Amelia ES Gym Closed Due To Mold Amelia ES Gym Closed Due To Mold

Updated: Wednesday, September 5 2012 7:19 AM EDT2012-09-05 11:19:19 GMT

Updated: Wednesday, September 5 2012 7:11 AM EDT2012-09-05 11:11:16 GMT

Updated: Wednesday, September 5 2012 7:05 AM EDT2012-09-05 11:05:25 GMT

Updated: Wednesday, September 5 2012 6:50 AM EDT2012-09-05 10:50:00 GMT

WALLOPS ISLAND, VA. (AP) - NASA is planning a test flight of a suborbital sounding rocket from its Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore.

The space agency says the test flight was set for Wednesday morning, but was postponed until Thursday morning to allow additional testing of the payload.

It will be the first flight of the Talos-Terrier-Oriole launch vehicle meant to support high-altitude space science research.

Officials say the three-stage vehicle is expected to lift its 1,664-pound payload to about 175 miles above Earth. The payload is expected to land in the Atlantic Ocean about 300 miles off Wallops Island after a 10 minute flight. The payload will not be recovered.

The launch may be visible to observers on parts of the Eastern Shore of Virginia, Maryland, and southern Delaware.

See more here:

NASA To Launch Sounding Rocket From Virginia

NASA engineers are delaying a second engine firing in its Jupiter-bound spacecraft in order to check out the propulsion system. The craft, Juno, is on a mission tomap Jupiter's magnetic and gravity fields.

NASA says it has postponed a maneuver planned for the Jupiter-bound spacecraft Juno.

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The decision comes a week after Juno successfully fired its main engine. The second engine firing was slated for Tuesday but was delayed to Sept. 14.

After the last maneuver, engineers noticed higher-than-expected pressure in the propulsion system and wanted time to check it out.

The back-to-back burns are needed to put the spacecraft on course to fly by Earth next year and use the planet's gravity to accelerate to the outer solar system.

The space agency says the delay will not affect Juno's arrival atJupiter, scheduled for 2016.

Juno was launched last year. It's on a mission to peer throughJupiter'scloud cover and map its magnetic and gravity fields.

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Why did NASA delay its Jupiter-bound craft's maneuver?

NASA Captures Epic CME Eruption

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NASA Captures Epic Eruption From Surface of Sun [PICS]

WASHINGTON -- NASA is expanding its offer to museums and schools of space shuttle heat shield tiles and food packaged for spaceflight. Beginning Tuesday, museums across the United States will be eligible to receive these pieces of space history, in addition to the schools and universities that have received them since the end of the Space Shuttle Program.

Providing space shuttle thermal protection tiles and dehydrated astronaut food to museums is a way for NASA to share technology and history with the public. This initiative helps NASA inspire the next generation of space explorers, scientists and engineers.

The lightweight tiles protected the shuttles from extreme temperatures when they re-entered Earth's atmosphere. The astronaut food was precooked or processed so it required no refrigeration and was ready to eat. It could be prepared simply by adding water or by heating.

Requests for these artifacts are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Museums must obtain a user ID and password from their state agency for surplus property. Eligible educational institutions need their National Center for Education Statistics or Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System numbers assigned by the U.S. Department of Education to apply for this offer. Schools and museums can obtain additional information, register for a login ID, and request a tile or food at: http://gsaxcess.gov/NASAWel.htm

Tiles are available in three types: black-coated, white-coated and uncoated. Institutions may request up to three tiles, one of each type, while supplies last. Schools and museums are responsible for a $23.40 shipping and handling fee per tile, which is payable to the shipping company through a secure website. Space food is offered as a package of approximately three space food items for a shipping and handling fee of $28.03. Institutions may request only one package of space food.

NASA also is offering artifacts representing significant human spaceflight technologies, processes and accomplishments from its space exploration programs. Artifacts include 11 Fastrac engine nozzles used on X-34 aircraft; models of aircraft fuselages tested at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va.; early space shuttle prototype models; Ranger, Telestar, Explorer XII, Mariner VII, Nimbus and other spacecraft models; X3 solar mirrors; and various space shuttle components.

For additional information about thermal tiles, space food and other NASA artifacts, available to museums and libraries, visit: http://artifacts.nasa.gov/

For NASA Tiles for Teachers lesson plans, visit: http://artifacts.nasa.gov/shuttle_tiles_teachers.htm

Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.

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NASA Is Expanding Offer For Space Shuttle Tiles And Food

Dr. David Morrison is well-educated, smart, and was an astronomer at the University of Hawaii for 17 years before heading to NASA in 1988. For the past four years, as The Awl's Dan Duray reports, Morrison's day job has involved answering over 5,000 e-mails from concerned earthlings regarding doomsday and the fictional planet of Nibiru. ...

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NASA Can Explain Why the World Won't End, Still Mystified by Internet Commenters

Synopsis - Aug 31, 2012

General Information

Solicitation Number: NNX12SBIR-STTR-GENERAL Posted Date: Aug 31, 2012 FedBizOpps Posted Date: Aug 31, 2012 Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No Original Response Date: Nov 29, 2012 Current Response Date: Nov 29, 2012 Classification Code: A -- Research and Development NAICS Code: 541712 Set-Aside Code: Total Small Business

Contracting Office Address

NASA Shared Services Center Procurement Division Building 1111 Stennis Space Center, MS 39529-6000

Description

NASA plans to issue a solicitation/Request for Proposal (RFP) under the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs. SBIR and STTR opportunities are solicited annually pursuant to the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982, P.L. 97-219 (codified at 15 U.S.C. 638) as amended by the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, Extension, P.L. 99-443 which extended the program through September 30, 1993. On October 28, 1992, through the Small Business Innovation Research and Development Act of 1992 (P.L. 102-564), Congress reauthorized and extended the SBIR Program for another seven years (2000). Subsequently, on December 21, 2000, through the Small Business Reauthorization Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-554) Congress again reauthorized the SBIR Program. With the approval of H.R. 2608, Continuing Appropriations Act 2012, the SBIR Program was authorized through December 31, 2011. On December 31, 2011, the President signed into law the National Defense Reauthorization Act of 2012 (Defense Reauthorization Act), P. L. 112-81, Section 5001, Division E of the Defense Reauthorization Act contains the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011 (SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act)), which extends both the SBIR and STTR programs through September 30, 2017. The both Programs are designed to provide small businesses with opportunities to compete for federal research and development awards and to stimulate the commercialization of the resulting technology. Eligible small businesses along with nonprofit research institutions as a partner are invited to submit proposals in response to the NASA 2012 solicitation.

The NASA 2012 technical topics and subtopics support the NASA Mission Directorates of Human Exploration and Operations, Aeronautics Research, and Science. It is anticipated that the NASA 2012 solicitation will identify specific product areas within each subtopic that NASA wishes to emphasize. To participate in the NASA SBIR/STTR programs, firms must have Internet access and an e-mail address. Details can be found on the NASA SBIR/STTR Home Page at http://sbir.nasa.gov/ .

Note that the NASA 2012 solicitation will be issued as a concurrent document together with the NASA 2012 SBIR solicitation. While the solicitation documents are combined, the review, selection and award processes will be conducted separately for each program. Proposals must be submitted as either an SBIR or an STTR proposal and will only be considered for award under one program. NASA will issue the combined SBIR/STTR solicitation around noon Eastern Time on September 17th, 2012. Distribution will be by the Internet as described below. Paper copies of the solicitation will not be distributed. Instructions for electronic access to the solicitation are as follows: the solicitation and other program information will be accessible on the NASA SBIR/STTR home page which can be viewed at http://sbir.nasa.gov/ . Those requesting the solicitation are strongly encouraged to download it from the NASA Home Page as described above.

However, if that is not possible, potential offerors may contact the NASA SBIR/STTR Support Office for assistance by calling (301)937-0888. Questions regarding electronic access and other administrative matters should be referred to (301)937-0888. Detailed instructions for proposal development and submission are clearly stated in the solicitation. Phase I proposals are due November 29th, 2012, 5:00 pm Eastern time and will be required to be submitted electronically as described in the solicitation instructions. The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. See Note26. This procurement is a total small business set-aside. See Note 1. The NAICS Code and Size Standard are 541712, 541711 and 500 employees, respectively. All responsible sources may submit an offer which shall be considered by the agency. The anticipated release date of the Solicitation is on or about September 17th, 2012 with an anticipated offer due date of on or about November 29th, 2012. It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor the Internet site for the release of the solicitation and amendments (if any).

Read the original:

NASA SBIR-STTR General Solicitation: Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs

Synopsis - Aug 31, 2012

General Information

Solicitation Number: NNX12SBIR-Select Posted Date: Aug 31, 2012 FedBizOpps Posted Date: Aug 31, 2012 Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No Original Response Date: Nov 29, 2012 Current Response Date: Nov 29, 2012 Classification Code: A -- Research and Development NAICS Code: 541712 Set-Aside Code: Total Small Business

Contracting Office Address

NASA Shared Services Center Procurement Division Building 1111 Stennis Space Center, MS 39529-6000

Description

NASA plans to issue a solicitation/Request for Proposal (RFP) under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) is solicited annually pursuant to the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982, P.L. 97-219 (codified at 15 U.S.C. 638) as amended by the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, Extension, P.L. 99-443 which extended the program through September 30, 1993. On October 28, 1992, through the Small Business Innovation Research and Development Act of 1992 (P.L. 102-564), Congress reauthorized and extended the SBIR Program for another seven years (2000). Subsequently, on December 21, 2000, through the Small Business Reauthorization Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-554) Congress again reauthorized the SBIR Program. With the approval of H.R. 2608, Continuing Appropriations Act 2012, the SBIR Program was authorized through December 31, 2011. On December 31, 2011, the President signed into law the National Defense Reauthorization Act of 2012 (Defense Reauthorization Act), P. L. 112-81, Section 5001, Division E of the Defense Reauthorization Act contains the SBIR Reauthorization Act of 2011 (SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act)), which extends both the SBIR program through September 30, 2017.

The SBIR program is designed to provide small businesses with opportunities to compete for federal research and development awards and to stimulate the commercialization of the resulting technology. Eligible small businesses along with nonprofit research institutions as a partner are invited to submit proposals in response to the NASA 2012 solicitation. It is anticipated that SBIR Select Phase I proposals will be selected for negotiation of firm-fixed-price contracts around the February 2013 timeframe. This is the first year that the NASA SBIR Program is offering a solicitation for Select Topics; therefore, the Program cannot anticipate how many proposals may be received and possibly selected for negotiations. However, the NASA SBIR Program does not anticipate making more than 20 Phase I awards in response to this solicitation. Further, the NASA SBIR program does not anticipate making more than 12 Phase II awards following any Phase I awards made in response to this solicitation. The NASA 2012 technical topics and subtopics support the NASA Mission Directorates of Human Exploration and Operations, Aeronautics Research, and Science. It is anticipated that the NASA 2012 solicitation will identify specific product areas within each subtopic that NASA wishes to emphasize. To participate in the NASA SBIR/STTR programs, firms must have Internet access and an e-mail address. Details can be found on the NASA SBIR/STTR Home Page at http://sbir.nasa.gov/ .

Note that the NASA 2012 solicitation will be issued as a concurrent document together with the NASA 2012 SBIR solicitation. While the solicitation documents are combined, the review, selection and award processes will be conducted separately for each program. Proposals must be submitted as either an SBIR proposal and will only be considered for award under that program. NASA will issue the solicitation around noon Eastern Time on September 17th, 2012. Distribution will be by the Internet as described below. Paper copies of the solicitation will not be distributed. Instructions for electronic access to the solicitation are as follows: the solicitation and other program information will be accessible on the NASA SBIR/STTR home page which can be viewed at http://sbir.nasa.gov/ .

Those requesting the solicitation are strongly encouraged to download it from the NASA Home Page as described above. However, if that is not possible, potential offerors may contact the NASA SBIR/STTR Support Office for assistance by calling (301)937-0888. Questions regarding electronic access and other administrative matters should be referred to (301)937-0888. Detailed instructions for proposal development and submission are clearly stated in the solicitation. Phase I Select proposals are due November 29th, 2012, 5:00 pm Eastern time and will be required to be submitted electronically as described in the solicitation instructions. The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. See Note26. This procurement is a total small business set-aside. See Note 1. The NAICS Code and Size Standard are 541712, 541711 and 500 employees, respectively. All responsible sources may submit an offer which shall be considered by the agency. The anticipated release date of the Solicitation is on or about September 17th, 2012 with an anticipated offer due date of on or about November 29th, 2012. It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor the Internet site for the release of the solicitation and amendments (if any).

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NASA SBIR-STTR General Solicitation: NNX12SBIR-SELECT

Photograph courtesy SNC Space Systems

Competing spacecraft designs must pass safety and reliability tests, as shown in this picture of the Dream Chaser concept undergoing structural testing.

The goal of supporting private manned spacecraft is to bridge the "spaceflight gap" left by the retirement of the shuttlesand to allow the space agency to focus on longer-range missions, such as sending rovers to Mars, NASA has said.

The hope is that NASA astronauts will soon be able to buy tickets to space in much the same way the rest of us by airline tickets.

It's an exciting era, said David Brin, a science fiction writer who holds a Ph.D. in space science from the University of California, San Diego.

"Ever since Challenger blew up [in 1986], NASA's approach has been to redouble caution," added Brin, who applauds the risktaking ethos he sees among the private-shuttle contenders.

(See "Rare Pictures From the Dawn of NASA Spaceflight.")

Published September 4, 2012

More:

Pictures: NASA's Space Shuttle Substitute?

"It seems surreal," said will.i.am, who is also an actor.

He explained how Charles Bolden, the Nasa administrator, had called him to suggest beaming a song back from Mars as part of educational outreach efforts by the US space agency.

The song, which includes lyrics "I know that Mars might be far, but baby it ain't really that far", involved a 40-piece orchestra including French horns, rather than a more modern electronically-generated sound.

The 37-year-old, whose real name William James Adams, told a student audience that he didn't "want to do a song that was done on a computer," given that it was going to be the first piece of music broadcast back to the Earth from Mars.

"I wanted to show human collaboration and have an orchestra there and something that would be timeless, and translated in different cultures, not have like a hip hop beat or a dance beat," he said.

"A lot of times ... people in my field aren't supposed to try to execute something classical, or orchestral, so I wanted to break that stigma."

The aim was to inspire young people like those at the Nasa event, including some from Boyle Heights in East Los Angeles where the musician grew up, to take a greater interest in science.

The musician, who promotes science and mathematics education, was among more than a dozen celebrities who were invited to JPL to watch Curiosity's landing earlier this month. Others included Wil Wheaton, Seth Green and Morgan Freeman.

Nasa Administrator Charles Bolden addressed the crowd in a video message encouraging students to study science, technology, engineering and maths.

"Mars has always fascinated us, and the things Curiosity tells us about it will help us learn about whether or not life was possible there," he said.

Originally posted here:

Nasa's Curiosity rover broadcasts new will.i.am song from Mars

5 hrs.

Winda Benedetti

It may not seem like the serious interplanetary science being done by NASA and theentertainmentprovided by video games would have much in common, but a team from NASA'sJet Propulsion Laboratory says that, more and morethese days, the two go hand in hand.

During the Penny Arcade Expothis weekend, a team fromNASA told a packed audience of video game enthusiaststhat the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is not only using game technology to help the rest of us earthlings get an up close look at the latest mission to Mars, but it's also using game tech tobettercontrol NASA's robots and rovers.

In fact, Jeff Norris,manager ofthe Planning and Execution Systems Section at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,says he believes video games are key to how humans will explore space in the future.

"We are using the technology behind games and games as a platform themselves to really revitalize and change the way we are exploring space and sharing it with everyone," Norris said.

The Penny Arcade Expo (aka PAX)is aconvention that celebrates all things gaming anddraws some 70,000 gamers to Seattle each year. The team from NASA -- gamers themselves -- kicked off their PAXpresentation with a demonstration of the newXbox 360 game called"Mars Rover Landing" which, as the name suggests, challenges players to try to land a virtual version of the Curiosity rover on the red planet using a Kinect sensor and themovements of their body. (Read more about the game here.)

"This is a pretty big step for our agency," Norris said of the game. "We're embaracing the idea that games have become a really important medium for communicating our mission to everybody."

Norrisand his team also showed off other game-like experiences they've designed to give us earthbound explorers a closer look at Mars from the comforts of our own home computers.

The "Gale Crater" interactive experience -- which was created using real satellite data from Mars --lets players get an an up-closeview of the Red Planetlocale where the rover will spend the years to come.And those who want to see Curiosity's rocker-bogiesuspension system at work cancheck out the "Free Drive" game, whichlets players run a virtual version of the bare-bones rover throughout Gale Crater's terrain. (These games can be played for free right here.)

The rest is here:

Video games help NASA control robots, rovers

NASA's Mars rover has something to teach the oil industry.

Traversing the Red Planet while beaming data through space has a lot in common with exploring the deepest recesses of Earth in search of crude oil and natural gas. Robotic Drilling Systems, a Norwegian company developing a drilling rig that can think for itself, signed an information-sharing agreement with NASA to discover what it might learn from the Curiosity rover.

The company's work is part of a larger futuristic vision for the energy industry.

Engineers foresee a day when fully automated rigs roll onto a job site using satellite coordinates, erect 14-story-tall steel reinforcements on their own, drill a well, then pack up and move to the next site.

"You're seeing a new track in the industry emerging," says Eric van Oort, a former Royal Dutch Shell executive who's leading a new graduate-level engineering program focused on automated drilling at the University of Texas at Austin. "This is going to blossom."

Apache and National Oilwell Varco, both Houston-based, along with Norway's Statoil are among the companies working on technology to take humans out of the most repetitive, dangerous and time-consuming parts of oil field work.

"It sounds futuristic," says Kenneth Sondervik, sales and marketing vice president for Robotic Drilling Systems. He compares it to other areas that have become highly automated, such as car manufacturing or cruise missile systems.

Until recently, robots have been a hard sell in an industry that has long relied on human ingenuity, says Mark Reese, president of rig solutions at National Oilwell Varco.

"In the past, it's been all about, 'We need more and more people and experience, and that's the only way to accomplish this task,' " Reese said.

The 2010 BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico helped shift attitudes, said Clay Williams, chief financial officer at National Oilwell Varco. Eleven men were killed when the Deepwater Horizon rig caught fire and sank.

See the original post:

NASA helps hatch robots for drilling oil without humans

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 171 (Tuesday, September 4, 2012)] [Notices] [Pages 53919-53920] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2012-21655]

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice: 12-071]

NASA Advisory Council; Science Committee; Planetary Science Subcommittee; Meeting

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, as amended, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announces a meeting of the Planetary Science Subcommittee of the NASA Advisory Council (NAC). This Subcommittee reports to the Science Committee of the NAC. The meeting will be held for the purpose of soliciting, from the scientific community and other persons, scientific and technical information relevant to program planning.

DATES: Tuesday, October 2, 2012, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Wednesday, October 3, 2012, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Local Time.

ADDRESSES: This meeting will take place at NASA Headquarters, 300 E Street SW., Room 6H45, Washington, DC 20546.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Marian Norris, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546, (202) 358-4452, fax (202) 358-4118, or mnorris@nasa.gov.

Read the rest here:

NASA Advisory Council Science Committee Planetary Science Subcommittee Meeting 2-3 Oct 2012

Papers deriving from NASA support:

1 Jeong SM, Shibata S, Levine BD, Zhang R. Exercise plus volume loading prevents orthostatic intolerance, but not reduction in cerebral blood flow velocity after bed rest. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2011 Nov 11. [Epub ahead of print] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22081705 (PI: B.D. Levine) NOTE: Bed rest studies.

2 Clarke MS. Proteomic analysis of skeletal muscle tissue using SELDI-TOF MS: Application to disuse atrophy. Methods Mol Biol. 2012;818:131-41. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22083821

3 Pelch KE, Carleton SM, Phillips CL, Nagel SC. Developmental exposure to low dose xenoestrogens alters femur length and tensile strength in adult mice. Biol Reprod. 2011 Nov 16. [Epub ahead of print] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22088916 (PI: S.M. Carleton, NSBRI Postdoctoral Fellowship Program) NOTE: This article may temporarily be obtained online without charge.

4 Datta K, Suman S, Trani D, Doiron K, Rotolo JA, Kallakury BV, Kolesnick R, Cole MF, Fornace AJ. Accelerated hematopoietic toxicity by high energy 56Fe radiation. Int J Radiat Biol. 2011 Nov 11. [Epub ahead of print] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22077279 (PIs: A.J. Fornace; A.J. Fornace/K. Datta/NSCOR; D. Trani, NSBRI Postdoctoral Fellowship Program)

5 Valerie NC, Casarez EV, DaSilva JO, Dunlap-Brown ME, Parsons SJ, Amorino GP, Dziegielewski J. Inhibition of neurotensin receptor 1 selectively sensitizes prostate cancer to ionizing radiation. Cancer Res. 2011 Nov 1;71(21):6817-26. Epub 2011 Sep 8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21903767 (PI: J. Dziegielewski)

6 Nicholson WL, Ricco AJ, Agasid E, Beasley C, Diaz-Aguado M, Ehrenfreund P, Friedericks C, Ghassemieh S, Henschke M, Hines JW, Kitts C, Luzzi E, Ly D, Mai N, Mancinelli R, McIntyre M, Minelli G, Neumann M, Parra M, Piccini M, Rasay RM, Ricks R, Santos O, Schooley A, Squires D, Timucin L, Yost B, Young A. The O/OREOS mission: First science data from the Space Environment Survivability of Living Organisms (SESLO) payload. Astrobiology. 2011 Nov 17. [Epub ahead of print] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22091486 NOTE: Cubesat/nanosatellite preliminary results.

7 Dilda V, MacDougall HG, Curthoys IS, Moore ST. Effects of Galvanic vestibular stimulation on cognitive function. Exp Brain Res. 2011 Nov 11. [Epub ahead of print] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22076407 (PI: S.T. Moore) NOTE: This article may temporarily be obtained online without charge.

8 Hamorsky KT, Ensor CM, Pasini P, Daunert S. A protein switch sensing system for the quantification of sulfate. Anal Biochem. 2011 Oct 17. [Epub ahead of print] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22067979

Other papers of interest:

Here is the original post:

NASA Spaceline Current Awareness 25 November 2011 (Recent Space Life Science Research Results)

Papers deriving from NASA support:

1 Tuday EC, Platts SH, Nyhan D, Shoukas AA, Berkowitz DE. A retrospective analysis on gender differences in the arterial stiffness response to microgravity exposure. Gravit Space Biol. 2011 Sep;25(1):51-3 http://gravitationalandspacebiology.org/index.php/journal/article/view/5... (PIs: A.A. Shoukas; J.V. Meck/S.H. Platts) NOTE: Shuttle and bed rest results. This article may be obtained online without charge.

2 Young LR, Wagner EB, Vernikos J, Duda JE, Fuller CA, Souza KA, Martin-Brennan C, McKay CP. Another go-around: Revisiting the case for space-based centrifuges. Gravit Space Biol. 2011 Sep;25(1):66-8. http://gravitationalandspacebiology.org/index.php/journal/article/view/5... NOTE: This article may be obtained online without charge.

3 Galicia E, Palma E, Selch F, Gomez D, Grindeland R, Griko Y. Metabolic control as a strategy for payload cost reduction and mitigation of negative space environmental factors. Gravit Space Biol. 2011 Sep;25(1):54-6. http://gravitationalandspacebiology.org/index.php/journal/article/view/5... NOTE: This article may be obtained online without charge.

4 Uddin SM, Cheng J, Lin W, Qin YX. Low-Intensity amplitude modulated ultrasound increases osteoblastic mineralization. Cell Mol Bioeng. 2011 Mar;4(1):81-90. (PI: Y.X. Qin) http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12195-010-0153-8 NOTE: This article may be obtained online without charge.

5 Wang Y, Helvensteijn B, Nizamidin N, Erion AM, Steiner LA, Mulloth LM, Luna B, LeVan MD. High pressure excess isotherms for adsorption of oxygen and nitrogen in zeolites. Langmuir. 2011 Sep 6;27(17):10648-56. Epub 2011 Jul 28. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21744870 (PI: J.A. Ritter)

6 Durante M, Cucinotta FA. Physical basis of radiation protection in space travel. Rev Mod Phys. 2011 Oct-Dec;83(4):1245-81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.83.1245 (PI: F.A. Cucinotta)

7 Willey JS, Lloyd SA, Nelson GA, Bateman TA. Space radiation and bone loss. Gravit Space Biol. 2011 Sep;25(1):14-21. http://gravitationalandspacebiology.org/index.php/journal/article/view/5... (PIs: J.S. Willey, NSBRI Postdoctoral Fellowship Program; G.A. Nelson; T.A. Bateman) NOTE: This article may be obtained online without charge.

8 Yu T, Parks BW, Yu S, Srivastava R, Gupta K, Wu X, Khaled S, Chang PY, Kabarowski JH, Kucik DF. Iron ion (56Fe) radiation increases the size of pre-existing atherosclerotic lesions in apoE-/- mice. Gravit Space Biol. 2011 Sep;25(1):57-9. http://gravitationalandspacebiology.org/index.php/journal/article/view/5... (PI: D.F. Kucik) NOTE: This article may be obtained online without charge.

9 Tian J, Zhao W, Tian S, Slater JM, Deng Z, Gridley DS. Expression of genes involved in mouse lung cell differentiation/regulation after acute exposure to photons and protons with or without low-dose preirradiation. Radiat Res. 2011 Nov;176(5):553-64. Epub 2011 Aug 19. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21854213 (PI: D.S. Gridley)

See more here:

NASA Spaceline Current Awareness 18 November 2011 (Recent Space Life Science Research Results)

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - When environmental engineer John Feighery got an internship at NASA in the 1990s, he wanted to be an astronaut but he was given a job working with a team designing the U.S. bathroom for the space station. The small, closet-like space needed a toilet and room for hand washing, bathing and a place to keep toiletries. Feighery also worked on a project to fix equipment designed ...

Read the rest here:

Former NASA engineer designs app to chart water quality

By David Wethe - 2012-09-03T06:12:37Z

NASAs Mars rover has something to teach the oil industry.

Traversing the Red Planet while beaming data through space has a lot in common with exploring the deepest recesses of earth in search of crude oil and natural gas. Robotic Drilling Systems AS, a Norwegian company developing a drilling rig that can think for itself, signed an information-sharing agreement with NASA to discover what it might learn from the rover Curiosity.

The companys work is part of a larger futuristic vision for the energy industry. Engineers foresee a day when fully automated rigs roll onto a job site using satellite coordinates, erect 14-story-tall steel reinforcements on their own, drill a well, then pack up and move to the next site.

Youre seeing a new track in the industry emerging, says Eric van Oort, a former Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA) executive whos leading a new graduate-level engineering program focused on automated drilling at the University of Texas at Austin. This is going to blossom.

Apache Corp. (APA), National Oilwell Varco Inc. (NOV), and Statoil ASA (STL) are among the companies working on technology that will take humans out of the most repetitive, dangerous, and time-consuming parts of oil field work.

It sounds futuristic, says Kenneth Sondervik, sales and marketing vicepresident for Robotic Drilling Systems. He compares it to other areas that have become highly automated, such as car manufacturing or cruise missile systems.

Until recently, robots have been a hard sell in an industry that has long relied on human ingenuity, says Mark Reese, president of rig solutions at National Oilwell Varco.

In the past, its been all about, We need more and more people and experience, and thats the only way to accomplish this task, Reese said.

The 2010 BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico helped shift attitudes, says Clay Williams, chief financial officer at National Oilwell Varco. Eleven men were killed when the Deepwater Horizon rig caught fire and sank. Statoil has projected that automation may cut in half the number of workers needed on an offshore rig and help complete jobs 25 percent faster, says Steinar Strom, former head of a research and development unit on automation at the Norwegian company.

More:

NASA Helps Hatch Robots for Drilling Oil Without Humans: Energy

Forty-three years after putting a man on the moon, NASA sent the Angry Birds video game to space. A few months later, the birds traveled to the moon and later to Mars.

NASAs recent collaboration with gamemaker Rovio to create Angry Birds Space, in which players use slingshots to launch birds at pigs, is part of a series of computer game projects spearheaded by government agencies to encourage science, technology and math education.

Today, NASA has loftier goals: An upcoming $10 million massively multi-player video game would simulate life on Mars and eventually provide 100 hours of playing time on the iPad, Sony Playstation and Microsoft Xbox. When a beta version of Starlite is released later this year, it will be NASAs biggest foray into gaming, and one that Laughlin hopes will set the stage for future collaborations with commercial game developers.

There are more higher-end gaming projects going on at NASA than ever before, Laughlin said. Very few people are looking to textbooks to get students inspired anymore.

In the past few years, NASA has released an air traffic control simulator for the iPhone, a trivia game called Space Race Blastoff for Facebook and MoonBase Alpha, a multi-player game that cost $300,000 to develop and resulted in 20 minutes of playing time.

But as the agency grapples with persistent education budget cuts, NASA is experimenting with new business models to fund upcoming projects.

The agency had originally planned to pour $5 million to $7 million into Starlite over three or four years. But budget cuts took their toll, Laughlin said.

Gradually, NASA nibbled down the budget until it turned out we could only afford to fund the educational side of the game, he said.

The agency will now invest about $1.5 million in NASA content and expertise in the Starlite, while Project Whitecard, a Winnipeg-based firm that has already created two games for the Canadian Space Agency, will finance the rest.

The premise of Starlite is quite simple, said Khal Shariff, chief executive of Project Whitecard: Its the year 2035. You are a first-time explorer who has to leave the Earths orbit and travel to Mars. Once you reach the Red Planet, there are a series of challenges, such as orchestrating an emergency rescue mission to find a stranded astronaut.

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From ‘Angry Birds’ to multi-player video games, NASA ramps up investment in educational technology

NASA's twin, lunar-orbiting Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) spacecraft began data collection for the start of the mission's extended operations.

At 9:28 a.m. PDT (12:28 p.m. EDT) yesterday, while the two spacecraft were 19 miles (30 kilometers) above the moon's Ocean of Storms, the Lunar Gravity Ranging System -- the mission's sole science instrument aboard both GRAIL twins -- was energized.

"The data collected during GRAIL's primary mission team are currently being analyzed and hold the promise of producing a gravity field map of extraordinary quality and resolution," said Maria Zuber, principal investigator for GRAIL from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. "Mapping at a substantially lower altitude during the extended mission, and getting an even more intimate glimpse of our nearest celestial neighbor, provides the unique opportunity to globally map the shallow crust of a planetary body beyond Earth."

The science phase of GRAIL's extended mission runs from Aug. 30 to Dec. 3. Its goals are to take an even closer look at the moon's gravity field, deriving the gravitational influence of surface and subsurface features as small as simple craters, mountains and rilles. To achieve this unprecedented resolution, GRAIL mission planners are halving the operating altitude - flying at the lowest altitude that can be safely maintained.

During the prime mission, which stretched from March 1 to May 29, the two GRAIL spacecraft, named Ebb and Flow, orbited at an average altitude of 34 miles (55 kilometers). The average orbital altitude during extended mission will be 14 miles (23 kilometers), which places the GRAIL twins within five miles (eight kilometers) of some of the moon's higher surface features.

"Ebb and Flow, and our mission operations team, are both doing great, which is certainly notable considering all the milestones and challenges they have experienced," said David Lehman, GRAIL project manager from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "The twins have endured the lunar eclipse of June 4, 2012, and 26 rocket burns since arriving in lunar orbit at the beginning of the year. Down here in our control room, with all the planning and mission operations we have been doing, it feels as though we've been riding right along with them. Of course, they have the better view."

Science data are collected when the Lunar Gravity Ranging System transmit radio signals between the two spacecraft, precisely defining the rate of change of distance between Ebb and Flow. The distance between the twins change slightly as they fly over areas of greater and lesser gravity caused by visible features, such as mountains and craters, and by masses hidden beneath the lunar surface.

Mission scientists calculated that even as the last data were downlinked, four of the mission's six principal science measurement goals had already been achieved. The objective of the GRAIL mission is to generate the most accurate gravity map of the moon and from that derive the internal structure and evolution of Earth's natural satellite.

JPL manages the GRAIL mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The GRAIL mission is part of the Discovery Program managed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver built the spacecraft.

For more information about GRAIL, visit: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/grail/

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NASA's GRAIL Moon Twins Begin Extended Mission Science

NASA launched two satellites Thursday that will spend the next two years exploring the Earth's radiation belts, a highly charged zone that poses dangers to communications, GPS satellites and other electronics and is generally avoided by spacecraft.

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NASA launches satellites to explore Earth's radiation belts

HOUSTON NASAs plans to send astronauts to an asteroid by 2025 moved 10 days closer to being a reality this week, even though the target of that mission has yet to be found in space.

The agencys Research and Technology Studies (RATS) 10-day simulated asteroid mission, which ended Wednesday, involved scientists and flight controllers at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston evaluating new operations and exploration techniques for how astronauts might work above and on the surface of one of the small, rocky, solar system bodies.

The test used a variety of simulation technologies, including virtual reality and a custom rig that helped re-create the microgravity environment found at an asteroid.

Space news from NBCNews.com

Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: First moonwalker Neil Armstrong's family has specified at least four ways you can pay tribute to the man who took a giant leap into the cosmos.

Potential manned mission President Barack Obama set the goal for a 2025 asteroid mission during remarks he delivered two years ago at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Earlier this week, he restated that aim during a question-and-answer session on the website Reddit.com.

As we continue work with the International Space Station, we are focused on a potential mission to (an) asteroid as a prelude to a manned Mars flight," Obama said. [Photos: President Obama and NASA]

The presidents use of potential to describe the asteroid mission may have been in recognition of the scientific and engineering challenges that NASA has already encountered in early planning for such an endeavor.

Going to an asteroid was a bigger step than I think we thought, because it is a very challenging mission to do, astronaut Michael Gernhardt told Space.com.

In addition to the uncertainty created by changing budgets and still-to-be-decided launch vehicle designs, the space agency has yet to find any candidate asteroids that pass close enough to allow for a roughly 90-day mission.

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NASA wraps up mock asteroid mission