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Fwd: Space Stress: How 1-Year Mission Is Studying Astronaut Health

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Begin forwarded message:

From: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Date: June 26, 2015 at 10:50:21 AM CDT
To: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Subject: FW: Space Stress: How 1-Year Mission Is Studying Astronaut Health

 

Space Stress: How 1-Year Mission Is Studying Astronaut Health

by Sarah Lewin, Staff Writer   |   June 26, 2015 07:30am ET

 

This image was taken by NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, looking out through the 360 degree viewport on the International Space Station. Credit: NASA/Scott Kelly View full size image

You're flying and falling at once, people are scrutinizing your every move, the light is unnatural, everyday tasks are inexplicably difficult and you see your family and friends only at a distance: Being in space is much like a stressful dream, and that constant stress must take a toll on astronauts over time.

Researchers are probing how the bizarre stresses of space affect astronauts aboard the International Space Station, with an eye toward reducing negative impacts as much as possible. Over the course of the ongoing one-year mission on the orbiting lab, two spaceflyers are undergoing five behavioral health investigations to examine cognitive performance, sleep, brain structure, emotion and fatigue.

"Everything humans are doing in space is a life-sciences experiment, and everything is a psychological experiment," John Charles, Associate Manager for International Science in Human Research Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, told Space.com. "It all feeds into the whole, and we're interested in how the whole astronaut responds to the stresses of spaceflight, psychological and otherwise."[One Year in Space: Epic Space Station Mission in Photos]

Many stressors

Spaceflight can take its toll on astronauts, no matter how long they're away from Earth.

"Just being an astronaut is pretty stressful, because of the constant need to be able to perform at your highest possible potential," Charles said. "You're going to be doing high-priority, high-visibility tasks with experts on the ground watching your every move and critiquing you while you don't feel very well, especially in the first few days or even weeks of spaceflight."

However, the set of investigations designed for the one-year mission — which began in March when NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko arrived at the orbiting lab for a nearly 12-month stay — focuses specifically on the cognitive and psychological effects of long durations in space and the attendant isolation, fatigue, altered light-dark cycles and microgravity.

One-year space station crewmembers Scott Kelly of NASA (left) and Mikhail Kornienko of Roscosmos (right) talk to reporters in April 2015.
Credit: NASA

View full size image

The first investigation, on cognition, uses a standard battery of cognitive tests to evaluate how well different brain regions are working. Data from the tests will be used to develop a tool that can return feedback about an astronaut's cognitive abilities in real time during a mission, NASA officials said.

Similarly, the Reaction Self-Test is a five-minute evaluation that lets astronauts track the effects fatigue is having on their systems — for instance, increased sleepiness and impulsivity and decreased reaction time.

A neuromapping investigation will show these changes in the long term. Astronauts had MRI images taken of their brains before takeoff, and more scans will be performed after they land to help determine how their brains handle sensory, motor and cognitive tests, and whether anything changes over the course of the mission. It also uses in-flight tests to gauge abilities such as motor control and visualization.

Cognitive abilities are also impacted strongly by sleep, or lack thereof. The astronauts record their sleep activity automatically via a wristband, and models use that information and data about light exposure to calculate their bodies' circadian rhythms. Subjective descriptions of sleepiness and alertness help paint an overall picture of the sleep astronauts are getting and how it affects them, NASA officials said.

On the more subjective side, the astronauts fill out journal entries at least three times per week. Researchers will study these entries to learn how crewmembers are adjusting overall, and what aspects of the environment are helping or hindering that adjustment.

On and off Earth

Behavioral and health data gathered during the one-year mission should help doctors, scientists and mission planners prepare for manned flights to faraway destinations such as Mars, NASA officials say.

But the information could have practical applications here on Earth as well.

"I have to believe that the more we learn about the brain and how people get along in extreme environments — and there should be very few more extreme environments than spaceflight — the better we're all going to be getting along with each other here on the ground," Charles said.

Copyright © 2015 TechMediaNetwork.com All rights reserved. 

 

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Fwd: Chinese Long March 4B conducts surprise Gaofen-8 launch

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Begin forwarded message:

From: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Date: June 26, 2015 at 10:48:02 AM CDT
To: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Subject: FW: Chinese Long March 4B conducts surprise Gaofen-8 launch

 

Chinese Long March 4B conducts surprise Gaofen-8 launch

June 26, 2015 by Rui C. Barbosa

 

The Chinese have conducted another surprise launch on Friday with the launch of an Earth Observation System satellite called Gaofen-8. The launch took place at 06:22 UTC via the use of a Long March-4B rocket that set sail from the LC9 launch complex at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.

Chinese Launch:

There is very little information about the GF-8 Ganfen-8 satellite orbited on Friday, other than the objectives of the mission – later released to the state media – that it was to provide country surveying, disaster response, agriculture mapping, city planning, land ownership marking and road network planning.

China announced plans for the launch of Gaofen-1 to Gaofen-7, but there was no news about an 8th Gaofen bird. The only information that can be found is it will be classed as an optical satellite planned under the civilian China High-resolution Earth Observation System (CHEOS).

 

The Gaofen satellites are a series of high-resolution optical Earth observation satellites of China National Space Administration. In English "gao fen" means "high resolution".

The civilian High-Definition Earth Observation Satellite program was proposed in 2006, receiving government approval on the next years and initiated in 2010.

The plan was to launch six Gaofen satellites between 2013 and 2016. The first satellite, Gaofen-1, was launched on April 26, 2013, by the Long March-2D (Y18) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

The main goal of the Gaofen series is to provide near real-time observations for disaster prevention and relief, climate change monitoring, geographical mapping, environment and resource surveying, as well as for precision agriculture support.

The major users of the observation data will be the Ministry of Land and Resources, Ministry of Environmental Protection, and the Ministry of Agriculture.

In 2010, the Chinese government approved to implement the China High-resolution Earth Observation System (CHEOS), which is an extension of the High-Definition Earth Observation Satellite program. The CHEOS series would consist of seven optical/microwave satellites.

The Earth Observation System and Data Center of the China National Space Administration is responsible for organizing the construction of the CHEOS program.

The CHEOS program comprises the elements of the spaceborne system, the near-space system, aerial system, the ground system and application system as a whole to realize Earth observation at high temporal, spatial and spectral resolution.

The implementation plan of CHEOS satellite series has a development period between 2010 and 2020. With the launch of GF-2 in 2014, by 2016 the next three satellites will be launched. The entire CHEOS series of satellites will be in orbit by 2020.

Launch vehicle and launch site:

The feasibility study of the Chang Zheng-4 began in 1982 based on the Feng Bao-1 launch vehicle. Engineering development was initiated in the following year. Initially, the Chang Zheng-4 served as a back-up launch vehicle for Chang Zheng-3 to launch China's communications satellites.

After the successful launch of China's first DFH-2 communications satellites by Chang Zheng-3, the main mission of the Chang Zheng-4 was shifted to launch sun-synchronous orbit meteorological satellites.

On other hand, the Chang Zheng-4B launch vehicle was first introduced in May 1999 and also developed by the Shanghai Academy of Space Flight Technology (SAST), based on the Chang Zheng-4.

The rocket is capable of launching a 2,800 kg satellite into low Earth orbit, developing 2,971 kN at launch. With a mass of 248,470 kg, the CZ-4B is 45.58 meters long and has a diameter of 3.35 meters.

SAST began to develop the Chang Zheng-4B in February 1989. Originally, it was scheduled to be commissioned in 1997, but the first launch didn't take place until late 1999. The modifications introduced on the Chang Zheng-4B included a larger satellite fairing and the replacement of the original mechanical-electrical control on the Chang Zheng-4 with an electronic control.

Other modifications include improved telemetry, tracking, control, and self-destruction systems with smaller size and lighter weight; a revised nozzle design in the second stage for better high-altitude performance; a propellant management system for the second stage to reduce the spare propellant amount, thus increasing the vehicle's payload capability; and a propellant jettison system on the third-stage.

The first stage has a 24.65 meter length with a 3.35 meter diameter, consuming 183,340 kg of N2O4/UDMH (gross mass of first stage is 193.330 kg). The vehicle is equipped with a YF-21B engine capable of a ground thrust of 2,971 kN and a ground specific impulse of 2,550 Ns/kg. The second stage has a 10.40 meter length with a 3.35 meter diameter and 38,326 kg, consuming 35,374 kg of N2O4/UDMH.

The vehicle is equipped with a YF-22B main engine capable of a vacuum thrust of 742 kN and four YF-23B vernier engines with a vacuum thrust of 47.1 kN (specific impulses of 2,922 Ns/kg and 2,834 Ns/kg, respectively).

The third stage has a 4.93 meter length with a 2.9 meter diameter, consuming 12,814 kg of N2O4/UDMH. Having a gross mass of 14,560 kg, it is equipped with a YF-40 engine capable of a vacuum thrust of 100.8 kN and a specific impulse in vacuum of 2,971 Ns/kg.

This launch was the 206th Chinese orbital launch and the 205th launch of the Long March launch vehicle family. It was also the 52nd successful orbital launch from the Taiyuan Satellite launch Center, the 1st launch from Taiyuan this year and the 2nd launch by China in 2015.

Situated in the Kelan County in the northwest part of the Shanxi Province, the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center (TSLC) is also known by the Wuzhai designation. It is used mainly for polar launches (meteorological, Earth resources and scientific satellites).

The launch center has two single-pad launch complexes, a technical area for rocket and spacecraft preparations, a communications centre, a mission command and control centre, and a space tracking center.

The stages of the rocket were transported to the launch centre by railway, and offloaded at a transit station south of the launch complex. They were then transported by road to the technical area for checkout procedures.

The launch vehicles were assembled on the launch pad by using a crane at the top of the umbilical tower to hoist each stage of the vehicle in place. Satellites were airlifted to the Taiyuan Wusu Airport about 300km away, and then transported to the centre by road.

The TT&C Centre, also known as Lüliang Command Post, is headquartered in the city of Taiyuan, It has four subordinate radar tracking stations in Yangqu (Shanxi), Lishi (Shanxi), Yulin (Shaanxi), and Hancheng (Shaanxi).

 

NASASpaceflight © 2005 - 2015

Fwd: Pentagon Plans Space-War Center, Citing ‘Clear and Present Dangers’ Russia, China

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Begin forwarded message:

From: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Date: June 25, 2015 at 9:31:43 PM CDT
To: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Subject: FW: Pentagon Plans Space-War Center, Citing 'Clear and Present Dangers' Russia, China

 

 

 

 

 

Pentagon Plans Space-War Center to Defend Against Adversaries Russia, China

© Flickr/ US Air Force

 

02:37 25.06.2015(updated 03:01 25.06.2015) Get short URL

0158427

 

In its latest saber-rattling move, The Pentagon is ramping up efforts to build an space war headquarters, in order to protect US satellites from hypothetical attacks by Russia and China.

The operations center — which will collect information from US satellites belonging to all government agencies — is slated to open in six months, Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work told attendees at the annual GEOINT symposium Tuesday. 

"[W]e are going to develop the tactics, techniques, procedures, rules of the road that would allow us … to fight the architecture and protect it while it's under attack," Work said. 

"The ugly reality that we must now all face is that if an adversary were able to take space away from us, our ability to project decisive power across transoceanic distances and overmatch adversaries in theaters once we get there … would be critically weakened."

Filling the new position of "principal space advisor" to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter will be Air Force Secretary Deborah James, Work said.

— Mike Giglio (@mike_giglio) June 23, 2015

The new ops center will act as a support center for the Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, and will coordinate response efforts in the event of an attack. 

Calling Russia a "clear and present danger" to the US and warning that China was "quickly closing the technological gap," Work said it was essential for the US to maintain a technological advantage. 

In 2013, China launched rockets that the US believe could be used to destroy satellites in Earth's orbit. 

"We want to be able to establish patterns of life from space. We want to know what the unusual looks like," he said. "If, all of a sudden, a lot of cars show up in a parking lot of an adversary's missile plant, we want to know about it and we want to know about it quickly. If, suddenly, small boats are swarming in the Gulf or pirates are starting to congregate off Aden, we want to know."

Though space has long been considered a "virtual sanctuary," Work said it must now "be considered a contested operational domain in ways that we haven't had to think about in the past."

— Jakespeare (@JakeRaffle) June 18, 2015

In the 2016 US defense and intelligence budgets, approximately $5 billion was shifted to prioritize space security. The budget also included increased requests for navy communications satellites ($21 million, almost double the previous year), space based reconnaissance ($100 million) and funding for Air Force space situational awareness (which more than tripled to $32 million). 

But Gen. John Hyten, the head of Air Force Space Command — which comprises 40,000 people managing almost all the Pentagon's space-related programs and all US reconnaissance and communications satellites — said he was having trouble moving the government forward on the issue as quickly as he would like.

"I'm wanting and pulling and looking for those new ideas and trying to change the culture that is really very comfortable with the status quo right now."

— pontifus (@pontifus) May 13, 2015

 

© 2015 Sputnik All rights reserved. 

 

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USA needs this capability

The Shuttle Capabilities are many & Clearly ARE Far SUPERIOR to anything we are working on today!

Read The Case to Save the Shuttle by Al Richardson. It is incomprehensible that our congress people & nasa personnel & the public are not shouting from the street corner, GET the Shuttle Flying.!!!!
Re nasaproblems.com
Keeptheshuttleflyingc.blogspot.com


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