NASA Announces Media Activities for Mars Curiosity Mission Landing

WASHINGTON -- News briefings, photo opportunities, and other media events at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., are set for the upcoming landing of NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars.

NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission will deliver the 1-ton, car-size robotic roving laboratory to the surface of Mars at 1:31 a.m. EDT Aug. 6 (10:31 p.m. PDT Aug. 5). Curiosity's landing will mark the start of a two-year prime mission to investigate whether one of the most intriguing places on Mars ever has offered an environment favorable for microbial life.

ACCREDITATION AND PARKING PASSES

News media representatives who wish to cover the rover landing and Mars surface operations from JPL must have accreditation in advance from the JPL Media Relations Office. The application period has been open since June 5 and some deadlines have passed. For more information, visit the credentialing website at: http://media-credentials.jpl.nasa.gov/

Media who have completed applications and received confirmation their applications have been approved may pick up credentials at JPL Visitor Reception during newsroom operating hours. Credentials must be picked up in person and valid photo identification must be shown. Non-U.S. citizens must bring their passport and visa or a permanent resident alien registration card. JPL is located at 4800 Oak Grove Dr. in Pasadena. Parking passes also will be distributed with credentials and will be essential for parking Aug. 5. The following times are all PDT.

The JPL Newsroom will open at 9 a.m. Aug. 1. Newsroom operating hours, subject to change, are:

Wednesday, Aug. 1 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 2 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 5 8:30 a.m. to round-the-clock Monday, Aug. 6 round-the-clock to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 7 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 8 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 9 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 10 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The JPL Newsroom telephone number is 818-354-5011.

NEWS BRIEFING AND TELEVISED EVENT SCHEDULE

News briefings will be held at JPL beginning Thursday, Aug. 2, and carried live on NASA Television. Additional events, including a NASA Social Media event Aug. 1 and landing commentary Aug. 5 will be televised. A full schedule of live news briefings is available at: http://www.nasa.gov/ntvnews and http://www.nasa.gov/msl

The rest is here:

NASA Announces Media Activities for Mars Curiosity Mission Landing

NASA Ames Celebrates Curiosity Rover's Landing on Mars

PRESS RELEASE Date Released: Monday, July 30, 2012 Source: Ames Research Center

NASA Ames Celebrates Curiosity Rover's Landing on Mars

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. - NASA's Ames Research Center will celebrate the upcoming landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars with a variety of activities. Included will be pre- and post-landing live televised broadcasts of NASA news briefings featuring local Mars experts, a huge public event expected to attract thousands of spectators, and the first ever multi-center NASA Social highlighting Ames' role in the mission for social media.

During a critical period lasting about seven minutes, the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft carrying Curiosity must decelerate from about 13,200 mph to about 1.7 mph for the rover to land on the surface at approximately 10:31 p.m. PDT Aug. 5. Curiosity will investigate whether an area with a wet history inside Mars' Gale Crater ever has offered an environment favorable for microbial life. The mission is a precursor for future human missions to Mars, which President Obama has set a challenge to reach in the 2030s.

Ames is contributing to this exciting mission in a variety of ways, including:

- CheMin: Ames is the lead for the Chemical and Mineralogy (CheMin) instrument that will identify and quantify the minerals in Martian rocks and soils.

- Arc Jet testing: The MSL heat shield was tested at Ames' Arc Jet Complex, which reproduces heating and pressure conditions similar to those experienced by spacecraft during atmospheric re-entry.

- Parachute testing: Wind tunnel engineers conducted a full-scale MSL parachute deployment, small-scale verification tests and supersonic tests to study the interaction between the MSL capsule and parachute during atmospheric entry.

- PICA: Researchers invented the unique thermal protection system consisting of tiles made of Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA) that the MSL spacecraft will use to safely reach the surface of the Red Planet.

- MEDLI: The Mars Science Laboratory Entry, Descent and Landing Instrument (MEDLI) contains multiple sophisticated temperature sensors to measure atmospheric conditions and performance of the capsule's heat shield.

Continue reading here:

NASA Ames Celebrates Curiosity Rover's Landing on Mars

NASA Brings Wonder of Space Station to Boston

HOUSTON - Media opportunities are available in Boston as NASA shares the accomplishments, promise and opportunities for research aboard the International Space Station in New England.

The agency will showcase its multimedia exhibit, "Destination Station" which is free with admission at the Boston Museum of Science. The exhibit will be open to the public Aug. 1 through Sept. 3. There also will be multiple activities in the Boston area supporting the exhibit.

There will be a live television event with astronauts aboard the International Space Station on Aug. 27 at the Boston Museum of Science. During the activities, which begin at 11 a.m. EDT, students will ask Expedition 32 Flight Engineers Joe Acaba and Suni Williams about the progress of their mission. NASA aerospace education specialist Richard Varner will host the event and give a presentation on current station activities. Reporters are asked to check in at 11 a.m. to pick up media packets and conduct interviews. To participate, contact the museum's Julia Sable at 617-589-4456.

Two NASA "Train Like An Astronaut 0/00 events will be held in the Boston area from 10-1 p.m. Aug. 12 at the Boston Triathlon, and from 10-3 p.m. Aug. 16 at Gillette Stadium. NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and NASA representatives will be on hand to use the excitement of exploration to challenge students to set physical fitness and research goals. For more information, contact Gillette Stadium's Bryan Morry at 508-549-0546.

Space station story time will be held from 10 a.m.-noon Aug.13 at the JFK Presidential Library. NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy will do a reading from "Reaching for the Moon" by Buzz Aldrin. For more information, contact the library's Amy Macdonald at 617-514-1645.

NASA astronaut Mike Foreman will be at the Tufts University Center for Engineering Education and Outreach to give a presentation on LEGOS in Space, a partnership between NASA and The LEGO Group to spark children's interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). For more information, contact the University's Chris Rogers at 617-627-2882.

Foreman and NASA Scientist Kirt Costello will discuss scientific experiments aboard the station and how results are affecting life on Earth during a panel discussion from 1-3 p.m. Aug. 14 at Northeastern University's Raytheon Amphitheatre. They will be joined by representatives from the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) and other space scientists. To participate, contact NASA's Ciandra Jackson at 281-483-2924.

A joint event with NASA and the U.S. Forest Service will take place from 7-10 p.m. Aug. 15 at the Myles Standish State Forest near Plymouth, Mass. U.S. Forest Service mascot Smokey Bear and NASA's Cosmo mascot will meet for the first time in an event open to media and the public. Reporters are asked to check in at 7 p.m. For more information, contact U.S. Forest Service representative Maureen Brooks at 610-742-7614.

The Boston Museum of Science will host a series of events Aug. 16 through 19. The first of three "Mars and Beyond 0/00 presentations with NASA astronaut Steve Bowen will start at 6 p.m. Aug. 17. The next two will start at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 18 and 1:30 p.m. Aug.19. For more information, contact the museum's Julia Sable at 617-589-4456.

Bowen and NASA experts will deliver space suit presentations at the Boston Children's Museum at 11 a.m. Aug. 19. Young attendees also will have the opportunity to create their own construction paper astronauts and space suits. For more information, contact the museum's Alissa Daniels at 617-426-6500, ext. 342.

The rest is here:

NASA Brings Wonder of Space Station to Boston

NASA Direct Final Rule: Research Misconduct

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 146 (Monday, July 30, 2012)] [Rules and Regulations] [Pages 44439-44441] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2012-18435]

NATIONAL AERONATICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

14 CFR Part 1275

[Docket Number NASA-0031] RIN 2700-AD84

Research Misconduct

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

ACTION: Direct final rule.

SUMMARY: The NASA Research Misconduct rule describes procedures to be used by NASA for the handling of allegations of research misconduct. This direct final rule makes non-substantive changes to the policy governing the handling of allegations of research misconduct and updates to reflect organizational changes that have occurred in the Agency. The revisions to this rule are part of NASA's retrospective plan under EO 13563 completed in August 2011. NASA's full plan can be accessed at: http://www.nasa.gov/open/.

DATES: This direct final rule is effective on September 28, 2012, unless adverse comment is received by August 29, 2012. If adverse comment is received, NASA will publish a timely withdrawal of the rule in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Comments must be identified with RN 2700-AD84 and may be sent to NASA via the Federal E-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitted comments. Please note that NASA will post all comments on the Internet with changes, including any personal information provided.

Read more here:

NASA Direct Final Rule: Research Misconduct

NASA Curiosity rover to seek water on Mars

If NASA's Curiosity Mars rover successfully lands on Sunday, it will use a neutron detector to scan for hydrogen below the Red Planet's surface.

NASA's newest Mars rover, Curiosity, has a tall task ahead of itself when it lands Aug. 6 on the Red Planet.

Subscribe Today to the Monitor

Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly Digital Edition

The rover, part of the $2.5 billion Mars Science Laboratory mission, will aim to search for signs that Mars is, or ever was, habitable. Since one of the key requirements of habitability is thought to be the presence of liquid water, Curiosity will seek signs of water buried beneath the Martian surface.

To do this, the rover will shove neutrons underneath the planet's surface in hopes that the particles bump against hydrogen, one of the two types of atoms that make up water molecules. Neutrons are subatomic particles that have no electrical charge. When a neutron hits a hydrogen atom, the neutron will slow to a near-stop because the two particles are about the same size.

The goal is in about 20 minutes of pulsing and returning and detecting the signal, [the rover] can build up a fairly good understanding of how much water there is below the surface, said Ashwin Vasavada, MSL's deputy project scientist. [11 Amazing Things NASA's Huge Mars Rover Can Do]

Neutrons have already been used on Mars to find what are believed to be ice reservoirs. In 2002, a high-energy neutron detector aboard the orbiting Mars Odyssey spacecraft found robust evidence of hydrogen on the higher latitudes of the Red Planet, lurking just underneath the surface.

From space, it's much easier to use neutrons to seek out water because high above a planet, there are many neutrons, Vasavada said. Closer to the surface, neutrons are so few and far between that MSL must carry its own artificial neutron generator.

Provided by the Russian Federal Space Agency, the Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN) experiment onboard Curiosity will blast 10 million neutrons into the surface with every pulse. These pulses will only take an instant: typically one microsecond, or a millionth of a second. Curiosity can send these pulses out up to 10 times per second.

Link:

NASA Curiosity rover to seek water on Mars

NASA Curiosity rover to seek water on Mars (+video)

If NASA's Curiosity Mars rover successfully lands on Sunday, it will use a neutron detector to scan for hydrogen below the Red Planet's surface.

NASA's newest Mars rover, Curiosity, has a tall task ahead of itself when it lands Aug. 6 on the Red Planet.

Subscribe Today to the Monitor

Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly Digital Edition

The rover, part of the $2.5 billion Mars Science Laboratory mission, will aim to search for signs that Mars is, or ever was, habitable. Since one of the key requirements of habitability is thought to be the presence of liquid water, Curiosity will seek signs of water buried beneath the Martian surface.

To do this, the rover will shove neutrons underneath the planet's surface in hopes that the particles bump against hydrogen, one of the two types of atoms that make up water molecules. Neutrons are subatomic particles that have no electrical charge. When a neutron hits a hydrogen atom, the neutron will slow to a near-stop because the two particles are about the same size.

The goal is in about 20 minutes of pulsing and returning and detecting the signal, [the rover] can build up a fairly good understanding of how much water there is below the surface, said Ashwin Vasavada, MSL's deputy project scientist. [11 Amazing Things NASA's Huge Mars Rover Can Do]

Neutrons have already been used on Mars to find what are believed to be ice reservoirs. In 2002, a high-energy neutron detector aboard the orbiting Mars Odyssey spacecraft found robust evidence of hydrogen on the higher latitudes of the Red Planet, lurking just underneath the surface.

From space, it's much easier to use neutrons to seek out water because high above a planet, there are many neutrons, Vasavada said. Closer to the surface, neutrons are so few and far between that MSL must carry its own artificial neutron generator.

Provided by the Russian Federal Space Agency, the Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN) experiment onboard Curiosity will blast 10 million neutrons into the surface with every pulse. These pulses will only take an instant: typically one microsecond, or a millionth of a second. Curiosity can send these pulses out up to 10 times per second.

Here is the original post:

NASA Curiosity rover to seek water on Mars (+video)

NASA is designing its first new spacesuit in twenty years

With NASA looking to reinvent itself for possible missions to the Moon and Mars, work has begun on bringing the equipment in its aging inventory into the modern era to help facilitate those lofty goals.

A case in point is the new spacesuit that is being developed to replace the twenty-year old model that was first pressed into service back in 1992. Originally only meant for astronauts on the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station, the spacesuit that the world over is used to seeing is both outdated and ill-suited for upcoming missions. Scientists and engineers at NASA have been hard at work developing a new prototype called the Z-1, which is undergoing heavy testing right now.

The z-1 Prototype Spacesuit and Portable Life Support System is a drastically different beast than the spacesuit it will replace. For starters, the z-1 has its own airlock. Called a rear-entry suit, the new design has an astronaut crawling into the suit from the back, near the top. This is done through a small, airtight hatch that has the ability to latch on to a docking terminal or other vehicle such as a smaller spacecraft or rover unit.

This entry method is said to be much more efficient since the suit itself will operate at the same pressures found in the larger space-borne habitats, cutting down on the amount of oxygen an astronaut will need to use to during EVA missions.

Along with the major changes mentioned above, the Z-1 is said to be much more flexible, something that every astronaut will jump for joy about. Working in zero-gravity is challenge enough, but having to deal with a bulky suit at the same time makes it a real challenge.

Of course, with NASA having no concrete plans regarding sending humans back to the Moon or further afield to the Red Planet, theres no word on when or if ever this suit will be pressed into service.

Read more at Gizmag

See the article here:

NASA is designing its first new spacesuit in twenty years

NASA Langley offers rare look at Mars mission

HAMPTON, Va. --

More than two dozen social-media users will get a unique look at NASA's latest Mars mission when they gather Friday at Langley Research Center.

The event is part of a NASA Social, which will simultaneously take place at six NASA centers across the country. The 30 people selected for Langley's social gathering will get briefings on the landing of the Mars Curiosity rover, participate in a question-and-answer session with scientists involved in the mission and view a number of the center's space projects.

The Curiosity rover, which is the size of an SUV and weighs about 2,000 pounds, is expected to touch down early Monday. Its mission is to discover whether the ingredients for life exist on Mars.

Langley scientists worked on the entry, descent and landing phase of the mission the so-called "seven minutes of terror" between when the spacecraft enters the Martian atmosphere at 13,200 mph and rover is deployed on the planet's surface as well as developing sensors in the craft's heat shield that will record heat and atmospheric pressure during the descent.

Michael Finneran, lead for social media at Langley, says the socials fit well into the space agency's outreach program. NASA has been using the gatherings formerly called tweetups to host thousands of social-media fans at shuttle launches and other events since 2009.

"We're trying to excite people, inspire them, educate them, inform them and tell them what they're getting for their taxpayer dollars," he said of the gatherings.

Finneran said the 30 participants were culled from more than 250 applicants who registered through NASA's main website. Langley attendees include an active-duty Marine, several educators and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle enthusiast. While many of the participants live in Virginia, some will be traveling from as far away as San Diego and Minnesota.

"We have people with a lot of different interests, but their one common interest is the interest in space," he said. "That's what brings them together."

Friday's social is the second for NASA Langley. A tweetup was held in November, when participants witnessed a splashdown test of the crew capsule for the next generation of U.S. manned space vehicles.

Continued here:

NASA Langley offers rare look at Mars mission

NASA rover closing in on Mars to hunt for life clues

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - NASA's Mars rover was on its final approach to the red planet on Sunday, heading toward a mountain that may hold clues about whether life has ever existed on Mars, officials said. The rover, also known as Curiosity, has been careening toward Mars since its launch in November. The nuclear-powered rover the size of a compact car is expected to end its 352 ...

Original post:

NASA rover closing in on Mars to hunt for life clues

NASA'S SLS Rocket Passes Major Hurdle

NASA's next-generation Space Launch System (SLS) passed a major review hurdle this week that could position the heavy-lift rocket for a test flight in 2017 and eventually status as the launch vehicle for the space agency's Orion spacecraft on deep space missions.

The SLS will "provide an entirely new capability for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit," NASA said in a statement announcing the rocket's successful navigation of an independent review board's evaluation of technical, performance, cost, and schedule requirements for its design and manufacture.

"This new heavy-lift launch vehicle will make it possible for explorers to reach beyond our current limits, to nearby asteroids, Mars and its moons, and to destinations even farther across our solar system," said NASA associate administrator William Gerstenmaier.

The review board confirmed the SLS program's integration with the future Orion spacecraft, NASA's next-generation Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) with room onboard for four astronauts. Orion is being designed for trips that would take humans further into space than ever beforebeyond the Moon to Mars and even the asteroid belt. Those missions are expected to commence no earlier than 2020.

SLS program directors will now take the rocket to the design phase. The board selected six rocket designs for this phase, including three from Huntsville, Ala.-based Dynetics, according to Ala.com. The other design proposals come from Northrop Grumman, Aerojet General, and ATK Launch Systems. Only one design will win out but NASA expects to shell out $200 million on demonstrations for all six designs, Ala.com reported.

The program was initiated just 10 months ago, around the time that NASA was ending its storied space shuttle programan end of an era for the agency that also meant it would no longer have the capability to launch humans into space. Since retiring the shuttle fleet, NASA has relied on the Russian space agency to ferry its astronauts to the International Space Station, while handing off ISS supply runs to the Russians, the European and Japanese space agencies, and even to a privately held company, SpaceX.

NASA is aiming for an SLS booster configured with a 77-ton lift capacity for the first test flight about four years from now. Future three-stage SLS boosters will be capable of lifting 143 tons into space, the agency said.

"This is a pivotal moment for this program and for NASA. This has been a whirlwind experience from a design standpoint. Reaching this key development point in such a short period of time, while following the strict protocol and design standards set by NASA for human spaceflight is a testament to the team's commitment to delivering the nation's next heavy-lift launch vehicle," said SLS Program Manager Todd May.

For more from Damon, follow him on Twitter @dpoeter.

Read the original:

NASA'S SLS Rocket Passes Major Hurdle

How NASA launched the 2012 Olympics

The Olympics officially launch Friday in London, but it was a NASA mission from 12 years ago that first lifted off to space with 2012 Summer Games' memorabilia.

Space shuttle Atlantis blasted off on May 19, 2000, on a 10-day mission to the International Space Station. Aboard the orbiter were supplies for the nascent complex, which at the time comprised just two of its eventual 12 modules.

The STS-101 mission came a few months before the start of the 2000 Summer Olympics held in Sydney, Australia. To pay tribute to the international nature of the Games, the shuttle's crewmates carried a banner for the Olympics and a replica of the 2000 Sydney Torch.

But the flag and flameless beacon weren't the only items commemorating the Olympics that were on board Atlantis. Stowed inside a locker was a small package of souvenirs for the Summer Games set to take place 12 years into the future though not in London. [ Summer Olympics Cities Seen From Space (Gallery) ]

Houston, (can) we have an Olympics? Every NASA space shuttle mission carried a small pouch of souvenirs, called the Official Flight Kit, or OFK, packed with mementos to thank the NASA employees and outside organizations who helped make the mission possible.

The space agency would also sometimes use the OFK to fly items for outreach projects and for groups supporting the local communities around NASA centers, such as the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

As Atlantis orbited high above the Earth, Houston was in the running to be the U.S. Olympic Committee's bid city to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, competing against New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.-Baltimore.

(Ultimately, the U.S. committee selected the Big Apple Houston was eliminated in 2002 but New York City lost out to London when the International Olympic Committee voted in 2005.)

NASA, in support of bringing the Olympics to Houston home of Mission Control and the U.S. astronaut corps launched aboard Atlantis 1,000 lapel pins for the Houston 2012 Foundation. The organization described its role as "to identify, package and communicate the reasons why Houston is the best place for the 2012 Olympic Games."

The lapel pins were the shape of the space shuttle orbiter with the foundation's stylized Texas flag torch logo at their center. Under the red, white and blue torch was inscribed, "Houston 2012."

Read the original:

How NASA launched the 2012 Olympics

NASA space program clears milestone review

An artist rendering of the various configurations of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS). Credit: NASA

WASHINGTON, July 27 (UPI) -- NASA says the rocket system that will launch humans farther into space than ever before has reached a milestone by passing a major agency revue.

The Space Launch System Program completed a combined System Requirements Review and System Definition Review, which set requirements of the overall launch vehicle system, meaning SLS moves to its preliminary design phase, the agency reported.

The review set technical, performance, cost and schedule requirements to provide on-time development of the heavy-lift rocket.

The SLS is intended to launch NASA's Orion spacecraft and other payloads and provide the capability for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit.

This new heavy-lift launch vehicle will make it possible for explorers to reach beyond our current limits, to nearby asteroids, Mars and its moons and to destinations even farther across our solar system," said William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters in Washington.

"The in-depth assessment confirmed the basic vehicle concepts of the SLS, allowing the team to move forward and start more detailed engineering design."

SLS reached the review milestone less than 10 months after the program's inception.

"This is a pivotal moment for this program and for NASA," SLS Program Manager Todd May said. "This has been a whirlwind experience from a design standpoint.

See more here:

NASA space program clears milestone review

Inmates build satellite parts for NASA

SANTA CLARA, Calif. The NASA Ames Research Center is known for establishing innovative partnerships and Pete Worden, the former Air Force general who serves as the centers director, is known as a maverick. Still, the latest joint venture to come to light has caught even some longtime NASA observers by surprise.

Under supervision from NASA Ames, inmates working in the machine shop at Californias San Quentin State Prison are building Poly Picosatellite Orbital Deployers (PPODs), the standard mechanism used to mount tiny satellites called cubesats on a variety of launch vehicles and then, at the appropriate time, fling them into orbit.

"Only Pete Worden would do something like that," said Bob Twiggs, who was one of the inventors of the cubesat while he was a professor at Stanford University. "He is a real independent hero to me in blazing new trails rather that sticking close to the safe road," Twiggs, who now serves as a professor at Kentuckys Morehead State University, said by email.

Worden got the idea for the partnership with San Quentinwhile he was at a party, talking to the spouse of a NASA employee who happened to work as a guard on the prisons death row. When the guard mentioned the prisons critical need to establish innovative education and training programs, Worden, a former University of Arizona professor, said, "How about building small satellites?

A couple of weeks later, NASA Ames officials visited the prison and confirmed that inmates had access to the type of machine tools they would need to build PPODs. That led to a two-year, non-reimbursable Space Act Agreement that senior officials from NASA Ames and San Quentin signed in June 2011.

Space news from NBCNews.com

Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: Is the plan for the Curiosity rover's landing so crazy it just might work? Or just so crazy? Either way, it will change the course of Mars exploration.

As part of that agreement, NASA Ames officials developed the educational plan to train inmates to build the small satellite components. The partnership program is designed primarily to help "a few select inmates develop their machining skills to make them more employable in the aerospace industry upon release," Adriana Cardenas, NASA Ames associate director of engineering, said in an emailed response to questions. "The components will never fly in space," said Cardenas, who also serves as NASA Ames' liaison to San Quentin.

However, PPODs manufactured in San Quentins machine shop will be handed over to NASA Ames and "depending on the quality, we may consider the possibility that they could be used as test articles." Center officials have not yet made any plans to use the PPODs built at San Quentin for testing, she added.

Nevertheless, Worden said the hardware produced at San Quentin has been "top notch." In addition to providing training for the inmates, Worden said he has promised to help a couple of them find employment when they are released from prison.

Continued here:

Inmates build satellite parts for NASA

NASA taps prisoners to build satellite parts

A new agreement with NASA will see San Quentin Prison inmates building satellite components.

In most cases, when a person is sentenced to prison, the goal is both to remove them from daily life, and teach the convict how to better serve society as a whole. Traditionally this meant stamping out license plates or painting the vehicles of the local police department, but thanks to an innovative new agreement with NASA prisoners at San Quentin State Prison will soon be making amends for their crimes by putting together tiny satellite components.

Known asPoly Picosatellite Orbital Deployers (henceforth PPODs), the devices are used to mount small cubesat satellites on launch vehicles. When correctly configured, the PPOD secures the tiny satellite in place through launch, then releases it into space at the appointed time. Despite its crucial purpose however, the PPOD is a relatively low-tech device. Its simple to build, but NASA needs tons of them and its not terribly cost effective to build an entire fabrication line just to churn out PPODs when we already have a perfectly viable workforce biding its time behind bars.

Thus, former University of Arizona professor Pete Worden hatched a plan to tap the largely unused prison population to build the devices. The goal, according to the scheme Worden outlined for NASA, is to both create a steady supply of PPODs as well as assist a few select inmates develop their machining skills to make them more employable in the aerospace industry upon release. In short, NASA gets new toys for cheap, San Quentin gets a couple million dollars, and a few dozen prisoners pick up a useful skill.

After a visit to San Quentin to determine if inmates had access to all the materials and information they would need to build the PPODs, NASA signed a two year Space Act agreement with the prison. Under the terms, NASA will provide cash and educational opportunities for prisoners, while the prison would ensure that its residents are meeting their PPOD quota and building the devices to meet rigorous NASA standards.

If any of you would-be astronauts are suddenly worried about a bitter convict purposely sabotaging your satellite launching mechanism, dont fret: According to Space.com these particular PPODs will not actually be shot into space. At best theyll be used for testing purposes, though it appears that NASA officials are waiting to see how well the inmates can construct the PPODs before deciding their fate. Worden claims that the PPODs created at San Quentin so far are top notch, though NASA remains unconvinced.

Regardless, that aforementioned two-year agreement is non-reimbursable, so no matter what NASA does with the devices, the prison and its inmates will see a nice infusion of cash, and, one hopes, an elementary fabrication background that might one day segue into a private sector aerospace job. Its far easier to avoid the temptation of criminal activity when youre earning $50,000+ annually working in a government-funded fabrication plant.

Visit link:

NASA taps prisoners to build satellite parts