Video: Cockpit screen view: NASTAR SpaceShip Two Centrifuge Simulation of 100% Acceleration Profile

This video is from a 11 May 2011 centrifuge run at the NASTAR center with SwRI scientist Cathy Olkin in the cockpit. The view simulates what one would see on a suborbital flight profile aboard Virgin Galactic's SpaceShip Two. These centrifuge rides are an integral feature of the NASTAR Center's suborbital scientist astronaut training program.

Video: External View: NASTAR Centrifuge 100% SpaceShip Two Acceleration Profile

This video shows SwRI scientist Con Tsang's 100% acceleration ride on a SpaceShip Two profile on 11 May 2011 as part of the NASTAR Center's suborbital scientist astronaut training program.

Jim Adams, Deputy Director for NASA's Planetary Science Division Presentation (PDF), NASA

Marc's note: The following presentation made by Jim Adams to the Planetary Protection Committee on May 10th includes the latest information on the three Discovery Mission candidates along with Decadal budget planning information .

NASTAR Suborbital Scientist Astronaut Training: Full Acceleration Flight Profile Centrifuge Runs (archived video)

Keith's note: My three centrifuge runs - Virgin Galactic SpaceShip Two flight profiles - one at 50% acceleration and two at 100% acceleration - starts at 51:50 in the archived webcast. As you can see, we all had a great time. Let me tell you, the experience of pulling 6Gs is utterly exhilarating. With the proper training (such as NASTAR provides) and the right mindset, the more you do it, the better you get at it - and the more you want to do it - for real.

Going Suborbital at NASTAR, earlier post

Meeting of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), OSTP

"PRIMARY TOPICS: ... National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Research ... KEY SPEAKERS: Charles Bolden, Administrator, NASA"

Heavy Lift Rocket Standoff on Capitol Hill

"Although Bolden often tosses out a laundry list of places NASA could go (asteroids, Moon, Mars etc.) none of these destinations is firmly anchored in a real plan that is being implemented. Add in funding uncertainties and NASA is not likely to make its mind up any time soon."

NASA HQ Award: News Clipping Services

"The News Clipping Services contract is a firm-fixed-price contract with a maximum ordering value of $557,447.00. The effective ordering period is five years from the date of award. Under the contract, the work at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC includes news clipping services."

Keith's note: Year after year the same company gets the same contract. Apparently no one else in America can provide this service. Amazing. Of course, if you have ever seen this product you will know that it never accurately reflects the "news" out in the real world that truly concerns/affects NASA - just a toned-down, politically correct version thereof - all for $100,000 a year for an exclusive audience inside NASA. Despite the fact that this internal news service is paid for with tax dollars, taxpayers can never see it. Neither can employees at field centers. Open government? Not in this instance.

Conrad Foundation: Student-developed 'STEM Bar' to fly aboard Endeavour on STS-134

"High school entrepreneurs Mikayla and Shannon Diesch, winners of the 2010 Conrad Foundation Spirit of Innovation Awards, will be at the launch of STS-134 as they watch Endeavour journey to the International Space Station with their newly developed STEM Bar aboard. Since winning the 2010 competition, the Diesch sisters have continued to develop the nutrition bar concept for use as a tool to inspire their peers to study science, technology engineering and math and seek careers in aerospace. Team AM Rocks including team members, Ethan Rutherford, Naomi Joseph and the Diesch sisters, created Solar Flare: the Star bar and won the 2010 Spirit of Innovation Awards. This concept was the catalyst for the development of the STEM bar, which is launching on Endeavour Monday."

NASA HQ Solicitation: Space Shuttle 30th Anniversary: The Space Philarmonic (sp)

"NASA/HQ has a requirement for an ensemble by The Space Philharmonic group to perform a symphonic concert in honor of the 50th Anniversary of Human Space Flight: The Kennedy Legacy scheduled to take place on May 25th, 2011. NASA/HQ intends to purchase the service from Round Stone consulting, L.L.C. pursuant to FAR 13.106, for the acquisition of supplies or services determined to be reasonably available from only one source. The Space Philharmonic is a group of musicians largely made up of members of the National Symphony Orchestra. The Kennedy Legacy will feature pieces of music dedicated to space flight. The concert will highlight Kennedy's Moon Speech; Alan Shepard's milestone of the first American in space; and the 30th Anniversary of the Space Shuttle."

NASA HQ Solicitation: The Kennedy Legacy: 50th Anniversary of U.S. Human Space Flight

"NASA/HQ has a requirement for a venue and associated services to host a free concert in honor of NASA's 50th Anniversary of U.S. Human Spaceflight: "The Kennedy Legacy" scheduled to take place on May 25th, 2011. NASA/HQ intends to purchase the items from John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts pursuant to FAR 13.106, for the acquisition of supplies or services determined to be reasonably available from only one source."

Keith's note: Of course, the only tickets available in advance for this exclusive, yet-to-be-announced event will probably only be available to VIPs, NASA employees and their families (that's the standard procedure). As for the cost of this exclusive concert? Who knows. NASA now takes 6+ months to respond to FOIA requests, so that is a waste of time. P.S. the operative word in this solicitation is actually spelled "Philharmonic".

This Kennedy Center event on 25 May 2011: NASA presents: Human Spaceflight: The Kennedy Legacy notes: "This is a FREE event; reserved seating tickets are required. Tickets will be distributed, two (2) per person in line, beginning at 5 p.m. in the Hall of Nations on the day of the performance. Please note that free parking is NOT available when picking up free tickets or attending free performances." But of course NASA will already have the lion's share of these tickets handed out in advance, thus forcing everyone else to drive into town, park (at their own expense) and then wait in line for hours for a chance to get tickets. Why not try doing this online? Nah. That's too 21st century.

NASA's $10B rocket plan recycles shuttle parts, draws flak, Orlando Sentinel

"... critics are already deriding the plan as "a rocket to nowhere" that would pay billions to the aerospace industry to perpetuate the use of 30-year-old shuttle technology while further postponing resolution of a fundamental question: What's the mission of NASA's human-spaceflight program? "What we seem to have is a desire to spend money on rockets in the hopes that we will develop a mission one day," said Jeff Greason, member of the 2009 presidential committee that looked at the future of U.S. human spaceflight."

A NASA technology originally developed for plant growth experiments on space shuttle missions has successfully reduced the painful side effects resulting from chemotherapy and radiation treatment in bone marrow and stem cell transplant patients. In a two-year clinical trial, cancer patients undergoing bone marrow or stem cell transplants were given a far-red/near-infrared light emitting diode (LED) treatment called High Emissivity Aluminiferous Luminescent Substrate, or HEALS, to treat oral mucositis — a common and extremely painful side effect of chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

Wolf Statement At U.S. - China Commission Hearing On Military and Civil Space Programs in China

"Most countries expanding their space programs are strong U.S. allies that are primarily interested in advancing science research or building a commercial space industry. The Chinese, however, do not fall into this category. Over the last decade, China has developed its space program at a surprising pace. In less than 10 years the Chinese have gone from launching their first manned spacecraft to unveiling plans last week for an advanced Chinese space station designed to rival the International Space Station."

More posts on NASA and China

NASA Shuttle MMT Green Lights Continuing Endeavour Countdown

"The shuttle Mission Management Team is giving space shuttle Endeavour's launch team the green light to continue the countdown for Monday's 8:56 a.m. EDT liftoff. The MMT met this afternoon at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and reviewed how launch preparations for Endeavour's STS-134 mission are progressing. During a news conference on NASA Television following the MMT, Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach said the countdown is going extremely well and the team is ready to go."

Commercial Space Transportation: Industry Trends and Key Issues Affecting Federal Oversight and International Competitiveness

"Since GAO reported on the commercial space launch industry in 2006 and 2009, the industry has evolved and moved further toward space tourism. Commercial space tourism promises to make human space travel available to the public for the first time. In addition, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) plans to use private companies to transport cargo, and eventually personnel, to the International Space Station after NASA retires the space shuttle later in 2011. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) oversees the safety of commercial space launches, licensing and monitoring the safety of such launches and of commercial spaceports (sites for launching spacecraft), and promotes the industry."

Subcommittee Evaluates FAA Commercial Space Flight Budget

"The Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004 included two related provisions that were the subject of much of today's discussion: the first authorized AST to regulate commercial human space flight launch systems; the second prohibited AST from regulating commercial human space flight for eight years in order to give space tourism companies an opportunity to design, develop and operate new and experimental launch systems. December 2012 marks the end of the eight-year regulatory ban, and the debate centered around the need for extending the ban."

Democrats Seek Answers on Scope / Timing of FAA Plans to Regulate Safety of Commercial Space Transportation

"After the hearing, Representative Edwards said: "We still need to better understand the implications of having FAA operate as both the regulator and promoter of commercial space transportation safety. As NASA moves forward, they will need to work closely with private industry to rigorously address the issues of safety, regulatory authority, and liability in commercial space transportation to ensure the well-being of the public in space, near-space, and on the ground."

Hearing Charter: Office of Commercial Space Transportation's Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Request

"To date only one company, Virgin Galactic, is known to be actively testing a prototype sub- orbital commercial human spaceflight vehicle. SpaceShipTwo, a larger version of the Ansari X-Prize winner, is undergoing unpowered atmospheric testing in California. According to the company, hundreds of interested purchasers have already placed down-payments with Virgin Galatic for the privilege of flying on their spacecraft once commercial flights get underway."

Henry Hertzfeld Statement

"Until recently, the OCST focus for human space flight regulations has been on sub? orbital vehicles and passengers. The experimental permit period will end soon without any database on flights, safety, or passengers. This experimental period should be continued, but instead of an arbitrary period of years being designated for the sunset of that provision, other tests should be developed to determine when the regulations should be re?evaluated by Congress."

Statement of George Nield, Associate FAA Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation

"Throughout the past 50 years, NASA has become the world leader in human spaceflight, amassing vast experience and a wonderful track record in space travel. There is no equal. Similarly, during the past 50 years, the FAA has achieved a stunning record of safety in commercial aviation. We are now leveraging that half-century of experience and safety acumen in our regulation and oversight of the commercial space transportation industry."

NASA STS-134 Update: Endeavour Launch No Earlier Than Monday, May 16

"NASA managers met Friday afternoon and determined space shuttle Endeavour will launch no earlier than Monday, May 16 at 8:56 a.m. EDT. This weekend, technicians will continue to repair and retest electrical circuitry that caused a postponement of Endeavour's April 29 launch attempt. NASA will air a news conference Monday at 3 p.m., to discuss the status of the work."

Space Adventures Looks Ahead To Commercial Lunar Missions

"As part of a market sizing exercise for NASA's Commercial Crew Development bid, submitted on behalf of the Boeing Company, Space Adventures estimates that by 2020 approximately 140 more private individuals will have launched to orbital space. These participants would include private individuals, corporate, university and non-profit researchers, lottery winners and journalists. Destinations would include the International Space Station, commercial space stations and orbital free-flys."

Is our space vision still shortsighted?, MSNBC

"I think with regard to this year's budget, the match is reasonable," [Norm] Augustine said. "But if we're to have a program of the type that we described as attractive in the report that we put out, there's not enough money in the out years to do it. The question is whether we'll add that money in the out years or not. If we don't have it, then we're probably pursuing the wrong program. If we add the money, then this will be the right program, in my judgment." What does he think it will take? "Unless that money is increased by about $3 billion a year, real dollars, over what it was at the time we did our study, then this whole thing is very tenuous," he said. "But if that funding is made available ... the path we're on so far is very consistent with what I think most of us would see as a sensible program."

AIP FYI Number 53: May 6, 2011 House and Senate Authorizers Skeptical About Implementation of NASA Legislation

"Hearings before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and the House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics revealed considerable skepticism about NASA's realigned human spaceflight program. At both March hearings there were bipartisan complaints that the Administration disregarded key provisions of the NASA reauthorization act in the formulation of the FY 2012 budget request, and doubts that the Administration was committed to fully implementing this legislation. The tone of these hearings was different from that of House and Senate appropriations hearings. While appropriators doubted that a crew capsule and heavy lift launch vehicle would be delivered on time, and questioned the degree to which Constellation hardware was being employed in the new configuration, the mood at the House and Senate hearings was generally positive and low key."

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden's Statement About The 50th Anniversary Of U.S. Human Spaceflight

"With the same spirit of innovation and grit of those early days of space flight, we now move out on an exciting path forward where we will develop the capabilities to take humans to even more destinations in the solar system. With our support and assistance, commercial companies will expand access to that rarefied area Alan Shepard first trod for America, allowing NASA to focus on those bigger, more challenging destinations and to enable our science missions to peer farther and farther beyond our solar system."

Yuri's Night Announces Winners Of 2011 Space Contest Series

"Over the last two months, Yuri's Night has received hundreds of outstanding and inspiring space-themed videos, photos, and advertisements from around the world, and even more entries for our Global Sweepstakes. Without further ado, here are the winners and runners-up for each of our contests: ..."

Image: Sunset Over Western South America As Seen From Orbit

"Sunset over western South America is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 27 crew member on the International Space Station. Crew members onboard the space station see, on average, sixteen sunrises and sunsets during a 24-hour orbital period. Each changeover between day and night on the ground is marked by the terminator, or line separating the sunlit side of Earth from the side in darkness. While the terminator is conceptualized as a hard boundary - and is frequently presented as such in graphics and visualizations - in reality the boundary between light and dark is diffuse due to scattering of light by Earth's atmosphere."

Image of a Psychedelic Stellar Nursery

"An all-time favorite of skywatchers on both hemispheres, the Lagoon Nebula (Messier 8 or M8) is among the most striking examples of a stellar nursery in our neighborhood of the Milky Way galaxy. Visible in small telescopes and binoculars its fuzzy glow reveals the type of chaotic environment where new stars are born."