WASHINGTON -- NASA is inviting its social media followers to the first-ever multi-center NASA Social on Aug. 3 to preview the landing of the Mars Science Laboratory's Curiosity rover on Aug. 6 EDT (Aug. 5 PDT). NASA Socials are in-person meetings with people who engage with the agency through Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other social networks.

Events will be held simultaneously at six NASA field centers, including Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif.; Glenn Research Center in Cleveland; Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.; Johnson Space Center in Houston; and, Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. Each center will be connected via a multi-center NASA Television simulcast with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., during its NASA Social, which was previously announced. JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission for NASA.

Participants will learn about the Mars Science Laboratory mission and their respective NASA field center. They are encouraged to share their experience with others through their favorite social networks. Along with discussing MSL and Mars, participants will get a unique behind-the-scenes look at the center and the diverse work of the agency through tours and presentations with scientists, engineers and managers. The events also will provide guests the opportunity to interact with fellow social media users, space enthusiasts and members of NASA's social media team.

Registration for the five new NASA Socials opens at noon EDT, Friday, June 29, and closes at noon Tuesday, July 3. NASA randomly will select participants from online registrations. People may register for NASA Socials to be held at multiple locations, but selectees will be chosen for one event only. Each field center's social and number of guests allowed varies. For more information on each center's activities and rules pertaining to NASA Social registration, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/social

It is anticipated that Curiosity will land at Mars' Gale crater at approximately 1:31 a.m. EDT Aug. 6 (10:31 p.m. PDT Aug. 5). During the two-year prime mission, the rover will investigate whether the selected area of Mars offered environmental conditions favorable for microbial life or if evidence of it existed. For more information on the Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/msl

The public can follow the mission on Facebook and Twitter at: http://www.facebook.com/marscuriosity http://www.twitter.com/marscuriosity

For information about connecting and collaborating with NASA, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/connect

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NASA Hosts First Multi-Center Social Media Event for Mars Landing

Mon, Jun 25, 2012

In an effort to accelerate technology transfer from NASA into the hands of American businesses, industry and the public, the agency's new Technology Transfer Portal is open for business.

NASA's Technology Transfer Portal provides an Internet-based one-stop front door to the agency's unique intellectual property assets available for technology transfer and infusion into America's new technology and innovation-driven economy. NASA's Technology Transfer Program allows research and development to transfer back into the U.S. economy via licenses, patents and intellectual property agreements that often result in new innovations, products and businesses. The use of NASA technology by American businesses spurs job growth and helps maintain U.S. economic competitiveness while improving our everyday lives.

"One of NASA's highest priority goals is to streamline its technology transfer procedures, support additional government-industry collaboration and encourage the commercialization of novel technologies flowing from our federal laboratories," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "One way NASA can streamline and increase the rate of aerospace technology transfer is through tools like NASA's Technology Transfer Portal."

NASA designs technologies to solve difficult problems in space and on Earth. Some examples include NASA-developed devices designed to operate remotely and with limited servicing in the harsh environment of space, and strong and lightweight materials that can withstand the extreme temperatures of supersonic flight or space travel. NASA has designed lifesaving techniques, protocols, and tools for use when orbiting the Earth and the nearest doctor is more than 200 miles below. Closed environment recycling systems, as well as energy generation and storage methods also have useful applications here on Earth.

NASA's new tech portal simplifies and speeds access to the agency's intellectual property portfolio, much of which is available for licensing. The site features a searchable, categorized database of NASA's patents, a module for reaching out to a NASA technology transfer specialist and articles about past successful commercialization of NASA technology. Historical and real-time data for NASA's technology transfer program also are available.

"A priority of NASA is to get federally-funded new technologies into the commercial marketplace," said NASA Chief Technologist Mason Peck. "We're hopeful that entrepreneurs, businesses of all sizes and anyone looking for innovative solutions to technology problems will explore NASA's Technology Transfer Portal to find opportunities to transfer NASA technologies into innovative solutions for the nation."

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Open For Business: NASA Launches New Technology Transfer Portal

NASAs Mars Science Laboratory is on its way. In a little more than a month, the 1-ton rover, which launched in November, will descend to the Martian surface.

The nuclear-powered robot is designed to make spectacular new discoveries about the Red Planet. It will drill and analyze the Martian soil to search for signs of water, past or present, and determine whether or not the planet was ever able to support life.

MSL dwarfs its immediate predecessors, the rovers Spirit and Opportunity and could almost crush the first Martian rover, Sojourner, beneath one wheel. Bringing a robot this large down safely necessitates a never-before-attempted landing system, though the increased size has let scientists pack 10 state-of-the-art instruments aboard and should allow the robot to rove farther than any before.

Every time we land a new rover on Mars, our ability to understand the surface increases tremendously, said geologist John Grotzinger of Caltech who is the project scientist for the mission.

While scientists dont know exactly what new findings await the rover, they have good ideas of what they want to look for. The first few weeks of MSLs life on Mars are already planned out in detail and after the mission starts in earnest, researchers have a number of targets they are eager to explore.

Here, Wired takes a look at MSLs game plan after it gets its wheels on the ground on Aug. 5, and the early discoveries scientists are hoping to make.

Above:

MSLs sky crane represents a brand new way to get a rover down to the surface of Mars. When the lander approaches the ground, it will fire rockets and hover 25 feet over the surface and then gently lower the robot down on wires. This landing system represents the limits of current technology, making MSL the largest mass to ever touch down on the Red Planet.

The new method doesnt ruffle the science team too much.

Were actually really excited about the fact that weve got this guided entry capability, said Grotzinger, adding that it allowed researchers to pinpoint their landing site with greater precision than ever. People get nervous about sky crane, but its really a better landing system from a safety point of view.

Here is the original post:

What NASA’s Next Mars Rover Will Discover

ISS On-Orbit Status 06/23/12

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below. Saturday - Crew off duty.

After wakeup, CDR Kononenko performed the routine inspection of the SM (Service Module) PSS Caution & Warning panel as part of regular Daily Morning Inspection.

Joe Acaba, Andr Kuipers & Don Pettit completed their weekly post-sleep session of the Reaction Self-Test (Psychomotor Vigilance Self-Test on the ISS) protocol, the 10th for Joe, the 50th for Don & Andr. [RST is done twice daily (after wakeup & before bedtime) for 3 days prior to the sleep shift, the day(s) of the sleep shift and 5 days following a sleep shift. The experiment consists of a 5-minute reaction time task that allows crewmembers to monitor the daily effects of fatigue on performance while on ISS. The experiment provides objective feedback on neurobehavioral changes in attention, psychomotor speed, state stability, and impulsivity while on ISS missions, particularly as they relate to changes in circadian rhythms, sleep restrictions, and extended work shifts.]

FE-5 conducted the regular (~weekly) inspection & maintenance, as required, of the CGBA-4 (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 4) and CGBA-5 payloads in their ERs (EXPRESS Racks) at Lab O2 & O1, focusing on cleaning the muffler air intakes.

Kuipers also had Day 1 of the pH test and diet log entry for the Pro K pH plus controlled diet menu protocol of his 5th (FD180) Pro K Controlled Diet activity with diet logging after the urine pH spot test, for a 5-day period after start of collections. Andr will start the urine collections for pH value on Monday (6/25) and blood sampling on Tuesday (6/26). [For the Pro K (Dietary Intake Can Predict and Protect against Changes in Bone Metabolism during Spaceflight and Recovery) protocol, there are five in-flight sessions (FD15, FD30, FD60, FD120, FD180) of samplings, to be shared with the NUTRITION w/Repository protocol, each one with five days of diet & urine pH logging and photography on the last day. The crewmember prepares a diet log and then annotates quantities of food packets consumed and supplements taken. Urine collections are spread over 24 hrs; samples go into the MELFI (Minus Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS) within 30 min after collection. Blood samples, on the last day, are centrifuged in the RC (Refrigerated Centrifuge) and placed in MELFI at -80 degC. There is an 8-hr fasting requirement prior to the blood draw (i.e., no food or drink, but water ingestion is encouraged). MELFI constraints: Maximum MELFI Dewar open time: 60 sec; at least 45 min between MELFI dewar door openings. Background on pH: In chemistry, pH (Potential Hydrogen) is a measure of the acidity or basicity of a watery solution. Pure water is neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at 25 degC. Solutions with a pH less than 7 are "acidic" and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are "basic" or "alkaline". pH measurements are important in medicine, biology, chemistry, agriculture, forestry, food science, environmental science, oceanography, civil engineers and many others.]

The six Exp-31 crewmembers joined in conducting the regular weekly three-hour task of thorough cleaning of their home, including COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory) and Kibo JPM (JEM Pressurized Module). ["Uborka", usually done on Saturdays, includes removal of food waste products, cleaning of compartments with vacuum cleaner, damp cleaning of the SM dining table, other frequently touched surfaces and surfaces where trash is collected, as well as the sleep stations with a standard cleaning solution; also, fan screens and grilles are cleaned to avoid temperature rises. Special cleaning is also done every 90 days on the HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) bacteria filters in the Lab.]

As part of Uborka house cleaning, Oleg, Sergei & Gennady completed regular weekly maintenance inspection & cleaning of fan screens in the FGB (TsV2) plus Group E fan grilles in the SM (VPkhO, FS5, FS6, VP).

The CDR handled the routine daily servicing of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS) in the SM. [Regular daily SOZh maintenance consists, among else, of checking the ASU toilet facilities, replacement of the KTO & KBO solid waste containers, replacement of EDV-SV waste water and EDV-U urine containers and filling EDV-SV, KOV (for Elektron), EDV-ZV & EDV on RP flow regulator.]

Sergei Revin worked on the BTKh-26 KASKAD experiment, mixing a new sample in the KT thermal enclosure in the GB/Glavboks-S (Glovebox-S) and transferred it to the TBU-V incubator (+29 degC), as Gennady Padalka took documentary photography.

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NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 23 June 2012

Ever wonder what the crew on board the International Space Station is doing right now? Or what is the temperature of each of the orbiting outpost's modules? Or how much power is being generated at this very instant by the space station's solar array wings?

If so, NASA has an app for that.

The agency's Space Station Live! website and companion ISSLive! mobile application offers the public a new inside look at what is happening aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and in the Mission Control Center at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

More space news from msnbc.com

Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: NASA astronaut Ron Garan has built his outer-space experience into a social-media success story. So what's his secret?

Space Station Live! enables its users to see what the six expedition astronauts and cosmonauts on the complex are doing minute by minute. Streaming data from the station through Houston Mission Control lets the public view the latest details on temperatures, communications and power generation.

In addition to accessing the same telemetry used by flight controllers, Internet and smart phone users can use Space Station Live! to tour the space station and mission control operator consoles through virtual 3-D view models.

Space Station Live! is at spacestationlive.nasa.gov on the web and via the free ISSLive! app for smart phones and tablet computers linked from NASA's site. The app also is available through the Google Play and Apple iTunes app stores.

[ Top 7 Space Apps ]

Virtual Mission Control On the website and through the mobile apps, users can navigate through a realistic 3-D recreation of the space station's flight control room in Houston. They can navigate through the rows of consoles, selecting workstations such as the Flight Director's or Capcom's (spacecraft communicator) to see the type of live data they work with.

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NASA app puts space station at your fingertips

21-06-2012 14:34 On June 20, 2012, Dr. Charles Bennett and the WMAP team were awarded the Gruber Cosmology Prize. The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) was built and launched by NASA to measure a remnant of the early universe - its oldest light. The conditions of the early times are imprinted on this light. It is the result of what happened earlier, and a backlight for the later development of the universe. This light lost energy as the universe expanded over 13.7 billion years, so WMAP now sees the light as microwaves. By making accurate measurements of microwave patterns, WMAP has answered many longstanding questions about the universe's age, composition and development. This video from Goddard's tape archive features Dr. Bennett after the first results were announced in 2003. This video is public domain and can be downloaded at: Like our videos? Subscribe to NASA's Goddard Shorts HD podcast: Or find NASA Goddard Space Flight Center on Facebook: Or find us on Twitter:

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NASA | WMAP--From the Archives - Video

21-06-2012 17:48 Visit for more. At the edge of the solar system, Voyager 1 is reporting a sharp increase in cosmic rays that could herald the spacecraft's long-awaited entry into interstellar space.

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ScienceCasts: Voyager 1 at the Final Frontier - Video

NASA led the way for Americans in space, but now the U.S. space agency is actively encouraging companies to take over primary responsibility for getting in and out of Earth's orbit. Last month, a capsule built and operated by SpaceX completed a nine-day cargo-hauling mission to the International Space Station, becoming the first private-sector spacecraft to make such a journey.

But it won't be the last. Ed Mango, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, is charged with helping companies develop vehicles that could ferry astronauts and eventually, perhaps, civilians on routine trips to space. Mango visited The Times to discuss his efforts and how they could lead to a "spaceline" industry that resembles today's airlines.

What's the goal of the Commercial Crew Program?

We still have Americans in space. But we don't have a way to get there. So the motivation for this small team I have is that we are the next organization within NASA that's going to get American systems back into low Earth orbit.

Why is NASA relying on private companies instead of operating the flights itself?

It fits with what has happened in the past. Look at how the airlines got started: Air Mail was run by the government, totally. Then eventually, the government didn't want to be the ones to own airplanes, own airfields, employ the pilots all that kind of stuff. So they said, "We're going to contract this out."

That became cargo capability. And as time went on, companies said, "We can transport people, not just cargo." Thus, the birth of the airlines.

NASA has partnered with seven companies and funded four of them. Why so many?

There's more than one way to get to low Earth orbit. All seven companies have very different approaches.

We had four different capsule designs that can get to low Earth orbit. They all could work, ultimately. I think there are some that could work sooner, some that can work safer, and some that will work with less expense.

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NASA encouraging spaceflight to go commercial

21-06-2012 13:22 This visualization, created using Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter laser altimeter data, offers a view of Shackleton Crater located in the south pole of the moon. Thanks to these measurements, we now have our best-yet maps of the crater's permanently-shadowed interior! Like our videos? Subscribe to NASA's Goddard Shorts HD podcast: Or find NASA Goddard Space Flight Center on Facebook: Or find us on Twitter:

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NASA | Shackleton Crater - Video

Just over a week ago, NASA launched its NuSTAR Space Telescope that will enable scientists to study high-energy X-rays, and create clearer and more detailed pictures of some of the universe's X-ray sources, such as black holes. Yesterday, engineers at mission control in Berkeley sent a signal to the telescope, and its 33-foot mast began to expand. After 26 minutes, the mast was fully expanded, and the crew on the ground cheered. In just a few days, NuSTAR will capture its "first light" image. Above, an artist's rendering of what NuSTAR now looks like. To learn more about NuSTAR and the black holes it is set to explore, check out our interview with Fiona Harrison, the mission's principal investigator.

Below, recent Pictures of the Day:

Image: NASA.

More From The Atlantic

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Picture of the Day: NASA's NuSTAR Telescope Expands in Space

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Office of Education, in cooperation with NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD), Human Exploration & Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD), and Science Mission Directorates (SMD), the Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT), and NASA's ten Centers, solicits proposals for the NASA Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). Each funded NASA EPSCoR proposal is expected to establish research activities that will make significant contributions to the strategic research and technology development priorities of one or more of the Mission Directorates or the OCT and contribute to the overall research infrastructure, science and technology capabilities, higher education, and economic development of the jurisdiction. If submitted, Notices of Intent are due on July 20, 2012, and proposals are due on Aug. 14, 2012.

Public Law 102-588, passed in 1992, authorized NASA to initiate NASA EPSCoR to strengthen the research capability of jurisdictions that have not in the past participated equably in competitive aerospace research activities. The goal of NASA EPSCoR is to provide seed funding that will enable jurisdictions to develop an academic research enterprise directed toward long-term, self-sustaining, nationally-competitive capabilities in aerospace and aerospace-related research. This capability will, in turn, contribute to the jurisdiction's economic viability and expand the nation's base for aerospace research and development. Since its inception, NASA EPSCoR has been closely linked to the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program (Space Grant).

While proposals can be accepted only from institutions for which the NASA EPSCoR Directors are currently serving, all institutions of higher education within the jurisdiction should be given the opportunity and must be made aware of the FY 2012 NASA EPSCoR CAN. The National Science Foundation (NSF) determines overall jurisdiction eligibility for NASA EPSCoR.

Details regarding general eligibility are available at http://www.nsf.gov/od/oia/programs/epscor/eligible.jsp.

The following jurisdictions are eligible to submit up to two proposals that must be submitted through the jurisdiction PI to this NASA EPSCoR solicitation: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

South Carolina may submit up to three proposals, provided at least one of the proposals represents a project from the U.S. Virgin Islands (which currently falls under South Carolina's jurisdiction).

For more information, visit http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=init&solId={36283FDE-A756-ED4D-426B-A7C0EA1FD9A3}&path=open.

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NASA Solicits Proposals for the NASA Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research

Nasa will withdraw its request to conduct weather research at the U-tapao airbase if the Thai government fails to approve it by next Tuesday, Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul said yesterday.

A letter from Nasa, delivered by the US Embassy in Bangkok, indicated that the agency might not have enough time to prepare its equipment for the project if the government gave it a nod far too late, he said.

Nasa wants to use the U-tapao airbase for its weather-research aircraft in August and September this year, so they need to start preparing by July, he said. "Unfortunately, we will lose the chance to gain scientific knowledge for rain forecasting, if we cannot approve the project on time. It might also affect our reputation because other countries such as Cambodia and Singapore are ready to join," Surapong said.

He added that he would encourage the Cabinet to make a decision before time runs out. The Cabinet was supposed to consider Nasa's proposal weeks ago, but concerned agencies have yet to send their opinion on the project in writing, he said.

Nasa signed a joint statement with the Science Ministry's Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) since September 2010 to show their intention to conduct research in U-tapao. Communication between Bangkok and Washington began last June, when the United States proposed to hold a meeting between concerned agencies to consider details of the research. Later, Thailand asked the US to seek the opinion of governments from neighbouring countries about whether they had any concerns or reservations about the project, Surapong said.

Thailand has already sought China's opinion and Beijing has said it has no problems with the project, he said. In addition, the US had informed the Foreign Ministry earlier this year that Cambodia and Singapore had no problems if Nasa and Thai research aircraft flew over their sovereign skies, he said.

The Foreign Ministry submitted the proposal for Cabinet consideration on June 4 and sought the opinion of other concerned agencies, including the military, he said.

The agencies in charge of national security raised no concerns, he said, adding that the Foreign Ministry's Treaties and Legal Department and the Council of State had indicated that the Cabinet had the authority to make a decision on the issue, without seeking approval from Parliament.

The project became a hot political issue when the opposition Democrat Party started accusing the government of offering Nasa the use of U-tapao in exchange for a US visa for former PM Thaksin Shinawatra and demanded that the issue be taken to Parliament according to the charter's Article 190.

Defence Minister Sukampol Suwannathat also insisted that the Nasa project was purely scientific without having any implication on security matters and that China had not raised any concerns.

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Nasa sets deadline for Thailand over airbase use

When NASAs Mars Curiosity rover lands on Mars August 5, scientists say theyll be in for seven minutes of terror.

Surveying the landing process from a control station on Earth, NASAs crew wont know whats happening with the rover due to a delayed signal. It takes 14 minutes for the rovers signal to reach from Mars to Earth, meaning NASA will be observing the process on a delayed timeline.

When we first get word that weve touched the top of the atmosphere, the vehicle has been alive or dead on the surface for at least seven minutes, said engineer Adam Stelzner in a NASA video.

And its not like the landing process is simple. The rover will go through a complicated and strange series of events on its way to the surface of Mars. This oddly-gripping video outlines them all. (Its five minutes long, but its a good five minutes. Take a look.)

Hat tip to Gizmodo.

Visit seattlepi.coms home page for more Seattle news. Contact Amy Rolph at amyrolph@seattlepi.com. Find more of her stories on Twitter via @amyrolph and @bigblog or subscribe to her updates on Facebook.

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NASA says Mars landing will be ’7 minutes of terror’

Media representatives are invited to attend an event marking the arrival of NASA's first space-bound Orion spacecraft at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The event will take place at 10 a.m. EDT, Monday, July 2, at Kennedy's Operations and Checkout Building and be carried live on NASA Television and the agency's website.

The Orion spacecraft will carry astronauts farther into the solar system than ever before. It will provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space.

Speakers include:

-- Sen. Bill Nelson -- NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver -- NASA Orion Program Manager Mark Geyer -- NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration Systems Development Dan Dumbacher -- NASA Space Launch System Spacecraft and Payload Integration Manager David Beaman -- NASA Ground Systems Development and Operations Program Manager Pepper Phillips

NASA participants will discuss progress made to-date on final assembly and integration of the spacecraft, which will launch on Exploration Flight Test-1, an uncrewed mission planned for 2014. This test will see Orion travel farther into space than any human spacecraft has gone in more than 40 years. In advance of its launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., the Orion production team will apply heat shielding thermal protection systems, avionics and other subsystems to the spacecraft.

Additionally, NASA will host an interactive session from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with agency leaders and Orion Program managers to answer questions from followers of NASA's social media accounts. Followers on Twitter can ask a question during the event using the hashtag #askNASA. On NASA Facebook and Google+, a comment thread will open for questions the morning of the event.

Journalists must arrive at Kennedy's Press Site by 8:30 a.m., Monday, July 2, for transportation to the Operations and Checkout Building for a tour and the ceremony. Badges for the event can be picked up at the Kennedy Space Center Badging Office on State Road 405.

International journalists must apply for credentials by 5 p.m., Sunday, June 24, to cover the event. For U.S. journalists, the deadline to apply is 5 p.m., Thursday, June 28. All media accreditation requests must be submitted online at: https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

In 2017, Orion will be launched by NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), a heavy-lift rocket that will provide an entirely new capability for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit. Designed to be flexible for launching spacecraft for crew and cargo missions, SLS will enable new missions of exploration and expand human presence across the solar system.

Likewise, NASA's Ground Systems Development and Operations Program, managed at Kennedy, is preparing to process and launch the next-generation vehicles and spacecraft designed to achieve NASA's goals for space exploration.

Continue reading here:

NASA Invites Media To Orion Crew Module Arrival At Kennedy

WASHINGTON, June 21 (UPI) -- NASA says it has launched an Internet portal to accelerate technology transfer from the space agency to U.S. businesses, industry and the public.

The Technology Transfer Portal provides a Web-based one-stop front door to the agency's unique intellectual property assets available for technology transfer and infusion into America's new technology and innovation-driven economy, the space agency reported Thursday.

Licenses, patents and intellectual property agreements between NASA and private partners often result in new innovations, products and businesses, the agency said.

"One of NASA's highest priority goals is to streamline its technology transfer procedures, support additional government-industry collaboration and encourage the commercialization of novel technologies flowing from our federal laboratories," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said at the agency's headquarters in Washington.

The portal simplifies and speeds access to the agency's intellectual property portfolio, much of which is available for licensing, and features a searchable, categorized database of NASA's patents.

"A priority of NASA is to get federally funded new technologies into the commercial marketplace," NASA Chief Technologist Mason Peck said. "We're hopeful that entrepreneurs, businesses of all sizes and anyone looking for innovative solutions to technology problems will explore NASA's Technology Transfer Portal to find opportunities to transfer NASA technologies into innovative solutions for the nation."

NASA's Technology Transfer Portal is at http://technology.nasa.gov.

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NASA technology-sharing portal announced

NASA's super smart computer Pleiades just became a whole lot more powerful. In order to keep up with the demands of scientists and engineers working for NASA, the computer's performance was enhanced by 14% earlier this month.

Excerpt from:

NASA's World-Beating Supercomputer Gets 14% Faster

Version 1.5 of NASA Visualization Explorer (for iPad) improves on a useful science app that I reviewed in version 1.0.3. The latest version adds larger images, pinch and zoom-ability, marking of favorites, playlists of stories, and the ability to save stories for offline reading. The ability to save stories to your iPad is particularly significant. Although a fast Internet connection is still helpful in downloading storiesmost of which contain one or more videosstories saved on your iPad for later viewing will load instantly, whether you're online or not.

NASA isnt only about space; it's had a fleet of Earth-monitoring satellites for more than 40 years. NASA Visualization Explorer (for iPad) combines images, videos, and simulations from both the cosmos and our own planet in a series of informative and visually stunning stories, each highlighting a different finding or aspect of NASAs work.

Start Your Exploration

When you open the NASA Visualization Explorer (aka NASAViz) app, clicking on a menu icon at the screens lower left corner brings up the full menu of available stories, identified by title, date, and an associated image. You can also access lists of stories, sorted by topic: Earth; Planets and Moons; Sun; and Universe, as well as unread and saved stories and custom story lists.

Clicking on any of the stories brings up an image (or video) and caption, while along the bottom are thumbnails with more images and/or videos related to the caption. You can shrink the caption to show a full-screen image, or access the next story (or previous one), by clicking a right or left arrow. Holding your finger to an image lets you save it to a Photo Album on your iPad, print it, copy it, or email it, or share it to Facebook or Twitter. Stretching an image brings up a full-screen version.

At the screens lower right corner are four icons. A down arrow lets you save a story with all related images and video for offline viewing. A star arrow lets you mark stories as your personal Favorites. A plus icon lets you create custom lists of stories.

The last icon, at the lower right corner of the screen, is a right arrow. It lets you copy a story, open it in Safari on the NASAViz Web site (which includes the content of all the stories); share the storys URL to Facebook or Twitter, e-mail or text it.

A gear icon in the screens upper left corner takes you to the Control Panel, which gives you information about the app and lets you change some basic settings. The About tab discusses the apps creation by the Goddard Space Flight Center, while Instructions gives you a basic primer for using the app, and theres a button for sending feedback to the apps development team.

Stellar Content

There are plenty of timely stories, too, such as the one about the survival and amazing performance of sungrazing Comet Lovejoy, including videos of its reappearance after an exceedingly close encounter with our star. There's even a later video of the comet, now sporting a long tail, taken from the International Space Station. Another story that gained some play in the press was the discovery by NASAs Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope of antimatter bursts released by thunderstorms. It, too, is featured in NASA Visualization Explorer. Visions of Venus contains a superb video of our sister worlds transit across the face of the Sun, captured in multiple wavelengths by the Solar Dynamics Observatory.

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NASA Visualization Explorer, v.1.5 (for iPad)

WASHINGTON -- NASA and Vanderbilt University's Dyer Observatory in Brentwood, Tenn., are hosting a Summer of Innovation event for rising fifth and sixth graders in the Nashville area on Thursday afternoon. NASA Associate Administrator for Education Leland Melvin will address students and join them in hands-on, Mars-related activities. Melvin also will give a presentation to a larger audience during a special astronomy-themed concert performance in the evening.

Summer of Innovation events are part of the agency's efforts to inspire and engage middle school students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). This is the second year Dyer Observatory has partnered with NASA on the project.

Students will participate in a variety of STEM education activities throughout the week-long camp at Dyer. They also will take a field trip to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, both in Huntsville, Ala., to see flight hardware and learn about America's human spaceflight program throughout its history. Dyer will host a similar Summer of Innovation camp and field trip for rising seventh and eighth graders the week of June 25.

"The Dyer camps offer wonderful opportunities for students to hone their STEM skills in a fun and interactive way," Melvin said. "We rely on partners like Dyer to find innovative ways to encourage STEM studies. The musical astronomy component of this week's activity does just that. We are so pleased to have Beth Nielsen Chapman and The Long Players help us in this effort."

Chapman and the The Long Players are Nashville-based musicians who will perform songs from The Mighty Sky, a unique compilation of astronomy-themed songs that have associated lesson plans for middle school teachers and informal education providers. The songs for The Mighty Sky were penned by Chapman and Rocky Alvey, director of the Dyer Observatory.

During the concert, Melvin will give a presentation that highlights the agency's commitment to STEM education through NASA content. He also will share his personal experience as a two-time space shuttle astronaut. Melvin logged more than 565 hours in space during the STS-122 mission in 2008 and STS-129 in 2009.

Summer of Innovation events are taking place this summer at NASA centers and partner organizations across the country. To learn more and see highlights of the various events, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/soi

To learn more about Vanderbilt University's Dyer Observatory, visit: http://www.dyer.vanderbilt.edu/

To learn more about NASA's education programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/education

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NASA and Dyer Observatory Bring Fun Summer Learning to Nashville Middle School Students

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- The nation's space exploration program is taking a critical step forward with a successful major technical review of the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS), the rocket that will take astronauts farther into space than ever before.

The core stage is the heart of the heavy-lift launch vehicle. It will stand more than 200 feet (61 meters) tall with a diameter of 27.5 feet (8.4 meters).

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., hosted a comprehensive review. Engineers from NASA and The Boeing Co. of Huntsville presented a full set of system requirements, design concepts and production approaches to technical reviewers and the independent review board.

"This meeting validates our design requirements for the core stage of the nation's heavy-lift rocket and is the first major checkpoint for our team," said Tony Lavoie, manager of the SLS Stages Element at Marshall. "Getting to this point took a lot of hard work, and I'm proud of the collaboration between NASA and our partners at Boeing. Now that we have completed this review, we go from requirements to real blueprints. We are right on track to deliver the core stage for the SLS program."

The core stage will store liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to feed the rocket's four RS-25 engines, all of which will be former space shuttle main engines for the first few flights. The SLS Program has an inventory of 16 RS-25 flight engines that successfully operated for the life of the Space Shuttle Program. Like the space shuttle, SLS also will be powered initially by two solid rocket boosters on the sides of the launch vehicle.

The SLS will launch NASA's Orion spacecraft and other payloads, and provide an entirely new capability for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit. Designed to be safe, affordable and flexible for crew and cargo missions, the SLS will continue America's journey of discovery and exploration to destinations including nearby asteroids, Lagrange points, the moon and ultimately, Mars.

"This is a very exciting time for the country and NASA as important achievements are made on the most advanced hardware ever designed for human spaceflight," said William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for the Human Exploration Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "The SLS will power a new generation of exploration missions beyond low Earth orbit and the moon, pushing the frontiers of discovery forward. The innovations being made now, and the hardware being delivered and tested, are all testaments to the ability of the U.S. aerospace workforce to make the dream of deeper solar system exploration by humans a reality in our lifetimes."

The first test flight of NASA's Space Launch System, which will feature a configuration for a 77-ton (70-metric-ton) lift capacity, is scheduled for 2017. As SLS evolves, a two-stage launch vehicle configuration will provide a lift capability of 143 tons (130 metric tons) to enable missions beyond low Earth orbit and support deep space exploration.

Boeing is the prime contractor for the SLS core stage, including its avionics. The core stage will be built at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans using state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment. Marshall manages the SLS Program for the agency.

Across the SLS Program, swift progress is being made on several elements. The J-2X upper-stage rocket engine, developed by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne for the future two-stage SLS, is being tested at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The prime contractor for the five-segment solid rocket boosters, ATK of Brigham City, Utah, has begun processing its first SLS hardware components in preparation for an initial qualification test in 2013.

More here:

NASA Space Launch System Core Stage Moves From Concept to Design

Where a crown jewel once stood in NASAs ambitious plans for human space exploration now lies a decontaminated nuclear grave.

Current regulations bar NASA from building or researching fueled nuclear devices. Yet in a bygone era five decades ago, the space agencys future was dependent on one: the Plum Brook Reactor Facility in Sandusky, Ohio.

NASA turned on its first, last and only nuclear fission test reactor in 1961 to research nuclear-powered airplanes, then eventually nuclear-powered space rockets. But the mounting cost of the Vietnam War and waning interest in manned space exploration led President Richard Nixon to mothball the facility in 1973.

This is the only reactor facility that NASA had or has since, said Peter Kolb, an engineer at NASA Glenn Research Center who manages the reactors decommissioning program. When they shut it down, the workers didnt realize that it was going to be shut down for good. They thought, Oh, well be back in a month. But that never happened.

After 25 years of dormancy and an additional 14 years of decommissioning work, however, workers demolished the last-standing structure of the 27-acre research facility (below) on May 31, 2012.

We are expecting to have the license termination from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission sometime this summer, NASA Glenn spokesperson Sally Harrington wrote in an email to Wired.

Before the facilitys walls came tumbling down, however, NASA granted Wired an exclusive look inside. Take a tour of NASAs historic romp in nuclear research in this gallery.

Images: 1) Kolb stands where an 80-ton lead door once cordoned off a rear entrance to a hot laboratory. A crane would lift irradiated experiments into thick-walled rooms where workers could study them. (Copyright Dave Mosher) 2) NASAs mothballed Plum Brook Nuclear Reactor facility in 1981. (NASA)

Updated: In addition to Plum Brooks nuclear fission reactor, NASA also developed two nuclear fusion devices SUMMA and Bumpy Torus. Both were at NASA Lewis (now Glenn) Research Center, but the experiments never achieved ignition. A clarification was added to this story on June 21, 2012 at 11 a.m. EDT.

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Tour the Tomb of NASA's First and Last Nuclear Fission Reactor