Keith's note: On Thursday, 10 December 2009, we'll be doing a live webcast from the Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project (LOIRP) at "McMoon's" i.e. Building 596 at the NASA Ames Research Park.

Keith's update: The webcast has been archived below.

Dennis Wingo and I will give you a tour of our project including a walk through of the abandoned McDonald's that has been our base of operations since 2008. We'll also show you how we rack tapes, play them back, capture the data on a computer, and then stitch the image framelets together. You'll be able to look over our shoulders and see the imagery as it appears on one of our old TV monitors. We've picked an especially interesting tape to show you. We'll then post the raw image online later in the day. Eventually this image will be posted online at LPI and submitted to the NSSDC.

This project has been funded and supported by a bunch of imaginative folks at ESMD, IPP, NLSI, ARC, SkyCorp, SpaceRef Interactive, and Odyssey Moon with assistance from a range of people ranging from retired Lunar Orbiter project personnel and Lockheed Martin employees to local high school and college students. Soon, we expect to have two tape drives fully operational and to be able to produce images on a daily basis.

Oh yes, in case you are wondering, I donate my time (and money) to this project. What fun. Its like bringing a time machine back to life in a high tech junkyard. We are looking to begin some pervasive EPO in coordination with NLSI and the Challenger Center for Space Science Education in the very near future.

Bolden's Talk to WIA and AIAA, Chuck Divine

"Today, December 9, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden addressed a joint luncheon organized by Women in Aerospace and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Lori Garver gave a friendly introduction to Bolden noting that he was two star Marine General and a four time astronaut. A friend of Bolden's named Rocky told Lori "You have won the lottery." Charlie then stepped to the podium. He began by stating that it was an honor to be here. He added that Lori was a key member of his team. The numbers of women in aerospace today is a tribute to the work of WIA in the past two decades. He also acknowledged the presence of AIAA President Dave Thompson."

Astronaut John Grunsfeld, National Geographic Adventure

"Around NASA, he's known as "the Hubble Repairman." And last May, on his third visit to the orbiting space telescope, John Grunsfeld pulled off the repair to end all repairs. Working at zero gravity some 350 miles above the surface of the Earth, the astronaut restored sight to a half-blind Hubble--called the greatest scientific instrument ever invented--and ensured that it will continue to send back the stunning images and mind-boggling data that have transformed our understanding of the universe."

Keith's note: This image was taken on 21 November 1996 by Lunar Orbiter II at an altitude of 44 miles. The image is taken from frame 92, Framelet 445, and has resolution is 0.98 meters/pixel. As such the large boulder that has left a trail is around 6-7 meters in diameter. The image on the left shows the highest resolution image available online at LPI. On the right is the raw unproceesed image we retrieved this afternoon. While the large boulder's trail is seen in both images, the details of that trail and the rest of the boulder field are much sharper in our newly retrieved image. More information and hi res images

Keith's note: These images are taken from Lunar Orbiter II image LOII_092H1 Framelet 522. On the left is the highest resolution scanned version available online at LPI (or USGS). On the right is our partially processed version that we retrieved this morning. In addition to providing a much sharper image, note that our new image also allows contrast to be controlled such that features can seen in the areas that are darkened in the older image. More information and high res images.

Aerojet's Glenn Mahone and Jacobs Technology's Jeannie Kranz to guide the Coalition for Space Exploration Public Affairs Team in 2010

"Two veteran aerospace communicators will lead the Coalition for Space Exploration's Public Affairs Team in 2010. Aerojet's Glenn Mahone and Jacobs Technology's Jeannie Kranz were recently named the organization's new chair and deputy chair, respectively. Each will serve a one-year term, effective January through December 2010."

NASA LaRC Poll: Helping People Feel Attractive and Lovable (#21), earlier post

Reader's note: I believe your posting in regard to this topic and the comments it has generated have missed the mark given that the original reason for this survey as conveyed in the e-mails announcing it has not been included. The real question that should be asked is what in the world does any of this have to do with the "Langley Message?"

Official NASA memo and instructions below:

From: Skora, Mary M. (LARC-H1)
Sent: Tuesday, December 08, 2009 5:37 PM
To: Larc-DL-All
Subject: Let Your Voice Be Heard -- Only 3 more days to complete survey

To: Langley Civil Servants and Contractors

The Langley Story survey will be available for only a few more days. This is your chance to influence the Langley message.

For this external communications program to be most successful and to make sure the story belongs to each of us we need your input. The survey is available online and takes about 15-20 minutes to complete.

1. Go to:

https://surveys.kenexa.com/infinity/Survey/SurveyLogin.asp?s=1455

Click on the link or copy and paste the address into your browser.

2. On the opening screen, type your user name and password:
User name: KCINASA
Password: *******

3. Follow the instructions for completing and submitting the KCI survey.

NOTE: Make sure you have disabled any pop-up blocker.

In Firefox, a yellow warning banner appears at the top that tells you that the browser is preventing a pop-up and to the right gives you the option of allowing it.

In Safari, you don't get any warning. You have to allow pop-ups by deselecting "Block Pop-Up Windows" under the "Safari" menu.

Internet Explorer is working for most employees.

Let your voice be heard. Your participation is critical for this initiative to be meaningful and effective. Please take a moment to complete the survey.

If you have questions about the survey or about this communication initiative, contact Marny Skora at ext. 46121 or by email at marny.skora@nasa.gov.

Feasibility of Using Constellation Architecture or Robotic Missions for Servicing Existing and Future Spacecraft

"In conjunction with this RFI, NASA will conduct an open workshop tentatively scheduled for February 16-18, 2010 to bring potential users and providers of on-orbit servicing capabilities together with the NASA study team. The study team will present the notional mission definition process and the first draft of the notional mission suite. RFI responders will have an opportunity to present ideas, technologies and capabilities as well as forecast existing and planned spacecraft/observatories that would benefit from on-orbit serviceability. The study team will then finalize the notional missions based on the RFI responses and the presentations and discussions at this workshop."

Spacebook (NASA), Open Government Initiative, White house

"Additional Details: Spacebook was launched in June 2009 and now has over 850 users across NASA."

Keith's note: For an agency that has tens of thousands of employees inside the firewall, you (at least) need a zero on this number in order to call it a success - especially when you consider what these employees (and their kids) use out in the real world. Then again, it is a good start. I can clearly recall what it took back in the 80's for my supervisors at NASA to start using email - personally (instead of having their secretaries check it once a week).

Keith's note: Tonight we are testing out our newest Mac computer at the Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project located at NASA ARC. We'll be using this machine (8 processors and 10 TB of storage) to do near-real time processing of imagery once we have pulled it off of original Lunar Orbiter analog data tapes using our restored FR-900 tape drives. We hope to do a live webcast this coming Thursday so that you can look over our shoulders as we bring another image to light for the first time in more than 40 years.

As we were flying through a portion of one of the images we came across a boulder field. The image was taken by Lunar Orbiter II on 20 Nov 1966 at an altitude of 52.2 miles with a ground resolution of 1.14 meters/pixel. The framelet image shown here is approximately 220 meters across. You can clearly make out a number of boulders around 1 meter in size sitting on the surface.

Hi res images here.

Virgin Galactic unveils SpaceShipTwo, the world's first manned commercial spaceship

"SpaceShipTwo will be unveiled after darkness has fallen over the Mojave Desert to the sound of a space-themed anthem from Britain's biggest DJs, Above & Beyond. Fittingly titled "Buzz" the track will sample Buzz Aldrin's original moon landing dialogue. Following the naming by Governors Richardson and Schwarzenegger, the DJs will also perform an exclusive set at the celebration cocktail party which will follow and feature the first ever IceBar in the desert hosted by Absolut and the world famous Swedish IceHotel. All the guests will be protected from the desert cold by designer space jackets supplied by PUMA. Finally, to close off the celebrations, all the guests will have the opportunity to view the stunning night skies using specialist telescopes supplied by Ron Dantowitz of the Clay Observatory whose unique tracking cameras followed SS1 into space during the epic flights of 2004."

Keith's note: Apparently the festivities were cut short and moved indoors when high winds threatened to rip down the party tents and cold temperatures made the IceBar less than enticing...

... Video after the break

NASA Diver Insists Tale Of Porn-Watching Muslim Hijackers Is True, Despite Discrepancies

"There's one other wrinkle to the story: Petruna sent the e-mail out from an account marked "Petruna, Tedd J. (JSC-DX12)[RAYTHEON TECHNICAL SERVICES COMPANY]." Raytheon partners with NASA on the Neutral Buoyancy Lab, where Petruna is a diver. And Petruna told us he works for Raytheon as well as NASA. But Raytheon spokesman Jon Kasle tells TPMmuckraker, "This individual is not a Raytheon employee." Kasle says he's not sure why Raytheon's name is on Petruna's e-mail account, and declined to comment on whether the company is looking into the matter."

AirTran 297- Anatomy of an Urban Legend, AirTran

Keith's note: I really am not sure what to make of this story - but if you go to people.nasa.gov there is a "Petruna, Theodore John" with an email address of tedd.j.petruna -at - nasa.gov and the organizational code JSC-DX12 is what is used for the Neutral Buoyancy Lab at JSC i.e. http://dx12.jsc.nasa.gov/site/index.shtml

International Battery is building a battery prototype for
NASA that will provide backup power in support of the space
shuttle program. NASA is interested in the company’s largeformat,
high-energy-density prismatic cells that provide
advanced energy storage, as well as their Battery Management
System (BMS). The BMS is specifically designed for large-format
cells and provides increased safety through individual cell
monitoring and continuous cell balancing. The entire system
is being deployed as an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to
maintain backup power for critical ground operations.

Changing Roles in a
Challenging Environment

In our annual poll of executives at leading analysis and simulation software companies, we posed questions
dealing with virtual prototyping, the changing role of the analyst, and how the economic environment is
affecting software users and vendors. Here’s what they had to say about market trends for 2010, and maintaining
competitive advantages in a challenging business market.

Honeywell Sensing and Control, Minneapolis, MN, has introduced the ASDX Series of silicon
pressure sensors with pressure ranges of 15, 30, and 100 psi.

NASA’s Ares V space launch vehicle makes significant use
of composites, and during flight, the shroud of the Ares V
will separate into four petals to release the Lunar Lander. In
the design of the structure, the aerodynamic pressure on
the shroud is resolved into internally distributed forces. A
combination of two software packages — HyperSizer structural
sizing software and Abaqus FEA (finite element analysis)
software from SIMULIA (Providence, RI) — was used to
model and simulate this process.