Road Atlanta NASA SE March 15, 2015
I created this video for drivers interested in Track Days, but have yet to try. This was my second weekend with the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) Southeast Region at Road Atlanta in...
By: Randy Sluder
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NASA RMC 2015-- Practice Pit- Kent State University
NASA RMC 2015-- Practice Pit building- door.
By: Kent Robotics
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Expedition 44/45 crew targets May launch to ISS
NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Kimiya Yui will launch to the International Space Station from the Baikonur...
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Jupiter #39;s Moon Ganymede #Nasa
This is a video clip of what Ganymede looks like, based on images from NASA #39;s Galileo orbiter. The US Geological Survey has classified the surface of Ganymede into the types of terrain. The...
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Panel Discussion: NASA: Setting science alight - edited
Dr Claudia Alexander, Lead Project Scientist: Rosetta Mission, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, USA; Mr Kevin Govender, Director, International Astronomical Union (IAU) Office of Astronomy for...
By: Scifest Africa
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Panel Discussion: NASA: Setting science alight - edited - Video
Space Weather, Observing the Frontier | S0 News March 19, 2015
Observing the Frontier: https://www.eventjoy.com/e/suspicious0bservers http://www.Suspicious0bservers.org http://www.ObservatoryProject.com TODAY #39;s LINKS: Feb Global SOTC: ...
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Space Weather, Observing the Frontier | S0 News March 19, 2015 - Video
Just a day afterskywatchers at mid- to upper-latitudes around the world were treated to a particularly energetic display of auroras on the night of March 17 as a result of an intense geomagnetic storm,researchers announced findings from NASAsMAVENmission of auroral action observed on Mars although in energetic ultraviolet wavelengths rather than visible light.
Detected by MAVENsImaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS) instrument overfive days beforeDec. 25, 2014, the ultraviolet auroras have been nicknamed Mars Christmas lights. They were observed across the planets mid-northern latitudes and are the result of Mars atmosphere interacting directly with the solar wind.
While auroras on Earth typically occur at altitudes of 80 to 300 kilometers (50 to 200 miles) and occasionally even higher, Mars atmospheric displays were found to bemuch lower, indicating higher levels of energy.
Whats especially surprising about the aurora we saw is how deep in the atmosphere it occurs much deeper than at Earth or elsewhere on Mars, said Arnaud Stiepen, IUVS team member at the University of Colorado. The electrons producing it must be really energetic.
To a human observer on Mars the light show probably wouldnt be very dramatic, though. Without abundant amounts ofoxygen and nitrogen in its thin atmosphere a Martianaurora would be a dimblue glow at best, if not out of the visible spectrum entirely.
This isnt the first time auroras have been spottedon Mars; observations with ESAs Mars Express in 2004 were actually thefirst detectionsof the phenomenon on the Red Planet. Made with the spacecrafts SPICAM ultraviolet spectrometer, the observations showed that Mars auroras are unlike thosefound anywhere else in the Solar System in that they are generated by particle interactions with very localized magnetic field emissions, rather than a globally-generated one (like Earths).
(So no, its not a total surprise but its still very cool!)
In addition to auroras MAVEN also detected diffuse but widespread dust clouds located surprisingly high in the Martian atmosphere. Its not yet understood what process is delivering dust so high 150-300 kilometers up (93-186 miles) or if itis a permanent or temporary feature.
Read more in the MAVEN news release here.
Source: NASA andNature
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Dawn Missions Imagine Ceres ProjectShare in the anticipation and excitement of NASAs Dawn spacecraft's arrival at Ceres in March 2015!Can you imagine what the Dawn mission might discover at Ceres in the next few weeks and months? What does this vast world hold for explorers and scientists today? What do you imagine the surface of Ceres will look like? How do you imagine that Ceres formed? When do you imagine Ceres came into being? Over what time frame?NASAs Dawn mission wants you to share your ideas! Send in your creations in the form of art, music, poetry or video. Selected submissions will be featured in the Imagine Ceres gallery.To learn more about the Imagine Ceres project, including how to submit your ideas, visithttp://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/dawncommunity/imagine_ceres_about.asp.For more information about the Dawn mission, visithttp://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/.Please email any questions about this opportunity to Joe Wise atjwise1972@gmail.com._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Space Shuttle Thermal Protective Tiles Available for Educational UseNASA invites eligible U.S. educational institutions and museums to request space shuttle thermal protective tiles and other special items offered on a first-come, first-served basis while quantities last. Organizations previously allocated thermal protective tiles may request an additional three tiles.There will be a nominal shipping fee that must be paid online with a credit card. To make a request for special items online, visithttp://gsaxcess.gov/htm/nasa/userguide/Special_Item_Request_Procedure.pdf.Questions about this opportunity should be directed toGSAXcessHelp@gsa.gov._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Museum Alliance Webcast -- Journey to Mars Museum Kit ResourcesAre you looking for resources and products to enhance your exhibits and education programs? TheJourney to Mars Museum Kitincludes a variety of digital resources designed to assist museums in sharing NASAs Journey to Mars story and can easily be found on theNASA Museum Alliance Website. This kit includes the top 5-10 best presentations, graphic files, videos, print products, activities and the most recent talking points available. The resources are selected and designed with museums in mind and can easily be incorporated into exhibits and programs.NASA invites you and your institution to join us on the Journey to Mars! Tune into the webcast onMarch 19, 2015, at 4 p.m. EDTto hear from NASA Museum Liaison, Patricia Moore, to learn more about how these resources can be used in museums, science centers, planetariums and other informal education institutions.To view the webcast from your computer, visithttp://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-jsc. Or dial in to the conference line at 1-888-323-4924, passcode museum.Questions for Patricia may be asked on the conference line or via email atPatricia.L.Moore@nasa.gov.After the webcast, presentation materials will be posted on the Museum Alliance member site athttps://informal.jpl.nasa.gov/museum/Conversations. A downloadable copy of the webcast and transcript will be posted a week or so later at the same location. Username and password are required to access the member site.To learn how to become a Museum Alliance member, visithttps://informal.jpl.nasa.gov/museum/About.
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Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional DevelopmentNASA Educator Professional Development is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources that bring NASA into your classroom. Pre-registration is not required for these webinars. Simply go to the link provided for each webinar approximately 15 minutes before the session begins. Sign in as a guest using your first and last names.Weather and Climate: Exploring a Storm of STEM in Your Classroom Audience:Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 3-8Event Date:March 19, 2015, at 6 p.m. EDTThis webinar will explore our understanding and forecasting of weather, and how weather and climate differ. NASA missions, STEM resources, curriculum and integration of the Next Generation Science Standards will guide participants through a storm of classroom activities.https://connect.its.txstate.edu/stennisnasaepd/Our Solar System: Classifying, Graphing and Modeling the Neighborhood Audience:Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 3-8Event Date:March 23, 2015, at 5 p.m. EDTLearn about lessons involving classification, graphing and models that help students better understand and visualize our solar system. Next Generation Science Standards will be explored and integrated into this out-of-this-world webinar.https://connect.its.txstate.edu/stennisnasaepd/Art and the Cosmic Connection Audience:Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-CollegeEvent Date:March 24, 2015, at 7 p.m. EDTGeology meets art in this webinar featuring ways to inspire your inner geologist to use art to recreate craters, mountains, rivers, wind-driven landscapes and more. Learn how to read planetary images as well as Earth images. Activities featured meet Next Generation Science Standards.https://connect.its.txstate.edu/jplnasaepd/Solar System and the Periodic Table of Elements Audience:Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 3-CollegeEvent Date:March 25, 2015, at 7 p.m. EDTLearn about an engaging lesson that introduces the periodic table and why it is important to us. The lesson includes a game and a short writing prompt for understanding. Activities featured meet Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards. Participants need crayons or colored pencils and the following periodic table left blank (http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/documents/toe5.pdf).https://connect.its.txstate.edu/jplnasaepd/Robotics on a Budget Audience:Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8Event Date:March 26, 2015, at 5 p.m. EDTWhat are robots and how are they used at NASA? Using NASA robotic missions, curricula and online resources, participants will explore how to use robotics economically in the classroom to enhance students understanding of STEM.https://connect.its.txstate.edu/stennisnasaepd/Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to Steve Culivan atStephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NASA Request for Information: NASA Centennial Challenges -- Space Race ChallengeNASAs Centennial Challenges program is seeking input on a Space RACE (Rendezvous And Capture Experiment) Challenge concept being considered for a future prize competition. The challenge would require competitors to build vehicles capable of autonomous rendezvous, capture, and manipulation of small objects at high speeds with applications for the Mars Sample Return campaign, lunar sample return missions and many other commercial venues.The purposes of this request for information are (1) to gather feedback on the competition being considered, (2) to determine the level of interest in potentially competing in this challenge and (3) to understand the applicability of the technology developed by the competition for other nongovernment applications.NASA welcomes replies from all segments of industry, academia and government, including associations, innovators and enthusiasts. This request for information is for informational and planning purposes only, and the government will not be responsible for any cost associated with preparing information in support of this request. This request for information is NOT to be construed as a commitment by the government to enter into any agreement or other obligation, or to conduct a Space RACE challenge.Responses are requested byMarch 19, 2015.For more information, visithttp://go.usa.gov/33Zyw.For general information on the NASA Centennial Challenges Program, visithttp://www.nasa.gov/challenges.Please direct any questions about this opportunity to Sam Ortega atsam.ortega@nasa.gov.
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NASA Space Technology Grants for Early Career University FacultyNASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate is seeking proposals from accredited U.S. universities on behalf of outstanding early career faculty members who are beginning their independent careers. The grants will sponsor research in specific, high-priority areas of interest to the U.S. space program.NASA expects to award approximately six to eight grants this fall, funded up to $200,000 each per year for as many as three years, based on the merit of proposals and availability of funds. Funded research will investigate unique, disruptive or transformational space technologies in areas such as dynamic tensegrity technologies for space science and exploration, high-temperature solar cells, fundamental aero-thermodynamic model development, and synthetic biology technologies for space exploration.Notices of intent to submit proposals to the Early Career Faculty Appendix of NASA's Research Announcement "Space Technology Research, Development, Demonstration and Infusion 2015 (SpaceTech-REDDI-2015)" are dueMarch 20, 2015. The deadline for submitting final proposals isApril 17, 2015.For information on the solicitation, including specific technology areas of interest and how to submit notices of intent and proposals, visithttp://go.nasa.gov/1vwtqZz.This solicitation is part of NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, which is responsible for innovating, developing, testing and flying hardware for use in future missions. For more information about the directorate and Space Technology Research Grants Program, visithttp://www.nasa.gov/spacetech.Please email any questions about this opportunity to Bonnie F. James atHQ-STMD-SpaceTech-REDDI@nasa.gov.
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Library of Congress 2015 Summer Institutes -- Teaching With Primary SourcesThe Library of Congress is now accepting applications for its week-long summer programs for K-12 educators. Held at the Library of Congress in the District of Columbia, this professional development opportunity provides educators with tools and resources to effectively integrate primary sources into K-12 classroom teaching, with an emphasis on student engagement, critical thinking and construction of knowledge.The Library is offering five programs this summer: three of the programs are open to teachers and librarians across all content areas, one focuses on civil rights, and another concentrates on primary sources in science. Tuition and materials are provided at no cost.General Institutes:Open to K-12 teachers and school librarians across the content areas-- Session 1: June 22-26, 2015-- Session 2: July 6-10, 2015-- Session 3: July 27-31, 2015Civil Rights Institute:Open to K-12 teachers and school librarians with teaching responsibilities related to civil rights-- Civil Rights Institute: August 3-7, 2015Science Institute:Recommended for K-12 educators who teach science or collaborate with science teachers-- Science Institute: July 20-24, 2015Applications are dueMarch 24, 2015, and require a letter of recommendation.For more information and to submit an application, visithttp://www.loc.gov/teachers/professionaldevelopment/teacherinstitute/.Questions about this opportunity should be directed toteachinglcsummer@loc.gov.
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NASA-JAXA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite showed that the heaviest rainfall occurring in Tropical Cyclone Nathan on March 18 at 0758 UTC (3:58 a.m. EDT) was falling at a rate of over 119 mm (4.7 inches) on the eastern side of Nathan's eye. At NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in
Greenbelt, Maryland, TRMM Precipitation Radar data were used to create a 3-D view of cyclone Nathan that showed storm heights in a rain band circling the storm's northwestern side reached heights of over 16 km (9.9 miles). Those data also showed "hot towers" or storm tops in Nathan's eyewall were reaching heights of over 13 km (8 miles).
"A "hot tower" is a tall cumulonimbus cloud that reaches at least to the top of the troposphere, the lowest layer of the atmosphere. It extends approximately nine miles (14.5 km) high in the tropics. These towers are called "hot" because they rise to such altitude due to the large amount of latent heat. Water vapor releases this latent heat as it condenses into liquid. NASA research shows that a tropical cyclone with a hot tower in its eyewall was twice as likely to intensify within six or more hours, than a cyclone that lacked a hot tower.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured this visible image of Tropical Cyclone Nathan off the Queensland, Australia coast on March 18, 2015.Image Credit: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team
On Mar. 18 at 0900 UTC (5 a.m. EDT), the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) noted that Nathan had reached hurricane force with maximum sustained winds near 65 knots (75 mph/120.4 kph). It was centered near 14.9 south latitude and 148.9 east longitude, about 225 nautical miles (258.9 miles/416.7 km) east-northeast of Cairns, Queensland, Australia. It was moving to the west at 2 knots (2.3 mph/3.7 kph) and generating wave heights to 22 feet (6.7 meters).
The MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured a visible image of Tropical Cyclone Nathan off the Queensland, Australia coast on March 18, 2015 at 04:15 UTC (12:15 a.m. EDT). The MODIS instrument showed a pinhole eye, about 5 nautical miles (5.7 miles/9.2 km) wide.
JTWC forecasters noted that Nathan is moving into an area of warm sea surface temperatures that will allow the storm to strengthen before making landfall on the Cape York Peninsula. JTWC forecasts call for Nathan to strengthen to 85 knots (97.8 mph/157.4 kph) by March 19 at 0600 UTC (2 a.m. EDT). For updated warnings and forecasts from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, visit:
It is forecast to make landfall north of Cairns on March 19 (by 1800 UTC) and move in a west-northwesterly direction across the Cape York Peninsula and into the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Excerpt from:
NASA Sees Tropical Cyclone Nathan Sporting Hot Towers, Heavy Rainfall (with video)
IMAGE:From March 18 at 12:56 to 14:29 UTC, RapidScat showed sustained winds over 30 meters per second (in red) (108 kph/67 mph) around and south of Cyclone Nathan's center.... view more
Credit: Image Credit: NASA JPL, Doug Tyler
NASA's Terra satellite passed over Tropical Cyclone Nathan early on March 19 as it was headed for landfall in Queensland's Cape York Peninsula. NASA's RapidScat instrument saw those winds increasing late on March 18.
On March 18 from 12:56 to 14:29 UTC, the RapidScat instrument that flies aboard the International Space Station analyzed Nathan's strengthening surface winds. RapidScat showed sustained winds had increased to over 30 meters per second (108 kph/67 mph) around and south of Cyclone Nathan's center.
Less than 12 hours later, Nathan had strengthened to hurricane force on March 19 as it moved through the warm waters of the Coral Sea. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA's Terra satellite captured a visible picture of the hurricane. The MODIS image showed that Nathan's center was surrounded by powerful thunderstorms. Despite the visible image not showing an eye because it is cloud-covered, microwave imagery revealed a 15 nautical-mile-wide (17.2 miles/27.7 km) eye. In the MODIS image, the majority of convection (rising air that forms the thunderstorms that make up a tropical cyclone) and a band of thunderstorms from the south of the center wrapped into the low-level center of circulation.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology issued a tropical cyclone warning from Lockhart River to Cape Tribulation, extending inland to areas including Laura and Palmerville. For updates and details on tropical cyclone warnings, visit: http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone.
At 0900 UTC (5 a.m. EDT) on March 19, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center noted that Nathan was poised for landfall north of Cairns. It was centered near 14.7 south latitude and 146.9 east longitude, about 146 nautical miles (168 miles/270.4 km) north-northeast of Cairns. Nathan's maximum sustained winds had increased to 90 knots (103.6 mph/166.7 kph). Hurricane-force winds extended up to 30 miles from the center. Tropical Storm-force winds extended 80 miles from the center, making Nathan a compact storm.
Nathan was moving to the west at 6 knots (6.9 mph/11.1 kph) and generating 28-foot high seas. Rough surf and coastal erosion are likely as Nathan comes ashore.
After crossing the Cape York Peninsula, Nathan is forecast to regenerate in the Gulf of Carpentaria to 70 knots (80.5 mph/120 kph) before making a second landfall in Arnhem Land.
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NASA sees Cyclone Nathan target landfall in Queensland's Cape York Peninsula
BT: Nasa 500 bumbero, lumahok sa fun run kontra-sunog
Balitanghali is the daily noontime newscast of GMA News TV anchored by Raffy Tima and Pia Arcangel. It airs Mondays to Fridays at 11:30 AM (PHL Time). For more videos from Balitanghali, visit...
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BT: Nasa 500 bumbero, lumahok sa fun run kontra-sunog - Video
California Only Has One Year of Water Left, NASA Warns
California only has one year of water left after being hit hard by a long drought, according to an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times by Jay Famiglietti, a senior water scientist at the NASA Jet...
By: TheLipTV2
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California Only Has One Year of Water Left, NASA Warns - Video
NASA Scientists Dire Drought Prediction: One Year Of Water Left For California
A NASA scientist using sophisticated satellite imaging said California is just down to one year #39;s worth of water storage. Ken Bastida reports. (3/16/15)
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NASA Scientists Dire Drought Prediction: One Year Of Water Left For California - Video
NASA HPDE 2- Road Atlanta
Footage from my weekend in HPDE 2 with NASA Southeast, March 14-15, 2015.
By: ep3lol
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Road Atlanta 3 15 15 NASA SE race 001
Sunday #39;s Thunder race. Break failure going into turn 6.
By: Aaron Croslyn
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Origami paper Rocket, How to make Paper Rocket, NASA- Ares Launch system By datta benur
Hello Everyone, Today I will show you how to make https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lvw7fahe5ng feature=youtu.be If you like this video then please to LIKE and SUBSCRIBE for more videos.
By: Datta Benur Paper Art
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Origami paper Rocket, How to make Paper Rocket, NASA- Ares Launch system By datta benur - Video
NASA-X March 2015 Run - Memphis International Raceway
The GoPro let me down during this event. Little did I know, it somehow revert its resolution settings to 1440p-24 instead of the 4k Superview I normally record at with it. *sigh* This wasn #39;t...
By: silvercoke
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NASA-X March 2015 Run - Memphis International Raceway - Video
VIDEO:TRMM showed that the heaviest rainfall occurring in Nathan on March 18 at 0758 UTC (3:58 a.m. EDT) was falling at a rate of over 119 mm (4.7 inches) on... view more
The TRMM satellite revealed that Tropical Cyclone Nathan had powerful thunderstorms known as "hot towers" near its center which are indicative of a strengthening storm.
Cyclone Nathan is located in the Coral Sea off Australia's Queensland coast. Nathan formed on March 10 near the Queensland coast triggering warnings there before moving east. Once out at sea, Nathan made a loop and headed back to Queensland.
On March 18, Nathan was nearing the Cape York Peninsula of Queensland. As a result warnings were in effect from Cape Melville to Innisfail, extending inland to Laura. Under watch is the area from Lockhart River to Cape Melville, extending inland to areas including Palmerville.
NASA-JAXA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite showed that the heaviest rainfall occurring in Tropical Cyclone Nathan on March 18 at 0758 UTC (3:58 a.m. EDT) was falling at a rate of over 119 mm (4.7 inches) on the eastern side of Nathan's eye. At NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, TRMM Precipitation Radar data were used to create a 3-D view of cyclone Nathan that showed storm heights in a rain band circling the storm's northwestern side reached heights of over 16 km (9.9 miles). Those data also showed "hot towers" or storm tops in Nathan's eyewall were reaching heights of over 13 km (8 miles).
"A "hot tower" is a tall cumulonimbus cloud that reaches at least to the top of the troposphere, the lowest layer of the atmosphere. It extends approximately nine miles (14.5 km) high in the tropics. These towers are called "hot" because they rise to such altitude due to the large amount of latent heat. Water vapor releases this latent heat as it condenses into liquid. NASA research shows that a tropical cyclone with a hot tower in its eyewall was twice as likely to intensify within six or more hours, than a cyclone that lacked a hot tower.
On Mar. 18 at 0900 UTC (5 a.m. EDT), the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) noted that Nathan had reached hurricane force with maximum sustained winds near 65 knots (75 mph/120.4 kph). It was centered near 14.9 south latitude and 148.9 east longitude, about 225 nautical miles (258.9 miles/416.7 km) east-northeast of Cairns, Queensland, Australia. It was moving to the west at 2 knots (2.3 mph/3.7 kph) and generating wave heights to 22 feet (6.7 meters).
The MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured a visible image of Tropical Cyclone Nathan off the Queensland, Australia coast on March 18, 2015 at 04:15 UTC (12:15 a.m. EDT). The MODIS instrument showed a pinhole eye, about 5 nautical miles (5.7 miles/9.2 km) wide.
JTWC forecasters noted that Nathan is moving into an area of warm sea surface temperatures that will allow the storm to strengthen before making landfall on the Cape York Peninsula. JTWC forecasts call for Nathan to strengthen to 85 knots (97.8 mph/157.4 kph) by March 19 at 0600 UTC (2 a.m. EDT). For updated warnings and forecasts from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, visit: http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/.
It is forecast to make landfall north of Cairns on March 19 (by 1800 UTC) and move in a west-northwesterly direction across the Cape York Peninsula and into the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Excerpt from:
NASA sees Tropical Cyclone Nathan sporting hot towers, heavy rainfall
Full report
WHY WE PERFORMED THIS AUDIT
More than 50 years after serving as the launch site for the storied Apollo Program, the Kennedy Space Center (Kennedy) is working to revamp decades-old infrastructure and transform itself into a multi-user spaceport to accommodate both commercial spaceflight companies and the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (Orion) NASA is developing for its next stage of deep-space exploration.
NASA has spent more than $975 million on modernization efforts at Kennedy over the last 5 years and anticipates spending an additional $2.4 billion over the next 5 to upgrade such infrastructure as the Launch Pad 39B, from which the Agency launched the Apollo and Space Shuttle flights; the Mobile Launcher built for the cancelled Constellation Program; one of the crawler-transporters NASA used to move spacecraft to launch pads for almost 50 years; the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) constructed in the mid-1960s to support the Apollo Program and which the Agency used to process Space Shuttle orbiters; as well as to develop the software necessary to integrate and launch the SLS and Orion. The Agency's Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) Program is leading this effort.
In this review we evaluated whether the GSDO Program is meeting cost, schedule, and technical performance goals as it prepares Kennedy to launch the SLS and Orion on Exploration Mission 1 by the current target date of no later than November 2018.
WHAT WE FOUND
GSDO has made steady progress on the major equipment and facilities modernization initiatives needed to launch SLS and Orion, but significant technical and programmatic challenges remain to meet a November 2018 launch date. For the most part, these challenges originate from interdependencies between the GSDO, SLS, and Orion Programs. In short, GSDO cannot finalize and complete its requirements without substantial input from the other two Programs, and NASA is still finalizing the requirements for those Programs. Specifically, GSDO must overcome (1) a short timeframe for performing verification and validation testing between the Mobile Launcher, VAB, and Launch Pad 39B; (2) receipt of data and hardware regarding Orion later than planned; (3) the potential that integrated operations for Exploration Mission 1 may take longer than expected; and (4) most significantly, delays associated with development of command and control software.
At the time of our audit, GSDO was scheduled to complete a significant development milestone known as Critical Design Review in March 2015, several months before SLS (May 2015) and Orion (August 2015). The purpose of the Critical Design Review is to demonstrate a project's design is sufficiently mature to proceed to full scale fabrication, assembly, integration, and testing and technical aspects are on track to meet performance requirements within identified cost and schedule constraints. In our judgment, given the many interdependencies between the Programs, a schedule that has GSDO completing Critical Design Review prior to the other two Programs increases the risk GSDO may experience schedule delays or be required to perform costly redesign work.
NASA's Launch Support and Infrastructure Modernization: Assessment of the Ground Systems Needed to Launch SLS and Orion March 18, 2015IG-15-012 (A-13-020-00)Finally, coordinating and integrating development of the three individual Programs to meet a common milestone date presents a unique challenge, particularly since NASA historically has used a single program structure to manage similar efforts such as Apollo and the Space Shuttle. In lieu of central management, NASA established a cross-program integration structure that designates leaders from each Program to coordinate and align the Programs' development schedules. It is too early to say whether these substantial coordination challenges will result in cost or schedule issues for the Exploration Mission 1 launch. Moreover, new issues are likely to be uncovered during integration the point at which most projects encounter technical problems that impact cost and schedule. Given these challenges, coordination efforts among the GSDO, SLS, and Orion Programs are essential to successfully meeting NASA's human exploration goals.
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A new asteroid-hunting computer program will help amateur astronomers and citizen scientists identify potentially hazardous space rocks faster and more accurately, NASA officials say.
Developed by NASA in partnership with Planetary Resources, a company that aims to mine asteroids, the software combines several algorithms developed in the Asteroid Data Hunter challenge.
"We applaud all the participants in the Asteroid Data Hunter challenge," Chris Lewicki, president and chief engineer at Planetary Resources, said in a statement. "We are extremely encouraged by the algorithm created, and its already making a difference. This increase in knowledge will help assess more quickly which asteroids are potential threats, human destinations or resource-rich." [Images: Potentially Dangerous Asteroids]
The new software was announced by a panel of NASA representatives on Sunday (March 16) at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas.
Announced in March 2014, the Asteroid Data Hunter challenge offered a total of $55,000 in awards for participants to develop significantly improved algorithms that could study images captured by ground-based telescopes and identify asteroids.
The winning entries for each section of the contest which focused on minimizing false positives, increasing detection sensitivity, ignoring imperfections in the data and the ability to run effectively on all computer systems were then combined to create an application to scan the skies.
The data hunter challenge kicked off NASAs Asteroid Grand Challenge, which was announced in 2013.
"The Asteroid Grand Challenge is seeking non-traditional partnerships to bring the citizen science and space enthusiast community into NASAs work," Jason Kessler, program executive for NASAs Asteroid Grand Challenge, said in the same statement.
"The Asteroid Data Hunter challenge has been successful beyond our hopes, creating something that makes a tangible difference to asteroid-hunting astronomers and highlights the possibility for more people to play a role in protecting our planet," he added.
In 1801, astronomers spotted the first objectin the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter the dwarf planet Ceres by carefully noting objects that appeared to move over time in comparison with the background stars. Technology allowed scientists to use images rather than memory or carefully sketched maps to compare how these bodies changed locations over time. By the time Clyde Tombaughspotted Pluto in 1930, astronomers around the world were using photographs of the night sky to identify moving objects.
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