Fwd: NASA and Human Spaceflight News - Thursday - October 2, 2014 and JSC Today

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From: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Date: October 2, 2014 3:31:16 PM CDT
To: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Subject: FW: NASA and Human Spaceflight News - Thursday - October 2, 2014 and JSC Today

It was so good to see and visit briefly with so many of you at our monthly NASA Retirees Luncheon today at Hibachi Grill.    

Special thanks to Estella Gillette for joining us and visiting/sharing past and present NASA stories with J B Fox and me. 

 It was also good to see Faith and Lambert Austin, and Wayne and Earlene Minor back from their >2 month RV road trip across America and so many others of you .   

Hope some of you were able to go out to hear the talk by Tara Rutley from the ISS Program Office at the Gilruth as well.  

 

 

Thursday, October 2, 2014

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JSC TODAY CATEGORIES Headlines -  Joint Leadership Team Web Poll -  From Spacemen to Ironmen -  JSC, Armand Bayou Celebrate 40 Years -  Restrictions on Political Activities Reminder -  New Storage Services & Pricing Beginning Oct. 1 -  Monthly Test of the JSC Emergency Warning System Organizations/Social -  JSC Features Profile: Diego Rodriguez -  October Workshops Presented by the EAP -  Precision Medicine in Oncology - Oct. 9 -  AIAA Houston Dinner Meeting: Alan Bean Community -  Blood Drive - Oct. 15 & 16 -  Inspire a Community College Student -  October Sustainability Opportunities

Milky Way Viewed From the International Space Station

 

Headlines Joint Leadership Team Web Poll Responses to the last poll scored half of our work spaces as an A/B grade, and the other half were scored as C/D or F. This week you may have noticed all of the dirt moving around Building 20. Do you know what that project is building? The Building 20 annex? Solar-panel field? Parking garage? You hope your visitor from the year 2065 will know whether California is still high and dry. Maybe there will be waterfront property in Nevada by then? This week I'd like you to guess how much money someone in another industry makes. Minimum wage in both the NBA and Major League Baseball is about the same. How much do you think the worst player in either league makes annually? Is it $200,000, $300,000 or $400,000? Jose your Altuve on over to get this week's poll. Joel Walker x30541 http://jlt.jsc.nasa.gov/ [top] From Spacemen to Ironmen NASA's Chris Cassidy and the European Space Agency's Luca Parmitano have been named as celebrity competitors in the 2014 IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The 140.6-mile triathlon will take place on Saturday, Oct. 11, and consists of a 2.4-mile open water swim, 112-mile bicycle ride and a 26.2-mile run. Cassidy and Parmitano will be among 2,000 plus athletes competing in the event. The event can be viewed live on ironman.com and will broadcast on NBC on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 12:30 p.m. CST. Read more about this special physically and mentally challenging "mission" on JSC Features! Crawford Jones 281-792-8481 [top] JSC, Armand Bayou Celebrate 40 Years While rubies are not being gifted for the 40-year anniversary of the enduring partnership between JSC and the Armand Bayou Nature Center, these organizations do share one precious gem in common: the Earth! Read more about how JSC and Armand Bayou have worked together in the past—and will continue to—to take care of our surrounding ecosystem and share the wonders of this "Blue Marble." Find the newly posted article on JSC Features. Catherine Williams x33317 [top] Restrictions on Political Activities Reminder The Hatch Act places limitations on federal executive branch employees' political activities while on duty; in a government room or building; while wearing an official uniform; or using a government vehicle. For example, you cannot send a partisan political email from your non-government email address while you are on duty and/or at work. While on duty or in a federal workplace, you are prohibited from advocating for or against a political party, partisan political group or candidate for partisan public office through a blog, Facebook, Twitter or any other social media platform. Finally, you are always prohibited from soliciting, accepting or receiving political contributions. SES employees are subject to additional restrictions. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel's website provides details on permitted and prohibited activities. If you have additional questions, please contact the JSC Office of Chief Counsel at x33021, or visit our website. JSC Office of Chief Counsel x33021 [top] New Storage Services & Pricing Beginning Oct. 1 The Information Resources Directorate (IRD) has new service offerings and pricing for current and new customers of IRD storage. This includes a wide range of storage and backup services and other offerings. Service Offerings: Tiered storage levels: premium, standard and low-cost tiered storage Service options: full backup, replication, snapshots, disaster recovery and custom services Additional services: consulting and administration services Please visit the IRD storage home page to view descriptions of these services and how to order, or contact the storage point of contact: Heather Thomas, x30901. For additional information about IRD services, please see the IRD Service Catalog. JSC-IRD-Outreach x30901 http://ird.jsc.nasa.gov/ComputerServices/StorageAndBackupServices/defaul... [top] Monthly Test of the JSC Emergency Warning System The Emergency Warning System (EWS) test will consist of a verbal "This is a test" message, followed by a short tone and a second verbal "This is a test" message. The warning tone will be the "wavering" tone, which is associated with an attack warning message. Please visit the JSC Emergency Awareness website for EWS tones and definitions. During an actual emergency situation, the particular tone and verbal message will provide you with protective information. Dennis G. Perrin x34232 http://jea.jsc.nasa.gov [top]    Organizations/Social JSC Features Profile: Diego Rodriguez As part of Hispanic Heritage Month/Mes de la Herencia Hispana, JSC is recognizing employees whose character and culture have helped shape them into the people they are today. At just 8, Diego Rodriguez was rolling up his sleeves to pick fruit and vegetables in his native Argentina to help his missionary parents support their five children. Three years ago, he brought that same work ethic to JSC's Office of Education, where he serves as the Internships, Fellowships and Scholarships manager, annually introducing dozens of college and a few high school students from across the country to NASA's programs. "I have an amazing job because I get to find the future workforce for NASA," Rodriguez said, who is being recognized for his many contributions during Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. To read more about Rodriguez, visit the link below. HERG https://jscfeatures.jsc.nasa.gov/pages.ashx/148/Diego%20Rodriguez%20cred... [top] October Workshops Presented by the EAP Here's a list of not-to-be-missed upcoming lunchtime workshops (from 12 noon to 1 p.m.) and events presented by the JSC Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for the month of October: Wednesday, Oct. 8 - Domestic Violence Awareness Wednesday, Oct. 15 - The EAP will have an information table set up at the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Conflict Resolution Event from 8 to 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 12 noon. Thursday, Oct. 16 - The EAP will have an information table set up at the EEO Conflict Resolution Event from 12 noon to 1 p.m. and 4:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21 - Bullying Prevention Thursday, Oct. 30 - Mental Health Disorders Lorrie Bennett, Employee Assistance Program, Occupational Health Branch x36130 [top] Precision Medicine in Oncology – Oct. 9 You are invited to JSC's SAIC/Safety and Mission Assurance speaker forum featuring Dr. David C. Heimbrook, laboratory director of Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research and president, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc. Topic: The Evolution of Precision Medicine in Oncology Date/Time: Wednesday, Oct. 15, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CDT Location: Gilruth Ballroom Heimbrook will discuss: What is precision medicine, and why is it important in oncology? How are precision medicines developed? What are the limitations of highly targeted drugs in oncology? Will precision medicine be applied to other diseases and behaviors? Are there ethical considerations to gathering the data needed to implement precision medicine? Come join the discussion! Event Date: Wednesday, October 15, 2014   Event Start Time:11:30 AM   Event End Time:12:30 PM Event Location: Gilruth Center Alamo Ballroom Add to Calendar Della Cardona/Juan Traslavina 281-335-2074/281-335-2272 [top] AIAA Houston Dinner Meeting: Alan Bean Please join the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Houston Section as we welcome Alan Bean for a special presentation on "Reaching For Your Own Special Star." He is a former NASA astronaut and currently a painter. Bean was selected to become an astronaut by NASA in 1963. As the Lunar Module pilot of Apollo 12, Bean was the fourth man to set foot on the moon. He explored the beautifully desolate landscape of the Ocean of Storms and, later, as commander of Skylab mission II. Bean spent 59 days in orbit around our fragile, blue-and-white Earth. After retiring from the United States Navy in 1975 and NASA in 1981, he devoted himself to documenting his own experiences on the moon, as well as those of his fellow Apollo astronauts—one of the great explorations in our history. Please register at the event page. Event Date: Thursday, October 16, 2014   Event Start Time:6:00 PM   Event End Time:8:00 PM Event Location: JSC Gilruth Center, Alamo Ballroom Add to Calendar Laura Sarmiento x39551 http://www.aiaahouston.org/event/alan_bean_dinner_meeting/ [top]    Community Blood Drive - Oct. 15 & 16 Blood makes up about 7 percent of your body's weight, and the average adult has 10 pints of blood. After a donation of whole blood, you will not be eligible to donate for 56 days—during which time your body will completely replenish the blood you have so generously donated. Immediately after your blood donation, you will also be asked to spend a few moments in our waiting area, where you will be served refreshments, cookies and other snacks. This will help replenish some of the sugar and liquids in your body and help us to ensure that you are feeling well after your donation. You can donate on Oct. 15 and 16 at one of the following locations: Teague Auditorium lobby - 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Donor coach at the Building 11 Starport Café - 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Donor coach at the Gilruth Center - Noon to 4 p.m. (Thursday only) Event Date: Wednesday, October 15, 2014   Event Start Time:9:00 AM   Event End Time:4:00 PM Event Location: Teague Lobby and Bldg. 11 Add to Calendar Bini Kadwa x31979 http://jscpeople.jsc.nasa.gov/blooddrv/blooddrv.htm [top] Inspire a Community College Student "A mentor empowers a person to see a possible future and believe it can be obtained." Will you share your story with community college students from across the nation? NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars is looking for mentors, speakers and judges for our November workshop here at JSC. There are several opportunities with various commitment levels. Sign up in V-CORPS today and find out how you can change the course of someone's life! Event Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2014   Event Start Time:8:00 AM   Event End Time:5:00 PM Event Location: ISS Conference Facility Add to Calendar Maria Chambers 281-244-1496 http://ncas.aerospacescholars.org [top] October Sustainability Opportunities What a great time to go outside! Enjoy a selection of ideas courtesy of your October Sustainability Opportunities. Are you already motivated to recycle, conserve, save money or just be outside? Consider the Oct. 22 Natural Champions meet up to find others like you and see how you can continue your efforts at work. As we wrap up Fiscal Year 2014, consider the amazing progress we've all made. Our JSC sustainability initiatives (for instance: this newsletter, the monthly environmental brown bag, your sustainability teams, the quarterly environmental newsletter, our Sustainability Engagement Strategy, the annual report, speaking events, tours, competitions and more) are all aimed at increasing awareness in our population so that we can do things smarter for the environment and ourselves. How "sustainable" are our sustainability initiatives at JSC? Email us with your thoughts. Laurie Peterson x39845 http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/about/sustainability [top]

 

JSC Today is compiled periodically as a service to JSC employees on an as-submitted basis. Any JSC organization or employee may submit articles. Disclaimer: Accuracy and content of these notes are the responsibility of the submitters.

 

 

NASA and Human Spaceflight News

Thursday – October 2, 2014

 

HEADLINES AND LEADS

Why Boeing Beat SpaceX in NASA's Space-Taxi Contest

Boeing Received Higher Rankings Than SpaceX During NASA's Multibillion-Dollar Competition

 

Andy Pasztor - Wall Street Journal

 

Boeing Co. received consistently higher rankings than Space Exploration Technologies Corp. during NASA's recent multibillion-dollar competition to build "space taxis," according to an internal agency document. The memo—dated Sept. 15 and reviewed by The Wall Street Journal—provides an inside look at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's deliberations and reveals why agency officials rated Boeing's bid better across the board than the one submitted by SpaceX, as the smaller company is called.

 

 

Delta IV Heavy rocket standing on its launch pad

 

James Dean – Florida Today

 

 

The rocket that will boost NASA's Orion capsule on its first spaceflight in just over two months is standing on its launch pad, a day later than planned due to this week's persistent rain. Conditions finally cleared to allow United Launch Alliance to begin rolling a Delta IV Heavy rocket out of its processing hangar at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 9:50 p.m. Tuesday.

 

 

Rocket for Orion Maiden Flight Hauled Out to Cape Canaveral Launch Pad

 

Dan Leone – Space News

 

WASHINGTON — The United Launch Alliance Delta 4 Heavy rocket that will launch a prototype of NASA's Orion capsule on an uncrewed, Earth-orbiting test mission in early December was rolled out to its launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida Sept. 30, ULA said in a press release. The mission, known as Exploration Flight Test (EFT)-1, is first and foremost a test of Orion's heat shield, which will protect astronauts from the intense temperatures the spacecraft will encounter when it re-enters Earth's atmosphere.

 

 

Road to EFT-1: Orion fueled for flight, ATK tests launch abort motor igniter

 

Jason Rhian – Spaceflight Insider

 

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla — NASA's next-generation Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle is getting closer to the day when the next-generation spacecraft will finally travel into the black. NASA has promoted the spacecraft as the foundation on which the agency will make its first steps towards a renewed era of human spaceflight. On Monday, Sept 29, the spacecraft underwent some of the final integration steps needed before it conducts Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1). This crucial mission for the Orion spacecraft is currently slated to take place on Dec 4, 2014, with a number of aerospace firms working to get NASA back into the human spaceflight business.

 

 

Super-bacteria are growing in space ... and we're the ones breeding them

 

Meera Senthilingam – CNN

 

(CNN) -- Manned space missions bring with them a plethora of challenges to keep astronauts alive and healthy, especially on long-duration space missions. Astronauts need to breathe, eat, drink, excrete their food and drink, and be kept free of infections to stay healthy enough to do their job. The key to an astronauts' wellbeing has been found, somewhat contradictorily, to be a group of tiny organisms -- bacteria.

 

 

Life in Space Through the Lens of NASA Astronaut Reid Wiseman (VIDEO)

 

Alexa Keyes

 

Reid Wiseman is not the first astronaut to share images from the final frontier, but he is one of NASA's first social media stars, giving us a firsthand look of what it's like to be in space with a view we haven't quite experienced before. Wiseman journeyed to the most exclusive address in the world, the International Space Station, on May 28, 2014. Since his arrival, the former aviator has been tweeting about life aboard the ISS and the ins and outs of adjusting to zero gravity to his more than 300,000 Twitter followers.

 

 

Gallery: 5 Exotic Places NASA's Next-Generation Rocket Could Help Explore

 

Elizabeth Howell – Universe Today

 

TORONTO, CANADA – Could NASA's new rocket bring a probe to sample the geysers of Saturn's moon Enceladus, or ferry human explorers to the surface of Mars? Representatives of contractor Boeing think so. They've put together some ideas for sending their Space Launch System to these far-flung destinations, which they presented at the International Astronautical Congress today (Oct. 1).

 

COMPLETE STORIES

Why Boeing Beat SpaceX in NASA's Space-Taxi Contest

Boeing Received Higher Rankings Than SpaceX During NASA's Multibillion-Dollar Competition

 

Andy Pasztor - Wall Street Journal

 

Boeing Co. received consistently higher rankings than Space Exploration Technologies Corp. during NASA's recent multibillion-dollar competition to build "space taxis," according to an internal agency document.

 

The memo—dated Sept. 15 and reviewed by The Wall Street Journal—provides an inside look at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's deliberations and reveals why agency officials rated Boeing's bid better across the board than the one submitted by SpaceX, as the smaller company is called.

 

Chicago-based Boeing ended up with a contract worth up to $4.2 billion, versus $2.6 billion for Southern California-based SpaceX. The goal is to use company-owned and operated spacecraft to start transporting astronauts into orbit by 2017.

 

The rivalry was widely viewed as the closest head-to-head matchup yet between a big traditional aerospace contractor such as Boeing and a so-called new-space upstart represented by SpaceX.

 

But the 29-page document, signed by NASA's associate administrator William Gerstenmaier the day before the awards were announced, depicts more of a one-sided contest. Boeing ranked above SpaceX in every major category, from technical maturity to management competence to likelihood of sticking to a timetable.

 

Boeing's submission was considered "excellent" for "mission suitability," whereas SpaceX got a "very good" ranking. The numerical scores for that category, according to one person familiar with the details, were separated by more than 60 points out of a possible 1,000. The document shows Boeing also garnered the highest ranking of "excellent" for technical approach and program management, compared with "very good" rankings for SpaceX.

 

Based on Boeing's performance on a preliminary contract, NASA concluded it had "very high confidence" in that company's likelihood of delivering what it promised—the highest ranking possible.

 

Despite SpaceX's historic achievement of becoming the first commercial entity to put a capsule into orbit and ferry NASA cargo to and from the international space station, the agency had somewhat less assurance in the company's ability to perform, also based on performance on its own preliminary contract. NASA determined it had "high confidence" in SpaceX's pledges.

 

The document won't become public until a protest by a third company, Sierra Nevada Corp., is resolved. Sierra Nevada, which didn't receive any award but contends its rankings were comparable to the winners, has said the government could save $900 million by picking its proposal. Legal wrangling could drag on for months, potentially slowing down progress on the vehicles or putting work by Boeing or SpaceX on hold.

 

The September document, among other things, indicates that the bid by Sierra Nevada, based in Sparks, Nev., had "technical uncertainty and schedule risk" partly because "complex hardware and software development remained" to be done.

 

NASA, SpaceX and Sierra Nevada declined to comment on the document. A Boeing spokeswoman said the document "provides a clear indication of why Boeing was selected." She said it also "shows our demonstrated technical ability" and ability to perform on schedule.

 

Neither Boeing nor SpaceX were deemed to have what NASA considered significant weaknesses in their proposals. But in explaining his final decision, Mr. Gerstenmaier pointed to what he saw as some uncertainties and shortcomings in SpaceX's bid. They included reduced government insight into certain program details and SpaceX's intention to install parts that haven't been specially manufactured and tested to guard against negative impacts from radiation.

 

Using such "non-space radiation tolerant parts" is a critical design and "has big implications," according to the document. Mr. Gerstenmaier, who heads NASA's manned exploration efforts, said the approach "will take extra work and add both technical and schedule risk."

 

The veteran NASA official said SpaceX's "transition from cargo to crew" capsules is likely to be more complex than others inside NASA had projected, and he worried about SpaceX's responsiveness to government requests or direction. In addition, Mr. Gerstenmaier expressed concerns about the company's previous performance along with a "plan to develop its own docking system and space suit."

 

Overall, according to Mr. Gerstenmaier's analysis, "schedule planning was a recurring issue on SpaceX's projects" over the years.

 

In sections of the memo focused on Boeing, Mr. Gerstenmaier concluded that the company's team submitted "a very comprehensive, credible plan" amounting to a significant discriminator, and laid out "the most well-defined plan for addressing the specific issues" that surfaced in earlier work.

 

Citing Boeing for having "the best management approach," the memo emphasized the company's "effective organizational structure" and comprehensive efforts to keep track of myriad subcontractors. In summary, Mr. Gerstenmaier decided that "Boeing's superior proposal, with regard to [the company's] technical and management approach and its past performance," was worth the higher price.

 

A NASA evaluation board, which submitted recommendations on the awards, identified Boeing's strengths in program management, systems engineering and controlling lifecycle costs. Various Boeing subcontractors also had "excellent" or "very good performance" on relevant contracts, according to the memo.

 

The same panel determined that SpaceX had strong systems for quality management and resolving launch conflicts between customers.

 

Reflecting Boeing's legacy working for NASA, Mr. Gerstenmaier said the company's strong past performance should be valuable for success on the latest fixed-price contract. His memo, however, stressed that "I also recognized that most of this past effort was done under cost reimbursement contracts."

 

 

Delta IV Heavy rocket standing on its launch pad

 

James Dean – Florida Today

 

The rocket that will boost NASA's Orion capsule on its first spaceflight in just over two months is standing on its launch pad, a day later than planned due to this week's persistent rain.

 

Conditions finally cleared to allow United Launch Alliance to begin rolling a Delta IV Heavy rocket out of its processing hangar at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 9:50 p.m. Tuesday.

 

By 9:50 a.m. today, the roughly 18-story rocket's three core boosters and upper stage were vertical inside the service tower at Launch Complex 37.

 

"This is a tremendous milestone and gets us one step closer to our launch later this year," said Tony Taliancich, ULA's director of East Coast Launch Operations, in a press release.

 

Schedules had called for the rocket to be upright by Tuesday morning, but the rain delays did not impact the rocket's planned Dec. 4 launch of Orion on NASA's Exploration Flight Test-1 mission.

The launch window on Dec. 4 is 7:04 a.m. to 9:44 a.m.

 

The two-orbit, four-hour test flight will send an uncrewed Orion 3,600 miles high to set up a 20,000-mph re-entry through the atmosphere that exposes the capsule's heat shield to temperatures near 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

The mission will conclude with a splashdown and recovery operation in the Pacific Ocean.

 

A launch abort tower is now being attached to the spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center. Orion is tentatively targeting a Nov. 11 move to the pad to be placed atop the rocket, which will then stand about 250 feet tall.

 

NASA and lead contractor Lockheed Martin are developing Orion to fly astronauts on deep space exploration missions, possibly to an asteroid.

 

NASA hopes to fly a crew in Orion by 2022, launching from KSC on the agency's Space Launch System rocket.

 

 

Rocket for Orion Maiden Flight Hauled Out to Cape Canaveral Launch Pad

 

Dan Leone – Space News

 

WASHINGTON — The United Launch Alliance Delta 4 Heavy rocket that will launch a prototype of NASA's Orion capsule on an uncrewed, Earth-orbiting test mission in early December was rolled out to its launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida Sept. 30, ULA said in a press release.

 

The mission, known as Exploration Flight Test (EFT)-1, is first and foremost a test of Orion's heat shield, which will protect astronauts from the intense temperatures the spacecraft will encounter when it re-enters Earth's atmosphere.

 

In EFT-1, slated to lift off Dec. 4, the Delta 4 will send Orion into a highly elliptical orbit that will take the capsule about 5,800 kilometers above Earth, at the highest. After two orbits, Orion will re-enter the atmosphere at about 80 percent of the velocity the spacecraft would reach on a return from lunar orbit, and then splash down in the Pacific Ocean.

 

The EFT-1 Orion, which lacks systems such as life support and solar arrays that would be needed on a crewed deep-space mission, is now at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral awaiting integration with Delta 4. Orion missions after EFT-1 will be launched by the capsule's intended carrier rocket, the heavy-lift Space Launch System whose development is being managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

 

Lockheed Martin Space Systems of Denver is building three Orion capsules for NASA under an $11.76 billion contract NASA awarded in 2006 as part of the since-canceled Constellation Moon exploration program. Only the third of those capsules will fly with a crew on board. The contract includes $375 million for the EFT-1 mission, which was added to Lockheed Martin's contract in 2013.

 

 

Road to EFT-1: Orion fueled for flight, ATK tests launch abort motor igniter

 

Jason Rhian – Spaceflight Insider

 

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla — NASA's next-generation Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle is getting closer to the day when the next-generation spacecraft will finally travel into the black. NASA has promoted the spacecraft as the foundation on which the agency will make its first steps towards a renewed era of human spaceflight. On Monday, Sept 29, the spacecraft underwent some of the final integration steps needed before it conducts Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1). This crucial mission for the Orion spacecraft is currently slated to take place on Dec 4, 2014, with a number of aerospace firms working to get NASA back into the human spaceflight business.

 

The Orion spacecraft is nearing completion in terms of being ready for flight. , having been loaded with the fuels needed to control the capsule-shaped spacecraft's flight. These propellants include ammonia, hydrazine, and high pressure helium and were uploaded into Orion on Monday, Sept. 29 at Kennedy Space Center's Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF ).

ATK successfully tested Orion's Launch Abort System launch abort motor igniter on Tuesday, Sept. 30. Photo Credit: ATK

 

ATK successfully tested Orion's Launch Abort System launch abort motor igniter on Tuesday, Sept. 30. Photo Credit: ATK

 

The first flight of the Orion spacecraft, a joint effort between NASA and Lockheed Martin, saw some delays earlier this year to make way for other launches. With those missions on orbit, EFT-1 is now on schedule for a December launch and ready to complete the last of its tests over the next few months.

 

Orion now resides at the Launch Abort System Facility where it will undergo the final phase, which is to be integrated with the launch abort system (LAS). Three solid rocket motors, an attitude control motor, jettison motor and an abort motor make up this critical piece of crew safety equipment.

 

In the event of an emergency, the jettison motor would be activated, pulling the crew away from the launch vehicle, NASA new heavy-lift rocket, the Space Launch System or "SLS." Controlling this action is the attitude control motor. If the emergency were to take place at Launch Complex 39B, where SLS is planned to be launched from, the abort motor would pull the crew module to safety, it would then land via parachute.

 

ATK successfully tested the LAS' launch abort motor igniter on Sept. 30.

 

"This escape motor had some very unique challenges; the most unique feature is the turn-flow technology needed to enable the motor to lift the crew module to safety," said four-time space shuttle astronaut, who now serves as ATK's vice president of the company's Space Launch Division, Charlie Precourt. "Turning a high flow rate combustion gas while maintaining adequate insulation, minimizing weight and maintaining performance was a significant challenge."

 

By all accounts, the igniter performed as advertised, with the system activating within milliseconds of being activated – producing an acceleration of more than 10 gs.

 

"Once the launch abort system is integrated and functional testing concludes, the spacecraft is considered done," said Michael Hawes Lockheed Martin Orion program manager. "Then in November we'll integrate to the rocket, which is rolling out to the launch pad today."

 

That rollout did not occur on Sept. 29 due to inclement weather along Florida's Space Coast. NASA and United Launch Alliance, the company that produces the Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle opted to hold out until conditions at Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 37 – the East Coast launch site for the Delta IV family of boosters.

The Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle is set to roll out to Space Launch Complex 37 in preparation for the Dec. 4 flight. Photo Credit: Jason Rhian / SpaceFlight Insider

 

The Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle is set to roll out to Space Launch Complex 37 in preparation for the Dec. 4 flight. Photo Credit: Jason Rhian / SpaceFlight Insider

 

EFT-1 will see a crew-rated spacecraft be sent to some 3,600 miles above our home world. After it completes two orbits – it will return back home – at a blistering speed of approximately 20,000 miles per hour. It will then splash down in the Pacific Ocean where it will be recovered by the U.S. Navy and NASA. Avionics, Orion's heat shield, attitude control, software and other critical elements will be tested during the EFT-1 mission.

 

Orion is NASA's successor to its fleet of space shuttles which traveled the orbital byways for three decades. Unlike the shuttle, this capsule-based design is a modern version of the Apollo Command and Service Module which the Space Agency used to send crews to the Moon in the late 1960s and early 70s. The reason for this is the fact that just as with Apollo, Orion's mission – is to travel beyond low-Earth-orbit.

The United Launch Alliance (ULA), Delta IV Heavy booster is raised into position for the EFT-1 mission on Oct. 1, 2014. Photo Credit: Mike Howard / SpaceFlight Insider

 

The United Launch Alliance (ULA), Delta IV Heavy booster is raised into position for the EFT-1 mission on Oct. 1, 2014. Photo Credit: Mike Howard / SpaceFlight Insider

 

EFT-1 is the first step in what NASA hopes will be a return to crewed flights to far more distant destinations. The U.S. Space Agency plans to send crews to an asteroid and the planet Mars. To accomplish this, Orion has been designed to handle crews of four astronauts for up to 21 days. For missions to Mars, which will take months – Orion will serve as the mode of travel from Earth to a larger spacecraft.

 

Precourt stressed the fact that NASA and its family of contractors are working to keep crews as safe as possible as they work to send humans to unexplored destinations in our solar system.

 

"Another important challenge that was imperative to meet, was the ability for the launch abort system to initiate escape at any time during the launch and ascent phase, regardless of the reason," Precourt added. "One challenge ATK met was the development of a high burn rate propellant to achieve the rapid escape necessary in the event of an anomaly. We developed a propellant that burns about three to four times faster than a typical motor of this size."

 

 

Super-bacteria are growing in space ... and we're the ones breeding them

 

Meera Senthilingam – CNN

 

(CNN) -- Manned space missions bring with them a plethora of challenges to keep astronauts alive and healthy, especially on long-duration space missions. Astronauts need to breathe, eat, drink, excrete their food and drink, and be kept free of infections to stay healthy enough to do their job. The key to an astronauts' wellbeing has been found, somewhat contradictorily, to be a group of tiny organisms -- bacteria.

 

You might think of space as a germ-free environment, but microbes can be carried to space inside human gut flora as well as in food and water and once up there, can be expelled by humans in their breath.

 

According to NASA, immune systems weaken during space flight, making the impact of infection even greater.

 

What's more, the greater radiation levels and the weightless microgravity environment of space alter bacteria as they grow. Recent work at NASA by Cheryl Nickerson and her team from Arizona State University discovered that certain bacteria become more virulent in space, meaning they become better at infecting us.

Salmonella bacteria become more potent, virulent and are more able to cause disease.

Dr. Cheryl Nickerson, Arizona State University

 

"Salmonella bacteria become more potent, virulent and are more able to cause disease," says Nickerson. "They also become more resistant to factors such as the acid in your stomach." Nickerson's group is investigating a range of bacteria found in food, water and our gut flora, including Salmonella typhimurium, a common cause of food poisoning and diarrhea, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is a known water contaminant.

 

'War with microorganisms'

 

As astronauts spend longer periods of time in space, their increased exposure to recycled air and water is likely to affect their risk of infection

 

Mark Nott is one the people in charge of crew health at NASA and focuses on keeping microbes at bay. "We're at a constant war with microorganisms because they adapt," he says. "The stressful environment of spaceflight affects them and under stress your immune system also functions less effectively and we have to take precautions for this." Reduced immunity can cause some bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, to cause illness despite normally being carried by many of us with no effect.

 

"However, not all microorganisms are bad and so the key is to understand how they change and impact us," explains Nott, who also found that the infectious bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, which causes a range of symptoms from boils to food poisoning, becomes benign in microgravity.

 

The microgravity environment on board the international space station (ISS) is useful to explore the inner-workings of infectious bacteria.

NASA

 

By understanding the changes in salmonella and other disease-causing bacteria in microgravity Nickerson hopes to not only keep crew healthy but also help humans down on Earth through the development of drugs and vaccines.

 

"Infections are becoming harder to treat; we have no vaccine for salmonella food poisoning and it remains [one of] the leading cause of bacterial food-borne illness worldwide," states Nickerson.

 

Spaceflight opens up a new world of research that can't take place on Earth and Nickerson has unmasked key changes in the behaviour of genes in the bacteria which aren't usually seen under gravity. "Vaccines are about identifying targets and in microgravity the bacteria have unmasked themselves and revealed secrets to help develop therapeutics."

 

Sustaining life in space

For space missions the mass of oxygen, food, and water is high and not compatible with current launch technologies.

Dr. Christophe Lasseur, European Space Agency.

 

The research is in its early stages but it's just one example of how bacteria are being investigated by space agencies. Far from just a health hazard, bacteria could be used to help sustain astronauts in space, as a source of food and oxygen.

 

"The major advantage to using bacteria is the size of them," explains Christophe Lasseur, coordinator of life support research and development at the European Space Agency (ESA). "For space missions the mass of oxygen, food, and water is high and not compatible with current launch technologies. A crew of six to Mars would need over 30 tons."

 

Lasseur directs the MELLiSSA programme at ESA, which aims to develop a regenerative life-support ecosystem for use on board spacecraft. "We need to recycle everything for an ecosystem that can sustain human life," says Lasseur. The team wants to recycle 80% of all mass on board, including carbon dioxide, which can become toxic if allowed to build up.

 

Key algae and bacteria can mop up carbon dioxide and in turn release oxygen to enable astronauts to breathe. "We have approached this molecule by molecule, first oxygen, then water and now food, which is more complex," says Lasseur.

 

The chosen range of bacteria not only utilize carbon dioxide but can also harness other human waste products, such as urine and feces -- a win-win given their growth results in food for the astronauts.

 

Eating bacteria grown on urine may not sound like a delicacy, and it isn't, which is why psychology also comes into play. "Our most advanced work is using spirulina as this has been used as a protein source for many centuries and in many countries, making it much more psychologically acceptable," explains Lasseur. Spirulina is a cyanobacterium found in many salt water lakes and is consumed readily by lake communities. The edible bacterium is also marketed as a health supplement.

 

In the search for bacteria that feed on our food waste, Lasseur's team discovered a hidden gem that has an additional medical benefit -- helping to fight cholesterol.

 

"We were looking for bacteria which use a lot of carbon and nitrogen as there's a lot of this in waste disposal," states Lasseur. The resulting use of Rhodospirillum rubrum led to a nutritious product found to produce significantly lower levels of cholesterol in mice and will soon be marketed by spin-off company EzCOL BV, which is in talks with big pharma. This bacterium has been by-passed in favor of more nutritious alternatives for consumption by astronauts but the research to get there has borne beneficial fruit for those of us not venturing up into space.

 

As for the astronauts, Mars missions could be a reality in the, albeit distant, future. And when the day comes, crews could depart feeling confident of reaching the red planet well fed, watered and free of infection.

 

 

Life in Space Through the Lens of NASA Astronaut Reid Wiseman (VIDEO)

 

Alexa Keyes

 

Reid Wiseman is not the first astronaut to share images from the final frontier, but he is one of NASA's first social media stars, giving us a firsthand look of what it's like to be in space with a view we haven't quite experienced before.

 

Wiseman journeyed to the most exclusive address in the world, the International Space Station, on May 28, 2014. Since his arrival, the former aviator has been tweeting about life aboard the ISS and the ins and outs of adjusting to zero gravity to his more than 300,000 Twitter followers.

 

"It's the most difficult but it's also the most enjoyable part of being up here," Wiseman said. "Your body has to learn a new way to work, to think, to eat. It's just really, really cool."

 

His constant stream of jaw-dropping photos, rookie mistakes and insights into life in space has attracted a global audience. He hasn't showered in more than 100 days, drinks coffee from a bag and has to exercise for hours a day just so his muscles don't decay, but his excitement and enthusiasm are still just as strong as they were the day of his launch.

 

"It's pretty tough to be homesick when you're floating around going 18,000 miles an hour in the space station," he said. "This is a wild, great place to work."

 

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It's also a world he wants young minds across the country to get excited about, and he holds regular video chats with students to field their many questions.

 

"What they're most curious about usually is the imaginative stuff - how do you go to the bathroom, what do you eat, what's it like to float, what's it like to look back at the earth?" he said.

 

Wiseman returns to Earth in November, when he'll have to once again adjust to gravity. Until then, space enthusiasts will savor each tweet from 200 miles away.

 

 

Gallery: 5 Exotic Places NASA's Next-Generation Rocket Could Help Explore

 

Elizabeth Howell – Universe Today

 

TORONTO, CANADA – Could NASA's new rocket bring a probe to sample the geysers of Saturn's moon Enceladus, or ferry human explorers to the surface of Mars? Representatives of contractor Boeing think so.

 

They've put together some ideas for sending their Space Launch System to these far-flung destinations, which they presented at the International Astronautical Congress today (Oct. 1).

 

Bear in mind that the SLS hasn't yet flown — it's slated for 2018 if funding lasts and the schedule holds — and the destinations below are just in the conceptual stage. The gallery below summarizes some of the destinations SLS could visit. For more information, check out this brochure by Boeing.

 

Enceladus

 

The icy moon of Saturn is known as a hotspot for geysers; earlier this year, scientists found 101 gushers using data from the prolific Cassini probe. Using the SLS could bring a satellite there in four years, as opposed to about seven with rockets on the market today, according to Boeing. It also could carry a heavier spacecraft.

 

Europa

 

Europa is known to have a subterranean ocean, and it also is capable of spewing water plumes — as researchers using the Hubble Space Telescope discovered earlier this year. The SLS could get to Europa a lot faster than a launch with an Atlas, according to Boeing — it would only take two years to fly there directly as opposed to more than six years with the Atlas, which would need to fly by Venus first to pick up some speed.

 

Trojan asteroids

 

Trailing before and after Jupiter are more than a million asteroids that are called Trojans. This means any probe in the area would have no lack of targets to study, providing it had enough fuel on board. A mission profile from Boeing suggests the SLS could bring a spacecraft out there that could swing by a target at least half a dozen times.

 

Mars

 

One of the largest challenges of getting to Mars is figuring out how to send all the life-support equipment and food that humans require — on top of the humans themselves! Since SLS is a heavy-lift rocket, Boeing is trying to position its rocket as the ideal one to get humans to Mars. But it remains to be seen what concept works best to get people out there.

 

The Moon

 

Boeing has an idea to bring a lander down to the Moon that could then lift off multiple times in search of other destinations. Such a concept would require a hefty amount of fuel and equipment. If it works, Boeing says the SLS could assist with plans for lunar mining and other exploration ideas.

 

 

 

 

 

END

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