Space Station crew returns to Earth

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Washington, Mar 11 : Three crew members from the International Space Station returned to Earth Monday after 166 days in space, during which they made 2,656 orbits around the planet and traveled almost 70.5 million miles

Expedition 38 crew members Michael Hopkins of NASA, and Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryazanskiy of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) touched down southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, at about 11:24 p.m. EDT (9:24 a.m., March 11, in Dzhezkazgan).

During Expedition 38, the crew members participated in a variety of research, including protein crystal growth studies and biological studies of plant seedling growth to technology demonstrations that are helping to improve our understanding of how liquid moves in microgravity.

They conducted student experiments that observed celestial events in space. One of several key research focus areas during Expedition 38 was human health management for long duration space travel, as NASA and Roscosmos prepare for two crew members to spend one year aboard the space station in 2015.

During their time aboard the orbiting laboratory, the three men were there to welcome three visiting cargo spacecraft. Two Russian Progress crafts docked to the station, bringing tons of supplies.

In January, Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Cygnus spacecraft loaded with cargo and experiments flew to the space station as part of the Orbital-1 cargo resupply mission. This was the company's first of at least eight cargo delivery flights through 2016 to the station under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services contract.

Kotov, Ryazanskiy and Hopkins were on hand as Mastracchio, Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos and Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency arrived on Nov. 7, 2013, bearing the Olympic torch used to light the Olympic flame at Fisht Stadium in Sochi, Russia, which marked the start of the 2014 Winter Games in February.

Hopkins and fellow Expedition 38 NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio ventured outside the confines of the space station during two spacewalks in December to replace a suspect ammonia pump that is part of the station's equipment cooling system. On the Russian side, Kotov and Ryazanskiy conducted three spacewalks.

The first trip outside was to install and replace experiments and hardware attached to the exterior of the Russian segment and display the Olympic torch. The other two walks were to install a pair of cameras on the hull of the station's Zvezda Service Module that are part of a Canadian commercial endeavor with Roscosmos designed to downlink Earth-observation imagery to Internet-based subscribers.

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Space Station crew returns to Earth

Sierra Nevada Corp. Expands Work in Huntsville with Marshall Space Flight Center and Teledyne Brown for Dream Chaser

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Posted on: 3:37 pm, March 11, 2014, by David Wood, updated on: 08:30pm, March 11, 2014

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) -Sierra Nevada Corporation(SNC) announces the expansion of itsDream Chaserprogram team and scope of work in Huntsville with the signing of a Space Act Agreement (SAA) Annex with NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and a Teaming Agreement with Teledyne Brown Engineering (TBE).

We believe space is a team sport, saidMark Sirangelo, Corporate Vice President and head of SNCs Space Systems.During todays press conference at MSFC Sirangelopresented details of the two new agreements that advance the Dream Chaser spacecraft to enable science payload operations and technology development in support of continued growth and utilization of space and the International Space Station (ISS).

That means going to people who have the expertise, the knowledge and the ability to make us better; and really what today is about is that story were adding to our team.

Sirangelo outlined the substantial contribution each partner will make towards the Dream Chaser Advanced Development program.

Today we are pleased to announce that we are increasing our presence in Alabama by expanding our relationship with theMarshall Space Flight Centerand adding Teledyne Brown Engineering to our growing Dream Chaser team, Sirangelo said.

Each of these organizations provide experts in their respective fields and have already begun applying their invaluable knowledge and experience. We will work together to evaluate future low-Earth orbit (LEO) mission concepts for the Dream Chaser in the area of scientific payload operations with the goal of enhancing and enabling science in LEO. We are honored they are joining our already dynamic list of partners our Dream Team which now includes over 15 companies, seven NASA centers and a growing list of universities. The team spans more than 30 states and several countries with the common goal of furthering the development of the multi-mission Dream Chaser spacecraft.

So what is Dream Chaser? Think of it like a mobile science lab much like we have on the space station.

It has the capability of doing on-orbit research in a variety of different ways and we think one of the most critical ways to do that is looking at the whole bio-science area,Sirangelo said. Which is why SNC is reaching out to other state entities like UAH, UAB, and Hudson-Alpha Institute for Biotechnology.

SNCs Space Systems Advanced Development group is responsible for overseeing the multi-mission capability of the Dream Chaser spacecraft which includes crew-capable LEO servicing, science and transportation missions. The inherent capabilities of the reusable Dream Chaser lifting body spacecraft, as illustrated by its low-g reentry and runway landing, make it an ideal vehicle to support a variety of LEO missions.

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Sierra Nevada Corp. Expands Work in Huntsville with Marshall Space Flight Center and Teledyne Brown for Dream Chaser

SNC Expands Work in Huntsville WIth Marshall Space Flight Center & Teledyne Brown Engineering

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Sparks, Nev., March 11, 2014 Sierra Nevada Corporation(SNC) announces the expansion of itsDream Chaserprogram team and scope of work in Huntsville, Ala., with the signing of a Space Act Agreement (SAA) Annex with NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and a Teaming Agreement with Teledyne Brown Engineering (TBE).

During todays press conference at MSFC,Mark N. Sirangelo, corporate vice president and head of SNCs Space Systems, presented details of the two new agreements that advance the Dream Chaser spacecraft to enable science payload operations and technology development in support of continued growth and utilization of space and the International Space Station (ISS).

Sirangelo outlined the substantial contribution each partner will make towards the Dream Chaser Advanced Development program. Sirangelo stated, Today we are pleased to announce that we are increasing our presence in Alabama by expanding our relationship with theMarshall Space Flight Centerand adding Teledyne Brown Engineering to our growing Dream Chaser team. Each of these organizations provide experts in their respective fields and have already begun applying their invaluable knowledge and experience. We will work together to evaluate future low-Earth orbit (LEO) mission concepts for the Dream Chaser in the area of scientific payload operations with the goal of enhancing and enabling science in LEO. We are honored they are joining our already dynamic list of partners our Dream Team - which now includes over 15 companies, seven NASA centers and a growing list of universities. The team spans more than 30 states and several countries with the common goal of furthering the development of the multi-mission Dream Chaser spacecraft.

SNCs Space Systems Advanced Development group is responsible for overseeing the multi-mission capability of the Dream Chaser spacecraft which includes crew-capable LEO servicing, science and transportation missions. The inherent capabilities of the reusable Dream Chaser lifting body spacecraft, as illustrated by its low-g reentry and runway landing, make it an ideal vehicle to support a variety of LEO missions.

SNC selected MSFCs Mission Operations Laboratory (MOL), an authority in mission operations for science payloads aboard the ISS, to collaborate with SNCs engineers to evaluate Design Reference Missions, operations planning, training and mission execution for utilizing the Dream Chaser as a platform to complement and support science being performed on the ISS.

We are glad to share the knowledge and expertise weve gained through our decades of experience with payload development for space shuttle missions and operating and maintaining science research on the International Space Station, said Patrick Scheuermann, Marshall director. We have enjoyed a successful partnership with Sierra Nevada Corporation for more than two years and look forward to continued collaboration.

The MOL is run by a dedicated team of civil servants and experienced commercial contractors led byTeledyne Brown Engineering, a close partner to SNC. Under the Teaming Agreement, SNC and TBE are working together to evaluate strategic and technical partnership opportunities for the Dream Chaser Advanced Development team and other space systems collaborations.

We are very pleased to team with Sierra Nevada Corporation in the development of the Dream Chaser, said Rex D. Geveden, executive vice president, Teledyne Technologies Incorporated. This is an exceptional opportunity to apply our capabilities in payload development and integration to an exciting new space transportation system.

SNC signed its first Space Act Agreement with NASAs Marshall Center in 2012 leveraging MSFCs expertise and resources to perform wind tunnel testing on various configurations of the Dream Chaser/United Launch Alliance Atlas V launch stack in MSFCs trisonic wind tunnel lab. The data generated from the series of tests helped define the vehicles aerodynamic characteristics in flight.

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SNC Expands Work in Huntsville WIth Marshall Space Flight Center & Teledyne Brown Engineering

NASA Administrator to See Space Launch System Progress at Marshall

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NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will get a firsthand look at the work being done on the Space Launch System (SLS) avionics and flight software during a visit Friday, March 14 to the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.

Journalists are invited to participate in the tour and media availability at 1:20 p.m. CDT.

SLS, NASA's new rocket, will be the largest, most capable launch system ever built to support deep space missions. The avionics system -- including hardware, software and operating systems -- that will guide the rocket are arranged in flight configuration, and are being tested at Marshall's System Integration Laboratory.

Bolden will tour the facility and watch flight simulations to see how SLS will perform during launch. In addition, members of the Alabama Congressional delegation and community leaders have been invited to the tour.

Media interested in attending should contact Kimberly Henry in Marshall's Public & Employee Communications Office at 256-544-0034 no later than 4 p.m. Thursday, March 13. Media must report to the Redstone Arsenal Joint Visitor Control Center at Gate 9, Interstate 565 interchange at Rideout Road/Research Park Boulevard. Vehicles are subject to a security search at the gate. Media will need two photo identifications and proof of car insurance.

The first flight test of the SLS, which will feature a configuration for a 70-metric-ton (77-ton) lift capacity and carry an uncrewed Orion spacecraft beyond low-Earth orbit to test the performance of the integrated system, is targeted for 2017. As the SLS evolves, it will provide an unprecedented lift capability of 130 metric tons (143 tons) to enable missions even farther into our solar system, including an asteroid and Mars.

For more information on SLS, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/sls

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NASA Administrator to See Space Launch System Progress at Marshall

Committee OKs fundraising bill spurred by Augusta restaurant

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Yesterday at 6:59 PM The so-called Red Barn bill earned unanimous support from the Legislatures Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee and now heads to the full Legislature.

By Keith Edwards kedwards@centralmaine.com Staff Writer

AUGUSTA A bill proposed after the a state official ordered the Red Barn restaurant to stop holding its community fundraisers won the unanimous approval of a legislative committee Tuesday.

click image to enlarge

GREEN LIGHT: Red Barn restaurant owner Laura Benedict, shown in NOvember 2014, is ecstatic that lawmakers support a bill to make it easier for businesses to raise money for charities, according to her spokeswoman.

Staff file photo by Joe Phelan

The proposed law change would allow businesses to raise funds for nonprofit organizations and people in need without registering as nonprofits themselves. Over the last five years, Red Barn in Augusta has raised $635,000 for various charities.

But in November, a letter from an assistant attorney general directed the restaurant to cease engaging in solicitation as a charitable organization until you become licensed as a charitable organization or show why you do not need to be licensed as such.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Lori Fowle, D-Vassalboro, received a unanimous ought to pass endorsement from the Legislatures Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee after a work session Tuesday.

Alicia Barnes, business manager of the Red Barn and volunteer executive director of the Red Barn Cares Foundation, which is being established as a nonprofit organization to further the Red Barns charitable activities, said she and owner Laura Benedict hope the law change will encourage more businesses to hold fundraising events for people and organizations in need in their communities.

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Committee OKs fundraising bill spurred by Augusta restaurant

Random spring training Red Sox thoughts

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By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff

FORT MYERS, Fla. The Red Sox are off today. Seems like a good time for some random thoughts and observations from camp:

The Grade Sizemore renaissance is quite stunning. To watch him play is to have no idea that he missed the last two years entirely with an assortment of injuries. He works at-bats, makes contact and is running well.

But here's the problem: It's wildly unreasonable to expect him to be an everyday player. No matter how healthy he is, going from zero games over two years to, say, 125 games is hard to imagine.

If Sizemore is on the team, Jackie Bradley Jr. almost has to be. The alternative is playing Shane Victorino in center field and having somebody in right field who doesn't really belong in right field.

The Red Sox can't keep six outfielders. If you start with Sizemore, Bradley and Victorino, somebody has to go from the Mike Carp, Jonny Gomes, Daniel Nava left field group.

The Craig Breslow thing is suspicious. He says he's healthy and John Farrell says the same. But several weeks into camp, he's just now throwing a bullpen? That doesn't make much sense.

Rich Hill showed up last week and has already thrown several bullpens and will face hitters today.

Breslow is being treated like a pitcher who has a sore shoulder, which was his problem at this time last season. Maybe the Red Sox are just being ultra-cautious, but something is not quite right.

The Red Sox will keep as many players as they can under their control when it comes time to make their roster. They know that who is on the Opening Day roster doesn't mean anything over the course of a long season.

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Random spring training Red Sox thoughts

NASA's Mars Orbiter sidelined by glitch

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NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) put itself into a precautionary "safe mode" Friday, March 7, but the venerable spacecraft is now on the mend, agency officials say.

MRO switched over to safe mode after unexpectedly swapping from one main computer to another, NASA officials said Tuesday. As a result of the glitch, science operations have been suspended, and the probe is not relaying data from the space agency's two active Mars rovers back to Earth at the moment.

But things should change soon, as MRO's handlers have begun bringing the spacecraft back up to speed, officials said.

"The spacecraft is healthy, in communication and fully powered," MRO project manager Dan Johnston, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., said in a statement. "We have stepped up the communication data rate, and we plan to have the spacecraft back to full operations within a few days."

The $720 million Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission launched in August 2005 and arrived at the Red Planet in March 2006. During its eight years in orbit around Mars, the spacecraft has returned more data than all other interplanetary missions, past or present, combined, NASA officials said.

MRO also serves as a vital relay link between NASA's Opportunity rover, which landed in January 2004, and the agency's 1-ton Curiosity rover, which touched down in August 2012. MRO's current issues haven't left the two rovers out in the cold, however; their data continues to come home via Mars Odyssey, a NASA orbiter that has been circling Mars since October 2001.

Spacecraft enter safe mode when they detect an anomalous condition. It's not an uncommon occurrence; MRO, for example, has now entered safe mode five times following unscheduled computer swaps, with the most recent event before Friday's glitch coming in November 2011, officials said.

Friday's computer swap also featured a switch over to a redundant radio transponder on MRO. While the probe can operate just fine with this instrument, engineers are trying to figure out what happened to the out-of-service transponder, and whether or not it can be brought back online, NASA officials said.

Originally published onSpace.com.

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NASA's Mars Orbiter sidelined by glitch