Inside Boeing #39;s Astronaut Taxi to the Space Station
May 7 (Bloomberg) - Boeing is known for making airplanes, but they actually have a long history in space. They #39;ve been a contractor for NASA on every manned space mission ever flown. A...
By: Bloomberg News
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Space Station Live: Fruit Flies in Space
NASA Public Affairs Officer Lori Meggs interviews Sharmila Bhattacharya, principal investigator for the Ames Student Fruit Fly Experiment, and Amy Gresser, Deputy Project Scientist. SpaceX-4...
By: ReelNASA
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NASAs $6.8 billion deal with SpaceX and Boeing buys the US space agency a lot more than a few taxi rides to the International Space Station. From new independence from the Russian space program to the drive of competitive innovation, the private contracts promise to open new doors for US space exploration.
NASA administrator Charlie Bolden announced Tuesday that the space agency will contract with two private agencies to transport US astronaut crews to the International Space Station. The contract with the Houston-based Boeing Company is valued at $4.2 billion. California-based Space Exploration Technologies Corp., more commonly known as SpaceX, has been awarded a $2.6 billion contract. Under the contracts, each company will pilot between 2 and 6 ferrying missions.
NASA deactivated its own space shuttle in 2011 and has since relied on Russian vessels to transport US astronauts to the space station. Given mounting tensions between the two nations, Congress has been keen to minimize such reliance on the Russians.
The removal of NASA astronauts from the drivers' seats drew some criticism from some astrophysicists who expressed concerns that the move was the first step in a more systematic defunding of the US space program.
However, noted astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass. sees the shift as a worthy reallocation of limited resources.
It makes sense to me that NASAs role should be at the frontier. Trucking astronauts and their food and supplies and so on is no longer the frontier, Dr. McDowell tells the Monitor. NASA astronauts shouldnt be truck drivers. Thats not what theyre for. Theyre for being the first people on Mars, or on an asteroid.
Outsourcing NASAs short-range transportation needs to private industry could also lead to innovations that ultimately reduce shuttle costs, McDowell says. Already, SpaceX has hinted that it will charge just a fraction of the $71 million per seat ticket price offered by the Russians.
NASA operates firmly under the thumbs of Congress and other federal regulatory bodies and can be bogged down by the same managerial redundancies and cumulative regulations that plague other government agencies.
Within the government, the drive to prevent anyone from doing anything wrong also stops people from having the flexibility to do what they need to do to get things right, McDowell says.
SpaceX and Boeing will certainly be subject to government regulations regarding safety and control of space debris. However as private companies, they enjoy more latitude in how they explore and implement technologies than NASA has, he explains.
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What will NASAs $6.8 billion space taxi contracts really buy?
Space Station Live: Rodent Research Project
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center public affairs officer Lori Meggs interviews Cecilia Wigley, NASA #39;s Ames Research Center payload integration and operations lead for the Rodent Research...
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USA GOING BACK TO MAN SPACE CRAFT CNN NEWS
CNN NEWS USA GOING BACK TO MAN SPACE FLIGHT.
By: dimes worth
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NASA on Tuesday awarded a pair of much-anticipated contracts, worth up to $6.8 billion combined, to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station to Boeing and SpaceX in a deal that would allow the U.S. to launch astronauts into space from U.S. soil for the first time in years.
Speaking from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said the contracts set "the stage for what promises to be the most ambitious and exciting chapter in the history of NASA and human spaceflight. Relying so heavily on contractors to take astronauts to space would allow the agency to focus on an even more ambitious mission--that of sending humans to Mars, he said.
The announcement of the commercial crew awards is a big step toward allowing the U.S. to end its reliance on Russia, which has been ferrying American astronauts to the space station since the retirement of the space shuttle three years ago. The arrangement hasnt been cheap: the Russians currently charge $71 million per seat, and NASA has in a single year sent more than $400 million to Russia for these taxi rides. If the schedule doesnt slip, and Boeing and SpaceX prove their vehicles are safe, NASA should see its astronauts launched on U.S. soil with American rockets by as early as 2017.
The awards represent a significant shift for NASA, which has long owned and operated its own rockets. Instead of going to space on government-owned vehicles, NASAs astronauts would essentially rent space on ships provided by Boeing and SpaceX.
The contracts highlight what commercial companies can accomplish and we are counting on them to deliver our most precious cargo, said Kathy Lueders, NASAs commercial crew program manager.
In addition to continuing to develop and test the companies vehicles, each contract calls for up to six flights to the space station once the ships are certified by NASA.
Boeings contract is worth up to $4.2 billion; SpaceXs is valued at $2.6 billion. Lueders would not say exactly why Boeing received more but indicated that SpaceX proposed doing the work for less. Both contracts have the same requirements and the companies proposed the value for which they were able to do the work, and the government accepted that, she said.
For SpaceX, which is already the first private company to deliver cargo to the space station, the award is further evidence that it has transformed from start-up to a major a player in an industry long dominated by large, traditional companies, such as Boeing.
The two companies represent vastly different cultures in the space industry. Boeing is a so-called old space stalwart with decades of experience, contacts and lobbying might. SpaceX is the upstart California-based company founded by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk that has gleefully played the role of disrupter.
Musk, who also runs Tesla Motors, sued the Air Force earlier this year on a separate contract to launch military payloads, such as satellites, into space. He argued that SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket was a less expensive alternative that should be able to compete against the United Launch Alliance, the joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, which currently holds the contract.
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The United States took its first major step to returning to manned space flight as NASA awarded up to $6.8 billion to aerospace giant Boeing and California-based SpaceX to launch astronauts into space.
In a throwback to the golden age of space flight, the contracts call for Apollo-like capsules that would ferry astronauts to the International Space Station. The space agency chose not to return to the winged space shuttle design, electing instead to build vehicles that would be lifted into space atop a rocket, travel to the space station, and then splash down in the ocean.
The contracts one to an aerospace stalwart and another to an upstart also reflect new realities of funding space missions: They must be affordable.
NASA, which has preferred in the past to own and operate spacecrafts, will now rely on commercial vehicles that it will essentially rent.
"Turning over low-Earth orbit transportation to private industry will also allow NASA to focus on an even more ambitious mission sending humans to Mars," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said Tuesday at a news conference at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The contracts return Southern California, once the epicenter for Apollo and space shuttle development, to a prime role in space flight.
It was a major announcement for NASA, but even bigger for SpaceX and its founder, Elon Musk.
The company is only 11 years old, with more than 3,000 employees, most building rockets, engines and the Dragon spacecraft at its Hawthorne factory. SpaceX, short for Space Exploration Technologies Corp., had already won a NASA contract to ferry cargo to the space station.
But this is another mark in Musk's favor as he lobbies to level the playing field of governmental space contracts, which have long been dominated by Boeing, Lockheed and other aerospace powerhouses.
For Boeing, hundreds of employees in Huntington Beach and El Segundo will be involved in designing and testing the spacecraft it has proposed to NASA, said John Mulholland, vice president of the company's commercial programs for space exploration.
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In the latest step toward commercial human space flight, Boeing and SpaceX havebeen chosen to carry the next NASA astronauts into space, the agency announcedtoday.
NASA awarded $4.2 billion to Boeing and $2.6 billion to SpaceX to send astronauts to the International Space Station and return them safely home, with the goal of meeting all of NASAs safety and performance requirements by 2017.
Despite the discrepancy in contract amounts, both companies must meet the same standards, showing that they can safely ferry crew and cargo between Earth and the space station. The spacecraft must also be able to serve as a lifeboat that can evacuate the space station in an emergency.
The certification process includes a test flight to send at least one NASA astronaut to the space station. Once the companies are certified, they will conduct two to six service missions to the space station with a crew of four astronauts. Because these missions will increase the number of crew at the space station, the amount of scientific research done on the space station will double, said Kathy Lueders, manager of NASAs Commercial Crew program.
Both companies use capsule spacecraft designs: Boeing with its CST-100 and SpaceX with its Dragon V2 spacecraft. Sierra Nevada Corp., whose Dream Chaser shuttle-like spacecraft was considered a major contender, lost out on its bid. Still, Lueders said, NASA is committed to its previously established agreements to continue working with Sierra Nevada and other companies such as Blue Origin, which was founded by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
As part of its Commercial Crew Program, NASA has already invested tens of millions of dollars over the past few years to help companies develop their own human spaceflight designs.
Since the space shuttle was retired in 2011, NASA has relied on Russia and its Soyuz spacecraft to get to and from the space station. The newly announced partnerships with Boeing and SpaceX will enable the U.S. to end its dependence on Russia by 2017, said NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden.
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NASA Taps Boeing, SpaceX to Transport Astronauts to Space Station
NASA on Tuesday awarded a pair of much-anticipated contracts, worth up to $6.8 billion combined, to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station to Boeing and SpaceX in a deal that would allow the U.S. to launch astronauts into space from U.S. soil for the first time in years.
Speaking from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said the contracts set "the stage for what promises to be the most ambitious and exciting chapter in the history of NASA and human spaceflight. Relying so heavily on contractors to take astronauts to space would allow the agency to focus on an even more ambitious mission--that of sending humans to Mars, he said.
The announcement of the commercial crew awards is a big step toward allowing the U.S. to end its reliance on Russia, which has been ferrying American astronauts to the space station since the retirement of the space shuttle three years ago. The arrangement hasnt been cheap: the Russians currently charge $71 million per seat, and NASA has in a single year sent more than $400 million to Russia for these taxi rides. If the schedule doesnt slip, and Boeing and SpaceX prove their vehicles are safe, NASA should see its astronauts launched on U.S. soil with American rockets by as early as 2017.
The awards represent a significant shift for NASA, which has long owned and operated its own rockets. Instead of going to space on government-owned vehicles, NASAs astronauts would essentially rent space on ships provided by Boeing and SpaceX.
The contracts highlight what commercial companies can accomplish and we are counting on them to deliver our most precious cargo, said Kathy Lueders, NASAs commercial crew program manager.
In addition to continuing to develop and test the companies vehicles, each contract calls for up to six flights to the space station once the ships are certified by NASA.
Boeings contract is worth up to $4.2 billion; SpaceXs is valued at $2.6 billion. Lueders would not say exactly why Boeing received more but indicated that SpaceX proposed doing the work for less. Both contracts have the same requirements and the companies proposed the value for which they were able to do the work, and the government accepted that, she said.
For SpaceX, which is already the first private company to deliver cargo to the space station, the award is further evidence that it has transformed from start-up to a major a player in an industry long dominated by large, traditional companies, such as Boeing.
The two companies represent vastly different cultures in the space industry. Boeing is a so-called old space stalwart with decades of experience, contacts and lobbying might. SpaceX is the upstart California-based company founded by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk that has gleefully played the role of disrupter.
Musk, who also runs Tesla Motors, sued the Air Force earlier this year on a separate contract to launch military payloads, such as satellites, into space. He argued that SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket was a less expensive alternative that should be able to compete against the United Launch Alliance, the joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, which currently holds the contract.
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NASA to award space contract to Boeing and SpaceX to ferry astronauts
Boeing's CST-100 will be bringing US astronauts to the International Space Station. Boeing
In a surprise move, NASA picked both Boeing and SpaceX to be the first private companies to shuttle astronauts to the International Space Station. The agency announced Tuesday that the aerospace companies were awarded contracts worth a combined total of $6.8 billion.
"We know going to space is hard," NASA's Commercial Crew Program manager Kathy Lueders said during a press conference at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Tuesday. "We are counting on them to deliver our most precious cargo."
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk unveiled the Dragon V2 in May 2014. Tim Stevens/CNET
Chicago-based Boeing and Hawthorne, Calif.-based SpaceX beat their other competitors for the NASA contract, which entails building space taxis that will take astronauts to and from low-Earth orbit. The new contract is essential since NASA shut down its Space Shuttle program in 2011.
The spacecraft to be used by NASA are Boeing's CST-100 and SpaceX's Dragon V2. Both spacecraft can carry a crew of seven astronauts and launch on a variety of rockets. Boeing will receive $4.2 billion and SpaceX will get $2.6 billion. NASA said the difference in the amount of the contracts is based on the companies' proposals.
"Today we're unveiling two new spacecraft," astronaut and former ISS Expedition crew member Mike Fincke said during the press conference. "It boggles the mind to imagine the possibilities of what we're going to accomplish."
Over the next couple of years, both Boeing and SpaceX will go through NASA's certification reviews and rigorous testing to ensure that the spacecraft can safely transport people to and from space.
"The challenge of a CDR [Critical Design Review] is to ensure all the pieces and sub-systems are working together," Boeing Commercial Crew Program manager John Mulholland said in a statement. "Integration of these systems is key. Now we look forward to bringing the CST-100 to life."
According to NASA, the first flights under the new contracts could take place as early as mid-2017. During Tuesday's news conference, agency administrators seemed confident that these awards are the first step toward commercial flights to space for all members of the public.
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Washington, D.C. - House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) gave the following remarks at the today's Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee meeting.
Chairman Smith: "I am happy to be here to share my thoughts on human space flight, the future of commercial space flight, and space legislation before Congress.
"Human history is punctuated by great advancements in the exploration of the world around us. Within the last 60 years, we have launched our first satellites, then Apollo missions to the Moon, then robotic probes across our solar system. Using our space-based telescopes like Hubble and Kepler and with the help of breakthroughs in adaptive optics for ground-based observatories, we have detected worlds orbiting other stars.
"I am fortunate to represent a congressional district in the Texas Hill Country that five astronauts now call home. These astronauts serve as role models for students today to become future astronauts, scientists and engineers. Even if all of these students do not become astronauts, the skills and knowledge they learn can be applied to make technological breakthroughs in many other fields. These accomplishments boost our economy and keep the United States globally competitive.
"At a fundamental level, space exploration is about inspiration. This inspiration fuels our desire to push the boundaries of the possible and reach beyond our own pale blue dot. Americans are fascinated by the cosmos. There is a reason why the National Air and Space Museum is the most visited museum in America.
"Space exploration captures the imagination of people around the world and encourages future generations to dream big, work hard and shoot for the stars. This fascination is a driving force for why the American people largely support space exploration and our leading space agency, NASA.
"This support is reflected in Congress as well - on both sides of the Capitol and on both sides of the aisle. For example, the NASA Authorization Act of 2014 overwhelmingly passed the House of Representatives in June of this year. Over 400 Republicans and Democrats came together to endorse the consensus bill the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee developed.
"The work done by Space Subcommittee Chairman Steve Palazzo and Ranking Member Donna Edwards is an example of how bipartisanship can prevail in Congress--despite what you might read in the media. This authorization bill contains many provisions that are important to those of you in this room. We were able to strike a reasonable balance between investments in the commercial crew program and appropriate oversight of safety. Unfortunately, like many other bills reported out of the Science Committee in this Congress, the NASA Authorization Act awaits action in the Senate.
"These are anxious times for our nation's space program. With the retirement of the Space Shuttle, and the cancellation of the Constellation program, NASA is forced to pay Russia $70 million per seat to transport American astronauts to the International Space Station.
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House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Smith Addresses Commercial Space Meeting
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.(Sept. 16, 2014) --The Space Foundation today called NASA's selection of The Boeing Company and SpaceX to build commercial crew transportation systems for low Earth orbit "an important step forward in restoring human space flight capabilities to the United States."
"By continuing to pursue a path of Orion and Space Launch System (SLS) for deep space missions and commercial crew for low Earth orbit missions, NASA is assuring that the United States can return to meaningful human space flight programs in the post-shuttle world," said Space Foundation Chief Executive Officer Elliot Pulham. "This dual path forward is critical to maintaining U.S. engagement with, and leadership in, commercial, federal and international human space flight programs. NASA and all the contractors who have participated in these programs are to be congratulated for the investment, discipline, foresight, leadership and innovation that they have brought to this challenge."
The Space Foundation publishes the annual reference book,The Space Report: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity. The 2014 version includes a section on commercial human spaceflight and a chart that details NASA commercial crew funding for 2010 -- 2014 for Blue Origin, The Boeing Company, Paragon Space Development, Sierra Nevada Corporation, SpaceX and United Launch Alliance. For information aboutThe Space Report 2014visitwww.TheSpaceReport.org.
In a report released in December 2012, the Space Foundation made a number of recommendations for strengthening the focus, oversight and funding of NASA and strengthening the U.S. civil space program. The 70-page report -PIONEERING: Sustaining U.S. Leadership in Space-- is available atwww.spacefoundation.org/research/pioneering.
About the Space Foundation Founded in 1983, the Space Foundation is the foremost advocate for all sectors of space, and is a global, nonprofit leader in space awareness activities, educational programs and major industry events, including the annualSpace Symposium,in support of its mission "to advance space-related endeavors to inspire, enable and propel humanity." Space Foundation World Headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA,has a publicDiscovery Center,including the El Pomar Space Gallery and the Northrop Grumman Science Center featuring Science On a Sphere, and is a member of the American Alliance of Museums. The Space Foundation has a field office in Houston, and conducts government affairs from its Washington, D.C., office.It annuallypublishesThe Space Report: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activityandthrough itsSpace CertificationTMandSpace Technology Hall of Fame programs, the Space Foundation recognizes space-basedinnovations that have been adapted to improve life on Earth. Visitwww.SpaceFoundation.org, follow us onFacebook,LinkedIn,PinterestandTwitter, and read our e-newsletterSpace Watch.
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Space Foundation Congratulates NASA's Commercial Crew Transport Choice
Image Caption: NASA's unmanned Global Hawk No. 872 on a runway at the agency's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Credit: NASA's Wallops Flight Facility
Ellen Gray, NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center
Looking out the window of a commercial plane during takeoff is like taking the nickel tour of the profile of the atmosphere. As the plane ascends, what may start as a gloomy day on the ground, can turn into rain streaking across the window as you pass through the white-gray cloud, and then sunny skies above once the plane reaches cruising altitude.
NASAs Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL) instrument, flying aboard an unmanned Global Hawk aircraft in this summers Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel, or HS3, mission, is studying the changing profile of the atmosphere in detail to learn more about how hurricanes form and strengthen.
CPL profiles the atmosphere to get a two-dimensional picture of cloud and aerosols, from the top down, said Matt McGill of NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, who led the instrument team that designed and built the CPL. Its data, presented as if it were a curtain hanging from the sky, shows whats in the atmospheres different layers.
From about 60,000 feet on the Global Hawk, twice the altitude of a commercial plane, 94 percent of the atmosphere lies below the instrument. The lidar works by sending rapid pulses of light that, like a radar beam, bounce and scatter off any particles they encounter, such as cloud droplets or dust particles. Some of the scattered light returns to the instrument where it records how long it took for the photons to leave and return giving the altitude of the particles.
[ Watch the Video: Making Saharan Air Apparent ]
CPL sends out 5,000 pulses of light per second in three different wavelengths, allowing the science team to discriminate between different types of particles, McGill said. Is it a cloud made of water? Is it a cloud made of ice or mixed [water and ice]? And we can say something about what type of airborne particle we are seeing. Is it dust or smoke or pollution?
For the scientists studying hurricanes, those distinctions are important. One of the major areas of study is how Saharan dust off of Africa travels across the Atlantic and affects hurricane formation and intensification. CPL data have been used to verify model projections of Saharan dust in the tropics. The CPL data showed dust layers had a vertical distribution different than models predicted. Instead dust layers occupied narrower altitude ranges. The finding led to an improvement in the dust models, which then feed into hurricane models.
Situated in the nose of the Global Hawk flying over the storm environment, CPL also has a role in on-the-fly mission planning. While in flight, the CPL sends its data back to the team on the ground. The mission scientists involved in the flight planning can sit there and watch the data with us in real time and say, Oh, were not getting what we want. Then they can go work with the flight planners and pilots to reroute the aircraft into different areas, said McGill. They love that.
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Washington, D.C., September 16, 2014 TheCoalition for Space ExplorationcongratulatesNASA on the announcement of the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contract awards today. This is a significant achievement for human space flight as this commercial effort for transporting crew to the International Space Station will allow NASA to place even more focus on addressing the unique challenges of deep space exploration. NASAs efforts aboard the station in low Earth orbit are demonstrating capabilities needed for deep space exploration, fostering ground breaking research to improve life on Earth.
We have only just begun to scratch the surface of the discoveries we will make by venturing deeper into our universe and sending humans farther than we have ever traveled before. NASAs Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System, which will enable human exploration throughout deep space, are progressing on schedule toward the first Exploration Flight Test (EFT-1) in December of this year. The James Webb Space Telescope, which will play an important role in our quest to better understand our own planets origin and what lies beyond our solar system, is on track to launch in late 2018.
These efforts are made possible by the continued bi-partisan support for Americas space program within the Congress. Thanks to their commitment and understanding of the positive impact space exploration has on our society, our nations space program will continue to boost our national economy, create high-tech jobs, inspire students and provide a greater understanding of our own planet.
About the Coalition for Space Exploration:
TheCoalition for Space Explorationis a group of space industry businesses and advocacy groups that collaborates to ensure that the United States remains the leader in space, science and technology by reinforcing the value and benefits of space exploration with the public and our nations leaders, and building lasting support for a long-term, sustainable strategic direction for space exploration.
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Coalition for Space Exploration Statement on NASA CCtCap Contract Awards
TAMPA The red tide bloom in the Gulf of Mexico that was threatening the tourist-soaked beaches of Pinellas County reversed its course last week and began ebbing from the coastline.
That was great news for the visitor-dependent beach communities hoping to be spared the coughing and wheezing brought on by red tide toxins and the stench of dead fish washing ashore.
Then, as quickly as scientists spotted the about-face, the red tide again switched courses and continued its march toward shore.
The red tide bloom off Pasco and Pinellas counties had been moving north-northwest for almost a week, said Jason Lenes, a researcher with the University of South Floridas Collaboration for Prediction of Red Tides.
Yesterday, the currents reversed again, he said Wednesday, and the forecast for the next three days is back to the south-southeast.
The wobble is not unusual this time of year, he said, as weather systems brushing over the state dictate the direction of the bloom.
The bloom was spotted about six weeks ago and stretched about 20 to 40 miles offshore between Dixie and Pasco counties. It was estimated to be some 90 miles long and 60 miles wide, the largest Gulf bloom since 2006.
This week, the bloom remained between 5 and 35 miles offshore in Taylor and Levy counties and 10 to 20 miles offshore from Levy south to Pasco County.
Over the Labor Day weekend, dead fish began washing up on Honeymoon Island in north Pinellas County. They likely were killed by red tide farther offshore and to the north, scientists said, though there was some evidence of red tide close to shore. Scientists two weeks ago said the bloom had drifted to within 5 miles of the coastline.
Lenes said that along the coastline, the currents mainly are controlled by the direction and intensity of the winds.
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PITTSBURGH (AP) Rusney Castillo's long journey to the major leagues is over.
The Boston Red Sox rookie outfielder will make his debut on Wednesday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 27-year-old Castillo will play center field and bat seventh, ending a three-week sprint through Boston's minor league system for the former Cuban star.
Now comes the fun part: trying to deliver on the hype surrounding the seven-year, $72.5 million deal he signed last month, the largest ever given to a Cuban-born player. Castillo insists he feels no pressure to produce the kind of immediate impact in the majors provided by fellow countrymen like Los Angeles Dodgers star Yasiel Puig and Chicago White Sox slugger Jose Abreu.
"It's not going to affect the way I'm going to approach the game," Castillo said through a translator. "You obviously admire those guys and you respect the success that they've had here and you hope for that to happen. I'm not going to use them as a barometer of how I measure my success."
Castillo defected to the U.S. last winter after a stellar international career playing for his homeland. He spent months going through a lengthy legal process before looking for a job. The defending World Series champion Red Sox saw enough speed and power to outbid all other suitors.
Though Castillo played in just 10 games during brief stints at three different minor league levels, manager John Farrell is encouraged the leap to the majors won't be a difficult one.
"The 40 ABs he's gained so far are consistent with the skills he showed while playing internationally," Farrell said. "At the same time this is the beginning of it and we'll let it unfold."
Castillo arrived in Pittsburgh early Wednesday after going 6 for 22 during with Triple-A Pawtucket. He met with Farrell, who called the last 11 games of the season a "teaching opportunity" and a chance to provide a jumping off point for 2015. Farrell declined to elaborate on how much playing time Castillo will see, saying simply "he's in the lineup tonight."
Farrell's biggest problem might be holding Castillo back. The two went over the expectations during their chat and while Farrell allowed it's been well over a year since Castillo played in anything comparable to what he'll see in the majors, there's no reason to believe Castillo will be rusty.
That doesn't mean the Red Sox are waiting for Castillo to be the second coming of Puig the moment he steps into the batter's box. Regardless of how well or poorly the next 10 days go, Castillo is a part of the long-term plans. There's no reason to draw conclusions based on what amounts to a brief cameo.
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Red Band Society
For the hospital kids ofRed Band Society, death may be around the corner, but life is just beginning.
Set in the children's ward of a Los Angeles hospital,Red Band Society(premieresWednesday, 9/8c, Fox)is about an unlikely group of friends who've come together some begrudgingly to face their life-threatening sicknesses.Zoe Levin,Charlie Rowe, Brian "Astro" Bradley,Ciara BravoandNolan Sotillomake up theBreakfast Club-like gang, while Griffin Gluckstars as a coma patient from whose perspective and narrative the story is told.
Fall TV's stars to watch
Of course, the kids aren't in this battle alone.Dave Annable,Rebecca Rittenhouse,Wilson Cruzand Oscar winnerOctavia Spencerplay the doctors and nurses who mentor them, often with dark humor, through the ups and downs of growing up.
Get to know the ensemble cast of characters that make up the coming-of-age drama.
THE KIDS
Kara Souders (Zoe Levin) Ailment:Needs a heart transplant What you need to know:As the resident "Queen Bitch," Kara's biggest challenge this season will be breaking down her tough exterior to let people in and earn a heart literally and figuratively. "Her [story] is aboutproving herself and hopefully bettering herself," Levin tells us. "She's going to get completely rocked because her walls have never come down, she's very guarded, so this is the first time she's going to be vulnerable." Adds executive producerMargaret Nagle:"She's going to fall in love, but he's not going to love her back, which will be hard for her. We'll also meet Kara's many moms. Her mom left her dad for another woman so she's got three moms, but no one knows how to be her mom and her mom had kids, stepmom and dad had kids she's the leftover. So she'll find her 'mother' at the hospital."
Leo Roth (Charlie Rowe) Ailment:Osteosarcoma in his right leg What you need to know:The leader of the group, Leo has been a mainstay at the hospital. "He's in this weird limbo period in the sense that no one knows what's coming next and if he'll survive, if he'll get worse [or if] he'll get a new leg," he says. "He's just waiting, so he takes this leading role amongst his pals [because] he needs something to cling onto and help him through." Rowe was also inspired by the creator of the original series on whichRed Bandis based,Polseres vermelles. "When speaking to Alberto [Espinosa], he was just cracking jokes about his leg," Rowe says. "He drew a cowboy hat on his stump and sent it to us like, 'My stump is wishing you luck!' He's taken the situation and had a great time."
Must-see new shows
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Ahmedabad, Sep 17 (IANS): Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives here Wednesday afternoon on the first leg of his three-day India visit during which trade and investment are expected to top the agenda of talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi besides other bilateral and regional issues.
Xi is arriving in Ahmedabad, the commercial capital of Gujarat state, at the head of a high-powered delegation.
In a first, Modi will receive the Chinese president in Ahmedabad after which the two sides are to ink some agreements related to the region.
The city has decked up to receive the Chinese leader.
A red carpet welcome and Gujarati culture and cuisine await Xi during his six-hour visit to the state.
Modi, who arrived in Ahmedabd Tuesday, said visiting heads of states should travel beyond New Delhi and see smaller towns to understand the country's diversity better.
This was Modi's first visit to Gujarat after becoming prime minister.
While in Ahmedabad, Xi is to visit Mahatma Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram and spend some time there along with Modi, who is to host a private dinner for the Chinese president at the Sabarmati Riverfront Park.
The day also marks Modi's 64th birthday.
The Sabarmati riverfront is a pet project of Modi, who as Gujarat chief minister developed it on the line of the Thames river of London.
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NASA picks Boeing and SpaceX to ferry astronauts to ISS
The deal will end NASA #39;s expensive reliance on Russia.
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NASA picks Boeing and SpaceX to ferry astronauts to ISS - Video
NASA to resume human space flight, focus on Mars
Subscribe: http://smarturl.it/reuterssubscribe NASA awards contracts to Boeing and SpaceX to ferry astronauts to the international space station, saying the move will allow the space agency...
By: Reuters
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