Monthly Archives: October 2012

Neurons Made From Adult Cells In The Brain

Posted on by

Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Stem Cell Research Also Included In: Neurology / Neuroscience;Alzheimer's / Dementia;Parkinson's Disease Article Date: 06 Oct 2012 - 2:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Neurons Made From Adult Cells In The Brain

4.5 (2 votes)

The researchers write about their work in the 5 October online issue of Cell Stem Cell.

Much of the stem cell research that is going on into making new brain cells focuses on using stem and adult cells from other parts of the body and reprogramming them to form new brain cells and then implanting them into the brain.

For example, earlier this year, Stanford researchers in the US reported how they converted mouse skin cells directly into neural precursor cells, the cells that go on to form the three main types of cell in the brain and nervous system.

But corresponding author of this latest study, Benedikt Berninger, now at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, says they are looking at ways of making new neurons out of cells that are already in the brain.

"The ultimate goal we have in mind is that this may one day enable us to induce such conversion within the brain itself and thus provide a novel strategy for repairing the injured or diseased brain," says Berninger in a press release.

A major challenge of finding cells already in the brain that can be coaxed into forming new neurons, is whether they will respond to reprogramming.

The cells that Berninger and colleagues are focusing on are called pericytes. These cells are found close to blood vessels in the brain and help maintain the blood-brain barrier that stops bacteria and other unwanted material crossing from the bloodstream into the brain.

See original here:
Neurons Made From Adult Cells In The Brain

Blind Mice Get Experimental Stem Cell Treatment For Blindness

Posted on by

April Flowers for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

Columbia University ophthalmologists and stem cell researchers have developed an experimental treatment for blindness using the patients skin cells, which has improved the vision of blind mice in testing.

The findings of this research, published online in the journal Molecular Medicine, suggest that induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) could soon be used to improve vision in people with macular degeneration and other eye retina diseases. iPS cells are derived from adult human skin cells but have embryonic qualities.

With eye diseases, I think were getting close to a scenario where a patients own skin cells are used to replace retina cells destroyed by disease or degeneration, says Stephen Tsang, MD, PhD, associate professor of ophthalmology and pathology & cell biology. Its often said that iPS transplantation will be important in the practice of medicine in some distant future, but our paper suggests the future is almost here.

Scientists were very excited by the advent of human iPS cells when they were discovered in 2007, as they provide a way to avoid the ethical complications of embryonic stem cells. Another advantage is that the iPS cells are created from the patients own skin, eliminating the need for anti-rejection medications. Like the ethically challenged embryonic cells, iPS cells can develop into any type of cell. To-date, no iPS cells have been implanted into people, but many ophthalmologists say that the eye would prove to be ideal testing ground for iPS therapies.

The eye is a transparent and accessible part of the central nervous system, and thats a big advantage. We can put cells into the eye and monitor them every day with routine non-invasive clinical exams, Tsang said. And in the event of serious complications, removing the eye is not a life-threatening event.

Professor Tsang is running a new preclinical iPS study using human iPS cells derived from the skin cells of a 53-year-old donor. The cells were first transformed with a cocktail of growth factors into cells in the retina that lie underneath the eyes light-sensing cells.

Retina cells nourish the light-sensing cells and protect the fragile cells from excess light, heat and cellular debris. In macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa, retina cells die, which allows the photoreceptor cells to degenerate causing the patient to lose their vision. It is estimated that 30 percent of people will have some form of macular degeneration by the time they are 75 years old, as it is the leading cause of vision loss in the elderly. Currently, it affects 7 million Americans and that is expected to double by 2020.

The Columbia research team injected the iPS-derived retina cells into the right eyes of 34 mice that had a genetic mutation that caused their retina cells to degenerate. In many of the mice, the iPS cells assimilated into the retina without disruption and functioned as normal retina cells well into the animals old age. Mice in the control group, who received injections of saline or inactive cells, showed no improvement in retina tests.

Our findings provide the first evidence of life-long neuronal recovery in a preclinical model of retinal degeneration, using stem cell transplant, with vision improvement persisting through the lifespan, Tsang says. And importantly, we saw no tumors in any of the mice, which should allay one of the biggest fears people have about stem cell transplants: that they will generate tumors.

Read the original:
Blind Mice Get Experimental Stem Cell Treatment For Blindness

RBCC Looks to China for Stem Cell Research

Posted on by

NOKOMIS, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

In a continuing effort to expand its research into possible cures for neurological diseases gaining in prevalence, Rainbow Coral Corp.s (RBCC) biotech subsidiary, Rainbow Biosciences, is looking to China for possible partners for stem cell research.

Last month, RBCC announced that it was in talks to acquire a license to use a NASA-developed bioreactor to multiply adult stem cells for research. As RBCC closes in on an agreement with the cutting-edge devices license holders, Amarantus BioSciences (AMBS), China has emerged as a logical location to set up shop conducting medical research using the powerful tool.

With a massive, growing population of senior citizens and a scientific community that is receptive to advanced stem cell research, China could be an ideal choice for RBCCs work. Seniors are at the highest risk for devastating neurological disorders such as Parkinsons and Alzheimers, and the countrys number of senior citizens will hit 437 million by 2051.

Right now, all signs point to China as the obvious choice for both our company and our shareholders, said RBCC CEO Patrick Brown. The cheaper labor costs there, as well as a receptive market, make China a logical location to search for potential research partners that can utilize the bioassembler technology in a meaningful way.

There is certainly no space-age technology like the bioassembler available in China today, he added.

RBCC plans to pursue a license to use the bioreactor for stem cell expansion in China and other markets around the world potentially in excess of $100 billion.

Rainbow BioSciences is dedicated to developing new medical and research technology innovations to compete alongside companies such as Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN),Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (CTIC), Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) andAffymax, Inc.(NASDAQ:AFFY).

For more information on Rainbow BioSciences, please visitwww.rainbowbiosciences.com/investors.

Follow us on Twitter atwww.twitter.com/RBCCinfo.

Go here to see the original:
RBCC Looks to China for Stem Cell Research

Sustainable Tourism and Adventure Travel Leader Jim Sano Joins World Wildlife Fund

Posted on by

Washington, DC (PRWEB) October 05, 2012

Jim Sano, one of the foremost experts in adventure travel and sustainable tourism, has joined World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as Vice President of Travel, Tourism and Conservation.

Sano, the long-standing president of the San Francisco-based adventure travel company Geographic Expeditions, will work on the nexus of travel, conservation and philanthropy. He will serve as WWFs senior advisor on sustainable tourism programs, develop new opportunities for WWFs most engaged members to experience WWFs work, and bolster the organizations philanthropic initiatives.

This is a natural fit, said Mr. Sano. The most magnificent and pristine places on Earth that WWF is working to protect are also premier tourist destinations. Travelers to these locations receive great joy from their experience and are looking for a way to give back.

Sano joined Geographic Expeditions in 1988, growing it from a company of just eight employees to one with a staff of 50 and multiple accolades, including the distinction of best adventure travel company in the world in 2012.

He previously worked as a National Park Service ranger at Yosemite National Park in California. Additionally, he was the founding president of the Mono Lake Foundation, founding director of the Natural Step and the Yosemite Restoration Trust, and director of the Trust for Public Land and WWFs National Council. Sano received five National Park Service Special Achievement awards, and also led the first American men and womens expedition to Mt. Everest in Nepal. He is a frequent speaker at U.S. and international tourism conferences because of his commitment to conservation and his expertise in adventure and sustainable travel.

Jim is a rock star in the active-adventure travel field. He knows how to build adventures that show people the heart and soul of the places we cherish, and engage them in making a difference. We're grateful he's chosen to bring his talents and experiences to WWF to advance our mission, and I can't wait to work with him, said Carter Roberts, president and CEO of WWF.

WWF is working to increase the number of ecotourism programs within local communities around the world. Currently, WWF works in the Galpagos on sustainable tourism to both support conservation and improve peoples livelihoods. In Namibia, WWF helps to manage conservancies to foster a growing ecotourism program as well. In Nepal, WWF supports community-based tourism initiatives by training local people in establishing a sustainable tourism infrastructure. Furthermore, WWF offers a variety of member tours in which a portion of the trip cost goes to support WWFs global conservation efforts.

ABOUT WORLD WILDLIFE FUND WWF is the worlds leading conservation organization, working in 100 countries for nearly half a century. With the support of almost 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat climate change. Visit http://www.worldwildlife.org to learn more.

See original here:

Sustainable Tourism and Adventure Travel Leader Jim Sano Joins World Wildlife Fund

Humanity is a work in progress, constantly adding technology | Sarah Bakewell

Posted on by

Some technologies we successfully adapt now feel as natural to us as our own hands and eyes On 2 September 2010, Karen Throsby became the 1,153rd person to swim the Channel, taking 16 hours and nine minutes, and keeping herself going on handfuls of jelly babies passed down by her support team. Many Channel swimmers are purists: wetsuits are banned, never mind performance-enhancing drugs. The ...

Link:

Humanity is a work in progress, constantly adding technology | Sarah Bakewell

Super Monsters Ate My Condo highlights this week's Best of Indie Games

Posted on by

This week on "Best Of Indie Games," we take a look at some of the top independent PC Flash/downloadable titles released over this last week.

The goodies in this edition include the Flash version of Ben Pettengill's Metroidvania-styled platformer The Moonkeeper, a retro-styled, overhead-view racing game for Windows, the sequel to PikPok's delightful iOS puzzler Monsters Ate My Condo!, plus a pick from Indie Royale's latest Oktoberfest Bundle.

Here's some recent highlights from IndieGames.com:

Game Pick: 'LD24 X0ut' (X-0ut, freeware) "The winner of the fun and overall jam awards from Ludum Dare 24, X-0ut's LD24 X0ut for Windows is an epic horizontal shmup that is as demanding on computer specs as it is on player skill. Great music, a thrusting narrative and the ability to destroy companion cubes are a few highlights from X-0ut's latest jam entry."

Game Pick: 'Nikki and the Robots' (Joyride Laborotories, commercial indie) "Nikki and the Robots stars the wall-jumping, robot-controlling, cat suit-wearing Nikki, who must use her abilities to solve a wide variety of physics-based puzzles throughout each level."

Game Pick: 'Vitrum' (9heads Game Studios, commercial indie) "Vitrum puts players in control of an android that can harvest energy from colored crystals in order to flip gravity and create mid-air platforms, among other abilities. The game includes more than 45 levels, including a set of unlockable Insane stages."

Game Pick: 'Little Racers: Street' (Milkstone Studios, commercial indie) "Originally released for the Xbox Live Indie Games service back in January, Little Racers: Street includes more than 30 upgradable cars, and supports up to 12 simultaneous players across a variety of online multiplayer modes."

Game Pick: 'The Moonkeeper' (Ben Pettengill, browser) "The Moonkeeper consists of several single-screen challenges that connect to form a large explorable game world. While you're equipped only with a pea shooter at the game's outset, you'll encounter a variety of upgrades during your quest to destroy 5 mutation pods."

Game Pick: 'Snayke' (Alexander Szpakowski, commercial indie) "Alexander Szpakowski's multiplatform release Snayke takes the Snake formula and adds a puzzle twist. While traditional rules hold, players can't run into themselves and must eat the blocks, Snayke adds multiple block types: teleporters, bombs, sequentials, reversals, and more."

Game Pick: 'Super Monsters Ate My Condo!' (PikPok, commercial indie) "Super Monsters Ate My Condo! features the same mechanics as the original game, but play sessions are now limited to two minutes in length. The change makes gameplay considerably more frantic, and new additions like equippable boosts and special condo types provide plenty of new twists."

Follow this link:

Super Monsters Ate My Condo highlights this week's Best of Indie Games

Multiple miRNA Markers Associated with Angiogenesis and Tissue Injury Repair Expressed in Cytori’s Cell Therapy

Posted on by

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Cytori Therapeutics (CYTX) announced that three oral presentations related to its cell therapy are being presented today at the 10th annual International Federation for Adipose Therapeutics and Sciences meeting. The findings provide insights into the mechanisms-of-action for Cytoris cell therapy. One study identified high levels of micro-RNA (miRNA) markers in human tissue thought to play a role in the repair of tissue injury resulting from ischemia, or lack of blood flow. Two additional characterization and comparative analysis studies on human tissue reaffirmed cellular characteristics of Cytoris cell therapy and distinguished the safety, viability and cell make-up as compared to cell outputs derived from alternate approaches.

Results from all three studies have important implications for how the cells repair injured tissue and on the safety and viability of cell-based treatments derived from adipose tissue, said John Fraser, Ph.D., Chief Scientist of Cytori Therapeutics. Mechanisms identified in our miRNA analysis are consistent with our prior clinical and preclinical data, which suggest these mechanisms include angiogenesis, immune-modulation, and remodeling and wound repair. The miRNA study provides baseline data, which we can apply to our U.S. ATHENA clinical trial in refractory heart failure patients and other activities including our recently announced contract with BARDA for thermal burns.

In one study, miRNA profiles were assessed in adipose-derived stem and regenerative cells (ADRCs) derived from human tissue samples. The purpose was to determine which miRNA markers are expressed, miRNA variability from patient to patient, cellular functions of miRNA, and to establish a baseline miRNA population on healthy patients to compare against patients with a specific disease. Specifically, miRNA markers associated with angiogenesis, tissue remodeling and wound repair, and modulation of the immune response were found to be highly represented in ADRCs.

Our two additional characterization and comparative analysis studies evaluated alternate processing techniques and reaffirmed our proprietary enzyme-based process using Celution is the clear gold standard, added Dr. Fraser. If the composition of a cell population extracted from adipose tissue by an alternative process is not equivalent to Cytoris ADRC population, one cannot claim equivalence to ADRCs in terms of safety or efficacy in preclinical or clinical outcomes.

The characterization and comparative analysis studies reaffirmed the high cell yield and viability as well as the heterogeneity in Cytoris cell therapy approach. Cytoris cells are derived with a proprietary formulation of clinical grade enzymes which break up the connective tissue and which are removed at the end of the process. Cytoris cell mixture includes adipose-derived stem cells, based on the measure of colony forming units, and a high yield of CD34+ cells. By contrast, data in these studies showed that alternate approaches such as ultrasound or emulsification, contained little to no adipose-derived stem cells, a high concentration of red and white blood cells, and did not meet the key criteria for safe clinical use.

About Cytori

Cytori Therapeutics, Inc. is developing cell therapies based on autologous adipose-derived regenerative cells (ADRCs) to treat cardiovascular disease and repair soft tissue defects. Our scientific data suggest ADRCs improve blood flow, moderate the immune response and keep tissue at risk of dying alive. As a result, we believe these cells can be applied across multiple "ischemic" conditions. These therapies are made available to the physician and patient at the point-of-care by Cytori's proprietary technologies and products, including the Celution system product family. http://www.cytori.com

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements regarding events, trends and business prospects, which may affect our future operating results and financial position. Such statements including our ability to apply this data to our ATHENA study and other projects are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results and financial position to differ materially. Some of these risks and uncertainties include our history of operating losses, the need for further financing, inherent risk and uncertainty in the protection of intellectual property rights, regulatory uncertainties regarding the collection and results of, clinical data, dependence on third party performance, and other risks and uncertainties described under the "Risk Factors" in Cytori's Securities and Exchange Commission Filings, including its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. Cytori assumes no responsibility to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release to reflect events, trends or circumstances after the date of this press release.

Follow this link:

Multiple miRNA Markers Associated with Angiogenesis and Tissue Injury Repair Expressed in Cytori’s Cell Therapy

NCJW, West Morris to sponsor women's spirituality series

Posted on by

Rabbi Amy Joy Small, spiritual leader of the Reconstructionist Congregation Beth Hatikvah in Summit, will lead a two-part series on Womens Spirituality through Poetry, Story, Torah Commentary and Contemporary Writing. The series, which is sponsored by the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), West Morris Section, will be held at noon on Thursdays, Oct. 25 and Nov. 15, in the Conference Room at Morristown Jewish CenterBeit Yisrael, 177 Speedwell Ave., Morristown. (Entrance to the synagogue is through the back.)

The workshop series is being coordinated by NCJW, West Morris Section's Our Jewish World, co-chaired by Ellen Nesson and Melanie Levitan, both of Morristown.

Rabbi Smalls workshops will be an eclectic introduction to the incredible creativity of Jewish women in crafting both old and new spiritual experiences. The interactive sessions will give participants opportunities to develop their own creative ritual, which they can take with them.

The workshop leader is a fellow of Rabbis Without Borders, a rabbinic leadership program of CLAL, the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership. She is a participant in the Rabbinic Leadership Initiative of the Shalom Hartman Institute, a selective three-year fellowship program. She serves on the board of the MetroWest NJ Partnership for Jewish Learning and Life, and the MetroWest UJC board.

Rabbi Small has been a passionate advocate for Jewish education. Her publications include a chapter in A Women's Haftarah Commentary (edited by Rabbi Elyse Goldstein), and a story in the collections Three Times Chai: 54 Rabbis Tell Their Favorite Stories (edited by Laney Katz Becker) and Text Messages: A Torah Commentary for Teens (edited by Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin).

The two-part workshop on Women's Spirituality is free for NCJW, West Morris members; the fee for non-members is $6 apiece. But if a non-member pays to join NCJW, West Morris ($35 a year) in advance or at the workshop, she or he can attend the workshop(s) at no charge.

Attendees should bring a bag lunch (no meat, please). Coffee and dessert will be provided.

The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates who turn progressive ideals into action. Inspired by Jewish values, NCJW strives for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children, and families and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms.

RSVP to ellen.nesson@gmail.com.

View post:

NCJW, West Morris to sponsor women's spirituality series

Canada unveils two new space 'Canadarms'

Posted on by

The Canadian-built robotic arms built for NASA's space shuttle fleet and the International Space Station are about to get two new siblings.

Last week, the Canadian Space Agency showed off the Next-Generation Canadarm (NGC) prototypes, which were unveiled after three years of development at Canadian company MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates. The mechanical limbs are the successors to the shuttle fleet's Canadarm and station's Canadarm2, which played pivotal rolls in the station's construction for more than a decade.

The CSA and MDA plan to use this technology to position Canada for newer space business opportunities in areas such as in-orbit refueling of satellites, said Gilles Leclerc, the agency's director-general of space exploration.

"We prepared all these new systems so that we will be well-positioned for the next thing in space," Leclerc said.

Space news from NBCNews.com

The first-ever year-long mission to the International Space Station will launch in 2015 and feature an American-Russian crew, NASA revealed Friday.

However, the Canadian government's $53.1 million contribution to the arm project (as well as supporting testbeds and simulators) has only brought them to the prototype stage so far. The arms will require more money for launch configurations and a ride to orbit.

Fuelling competition One of the prototype arms spans 49 feet (15 meters), the same length as the space station's Canadarm2. But the new arm is lighter and has two sections that telescope into each other. This makes it more suitable to fold up inside the smaller spacecraft of the future. [Photos: Building the International Space Station]

The other NGC prototype arm is a miniature, at 8.5 feet long (2.58 meters). Like the station's Dextre robot, which it is modeled after, it will be able to refuel satellites, grapple tools and manipulate items such as blankets that cover satellites.

Manufacturer MDA has spent several years touting the benefits of satellite refueling, which the company says would save money since satellites could be kept aloft longer if they can receive more fuel after launch.

Link:

Canada unveils two new space 'Canadarms'

One Year In Space: US-Russian Crew Launching Audacious Spaceflight in 2015

Posted on by

The first-ever year-long mission to the International Space Station will launch in 2015 and feature an American-Russian crew, NASA revealed today (Oct. 5).

Two astronauts one Russian and one American will launch together in spring 2015 on an experimental endurance mission that will last twice as long as current stays aboard the orbiting lab. The main goal is to gather data that will help lay the groundwork for manned flights to destinations in deep space, officials said.

"In order for us to eventually move beyond low-Earth orbit, we need to better understand how humans adapt to long-term spaceflight," NASA's Michael Suffredini, International Space Station program manager, said in a statement. "The space station serves as a vital scientific resource for teaching us those lessons, and this year-long expedition aboard the complex will help us move closer to those journeys."

The announcement confirms speculation that has been bubbling for several months. Earlier this week, a Russian space official claimed the marathon mission was a done deal, but until today NASA had simply said that such a flight was under consideration. [Most Extreme Human Spaceflight Records]

Launching two astronauts means that one seat on the mission's three-person Soyuz spacecraft may be available for another crewmember. On Oct. 10, British singer Sarah Brightman will make a "groundbreaking announcement" about space travel, and some observers speculate that she or somebody else may be taking the Soyuz' third seat as a space tourist.

During the 12 years that people have lived continuously aboard the space station, scientists have learned a lot about how microgravity affects the human body. They've documented significant effects, for example, on bone density, muscle mass, strength and vision.

But that information has been based on orbital stays that lasted a maximum of six months. Studying astronauts on a year-long mission should yield even greater insights into crew health and performance, researchers said.

"We have gained new knowledge about the effects of spaceflight on the human body from the scientific research conducted on the space station, and it is the perfect time to test a one-year expedition aboard the orbital laboratory," said Julie Robinson, NASA's program scientist for the International Space Station. "What we will gain from this expedition will influence the way we structure our human research plans in the future."

NASA has a keen interest in learning how the human body holds up for long stretches in space, for the agency is currently working to send astronauts to a near-Earth asteroid by 2025 and Mars by the mid-2030s. A manned roundtrip journey to Mars could take around two years, according to some mission concepts.

Neither NASA nor the Russian Federal Space Agency, which is known as Roscosmos, has revealed who the two astronauts will be. A few months ago, however, Russia's Interfax news agency reported that the NASA crewmember could be Peggy Whitson, who recently stepped down as the agency's chief astronaut to rejoin its active spaceflying ranks.

More:

One Year In Space: US-Russian Crew Launching Audacious Spaceflight in 2015

How SpaceX's First Space Station Cargo Mission Will Work

Posted on by

SpaceX's robotic Dragon capsule is slated to blast off Sunday night (Oct. 7) on the first-ever bona fide private cargo run to the International Space Station.

In May, Dragon become the first commercial spacecraft to visit the station. But that was a demonstration flight, while Sunday's launch kicks off the first of 12 unmanned supply missions SpaceX will make for NASA under a $1.6 billion contract.

Dragon will deliver about 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms) of supplies, then return to Earth on Oct. 28 carrying more than 1,200 pounds (544 kg) of different gear down from the space station. Here's how the mission will work.

Getting into space

The Dragon capsule is set to blast off atop SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket at 8:35 p.m. EDT Sunday (0035 GMT Monday). The mission has an instantaneous launch window, so if anything causes a delay Sunday, liftoff will be pushed to another day.

At about 1 p.m. EDT Sunday (1700 GMT), Dragon and the Falcon 9 will be powered up, and fueling of the rocket will begin three and a half hours later. [SpaceX's Dragon Poised to Launch Sunday (Photos)]

The terminal countdown begins at T-minus 10 minutes and 30 seconds, at which point all launch systems will be autonomous. A final "go" for launch will come at T-minus 2 minutes and 30 seconds, NASA officials said.

Seventy seconds after liftoff, the Falcon 9 rocket will reach supersonic speed. By 2.5 minutes into the flight, it will be traveling 10 times the speed of sound, at an altitude of 56 miles (90 kilometers). At about this time, the rocket's main engines will cut off.

A few seconds later, the Falcon 9 rocket's first and second stages will separate, with the second stage soon performing a six-minute burn to take Dragon to low-Earth orbit.

Nine minutes and 49 seconds after launch, Dragon will separate from the rocket's second stage. Seconds later, the capsule will reach its preliminary orbit, at which point it will deploy its solar arrays and begin a series of thruster firings to get it close to the space station.

Read more:

How SpaceX's First Space Station Cargo Mission Will Work

SpaceX set for its first cargo run to space station

Posted on by

Cape Canaveral, Florida (Reuters) - Space Exploration Technologies, the first private company to fly to the International Space Station, is poised to launch its initial cargo mission to the orbital outpost as part of a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to deliver supplies.

Liftoff of the company's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule is scheduled for 8:35 p.m. EDT on Sunday (0035 GMT Monday) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

If successful, the company, founded and run by Internet entrepreneur Elon Musk, will restore a U.S. supply line to the station that was cut off by the retirement of the space shuttles last year.

Since then, NASA has been dependent on Russian, European and Japanese freighters to service the station, a permanently staffed research laboratory that flies about 250 miles above Earth.

In May the firm, also known as SpaceX, made a practice run to the $100 billion orbital outpost, a project of 15 countries, clearing the way for the first of 12 cargo runs.

SpaceX is one of two firms hired by NASA to deliver cargo to the station.

Its other contractor, Orbital Sciences Corp., on October 1 rolled out its first Antares rocket to a new launch pad on Wallops Island, Virginia, for an engine test-firing slated for this month or early November.

The rocket is scheduled to make its debut flight before the end of the year.

Orbital also plans a practice run to the space station, similar to what SpaceX did when its Dragon ship docked at the station. If all goes well, Orbital will be cleared to begin work on its $1.9-billion NASA contract to fly cargo to the station.

REUSABLE

Read this article:

SpaceX set for its first cargo run to space station

Private company's flight to space station Sunday

Posted on by

For SpaceX, every flight is the real deal. It's that way for any rocket company. But this time around, more than in the past, the private company contracted with NASA is flying without a safety net.

Sunday, if all goes well, at 8:30 p.m. ET, a Falcon 9 Rocket with a Dragon capsule on top will lift off from launch pad 40 at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

This will be the first of a dozen NASA-contracted flights to resupply the international space Station, at a total cost of $1.6 billion.

Symbolically, this flight is huge. In May, SpaceX carried out a successful test flight that attached a spacecraft to the international space station, making it the first company to do so. But if something had gone wrong, another test flight would have been put in place. Now, there's no alternative.

On this flight, the Dragon capsule is filled with 1,000 pounds of cargo, everything from low-sodium food kits to clothing and computer hard drives.

Much of Dragon's cargo is material to support extensive experimentation aboard the space station. One deals with plant growth. Plants here on earth use about 50% of their energy for support to overcome gravity. Researchers want to understand how the genes that control that process would operate in microgravity -- when objects are in free-fall in space. Down the road, that could benefit food supplies here on the planet.

The spacecraft is also carrying nearly two dozen microgravity experiments designed and being flown through the Student Experiment Spaceflight Program. More than 100 students and teachers and family members will be at Cape Canaveral for the launch.

SpaceX is not the only commercial company in the spacefaring business. Within the next few months, Orbital Sciences is expected to fly its own demonstration flight to the space station. But Orbital is not using Cape Canaveral as its launch site. The company's rocket will take off from Wallops Island of the coast of Virginia. Orbital has a nearly $2 billion contract with NASA for station resupply missions.

Of course, SpaceX founder Elon Musk is looking well beyond just these cargo flights to the Station. SpaceX is one of three companies -- Boeing and Sierra Nevada are the other two -- NASA has selected to continue work developing a human rated spacecraft that would carry astronauts to the International Space Station. The SpaceX plan is to modify the Dragon capsule to carry people.

Musk said in a previous interview with CNN, "We believe firmly we can send astronauts to the space station within three years of receiving a NASA contract." Right now, the United States must rely on Russia to get astronauts to the station at a cost of about $60 million a seat. Musk believes he can get the job done for a seat price of about $20 million.

Read this article:

Private company's flight to space station Sunday

Private Dragon Spacecraft 'Go' to Launch Toward Space Station Sunday

Posted on by

A private Dragon space capsule is poised for a weekend launch to the International Space Station with the first big cargo shipment ever aboard an unmanned American spacecraft.

The gumdrop-shaped Dragon spacecraft, built by the commercial spaceflight company SpaceX, will blast off on Sunday (Oct. 7) from a launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Liftoff is set for 8:35 p.m. EDT (0035 Monday GMT), with a planned arrival at the station set for on Wednesday (Oct. 10).

SpaceX and NASA mission managers met Friday to review the preparations for the Dragon flight atop its Falcon 9 rocket, ultimately giving the mission a final "go" for launch. There is a 60 percent chance of good weather for launch.

"It's going to be a very exciting night on Sunday," SpaceX founder Elon Musk said during a Google+ hangout event with NASA chief Charles Bolden today ahead of the review. "I always get kind of nervous before these flights, thinking, like 'What have we missed?'" [SpaceX's Dragon Poised to Sunday Launch (Photos)]

Musk said he and his SpaceX team have done their best to ensure a successful launch Sunday, and while there is always the chance of something going wrong, "I feel like we've done everything we can to make the mission as successful as possible, and I hope people enjoy watching it."

Private delivery for space station

The Dragon mission, the first official cargo run by a private American-built spacecraft, is a watershed flight for NASA and SpaceX. The Hawthorne, Calif.-based company has a $1.6 billion deal with NASA for at least 12 resupply missions to the space station using its robotic Dragon capsules and their Falcon 9 rocket boosters.

The deal is part of NASA's Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program. With the retirement of NASA's space shuttle fleet last year, the space agency is depending on the availability of new private space taxis to provide unmanned cargo deliveries to the station, as well as ferry American astronauts to and from low-Earth orbit.

Another U.S. company, the Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corp., has a $1.9 billion agreement to fly at least eight resupply missions to the station using its own Antares rockets and Cygnus spacecraft, and plans to launch a rocket test flight later this year. But SpaceX is the first of the two firms to actually launch vehicles to the International Space Station.

In May, SpaceX (short for Space Exploration Technologies) launched a different Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket on a test flight to the station. That mission demonstrated SpaceX's ability to launch Dragon to the station, have it rendezvous with the orbiting lab safely, and then be captured for docking using a robotic arm controlled by astronauts inside the outpost. [SpaceX's 1st Dragon Flight to Space Station (Video)]

Visit link:

Private Dragon Spacecraft 'Go' to Launch Toward Space Station Sunday

Private Dragon Spacecraft 'Go' to Launch Space Station Cargo Sunday

Posted on by

A private Dragon space capsule is poised for a weekend launch to the International Space Station with the first big cargo shipment ever aboard an unmanned American spacecraft.

The gumdrop-shaped Dragon spacecraft, built by the commercial spaceflight company SpaceX, will blast off on Sunday (Oct. 7) from a launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Liftoff is set for 8:35 p.m. EDT (0035 Monday GMT), with a planned arrival at the station set for on Wednesday (Oct. 10).

SpaceX and NASA mission managers met Friday to review the preparations for the Dragon flight atop its Falcon 9 rocket, ultimately giving the mission a final "go" for launch. There is a 60 percent chance of good weather for launch.

"It's going to be a very exciting night on Sunday," SpaceX founder Elon Musk said during a Google+ hangout event with NASA chief Charles Bolden today ahead of the review. "I always get kind of nervous before these flights, thinking, like 'What have we missed?'" [SpaceX's Dragon Poised to Sunday Launch (Photos)]

Musk said he and his SpaceX team have done their best to ensure a successful launch Sunday, and while there is always the chance of something going wrong, "I feel like we've done everything we can to make the mission as successful as possible, and I hope people enjoy watching it."

Private delivery for space station

The Dragon mission, the first official cargo run by a private American-built spacecraft, is a watershed flight for NASA and SpaceX. The Hawthorne, Calif.-based company has a $1.6 billion deal with NASA for at least 12 resupply missions to the space station using its robotic Dragon capsules and their Falcon 9 rocket boosters.

The deal is part of NASA's Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program. With the retirement of NASA's space shuttle fleet last year, the space agency is depending on the availability of new private space taxis to provide unmanned cargo deliveries to the station, as well as ferry American astronauts to and from low-Earth orbit.

Another U.S. company, the Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corp., has a $1.9 billion agreement to fly at least eight resupply missions to the station using its own Antares rockets and Cygnus spacecraft, and plans to launch a rocket test flight later this year. But SpaceX is the first of the two firms to actually launch vehicles to the International Space Station.

In May, SpaceX (short for Space Exploration Technologies) launched a different Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket on a test flight to the station. That mission demonstrated SpaceX's ability to launch Dragon to the station, have it rendezvous with the orbiting lab safely, and then be captured for docking using a robotic arm controlled by astronauts inside the outpost. [SpaceX's 1st Dragon Flight to Space Station (Video)]

See the article here:

Private Dragon Spacecraft 'Go' to Launch Space Station Cargo Sunday

SpaceX ready to resupply space station

Posted on by

Hawthorne-based rocket maker SpaceX is poised to return to the International Space Station with its Dragon spacecraft to carry out the first contracted cargo resupply flight in NASA's history.

SpaceX performed a successful demonstration mission to the space station in May, showing NASA that the company could do the job. SpaceX has secured a $1.6-billion contract to carry out 12 such cargo missions, and Sunday's mission would be the first.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is set to blast off at 8:34 p.m. EDT Sunday from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral, Fla., carrying the Dragon capsule packed with 1,000 pounds of food, water and supplies.

"I'm still quite nervous about it because it's just our second mission to the station," Elon Musk, SpaceX's 41-year-old billionaire founder and chief executive said. "We're hoping that this mission goes as smoothly as the last one."

With last year's retirement of the space shuttle fleet, NASA is eager to give private industry the job of carrying cargo and crews, in hopes of cutting costs. Meanwhile, the space agency will focus on deep-space missions to land probes on asteroids and Mars.

Another aerospace firm, Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va., is nipping at SpaceX's heels with a test flight of its commercial rocket set for later this year. Orbital has a $1.9-billion cargo-hauling contract with NASA. The company is running tests on its Antares rocket at a launch pad at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia for a separate resupply mission.

Critics, including some former astronauts and members of Congress, have voiced concerns about NASA's move toward private space missions. They contend that private space companies are risky ventures with unproven technology and say that the missions should be handled by NASA flight-proven hardware.

But SpaceX, formally known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp., has quieted many opponents after its successful demonstration mission, though it still faces opposition.

"A SpaceX failure back then, or indeed a slip-up on the next launch, would give ammunition to congressional critics, who in many cases are trying to bring home the bacon for their own constituents," said Tim Farrar, president of the consulting and research firm Telecom, Media & Finance Associates Inc. in Menlo Park, Calif. "Continued success on SpaceX's part makes it much harder to argue for continuing to invest in traditional contracts."

During that nine-day demonstration, the Dragon spacecraft rendezvoused with the $100-billion space station and tested sensors and processors by linking up with the orbiting outpost's onboard computers.

Read the original post:

SpaceX ready to resupply space station

Vettel heads Red Bull 1-2 in FP3

Posted on by

Vettel heads Red Bull 1-2 in FP3

06/10/2012

Ahead of the final free practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix, the air temperature is 24 degrees C, while the track temperature is 35 degrees. It is bright and sunny but there remains a strong breeze.

Mark Webber was quickest in yesterday's second session when the soft (option) tyres finally made an appearance, with Jenson Button leading a McLaren 1-2 in the opening session.

Nico Rosberg suffered a problem which necessitated an engine change ahead of the second session, while there were crashes for Paul di Resta and Michael Schumacher who both went into the barriers at Spoon.

As ever, Fernando Alonso was up there, despite the failings of Ferrari's windtunnel, as were Sebastian Vettel, Romain Grosjean and Bruno Senna.

The resurfacing of the majority of the track has caught a number of drivers out, with lock-ups, tyre blistering and excursions aplenty.

There was also a very scary moment for Petrov when his rear wing fell from his car going into Turn 1, had it happened at 130R one would want to think of the possible consequences.

When the lights go green, Raikkonen is ready and waiting at the end of the pitlane, followed by Kovalainen, Grosjean, Vergne, di Resta, Pic, Karthikeyan and Ricciardo. Webber is among the early risers.

Within a couple of minutes all but Schumacher have been out, only Rosberg staying out for a second lap. Indeed, the German carries on to post the first time of the day (1:35.169) before being joined by his teammate.

See the original post:

Vettel heads Red Bull 1-2 in FP3