"Hacking for Humanity", OSTP

"Hacking for Humanity"--never thought you'd hear that phrase, right? Well, Google, Microsoft, NASA, The World Bank, and Yahoo! have joined forces to turn that into a reality and bring us Random Hacks of Kindness, an initiative that brings together the sustainable development, disaster risk management, and software developer communities to solve real-world problems with technology."

Keith's note: Nice idea. Sounds like a worthy cause. I have always wanted to see how one of these events works. Too bad no one outside of a small group of digerati at NASA knew about it until the last minute. This notice was posted at OSTP's blog at 5:05 pm on 3 June 2010 regarding an event that runs from 5-6 June. That's little more than 36 hours notice. On the event link referenced by the OSTP posting they make mention of a reception at the State Department on 4 June that required registration on 31 May i.e. 4 days prior to the first official posting at OSTP. In other words, only a select few even knew about this event. And even if you saw this posting at OSTP and followed the subsequent link to the event registration page you'd need a time machine in order to attend the reception.

In addition, there is no mention of this event at NASA's main home page, news page, NASA CIO page, NASA IPP, Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, International and Interagency Relations, Office of the Chief Technologist, etc. even though CIO and CTO staff at NASA HQ and several field centers are participants in the event -- and all of these offices would certainly seem to have some interest in an event with the State Department, OSTP, and the World Bank - one with a global outreach context. Yet if you go to the RHOK website you see NASA's logo.

Clearly, based on OSTP's posting and the NASA branding on the RHOK website, this is an activity officially sanctioned by NASA. Yet no one at the agency seems to have been at all interested in getting people outside a small circle of usual suspects to participate. Yet another example of closed openness and minimal transparency at NASA. When this sort of stealth planning is standard fare at NASA, how the agency ever expects to practice what they preach with regard to being "open" and "responsive" to the public simply escapes me.

Huntsville leaders to 'turn up the noise' about importance of Constellation space program, Huntsville Times

"Huntsville leaders fighting Obama administration plans to scuttle NASA's Constellation program said Friday they want to work with the current Congress to secure the program's future rather than risk success on who might be in Washington after the November election. So they want to "turn up the noise," Mayor Tommy Battle said. They want people to show Congress their support for the manned space flight program by e-mail, letters, phone calls, web videos and other ways of getting Washington's attention."

Help sought for NASA workers, Houston Chronicle

"The Houston region could lose as many as 7,000 jobs at Johnson Space Center and among NASA contractors as a result of threatened cutbacks in the manned space program sought by President Barack Obama. The requested assistance draws upon the same U.S. Labor Department program that provided Florida's Brevard Workforce Development Board Inc. $15 million in emergency assistance to help roughly 3,200 contract and subcontract workers along Florida's Space Coast."

Ideas abound to save jobs as shuttle program ends, AP

"NASA and Florida's congressional delegation have been pushing the Obama administration to add a third launch next June. Some also have asked the president to reconsider ending the Constellation program, though Congress will make the final decision. "I am not satisfied at this point that the president's plan is the best plan for men in space," said Florida Rep. Alan Grayson, who was on the panel along with fellow Democratic Rep. Suzanne Kosmas."

SpaceX boss: 70-80 % chance of success for Falcon 9 launch, Orlando Sentinel

"Musk conceded that, historically, maiden launches of rockets have had no better than a 50 percent success rate. Their first three launches of a smaller SpaceX rocket, the Falcon 1, failed."

SpaceX cargo rocket set for high-profile maiden flight, CNet

"But in a major change, SpaceX has proposed launching the COTS-2 spacecraft on an actual resupply mission to the space station. The company originally planned to make the first rendezvous on the third COTS mission but Musk said it made more sense to move ahead with an actual rendezvous and to use the third flight as an operational backup."

SpaceX Targets Falcon 9 Launch for Friday, KSC Daily News Employee Update

"SpaceX is preparing the Falcon 9 rocket for its first test launch attempt Friday morning from Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The rocket will carry a mock-up of a Dragon spacecraft. There will not be a crew aboard the rocket. The four-hour launch window opens at 11 a.m., and the weather forecast calls for a 60 percent chance of acceptable conditions. If the weather cooperates, SpaceX will provide a live webcast of the launch events, scheduled to begin 20 minutes prior to the opening of the launch window. If weather or other difficulties do not allow a Friday launch attempt, SpaceX can launch Saturday during the same window."

Keith's note: I find it interesting (and somewhat amusing) how KSC PAO felt that it was necessary to tell employees that "there will not be a crew aboard the rocket". Gee, wouldn't you think that everyone at KSC (and the rest of the space community) would have known by now if there was going to be a crew aboard - especially since flying crew would mean that the "gap" had just disappeared?

SpaceX Hosts Teleconference to Discuss First Test Launch of Falcon 9

"SpaceX will host a teleconference call at 11:15am EDT on Thursday, June 3, to discuss and take questions on the first test launch of the Falcon 9. The inaugural flight of Falcon 9 will be a test flight and will launch a Dragon spacecraft qualification unit into orbit to provide SpaceX with valuable aerodynamic and performance information. The Falcon 9 launch vehicle is expected to launch from the Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on June 4, 2010. A live webcast of the launch will be available on the SpaceX website at http://www.spacex.com/webcast.php."

Keith's note: On 7 May 2007 Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh visited NASA GSFC. Apparently NASA Administrator Michael Griffin did not understand the protocol that goes with attending a reigning monarch in a public event. Note his awkward posture and the way that the security guys made him stand back when he got too close to the Queen.

And to all of you who wonder why I posted this video: Mike Griffin purposefully and deliberately continues to insert himself into undermining the Obama Administrations' space policy. The same awkward approach apparent in this video is evident in his current efforts to torpedo what NASA is trying to do. In so doing he makes himself totally relevant to the things that NASA Watch covers.

Sean O'Keefe, Dan Goldin, Dick Truly etc. do not do this. Hence you do not see them featured on NASA Watch. Alas, Mike Griffin just can't fight the urge to fiddle with things and continues to be a factor. As such, he's on NASA Watch's radar. That's how it works folks.

NASA And Commerce Present Update On Space Industry Task Force

"NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke will present an update about the Presidential Task Force on Space Industry Work Force and Economic Development at 10 a.m. EDT on Friday, June 4. The event will be held in the ballroom of the Orlando Airport Hyatt Hotel, Intercontinental Ballroom, Section 5, 9300 Airport Blvd., Orlando, Fla. The event will be carried live on NASA Television and also available on line."

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden To Hold Town Hall Meeting on Space Coast Economy

"The Task Force, co-chaired by Locke and Bolden, is leading the initiative to coordinate and implement a plan to grow the region's economy and prepare its workers for the opportunities of tomorrow. The interagency effort will build on and complement ongoing local and federal economic and workforce development efforts."

A public Web site has been developed as a method for displaying the multitude of radar imagery collected by NASA’s Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIR-SAR) instrument during its 16-year mission. Utilizing NASA’s internal AIRSAR site, the new Web site features more sophisticated visualization tools that enable the general public to have access to these images.

Space X update 4:53 pm EDT: Preliminary indications from NASA's recovery ship Freedom Star is that a debris field has been encountered in the area where the first stage was expected to be. Observation airfcraft confirmed the debris field. No parachutes were observed during descent. Apparently the Falcon 9 first stage hit the water rather hard. Initial impact location is 32 deg 07'N, 069 deg 15'W.

Space X update 4:40 pm EDT: Orbital info: Nominal shutdown and orbit was almost exactly 250km.  Telemetry showed essentially a bullseye: ~0.2% on perigee and ~1% on apogee.

Congressman Posey's Statement on Today's Space Workforce Town Hall Meeting in Orlando

"Congressman Bill Posey (R-Rockledge) released the following statement in regards to this morning's town hall meeting conducted by Commerce Secretary Locke, NASA Administrator Bolden and Democrat Members of Congress on the future of the space workforce. Administration officials removed Space Coast Congressman Rep. Posey from the invitation list. "I'm disappointed that the Administration chose to inject partisanship into what really should be a serious and non-partisan effort to help address the needs of Florida's aerospace workforce."

Transcript: Space Industry Task Force Update

Commerce Secretary Locke: "I know that for many people here in Central Florida, that promising future might seem very, very distant right now. The region has endured some of the worst of the economic crisis that has afflicted the entire nation has to offer. A lot of homes have been lost. Businesses have closed their doors. The unemployment rate has been running at some 2 percentage points higher than the national average, and, of course, the region is now facing the impending retirement of the Space Shuttle program, which will cause even further job losses and hardship. The Space Shuttle retirement, of course, was announced many, many years ago, even before President Obama even announced his candidacy for the United States Presidency, but that doesn't make it any easier on the NASA workers and their families or the businesses that depend on those NASA families for work. Before I leave here today, I hope all of you will walk away with one unambiguous message. We are committed to this region, and the measures that President Obama took to restore our national economy are beginning to work, and we're developing a very ambitious and targeted plan to revitalize the Space Coast region."

NASA Administrator's Statement on First Falcon 9 Launch

"Congratulations to Space X on today's launch of its Falcon 9 launch vehicle. Space X's accomplishment is an important milestone in the commercial transportation effort and puts the company a step closer to providing cargo services to the International Space Station. "Preparations are proceeding for the first NASA-sponsored test launch under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services project later this year. COTS is a vital development and demonstration partnership to create a commercial space transportation system capable of providing cargo to the station. "This launch of the Falcon 9 gives us even more confidence that a resupply vehicle will be available after the space shuttle fleet is retired."

Kosmas Statement on SpaceX Falcon 9 Test Launch

"But we must both support the emerging commercial space industry and ensure a robust, NASA-led human spaceflight program in order to maintain our international leadership in space and keep our economy strong. I will continue fighting at every opportunity to minimize the human spaceflight gap, protect jobs, and ensure a bright future for the Space Coast."

Space Industry Leaders and Astronauts Congratulate SpaceX on Historic Flight of Falcon 9 Vehicle, CSF

"Space industry leaders, astronauts, and the Commercial Spaceflight Federation are issuing the following statements following today's launch of the Falcon 9 vehicle: ... "

Hutchison Statement on SpaceX Test Flight

"This first successful test flight of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is a belated sign that efforts to develop modest commercial space cargo capabilities are showing some promising signs. While this test flight was important, the program to demonstrate commercial cargo and crew transport capabilities, which I support, was intended to enhance not replace NASA's own proven abilities to deliver critical cargo and humans to low Earth orbit. Make no mistake, even this modest success is more than a year behind schedule, and the project deadlines of other private space companies continue to slip as well. This test does not change the fact that commercial space programs are not ready to close the gap in human spaceflight if the space shuttle is retired this year with no proven replacement capability and the Constellation program is simultaneously cancelled as the President proposes."

Falcon 9 launches successfully, Politico

"Republican Sen. Richard Shelby, whose state of Alabama is also a NASA stronghold, further decried the launch as a display merely replicating what "NASA accomplished in 1964." "Belated progress for one so-called commercial provider must not be confused with progress for our nation's human space flight program," Shelby said. "As a nation, we cannot place our future space flight on one fledgling company's definition of success."

Keith's note: This is hilarious. Ares 1-X was a suborbital mission with a fake second stage, a first stage motor different than the final one, and used borrowed avionics. Falcon 9 flew an operational vehicle first time out of the hanagr and put a payload into orbit at a small fraction of the cost that an Ares would require. Falcon 9 has a better chance of closing the gap than Ares 1 will. Apparently the good senator (her staff that is) are utterly unaware of the fact that Ares 1 will not achieve any of its milestones until after Falcon 9 has already done so. Yet we never hear anything from her about that, do we?

As for Sen Shelby's comments, It would seem that SpaceX is better equipped to do what "NASA accomplished in 1964" than the NASA of 2010 can accomplish - and do so faster - and more cheaply. Ares 1 would cost much more and be ready later than Falcon 9.

Keith's note: After a last second halt in the countdown earlier in the day the Falcon 9 launch vehicle made a perfect climb to orbit at 2:45 pm EDT. All indications are that the vehicle performed flawlessly. So much for the commerical space haters out there - they are eating Falcon feathers right now.

Space X update 4:40 pm EDT: Orbital info: Nominal shutdown and orbit was almost exactly 250km.  Telemetry showed essentially a bullseye: ~0.2% on perigee and ~1% on apogee.

What will you say if SpaceX's test rocket fails?, Alan Stern, The Space Review

"Why is the Falcon 9 crucial? In part this is because NASA is relying on it to help ship equipment and supplies to keep our $100-billion space station operable and functioning after the Space Shuttle is retired. It is also crucial because its lower price is critical to NASA's science program. And, in part, it is crucial because the Falcon 9 has become a proxy for the success of the commercial space flight industry."

Preparations for First Falcon 9 Test Launch, SpaceX

"Friday 4 June 2010: Launch Window Opens: 11:00 AM Eastern / 8:00 AM Pacific / 1500 UTC, Launch window lasts 4 hours. SpaceX has also reserved a second launch day on Saturday 5 June, with the same hours As always, weather will play a significant role in our overall launch schedule. The weather experts at the Cape are giving us a 40% chance of "no go" conditions for both days of our window, citing the potential for cumulus clouds and anvil clouds from thunderstorms."

Protester Takes Over Microphone, Disrupts Conference as NASA Official Takes The Stage, PeTA

"A PETA supporter took the stage and microphone this weekend just before a speech by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden at the National Space Society's International Space Development Conference. As Bolden looked on, the protester asked that NASA halt plans to fund a cruel and wasteful radiation experiment on monkeys. She spoke uninterrupted by the crowd for several minutes and received a few cheers from the audience before being escorted off the stage."

Keith's note: Advice to PeTA: if you want to get the media's attention, then going to lovefests among true believers such as ISDC - which never gets mainstream media coverage - is a waste of your time. Indeed, people at the event tell me that the next day attendees staged a mock demonstration making fun of PeTA.

Human Missions Throughout the Outer Solar System: Requirements and Implementations, APL

"Distance scales and mission times set the top-level engineering requirements for in situ space exploration. To date, the implementation of various planetary gravity assists and long-term mission operations has made for a better cost-trade than technology development to decrease flight times. Similarly, crewed missions to date have not had mission time limits per se as drivers to implementation. However, unconstrained cruise times to the outer solar system are not acceptable for either robotic sample returns or human crews. Galactic cosmic ray fluxes likely provide a human limit for total mission times of ~5 years, and more restrictive limits may be driven by lack of gravity. We consider the implications for taking humans to the Neptune system and back, and, using this example, we deduce the minimum-cost path to realizing human exploration of the entire solar system by 2100."

Live Webcams On Devon Island

"There are several webcams currently in operation on Devon Island in Support of the Arthur Clarke Mars Greenhouse located at the HMP Research Station. The greenhouse was installed on Devon Island in the summer of 2002. These webcams update once a day, conditions permitting, through the greenhouse's autonomous systems using an MSAT satellite connection. One webcam is pointed north at the greenhouse itself. The other webcam is located inside the greenhouse and is pointing south, showing the automated plant growing system."

More Boulders As Seen By Lunar Orbiter 2

"This high resolution image, subframe 2128_H2, was taken by Lunar Orbiter 2 on 22 November 1966 at 20:18:27 GMT. Two areas containing craters filled with boulders have been highlighted. Enlarged versions of these locations are shown below. With a resolution of approximately 1 meter/pixel, the smallest boulders visible are several meters across."

Space Shuttles, 5d Mark II's and ipads, oh my!, scottaudette.com

"An Apple WiFi iPad, a Canon 5d Mark II with a WFT-4e II A, a three-year-old linksys broadband router, a first gen REV. A, a Sprint Aircard and some duct tape ... watch out, Macgruber, you've got nothing on us. And what did all of the above give us? A camera that took wicked awesome photos on an iPad out the window of the Reuters trailer at the Kennedy Space Center and all from the comfort of the Hampton Inn in Titusville, Florida. What's the point? My cohorts Joe Skipper, Pierre Ducharme & Michael Berrigan and I have been running a system of cameras at the space center that allows us to get our images back quickly from cameras stationed around the launch pad. This has been fairly successful, but there is always room for improvement."

AIAA Applauds Federal Measures Assisting Transition of Space Shuttle Professionals

"[AIAA President Dr. Mark J.] Lewis continued: "The Labor Department's decision, in tandem with Rep. Suzanne Kosmas' (FL-24) recently introduced 'Space to Schools Act' - which encourages former space shuttle program workers with relevant aerospace experience to qualify as elementary, secondary, or vocational school teachers, by providing up to $10,000 per worker for required teacher training - represent concrete, first steps by the government to assist the transition of space shuttle professionals."

Feds Hope Grant Will Launch NASA Employees Future, CBS4

"The federal government is hoping a new multi-million dollar grant will help soon-to-be unemployed NASA workers launch their new careers. The money is needed for thousands of full-time contractors who work on the space shuttle program."

JSC community left out of $15 million aid package, Houston Chronicle

"The Obama administration dealt another symbolic blow to Houston's space community Wednesday by delivering $15 million in assistance to help Florida aerospace workers get new jobs after the shuttle fleet retires this year. No such money so far has been promised to the Johnson Space Center. "No one should be surprised by this," said Bob Mitchell, head of the Bay Area Economic Partnership. "This is a political statement by the White House and an attempt by this administration to divide the states."

Displaced NASA workers get $15 million from Labor, The Hill

"Today, these hard-working Americans need and deserve our support, and I am pleased that this grant will allow them to upgrade their skills further and gain access to work opportunities in high demand industries," Solis said."

US Department of Labor announces $15 million grant to assist workers in Florida affected by end of Space Shuttle Program

"We must take every step possible to maintain the Space Coast's highly skilled workforce, and this grant will provide critical support to workers and help them find new job opportunities in our community," said Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, who represents Florida's District 24 and joined Secretary Solis in making the grant announcement. "At the same time, I will continue working to minimize the human space flight gap and attract new businesses to the Space Coast in order to strengthen and diversify our economy."

The Star of the International Space Conference, PeTA

"Some people just can't take a little bit of constructive criticism. Over the weekend, a PETA supporter took to the stage at the National Space Society's International Space Development Conference to interrupt a speech by NASA administrator Charles Bolden. Today, we received a phone call from Gary Barnhard, executive director of the National Space Society, threatening to sue us if we released details of the microphone takeover to the media. Ground control to Major Tom? Wondering what happened that the National Space Society doesn't want you to see"

Keith's note: Gary: Your comments just make the NSS sound increasingly out of touch with reality and utterly incapable of accomodating dissenting points of view. Was PeTA being rude and counter productive by interupting your event? Yes, of course they were. I have yet to see this sort of tactic yield any productive results as far as NASA is concerned. But you are over reacting by threatening to sue them if they talk about events that HUNDREDS of people saw. I probaby would not have posted this video had it not been for your goofy threats. Get a grip Gary. Seriously.

Gary Barnhard: "There were no goofy threats. What they said was absolutely incorrect. I am surprised you did not check your sources. I called PETA and pointed out that the matter had been dealt with at the conference in a professional manner with no charges being pressed to date. In light of the same I requested that they drop the issue from their press release circulation noting that it could indeed create problems for the young lady in question. The 10 seconds of video was in no way stifled. General Bolden's response was most forgiving and professional. Where is the story here? You have been played."

Keith's 6:44 pm update: I owe Gary an apology for sloppiness on my part. I just spoke with Gary by phone. He told me at no time did he threaten legal action - about anything associated with this incident - either at the ISDC in Chicago or afterwards by phone. I spoke at length with Ashley Gonzalez at PeTA today by phone. I asked her several times, specifically, if Gary had "threatened legal action" over the phone to people at PeTA as is stated in the PeTA blog posting. Ashely said "yes" emphatically each time I asked. Someone is not telling the truth - and it is starting to sound like its PeTA.

Keith's 9:27 pm update: PeTA is sticking to their story and I am told to expect a formal statement reiterating their claim tomorrow. I'm starting to get a headache trying to figure out who is - and is not - telling the truth.

Gary P. Barnhard:

"FROM: Gary P. Barnhard, Executive Director, National Space Society
TO: Keith Cowing, NASAWatch
SUBJECT: Request for Official NSS Statement

Dear Keith: NASAwatch carried the following statement this evening . . . Keith's 10:30 pm update: Ashley Gonzales from PeTA sent me this official statement: "NSS CEO Gary Barnhard called an administrative assistant at PETA today and threatened to prosecute us "to the fullest extent of the law" if we sent a news release to the media about a PETA member who to took over the microphone in protest of NASA's cruel animal experiments. ... ." I categorically deny making any such statement. The assertion that I had done so is utter nonsense. The PeTA press re"lease had already been sent out. In fact I discovered it on NASAwatch. - Gary Barnhard"

Keith's 3 June 12:26 am update: After a phone call from Gary at midnight, I no longer know who to believe. As far as I am concerned both NSS and PeTA are simultaneously telling the truth - and lying - unless someone can produce an audio recording of this phone call.

TV Station Finds Missing Moon Rock, 7 News

"The station decided to call former Gov. John Vanderhoof to find out if he remembered what happened to the plaque presented to him by NASA astronaut Jack Lousma on Jan. 9, 1974. "Well, governor, what do you know about these moon rocks? Where are they?" a reporter asked. "They're in my house, in my display of things," he said. Vanderhoof, 88, said he didn't know what to do with the display once he left office so he simply decided to take it with him. He said he did not know it was worth $5 million on the black market."