscope for the station's navigation system and retrieved a Japanese experiment from outside the Kibo laboratory for examination on Earth.
Alan Poindexter commanded the flight and was joined by Pilot Jim Dutton and Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson, Clay Anderson, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Naoko Yamazaki. Lindenburger is the last of three teachers selected as mission specialists in the 2004 Educator-Astronaut class to fly on the shuttle.
A welcome ceremony for the astronauts will be held Wednesday, April 21, in Houston. The public is invited to attend the 4 p. m. CDT event at Ellington Field's NASA Hangar 990.
Highlights from the ceremony will be broadcast on NASA Television's Video File. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
With Discovery and its crew safely home, the stage is set for launch of shuttle Atlantis on its STS-132 mission, targeted to lift off May 14. Atlantis' 12-day flight will deliver the Russian-built Mini Research Module to the station along with six new batteries to store power gathered by the Port 6 solar arrays. Shuttle mission STS-132 is the final scheduled flight of Atlantis. Following STS-132, two more shuttle flights are scheduled before the fleet is retired.
For more information about the STS-131 mission and the upcoming STS-132 flight, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Two STS-131 crew members, Clay Anderson and Naoko Yamazaki, used the social medium Twitter to discuss the mission. For their Twitter feeds and other NASA social media websites, visit: www.nasa.gov/connect
Educational activities on the STS-131 mission focused on robotics and promoting careers in science, technology, engineering and math. For NASA's teacher and student resources and activities related to robotics, visit: www.nasa.gov/education/robotics
NASA HOSTS LAUNCH AND MISSION TWEETUPS FOR NEXT SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION
WASHINGTON - During the next space shuttle mission, NASA will host two Tweetups to give the public an insider's look at the nation's space program.
For a second time, NASA Twitter followers are invited to view a shuttle launch in person at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA is hosting the special Tweetup May 13-14. Shuttle Atlantis is targeted to launch at 2:19 p. m. EDT May 14 on its STS-132 mission to the International Space Station.
Once the mission has launched, NASA will host an additional Tweetup at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston that will provide a different perspective of mission operations. This also will be the second mission Tweetup at Johnson.
"We're inviting the public to share in the excitement of human spaceflight during one of the last three scheduled space shuttle missions," said Stephanie Schierholz, social media manager at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "NASA is providing this behind-the-scenes access to give our Twitter followers an understanding and appreciation of all the work that goes into a successful shuttle launch and mission."
For the launch Tweetup May 13-14, NASA will randomly select 150 people from those who sign up on the Web. Registration opens at 10 a. m. on Monday, April 19, and closes at 10 a. m. Tuesday, April 20. To sign up and for more information about the Tweetup, visit:
www.nasa.gov/tweetup
At Kennedy, NASA Twitter followers will take a tour of the center, view the shuttle launch, and speak with shuttle technicians, managers, engineers and astronauts.
After Atlantis' launch, registration for the STS-132 mission Tweetup at Johnson Space Center will be announced on NASA's Twitter account: www.twitter.com/nasa
NASA Twitter followers at the Johnson Tweetup will tour the center, view mission control and astronauts' training facilities, and speak with managers, flight directors, trainers and astronauts.
Both Tweetups will include a "meet and greet" session to allow participants to mingle with fellow Tweeps and the staff behind the tweets on @NASA.
NASA ANNOUNCES CONFERENCE ON THE AMERICAN SPACE PROGRAM FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
WASHINGTON - NASA will hold a conference following President Obama's remarks about the bold new course the administration is charting for NASA and the future of U. S. leadership in human spaceflight on Thursday, April 15, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
A diverse group of senior officials, space leaders, academic experts, industry leaders and others who have specific expertise or interests related to the topics of discussion will attend the conference and participate in four concurrent sessions on different aspects of the President's new direction for NASA.
Following the President's remarks, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will host a conference overview, beginning at 3:45 p. m. EDT, with Norm Augustine, chair, Review of U. S. Human Spaceflight Plans Committee, and John Holdren, assistant to the President for science and technology and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The conference overview and the four concurrent conference sessions, beginning at 4:25 p. m., will take place in both the Operations and Checkout Building and in the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will host a conference wrap-up with the four panel moderators at 5:40 p. m. in the Visitor Complex's Astronaut Encounter Theater.
Conference Session Topics:
Increasing Access to and Utilization of the International Space Station
Jumpstarting the New Technologies to Take Us Beyond
Expanding our Reach into the Solar System
Harnessing Space to Expand Economic Opportunity
The President's remarks and all four conference sessions will be streamed live on the agency's Web site at: www.nasa.gov
April 9, 2010
NASA'S SHUTTLE ATLANTIS MOVES TO LAUNCH PAD, LIFTOFF PRACTICE SET
Rollout currently is scheduled for 12:01 a. m. EDT on Tuesday, April 20, but could move to 8 p. m. on Monday, April 19. The Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, and related training are scheduled from April 20-23. All times listed below are for an April 20 rollout.
Atlantis' astronauts and ground crews will participate in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test related training starting April 20. TCDT provides each shuttle crew with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency training. Media events associated with the test and badge pickup information will be announced at a later date.
The six astronauts for Atlantis' STS-132 mission will deliver an Integrated Cargo Carrier and the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for May 14 at 2:19 p. m. EDT.
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
SOLAR POWER PLANT AT KENNEDY SUPPLYING ELECTRICITY TO FLORIDIANS
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A newly constructed solar power facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., officially is providing electricity to Florida homes. NASA, Florida Power & Light, or FPL, and political leaders commissioned FPL's Space Coast Next Generation Solar Energy Center on Thursday.
The 10-megawatt solar plant was built by FPL, Florida's largest utility. It will feed FPL's electric grid, generating energy for more than 1,000 homes and reducing annual carbon dioxide emissions by more than 227,000 tons.
FPL built a separate 1-megawatt solar power facility at Kennedy as part of this unique public-private partnership between NASA and FPL. That facility has been supplying the space center with electricity since late 2009.
"NASA is a pioneer in the use of solar power for space exploration, so it's fitting that we're working with FPL to expand the use and R&D of that renewable energy source at Kennedy where many of those missions were launched," said Bob Cabana, director of the Kennedy Space Center. "This type of commercial partnership with NASA helps provide Florida residents, and America's space program, with new sources of green power that reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and improve the environment."
"Florida is poised to be a leader in America's growing clean-energy economy, which naturally includes solar power," said Rep. Suzanne Kosmas of Florida. "Bringing new clean-energy jobs to our communities is one of my top priorities. This joint effort between NASA and FPL is an example of how we can create jobs while investing in common-sense solutions to the economic, environmental and national security challenges we face today."
The 10-megawatt facility features approximately 35,000 highly efficient solar photovoltaic panels from SunPower Corporation on 60 acres at Kennedy. The panels are 50 percent more efficient than conventional solar panels.
"Like NASA, FPL is looking beyond the horizon. FPL's Space Coast Next Generation Solar Energy Center is an important part of our state's clean-energy future, but large-scale solar projects like this one also have a very positive impact on the economy today," said FPL President and CEO Armando J. Olivera. "Projects like this and our Next Generation Solar Energy Centers in Martin and DeSoto give Florida the opportunity to create and attract clean-energy jobs and produce millions of dollars in new revenue for local governments while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fighting the effects of climate change at the same time."
Plans also are being discussed to expand the 10-megawatt facility's generating capacity to 100-megawatts at another Kennedy location. This expansion of the solar facilities is contingent on regulatory support and the passage of renewable energy legislation at the state level. If proven environmentally and economically feasible, an expansive field of photovoltaic solar panels will be constructed in phases on 500 or more acres of fallow Kennedy agricultural land and integrated into the utility's grid. A dedicated research and development facility to support continual improvement of solar renewable energy also would be established by SunPower and FPL's other partners at Kennedy's upcoming business complex, Exploration Park.
The proposed projects are being pursued under a five-year Memorandum of Understanding entered into by Kennedy and FPL in 2007 to promote jointly developed projects in renewable technologies.
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
April 5, 2010
NASA'S SHUTTLE DISCOVERY HEADS TO STATION AFTER PREDAWN LAUNCH
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery lit up Florida's Space Coast sky about 45 minutes before sunrise Monday with a 6:21 a. m. EDT launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The launch began a 13-day flight to the International Space Station and the second of five shuttle missions planned for 2010.
Space shuttle Discovery lifts off. Image credit: NASA TV
Discovery is scheduled to dock to the space station at 3:44 a. m. on Wednesday, April 7. The shuttle will deliver science experiments, equipment and supplies to the station. The flight will include three spacewalks to switch out a gyroscope on the station's truss, or backbone, install a spare ammonia storage tank, and retrieve a Japanese experiment from the station's exterior.
Inside the shuttle's cargo bay is the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, a pressurized "moving van" that will be attached to the station temporarily on April 7 and returned to the shuttle's cargo bay Thursday, April 15. The module is filled with supplies, new crew sleeping quarters and science racks that will be transferred to the station's laboratories. This is the final compliment of laboratory facilities that will complete the station's overall research capabilities.
"The crew of STS-131 is really honored to represent the thousands of dedicated people that make up the entire NASA, JAXA and contractor workforces," Commander Alan Poindexter said shortly before liftoff.
Poindexter's fellow crew members are Pilot Jim Dutton and Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson, Clay Anderson and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Naoko Yamazaki. Dutton, Lindenburger and Yamazaki are making their first spaceflights. These three astronauts are the last rookies that will fly aboard the shuttle before its planned retirement.
Lindenburger will be the last of three teachers selected as mission specialists in the 2004 Educator-Astronaut class to fly on the shuttle. The educational activities on the STS-131 mission will focus on robotics and promoting careers in science, technology, engineering and math. For NASA's teacher and student resources and activities related to robotics, visit: www.nasa.gov/education/robotics
Discovery's first landing opportunity at Kennedy is scheduled for 8:30 a. m. on Sunday, April 18. The STS-131 mission will be Discovery's 38th flight and the 33rd shuttle mission dedicated to station assembly and maintenance.
NASA's Web coverage of STS-131 includes mission information, a press kit, interactive features, news conference images, graphics and videos. Mission coverage, including the latest NASA TV schedule, is available on the main space shuttle Web site at: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
NASA is providing continuous television and Internet coverage of the mission. NASA Television features live mission events, daily status news conferences and 24-hour commentary. For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
Anderson and Yamazaki are sending updates about their training to their Twitter accounts and plan to tweet from orbit during the mission. They can be followed at: www.twitter.com/Astro_Clay and www.twitter.com/Astro_Naoko
Live updates to the NASA News Twitter feed will be added throughout the shuttle mission and landing. To access the feed, go to the NASA.gov homepage or visit: www.twitter.com/nasa
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to begin a 13-day flight to the International Space Station with a launch at 6:21 a.m. EDT on April 5 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Discovery's launch date for the STS-131 mission was announced Friday at the conclusion of a flight readiness review at Kennedy. During the meeting, senior NASA and contractor managers assessed the risks associated with the mission and determined the shuttle's equipment, support systems and procedures are ready.
STS-131 is the second of five shuttle missions planned for 2010, with the last flight targeted for a September launch.
Discovery will deliver science and supplies to the station. Inside the shuttle's cargo bay is the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, a pressurized "moving van" that will be temporarily attached to the station. The module is filled with supplies, a new crew sleeping quarters and science racks that will be transferred to the station's laboratories. The flight will include three spacewalks to switch out a gyroscope on the station's truss, or backbone, install a spare ammonia storage tank and return a used one, and retrieve a Japanese experiment from the station's exterior.
Commander Alan Poindexter and his crew are scheduled to arrive at Kennedy at approximately 7 a.m. on Thursday, April 1 for final launch preparations. Joining Poindexter are Pilot Jim Dutton, Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson, Clay Anderson and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Naoko Yamazaki. This mission is the first trip into space for Dutton, Lindenburger and Yamazaki.
STS-131 will be Discovery's 38th mission and the 33rd shuttle flight dedicated to station assembly and maintenance. For more information about STS-131, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Anderson and Yamazaki are sending updates about their training to their Twitter accounts and plan to tweet from orbit during the mission. They can be followed, respectively, at: www.twitter.com/Astro_Clay
NASA OPENS NEW FRONT DOOR TO PARTNERSHIPS WITH KENNEDY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's Kennedy Space Center is using a new Web site aimed at making it easier to partner and do business with the space center.
The site details general partnership criteria, opportunities and benefits. It includes an online partnership interest request form, highlights success stories, answers frequently asked questions and lists the center's area development managers who are the primary interfaces with customers.
The site also provides access to some of the resumes of the center's highly-trained, highly-skilled employees, who may become available for new work as the Space Shuttle Program is retired. These workers possess many skills that are transferable to industries both within the aerospace community and beyond, including experience in engineering, technology, sciences, program/project management, construction, hardware integration and administrative fields.
The Web site is part of a broader effort by Kennedy management to enhance the economic vitality of the center. To help with that goal, Kennedy's Center Planning and Development Office recently was established. Through new and innovative partnerships, the office is set up to provide more concentrated management of Kennedy institutional resources in response to space shuttle transition and retirement and increased focus on enabling commercial space transportation. The office serves as Kennedy's "front door" for accepting proposals for businesses and partnerships, management of Kennedy property and primary interaction with industry partners and other entities wanting to engage in new business ventures.
For updates about ongoing activities at Kennedy, visit the NASA Kennedy News Twitter feed at: www.twitter.com/nasakennedy
NASA AWARDS CIVIL DESIGN, ENGINEERING AND SERVICES CONTRACT
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA has selected Jones Edmunds & Associates Inc. of Gainesville, Fla., to provide civil and environmental design, engineering and other professional services. 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 overseas emergency space shuttle landing sites. The work will rehabilitate, modernize or provide new facilities and systems at these locations.
This new indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract begins in March 2010 with a five year ordering period. The maximum potential value of this contract is approximately $25 million.
Jones Edmunds & Associates will provide services for the design of sewage treatment facilities, road repair and development, and parking facilities. The company also will be responsible for the design of new and reconfigured structures and facilities, building envelope, interior finishes, and site development. The work includes storm water management and utilities as well as facility equipment designed to process and condition hazardous and industrial waste products. Additional work involved includes HVAC and plumbing, industrial and institutional electrical systems, grounding, lighting, lightning protection, fire alarm and detection systems, and construction management.
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
March 12, 2010
NASA ANNOUNCES SYSTEMS ENGINEERING STUDENT COMPETITION
WASHINGTON - NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate is inviting teams of undergraduate and graduate students throughout the country to participate in the fourth annual Systems Engineering Paper Competition. Participants in the competition will submit a paper on an Exploration Systems mission topic.
The deadline to register for the competition is April 16. Papers are due April 23. The winning teams will be announced in May. Awards include up to $3,500 in cash scholarships and VIP invitations to attend a future space shuttle or rocket launch at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The competition is designed to engage students in the science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, disciplines critical to NASA's missions.
NASA HOSTS FIRST-EVER WATER SUSTAINABILITY FORUM MARCH 16-18
WASHINGTON - NASA today announced its founding partnership of Launch, an initiative to identify, showcase and support innovative approaches to sustainability challenges through a series of forums. The first forum, "Launch: Water," will take place at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida from March 16-18.
"NASA is perfectly positioned to host a conversation with experts about potential solutions to the world's most perplexing sustainability problems," said NASA's Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, the host of the forum. "NASA offers a culture of problem-solving, deep technical expertise on sustainable systems such as the International Space Station, and a unique capacity to capture and analyze data about our home planet."
Other founding partners are the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. State Department and Nike. The event will bring together 10 entrepreneurs from around the world who have proposed solutions to water shortages and 40 council members who represent business, policy, engineering, science, communications and sustainability sectors. During the two-and-a-half-day forum, the invited innovators and the Launch Council will participate in sessions designed to identify challenges and discuss future opportunities for their innovations.
Launch is a global initiative to identify and support innovative work that will contribute to a sustainable future. Organizers have begun a global search for visionaries, whose innovative world-class ideas, technologies or programs show great promise in making tangible impacts on society. Through a series of forums focused on key challenge areas including water, air, food, energy, mobility and sustainable cities, Launch will give thought leaders a forum to present innovative ideas among peers and join in collaborative, solution-driven discussions.
To learn about the 10 innovators and their proposed solutions, and for a list of the 40 council members, visit: www.launchorg.com
March 4, 2010
NASA AND NOAA'S GOES-P SATELLITE SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The latest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, or GOES-P, lifted off Thursday aboard a Delta IV rocket at 6:57 p.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 37 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite joins four other similar spacecraft to improve weather forecasting and monitoring of environmental events.
Approximately four hours and 21 minutes after liftoff, the spacecraft separated from the launch vehicle. The NASA Deep Space Network tracking site in Canberra, Western Australia, monitored the spacecraft separation.
"It's a great day for NASA and NOAA, as this last launch completes the spacecraft in the GOES N-P series," said Andre Dress, the NASA GOES Deputy Project Manager. "It means the hard work and dedication from this team during the past 12-plus years all has been worth it. Our review of the spacecraft and launch vehicle data shows that GOES-P is in a nominal transfer orbit with all spacecraft systems functioning properly."
GOES-P is the third and final spacecraft in the GOES N Series of geostationary environmental weather satellites. On March 13, GOES-P is scheduled to be placed in its final orbit and renamed GOES-15.
NOAA has two operational GOES satellites hovering 22,300 miles above the equator -- GOES-12 in the east and GOES-11 in the west. Each provides continuous observations of environmental conditions in North, Central and South America and the surrounding oceans. GOES-13 is being moved to replace GOES-12, which will be positioned to provide coverage for South America as part of the Global Earth Observing System of Systems, or GEOSS.
NASA contracted with Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems of Seal Beach, Calif., to build and launch the GOES-P spacecraft. Approximately 20 days after launch, Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems will turn engineering control over to NASA. About five months later, NASA will transfer operational control of GOES-15 to NOAA. The satellite will be checked out and stored on-orbit. It will be available for activation should one of the operational GOES satellites degrades or exhausts its fuel.
NOAA manages the GOES program, establishes requirements, provides all funding and distributes environmental satellite data for the United States. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., procures and manages the design, development and launch of the satellites for NOAA on a cost reimbursable basis. NASA's Launch Services Program at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida supported the GOES-P launch in an advisory role.
For more information about the GOES-P mission and program, visit: www.nasa.gov/goes-p
For more information about NOAA, visit: www.noaa.gov
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
March 1, 2010
SHUTTLE DISCOVERY'S ROLLOUT TO LAUNCH PAD MOVES TO MARCH 3
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Due to possible rain and lightning, NASA managers at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., now are targeting shuttle Discovery's move from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A for 12:01 a. m. EST on Wednesday, March 3.
Live coverage of the move will be shown on NASA Television beginning at 6:30 a. m. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more information about the STS-131 mission and crew, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Feb. 23, 2010
NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY ROLLS TO LAUNCH PAD; LIFTOFF PRACTICE SET
Atop of a giant crawler-transporter, Discovery's first motion on its rollout to the pad is scheduled for Tuesday at 12:01 a. m. EST. The 3.4-mile journey is expected to take approximately six hours. Activities include a 6:30 a. m. photo opportunity, followed by an 8:30 a. m. interview availability with Discovery Flow Director Stephanie Stilson. Reporters must arrive at Kennedy's news center by 6 a. m. for transportation to the viewing area.
Beginning March 2, Discovery's astronauts and ground crews will participate in a launch dress rehearsal, known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT. The test provides each shuttle crew with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency training.
Discovery's STS-131 crew members are Commander Alan Poindexter, Pilot James P. Dutton Jr., Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Naoko Yamazaki and Clayton Anderson. The seven astronauts will deliver science racks to be transferred to laboratories on the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 6:27 a. m. EDT on April 5.
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more information about the STS-131 mission and crew, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Feb. 22, 2010
GOES-P WEATHER SATELLITE SCHEDULED FOR LAUNCH ON MARCH 2
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-P, or GOES-P, is scheduled for launch aboard a Delta IV rocket on Tuesday, March 2, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The one-hour launch window extends from 6:19 to 7:19 p. m. EST.
If the launch is postponed 24 hours, the launch window on March 3 is 6:18 to 7:18 p. m. EST, one minute earlier.
GOES-P is the last of three in the current series of geostationary weather and environmental satellites built for NASA by Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. It will be launched into orbit for NASA by Boeing Launch Services aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket. The spacecraft will be checked out by Boeing and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center before being turned over to NOAA for operational use.
Live countdown coverage on NASA's launch blog begins at 4 p. m., on March 2. Coverage features real-time updates of countdown milestones, as well as streaming video and a podcast of launch. To access these features, go to NASA's GOES-P mission Web site at: www.nasa.gov/goes-p
GOES-P will provide expanded capability for the space and solar environment-monitoring instruments. Forecasts and warnings for solar disturbances will be enhanced. GOES-P data will protect investments of billions of dollars by the government and private sector for assets on the ground and in space.
GOES-P will feature a highly stable pointing platform, which will improve the performance of its Imager and Sounder that are important instruments for creating daily weather-prediction models and for hurricane forecasting. Data from GOES-P will be valuable for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Ocean Service, which provides oceanographic circulation models and forecasts for U. S. coastal communities.
As with all of NOAA's geostationary and polar-orbiting weather satellites, GOES-P will be able to relay distress signals detected from emergency locator beacons on the ground and at sea in support of the international search and rescue system.
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland is responsible for designing and developing the spacecraft and its instruments for NOAA.
For further information about the GOES-P launch, contact the NASA News Center at Kennedy at 321-867-2468 or visit:
www.nasa.gov/kennedy
Feb. 21, 2010
SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR CREW RETURNS TO EARTH AFTER DELIVERING THE LAST MAJOR U. S. PORTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour and six astronauts ended a 14-day journey of more than 5.7 million miles with a 10:20 p. m. EST landing Sunday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The STS-130 mission to the International Space Station included three spacewalks and the installation of the Tranquility node, a module that provides additional room for crew members and many of the space station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to Tranquility is a cupola with seven windows that offers a panoramic view of Earth, celestial objects and visiting spacecraft. Tranquility and its cupola are the final major U. S. portions of the station. The orbiting laboratory now is approximately 90 percent complete in terms of mass.
George Zamka commanded the flight and was joined on the mission by Pilot Terry Virts and Mission Specialists Kathryn Hire, Stephen Robinson, Nicholas Patrick and Robert Behnken. A welcome ceremony for the astronauts will be held Monday, Feb. 22, in Houston. The public is invited to attend the 4 p. m. CST event at Ellington Field's NASA Hangar 990.
Highlights from the ceremony will be broadcast on NASA Television's Video File. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
With Endeavour and its crew safely home, the stage is set for launch of shuttle Discovery on its STS-131 mission, targeted to lift off April 5. Discovery's 13-day flight will deliver supplies, a new crew sleeping quarters and science racks that will be transferred to the station's laboratories.
For more about the STS-130 mission and the upcoming STS-131 flight, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Two STS-131 crew members, NASA astronaut Clay Anderson and Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, are tweeting about preparing for their mission. For their Twitter feeds and other NASA social media Web sites, visit: www.nasa.gov/connect
For information about the International Space Station, visit: www.nasa.gov/station
Feb. 19, 2010
SPACE SHUTTLE CREW "ENDEAVOURS" A RETURN TO EARTH SUNDAY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour and its six-member crew are expected to return to Earth on Sunday, Feb. 21, after a 14-day mission. NASA managers will evaluate weather conditions at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida before permitting Endeavour to land.
Sunday landing opportunities at Kennedy are at 10:16 p. m. and 11:51 p. m. EST. There are additional opportunities at 1:20 a. m. and 2:55 a. m. EST Monday at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., a backup landing site. For recorded updates about landing, call 321-867-2525.
If Endeavour lands Sunday in Florida as scheduled, NASA officials will hold a briefing to discuss the mission no earlier than midnight. The participants will be: -Mike Moses, space shuttle launch integration manager -Mike Leinbach, shuttle launch director
After touchdown, the astronauts will undergo routine physical examinations and meet with their families. Because of the late hour, the crew will not participate in a post-landing news conference, but a crew statement from the runway is expected. The news events will be broadcast live on NASA Television and the agency's Web site.
The Kennedy news center will open for landing activities at 6 p. m. Sunday and remain open through Monday.
The STS-130 media badges are in effect through landing. The media accreditation building on State Road 3 will be open Sunday from 5:30 p. m. to 8 p. m. The last bus will depart from the news center for the Shuttle Landing Facility one hour before landing.
If the landing is diverted to Edwards, news media should call the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center public affairs office at 661-276-3449. Dryden has limited facilities available for previously accredited journalists.
The NASA News Twitter feed is updated throughout the shuttle mission and landing. To follow, visit: www.twitter.com/nasa
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
For the latest information about the STS-130 mission and accomplishments, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
For more information about the space station and its crew, visit: www.nasa.gov/station
Feb. 19, 2010
NASA PREVIEW APRIL FLIGHT OF SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY
HOUSTON - The STS-131 mission, targeted for launch April 5, will be shuttle Discovery's next-to-last flight and deliver critical spare parts and cargo to the International Space Station. A multipurpose logistics module will be carried inside the shuttle's payload bay and temporarily attached to the station during the mission. The cargo carrier will be brought back with the shuttle. Following STS-131, only three more shuttle flights are scheduled.
Alan Poindexter will serve as the mission commander and James Dutton as the pilot. They will be joined by Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Clayton Anderson, Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Dutton, Metcalf-Lindenburger and Yamazaki will be making their first trips into space. Metcalf-Lindenburger is a member of the cadre of former educators trained as mission specialists and the last of that group scheduled to fly on the shuttle.
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
For the latest information about the STS-131 mission and its crew, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
For more information about the space station and its crew, visit: www.nasa.gov/station
Feb. 17, 2010
NASA'S NEXT SHUTTLE LAUNCH NOW TARGETED FOR APRIL 5
WASHINGTON - NASA is targeting Monday, April 5, for the launch of the next space shuttle from the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Shuttle Discovery's seven crew members had planned to lift off on March 18 to begin the STS-131 mission to the International Space Station. However, cold weather in Florida has delayed Discovery's move to the Vehicle Assembly Building to complete the shuttle's processing, which has delayed the rollout to the launch pad.
The Space Shuttle Program has specific rules against transporting the shuttle when temperatures are below a certain level for extended periods. The vehicle has thrusters with seals that could leak under cold temperatures.
Two STS-131 crew members, NASA astronaut Clay Anderson and Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, are tweeting about preparing for their mission. They can be followed at: www.twitter.com/Astro_Clay
and www.twitter.com/Astro_Naoko
For information about the International Space Station, visit: www.nasa.gov/station
Feb. 12, 2010
NASA AWARDS CONCESSION AGREEMENT FOR KENNEDY VISITOR COMPLEX
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA has selected Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, Inc., of Buffalo, N.Y., to provide concession services for the operation of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.
The new concession agreement begins May 1, 2010. It has a 10-year base period with one five-year option and five, one-year options.
The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has operated for more than 43 years as a commercially viable, self-sufficient concession activity. As such, no appropriated dollars are received for its development, operation or maintenance. All revenues are generated through the sale of admission, food, retail and education programs without cost to the federal budget.
Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts will be responsible for the management and operation of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The principle objective of concession activities is to provide access for visitors to NASA's Kennedy Space Center and to communicate the NASA mission and activities, past, present and future.
SHUTTLE DISCOVERY'S ROLLOVER FROM PROCESSING HANGAR MOVES
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA managers at Kennedy Space Center in Florida now are targeting the start of space shuttle Discovery's move to from its processing hangar to the Vehicle Assembly Building for no earlier than 5 p. m. EST on Sunday, Feb. 14. The move was previously planned for Friday.
The delay is due to concerns over expected cold temperatures in the area. Temperatures cannot be below 45 degrees for more than four hours because Discovery will not be attached to any heating purges to protect it from potential damage from the cold. Teams will meet daily to evaluate the weather to determine the best date and time to move the shuttle and attach its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters.
(02/11/2010) --- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A United Launch Alliance Atlas V with NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory launches from its Space Launch Complex-41 launch pad at 10:23 a.m. EST here today. SDO is the first satellite of NASA's Living with a Star (LWS) program. Its purpose is to examine the sun, the source of all space weather. Photo by Pat Corkery, United Launch Alliance
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, lifted off Thursday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 41 on a first-of-a-kind mission to reveal the sun's inner workings in unprecedented detail. The launch aboard an Atlas V rocket occurred at 10:23 a. m. EST.
The most technologically advanced of NASA's heliophysics spacecraft, SDO will take images of the sun every 0.75 seconds and daily send back about 1.5 terabytes of data to Earth -- the equivalent of streaming 380 full-length movies.
"This is going to be sensational," said Richard R. Fisher, director of the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "SDO is going to make a huge step forward in our understanding of the sun and its effects on life and society."
The sun's dynamic processes affect everyone and everything on Earth. SDO will explore activity on the sun that can disable satellites, cause power grid failures, and disrupt GPS communications. SDO also will provide a better understanding of the role the sun plays in Earth's atmospheric chemistry and climate.
SDO is the crown jewel in a fleet of NASA missions to study our sun. The mission is the cornerstone of a NASA science program called Living With A Star. This program will provide new understanding and information concerning the sun and solar system that directly affect Earth, its inhabitants and technology.
The SDO project is managed at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. NASA's Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center managed the payload integration and launch.
ORBITING SPACE SHUTTLE ASTRONAUTS ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM STUDENTS NATIONWIDE
WASHINGTON - Students in elementary and middle schools nationwide will have their questions about space answered live on Feb. 14 by space shuttle astronauts orbiting 220 miles above Earth.
The students, who attend nine NASA Explorer Schools nationwide, submitted their questions to NASA via video. Space shuttle Pilot Terry Virts and Mission Specialist Kathryn Hire will answer the students' questions on NASA TV. The call is targeted for 10:34 p. m. to 10:54 p. m. EST on Sunday, Feb. 14, but could take place five to 15 minutes earlier or later. Viewers should consult the NASA TV schedule to confirm timing. Any questions the astronauts do not answer will be answered later by subject-matter experts during an event on NASA's Digital Learning Network.
Virts and Hire launched to space Monday, Feb. 8, aboard space shuttle Endeavour from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During their 13-day mission, Endeavour's crew are conducting three spacewalks and delivering the Tranquility node and a cupola to expand the space station.
The NASA Explorer Schools that submitted video questions are:
Phenix City Intermediate School in Phenix City, Ala.
Edward Harris Jr. Middle School in Elk Grove, Calif.
Sequoia Middle School in Portersville, Calif.
Vintage Math, Science and Technology Magnet School in North Hills, Calif.
Goldsboro Elementary Magnet School in Sanford, Fla.
Stewart Magnet Middle School in Tampa, Fla.
Vance Elementary School in Asheville, N.C.
Vernon School in Portland, Ore.
John B. Cary Elementary School in Richmond, Va.
The NASA Explorer Schools project establishes a three-year partnership between NASA and schools in diverse communities to address local challenges in science, technology, and mathematics education. The goal is to bring educators, administrators, students, and families together in sustained involvement with NASA's education programs.
The event is part of a series with educational organizations in the U. S. and abroad to improve teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The in-orbit call is part of Teaching From Space, a NASA project that uses the unique environment of human spaceflight to promote learning opportunities and build partnerships with the kindergarten through 12th grade education community.
NASA Television will air video of Virts and Hire during the downlink. For NASA TV downlink, schedule and streaming video information, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
LAUNCH OF NASA'S SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR SPARKS EARLY MONDAY SUNRISE
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour lit up the predawn sky above Florida's Space Coast on Monday with a 4:14 a. m. EST launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The shuttle's last scheduled night launch began a 13-day flight to the International Space Station and the final year of shuttle operations.
Endeavour's STS-130 mission will include three spacewalks and the delivery of the Tranquility node, the final major U. S. portion of the station. Tranquility will provide additional room for crew members and many of the space station's life support and environmental control systems.
Attached to Tranquility is a cupola with seven windows, which houses a robotic control station. The windows will provide a panoramic view of Earth, celestial objects and visiting spacecraft. After the node and cupola are added, the orbiting laboratory will be approximately 90 percent complete.
Shortly before liftoff, Commander George Zamka said, "Thanks to the great team that got Tranquility, cupola and Endeavour to this point. And thanks also to the team that got us ready to bring Node 3 and cupola to life. We'll see you in a couple of weeks. It's time to go fly."
Zamka is joined on the flight by Pilot Terry Virts and Mission Specialists Kathryn Hire, Stephen Robinson, Nicholas Patrick and Robert Behnken. Virts is making his first trip to space.
Endeavour's first landing opportunity at Kennedy is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 20, at 10:01 p. m. The STS-130 mission will be Endeavour's 24th flight and the 32nd shuttle mission dedicated to station assembly and maintenance.
NASA's Web coverage of STS-130 includes mission information, interactive features, news conference images, graphics and videos. Mission coverage, including the latest NASA TV schedule, is available on the main space shuttle Web site at: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
NASA is providing continuous television and Internet coverage of the mission. NASA Television features live mission events, daily status news conferences and 24-hour commentary. For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
Patrick, who holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, plans to tweet from orbit during the mission. He can be followed at: www.twitter.com/Astro_Nicholas
Live updates to the NASA News Twitter feed will be added throughout the shuttle mission and landing. To access the NASA News Twitter feed, visit: www.twitter.com/nasa
Time exposure of Space Shuttle Endeavour's night launch on February 8, 2010.
Endeavour Launch Rescheduled
Sun, 07 Feb 2010 05:45:38 AM EST
Managers officially have scheduled space shuttle Endeavour's next launch attempt for Monday, Feb. 8 at 4:14 a.m. EST.
The Mission Management Team will meet at 6:15 p.m. Sunday to give the "go" to fill Endeavour's external fuel tank with propellants. Tank loading would begin at 6:45 p.m.
Feb. 3, 2010
GLOW-IN-THE-DARK PLANTS ARE HIGHLIGHT OF INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION SCIENCE BRIEFING
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA will shed light on plant investigations aboard the International Space Station in a briefing at 12 p. m. EST, Friday, Feb. 5. The briefing from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida will be broadcast live on NASA Television.
The upcoming shuttle mission, planned to launch Feb. 7, will continue assembling the space station so it can be used for continuous scientific research as a national and multinational laboratory.
Microgravity plant growth experiments conducted aboard the station will help prepare for long-duration spaceflights of the future. The use of miniaturized green fluorescent proteins that glow in the dark, and associated compact imaging systems, may be used to help monitor crop conditions on Earth.
NASA has published a new Web feature that provides examples of space station research dividends such as those related to cancer treatment delivery, food poisoning vaccine development, air purification, remote ultrasound tests and more.
For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more information about the upcoming shuttle mission, designated
STS-130, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Feb. 1, 2010
NASA SETS SOLAR DYNAMICS OBSERVATORY LAUNCH COVERAGE EVENTS
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, is set to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on Feb. 9. There is a one-hour launch window that extends from 10:30 to 11:30 a. m. EST. Should the launch be postponed for 24 hours, the launch time on Feb. 10 is 10:26 to 11:26 a. m.
The Solar Dynamics Observatory is the first mission that will be launched for NASA's Living With a Star program and is designed to understand the causes of solar variability and how space weather results from that variability. SDO will take a closer look at the Sun and help develop the ability to better understand the Sun's influence on Earth and Near-Earth space by studying the solar atmosphere. SDO will perform several measurements that will help characterize the interior of the Sun, the Sun's magnetic field, the hot plasma of the solar corona, and the density of radiation that creates the ionosphere of the planets. By better understanding the Sun and how it works, scientists will be able to better predict and better forecast the "weather out in space" providing earlier warning to protect our aircraft, satellites, and astronauts when working in space.
Jan. 29, 2010
NASA ANNOUNCES INNOVATION INITIATIVES WITH FISCAL YEAR 2011 BUDGET
WASHINGTON -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will brief reporters about the agency's fiscal year 2011 budget at 3 p. m. EST on Monday, Feb. 1. The news conference will take place in the James E. Webb Memorial Auditorium at NASA Headquarters, located at 300 E St. S.W., in Washington.
NASA Chief Financial Officer Beth Robinson will join Bolden. The news conference will be broadcast live on NASA Television and the agency's Web site. Questions will be taken from media representatives at headquarters and participating field centers, including Kennedy Space Center.
To watch the budget news conference online, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
NASA budget and supporting information will be available at 12:30 p. m., Feb. 1, at: www.nasa.gov/budget
Jan. 28, 2010
NASA SETS SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR PRELAUNCH EVENTS AND COUNTDOWN DETAILS
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- News conferences, events and operating hours for the news center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida are set for the upcoming launch of space shuttle Endeavour.
The shuttle's STS-130 mission to the International Space Station is scheduled to lift off at 4:39 a. m. EST on Sunday, Feb. 7. STS-130 is the final scheduled shuttle night launch.
A NASA blog will provide countdown updates beginning at 11:30 p. m. on Saturday, Feb. 6. Originating from Kennedy, the blog is the definitive Internet source for information leading up to launch. During the mission, visitors to NASA's shuttle Web site can read about the crew's progress and watch the mission's three spacewalks live. As Endeavour's flight concludes, the NASA blog will detail the spacecraft's return to Earth. For NASA's launch blog and continuous mission updates, visit: www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html
The NASA News Twitter feed will be updated during the launch countdown, mission and landing. To follow, visit: www.twitter.com/NASA
STS-130 astronaut Nicholas Patrick will be tweeting about his pre-launch preparations and providing updates to his Twitter account during the shuttle mission. Follow Patrick at: www.twitter.com/Astro_Nicholas
Endeavour's flight begins the final year of shuttle operations. Five missions are planned in 2010, with the final flight targeted for launch in September.
Jan. 27, 2010
NASA GIVES 'GO' FOR FEB. 7 AS FINAL SPACE SHUTTLE NIGHT LAUNCH
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour is set to begin a 13-day flight to the International Space Station with a Feb. 7 launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff is planned for 4:39 a. m. EST, making this the final scheduled space shuttle night launch.
Endeavour's launch date was announced Wednesday at the conclusion of a flight readiness review at Kennedy. During the meeting, senior NASA and contractor managers assessed the risks associated with the mission and determined the shuttle's equipment, support systems and procedures are ready.
Endeavour's flight will begin the final year of space shuttle operations. Five shuttle missions are planned in 2010, with the last flight currently targeted for launch in September.
Endeavour's mission will include three spacewalks and the delivery of the Tranquility node, the final module of the U. S. portion of the space station. Tranquility will provide additional room for crew members and many of the space station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to the node is a cupola, which houses a robotic control station and has seven windows to provide a panoramic view of Earth, celestial objects and visiting spacecraft. After the node and cupola are added, the orbiting laboratory will be about 90 percent complete.
Commander George Zamka and his crew of five astronauts are scheduled to arrive at Kennedy at approximately 10 p. m. on Tuesday, Feb. 2, for final launch preparations. Joining Zamka on STS-130 are Pilot Terry Virts and Mission Specialists Kathryn Hire, Stephen Robinson, Nicholas Patrick and Robert Behnken. Virts will be making his first trip to space.
STS-130 will be Endeavour's 24th mission and the 33rd shuttle flight dedicated to station assembly and maintenance. For more information about STS-130, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Patrick, who holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is sending updates about his training to his Twitter account. He plans to tweet from orbit during the mission. He can be followed at: www.twitter.com/Astro_Nicholas
NASA CUES UP UNIVERSITY CUBESATS FOR GLORY LAUNCH THIS FALL
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA will launch small research satellites for several universities as part of the agency's Educational Launch of Nanosatellite, or ELaNA, mission. The satellites are manifested as an auxiliary payload on the Taurus XL launch vehicle for NASA's Glory mission, planned for liftoff in late November.
The satellites, called CubeSats because of their shape, come from Montana State University, the University of Colorado and Kentucky Space, a consortium of state universities. The University of Florida was selected as an alternate in case one of the three primary spacecraft cannot fly.
CubeSats are in a class of small research spacecraft called picosatellites. They have a size of approximately four inches, a volume of about one quart, and weigh no more than 2.2 pounds.
To place these satellites into orbit by an agency expendable launch vehicle, NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is adapting the Poly-Picosatellite Orbital Deployer, or PPOD. This deployment system, designed and manufactured by the California Polytechnic State University in partnership with Stanford University, has flown previously on Department of Defense and commercial launch vehicles.
Montana State designated its satellite as Explorer 1 Prime, or E1P. The name honors the launch and scientific discoveries of the Explorer-1 mission, which detected the Van Allen radiation belts more than 50 years ago. E1P will carry a miniature Geiger tube to measure the intensity and variability of the electrons in the Van Allen belts.
Colorado's satellite is named Hermes. Its mission is to improve CubeSat communications through the on-orbit testing of a high data-rate communication system that will allow the downlink of large quantities of data.
The Kentucky vehicle is called KySat-1. It includes a camera to support a scientific outreach program intended for, but not limited to, Kentucky students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The satellite also has a 2.4-gigahertz industrial, scientific and medical band radio, which will be used to test high-bandwidth communications in the license-free portion of the S-band.
The satellites will hitch a ride to space with the Taurus rocket's primary payload, NASA's Glory spacecraft. The Glory climate mission, developed by NASA's Science Mission Directorate, will extend the nearly 30-year record of precise measurements of the sun's energy output. It also will obtain first-ever, global measurements of the distribution of tiny airborne aerosol particles. Aerosols represent one of the greatest areas of uncertainty in understanding Earth's climate system.
The ELaNA project is managed by NASA's Launch Services Program at Kennedy. For more information about the program, visit:
www.nasa.gov/kennedy
Jan. 26, 2010
NASA DAY OF REMEMBRANCE AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER JAN. 29
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., will pay tribute to the crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, as well as other NASA colleagues, during the agency's Day of Remembrance observance on Friday, Jan. 29.
Media and the general public are invited to a wreath-laying at 11 a. m. EST at the Space Mirror Memorial at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Kennedy Center Director and former astronaut Bob Cabana will take part in the ceremony.
NASA's Day of Remembrance honors members of the NASA family who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery.
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will provide flowers for visitors throughout the day to place at the memorial. For more information, please call 321-449-4400.
Kennedy contractors and civil servants will be allowed access to the Space Mirror Memorial throughout the day to pay their respects.
The Astronauts Memorial Foundation, a private, not-for-profit organization, built and maintains the Space Mirror Memorial. It was dedicated in 1991 to honor all astronauts who lost their lives on missions or during training and since has been designated a National Memorial by Congress.
Video of the service will air on NASA Television's Video File segment. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-P, or GOES-P
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - GOES-P, which becomes GOES-15 when it reaches orbit, is the last of three geostationary weather and environmental satellites in the current series built for NASA by Boeing. GOES-N was launched in 2006, GOES-O was launched in 2009, and GOES-P is now being prepared for its upcoming launch in early March. The launch is currently scheduled for no earlier than March 1 at the opening of a one hour launch window that occurs between 6:19 - 7:19 p. m. EST.
The Delta IV rocket will be launched by United Launch Alliance for Boeing Launch Services under an FAA commercial license. It now is being prepared for liftoff at Launch Complex 37 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The rocket is being hoisted into the launcher on the launch pad this week.
GOES-P will feature a highly stable pointing platform, which will improve the performance of the Imager and Sounder that are important instruments for creating daily weather-prediction models and for hurricane forecasting. For NOAA's National Ocean Service, data from GOES-P will be valuable for oceanographic circulation models and forecasts for U. S. coastal communities.
GOES-P will also provide expanded capability for the space and solar environment-monitoring instruments. Forecasts and warnings for solar disturbances will be enhanced. This will protect investments of billions of dollars by the private sector and the government in assets on the ground and in space. As with all of NOAA's geostationary and polar-orbiting weather satellites, GOES-P also will be able to relay distress signals detected from emergency locator beacons on the ground and at sea.
Boeing's GOES-P contract with NASA calls for a "delivery on orbit." The satellite will be turned over to NASA after a successful on-orbit checkout has been completed by Boeing. Approximately six months after completion of post-launch testing, the spacecraft will be turned over to NOAA. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is responsible for designing and developing the spacecraft and its instruments.
For information about NASA's Kennedy Space Center and the programs and missions it supports, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy
Jan. 14, 2010
NASA INVESTIGATES ILLEGAL SUBSTANCE FOUND IN SHUTTLE HANGAR
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA has launched an extensive investigation after a small amount of cocaine was found in a restricted area of the processing hangar for shuttle Discovery at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. There are no indications the incident has impacted Discovery's readiness for its planned launch in March.
"This is a rare and isolated incident, and I'm disappointed that it happened, but it should not detract from the outstanding work that is being done by a dedicated team on a daily basis," Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana said. "We are conducting an investigation and working with center security and law enforcement officials to get to the bottom of it. We have multiple checks and balances in place to ensure the work on the orbiter is done correctly, and I have no concern for Discovery's fitness for flight."
While there are no indications anyone who was working on Discovery was under the influence of any illegal substances, drug testing of personnel who were in that area has been conducted. There were about 200 NASA and contractor personnel who were around the facility at the time the drug was found.
Extensive efforts are being made to ensure flight hardware and equipment that will be used by astronauts on Discovery's upcoming STS-131 mission are completely safe.
"We have processes that will ensure the integrity of the shuttle," Cabana said. "There is no reason whatsoever to believe this incident will have any impact on Discovery's upcoming launch."
Meticulous records are kept on all work that is performed. Shuttle safety and quality assurance teams have the capability to trace individuals' work in detail. In addition, most work tasks are reviewed and approved by one, and sometimes two, quality inspectors and specialists who verify proper work was done on critical flight hardware.
For more information about NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit: www.nasa.gov/kennedy
Jan. 6, 2010
NASA SHUTTLE AT LAUNCH PAD FOR FINAL SCHEDULED NIGHT LAUNCH; CREW SET TO ARRIVE FOR PRACTICE LIFTOFF
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - After reaching its launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida Wednesday, space shuttle Endeavour now awaits its next major milestone for the upcoming STS-130 mission.
Endeavour arrived at Launch Pad 39A at 8:45 a. m. EST Wednesday on top of a giant crawler-transporter. The crawler-transporter left Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building at 4:13 a. m, traveling less than 1 mph during the 3.4-mile journey. The shuttle was secured on the pad at 10:37 a. m.
With Endeavour on the pad, the STS-130 astronauts and ground crews can participate in the practice countdown and related training starting Jan. 19. The rehearsal provides each shuttle crew with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency training.
The six astronauts for Endeavour's STS-130 mission will deliver a third connecting module, the Tranquility node, to the International Space Station. Endeavour's Feb. 7 target liftoff is at 4:39 a. m., making it the final scheduled space shuttle night launch.
NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more information about the space station and its crew, visit: www.nasa.gov/station
For more information about the STS-130 mission and crew, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Dec. 31, 2009
NASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER 2009 REVIEW AND LOOK AHEAD
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Kennedy Space Center in Florida helped NASA return to the moon in 2009 and look beyond.
Information
Contact a Kennedy employee, request information, make a suggestion, or view our organization chart. Information Center
Kennedy teams were involved in launching 14 missions in 2009 -- eight on expendable launch vehicles, five on space shuttles and the first new rocket to liftoff from Kennedy in more than a quarter of a century, the Ares I-X.
The expendable launch vehicle mission that received the highest public attention was NASA's first moon flight in 10 years, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LRO/LCROSS. It launched June 18 aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. LRO is designed to orbit the moon and relay the most detailed data about the lunar surface and environment. LCROSS' mission was to impact into the lunar surface to confirm the presence of frozen water in a permanently shadowed crater at the moon's south pole, which it did in October. In March, NASA's exploration eyes looked deep into space with the launch of the Kepler mission aboard a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral. Kepler is designed to find the first Earth-size planets orbiting stars at distances where water could pool on the surface.
Kennedy helped the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration with two launches in 2009. First in February, the NOAA-N Prime spacecraft launched from NASA's Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California aboard a Delta II rocket. The new polar-orbiting satellite will improve weather forecasting and climate research. Then in June, the latest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-O, soared into space on a Delta IV rocket from the Cape. NOAA's GOES-O satellite will improve weather forecasting and monitor environmental events around the world. NASA's Launch Services Program at Kennedy also supported two launches for the U. S. Missile Defense Agency, the Space Tracking and Surveillance System-Advanced Technology Risk Reduction spacecraft, or STSS-ATRR in May from Vandenberg and the STSS-Demo mission in September from Cape Canaveral.
On Feb. 24, NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory, or OCO, failed to reach orbit after its liftoff aboard a Taurus XL launch vehicle from Launch Pad 576-E at Vandenberg. An investigation concluded the OCO mission was lost when the payload fairing of the Taurus failed to separate during ascent. Kennedy ended the year with the successful launch of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, spacecraft aboard a Delta II on Dec. 14 from Vandenberg. WISE will survey the entire sky in infrared light, picking up the glow of millions of objects never seen before, including the coolest stars, most luminous galaxies and darkest near Earth asteroids and comets.
Kennedy sent five shuttles safely and successfully on their way in 2009. First on March 15, space shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew lifted off from Launch Pad 39A on the STS-119 mission to deliver the final set of large power-generating solar array wings and a new crew member to the International Space Station.
Then on May 11, shuttle Atlantis and its seven-member crew lifted off on the fifth and final shuttle mission to repair and upgrade NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, leaving the world-famous orbiting observatory in better shape than ever before and extending its life at least five more years. This also was the last shuttle mission scheduled to fly to a destination other than the International Space Station before the fleet is retired.
Two months later in July, shuttle Endeavour and its seven-member STS-127 crew launched on a 16-day mission to deliver the final segment of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory and a new crew member to the space station. On Aug. 28, shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew launched on the STS-128 mission to deliver supplies, equipment and a new crew member to the station.
The final shuttle mission of 2009, STS-129, began on Nov. 16 with shuttle Atlantis launching with its six crew members. They delivered critical spare parts and equipment the space station will need after shuttles stop flying. Kennedy also held its first "Tweet up" event during the STS-129 launch, bringing in 101 Tweeters from 21 states and four countries with an estimated 150,000 followers. Atlantis brought back Expedition 21 Flight Engineer and Florida native Nicole Stott, the last station astronaut scheduled to return from or launch to the orbiting laboratory aboard a space shuttle.
Bad weather kept two shuttle missions from ending at Kennedy, Atlantis' STS-125 flight and Discovery's STS-128. Both landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California and had to be flown back on top of NASA's modified 747 aircraft. One special passenger aboard Discovery's ferry flight to Florida was Disney's toy astronaut Buzz Lightyear. The space toy was returned to Walt Disney World in Orlando for an Oct. 2 event that was the launching point for new NASA educational efforts to encourage students to pursue studies in science, technology and mathematics. NASA and Disney Parks had collaborated to fly the 12-inch-tall action figure aboard the International Space Station for more than 15 months.
Currently, there are only five scheduled shuttle missions left for NASA before the program's scheduled retirement in 2010, with the first one targeted for February and the last in September.
In April and May for what was expected to be the last time for the agency's Space Shuttle Program, two shuttles, Endeavour and Atlantis, stood poised on both Launch Complex 39 launch pads. Atlantis was on pad 39A for the STS-125 mission. Endeavour was on pad 39B as the STS-125 rescue spacecraft, if required. After being cleared from its possible rescue assignment, Endeavour was moved to pad A and then on May 31, pad B officially was transferred from the Space Shuttle Program to the Constellation Program for the Ares I-X flight test. Pad B already had been undergoing modifications for first flight of the new program. Three, 600-foot-tall lightning towers were assembled this year at the pad to accommodate the taller Ares next-generation rockets, including I-X, changing Kennedy's landscape.
Going from the drawing board to the launch pad in just a few years, NASA's Ares I-X rocket lifted off Launch Pad 39B on Oct. 28. The flight test lasted about six minutes from launch until splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. Among the systems tested, the rocket's more than 700 sensors will provide ascent data for future flights. Other work at Kennedy for the Constellation Program included ongoing construction of a new, lighter and taller mobile launcher, renovations on Kennedy's historic Operations and Checkout Building high bay for use as the final assembly facility for the Orion crew exploration vehicle, and a test in April under real and simulated weather conditions off the coast of Kennedy that used a full-scale mock-up of the Orion spacecraft.
Kennedy continued to expand its environmentally friendly and recycling initiatives this year. Five facilities are qualifying for the U. S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certification. The Life Support Facility already earned silver certification in 2009, and the Propellants North Facility is expected to receive the highest rating, platinum, when it is complete in the summer of 2010. There are about 145 platinum-rated facilities in the United States with only one other in Florida.
In May, NASA and Florida Power and Light, or FPL, held a groundbreaking ceremony for new solar power facilities at Kennedy. FPL will build and maintain two solar photovoltaic power generation systems on Kennedy property, a one-megawatt solar farm for Kennedy's use and a 10-megawatt one for Florida residents. The one-megawatt facility officially was commissioned in November and has been providing power to Kennedy for several months. The 10-megawatt facility is set to be complete in April 2010. At the November commissioning ceremony, Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana announced plans to pursue a new renewable energy research and development facility at Kennedy's under development business center, Exploration Park. Plans also were announced to expand the electrical generating capacity of the 10-megawatt solar facility to 100-megawatts.
In October, NASA announced it was partnering with Starfighters Inc. of Tarpon Springs, Fla., to use the space shuttle runway at Kennedy to help support the development of the commercial space industry. Kennedy and the aerospace company signed a cooperative Space Act Agreement enabling Starfighters to become a tenant at Kennedy where it will launch a new business venture with a fleet of privately operated Lockheed F-104 Starfighter aircraft. The new venture also is enabled by Space Florida, which has entered into separate agreements with Starfighters to use a state-built hangar at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility and to provide other business assistance.
In July, Kennedy helped celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch to and first steps on the moon with a ceremony at the center's visitor complex. Several Apollo astronauts attended the event, which featured the opening of the Apollo Treasures Gallery.
On July 30, Kennedy helped support a public meeting in Cocoa Beach, Fla., of the Review of U. S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee, led by Norm Augustine. The blue-ribbon panel was requested by President Barack Obama's administration to conduct an independent review of America's human spaceflight plans and programs, as well as alternatives. The committee's report was issued in October to the White House and NASA. While final decisions about future space exploration plans, including the Space Shuttle and Constellation programs, haven't been announced, NASA's Kennedy Space Center and its work force are expected to be a vital part of those endeavors in 2010, into the next decade and beyond.
For more information about NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit: www.nasa.gov/kennedy
Dec. 22, 2009
NASA EXTENDS HOLIDAY 'GREENINGS' TO SANTA CLAUS
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA is putting a little more emphasis this year on the "green" part of the traditional red and green colors for Santa Claus' flyby of Florida's Kennedy Space Center on Dec. 24.
Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility, with its 15,000 feet of runway nestled in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, should be a familiar sight along the Space Coast for Santa. Like many other government agencies, NASA grants Santa permission to fly over Kennedy's airspace during his globetrotting flight, so there will be no mistaking mistletoe for missiles.
Kennedy is becoming more environmentally friendly and is happy to show off the center's green spaces to the jolly old fellow this year. So for one night, the LC-39 area temporarily will become the SC-39 area -- as in the Santa Claus-39 area.
It is obvious St. Nick is no stranger to using an alternative-fuel vehicle. He has been using reindeer-powered propulsion, or in NASA acronym terms RPP, for centuries. But if Dasher or Comet need a little rest while traveling over Central Florida, Santa might consider borrowing one of Kennedy's more than 900 alternative-fuel vehicles. Perhaps he'll get behind the wheel of an electric car, which can travel about 100 miles for less than $2.00. The center is planning to have its entire fleet of automobiles running on substances other than gasoline within a decade.
If Santa is looking to expand his toy workshop at the North Pole, he might want to adopt some green principles from the construction folks at Kennedy. Five facilities are qualifying for the U. S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certification. The Life Support Facility already earned silver certification, and the Propellants North Facility is expected to receive the highest rating, platinum, when it is complete next summer. There are about 145 platinum-rated facilities in the United States with only one other in Florida. The green features at the Propellants North Facility will include high-efficiency walls, a roof constructed of recycled metal covered with a rainwater harvesting system to supply restroom fixtures, air conditioning with energy recovery technology, and landscaping that will use native species and recycled crushed crawlerway rock for mulch.
Even though Santa will be flying by the light of a half-moon Christmas Eve, he will get to see for the first time Kennedy's new solar power facilities. A one-megawatt solar farm inside the center has been supplying the spaceport with clean, renewable energy for several months. A 10-megawatt facility outside Kennedy's gates along State Road 3 is set to be complete in the spring and will supply electricity to Florida Power & Light customers. There are even plans to increase that solar farm's generating capacity to 100 megawatts.
If Santa has any plastic milk jugs he wants to recycle after visiting houses and eating cookies in the area, he can take advantage of Kennedy's growing recycling program. In 2009, employees collected about 496 tons of office paper and cardboard, 1,364 tons of metal, and 15 tons of plastic, glass and aluminum. Also, about 30,000 tons of recycled concrete was used in this year's NASA Causeway seawall repair project. The proceeds from recycling activities are used to fund additional recycling, green purchasing and pollution-prevention efforts.
In case anyone gets concerned Santa will be so influenced by seeing all the eco-friendly and recycling initiatives at Kennedy that it will affect his present-giving strategies, NASA officials are confident Mr. Claus will not start "regifting."
GOES-P SATELLITE ARRIVES AT KENNEDY FOR FINAL PRELAUNCH TESTING
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The latest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES, developed by NASA for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), called GOES-P, arrived on Thursday, Dec. 17, on a C-17 military cargo aircraft at the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility from its manufacturing plant in El Segundo, Calif.
The GOES-P satellite is targeted to launch on Feb. 25 onboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV expendable launch vehicle. Once in geosynchronous orbit, GOES-P will be designated GOES-15, and NASA will provide on-orbit checkout and then transfer operational responsibility to NOAA. GOES-P will be placed in on-orbit storage as a replacement for an older GOES satellite.
After arriving, the satellite was transported to Astrotech in Titusville, Fla., where final testing of the imaging system, instrumentation, communications and power systems will be performed. These tests will take approximately six weeks to complete. Then the spacecraft will be fueled with the propellant necessary for orbit maneuvers and the attitude control system. When the fueling is completed, the spacecraft is encapsulated in the Delta IV nose fairing and prepared for transport to the launch pad.
GOES-P is the third and last spacecraft to be launched in the GOES N-P series of geostationary environmental weather satellites. The GOES satellites continuously provide observations of 60 percent of the Earth including the continental United States, providing weather monitoring and forecast operations, as well as a continuous and reliable stream of environmental information and severe weather warnings.
GOES-P carries an advanced attitude control system using star trackers and Hemispherical Inertial Reference Units. The imager and sounder instruments are mounted on a stable optical bench, which provides enhanced instrument pointing performance for improved image navigation and registration. This means better location of severe storms and other events important to the NOAA National Weather Service. The Imager on GOES-P, as on the GOES-O before it, has improved resolution from previous GOES missions in the 13 micron channel from 8 km to 4 km. The finer spatial resolution allows improved estimates of horizontal distribution of cloud-top, height of atmospheric motion vectors, and volcanic ash detection. Similarly to the GOES-O mission, the GOES-P image navigation accuracy of about 2 km from an orbit altitude of about 22,300 miles, or 35,700 km, is superior compared to the previous series of GOES satellites. GOES-P only differs from GOES-O in the channel configuration for the solar Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) telescope. The EUV will be the same 5 channel configuration that flew on GOES-N/13.
The multi-mission GOES N-P series of satellites are vital contributors to weather, solar, and space operations and future science improvements with weather prediction and remote sensing. These satellites aid in severe storm warnings, resource management, search and rescue, emergency managers, and likely lead to additional advances in environmental sciences and multifaceted data applications of remotely sensed phenomena. GOES-P data will add to the global climate change databases of knowledge, embracing many civil and government environmental forecasting organizations that work to benefit people everywhere and help save lives.
A United Launch Alliance Delta IV expendable launch vehicle will be erected in early January at Space Launch Complex 37-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. NOAA manages the operational environmental satellite program and establishes requirements, provides all funding and distributes operational environmental satellite data for the United States. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., procures and manages the development and launch of the satellites for NOAA on a cost-reimbursable basis.
United Launch Alliance will conduct the commercial launch with a Federal Aviation Administration launch license. They will also oversee launch service duties that include oversight of the launch vehicle processing activities, integration of the GOES-P spacecraft with the Delta IV rocket, and the launch countdown activities.
ENDEAVOUR - THE FIRST OF FIVE REMAINING SHUTTLE FLIGHTS
HOUSTON - Space shuttle Endeavour will deliver the final module of the U. S. portion of the International Space Station on the STS-130 mission, now targeted to launch Feb. 7.
Endeavour's flight will begin the final year of space shuttle operations. Five shuttle missions are planned in 2010, with the final flight currently targeted for launch in September.
Endeavour's 13-day flight will include three spacewalks and the delivery of the Tranquility node, a connecting module that will increase the International Space Station's interior space. Tranquility will provide additional room for crew members and many of the space station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to the node is a cupola, which is a robotic control station and has seven windows to provide a panoramic view of Earth, celestial objects and visiting spacecrafts. After the node and cupola are added, the space station will be about 90 percent complete.
George Zamka will command Endeavour. He will be joined by Pilot Terry Virts and Mission Specialists Kay Hire, Steve Robinson, Nicholas Patrick and Bob Behnken. Virts will be making his first trip to space.
For NASA TV streaming video, schedules, and downlink information, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
For the latest information about the STS-130 mission and its crew, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
NASA'S WISE EYE ON THE UNIVERSE BEGINS ALL-SKY SURVEY MISSION
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, lifted off over the Pacific Ocean this morning on its way to map the entire sky in infrared light.
A Delta II rocket carrying the spacecraft launched at 9:09 a. m. EST from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket deposited WISE into a polar orbit 326 miles above Earth.
"WISE thundered overhead, lighting up the pre-dawn skies," said William Irace, the mission's project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "All systems are looking good, and we are on our way to seeing the entire infrared sky better than ever before."
Engineers acquired a signal from the spacecraft via NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System just 10 seconds after the spacecraft separated from the rocket. Approximately three minutes later, WISE reoriented itself with its solar panels facing the sun to generate its own power. The next major event occurred about 17 minutes later. Valves on the cryostat, a chamber of super-cold hydrogen ice that cools the WISE instrument, opened. Because the instrument sees the infrared, or heat, signatures of objects, it must be kept at chilly temperatures -- its coldest detectors are less than minus 447 degrees Fahrenheit.
"WISE needs to be colder than the objects it's observing," said Ned Wright of UCLA, the mission's principal investigator. "Now we're ready to see the infrared glow from hundreds of thousands of asteroids, and hundreds of millions of stars and galaxies."
With the spacecraft stable, cold and communicating with mission controllers at JPL, a month-long checkout and calibration is under way.
WISE will see the infrared colors of the whole sky with sensitivity and resolution far better than the last infrared sky survey, performed 26 years ago. The space telescope will spend nine months scanning the sky once, then one-half the sky a second time. The primary mission will end when WISE's frozen hydrogen runs out, about 10 months after launch.
Just about everything in the universe glows in infrared, which means the mission will catalog a variety of astronomical targets. Near-Earth asteroids, stars, planet-forming disks and distant galaxies all will be easy for the mission to see. Hundreds of millions of objects will populate the WISE atlas, providing astronomers and other space missions, such as NASA's planned James Webb Space Telescope, with a long-lasting infrared roadmap.
JPL manages the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The mission was competitively selected under the Explorers Program, managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The science instrument was built by the Space Dynamics Laboratory in Logan, Utah, and the spacecraft was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. in Boulder, Colo. Science operations and data processing take place at the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. NASA's Launch Services Program at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., managed the payload integration and the launch service.
More information about the WISE mission is available online at: \www.nasa.gov/wise
Dec. 11, 2009
LAUNCH OF NASA'S WISE SPACECRAFT DELAYED UNTIL DEC. 14
WASHINGTON - The launch of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, spacecraft aboard a Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California has been rescheduled for Monday, Dec. 14. The launch window extends from 9:09 to 9:23 a.m. EST. The first launch attempt scheduled for Dec. 11 was delayed because of a problem with the motion of a booster steering engine.
Mission managers have implemented a plan to resolve the issue. This plan includes removing and replacing a suspect component today. The current weather forecast calls for an 80 percent chance of acceptable weather at launch time on Monday.
NASA TV coverage of the countdown and WISE launch will begin at 7 a.m. on Dec. 14 and also will be available on the NASA Web site at: http://www.nasa.gov
For more information about the WISE mission, visit: www.nasa.gov/wise
Dec. 7, 2009
NASA'S WISE SKY SURVEYING SPACECRAFT READY FOR LAUNCH DEC. 11
WASHINGTON - The launch of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, aboard a Delta II rocket is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 11, between 9:09 a. m. and 9:23 a. m. EST from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. NASA will provide television and Internet coverage of prelaunch activities and liftoff of the agency's latest space science mission.
After launch, WISE will scan the entire sky in infrared light with a sensitivity hundreds of times greater than ever before, picking up the glow of hundreds of millions of objects and producing millions of images. The mission will uncover objects never seen before, including the coolest stars, the universe's most luminous galaxies and some of the darkest near-Earth asteroids and comets.
A prelaunch news conference will be held Dec. 9 at 4 p. m. at the NASA Vandenberg Resident Office and broadcast on NASA Television. The briefings will be webcast at: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
A WISE webcast with launch and mission managers is scheduled for noon Dec. 10. To access WISE features, visit NASA's WISE Web site at:
www.nasa.gov/wise
On Dec. 11, NASA TV coverage of the countdown and launch will begin at 7 a. m. Launch coverage of countdown activities also will be available on the NASA Web site at: http://www.nasa.gov
Audio of the prelaunch news conference and launch coverage will be available by dialing 321-867-1220/1240/1260. This is a listen-only audio system. Mission audio of countdown activities without NASA launch commentary will be carried on 321-867-7135 beginning at 6 a. m.
Live countdown coverage on NASA's launch blog starts at 7 a. m. The coverage will feature real-time updates of countdown milestones, as well as streaming video clips highlighting launch preparations and liftoff.
The WISE mission news center is operational at the NASA Vandenberg Resident Office. Reporters should call 805-605-3051 for launch information. Recorded status reports also are available by dialing 805-734-2693.
Nov. 27, 2009
SPACE SHUTTLE CREW RETURNS HOME AFTER 11-DAY MISSION
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis and its crew of seven astronauts ended an 11-day journey of nearly 4.5 million miles with a 9:44 a. m. EST landing Friday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The mission, designated STS-129, included three spacewalks and the installation of two platforms to the International Space Station's truss, or backbone. The platforms hold large spare parts to sustain station operations after the shuttles are retired. The shuttle crew delivered about 30,000 pounds of replacement parts for systems that provide power to the station, keep it from overheating, and maintain a proper orientation in space.
STS-129 Commander Charlie Hobaugh was joined on Atlantis' STS-129 mission by Pilot Barry Wilmore and Mission Specialists Leland Melvin, Randy Bresnik, Mike Foreman and Bobby Satcher. Atlantis returned with station resident Nicole Stott, who spent 91 days in space. This marks the final time the shuttle is expected to rotate station crew members.
A welcome ceremony for the astronauts will be held Monday, Nov. 30, in Houston. The public is invited to attend the 4 p. m. CST event at Ellington Field's NASA Hangar 990. Highlights from the ceremony will be broadcast on NASA Television's Video File. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
With Atlantis and its crew safely home, the stage is set for launch of shuttle Endeavour on its STS-130 mission, targeted to begin in February. Endeavour will deliver a pressurized module, known as Tranquility, which will provide room for many of the space station's life support systems. Attached to the node is a 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.
STS-129 crew members Melvin, Satcher and Stott are providing mission updates on Twitter. For their Twitter feeds and other NASA social media Web sites, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/connect
SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS CREW SET TO LAND IN FLORIDA FRIDAY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis and its seven-member crew are expected to return to Earth on Friday, Nov. 27, after an 11-day mission. The two landing opportunities at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida are at 9:44 a. m. and 11:19 a. m. EST.
NASA will evaluate weather conditions at Kennedy before permitting Atlantis and its crew to land. If bad weather prevents a return to Florida on Friday or Saturday, both Kennedy and the backup landing site at Edwards Air Force Base in California will be activated for consideration on Sunday. For recorded updates about the shuttle landing, call 321-867-2525.
After touchdown in Florida, the astronauts will undergo physical examinations and meet with their families. They are expected to make brief remarks at the runway and hold a news conference approximately six hours after landing. The news events will be broadcast live on NASA Television and the agency's Web site.
The NASA News Twitter feed is updated throughout the shuttle mission and landing. To access the feed, visit: http://www.twitter.com/nasa
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
For the latest information about the STS-129 mission and accomplishments, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Nov. 25, 2009
WIDE-FIELD INFRARED SURVEY EXPLORER READY FOR LAUNCH DEC. 9
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - The launch of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 9.
Liftoff will be from NASA's Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The launch window is approximately 14 minutes in duration, extending from 6:09:33 to 6:23:51 a. m. PST (9:09:33 to 9:23:51 a. m. EST). The spacecraft's final circular polar orbit will be 326 miles (525 kilometers), orbiting the earth 15 times a day.
WISE will scan the entire sky in infrared light with sensitivity hundreds of times greater than ever before possible, picking up the glow of hundreds of millions of objects and producing millions of images. The mission will uncover objects never seen, including the coolest stars, the universe's most luminous galaxies and some of the darkest near-Earth asteroids and comets.
The voluminous quantity of images WISE can generate will help scientists answer fundamental questions about the origins of planets, stars and galaxies, and provide data for astronomers for decades to come. During the nine-month survey mission, snapshots can be taken as frequently as every 11 seconds.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, or JPL, Pasadena, Calif., manages WISE for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The mission's principal investigator, Edward "Ned" Wright, is at UCLA. The mission was competitively selected under NASA's Explorers Program, managed by the Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. The science instrument was built by the Space Dynamics Laboratory, Logan, Utah, and the spacecraft was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo.
Science operations and data processing take place at the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena which manages JPL for NASA. The launch is the responsibility of NASA's Launch Services Program, headquartered at the Kennedy Space Center. The Delta II launch service is being provided to Kennedy by United Launch Alliance, Denver, Colo.
Nov. 19, 2009
NASA REAPS BENEFITS FROM SOLAR FARM AND PLANS NEW ENERGY PROJECT
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The electricity that's being used at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., now is partly supplied by the space agency's first large-scale solar power generation facility. Representatives from NASA, Florida Power & Light Company and SunPower Corporation formally commissioned a one-megawatt facility Thursday and used the occasion to announce plans to pursue a new research, development and demonstration project at Kennedy to advance America's use of renewable energy.
The facility is the first element of a major renewable energy project currently under construction at Kennedy. The completed system features a fixed-tilt, ground-mounted solar power system designed and built by SunPower, along with SunPower solar panels. A 10-megawatt solar farm, which SunPower is building on a nearby Kennedy property, will supply power to FPL's customers when it's completed in April 2010.
At Thursday's commissioning ceremony, Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana and FPL Vice President and Chief Development Officer Eric Silagy announced plans to establish a permanent renewable energy research and development center at Kennedy along with a new solar facility that would expand the 10-megawatt generating capability up to 100-megawatts. This expansion of the solar facilities is contingent on regulatory support and the passage of renewable energy legislation at the state level.
If proven environmentally and economically feasible, an expansive field of photovoltaic solar panels will be constructed in phases on 500 or more acres of fallow Kennedy agricultural land and integrated into the utility's grid. A dedicated research and development facility to support continual improvement of solar renewable energy would be established by SunPower and FPL's other partners at Kennedy's business complex, Exploration Park.
"Both our current projects are nearing completion, and this proposed expanded collaboration with FPL directly responds to the president's recent executive order directing NASA and other federal agencies to expand their use of renewable power and enable renewable projects on agency lands," said Cabana. "We are pleased to be taking a leadership role in supporting this important national goal aimed at increasing America's energy independence while improving the planet's environment."
"FPL is a national leader in the development of clean, renewable energy, and we are committed to growing the renewable power industry here in Florida, which will spur the local economy and create jobs," said Silagy. "These solar projects are an important part of Florida's clean-energy future and we are proud to be at the forefront of powering the space program. Like NASA, FPL is looking beyond the horizon. We are prepared and excited about the prospect of building more emissions-free solar power with the quality of life of our children and grandchildren in mind."
"We congratulate NASA and FPL for their commitment to the development of solar technologies, and for making solar energy a key part of the nation's economic recovery and the protection of the environment for future generations," said Howard Wenger, president, global business units for SunPower. "Solar power systems can be built quickly anywhere and at any scale, and we are pleased to partner with NASA and FPL on these important projects."
The dedicated R&D facility proposed for Exploration Park could result in at least 50 high-salary science and engineering positions permanently established at Kennedy by SunPower and FPL's other partners, a potential for solar panel manufacturing located nearby and as many as 1,000 new construction jobs. FPL and Kennedy have initiated environmental studies and a plan to support the next project, which could be initiated before the end of 2010.
The proposed project will be pursued under a five-year Memorandum of Understanding entered into by Kennedy and FPL in 2007 to promote jointly developed projects in renewable technologies. Implementation will require completion of the environmental and business assessments, the development of a formal partnering agreement, renewable energy legislation at the state level and a constructive regulatory framework.
The current agreement to construct two solar energy projects totaling 11 megawatts recently won the 2009 General Services Administration Award for Asset Management. The public-private partnership for solar power facilities at Kennedy was selected by the GSA judges for its innovative use of federal land, and published as a "best practice" example by GSA's Office of Government-wide Policy.
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
Nov. 16, 2009
NASA'S SHUTTLE ATLANTIS HEADED FOR DELIVERY STOP AT SPACE STATION
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis and its six-member crew began an 11-day delivery flight to the International Space Station on Monday with a 2:28 p.m. EST launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will transport spare hardware to the outpost and return a station crew member who spent more than two months in space.
Atlantis is carrying about 30,000 pounds of replacement parts for systems that provide power to the station, keep it from overheating, and maintain a proper orientation in space. The large equipment can best be transported using the shuttle's unique capabilities.
"We appreciate all the effort making this launch attempt possible. We are excited to take this incredible vehicle for a ride to another incredible vehicle, the ISS," Commander Charlie Hobaugh said shortly before launch.
The flight will include three spacewalks and the installation of two platforms to the station's truss, or backbone. The platforms will store the spare parts needed to sustain station operations after the shuttle fleet is retired.
Hobaugh is joined on Atlantis' STS-129 mission by Pilot Barry E. Wilmore and Mission Specialists Leland Melvin, Randy Bresnik, Mike Foreman and Bobby Satcher. Atlantis will return with station resident Nicole Stott, marking the final time the shuttle is expected to rotate station crew members. Wilmore, Bresnik and Satcher are first-time space fliers.
Atlantis' first landing opportunity at Kennedy is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 27, at 9:43 a.m. This mission is the 129th space shuttle flight, the 31st to the station, the 31st for Atlantis and the fifth in 2009.
NASA is providing continuous television and Internet coverage of Atlantis' mission. NASA Television features live mission events, daily mission status news conferences and 24-hour commentary. For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
NASA's Web coverage of STS-129 includes mission information, interactive features, news conference images, graphics and videos. Mission coverage, including the latest NASA TV schedule, is available on the main space shuttle Web site at: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Melvin, Satcher and Stott are providing mission updates on Twitter. For their Twitter feeds and other NASA social media Web sites, visit: www.nasa.gov/connect
Live updates to the NASA News Twitter feed will be added throughout the shuttle mission and landing. To access the NASA News Twitter feed, visit: www.twitter.com/nasa
Nov. 9, 2009
NASA AWARDS INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES CONTRACT FOR KENNEDY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA has selected C&C International Computers and Consultants Inc. of Hollywood, Fla., to provide institutional support services at the agency's Kennedy Space Center.
The new indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract with time and material type task orders begins Dec. 1, 2009. It has a 10-month base period with two one-year option periods. The maximum potential value of the contract is approximately $31.5 million, which is comprised of an $11.5-million base value and $10 million for each one-year option.
C&C International Computers and Consultants will provide administrative support services personnel including accountants, accounting clerks, administrative assistants, personnel assistants, procurement specialists and analysts, program analysts, resource analysts, secretaries and general clerks. Programs supported under the contract include the space shuttle, International Space Station, Constellation, launch services, engineering, external relations and the Office of the Center Director.
Launch Vehicle: Ares I-X
Launched: Oct. 28
Launch Pad: 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Upcoming Key Milestones
Dec. -- 30 day update briefing
Ares I-X Flight Hardware
Booster was delivered to Hanger AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for inspections and processing
Batteries disconnected
Data recorder and high speed video camera removed
Thrust Vector Control depressurized
Parachutes are being evaluated
Development Flight Instrumentation evaluations complete
Ares I-X Ground Support Equipment
At Launch Pad 39B, post launch evaluations completed
The Ares I-X flight test will provide NASA an early opportunity to check and prove hardware, analysis and modeling methods, and facilities and ground operations needed to develop the NASA's next crew launch vehicle.
Atlantis' Payload is Delivered; Astronauts Return to Kennedy
At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the cargo for space shuttle Atlantis' mission to the International Space Station was moved to Launch Pad 39A overnight and will be installed into the shuttle's payload bay.
Technicians will finish testing Atlantis' waste collection system, or toilet, this weekend and ground teams are getting ready for the final part of launch dress rehearsal known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT.
Today, the STS-129 mission's six astronauts are involved in their final bench review of flight hardware at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, and they will conduct contingency abort simulation training in the motion base simulator.
The crew will fly to Kennedy Monday afternoon for the completion of TCDT. During their two-days at Kennedy they will participate in a simulated launch countdown where they practice liftoff procedures inside the shuttle. Before returning to Johnson on Tuesday, crew members will practice emergency pad evacuation.
On Oct. 29, NASA managers announced the official launch date and time of Nov. 16 at 2:28 p.m. EST for Atlantis' flight to the space station. The only deviation to this date would be if the planned Nov. 14 launch of an Atlas V rocket from nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is delayed. Since the Atlas team has reserved the Eastern Range for Nov. 14 and 15, this means the shuttle's liftoff will move to no earlier than 2:02 p.m. on Nov. 17.
Oct. 29, 2009
NASA GIVES GO FOR SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS LAUNCH ON NOV. 16
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's space shuttle Atlantis is targeted to begin an 11-day flight to the International Space Station with a Nov. 16 launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff is scheduled for 2:28 p.m. EST.
Atlantis' launch date was announced Thursday at the conclusion of a flight readiness review at Kennedy. During the meeting, senior NASA and contractor managers assessed the risks associated with the mission and determined the shuttle's equipment, support systems and procedures are ready.
The Nov. 16 target date depends on the planned Nov. 14 launch of an Atlas V rocket from nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The Atlas has reserved the Eastern Range on Nov. 14 and 15. If the Atlas launch is delayed to Nov. 15, the shuttle's liftoff will move to no earlier than 2:02 p.m. on Nov. 17.
The STS-129 mission will focus on storing spare hardware on the exterior of the space station. The flight will include three spacewalks and install two platforms on the station's truss, or backbone. The platforms will hold spare parts to sustain station operations after the shuttle fleet is retired.
Commander Charlie Hobaugh and his crew of five astronauts are scheduled to arrive at Kennedy at approximately 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12, for final launch preparations. Joining Hobaugh on STS-129 will be Pilot Barry Wilmore and Mission Specialists Leland Melvin, Randy Bresnik, Mike Foreman and Bobby Satcher. Nicole Stott, an astronaut who currently resides on the station, will return home with the Atlantis crew after living in space for more than two months. Her return on the shuttle is slated to be the final time it is used to rotate space station crew members.
STS-129 will be Atlantis' 31st mission and the 31st shuttle flight dedicated to station assembly and maintenance. For more information about STS-129, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Mission Specialist Bobby Satcher, an orthopedic surgeon, now is sending updates about his training to his Twitter account, Astro_Bones. He can be followed at: www.twitter.com/Astro_Bones
NASA'S ARES I-X ROCKET COMPLETES SUCCESSFUL FLIGHT TEST
The stars and stripes on the American flag reflect NASA's commitment to teamwork as the Constellation Program's Ares I-X test rocket roars off Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Image credit: NASA/Jim Grossman
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's Ares I-X test rocket lifted off at 11:30 a.m. EDT Wednesday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a two-minute powered flight. The test flight lasted about six minutes from its launch from the newly modified Launch Complex 39B until splash down of the rocket's booster stage nearly 150 miles down range.
"This is a huge step forward for NASA's exploration goals," said Doug Cooke, associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "Ares I-X provides NASA with an enormous amount of data that will be used to improve the design and safety of the next generation of American spaceflight vehicles -- vehicles that could again take humans beyond low Earth orbit."
The 327-foot tall Ares I-X test vehicle produced 2.6 million pounds of thrust to accelerate the rocket to nearly 3 g's and Mach 4.76, just shy of hypersonic speed. It capped its easterly flight at a suborbital altitude of 150,000 feet after the separation of its first stage, a four-segment solid rocket booster.
Parachutes deployed for recovery of the booster and the solid rocket motor will be recovered at sea for later inspection. The simulated upper stage, Orion crew module, and launch abort system will not be recovered.
"The most valuable learning is through experience and observation," said Bob Ess, Ares I-X mission manager. "Tests such as this -- from paper to flight -- are vital in gaining a deeper understanding of the vehicle, from design to development."
Wednesday's flight offered an early opportunity to test and prove hardware, facilities, and ground operations - important data for future space vehicles. During the flight, a range of performance data was relayed to the ground and also stored in the onboard flight data recorder. The 700 sensors mounted on the vehicle provide flight test engineering data to correlate with computer models and analysis. The rocket's sensors gathered information in several areas, including assembly and launch operations, separation of the vehicle's first and second stages, controllability and aerodynamics, the re-entry and recovery of the first stage and new vehicle design techniques.
The Ares I-X efforts are led by the Ares I-X mission management office of the Constellation Program, based at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, and NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate in Washington. NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland designed and built the vehicle's upper stage mass simulator. NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., provided aerodynamic characterization, flight test vehicle integration and the crew module/launch abort system mass simulator. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., with contractor support, provided management for the development of Ares I-X avionics, roll control, and first stage systems. The Kennedy Space Center provided operations and associated ground activities and launch operations.
Contractors for Ares I-X include Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, of Salt Lake City for the first stage solid rocket booster and Teledyne Brown Engineering of Huntsville for the roll control system. Jacobs Engineering of Tullahoma, Tenn., supported by Lockheed Martin of Denver, provided the avionics systems. United Space Alliance of Houston and ATK Launch Systems support the ground systems and launch operations.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Ð Go Ares I-X! A banner on the perimeter fence of Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida reflects the excitement building in Kennedy's work force in anticipation of the flight test of the towering 327-foot-tall Ares I-X rocket. The test rocket left the Vehicle Assembly Building at 1:39 a.m. EDT on its 4.2-mile trek to the pad and was "hard down" on the pad's pedestals at 9:17 a.m. A Flight Test Readiness Review, a meeting to assess preparations for the flight test, is scheduled for Oct. 23. The flight test is targeted for Oct. 27. The transfer of the pad from the Space Shuttle Program to the Constellation Program took place May 31. Modifications made to the pad include the removal of shuttle unique subsystems, such as the orbiter access arm and a section of the gaseous oxygen vent arm, along with the installation of three 600-foot lightning towers, access platforms, environmental control systems and a vehicle stabilization system. Part of the Constellation Program, the Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I. For information on the Ares I-X vehicle and flight test, visit www.nasa.gov/aresIX.
Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
Oct. 27, 2009
NASA'S ARES I-X LAUNCH RESCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA mission managers canceled Tuesday's scheduled launch of the Ares I-X flight test because of weather concerns at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Another launch attempt is targeted for Wednesday. A four-hour launch window opens at 8 a.m. EDT.
The launch was delayed for 24 hours because of winds at the launch pad that exceeded the 20-knot limit and concerns about clouds with moisture that could have caused static build-up on the rocket and led to communication issues. Forecasters predict a 60 percent chance of favorable weather Wednesday.
The Ares I-X is part of a larger flight test program that will provide data for future launch vehicles and give NASA an opportunity to test and prove hardware, facilities and ground operations.
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
Oct. 23, 2009
NASA GIVES 'GO' FOR THE ARES I-X TEST ROCKET LAUNCH ON OCT. 27
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA has completed a review of the Ares I-X development rocket's readiness for its flight test and selected Tuesday, Oct. 27, as the official launch date. Liftoff is scheduled for 8 a.m. EDT from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The Ares I-X launch date was announced after a flight test readiness review at Kennedy. During the meeting, senior NASA and contractor managers assessed the risks associated with the test and determined the rocket, support systems and procedures are ready for launch.
"I am proud of the work this team has done to ready this test rocket for launch," said Doug Cooke, associate administrator for NASA Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. "This is the first time in more than 30 years that NASA has built a vehicle in a new configuration so this has been a valuable learning experience.
"This test will yield important data to support the nation's next steps in exploration. There is no substitute for hard data - flight testing clarifies the distinction between imagined outcomes and real flight experience."
The 28-mile high, two-minute flight of the Ares I-X, an uncrewed development rocket, will provide NASA with an opportunity to test and prove hardware, facilities and ground operations, while gathering critical data for the Ares I rocket and future launch vehicles.
For more information about Ares I-X and NASA's next-generation spacecraft, visit: www.nasa.gov/aresIX
Oct. 22, 2009
NASA AND STARFIGHTERS MAKE AGREEMENT ON SHUTTLE RUNWAY USE
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA and Starfighters, Inc., of Tarpon Springs, Fla., are partnering to use the space shuttle runway at Kennedy Space Center to help support the development of the commercial space industry. Kennedy and the aerospace company have signed a cooperative space act agreement enabling Starfighters to become a tenant at Kennedy where it will launch a new business venture with a fleet of privately-operated Lockheed F-104 Starfighter aircraft.
The new venture also is enabled by Space Florida, which has entered into separate agreements with Starfighters to use a state-built hangar at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF, and to provide other business assistance.
Under the agreement, Starfighters will be permitted to use the SLF on a regular basis to conduct flight operations supporting the test, development, and training activities associated with the emerging commercial space launch industry, and to advance aerospace and space-related technology. It also will be permitted to house and perform maintenance on its aircraft at the SLF and will reimburse NASA costs associated with its operations at the center.
"This agreement with Starfighters aligns well with NASA's mission and national space policy direction to support and enable the U.S. commercial space industry," said Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana. "This activity also will help diversify our uses at the SLF in a manner compatible with NASA's operations, and help us sustain the SLF as a unique asset supporting horizontal space launch and recovery after the shuttle retires."
Starfighters plans to operate its aircraft to simulate suborbital vehicle trajectories and provide both training and technology development for the reusable launch vehicle industry. In addition, the firm may provide flight test services to NASA and other government users, for other spaceflight and aviation test activities and other uses approved by NASA pursuant to the agreement. Starfighters recently was awarded a blanket purchase agreement from NASA's Airborne Science Program from the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.
The company plans to relocate all operations to Brevard County and expects to employ as many as approximately 20 highly-skilled workers to assist and develop its operations at Kennedy.
Starfighters responded to Kennedy's 2005 request to industry for interest in use of the SLF, and previously flew several test flights from the SLF as a demonstration project, which included testing of a NASA-developed range safety system and an investigation of the sonic boom characteristics to be anticipated from suborbital vehicles taking off from and returning to the SLF.
For more information about NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit: www.nasa.gov/kennedy
Oct. 20, 2009
NASA'S ARES I-X ROCKET ARRIVES AT LAUNCH PAD IN FLORIDA
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - For the first time in more than a quarter century, a new vehicle is sitting at Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Ares I-X flight test vehicle arrived at the pad atop of a giant crawler-transporter at approximately 7:45 a.m. EDT Tuesday.
The crawler-transporter left Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building at 1:39 a.m., traveling less than 1 mph during the 4.2-mile journey. The rocket was secured on the launch pad at 9:17 a.m.
The vehicle is scheduled to launch at 8 a.m. on Oct. 27. This test flight of the Ares I-X rocket will provide NASA an early opportunity to test and prove hardware, models, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I launch vehicle.
The Ares I rocket is being designed to carry astronauts to space in the Orion crew exploration vehicle. The Ares I-X test flight also will allow NASA to gather critical data during ascent of the vehicle's integrated stack, which includes the Ares I with a simulated upper stage, Orion and launch abort system. Data collected from more than 700 sensors throughout the rocket will begin to confirm the vehicle as a whole is safe and stable in flight before astronauts begin traveling into orbit.
"With the arrival of Ares I-X at the pad, this milestone demonstrates NASA's world-class ability to conceptually design, build and process a new launch vehicle in just under four years," said Bob Ess, mission manager for Ares I-X at Kennedy. "Nearly 2,000 NASA and contractor employees located throughout the United States worked together in an unprecedented fashion, resulting in the new vehicle ready for flight."
During the week before launch, technicians at the pad will perform a variety of electrical and mechanical checks to ready the vehicle for flight, including hydraulic power unit hot fire, steering tests and internal power verifications using flight batteries.
United Space Alliance of Houston is NASA's prime contractor for the ground processing of the Ares I-X rocket.
"Processing for the Ares I-X test flight in parallel with space shuttle operations has been a true challenge involving people and hardware from across the country, and we're very proud of what the team has accomplished," said Mark Nappi, vice president of Launch and Recovery Systems for United Space Alliance.
ATK Space Systems of Magna, Utah, is NASA's prime contractor for the first stage of the rocket.
"The NASA and contractor teamwork displayed over the last four years has been the catalyst that brought us to this important milestone today," said Bob Herman, ATK's vice president of Exploration Systems for Kennedy Space Center Operations. "As the Ares I first stage provider, we are looking forward to receiving invaluable data during the flight test."
At the Flight Test Readiness Review on Oct. 23, mission managers will finalize the launch date and provide the team with a final "go" or "no go" for launch.
Ares I-X is an uncrewed, suborbital development test in a modified Ares I configuration. Ares I-X is the first developmental flight test of the Constellation Program, which includes the Ares I and V rockets, Orion and the Altair lunar lander.
NASA UPDATES SHUTTLE ATLANTIS TARGET LAUNCH DATE, CREW REHEARSAL
WASHINGTON -- NASA is targeting Nov. 16 for the launch of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-129 mission from the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Managers for NASA's Space Operations Mission Directorate and Exploration Systems Mission Directorate met Monday and decided to adjust Atlantis' target launch date to optimize the agency's ability to launch both Ares I-X and Atlantis before the end of the year. The same launch team at Kennedy is supporting both the shuttle and the flight test of the Ares I-X rocket, which is targeted to lift off on Oct. 27. Ares I-X is scheduled to roll out to its launch pad at 12:01 a.m. EDT Tuesday.
Atlantis' new target launch date will give Ares I-X launch opportunities Oct. 27, 28 and 29. NASA has yet to schedule Atlantis' new target liftoff date on the Eastern Range.
The change to Atlantis' targeted launch will affect the launch countdown dress rehearsal for the shuttle's six astronauts. The astronauts arrived at Kennedy on Monday for the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test and related training. The simulated countdown has been rescheduled to Nov. 3. The astronauts will practice emergency escape and other related training while they are at Kennedy this week and return there Nov. 2 to conclude their rehearsal work.
The agency's Flight Readiness Review meeting for STS-129 is set for Oct. 29. NASA will schedule an official launch date for Atlantis following that meeting.
For more information about the STS-129 mission and its crew, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Oct. 18, 2009
NASA RESCHEDULES ROLLOUT OF ARES I-X
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA has rescheduled to Tuesday, Oct. 20, the rollout of the Ares I-X rocket to Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The first motion of the Ares I-X out of Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building is targeted for 12:01 a.m. EDT. The 4.2-mile journey is expected to last about seven hours.
Live NASA Television coverage with commentary will start at 11:45 p.m., Oct. 19, and 7 a.m., Oct. 20. Video highlights of the move will air on NASA Television's Video File.
The rollout of Ares I-X originally was set for Monday, Oct. 19. During testing on Oct. 14, engineers detected a nitrogen gas leak in an accumulator located in the aft skirt of the rocket. The accumulator, which absorbs hydraulic pressure spikes as the system operates, was replaced and successfully retested. Management is assessing what effect, if any, this delayed rollout will have on the targeted Oct. 27 launch date.
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
Launch Vehicle: Ares I-X
Launch Date: Oct. 27
Launch Pad: 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Upcoming key milestones:
No earlier than Oct. 20 - Rollout to Launch Pad 39B targeted for 12:01 a.m. EDT
Oct. 21 - Satellite live shot campaign at Launch Pad 39B from 6-9 a.m. EDT
Oct. 23 - L-4 Flight Test Readiness Review followed by a news conference on NASA TV targeted for 5 p.m. EDT
Oct. 24 - L-3 Media briefing on NASA TV at 10 a.m. EDT
Oct. 25 - L-2 Launch Status Briefing on NASA TV at 10 a.m. EDT
Oct. 26 - Prelaunch News Conference on NASA TV at 1 p.m. EDT
Oct. 27 (target) - Ares I-X flight test launch at 8 a.m. EDT
Ares I-X Flight Hardware
- The rollout of the Ares I-X flight test vehicle scheduled for Monday, Oct. 19, is being rescheduled by at least 24 hours. This will allow time for the launch team to remove and replace a hydraulic accumulator.
During testing late on Oct. 14, hydraulics engineers detected a gaseous nitrogen leak in the accumulator, which is located in the aft skirt of the rocket. The pressurized nitrogen is leaking past a seal and into the area of the accumulator containing hydraulic fluid. The accumulator absorbs hydraulic pressure spikes as the system operates. The accumulator is being removed and replaced today, and the retest will begin on Friday.
The same problem has occurred in the past on space shuttle flight hardware, most recently on STS-117 in March 2007.
What effect this will have on the Ares I-X targeted Oct. 27 launch date, if any, is being assessed by management and will be based on when the rollout is finally scheduled to occur.
This week's milestones include:
Upper Stage, Interstage, Frustrum and RoCS closeouts for flight are complete, and the installation of the flight door is in work
Power up testing is in work
First Stage closeouts continue
Upcoming milestones:
Rollout
Ares I-X Ground Support Equipment
At Launch Pad 39B, modifications are complete
The Ares I-X flight test will provide NASA an early opportunity to
check and prove hardware, analysis and modeling methods, and
facilities and ground operations needed to develop the NASA's next
crew launch vehicle.
For more information about the Ares I-X flight test, visit: www.nasa.gov/aresIX
NASA LAUNCHES TWEETUP FOR SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS LIFTOFF IN FLORIDA
WASHINGTON - For the first time, NASA Twitter followers are invited to view a space shuttle launch in person at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA is hosting this unique Tweetup on Nov. 11 and 12. Space shuttle Atlantis is targeted to launch at 4:04 p.m. EST, Nov. 12, on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station.
"This will be NASA's fifth Tweetup for our Twitter community," said Michael Cabbage, director of the News Services division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "Each event has provided our followers with inside access to NASA personnel, including astronauts. The goal of this particular Tweetup is to share the excitement of a shuttle launch with a new audience."
NASA will accommodate the first 100 people who sign up on the Web. An additional 50 registrants will be added to a waitlist. Registration opens at noon EDT on Friday, Oct. 16. To sign up and for more information about the Tweetup, visit: www.nasa.gov/tweetup
The two-day event will provide NASA Twitter followers with the opportunity to take a tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center, view the space shuttle launch and speak with shuttle technicians, engineers, astronauts and managers. The Tweetup will include a "meet and greet" session to allow participants to mingle with fellow Tweeps and the staff behind the tweets on @NASA.
For more information about space shuttle Atlantis' STS-129 mission,
visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Oct. 13, 2009
ANNUAL NASA-SPONSORED BUSINESS EXPO SET FOR OCT. 20
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Business leaders interested in learning more about government contracting and what local and national vendors have to offer should attend the "Business Opportunities Expo 2009" on Oct. 20. The expo will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., in Cruise Terminal 3 at Port Canaveral, Fla. Admission is free and open to the public.
The annual trade show, sponsored by the NASA Kennedy Space Center's Prime Contractor Board, 45th Space Wing and Canaveral Port Authority, is in its 20th year. It will feature more than 175 business and government exhibitors from throughout the nation and across Brevard County.
Exhibitors will include vendors from a variety of product and service areas, such as computer technology, engineering services, communication equipment and services, and construction and safety products, to name a few. Representatives from the 45th Space Wing, Kennedy prime contractors, NASA and many more agencies and organizations will be on hand to provide information and answer questions.
During the opening ceremonies, welcoming remarks will be provided by a representative from U.S. Congressman Tom Posey's office and U.S. Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas's office.
Also speaking will be NASA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Small Business Programs Glenn Delgado; Kennedy's Associate Director Mike Wetmore; Kennedy's procurement officer Dudley R. Cannon Jr.; Col. Andre L. Lovett, vice commander, 45th Space Wing, Patrick Air Force Base; and Tom Goodson, commissioner, Canaveral Port Authority. Larry Third, Kennedy small business specialist, will recognize the contractor-of-the-year award winners.
NASA's Central Industry Assistance Office provides support to small businesses that want to do business at Kennedy. This office works with the NASA Kennedy Prime Contractor Board, which consists of many of the center's prime contractors to help small businesses learn how to navigate in the world of government contracting. By co-sponsoring the expo, the Board helps provide a one-stop environment for buyers and sellers.
For more information, please visit the expo Web site at: expo.ksc.nasa.gov
NASA ADJUSTS SHUTTLE ATLANTIS' LAUNCH PAD MOVE TO OCT. 14
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA now is targeting Wednesday, Oct. 14, to move space shuttle Atlantis to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
First motion of Atlantis from Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building to the pad is targeted for 12:01 a.m. EDT. The move is known as "rollout." The 3.4 mile journey is expected to take approximately six hours.
Live video coverage of the move will be shown on NASA Television starting at 6:30 a.m. Video highlights of the move will air on NASA TV Video File.
Atlantis' original rollout date was Oct. 13. The shuttle was towed Tuesday from its hangar, Orbiter Processing Facility 1, to the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, in preparation for its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station. However, an issue with a crane that was being used to transfer Atlantis for attachment to its external fuel tank and two solid rocket boosters caused a delay in operations. That in turn caused additional workload on teams in the VAB who also are working on preparing NASA's Ares I-X rocket for rollout to Kennedy's Launch Pad 39B on Oct. 19. Ares I-X is targeted to launch on its flight test on Oct. 27. Shuttle managers added a day to Atlantis' rollout preparations to provide relief to the work force.
The one-day change to the rollout still will allow managers to target Atlantis' launch for Nov. 12. It also does not affect the practice countdown, known as the terminal countdown demonstration test, and associated training for Atlantis' six astronauts and ground teams, which is set to begin Oct. 19.
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more information about the STS-129 mission and crew, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Oct. 9, 2009
ARES I-X STATUS REPORT
Launch Vehicle: Ares I-X
Launch Date: Oct. 27
Launch Pad: 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Upcoming key milestones:
Oct. 14 - Launch Pad 39B modifications media event at 2 p.m. EDT
Oct. 19 - Rollout to Launch Pad 39B targeted for 12:01 a.m. EDT
Oct. 21 - Satellite live shot campaign at Launch Pad 39B from 6-9 a.m. EDT
Oct. 23 - L-4 Flight Test Readiness Review followed by a news conference on NASA TV targeted for 5 p.m. EDT
Oct. 24 - L-3 Launch Status briefing on NASA TV at 10 a.m. EDT
Oct. 25 - L-2 Launch Status Briefing on NASA TV at 10 a.m. EDT
Oct. 26 - Prelaunch News Conference on NASA TV at 1 p.m. EDT
Oct. 27 (target) - Ares I-X flight test launch at 8 a.m. EDT
Ares 1-X Rocket
Ares I-X Flight Hardware
This week's milestones include:
Launch Readiness Review was held at Kennedy
At the conclusion of the review, KSC management determined that there are no major launch processing or engineering issues, and the team should proceed toward the scheduled rollout on October 19.
Launch Vehicle Readiness Testing was successfully completed
This test ran the vehicle through a series of simulated pre and post launch events to ensure all systems operate properly before rolling out to the launch pad
Thermal Excursion testing
This test determined the temperature sensitive avionics can operate safely without purge for a 4-hour launch countdown window
Launch Abort System and Crew Module simulator closeouts
Upper Stage closeouts have begun
Final Hydraulic System closeouts
Upcoming milestones:
Rollout
Ares I-X Ground Support Equipment
At Launch Pad 39B, modifications are complete
The Ares I-X flight test will provide NASA an early opportunity to check and prove hardware, analysis and modeling methods, and facilities and ground operations needed to develop the NASA's next crew launch vehicle.
For more information about the Ares I-X flight test, visit: www.nasa.gov/ares
NASA SELECTS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR INSPIRE EDUCATION PROGRAM
WASHINGTON -- NASA has selected 1,732 high school students from 48 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to participate in its Interdisciplinary National Science Project Incorporating Research and Education Experience, also known as INSPIRE. The INSPIRE project is designed to encourage students in grades nine through 12 to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The selectees will participate in an online learning community in which students and parents have the opportunity to interact with their peers and NASA engineers and scientists. It also provides appropriate grade-level educational activities, discussion boards and chat rooms for participants and their families to gain exposure to the many career opportunities at NASA.
The selected students will have the option to compete for workshops and internships at NASA facilities and participating universities throughout the nation during the summer of 2010. The summer experience provides students a hands-on opportunity to investigate careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The INSPIRE project is part of NASA's education efforts to engage and retain students in disciplines critical to the agency's missions.
NASA'S SHUTTLE ATLANTIS MOVES TO LAUNCH PAD, PRACTICE LIFTOFF SET
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Atlantis is targeted to launch to the International Space Station Nov. 12 on an 11-day cargo flight.
Atlantis was moved from its hangar on Tuesday to Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building. There it will be attached to its external fuel tank and two solid rocket boosters before its move next week to Launch Pad 39A.
The first motion of Atlantis from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the pad is targeted for 12:01 a.m. EDT on Oct. 13. The 3.4 mile journey is expected to take approximately six hours.
Atlantis' astronauts and ground crews will participate in the practice countdown, known as the terminal countdown demonstration test. The test provides each shuttle crew with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency training.
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more information about the STS-129 mission and crew, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Oct. 5, 2009
NASA KENNEDY'S COVERAGE OF LCROSS LUNAR IMPACT
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., will provide an interview opportunity and a potentially unique view of the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, and Centaur rocket's impact on the moon Oct. 9.
On Friday, Oct. 9, at approximately 7:30 a.m., the LCROSS spacecraft and Centaur rocket will impact the moon's southern pole. The collision is designed to send up a plume of debris that may include water ice that will be monitored by various telescopes, including NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.
For the impact itself at 7:30 a.m., three tracking cameras used by Kennedy Space Center to observe space shuttle launches - one infrared and two high-definition - also will be focused on the moon to try to record the plume.
For NASA TV Video File downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
NASA LAUNCHES NEW EDUCATION INITIATIVES WITH DISNEY'S BUZZ LIGHTYEAR
WASHINGTON -- NASA and Disney Parks, which collaborated to carry toy space ranger Buzz Lightyear into orbit, are launching new efforts to encourage students to pursue studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Buzz Lightyear aboard the International Space Station
The 12-inch-tall action figure spent more than 15 months aboard the International Space Station and returned to Earth on Sept. 11. On Friday, Oct. 2, a ticker-tape parade at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Fla., will officially welcome Lightyear home.
"Buzz's historic spaceflight is a great example of spreading the excitement of space exploration with students around the world," said Joyce Winterton, NASA's assistant administrator for Education at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "We hope our space station crews and Buzz will continue to spark student interest in the space station and its scientific potential."
NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, the station commander from October 2008 to April 2009, is spending the day at the Magic Kingdom to tell students about two new educational design challenges and a new online game.
Mission Patch Design Challenge: Students ages 6-12 will have the opportunity to design a patch to commemorate Lightyear's mission and his accomplishment of being the longest serving space ranger. The student with the most creative mission patch and 100-word essay will win a tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and a trip to Walt Disney World Resort. NASA will fly the winning patch into space, then present it to the contest winner.
Kids in Micro-g Experiment Challenge: Students in the fifth through eighth grades are encouraged to devise experiments to be conducted aboard the space station. The 12 winning experiments will be performed by the end of the school year and videotaped for the winning schools.
NASA and Disney Parks are launching a new online game as part of the Space Ranger Education Series. The series includes fun educational games for students and materials for educators to download and integrate into classroom curricula. In the newest game, "Putting It All Together," players can build the entire station using all of the real modules.
"We can't thank our partners at NASA enough for bringing Buzz Lightyear home from space to his family, friends and fans here at Disney Parks -- after all, this was his dream come true," said Duncan Wardle, vice president of Disney Parks.
NASA Television will air highlights of Finke's meeting with students and the Buzz Lightyear parade. For streaming video, schedules and downlink information, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA is extending the Life Science Services contract at Kennedy Space Center held by Dynamac Corporation of Rockville, Md., for an additional one year, three months and increasing its value.
The potential estimated increase value of the cost-plus-fixed-fee contract is $9.7 and begins Oct. 1. The base extension value is $8.1 million with three, one month options totaling about $1.6 million.
The contract's additional period of performance allows Dynamac Corporation to continue to provide a space experiment and processing laboratory at Kennedy, known as the Space Life Sciences Lab, maintain and operate this laboratory, conduct critical life sciences and technology development tasks and perform biological payload integration and processing in support of the Space Shuttle, International Space Station and Constellation Programs.
Some of the effort under the existing contract is expected to transition to the Medical and Environmental Services Contract on Oct. 1. However, the remainder of the requirements being supported under this contract will not be transitioned until the Exploration Ground Launch Services contract and the Engineering Services Contract are awarded in the fall of 2010.
The original period of performance for the Life Science Services contract was seven years, nine months, which ends Sept. 30. The total original contract value was $123.6 million. The revised potential contract value is $133.3 million.
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
Oct. 1, 2009
NASA SPONSORS STUDENT WATER RECYCLING COMPETITION
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA is inviting fifth through eighth grade students to participate in a waste limitation management and recycling design challenge. Participants in the competition will design and test water recycling systems that could be used for future exploration of the moon. The top three teams will receive awards, and the first place team will receive an expense-paid trip to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Teams of up to six students and one teacher or mentor should submit their proposals and results to NASA for evaluationby Feb. 1, 2010. Schools in the United States and its territories, science museums, science centers and home school groups may host teams.
The winning teams will be announced in May 2010. During the winning team's visit to Kennedy, students will gain first-hand knowledge about NASA's missions, receive behind-the-scenes tours of NASA's launch facilities, and learn about future aerospace and engineering careers.
The competition is designed to engage and retain students in the science, technology, engineering and math disciplines critical to NASA's missions.
Launch Vehicle: Ares I-X
Launch Date: Oct. 27
Launch Pad: 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Upcoming key milestones:
Oct. 9 – Launch Readiness Review at Kennedy
Oct. 15 – Launch Pad 39B modifications media event at 10 a.m. EDT
Oct. 19 – Rollout to Launch Pad 39B targeted for 12:01 a.m. EDT
Oct. 21 – Satellite live shot campaign at Launch Pad 39B from 6-9 a.m. EDT
Oct. 23 – L-4 Flight Test Readiness Review followed by a news conference on NASA TV
Oct. 24 – L-3 Launch Status briefing on NASA TV at 10 a.m. EDT
Oct. 25 – L-2 Launch Status Briefing on NASA TV at 10 a.m. EDT
Oct. 26 – Prelaunch News Conference on NASA TV at 1 p.m. EDT
Oct. 27 (target) – Ares I-X flight test launch at 8 a.m. EDT
Ares I-X Flight Hardware
Last week's milestones include:
Launch Team countdown simulation from the firing room
Full-up Development Flight Instrumentation system testing
Flight control actuator testing
This week's milestones include:
Powered up testing continues
Launch Vehicle Readiness Test
Tests the rocket's systems to assure responds correctly to both pre-launch aborts and in-flight failures
Super Stack 5 closeouts
Upcoming milestones:
Launch pad readiness review
Ares I-X Ground Support Equipment
At Launch Pad 39B, modifications are ongoing
Vehicle Stabilization System final checkouts
Environmental Control System (ECS) validation testing
Fixed Service and Rotating Service Structures walk downs
The Ares I-X flight test will provide NASA an early opportunity to check and prove hardware, analysis and modeling methods, and facilities and ground operations needed to develop NASA's next crew launch vehicle.
For more information about the Ares I-X flight test, visit: www.nasa.gov/ares
DELTA II NASA LAUNCH FOR MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY SUCCESSFUL
STSS Demonstrators Program is a midcourse tracking technology demonstrator and is part of an evolving ballistic missile defense system. Owned by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, the payload's two satellites were successfully launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard a Delta II rocket Sept. 25, 2009 at 8:20 a.m.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A Delta II rocket managed by NASA's Launch Services Program lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Thursday with two spacecraft for the United States Missile Defense Agency. The Space Tracking and Surveillance System Demonstrator mission, or STSS Demo, lifted off from Pad B at Launch Complex 17 at 8:20 a.m. EDT.
The launch vehicle was a United Launch Alliance Delta II 7920-10c. The final spacecraft separation for the second of two satellites occurred 55 minutes after liftoff.
"With confirmation of the payload's delivery into the correct orbit, the launch is a success," said Omar Baez, launch director for the NASA Launch Services Program headquartered at Kennedy Space Center.
The STSS Demo mission is a space-based sensor component of the Ballistic Missile Defense System. The two spacecraft will use sensors capable of detecting visible and infrared light to provide timely and accurate acquisition and tracking of potentially threatening ballistic missiles. The satellites have a two-year mission life and four-year design life.
NASA also managed the launch of another mission for the Missile Defense Agency aboard a Delta II rocket in May from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
STSS DEMO LAUNCH POSTPONED UNTIL NO EARLIER THAN SEPT. 25
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The launch of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's Space Tracking and Surveillance System Demonstration mission, or STSS Demo, is postponed until no earlier than Friday, Sept. 25. Teams are working to correct a technical issue with some ground equipment on the pad at Space Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
A Friday liftoff of the Delta II rocket carrying the STSS Demo spacecraft would be at 8 a.m. EDT in a one hour launch window.
Following Wednesday morning's weather launch scrub, teams detected a small leak in a flange in the fuel transfer system under the launch pad. Both the Delta II and STSS spacecraft have no technical issues.
Teams plan to assess the fuel leak and determine what steps to take to support the next launch attempt.
NASA's Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., is responsible for the launch of STSS Demo. United Launch Alliance is conducting the launch service for NASA. For more information about NASA's Launch Services Program visit: www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/launchingrockets/index.html
Sept. 22, 2009
NASA SETS TARGET DATE FOR ARES I-X ROCKET'S TEST LAUNCH
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA is targeting Tuesday, Oct. 27, for the flight test of the Ares I-X rocket, pending successful testing and data verification. Senior managers made the decision after a meeting Monday at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
The Oct. 27 target date has been confirmed with the Air Force's Eastern Range. The launch window will extend from 8 a.m. to noon EDT. There is another launch opportunity on Oct. 28. The date will be finalized at a Flight Test Readiness Review scheduled for Oct. 23 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Technicians at Kennedy have completed the stacking, or assembly, of the rocket on a mobile launch platform. This week, Ares I-X team members are conducting a launch countdown simulation and conducting final checks of the rocket's systems. The checks will begin with the launch abort system simulator atop the rocket and continue down to its aft skirt. The rocket is targeted to roll out to Kennedy's Launch Pad 39B on Oct. 19.
The launch will provide NASA with an opportunity to test and prove hardware, facilities and ground operations, while gathering critical data for the Ares I rocket and future launch vehicles. To follow Ares I-X processing on Twitter, visit: www.twitter.com/NASA_Ares_I_X
For more information about Ares I-X and NASA's next-generation spacecraft, visit: www.nasa.gov/ares
Sept. 21, 2009
DELTA II DEFENSE DEPARTMENT LAUNCH RESCHEDULED FOR SEPT. 23
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - To accommodate spacecraft readiness, launch of the Missile Defense Agency's Space Tracking and Surveillance System Demonstration mission, or STSS Demo, has been rescheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 23, from Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The launch window opens at 8 a.m. EDT and is one hour long.
STSS Demo is an element of the STSS Program, a space-based sensor component of a layered Ballistic Missile Defense System designed for the overall mission of detection, tracking and discrimination of ballistic missiles.
NASA's Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., is responsible for the launch of STSS Demo aboard a Delta II 7920-10c rocket. United Launch Alliance is conducting the launch service for NASA. The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is in charge of the STSS Demo mission. The STSS Demo satellites were built for MDA by Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems.
NASA Web Prelaunch and Launch Coverage
NASA's home on the Internet, www.nasa.gov, will provide countdown and liftoff coverage of the STSS Demo launch.
Live coverage through NASA's Launch Blog begins at 6 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 23. The coverage features real-time updates as countdown milestones occur, as well as streaming video clips highlighting launch preparations and liftoff.
NASA BRINGS THE ARES I-X FLIGHT TEST ROCKET TO LIFE
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The Ares I-X team at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida has reached a significant milestone with the first electrical power-up of the test rocket on Sept. 11. Ares I-X and its simulated crew module and launch abort system are assembled on a mobile launcher platform at Kennedy in preparation for its targeted Oct. 31 flight test.
Power-up is the first application of power to all of the electronics boxes, including avionics, sensors and thrust vector control system, since the rocket segments arrived and were stacked at Kennedy. Testing ran for three days and concluded Sept. 14. The boxes were all powered up individually in Denver, but had not been tested since installation in the rocket with actual flight cabling.
"Powering up a new vehicle and having all of the systems 'talking' to each other is always a challenge. The power-up was a tremendous success, with all of the systems functioning nominally," said Bob Ess, Ares I-X mission manager.
The Ares I-X is wired with more than 700 sensors to gather data during the two-and-a-half minute flight test. The launch will provide NASA an early opportunity to test and prove hardware, facilities and ground operations. The data collected during the launch will allow NASA to gather critical data for Ares I and future launch vehicles.
For more information about Ares I-X and NASA's next-generation spacecraft, visit: www.nasa.gov/ares
Sept. 15, 2009
NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY SET TO RETURN TO FLORIDA
EDWARDS, Calif. -- After landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Sept. 11, space shuttle Discovery is about to start its cross-country journey back to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Following the successful STS-128 mission to the International Space Station, Discovery was mounted on a modified Boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft. Discovery is expected to begin its journey from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif., to Kennedy as early as Friday, Sept. 18. The exact date and time of departure have yet to be set because of changing weather conditions and the fluid nature of preparing Discovery for the flight.
Live status updates will be added periodically to the NASA News Twitter feed during the flight. To access the feed, visit: www.twitter.com/nasa
NASA Television will provide live coverage of Discovery's departure and arrival. For the NASA TV downlink, the schedule of ferry flight coverage and streaming video information, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
Sept. 14, 2009
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT MISSION TO LAUNCH ABOARD DELTA II SEPT. 19
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Launch of the Missile Defense Agency's Space Tracking and Surveillance System Demonstration mission, or STSS Demo, is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, from Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The launch window opens at 8 a.m. EDT and is one hour in duration.
STSS Demo is an element of the STSS Program, a space-based sensor component of a layered Ballistic Missile Defense System designed for the overall mission of detection, tracking and discrimination of ballistic missiles.
NASA's Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., is responsible for the launch of STSS Demo aboard a Delta II 7920-10c rocket. United Launch Alliance is conducting the launch service for NASA. The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is in charge of the STSS Demo mission. The STSS Demo satellites were built for MDA by Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems.
Sept. 11, 2009
SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY RETURNS TO EARTH AFTER SUCCESSFUL MISSION
Space shuttle Discovery lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Credit: NASA TV
EDWARDS, Calif. -- Space shuttle Discovery and its crew of seven astronauts ended a 14-day journey of more than 5.7 million miles with a 5:53 p.m. PDT landing Friday at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
The mission, designated STS-128, delivered two refrigerator-sized science racks to the International Space Station. One rack will be used to conduct experiments on materials such as metals, glasses and ceramics. The results from these experiments could lead to the development of better materials on Earth. The other rack will be used for fluid physics research. Understanding how fluids react in microgravity could lead to improved designs for fuel tanks, water systems and other fluid-based systems.
STS-128 Commander Rick Sturckow was joined on the mission by Pilot Kevin Ford, Mission Specialists Pat Forrester, Jose Hernandez, Danny Olivas and European Space Agency astronaut Christer Fuglesang. NASA astronaut Nicole Stott flew to the complex aboard Discovery to begin a nearly three-month mission as a station resident, replacing Tim Kopra, who returned home on Discovery.
Weather concerns prevented the crew from returning to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the primary end-of-mission landing site. In seven to 10 days, Discovery will be transported approximately 2,500 miles from California to Florida on the back of a modified 747 jumbo jet. Once at Kennedy, Discovery will be separated from the aircraft to begin processing for its next flight, targeted for March 2010.
A welcome ceremony for the crew's return to Houston will be held at Ellington Field's NASA Hangar 990 at 4 p.m. CDT on Saturday, Sept. 12. The public is invited to attend.
In addition to carrying a new station crew member, Discovery and the crew also delivered a new sleeping compartment, an air purification system and a treadmill named after comedian Stephen Colbert. The mission included three spacewalks that replaced experiments outside the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory and an empty ammonia storage tank. Ammonia is needed to move excess heat from inside the station to the radiators located outside.
Disney's toy astronaut Buzz Lightyear also returned from the space station aboard Discovery. He flew to the station in May 2008 on shuttle Discovery's STS-124 mission and served as the longest tenured "crew member" in space. While on the station, Buzz supported NASA's education outreach by creating a series of online educational outreach programs.
The crew's return will be broadcast on NASA Television's video file. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
With Discovery and its crew safely home, the stage is set for the launch of shuttle Atlantis on its STS-129 mission. Atlantis' liftoff currently is targeted for Nov.12, although shuttle and station teams are assessing Nov. 9 as a potential launch date. The flight will focus on storing important spare hardware on the station's exterior. The 11-day flight will include three spacewalks and the installation of two platforms to the station's truss, or backbone. Atlantis also will bring Stott back to Earth.
Stott and STS-128 astronaut Hernandez are providing updates on Twitter. To connect to their Twitter feeds and other NASA social media, visit: www.nasa.gov/collaborate
For more about the STS-128 mission and the upcoming STS-129 flight, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
Kennedy Landings Waved Off, Discovery to Land at Edwards
Mission Control has decided to target Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., for today's landing since the weather at Kennedy is unstable. The deorbit burn is timelined to begin at 7:47 p.m. EDT for an 8:53 p.m. landing at Edwards. The burn lasts three to four minutes, slowing Discovery enough to begin its descent.
Sept. 11, 2009
NASA EXERCISES PAYLOAD PROCESSING CONTRACT OPTION
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA is exercising its final option in the Checkout, Assembly and Payload Processing Services contract, known as CAPPS.
The option is the second of two on the cost-plus-award-fee CAPPS contract awarded to Boeing Space Operations Company of Titusville, Fla., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company. The option's performance period is from Oct. 1, 2009, through Sept. 30, 2012, with a maximum potential value of approximately $156.5 million.
The contract provides management and technical services in support of payload processing requirements at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the International Space Station, space shuttle, expendable launch vehicle, Constellation and other payload programs. Boeing performs all aspects of payload processing, including planning, safety and mission assurance, payload processing ground systems support, space shuttle integration, launch and post-landing activities.
Option 1 on the CAPPS contract began in October 2006 with a value of $308.8 million. The base contract began in October 2002 with a value of $359.4 million. The total maximum potential value of the CAPPS contract with both options is approximately $824.8 million.
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
Sept. 8, 2009
NASA AWARDS HELIUM CONTRACT
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA has selected five companies to provide liquid and gaseous helium for 17 agency locations, including centers and facilities.
This new fixed-price requirements contract with economic price adjustment is for the acquisition of approximately 12.5 million liters of liquid helium and 235.7 million standard cubic feet of gaseous helium during a five-year period of performance starting Oct. 1. It has a maximum potential value of approximately $56.5 million. The awardees are:
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., of Allentown, Pa., has been awarded about $18.7 million of the base contract plus options.
Linde LLC, of Murray Hill, N.J., has been awarded $80,000 of the base contract plus options.
Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc., of Basking Ridge, N.J., has been awarded $3.8 million of the base contract plus options.
Praxair Distribution, Inc., of Austin, Texas, has been awarded $553,000 of the base contract plus options.
Praxair, Inc., of Danbury, Conn., has been awarded $33.4 million of the base contract plus options.
NASA uses helium as a cryogenic agent for cooling various materials, precision welding applications, lab use, as an inert purge gas for hydrogen systems, and as a pressurizing agent for the space shuttle's ground and flight fluid systems.
The total period of performance for all awards is five years, with a three-year base period plus two one-year options. The base contract period ends Sept. 30, 2012. Option 1 would extend the contract from Oct. 1, 2012, to Sept. 30, 2013. Option 2 would extend the contract from Oct. 1, 2013, to Sept. 30, 2014.
NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is responsible for the acquisition of helium on behalf of the agency.
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
Sept. 8, 2009
SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY CREW SET TO RETURN TO EARTH THURSDAY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew are expected to return to Earth Thursday after a 13-day mission. Two landing opportunities at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida are available at 7:05 p.m. and 8:42 p.m. EDT.
NASA will evaluate weather conditions at Kennedy before permitting Discovery and its crew to land. If bad weather prevents a return on Thursday, both Kennedy and the backup landing site at Edwards Air Force Base in California will be activated for consideration on Friday.
After touchdown in Florida, the astronauts will undergo physical examinations and meet with their families. They are expected to make brief remarks at the runway. The news events will be broadcast live on NASA Television and the agency's Web site.
The NASA News Twitter feed is updated throughout the shuttle mission and landing. To access the feed, visit: www.twitter.com/nasa
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
For the latest information about the STS-128 mission and accomplishments, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Sept. 4, 2009
ARES I-X STATUS REPORT
Launch Vehicle: Ares I-X Launch Date: Targeted for Oct. 31
Launch Pad: 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Ares I-X Flight Hardware
This week's milestones include:
Launch Team countdown simulation from the firing room
First vehicle power up preparations ongoing
Electrical cable run installations continue in support of power up
Upcoming milestones:
Vehicle power up
Ares I-X Ground Support Equipment
At Launch Pad 39B, modifications are ongoing
Environmental Control System (ECS) final hardware installations
Installation of the Vehicle Stabilization System
The Ares I-X flight test will provide NASA an early opportunity to check and prove hardware, analysis and modeling methods, and facilities and ground operations needed to develop NASA's next crew launch vehicle.
For more information about the Ares I-X flight test, visit: www.nasa.gov/ares
Launch Vehicle: Ares I-X Launch Date: Targeted for Oct. 31
Launch Pad: 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Ares I-X Flight Hardware
Last week's milestones include:
Modal testing of the flight test vehicle complete
A series of sensors strategically located throughout the stack will measure the amount and direction of movement, as the electro-mechanical shakers impose random loads to determine the rocket segment's first several bending modes
Development flight instrumentation testing is now complete
This week's milestones include:
Launch Team simulation from the firing room
First vehicle power up
Upcoming milestones:
Installation of the Vehicle Stabilization System
Ares I-X Ground Support Equipment
At Launch Pad 39B, modifications are ongoing
The Ares I-X flight test will provide NASA an early opportunity to check and prove hardware, analysis and modeling methods, and facilities and ground operations needed to develop NASA's next crew launch vehicle.
For more information about the Ares I-X flight test, visit: www.nasa.gov/ares
NASA'S SHUTTLE DISCOVERY LAUNCHES TO ENHANCE SPACE STATION SCIENCE
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery, with its seven-member crew, launched at 11:59 p.m. EDT Friday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will deliver supplies, equipment and a new crew member to the International Space Station.
Inside the shuttle's cargo bay is the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, a pressurized "moving van" that will be temporarily installed to the station. The module will deliver storage racks; materials and fluids science racks; a freezer to store research samples; a new sleeping compartment; an air purification system; and a treadmill named after comedian Stephen Colbert. The name "Colbert" received the most entries in NASA's online poll to name the station's Node 3. NASA named the node Tranquility.
Shortly before liftoff, Commander Rick Sturckow said, "Thanks to everyone who helped prepare for this mission. Let's go step up the science on the International Space Station!"
The 13-day flight will include three spacewalks to replace experiments outside the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory, install a new ammonia storage tank and return the used one. Ammonia is needed to move excess heat from inside the station to the radiators located outside.
Sturckow is joined on the STS-128 mission by Pilot Kevin Ford, Mission Specialists Pat Forrester, Jose Hernandez, Danny Olivas and European Space Agency astronaut Christer Fuglesang. NASA astronaut Nicole Stott will fly to the complex aboard Discovery to begin a three-month mission as a station resident. She replaces NASA's Tim Kopra, who will return home on Discovery. Ford, Hernandez and Stott are first-time space fliers.
The mission marks the start of the transition from assembling the space station to using it for continuous scientific research. Assembly and maintenance activities have dominated the available time for crew work. As completion nears, additional facilities and the crew members to operate them will enable a measured increase in time devoted to research as a national and multinational orbiting laboratory.
Discovery's first landing opportunity at Kennedy is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 10, at 7:09 p.m. EDT. This mission is the 128th space shuttle flight, the 30th to the station, the 37th for Discovery and the fourth in 2009.
NASA is providing continuous television and Internet coverage of Discovery's mission. NASA Television features live mission events, daily mission status news conferences and 24-hour commentary. For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
NASA's Web coverage of STS-128 includes mission information, interactive features, news conference images, graphics and videos. Mission coverage, including the latest NASA TV schedule, is available on the main space shuttle Web site at: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Hernandez and Stott are providing mission updates on Twitter. For their Twitter feeds and other NASA social media Web sites, visit: www.nasa.gov/collaborate
Live updates to the NASA News Twitter feed will be added throughout the shuttle mission and landing. To access the NASA News Twitter feed, visit: www.twitter.com/nasa
Aug. 27, 2009
NASA DELAYS SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY LAUNCH
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA managers postponed Friday's 12:22 a.m. EDT launch of space shuttle Discovery to allow engineers more time to develop plans for resolving an issue with a valve in the shuttle's main propulsion system. Launch now is targeted for no earlier than 11:59 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
During loading of the shuttle's external fuel tank for Wednesday's launch attempt, a liquid hydrogen fill and drain valve located in Discovery's aft compartment failed to provide the proper indication when it was commanded to close. Engineers cycled the valve five times Wednesday evening to collect data on the valve and its associated actuator and position indicator.
NASA managers decided Thursday that more time is needed to analyze the test data and develop alternative procedures for confirming that the valve is closed if the valve fails to provide the proper closed indication during Discovery's next launch attempt.
Discovery's 13-day STS-128 flight to the International Space Station will deliver storage racks; materials and fluids science racks; a freezer to store research samples; a new sleeping compartment; an air purification system; and a treadmill named after comedian Stephen Colbert.
For the latest information about the STS-128 mission and its crew,
visit:www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Aug. 25, 2009
NASA SETS NEW TARGET LAUNCH DATE FOR SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA has targeted the next launch attempt for space shuttle Discovery for no earlier than 12:22 a.m. EDT Friday, Aug. 28, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Wednesday's launch attempt was postponed after an indication that a valve in the shuttle's main propulsion system failed to perform as expected during fueling of the shuttle's external fuel tank.
NASA managers officially postponed Wednesday's launch attempt because of uncertainty about whether a valve that was commanded to be closed actually was closed. The valve is associated with the fill and drain plumbing of the main propulsion system within the shuttle's aft compartment.
The space shuttle mission management team will meet at noon on Thursday, Aug. 27, to discuss the troubleshooting results and decide whether to continue with a launch attempt. The tanking weather briefing will follow at 2:15 p.m.
Discovery's 13-day STS-128 flight to the International Space Station will deliver storage racks, materials and fluids science racks, a freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment, an air purification system, and a treadmill named after comedian Stephen Colbert.
For the latest information about the STS-128 mission and its crew, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
NASA Television is providing coverage of Discovery's mission. For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
August 25, 2009, ca: 10:20pm Twitter from Andrea Farmer, PR for KSCVC
"Discovery's launch is now targeted for Friday (Aug. 28) at 12:22am ET from KSC pending a review of analysis on the valve issue."
Aug. 21, 2009
NASA TO AIR STEPHEN COLBERT MESSAGE ON EVE OF SHUTTLE LAUNCH
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA will broadcast a special message from comedian Stephen Colbert on Monday, Aug. 24, as the space shuttle Discovery prepares to deliver the COLBERT treadmill to the International Space Station.
The message will air on NASA Television after the shuttle's fueling commentary concludes at approximately 7:15 p.m. EDT.
The name Colbert received the most entries in NASA's online poll to name the station's Node 3 module, so NASA named its new space station treadmill the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill, or COLBERT. NASA named the module Tranquility.
Colbert, the host of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report," took an interest in the poll and urged his viewers to suggest his name, which received the most entries.
Discovery and its seven-member crew are set to launch at 1:36 a.m. EDT Tuesday, Aug. 25, on a 13-day mission to deliver scientific experiments, equipment and supplies to the station.
For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
NASA ANNOUNCES SHUTTLE PRELAUNCH EVENTS AND COUNTDOWN DETAILS
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The shuttle's STS-128 mission to the International Space Station is scheduled to lift off at 1:36 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, Aug. 25.
NASA will provide continuous STS-128 online updates, including a webcast and a blog at: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
On launch day, a blog will update the countdown beginning on Monday, Aug. 24, at 8:30 p.m. Originating from Kennedy, the blog is the definitive Internet source for information leading up to launch. During the mission, visitors to NASA's shuttle Web site can read about the crew's progress and watch the spacewalks live. As Discovery's flight wraps up, NASA will offer a blog detailing the spacecraft's return to Earth.
The NASA News Twitter feed will be updated throughout the shuttle launch countdown, mission and landing. To access the NASA News Twitter feed, visit: www.twitter.com/nasa
For NASA TV streaming video, scheduling and downlink information, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
Aug. 19, 2009
NASA GIVES 'GO' FOR SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY LAUNCH ON AUG. 25
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA has completed a two-day review of space shuttle Discovery's readiness for flight and selected Aug. 25 as the official launch date for the STS-128 mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff is scheduled for 1:36 a.m. EDT from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Discovery's launch date was announced after a flight readiness review at Kennedy. During the meeting, senior NASA and contractor managers assessed the risks associated with the mission and determined the shuttle's equipment, support systems and procedures are ready for launch pending the resolution of one remaining issue. An orbiter power controller that failed to operate properly was replaced, and an analysis was completed. The issue is expected to be closed when final data from the analysis is presented at the mission management team meeting on Aug. 23.
The readiness review included a thorough discussion about foam insulation that covers the shuttle's external fuel tank. The foam helps prevent ice from developing when super-cold propellants are loaded prior to launch. During shuttle Endeavour's liftoff on July 15, foam separated from the intertank area and the liquid oxygen tank's ice frost ramps. The foam loss led to a detailed examination that determined Discovery is acceptable to fly.
"There was an excellent discussion on foam loss that included input from multiple teams including our NASA safety and engineering communities," said Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations at NASA Headquarters in Washington, who chaired the day and a half meeting. "After examining the foam releases on recent flights and completing a lot of testing and analysis to improve our understanding of the relative risks, we concluded that we're ready to go fly. The teams are continuing to learn about foam and have planned additional tests and analysis to continue to improve our understanding of foam loss mechanisms and risks."
The 13-day flight will deliver science and storage racks, a freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment, an air purification system and a treadmill named after comedian Stephen Colbert. The name Colbert received the most entries in NASA's online poll to name the station's Node 3. NASA named the node Tranquility.
Astronaut Rick Sturckow will command Discovery. He will be joined by Pilot Kevin Ford and Mission Specialists Pat Forrester, Jose Hernandez, Danny Olivas and European Space Agency astronaut Christer Fuglesang. NASA astronaut Nicole Stott will fly to the complex aboard Discovery to begin a three-month mission as a station resident. She replaces NASA's Tim Kopra, who will return home on Discovery.
STS-128 will be Discovery's 37th mission and the 30th shuttle flight dedicated to station assembly and maintenance. For more information about STS-128, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Space Shuttle Discovery Continues Launch Preparations
While space shuttle Discovery's STS-128 launch preparations continue at Florida's Kennedy Space Center, the astronaut crew completed its final planned integrated ascent training in Houston at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Launch is targeted for 1:58 a.m. EDT on Monday, Aug. 24.
On Friday, shuttle managers approved 18 additional plug pull tests on the orbiter side of the external fuel tank to ensure there are no issues with its intertank region. Engineers at the tank's manufacturing plant in New Orleans are assessing high-tech X-ray data to ensure protective foam ramps on the tank slated for November's STS-129 mission show no defects.
The ice-frost ramps (IFR) protect brackets along the external tank from development of ice when super-cold liquid oxygen and hydrogen are loaded prior to launch. Foam loss during the last two shuttle launches from one particular IFR high up on the liquid oxygen tank has led to a detailed examination to determine if it is acceptable to launch Discovery without further work.
Meanwhile, the STS-128 crew Friday conducted its final launch training session integrated with Mission Control before heading into quarantine Monday. They will fly to Kennedy on Wednesday to prepare for launch.
Aug. 14, 2009
NASA COMPLETES ASSEMBLY OF ARES I-X TEST ROCKET
Ares I-X in the VAB. Credit: NASA
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- For the first time in more than a
quarter-century, a new space vehicle stands ready in NASA's Kennedy
Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building. The Ares I-X rocket, its
simulated crew module and launch abort system are assembled on a
mobile launch platform at Kennedy in preparation for launch this fall.
The final segments of the Ares I-X were stacked on Aug. 13, completing
the 327-foot launch vehicle and providing the first look at the
finished rocket's distinctive shape. The Ares I-X flight test is
targeted for Oct. 31.
"More than three years of hard work with the NASA and contractor team
has brought us to this historic moment," said Bob Ess, Ares I-X
mission manager. "This flight test is a critical step in continuing
our design process for the Ares vehicle and the first flight for the
Constellation Program."
The Ares I-X is wired with more than 700 sensors to gather data during
the two-and-a-half minute flight test. The launch will provide NASA
an early opportunity to test and prove hardware, facilities and
ground operations associated with the Ares I crew launch vehicle. The
data collected during the launch will allow NASA to gather critical
data during ascent of the integrated Orion spacecraft and the Ares I
rocket.
Now that the Ares I-X is assembled, numerous evaluations will be run
on all the rocket systems, including complex instruments that will
constantly measure the vehicle's movements as it launches and the
first stage separates. The evaluations include a process called
"modal testing," which will shake the stack slightly to test
stiffness of the rocket, including the pinned and bolted joints.
Video B-roll of the Ares I-X will be available on NASA Television's
Video File feed. For NASA TV streaming video, schedules and downlink
information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more information about the Ares I-X and NASA's next-generation spacecraft, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ares
Aug. 11, 2009
NASA ASSIGNS CREW FOR STS-134 SHUTTLE MISSION, CHANGE TO STS-132
WASHINGTON -- NASA has assigned the crew for space shuttle mission STS-134 to the International Space Station. The flight will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, or AMS, to the station. The AMS is a state-of-the-art cosmic ray particle physics detector designed to examine fundamental issues about matter and the origin and structure of the universe.
Navy Capt. Mark Kelly will command the STS-134 mission. Retired Air Force Col. Gregory H. Johnson will serve as the pilot. Mission Specialists are Air Force Col. Michael Fincke, Greg Chamitoff and Andrew Feustel. European Space Agency astronaut and Italian Air Force Col. Roberto Vittori also will serve as a mission specialist.
The flight will include three spacewalks and the installation of the AMS to the exterior of the space station using both the shuttle and station arms. The AMS will be attached to the right side of the station's truss, or backbone.
NASA also has named Air Force Col. Michael Good to replace Karen Nyberg on shuttle Atlantis' STS-132 mission, targeted to launch in May 2010. Nyberg is being replaced due to a temporary medical condition. Nyberg will be assigned to a technical role while she awaits a future assignment.
Kelly previously served as the pilot of STS-108 in 2001 and STS-121 in 2006, and commander for STS-124 in 2008. He was born in Orange, N.J., and considers West Orange, N.J., to be his hometown. Kelly has a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, King's Point, N.Y., and a master's degree from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif.
Johnson previously flew as a pilot on STS-123 in 2008. He was born in South Ruislip, Middlesex, United Kingdom, but graduated from Park Hills High School in Fairborn, Ohio. Johnson has a bachelor's from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., and master's degrees from Columbia University and the University of Texas, Austin.
Fincke is a veteran of two long-duration missions aboard the space station. He served as the NASA science officer and flight engineer on Expedition 9, and commander for Expedition 18. He was born in Pittsburgh and considers Emsworth, Pa., his hometown. He has an Associate Science degree from El Camino College in Torrance, Calif., two bachelor's degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and master's degrees from Stanford University and the University of Houston - Clear Lake.
Chamitoff, also a veteran of a long-duration spaceflight, served as NASA science officer and a flight engineer on Expeditions 17 and 18. He was born in Montreal and grew up in San Jose, Calif. He holds a bachelor's degree from California Polytechnic State University, a master's degree from the California Institute of Technology, a second master's degree from UHCL and a doctorate from MIT.
STS-134 is the second mission for Feustel, who flew as a mission specialist on STS-125 in May. He has an Associate Science degree from Oakland Community College, Mich., a bachelor's and a master's degree from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., and a doctorate from Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Feustel considers Lake Orion, Mich., his hometown.
Vittori is a veteran of two prior spaceflights to the space station aboard the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. He was born in Viterbo, Italy. He received his bachelor's degree from the Italian Air Force Academy and earned master's degrees from the University of Naples and University of Perugia.
This will be the second mission for Good, who flew on STS-125. He was born in Parma, Ohio, and considers Broadview Heights, Ohio, to be his hometown. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Notre Dame.
Video of the STS-134 crew members will air on NASA Television's Video File. For downlink and scheduling information and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more information about NASA's Space Shuttle Program, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Launch Vehicle: Ares I-X
Launch Date: Oct. 31, pending final NASA Headquarters approval
Launch Pad: 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Ares I-X Flight Hardware
This week's milestones include:
Super Stack 2 was lifted and mated to Super Stack 1 on MLP 1 in VAB HB3
Ballasts, or weights, were placed into Super Stack 2
Super Stack 3 lift and mate to Super Stack 2 on MLP 1 in VAB HB3
Next processing milestones:
Super Stack 4 lift and mate to Super Stack 3 on MLP 1 in VAB HB3
Super Stack 5 lift and mate to Super Stack 4 on MLP 1 in VAB HB3, completing the stacking of the rocket
Ares I-X Ground Support Equipment
At Launch Pad 39B, modifications are ongoing.
The Ares I-X flight test will provide NASA an early opportunity to check and prove hardware, analysis and modeling methods, and facilities and ground operations needed to develop the Ares I, which is NASA's next crew launch vehicle. The test also will allow NASA to gather critical data during the ascent of the integrated stack, which will help inform the design of the Ares I rocket and the Orion crew exploration vehicle. The data will ensure the entire vehicle system is safe and fully operational before astronauts begin traveling in it to the International Space Station and moon.
For more information about the Ares I-X flight test, visit: www.nasa.gov/ares
NASA ANNOUNCES LUNAR EXPLORATION COMPETITION FOR STUDENTS
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate is accepting proposals from teams of undergraduate and graduate students for the inaugural Lunabotics Mining Competition. The event will be held at the Astronaut Hall of Fame near NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., May 25-28, 2010.
Full competition proposals can include a request for up to $5,000 to cover designing, building, and travel expenses. NASA anticipates funding the first 10 approved team requests.
Participants in the competition will design and build excavation systems that could be used for future lunar exploration. Teams will test their designs in a "head to head" challenge to see which design can excavate the most simulated lunar regolith, or dirt, over a specific timeframe. The competition also involves submittal of a systems engineering paper, as well as an educational outreach project.
The competition is designed to engage and retain students in the science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, disciplines critical to NASA's missions.
Launch Vehicle: Ares I-X
Launch Date: Oct. 31, pending final NASA Headquarters approval
Launch Pad: 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Ares I-X Flight Hardware
Last week's milestones include:
Super Stack 1 lift and mate to the RSRM on MLP 1 in Vehicle Assembly Building High Bay 3 (VAB HB3)
Electrical instrumentation testing
Next processing milestones:
Super Stack 2 lift and mate to Super Stack 1 on MLP 1 in VAB HB3
Ballasts, or weights, will be placed into Super Stack 2
Super Stack 3 lift and mate to Super Stack 2 on MLP 1 in VAB HB3
Ares I-X Ground Support Equipment
At Launch Pad 39B, modifications are ongoing.
The Ares I-X flight test will provide NASA an early opportunity to check and prove hardware, analysis and modeling methods, and facilities and ground operations needed to develop the Ares I, which is NASA's next crew launch vehicle. The test also will allow NASA to gather critical data during the ascent of the integrated stack, which will help inform the design of the Ares I rocket and the Orion crew exploration vehicle. The data will ensure the entire vehicle system is safe and fully operational before astronauts begin traveling in it to the International Space Station and moon.
For more information about the Ares I-X flight test, visit: www.nasa.gov/ares
SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR GLIDES HOME AFTER SUCCESSFUL MISSION
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Endeavour and its crew of seven astronauts ended a 16-day journey of more than 6.5 million miles with a 10:48 a.m. EDT landing Friday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During the flight, Endeavour delivered the final piece of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory and a new crew member to the International Space Station.
Endeavour's mission included five spacewalks and installation of two platforms outside the Japanese module. One platform remained on the station and serves as a type of porch for experiments that require direct exposure to space. The other was an experiment storage pallet that returned aboard the shuttle. During the mission, Kibo's robotic arm transferred three experiments from the palette to the platform. The station now is 83 percent complete and has a mass of more than 685,000 pounds.
Mark Polansky commanded the flight and was joined by Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Christopher Cassidy, Tom Marshburn, Dave Wolf, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Julie Payette and Tim Kopra. Kopra remained aboard the station, replacing Flight Engineer and Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, who returned to Earth on Endeavour after more than four months on the station.
When Endeavour's seven astronauts joined the six resident Expedition 20 crew members aboard the space station, a record number of 13 people were aboard the orbiting laboratory. All five partner agencies were represented.
A welcome ceremony for the crew's return to Houston will be held at Ellington Field's NASA Hangar 990 at 5 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Aug. 1. The public is invited to attend. The crew's return will be broadcast on NASA Television's video file Monday.
With Endeavor and its crew safely home, the stage is set for the launch of STS-128, which is targeted for Aug. 25. Discovery's 13-day flight will deliver a new crew member and 33,000 pounds of equipment to the station. The equipment includes science and storage racks, a freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment and the COLBERT treadmill.
For more about the STS-127 mission and the upcoming STS-128 flight, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
July 29, 2009
SPACE SHUTTLE CREW SET TO RETURN TO EARTH FRIDAY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Endeavour and its seven-member crew are scheduled to return to Earth on Friday after a 16-day mission. There are two landing opportunities at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 10:48 a.m. and 12:23 p.m. EDT.
NASA will evaluate weather conditions at Kennedy before permitting Endeavour and its crew to land. If weather prevents a return to Kennedy on Friday, the backup landing site at Edwards Air Force Base in California will be activated Saturday for consideration as well.
After touchdown in Florida, the astronauts will undergo physical examinations and meet with their families. The crew is expected to hold a news conference at approximately 3:15 p.m. Both news events will be broadcast live on NASA Television and the agency's Web site.
The NASA News Twitter feed is updated throughout the shuttle mission and landing. To access the feed, visit: www.twitter.com/nasa
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
For the latest information about the STS-127 mission and accomplishments, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
July 28, 2009
NASA HONORS APOLLO ASTRONAUT AL WORDEN WITH MOON ROCK
WASHINGTON -- NASA will honor Apollo astronaut Al Worden with the presentation of an Ambassador of Exploration Award for his contributions to the U.S. space program.
Worden will receive the award during a ceremony Thursday, July 30, at 4 p.m. EDT. The ceremony will be held at the Apollo Saturn V Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, where the moon rock will be displayed.
NASA is giving the Ambassador of Exploration Award to the first generation of explorers in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs for realizing America's goal of going to the moon. The award is a moon rock encased in Lucite, mounted for public display. The rock is part of the 842 pounds of lunar samples collected during six Apollo expeditions from 1969 to 1972. Those astronauts who receive the award will then present the award to a museum of their choice, where the moon rock will be placed for public display.
Worden served as command module pilot for the Apollo 15 mission, which set several moon records for NASA, including the longest lunar surface stay time, the longest lunar extravehicular activity and the first use of a lunar roving vehicle. Worden spent 38 minutes in a spacewalk outside the command module and logged a total of 295 hours, 11 minutes in space during the mission.
Worden was born in Jackson, Mich. He received a bachelor of military science degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in 1955, and Master of Science degrees in astronautical and aeronautical engineering and instrumentation engineering from the University of Michigan in 1963.
NASA Television will broadcast a Video File of the event. For NASA TV streaming video, schedules and downlink information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
Launch Vehicle: Ares I-X
Launch Date: October 31
Launch Pad: 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Ares I-X Flight Hardware
Last week's milestones include:
New launch date The Constellation Program has recommended setting Oct. 31, 2009, as the new target launch date for the Ares I-X test flight. This change is the result of a detailed schedule assessment performed as follow-on to the Ares I-X Mate Review, which was conducted June 30 - July 1. The purpose of the mate review was to evaluate readiness to begin stacking major vehicle components on the mobile launch platform. The complexity of all known work and challenges ahead to achieve a successful test flight were identified, as well as logistics and personnel constraints. This data was then used to determine an aggressive yet achievable new launch date. The date change is currently being reviewed by NASA Headquarters, with formal determination expected by the end of July.
Electrical instrumentation testing
Recent milestones completed include:
Forward center motor segment stacking
Final of four motor segments stacking
Stack 1 modal test A series of sensors strategically located throughout the stack measured the amount and direction of movement, as the electro-mechanical shakers imposed random loads to determine the rocket segment's first several bending modes.
Next processing milestones:
7/29: Super Stack 1 lift and mate to the RSRM on MLP 1 in Vehicle Assembly Building High Bay 3
Flight instrumentation testing ongoing
Ares I-X Ground Support Equipment
At Launch Pad 39B, modifications are ongoing.
The Ares I-X flight test will provide NASA an early opportunity to check and prove hardware, analysis and modeling methods, and facilities and ground operations needed to develop the Ares I, which is NASA's next crew launch vehicle. The test also will allow NASA to gather critical data during the ascent of the integrated stack, which will help inform the design of the Ares I rocket and the Orion crew exploration vehicle. The data will ensure the entire vehicle system is safe and fully operational before astronauts begin traveling in it to the International Space Station and moon.
HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT REVEIW COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES MEETING AGENDAS
WASHINGTON -- The Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee will hold public meetings July 28, 29, 30, Aug. 5 and 12. The meetings are open to news media representatives. No registration is required, but seating is limited to the location's capacity. Agenda times are approximate and subject to change.
The first meeting will be July 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT at the South Shore Harbour Resort and Conference Center, 2500 South Shore Blvd. in League City, Texas.
The agenda is:
10 a.m.: Committee chairman Norm Augustine opening remarks
10:30 a.m.: Mike Coats, director, NASA's Johnson Space Center
11 a.m.: Congressional perspective (presenters TBD)
Noon: Lunch break
12:30 p.m.: NASA Constellation projects managed at Johnson
1:30 p.m.: International Space Station/space shuttle subgroup (Sally Ride, moderator)
3:30 - 4: p.m.: Public comment period
The second session will be July 29 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT at the Davidson/U.S. Space and Rocket Center, 1 Tranquility Base, in Huntsville, Ala.
The agenda is:
8 a.m.: Robert Lightfoot, director, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center
8:30 a.m.: Low Earth Orbit Access subgroup briefing (Bo Bejmuk, moderator)
10 a.m.: NASA Constellation projects managed at Marshall
11a.m.: Congressional perspective (presenters TBD)
Noon: Lunch break
1 p.m.: NASA Constellation projects continued
2 p.m.: Integration subgroup briefing (Lester Lyles, moderator)
3:30 - 4 p.m.: Public comment period
The third public session will be July 30 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT at the Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront Grand Ballroom, 1550 North Atlantic Ave., in Cocoa Beach, Fla.
The agenda is:
8 a.m.: Bob Cabana, director, NASA's Kennedy Space Center
8:30 a.m.: Exploration Beyond Low Earth Orbit subgroup (Ed Crawley, moderator)
11 a.m.: Congressional perspective (presenters TBD)
Noon: Lunch break
1 p.m.: NASA Constellation projects managed at Kennedy
2:30 p.m.: Public comment period
3 - 4 p.m.: Committee public deliberations
Following each meeting, committee chairman Norman Augustine will be available to answer questions from reporters. NASA Television will carry the meetings and news conferences live on the agency's media channel. The events also can be viewed on NASA's Web site.
The committee is planning two public meetings in Washington on Aug. 5 and 12. The Aug. 5 meeting is planned from 8 a.m. to noon EDT at the Carnegie Institution for Science, 1530 P St. NW.
The Aug. 12 session is expected to be the committee's final public meeting. It is planned from 1 to 5 p.m. EDT at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Agendas will be released when finalized.
To watch the events online, select the NASA TV media channel at: www.nasa.gov/ntv
For committee information, agendas, charter, biographies and
schedules, visit: hsf.nasa.gov
For information about NASA and agency activities, visit: www.nasa.gov
July 22, 2009
SPACE SHUTTLE TO CONSTELLATION WORKFORCE TRANSITION REPORT ISSUED
WASHINGTON -- NASA is issuing the third edition of the Workforce Transition Strategy, which details the agency's plan to minimize job losses while transitioning from the Space Shuttle Program to the Constellation Program.
The initial report was submitted to Congress on March 31, 2008, followed by the second report on Oct. 8, 2008. The fourth edition will be submitted to Congress this fall.
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
July 20, 2009
ARES I-X STATUS REPORT
Launch Vehicle: Ares I-X Launch Date: No earlier than August 30, 2009
Launch Pad: 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Ares I-X Flight Hardware This past week's milestones include:
Forward center motor segment stacking
Final of four motor segments stacking
Stack 1 modal test
A series of sensors strategically located throughout the stack will measure the amount and direction of movement, as the electro-mechanical shakers impose random loads to determine the rocket segment's first several bending modes.
Instrumentation testing Last week milestones completed include:
Super Stack 1 assembly complete.
Stack one is made up of eight individual pieces: interstages 1 and 2, the frustum, the forward skirt extension, the forward skirt and the aft, center and forward segments of the fifth segment simulator. It also includes two internal elements, the roll control system and the first stage avionics module.
Aft center motor segment was moved from the Rotation Processing and Surge Facility to the Vehicle Assembly Building and attached to the aft assembly in High Bay 3.
Camera installed on the upper stage simulator
Artist cocept of Ares I and AresV. Image Credit: NASA
Next processing milestones:
Forward segment stacking
Flight instrumentation testing ongoing
Ares I-X Ground Support Equipment
At Launch Pad 39B, modification are ongoing.
The vehicle stabilization system is being built at the base of the launch pad.
The Ares I-X flight test will provide NASA an early opportunity to check and prove hardware, analysis and modeling methods, and facilities and ground operations needed to develop the Ares I, which is NASA's next crew launch vehicle. The test also will allow NASA to gather critical data during the ascent of the integrated stack, which will help inform the design of the Ares I rocket and the Orion crew exploration vehicle. The data will ensure the entire vehicle system is safe and fully operational before astronauts begin traveling in it to the International Space Station and moon.
For more information about the Ares I-X flight test, visit: www.nasa.gov/ares
NASA'S SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR LAUNCHES TO COMPLETE JAPANESE MODULE
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Endeavour and its seven-member crew launched at 6:03 p.m. EDT Wednesday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission will deliver the final segment to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory and a new crew member to the International Space Station.
Endeavour's 16-day mission includes five spacewalks and the installation of two platforms outside the Japanese module. One platform is permanent and will allow experiments to be directly exposed to space. The other is an experiment storage pallet that will be detached and returned with the shuttle. During the mission, Kibo's robotic arm will transfer three experiments from the pallet to the exposed platform. Future experiments also can be moved to the platform from the inside of the station using the laboratory's airlock.
Shortly before liftoff, Commander Mark Polansky thanked the teams that helped make the launch possible.
"Endeavour has patiently waited for this," said Polansky. "We're ready to go, and we're going to take all of you with us on a great mission."
Polansky is joined on STS-127 by Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Christopher Cassidy, Tom Marshburn, Dave Wolf, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Julie Payette and Tim Kopra. Kopra will replace space station crew member Koichi Wakata, who has been aboard the station for more than three months. Kopra will return to Earth during the next station shuttle mission, STS-128, targeted to launch in August 2009. Hurley, Cassidy, Marshburn and Kopra are first-time space fliers.
Endeavour's first landing opportunity at Kennedy is scheduled for Friday, July 31, at 10:45 a.m. STS-127 is the 127th space shuttle flight, the 29th to the station, the 23rd for Endeavour and the third in 2009.
NASA is providing continuous television and Internet coverage of Endeavour's mission. NASA Television features live mission events, daily mission status news conferences and 24-hour commentary. For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
NASA's Web coverage of STS-127 includes current mission information, interactive features, 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: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Polansky will send updates about the mission from space to his Twitter account, Astro_127. He can be followed at: www.twitter.com/Astro_127
Live updates to the NASA News Twitter feed will be added throughout the shuttle mission and landing. To access the NASA News Twitter feed, visit: www.twitter.com/nasa
Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:41:26 PM EDT
Endeavour Launch Rescheduled for Wednesday
Liftoff of space shuttle Endeavour on the STS-127 mission has been rescheduled for Wednesday, July 15 at 6:03 p.m. EDT.
Monday's attempt was canceled due to poor weather conditions within the launch area at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Anvil clouds and storm cells containing lightning flared up toward the end of the countdown, violating stringent launch safety rules.
"Technically, we've been really clean the last two days with our vehicle," Launch Integration Manager Mike Moses said of Endeavour's launch attempts on Sunday and Monday. "It's just been the weather scenario that got us."
The outlook is better on Wednesday, with only a 40 percent chance of weather conditions prohibiting liftoff.
STS-127 Mission Overview
The 16-day mission will feature five spacewalks and complete construction of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory. Astronauts will attach a platform to the outside of the Japanese module that will allow experiments to be exposed to space.
The STS-127 crew members are Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Dave Wolf, Christopher Cassidy, Tom Marshburn, Tim Kopra and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Julie Payette. Kopra will join the space station crew and replace Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata. Wakata will return to Earth on Endeavour to conclude a three-month stay at the station.
NASA will provide continuous STS-127 online updates, including a webcast and a blog at: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
July 14, 2009
U.S. HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT REVIEW COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES PUBLIC MEETINGS
WASHINGTON -- The Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee will hold three public meetings July 28-30. The meetings are open to news media representatives. No registration is required, but seating is limited to location capacity.
The first meeting will be July 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT at the South Shore Harbour Resort and Conference Center, 2500 South Shore Blvd. in League City, Texas. Agenda topics include NASA's Johnson Space Center operations, NASA's Constellation program, committee sub-group reports and public comments.
The second session will be July 29 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT at the Davidson/U.S. Space and Rocket Center, 1 Tranquility Base, in Huntsville, Ala. Agenda topics include NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center operations, committee sub-group reports, NASA's Constellation program and public comments.
The third public session will be July 30 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT at the Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront Grand Ballroom, 1550 North Atlantic Avenue, in Cocoa Beach, Fla. Agenda topics will include NASA's Kennedy Space Center operations, committee sub-group reports, NASA's Constellation program and public comments.
Following each meeting, committee chairman Norman Augustine will be available to answer questions from reporters. NASA Television will carry the meetings and news conferences live on the agency's media channel. The events also can be viewed on the agency's Web site.
To watch the events online, select the NASA TV media channel at: www.nasa.gov/ntv
For committee information, agendas, charter, biographies and schedules, visit: hsf.nasa.gov
For information about NASA and agency activities, visit: www.nasa.gov
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 07:03:28 PM EDT
Endeavour's Launch "No Go" Due to Weather
Officials at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida have called off today's liftoff of space shuttle Endeavour due to inclement weather. Cumulus clouds and lightning violated rules for launching Endeavour because of weather near the Shuttle Landing Facility. The runway would be needed in the unlikely event that Endeavour would have to make an emergency landing back at Kennedy.
Endeavour's next launch attempt is 6:51 p.m. EDT Monday. NASA TV coverage will begin at 1:30 p.m.
Space shuttle Endeavour's NASA TV launch coverage will begin tomorrow at 1:30pm ET. www.nasa.gov/ntv -- 14 minutes ago from web
The weather conditions violate rules for launching. Endeavour's next launch attempt is 6:51pm ET tomorrow. -- 16 minutes ago from web
Forecasters at NASA say current conditions violate rules for launching Endeavour. We will continue to monitor.about -- 1 hour ago from web
Sat, 11 Jul 2009 10:42:20 AM EDT
Endeavour's Launch Delayed 24-Hours
Space shuttle Endeavour's launch has been delayed 24 hours to allow technical teams additional time to evaluate lightning strikes at Launch Pad 39A that occurred during Friday's thunderstorm.
A news conference with Mike Moses, SSP Launch Integration Manager, will be held at 11 a.m. EDT on NASA TV and on the Web at www.nasa.gov/tv.
Sat, 11 Jul 2009 11:59:52 AM EDT
Careful Testing Under Way After Lightning Strikes
The launch of space shuttle Endeavour was postponed until Sunday evening so engineers could evaluate the spacecraft's myriad systems following 11 lightning strikes in the Launch Complex 39A area.
None of the strikes hit the shuttle or its external tank and solid rocket boosters, but there were strikes to the lightning mast and water tower. The launch pad is equipped with a lightning protection system of wires that is intended to steer bolts away from the shuttle.
"We've seen nothing so far that shows anything affected any of the systems," said Mike Moses, chairman of the pre-launch Mission Management Team.
Two of the strikes were strong enough to trigger an evaluation by engineers just to make sure all of Endeavour's systems are ready for flight. Although early evaluations showed no problems, engineers wanted more time to make sure they have checked everything correctly.
"We need to be 100 percent confident that we have a good system across the board," Moses said.
The launch time for Sunday is 7:13 p.m. EDT. The weather forecast calls for a 60 percent chance of acceptable conditions.
July 10, 2009
STATUS REPORT: ARES-I-X-071009
ARES I-X STATUS REPORT
Launch Vehicle: Ares I-X
Launch Date: Targeted for no earlier than August 30
Launch Pad: 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Artist concept of Ares I. Image Credit: NASA
Artist concept of Ares V. Image Credit: NASA
Concept image of the Ares V earth departure stage in orbit, shown with the Crew Exploration Vehicle docked with the Lunar Surface Access Module. Image Credit: NASA
Ares I-X Flight Hardware
This week's milestones include:
Super Stack 1 assembly is now complete with the attaching of the forward assembly to the fifth segment simulator. Stack one is made up of eight individual pieces: interstages 1 and 2, the frustum, the forward skirt extension, the forward skirt and the aft, center and forward segments of the fifth segment simulator. It also includes two internal elements, the roll control system and the first stage avionics module.
The aft assembly, which comprises the aft skirt and aft motor segment, was moved from the Rotation Processing and Surge Facility to the Vehicle Assembly Building. It was lifted onto the Mobile Launcher Platform in High Bay 3, signifying the beginning of stacking operations.
The aft center motor segment also was moved from the Rotation Processing and Surge Facility to the Vehicle Assembly Building and attached to the aft assembly in High Bay 3.
Camera installed on the upper stage simulator
Last week milestones completed include:
Aft assembly closeouts
VAB High Bay 3 stacking preparations
Next processing milestones:
Instrumentation testing
Stack 1 modal test
A series of sensors strategically located throughout the stack will measure the amount and direction of movement, as the electro-mechanical shakers impose random loads to determine the rocket segment's first several bending modes. A comparison will be made between predicted and measured mode shapes to verify the flight dynamics model.
Forward center motor segment stacking
Ares I-X Ground Support Equipment
At Launch Pad 39B, modification are ongoing.
The gaseous vent arm, beanie cap and orbiter access arm have been removed. The vehicle stabilization system is being built at the base of the launch pad. The Ares I-X flight test will provide NASA an early opportunity to check and prove hardware, analysis and modeling methods, and facilities and ground operations needed to develop the Ares I, which is NASA's next crew launch vehicle. The test also will allow NASA to gather critical data during the ascent of the integrated stack, which will help inform the design of the Ares I rocket and the Orion crew exploration vehicle. The data will ensure the entire vehicle system is safe and fully operational before astronauts begin traveling in it to the International Space Station and moon.
For more information about the Ares I-X flight test, visit: www.nasa.gov/ares
July 10, 2009
NASA'S SOLAR DYNAMICS OBSERVATORY ARRIVES AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
GREENBELT, Md. -- NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on July 9 for its upcoming mission to study the sun in unprecedented detail and its effects on Earth.
The spacecraft left NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., where it was built and tested, on July 7.
SDO will undergo final testing at Astrotech Space Operations, located near Kennedy Space Center, in preparation for its anticipated November launch. Engineers will perform a battery of comprehensive tests to ensure SDO can withstand the stresses and vibrations of the launch itself, as well as what it will encounter in its space environment after launch.
After the final tests are completed, SDO will move to Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will launch the solar-studying spacecraft into orbit.
SDO will take measurements and images of the sun in multiple wavelengths for at least five years during its primary science mission. The spacecraft will collect a staggering 1.5 terabytes of data daily, the equivalent of downloading a half million songs a day.
Space weather results from changes on the sun, called solar activity. Active regions on the sun can erupt suddenly and violently, usually in the form of a solar flare or coronal mass ejection (CME).
Flares and CMEs can send millions of tons of solar material and charged particles streaming toward Earth on the solar wind. When the star stuff reaches Earth's atmosphere, it can damage orbiting satellites and wreak havoc on navigation systems and the power grid. Understanding space weather requires knowing the nature of changes that happen in the sun.
SDO is the first space weather research network mission in NASA's Living With a Star Program. The spacecraft's long-term measurements will give solar scientists in-depth information about changes in the sun's magnetic field and insight into how those changes affect Earth.
NASA UPDATES SHUTTLE PRELAUNCH EVENTS AND COUNTDOWN DETAILS
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The shuttle's STS-127 mission to the International Space Station is scheduled to lift off at 7:39 p.m. EDT on Saturday, July 11.
On Tuesday, July 7, Endeavour's seven astronauts are scheduled to arrive at Kennedy at about 2 p.m. NASA Television will provide live coverage as Commander Mark Polansky makes a brief statement to reporters.
NASA will provide continuous STS-127 online updates, including a webcast and a blog at: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
On launch day, a blog originating from Kennedy will update the countdown beginning at 2:30 p.m. The blog is the definitive Internet source for information leading up to launch. During the mission, visitors to NASA's shuttle Web site can read about the crew's progress and watch the spacewalks live. As Endeavour's flight wraps up, NASA will offer a blog detailing the spacecraft's return to Earth.
Live updates to the NASA Twitter feed will be added throughout the shuttle launch countdown from Kennedy. To access the NASA Twitter feed, visit: http://www.twitter.com/nasa
Detailed lists of countdown milestones, news briefing times and participants, and hours of operation for Kennedy's news center and media credentialing office are available at: www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/news/
For NASA TV streaming video, scheduling and downlink information, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
June 29, 2009
NASA HOLDS TEST TO VERIFY ENDEAVOUR TANK REPAIRS
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA will conduct a tanking test at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, July 1, to ensure repairs to space shuttle Endeavour's external fuel tank were successful.
The test will be shown live on NASA Television beginning at 7 a.m. EDT. It will be followed by a news conference at approximately 1 p.m. Briefing participants will be shuttle program Launch Integration Manager Mike Moses and STS-127 Launch Director Pete Nickolenko.
During the test, the external tank will be filled with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, just as it is before launch. A hydrogen gas leak at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate, or GUCP, postponed Endeavour's launch attempts June 13 and 17. The GUCP is attached to the venting system used to carry excess hydrogen safely away from the launch pad.
Engineers determined the most likely cause of the leak is a slight misalignment in the External Tank Carrier Assembly. The assembly was fastened to the tank during manufacturing. The misalignment likely is putting uneven pressure on a Teflon seal, causing a small leak when extremely low temperatures occur during fueling.
Technicians replaced the old seal with a two-piece seal and added small washers to counter any movement of the external tank carrier assembly as the tank is fueled.
Endeavour's launch on the STS-127 mission is targeted for 7:39 p.m. on Saturday, July 11. The 16-day mission to the International Space Station will feature five spacewalks and complete construction of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory. Astronauts will attach a platform to the outside of the Japanese module that will allow experiments to be exposed to space.
For the latest information about the STS-127 mission and its crew, visit: www.nasa.gov/shuttle
STS-127 mission Commander Mark Polansky's Twitter account can be followed at: www.twitter.com/Astro_127
For information about the International Space Station, visit: www.nasa.gov/station
For information about NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
June 27, 2009
NASA AND NOAA'S GOES-O SATELLITE SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED
WASHINGTON -- The latest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-O, soared into space today after a successful launch from Space Launch Complex 37 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
Rising above the two lightning towers around the pad, a Delta IV rocket races into the sky with the GOES-O satellite aboard. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
The GOES-O spacecraft lifted off at 6:51 p.m. EDT on a Delta IV rocket. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's GOES-O satellite will improve weather forecasting and monitor environmental events around the world. The satellite is the second to be launched in the GOES N series of geostationary environmental weather satellites.
"All indications are that GOES-O is in a normal orbit, with all spacecraft systems functioning properly," stated Andre Dress, GOES deputy project manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "We are proud of our support teams and pleased with the performance of the Delta IV launch vehicle."
Approximately 4 hours and 21 minutes after launch, the spacecraft separated from the launch vehicle. The Universal Space Network Western Australia tracking site in Dongara monitored the spacecraft separation.
On July 7, GOES-O will be placed in its final orbit and renamed GOES-14. Approximately 24 days after launch, Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems will turn engineering control over to NASA. About five months later, NASA will transfer operational control of GOES-14 to NOAA. The satellite will be checked out, stored in orbit and available for activation should one of the operational GOES satellites degrade or exhaust its fuel.
NASA contracted with Boeing to build and launch the GOES-O spacecraft. NASA's Launch Services Program at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida supported the launch in an advisory role. NOAA manages the GOES program, establishes requirements, provides all funding and distributes environmental satellite data for the United States. Goddard procures and manages the design, development and launch of the satellites for NOAA on a cost-reimbursable basis.
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
June 26, 2009
GOES-O WEATHER SATELLITE LAUNCH SCRUBBED, RESET FOR JUNE 27
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla - The GOES-O launch team will try again Saturday, June 27, to launch the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-O.
Friday's scheduled launch of a Delta IV rocket carrying the GOES-O weather satellite was scrubbed at 6:58 p.m. EDT because of thunderstorms within 10 miles of Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Forecasters are calling for a 40 percent chance of favorable weather Saturday. The one-hour launch window runs from 6:14 p.m. to 7:14 p.m.
NASA Television's launch commentary will begin at 4:30 p.m. and conclude about 30 minutes after liftoff. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
United Launch Alliance is conducting the launch on behalf of Boeing Launch Systems.
Live countdown coverage on NASA's launch blog begins at 4:30 p.m. Coverage features real-time updates of countdown milestones, as well as streaming video and podcast of launch. For more information about GOES-O, visit: www.nasa.gov/goes-o
June 22, 2009
NASA's GOES-O LAUNCH SET FOR JUNE 26
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-O, or GOES-O, is scheduled for a liftoff on Friday, June 26, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The one-hour launch window extends from 6:14 to 7:14 p.m. EDT.
GOES-O is the second of three in the current series of geostationary weather and environmental satellites built for NASA by Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. It will be launched into orbit for NASA aboard a Boeing Delta IV rocket.
Live countdown coverage on NASA's launch blog begins at 4 p.m., on June 26. Coverage features real-time updates of countdown milestones, as well as streaming video and podcast of launch. To access these features, go to NASA's GOES-O mission Web site at: www.nasa.gov/goes-o
GOES-O will also provide expanded capability for the space and solar environment-monitoring instruments. Forecasts and warnings for solar disturbances will be enhanced. GOES-O data will protect investments of billions of dollars by the government and private sector for assets on the ground and in space.
GOES-O will feature a highly stable pointing platform, which will improve the performance of its Imager and Sounder that are important instruments for creating daily weather-prediction models and for hurricane forecasting. Data from GOES-O will be valuable for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Ocean Service, which provides oceanographic circulation models and forecasts for U.S. coastal communities.
As with all of NOAA's geostationary and polar-orbiting weather satellites, GOES-O will be able to relay distress signals detected from emergency locator beacons on the ground and at sea.
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland is responsible for designing and developing the spacecraft and its instruments for NOAA.
June 18, 2009
NASA SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES LUNAR IMPACTOR
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA successfully launched the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, Thursday on a mission to search for water ice in a permanently shadowed crater at the moon's south pole. The satellite lifted off on an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., at 5:32 p.m. EDT, with a companion mission, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO.
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket roars into space carrying NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite. Photo credit: NASA/Tom Farrar
LRO safely separated from LCROSS 45 minutes later. LCROSS then was powered-up, and the mission operations team at NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif., performed system checks that confirmed the spacecraft is fully functional.
LCROSS and its attached Centaur upper stage rocket separately will collide with the moon at approximately 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 9, 2009, creating a pair of debris plumes that will be analyzed for the presence of water ice or water vapor, hydrocarbons and hydrated materials. The spacecraft and Centaur are tentatively targeted to impact the moon's south pole near the Cabeus region. The exact target crater will be identified 30 days before impact, after considering information collected by LRO, other spacecraft orbiting the moon, and observatories on Earth.
"LCROSS has been the little mission that could," said Doug Cooke, associate administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "We stand poised for an amazing mission and possible answers to some very intriguing questions about the moon."
The 1,290-pound LCROSS and 5,216-pound Centaur upper stage will perform a swing-by maneuver of the moon around 6 a.m. on June 23 to calibrate the satellite's science instruments and enter a long, looping polar orbit around Earth and the moon. Each orbit will be roughly perpendicular to the moon's orbit around Earth and take about 37 days to complete. Before impact, the spacecraft and Centaur will make approximately three orbits.
On the final approach, about 54,000 miles above the surface, LCROSS and the Centaur will separate. LCROSS will spin 180 degrees to turn its science payload toward the moon and fire thrusters to slow down. The spacecraft will observe the flash from the Centaur's impact and fly through the debris plume. Data will be collected and streamed to LCROSS mission operations for analysis. Four minutes later, LCROSS also will impact, creating a second debris plume.
"This mission is the culmination of a dedicated team that had a great idea," said Daniel Andrews, LCROSS project manager at Ames. "And now we'll engage people around the world in looking at the moon and thinking about our next steps there."
The LCROSS science team will lead a coordinated observation campaign that includes LRO, the Hubble Space Telescope, observatories on Hawaii's Mauna Kea and amateur astronomers around the world.
Ames manages LCROSS and also built the instrument payload. Northrop Grumman in Redondo Beach, Calif., built the spacecraft.
NASA RETURNING TO THE MOON WITH FIRST LUNAR LAUNCH IN A DECADE
GREENBELT, Md. -- NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter launched at 5:32 p.m. EDT Thursday aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The satellite will relay more information about the lunar environment than any other previous mission to the moon.
NASA's LRO and LCROSS spacecraft on top of the Atlas V rocket launch from Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Photo credit: United Launch Alliance/Pat Corkery
The orbiter, known as LRO, separated from the Atlas V rocket carrying it and a companion mission, the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, and immediately began powering up the components necessary to control the spacecraft. The flight operations team established communication with LRO and commanded the successful deployment of the solar array at 7:40 p.m. The operations team continues to check out the spacecraft subsystems and prepare for the first mid-course correction maneuver. NASA scientists expect to establish communications with LCROSS about four hours after launch, at approximately 9:30 p.m.
"This is a very important day for NASA," said Doug Cooke, associate administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate in Washington, which designed and developed both the LRO and LCROSS missions. "We look forward to an extraordinary period of discovery at the moon and the information LRO will give us for future exploration missions."
The spacecraft will be placed in low polar orbit about 31 miles, or 50 kilometers, above the moon for a one-year primary mission. LRO's instruments will help scientists compile high resolution three-dimensional maps of the lunar surface and also survey it at many spectral wavelengths. The satellite will explore the moon's deepest craters, exploring permanently sunlit and shadowed regions, and provide understanding of the effects of lunar radiation on humans.
"Our job is to perform reconnaissance of the moon's surface using a suite of seven powerful instruments," said Craig Tooley, LRO project manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "NASA will use the data LRO collects to design the vehicles and systems for returning humans to the moon and selecting the landing sites that will be their destinations."
High resolution imagery from LRO's camera will help identify landing sites for future explorers and characterize the moon's topography and composition. The hydrogen concentrations at the moon's poles will be mapped in detail, pinpointing the locations of possible water ice. A miniaturized radar system will image the poles and test communication capabilities.
"During the 60-day commissioning period, we will turn on spacecraft components and science instruments," explained Cathy Peddie, LRO deputy project manager at Goddard. "All instruments will be turned on within two weeks of launch, and we should start seeing the moon in new and greater detail within the next month."
"We learned much about the moon from the Apollo program, but now it is time to return to the moon for intensive study, and we will do just that with LRO," said Richard Vondrak, LRO project scientist at Goddard.
All LRO initial data sets will be deposited in the Planetary Data System, a publicly accessible repository of planetary science information, within six months of launch.
Goddard built and manages LRO. LRO is a NASA mission with international participation from the Institute for Space Research in Moscow. Russia provides the neutron detector aboard the spacecraft.
The LRO mission is providing updates via @LRO_NASA on Twitter. To follow, visit: www.twitter.com/lro_nasa
For more information about the LRO mission, visit: www.nasa.gov/lro
April 27, 2009
NASA TV TO AIR U.S. ASTRONAUT HALL OF FAME INDUCTION MAY 2
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Television will provide live coverage of the 2009 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday, May 2, at 3 p.m. EDT. The ceremony will take place at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.
Joining the hall of fame this year are former astronauts George "Pinky" Nelson, one of only four space shuttle astronauts to fly untethered in space using NASA's Manned Maneuvering Unit; William Shepherd, commander of the first crew to live aboard the International Space Station; and Jim Wetherbee, commander of the longest docked shuttle-Mir mission.
CNN reporter John Zarrella will host the event. More than 20 hall of fame astronauts are expected to attend, including Scott Carpenter, Walt Cunningham, Jim Lovell and Bob Crippen.
For the astronauts' complete biographies, visit: www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/astrobio_former.html
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
April 6, 2009
NASA AWARDS EDUCATION GRANTS TO UNIVERSITIES
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA has awarded cooperative education grants to the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico; South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, S.D.; and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va.
The grants support implementation of a two-week residential college experience as part of NASA's Interdisciplinary National Science Program Incorporating Research Experience, also known as INSPIRE.
The grants feature a one-year basic period of performance with two one-year extension options. The value of the agreement is $50 thousand for each university with a potential total value of $450 thousand for all three grants if options are exercised.
The program is designed to encourage high school students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, also known as STEM. It is part of NASA's education strategy to attract and retain students in STEM disciplines.
A key component of INSPIRE is an online community where students and parents have the opportunity to interact with NASA engineers, scientists and their peers. Students selected for the online community have the opportunity to compete for unique summer experiences at NASA facilities and various universities throughout the nation.
The selected universities will provide students with a residential educational experience that will enhance their knowledge and study of STEM-related fields.
NASA'S KEPLER MISSION ROCKETS TO SPACE IN SEARCH OF OTHER EARTHS
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Kepler mission successfully launched into space from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II at 10:49 p.m. EST, Friday. Kepler is designed to find the first Earth-size planets orbiting stars at distances where water could pool on the planet's surface. Liquid water is believed to be essential for the formation of life.
Liftoff of the Delta II rocket carrying NASA's Kepler spacecraft. Image credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
"It was a stunning launch," said Kepler Project Manager James Fanson of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "Our team is thrilled to be a part of something so meaningful to the human race -- Kepler will help us understand if our Earth is unique or if others like it are out there."
Engineers acquired a signal from Kepler at 12:11 a.m. Saturday, after it separated from its spent third-stage rocket and entered its final sun-centered orbit, trailing 950 miles behind Earth. The spacecraft is generating its own power from its solar panels.
"Kepler now has the perfect place to watch more than 100,000 stars for signs of planets," said William Borucki, the mission's science principal investigator at NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif. Borucki has worked on the mission for 17 years. "Everyone is very excited as our dream becomes a reality. We are on the verge of learning if other Earths are ubiquitous in the galaxy."
Engineers have begun to check Kepler to ensure it is working properly, a process called "commissioning" that will take about 60 days. In about a month or less, NASA will send up commands for Kepler to eject its dust cover and make its first measurements. After another month of calibrating Kepler's single instrument, a wide-field charge-couple device camera, the telescope will begin to search for planets.
The first planets to roll out on the Kepler "assembly line" are expected to be the portly "hot Jupiters" -- gas giants that circle close and fast around their stars. NASA's Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes will be able to follow up with these planets and learn more about their atmospheres. Neptune-size planets will most likely be found next, followed by rocky ones as small as Earth. The true Earth analogs -- Earth-sized planets orbiting stars like our sun at distances where surface water, and possibly life, could exist -- would take at least three years to discover and confirm. Ground-based telescopes also will contribute to the mission by verifying some of the finds.
In the end, Kepler will give us our first look at the frequency of Earth-size planets in our Milky Way galaxy, as well as the frequency of Earth-size planets that could theoretically be habitable.
"Even if we find no planets like Earth, that by itself would be profound. It would indicate that we are probably alone in the galaxy," said Borucki.
As the mission progresses, Kepler will drift farther and farther behind Earth in its orbit around the sun. NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, which was launched into the same orbit more than five years ago, is now more than 62 million miles behind Earth.
Kepler is a NASA Discovery mission. Ames is the home organization of the science principal investigator and is responsible for the ground system development, mission operations and science data analysis. JPL manages the Kepler mission development. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colo., is responsible for developing the Kepler flight system and supporting mission operations. NASA's Launch Services Program at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., managed the launch service including payload integration and certifying the Delta II launch vehicle for NASA's use.
NASA HONORS FALLEN COLLEAGUES DURING DAY OF REMEMBRANCE
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Kennedy Space Center will pay tribute to the crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, as well as other NASA colleagues, during the agency's Day of Remembrance observance on Jan. 29.
NASA's Day of Remembrance honors members of the NASA family who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery.
The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will provide flowers for visitors throughout the day to place at the memorial.
Kennedy contractors and civil servants will be allowed access to the Space Mirror Memorial throughout the day to pay their respects.
The Astronauts Memorial Foundation, a private, not-for-profit organization, built and maintains the Space Mirror Memorial. It was dedicated in 1991 to honor all astronauts who lost their lives on missions or during training and since has been designated a National Memorial by Congress.
Video of the service will air on NASA Television's Video File segment. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/ntv
NATIONS AROUND THE WORLD MARK 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF SPACE STATION
HOUSTON - Nations around the world will join together to mark a
milestone in space exploration this week, celebrating the 10th
birthday of a unique research laboratory, the International Space
Station.
Now the largest spacecraft ever built, the orbital assembly of the
space station began with the launch from Kazakhstan of its first
bus-sized component, Zarya, on Nov. 20, 1998. The launch began an
international construction project of unprecedented complexity and
sophistication.
The station is a venture of international cooperation among NASA, the
Russian Federal Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency, Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency, or JAXA, and 11 members of the European Space
Agency, or ESA: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the
Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United
Kingdom. More than 100,000 people in space agencies and contractor
facilities in 37 U.S. states and throughout the world are involved in
this endeavor.
"The station's capability and sheer size today are truly amazing,"
said International Space Station Program Manager Mike Suffredini.
"The tremendous technological achievement in orbit is matched only by
the cooperation and perseverance of its partners on the ground. We
have overcome differences in language, geography and engineering
philosophies to succeed."
Only a few weeks after the U.S.-funded, Russian-built Zarya module was
launched from Kazakhstan, the space shuttle carried aloft the Unity
connector module in December 1998. Constructed on opposite sides of
Earth, Unity and Zarya met for the first time in space and were
joined to begin the orbital station's assembly and a decade of
peaceful cooperation.
Ten years later, the station's mass has expanded to more than 627,000
pounds, and its interior volume is more than 25,000 cubic feet,
comparable to the size of a five-bedroom house. Since Zarya's launch
as the early command, control and power module, there have been 29
additional construction flights to the station: 27 aboard the space
shuttle and two additional Russian launches.
One hundred sixty-seven individuals representing 14 countries have
visited the complex. Crews have eaten some 19,000 meals aboard the
station since the first crew took up residence in 2000. Through the
course of 114 spacewalks and unmatched robotic construction in space,
the station's truss structure has grown to 291 feet long so far. Its
solar arrays now span to 28,800 square feet, large enough to cover
six basketball courts.
The International Space Station hosts 19 research facilities,
including nine sponsored by NASA, eight by ESA and two by JAXA.
Cooperation among international teams of humans and robots is
expected to become a mainstay of space exploration throughout our
solar system. The 2005 NASA Authorization Act recognized the U.S.
orbital segment as the first national laboratory beyond Earth,
opening it for additional research by other government agencies,
academia and the private sector.
"With the International Space Station, we have learned so many things
-- and we're going to take that knowledge and apply it to flying to
the moon and Mars," said Expedition 18 Commander Mike Fincke, now
aboard the station. "Everything we're learning so close to home, only
240 miles away from the planet, we can apply to the moon 240,000
miles away."
To take a virtual tour of the International Space Station and learn
more about the current mission, visit: www.nasa.gov/station
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
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
EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLES STATUS REPORT
Shuttle Launch Status Reports have been discontinued by NASA
Aug. 27, 2010
EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE STATUS REPORT
Spacecraft: Glory
Launch Vehicle: Taurus XL 3110
Launch Site: Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
Launch Date: November 22, 2010
Launch Time: 2:09 a.m. PST
Altitude/Inclination: 440 miles/98.2 degrees
The Taurus rocket is in Orbital Sciences Hangar 1555 located on north
Vandenberg Air Force Base where integration and testing of the
vehicle's flight hardware components continue.
The Vehicle Verification Test, a test milestone in Taurus processing,
was conducted on Aug. 25 and was fully successful. Testing is under
way on the first half of the payload fairing that arrived at
Vandenberg on Aug. 17. Stage 2 telemetry testing continues and is
expected to conclude today. Testing of the Taurus flight computer has
been completed. Stages 1, 2 and 3 are currently scheduled to be mated
together during the second week of September. On Stage 0, mechanical
work and thermal blanket installation are continuing.
The Glory spacecraft currently is scheduled to arrive at Vandenberg on
or about Oct. 13 to begin processing for launch.
Data from the Glory mission will allow scientists to better understand
the Earth's energy budget. An accurate description of the Earth's
energy budget is important in order to anticipate future changes to
our climate. Shifts in the global climate and the associated weather
patterns impact human life by altering landscapes and changing the
availability of natural resources.
The Aerosol Polarimetry Sensor instrument will measure aerosols
(human-caused and naturally occurring) to determine their relative
influence on the global climate.
The Total Irradiance Monitor instrument will monitor the Sun to
understand short-term solar mechanisms causing energy budget changes
and will contribute to the vital long-term solar record.
GREENBELT, Md. -- NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on July 9 for its upcoming mission to study the sun in unprecedented detail and its effects on Earth.
