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Move over Hubble here comes the Webb

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GREENBELT Scientists and engineers at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center have begun to assemble and test the James Webb Space Telescope in advance of its 2018 debut.

A model of the James Webb Space Telescope, said to be 100 times more powerful than the Hubble. (File photo)

At the center, the instruments for the telescope remain in the clean room the central area where scientists are putting it together. Only after taking an air shower and wearing a full-body clean suit and gloves can a scientist enter the area.

Going into the clean room is like going into an operating room, said Ray Lundquist, a Webb telescope systems engineer. The mirrors need to be completely clean to guarantee the highest quality of the images the telescope produces.

The telescope will use four main instruments to detect light from distant galaxies and celestial bodies.

The near infrared camera, provided by the University of Arizona, is the Webb telescopes main camera and will detect light from the earliest galaxies and stars.

The near infrared spectrograph, from the European Space Agency, can analyze the spectrum of 100 objects simultaneously and will assist in studying the temperature, mass and chemical components of celestial bodies.

The mid-infrared instrument, built by European scientists, will be used to detect distant galaxies and newly formed stars.

And the fine guidance sensor/near infrared imager and slitless spectrograph will allow the telescope to point accurately and take high-definition images and discover planets outside the Solar System.

At the heart of the telescope is the 6.5-meter-diameter primary mirror, made up of 18 beryllium segments that are gold-coated to help capture the most remote infrared light.

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Move over Hubble here comes the Webb

Coloradan to command space station

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HOUSTON - After years of training and preparation, a Colorado native is now just days away from a flight to the International Space Station.

The journey will take Coloradan Steve Swanson into the heavens for a third visit to Earth's only permanent, orbiting outpost -- but he will face unique new challenges on this trip.

Swanson and two Russian cosmonauts are scheduled to launch aboard Soyuz TMA-12M on March 25. He will be the most experienced astronaut on board, but it will be his first flight aboard the cramped Russian spacecraft. The astronaut's two previous flights were aboard NASA Space Shuttles, before that program was retired.

"Each time I was up there with my shuttle flights, it was only two weeks long and I just wanted to stay," he said.

To prepare for the upcoming six-month expedition, Swanson has spent years in training. Although he and his fellow cosmonauts will spend just a few days aboard the Soyuz, Swanson spent months traveling between the United States and Russia to train for the trip.

"It's like starting a roller coaster ride," said Swanson describing the launch he has trained for.

After the Soyuz carries the crew to the ISS, hundreds of miles above the Earth, Swanson will assume the role of flight engineer for Expedition 39. Every crew visiting the station overlaps and when Expedition 39's members depart a few weeks later, Swanson will become the commander of Expedition 40.

- This trip begins long before takeoff -

"I just always loved to explore," the graduate of Steamboat Springs High School said.

"I'd just go hike around, you know, the areas where we were camping, and I used to love doing that, I think that's kind of the same idea, I love to explore," he added.

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Coloradan to command space station

NASA Solicitation: Research Opportunities for Flight Experiments in Space Biology

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This NASA Research Announcement (NRA) solicits hypothesis-driven space-flight research in Space Biology (SB) to be conducted on ISS. NASA SB experiments have one or more of the following primary goals: 1) to effectively use microgravity and the other characteristics of the space environment to enhance our understanding of basic biological processes; 2) to develop the scientific and technological foundations for a safe, productive human presence in space for extended periods and in preparation for exploration; and 3) to apply this knowledge and technology to improve our nation's competitiveness, education, and the quality of life on Earth. NASA SB experiments will be designed to discover how space flight affects a diverse group of microorganisms, plants, and animals; study the effects of gravity (g) across the g-spectrum, i.e., from micro- to hyper-gravity; and characterize the biological effects of radiation, magnetic fields, and the interaction among species in the unusual environments of space and spacecraft. In this NRA, selection preference will be given to proposals developed by teams of investigators that provide a multifaceted, integrated project to understand some aspect of adaptation to space by biological systems. Individual investigator lead proposals may be submitted, but selection preference will be given to team proposals, and the budgets for individual projects must be appropriate for the work proposed.

This solicitation (NRA NNH14ZTT002N), entitled, "Research Opportunities for Flight Experiments in Space Biology," will be available on or about February 28, 2014. This solicitation will be found by opening the NASA Research Opportunities homepage athttp://tinyurl.com/SB-ILSRA.

Short (1-5 pages) Step-1 proposals will be due on March 28, 2014 at 5 PM Eastern Time, and invited full-length Step-2 proposals will be due on May 23, 2014 at 5 PM Eastern Time. Proposals must be submitted electronically by an authorized official of the proposing organization. Proposers can use either NSPIRES (http://nspires.nasaprs.com/) orGrants.gov(http://www.grants.gov) for proposal submission. NASAs selection of research projects will be guided by recommendations of the National Research Councils 2011 Decadal Survey Report, Recapturing a Future for Space Exploration: Life and Physical Sciences Research for a New Era (http://www.nap.edu/catalog/13048.html).

All categories of U.S. institutions are eligible to submit proposals in response to this NRA. Principal Investigators (PIs) may collaborate with investigators from universities, Federal Government laboratories, the private sector, state and local government laboratories and other countries.

Every organization that intends to submit a proposal in response to this NRA must be registered with NSPIRES, and such registration must identify the authorized organizational representative(s) who will submit electronic proposals. Instructions on how to register in NSPIRES will be described in the NRA. Each electronic proposal requires the registration of principal investigators and other participants (e.g. co-investigators). Potential proposers and proposing organizations are urged to access the system(s) well in advance of the proposal due date(s) to familiarize themselves with its structure and enter the requested information. Questions about this NRA may be addressed to the contacts referenced in the full solicitation document.

This is a broad agency announcement as specified in FAR 6.102 (d)(2). All awards resulting from selections of proposals to this NRA will be grants or cooperative agreements.

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NASA Solicitation: Research Opportunities for Flight Experiments in Space Biology

Future of space travel from Wallops Island looks bright

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Launching rockets from Wallops Island is a big deal in Virginia now. But the possibilities that exist for space travel in the near future could be an even bigger deal.

We have developed a space port that proves we can launch into space. We launch critical missions to the International Space Station and were looking forward to building on that, says Dale Nash, the Executive Director of the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority.

The Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority at ODU makes some of the big decisions when it comes to space travel from our shores.

And one thing that has been a big topic recently is the possibility of human spaceflight from Wallops Island.

Any time you have astronauts on, your cargo is extremely precious, and you pay a lot of attention to that. So it`s a different game in many ways. But don`t discount what we`ve done so far because that`s very significant, too. It is the supplies and the lifeline to the astronauts on the International Space Station being launched from here. But that would be a very big deal, Nash says.

In order to continue the launches, the board is working with NASA and the Army Corps to replenish sand and restore dunes to protect the infrastructure at Wallops Island.

Its very beneficial. It was that sand buildup that helped us ride out Superstorm Sandy very well. We didnt really receive any kind of damage to the launch pad, just some erosion. This is building it back up, Nash says.

So from the Space Station to the moon, these board members are playing a big role in keeping Wallops Island on the map for space travel.

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Future of space travel from Wallops Island looks bright

NASA/JAXA Precipitation Measurement Satellite GO for Feb. 27 Launch Watch Live Here on NASA TV

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Visualization of the GPM Core Observatory and Partner Satellites. GPM is slated to launch on Feb. 27 from Japan. Credit: NASA See launch animation, Shinto ceremony, Rocket roll out and more below

NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, MARYLAND Blastoff of the powerful and revolutionary new NASA/JAXA rain and snow precipitation measurement satellite atop a Japanese rocket from a tiny offshore island launch pad is now less than 24 hours away on Thursday, Feb. 27, EST (Feb. 28 JST).

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory aimed at improving forecasts of extreme weather and climate change research has been given a green light for launch atop a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H-IIA rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center on Tanegashima Island off southern Japan.

Roll out of the H-IIA launch vehicle from the Vehicle Assembly Building is scheduled for this evening, Feb. 26 at 11 p.m. EST.

Update: rocket rolled out. Photo below, plus watch streaming NASA TV below.

Following the Launch Readiness Review, mission managers approved the GO for liftoff.

The H-IIA rocket with GPM rolls to its launch pad in Japan! Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Japanese team members also prayed at a Shinto ceremony for blessings for a successful launch at the Ebisu Shrine, the first shrine in a traditional San-ja Mairi, or Three Shrine Pilgrimage on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2014 see photo below.

However, the team also set a newly revised launch time of 1:37 p.m. EST (18:37 UTC, and Feb. 28 at 3:37 a.m. JST).

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NASA/JAXA Precipitation Measurement Satellite GO for Feb. 27 Launch Watch Live Here on NASA TV

Next Generation NASA/JAXA Global Weather Research Satellite thunders aloft from Japanese Spaceport

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GPM Launch Seen From the Tanegashima Space Center A Japanese H-IIA rocket with the NASA-Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory onboard, is seen launching from the Tanegashima Space Center on Friday, Feb. 28, 2014 (Japan Time), in Tanegashima, Japan; Thursday, Feb. 27, EST. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, MARYLAND A powerful, next generation weather observatory aimed at gathering unprecedented 3-D measurements of global rain and snowfall rates and jointly developed by the US and Japan thundered to orbit today (Feb. 27 EST, Feb. 28 JST) ) during a spectacular night time blastoff from a Japanese space port.

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory was launched precisely on time at 1:37 p.m. EST, 1837 GMT, Thursday, Feb. 27 (3:37 a.m. JST Friday, Feb. 28) atop a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H-IIA rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center on Tanegashima Island off southern Japan.

Viewers could watch the spectacular liftoff live on NASA TV which was streamed here at Universe Today.

GPMs precipitation measurements will look like a CAT scan, Dr. Dalia Kirschbaum, GPM research scientist, told me during a prelaunch interview with the GPM satellite in the cleanroom at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

The radar can scan through clouds to create a three dimensional view of a clouds structure and evolution.

GPM lifts off on Feb. 27, EST (Feb. 28, JST) to begin its Earth-observing mission. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

GPM is the lead observatory of a constellation of nine highly advanced Earth orbiting weather research satellites contributed by the US, Japan, Europe and India.

Indeed GPM will be the first satellite to measure light rainfall and snow, in addition to heavy tropical rainfall.

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Next Generation NASA/JAXA Global Weather Research Satellite thunders aloft from Japanese Spaceport

Last Shuttle Commander Virtually Flies Boeing CST-100 to Space Station

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HOUSTON, Feb. 27, 2014-- Chris Ferguson, Boeing's director of Crew and Mission Operations and commander of the final Space Shuttle flight, virtually returned to space recently in the Boeing [NYSE: BA] Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 simulator to satisfy a NASA testing requirement for the spacecraft.

Ferguson performed manual piloting activities including on-orbit attitude and translation maneuvers, docking and backing away from a virtual International Space Station and a manual re-entry to Earth in the simulator.

"It was great to be back in the pilots seat, even if I didn't leave the ground," Ferguson said. "It's important for the spacecraft to have manual controls because although it's designed to be largely autonomous, the pilot should always be able to back up that autonomy. Manual flight controls provide a sort of a belt-and-suspenders capability for piloting the spacecraft."

The testing for NASA officials satisfied a CST-100 development milestone known as "Pilot in the Loop." It is the final milestone before the spacecraft's critical design review.

Ferguson, a veteran of three shuttle missions and commander of STS-135, the final shuttle flight, has logged more than 40 days in space and 5,700 hours in high-performance aircraft. He now oversees the crew interface of the Boeing CST-100 spacecraft and plays a key role in development and testing of system concepts and technologies for the vehicle and integrated launch and ground systems.

"This was the one opportunity to really show off, from a user's perspective, just how real our vehicle is becoming," said Ferguson. "We demonstrated that the CST-100 is on track to return Americans to space in an American spacecraft."

The Boeing-developed simulator will be used for astronaut training as part of a full suite ot training devices for crew members and mission controllers.

More information about the future of human space exploration can be found atwww.beyondearth.com.

A unit of The Boeing Company,Boeing Defense, Space & Securityis one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the worlds largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $33 billion business with 58,000 employees worldwide. Follow us on Twitter:@BoeingDefense.

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Last Shuttle Commander Virtually Flies Boeing CST-100 to Space Station

Brummie astronaut Trevor Beattie's preparation for space travel is going swimmingly

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28 Feb 2014 10:54

Advertising guru behind FCUK and Wonderbra to be on inaugural commercial Virgin Galactic flight

Birmingham's first astronaut Trevor Beattie is preparing to take the plunge for his three-hour flight into space by learning the butterfly stroke.

The advertising tycoon paid a $250,000 deposit for his place on the inaugural Virgin Galactic space flight nine years ago and says swimming skills hold the key to an ultimately successful mission.

The Balsall Heath-born entrepreneur, best known for his French Connection, FCUK and Wonderbra ads, says mastering the butterfly could be vital for his once-in-a-lifetime journey.

Trevor, 53, suffered a broken toe in a zero gravity training flight over California last October when a fellow passenger fell on him, but said he was now fully recovered in preparation for the space mission.

The West Midlander will take his place on board for the second Virgin Galactic flight following Richard Branson and his family but does not know when the mission will take place.

I had a lot of callers thinking that I was in intensive care following the toe incident but I am now fighting fit.

The only proper training for this is swimming you are weightless and you are controlling your breathing. If you can learn the butterfly, that is a good way to train. It is not about physical fitness, your body weight is immaterial.

I have not swum since I was a kid I have got to get back into it. I would like to think that I could do some of my training at Moseley Baths.

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Brummie astronaut Trevor Beattie's preparation for space travel is going swimmingly

2/25/2014 FORMER NASA SCIENTIST CONFIRMS ALIEN LIFE ON MARS – EVIDENCE DESTROYED! – Video

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2/25/2014 FORMER NASA SCIENTIST CONFIRMS ALIEN LIFE ON MARS - EVIDENCE DESTROYED!
2/25/2014 Astrobiologist Richard Hoover spent more than forty six years working at NASA. In that time, he established the Astrobiology Research Group at the ...

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2/25/2014 FORMER NASA SCIENTIST CONFIRMS ALIEN LIFE ON MARS - EVIDENCE DESTROYED! - Video

India unveils its first home-grown astronaut capsule

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INDIA is about to take one small step towards human space flight. Last week the country's space agency unveiled a prototype of its first crew capsule, a 4-metre-high module designed to carry two people into low Earth orbit.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning a test flight for later this year even though it still awaits government approval and funding for a human space-flight programme. The unpiloted capsule will fly on the maiden launch of a new type of rocket that would otherwise have carried a dummy payload.

"We thought it better to gain some confidence in the design of our crew module," says Sundaram Ramakrishnan, director of ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

Built by Hindustan Aeronautics in Bangalore, the prototype capsule cannot be hermetically sealed and so cannot take people into space. But if the rocket launch is a success, ISRO should be able to remotely test some in-flight controls and see how the module survives the stresses of re-entry and landing at sea.

The capsule will fly on a new variant of India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, with its first test in a few months. When fully operational the rocket will loft satellites of about 4 tonnes to geosynchronous orbit, or place up to 9 tonnes into low Earth orbit. It could even be used to launch a future robotic moon mission.

The rocket's test flight will only explore part of its capabilities, but it should be enough to launch the crew capsule into sub-orbital flight, just over 100 kilometres above Earth. Instruments will relay data about the capsule's speed, acceleration and temperature.

Engineers will also monitor its structural integrity as it re-enters the atmosphere, as well as the performance of heat-resistant tiles and a carbon nose-cap designed to protect astronauts from the heat of re-entry. The capsule will deploy two parachutes as it falls back to Earth, which should allow it to splashdown gently in the Bay of Bengal.

India most recently launched its first Mars mission, and ISRO has plans to send a lander and rover together to the moon around 2017. But there is no time frame for government approval of human space-flight, and Ramakrishnan reckons it would take at least five years from getting approval to putting Indian astronauts into low Earth orbit.

While about 70 per cent of the manufacturing for any given ISRO mission is done by India's private sector, it is unlikely that a single commercial firm will step in to the space race, as several companies have done in the US.

Still, Ramakrishnan thinks human space flight is a crucial component of any advanced space programme and an important step for India. A crewed mission to Mars, for instance, may have to be an international collaboration as it will probably be too expensive for any one nation to pull off alone. "In that context, our having this capability makes us a strong partner for any international effort," says Ramakrishnan.

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India unveils its first home-grown astronaut capsule


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