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Category Archives: NASA

NASA bets on private companies to exploit moon's resources

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WASHINGTON: NASA -- building on successful partnerships with private companies to resupply the International Space Station -- is now looking to private entrepreneurs to help exploit resources on the moon.

In its latest initiative, unveiled in late January, the US space agency is proposing private companies take advantage of NASA's extensive know-how, its engineers and access to its installations to help design and build lunar robots.

But unlike NASA's contracts with SpaceX and Orbital Sciences to deliver cargo to the ISS, the moon proposal -- dubbed CATALYST (Cargo Transportation and Landing by Soft Touchdown) -- would get no US government economic help.

Recent missions in the moon's orbit have revealed evidence of water and other interesting substances on the moon, explained Jason Crusan, director of NASA's advanced exploration systems.

"But to understand the extent and accessibility of these resources, we need to reach the surface and explore up close."

"Commercial lunar landing capabilities could help prospect for and utilize these resources," permitting both commercial and research activities, he said.

"As NASA pursues an ambitious plan for humans to explore an asteroid and Mars, US industry will create opportunities for NASA to advance new technologies on the moon," Greg Williams, a top NASA official, added.

In 2013, NASA reached an agreement with Bigelow Aerospace to develop commercial sector involvement with the space agency, especially focused on plans to build a lunar base.

Founded by US billionaire Robert Bigelow, the company offers inflatable space modules.

These partnerships work "very well in lower orbit," said Bigelow's Michael Gold, referring to the re-supply contracts at the International Space Station.

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NASA bets on private companies to exploit moon's resources

NASA Retired Its F-104 20 Years Ago

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February 8, 2014

Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

Twenty years ago, NASAs F-104 jet made its final flight over the space agencys Dryden Flight Research Center.

During that flight, NASA research pilot Tom McMurtry took the F-104 from the Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards Air Force Base, which Dryden shares.

At the last moment, he switched on the fuel flow to the afterburner and a vapor trail of fuel streamed out behind the screaming jet. A second or two later, the burner lit, leaving a tongue of flame as the sleek jet roared over the center in its final flyover salute and pulled up and away, NASA said in a statement about the flight.

The jet was one of three F-104G aircraft obtained by NASA from the German Luftwaffe in 1975. The final flight of NASA 826 was number 1,415, and afterwards it was retired and placed on display outside the center, where it remains today.

McMurtrys final flight was preceded by a high-altitude pass at supersonic speed with a sonic boom followed by a low-level flyby at 275 knots.

The sky cleared up just in time for F-104 826s last flight, reads the anonymous entry in NASA Drydens Flight Operations log for the date, according to the space agency. Tom put on a beautiful show with a high, supersonic flyover, and two low, high-speed passes over Bldg. 4800.

Two of NASAs F-104s were lost in crashes, including one incident that cost the life of the centers chief pilot, Joseph Walker. NASA 826 was used for a wide range of research activities, including tests of the Space Shuttles Thermal Protection System tiles.

NASA ended up retiring its F-104 because of the difficulty it had maintaining and obtaining parts for the aircraft. The space agency made the decision to retire the vehicle and replace it with a more maneuverable F-18.

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NASA Retired Its F-104 20 Years Ago

David O. Russell: If NASA Gets ‘Pristine Images From Mars,’ Why Can’t My Monitor? – Video

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David O. Russell: If NASA Gets #39;Pristine Images From Mars, #39; Why Can #39;t My Monitor?
The Oscar-nominated director jokes about his frustrations over using monitors on set, saying he instead chooses to stand next to a steady camera. "Half the t...

By: The Hollywood Reporter

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David O. Russell: If NASA Gets 'Pristine Images From Mars,' Why Can't My Monitor? - Video

NASA spies Earth from Mars

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Carl Sagan once referred to the Earth as "where we make our stand."

And when seen by NASA's Mars rover Curiosity spacecraft across the vast expanse of space, that pale, blue dot he described suddenly makes sense. It's home -- but just one tiny speck barely visible in the infinite reach of space.

One very important speck, that is:

Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there -- on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. From Carl Sagan's "Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space."

From the surface of the Red Planet, NASA's rover took a few minutes off from its science mission to gaze back at our planet, capturing a twinkling Earth spinning slowly in the sky.

The view of the twilight sky and Martian horizon shows Earth as the brightest point of light in the night sky -- the planet is a little left of center in the image, and just beneath it, almost invisible in the picture, our moon.

A human observer with normal vision, if standing on Mars, could easily see Earth and the moon as two distinct, bright evening stars, NASA said.

Not everyone was pleased with the view, however; a very sad Tweet from the parody Twitter account @SarcasticRover puts a different spin on the image:

In July 2013, NASA's Cassini craft took a similar image of Earth from over 900 million miles away, as the spacecraft spun around the planet. Researchers called it "the day the Earth smiled," because NASA asked Earthlings to smile and wave back at the spacecraft, knowing the exact moment the picture would be taken.

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NASA spies Earth from Mars

NASA Media Accreditation Open for Next SpaceX Station Resupply Mission Launch

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Media accreditation is open for the launch of NASA's next commercial cargo resupply flight to the International Space Station.

Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) will launch its Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket at about 4:41 a.m. EDT Sunday, March 16 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida.

This will be the company's third commercial resupply mission to the space station, which will deliver several tons of supplies, including new science experiments and technology research.

Prelaunch and launch activities for media will take place at CCAFS and nearby at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. International media without U.S. citizenship must apply for credentials to cover the prelaunch and launch activities by noon Thursday, Feb. 13, in order to gain access to CCAFS for the launch. Accreditation is open until Thursday, Feb. 27, for international media without U.S. citizenship who do not need access to CCAFS. The deadline for U.S. media to apply for credentials is 4 p.m. Monday, March 10.

All media accreditation requests need to be submitted online at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

NASA also is inviting 50 social media users to apply for credentials for the launch. Social media users selected to attend will be given the same access as journalists. All social media accreditation applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Registration for social media accreditation is open online. Social media users with U.S. citizenship must apply for credentials by 3 p.m. EST Wednesday, Feb. 19, to qualify. For more information about NASA social media accreditation requirements and to register, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/social

International journalists must submit a scanned copy of their "I" visa and passport. Green card holders must submit a scanned copy of their card. They must send their scanned documents to Jennifer Horner atjennifer.p.horner@nasa.govfor credential request processing.

All media representatives must present two forms of legal, government identification to access Kennedy Space Center. One form must be a photo ID, such as a passport or driver's license. Questions about accreditation should be directed to Jennifer Horner atjennifer.p.horner@nasa.gov, 321-867-6598 or 321-867-2468.

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NASA Media Accreditation Open for Next SpaceX Station Resupply Mission Launch

NASA Technology to Help Develop Noninvasive Medical Treatments

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NASA has signed two patent license agreements with GRoK Technologies LLC of Houston to help develop novel biotechnology approaches that could have multiple applications in space and on Earth. The agreements are the results of the agency's Technology Transfer Program, which helps opens up NASA's research and technology to the public for use and development.

The agreements grant rights for four patented technologies invented by NASA and GRoK scientists. NASA is interested in the potential these technologies present for regenerating bone and muscle. During long spaceflights, astronauts are susceptible to developing osteopenia, which is a condition arising from the loss of bone and muscle mass and bone density. The patented technologies could help GRoK develop breakthrough products for the research and medical communities and advance our overall understanding of biomedicine.

"Biotechnology research taking place on the International Space Station and at NASA centers around the country continues to push the leading edge of science," said Yolanda Marshall, director of the Strategic Opportunities and Partnership Development Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "This partnership will further enhance NASA's ability to share the unique breakthroughs made in space-based research."

GRoK will be able to use these patented methods on two platform technologies the company is developing.

The first platform, called BioReplicates, will allow users to create 3-D human tissue models that can be used to test cosmetics, drugs and other products for safety, efficacy and toxicity with greater accuracy, reliability and cost-efficiency. Additionally, using such models may reduce the industry's reliance on animal testing.

The second platform, called Scionic, could lead to the development of medical devices designed to target musculoskeletal pain and inflammation in humans and animals noninvasively and without the use of pharmaceuticals.

"The GRoK team is delighted we are now a NASA licensee with the opportunity to bring forward into the commercial sector technologies that have the capacity to improve the lives of people everywhere," said Moshe Kushman, GRoK's founder and CEO. "It's not just science fiction anymore. All indications are that 21st century life sciences will change dramatically during the next several decades, and GRoK is working to define the forefront of a new scientific wave."

NASAs Technology Transfer Program ensures that technologies developed for missions in exploration and discovery are broadly available to the public, maximizing the benefit to the nation. Making NASA technologies available promotes commercial activity, encourages economic growth, and stimulates innovation in business and commerce.

For information about NASA's Technology Transfer Program, visit:

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NASA Technology to Help Develop Noninvasive Medical Treatments

NASA Announces Fifth Round of CubeSat Space Mission Candidates

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NASA has selected 16 small satellites from nine states to fly as auxiliary payloads aboard rockets planned to launch in 2015, 2016 and 2017. The proposed CubeSats come from universities across the country, a primary school, non-profit organizations and NASA field centers.

CubeSats are a class of research spacecraft called nanosatellites. The cube-shaped satellites measure about 4 inches on each side, have a volume of about 1 quart and weigh less than 3 pounds.

The selections are from the fifth round of the agency's CubeSat Launch Initiative. After launch, the satellites will conduct technology demonstration, educational research or science missions. The selected spacecraft are eligible for launch after final negotiations, depending on the availability of a flight opportunity. The organizations sponsoring satellites are:

-- Boston University, Boston -- Brown University, Providence, R.I. -- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla. -- Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md. -- Lincoln Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lexington, Mass. -- Marquette University, Milwaukee -- NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. -- NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. -- New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, N.M. -- St. Thomas More Cathedral School, Arlington, Va. -- The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, Calif. -- University of California, Los Angeles -- University of Florida, Gainesville -- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor -- Utah State University, Logan (2 CubeSats)

In the previous four rounds of the CubeSat Launch Initiative, 99 CubeSats from 28 states were selected. To date, 27 CubeSats have launched through the initiative as part of the agency's Launch Services Program's Educational Launch of Nanosatellite Program. This year, four separate launches will carry 17 CubeSats.

For additional information on NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative, visit:

http://go.nasa.gov/CubeSat_initiative

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

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NASA Announces Fifth Round of CubeSat Space Mission Candidates

NASA's Student Launch Challenge Looking For Next Generation Of Engineers

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February 6, 2014

Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

Students from several universities are taking part in a NASA event by designing and launching innovative rockets.

NASA said its Student Launch Challenge will include 26 colleges and universities from 16 states and Puerto Rico. The event, being held May 15 17 at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Tooele County, Utah, is another way the space agency is gearing up the next generation of engineers.

This new engineering competition ties participating students work to NASAs pursuit of new, more demanding missions, William Gerstenmaier, NASAs associate administrator for human exploration and operations, said in a statement. Giving these students exposure to building and launching model rockets to 20,000 feet allows them to recognize the challenges in pushing new limits.

During the challenge, student teams will be asked to go through rigorous launch readiness reviews before launching their rockets. NASA said the challenge was inspired by the space agencys mission to build, test and fly the new Space Launch System, which is the agencys next flagship rocket.

Students will be required to build their vehicles with a parachute-based recovery system and provide three payloads capable of delivering data that could help shape future NASA missions. One mandatory payload for all students to equip their rockets with is a landing hazard detection system, which will include a camera and customized software to transmit real-time information about surface conditions.

Teams will be able to select the other two payload systems on the rocket from a list of options that support NASA spacecraft development strategies. Some of these payloads include studying how liquids move in microgravity and studying the environmental effects of supersonic flight on vehicle paints and coatings.

The students will be required to predict the maximum flight altitude of their vehicle based on the research needs of their payloads. According to the rules, no rockets are allowed to fly higher than 20,000 feet. The team that comes closest to this altitude without breaching the threshold will receive the altitude award. Last year, students were asked to keep their rockets below 5,280 feet, or 1 mile.

NASA will be judging teams on a successful launch and payload development, as well as thoroughness of supporting documentation. The winning team will receive a $5,000 prize, which is being offered by ATK Aerospace Group of Promontory, Utah.

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NASA's Student Launch Challenge Looking For Next Generation Of Engineers

NASA Boards the 3-D-Manufacturing Train

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Given NASA's unique needs for highly customized spacecraft and instrument components, additive manufacturing, or "3-D printing," offers a compelling alternative to more traditional manufacturing approaches.

image: This battery case, created with a material called Polyetherketoneketone, is the first 3-D-printed component Goddard has flown. Developed under a university-industry partnership, the part was demonstrated during a sounding-rocket mission testing a thermal-control device developed with R&D funding Image Credit: NASA

"We're not driving the additive manufacturing train, industry is," said Ted Swanson, the assistant chief for technology for the Mechanical Systems Division at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Swanson is the center's point-of-contact for additive manufacturing. "But NASA has the ability to get on-board to leverage it for our unique needs."

Led by NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, the agency has launched a number of formal programs to prototype new tools for current and future missions using this emerging manufacturing technique. Additive manufacturing involves computer-aided device, or CAD, models and sophisticated printers that literally deposit successive layers of metal, plastic or some other material until they are complete.

In addition to the U.S. Air Force, DOE, NIST and NSF, NASA is part of the government team investing in, America Makes, formerly known as the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, a public-private partnership created to transition this exciting technology into mainstream U.S. manufacturing.

America Makes is part of the National Manufacturing Initiative, a forward-leaning effort that recognizes our economy requires an advanced, globally competitive manufacturing sector that invents and makes high-value-added products and leading-edge technologies here in the U.S.

"NASA's work with additive manufacturing should enable us to be smart buyers and help us save time, expense, and mass," said LaNetra Tate, the advanced-manufacturing principal investigator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate's Game Changing Development Program. "With additive manufacturing, we have an opportunity to push the envelope on how this technology might be used in zero gravity how we might ultimately manufacture in space."As a result of these efforts and others sponsored around the agency, teams of NASA engineers and scientists are investigating how their instruments and missions might benefit from an industry that actually began more than two decades ago, with the introduction of the world's first 3-D system.

"This effort really goes beyond one center," said Matt Showalter, who is overseeing Goddard's disparate 3-D printing efforts. Showalter believes Goddard technologists and scientists will benefit most from collaborations with others also investigating the technology's benefits. "It's in the national interest to collaborate with other institutions. This is a powerful tool and we need to look at how we can implement it. For us, it's a team effort."

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NASA Boards the 3-D-Manufacturing Train


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