Can we see the ISS with the naked eye? | Martin Archer | Ask Head Squeeze – Video

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Can we see the ISS with the naked eye? | Martin Archer | Ask Head Squeeze
This week our question comes from our G+ Community, from Ben Trendkilla who asked #39; #39;How big would the space station have to be to be able to see it with the ...

By: Head Squeeze

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Can we see the ISS with the naked eye? | Martin Archer | Ask Head Squeeze - Video

Space Station Live: Investigating "Genius Materials" On the Space Station – Video

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Space Station Live: Investigating "Genius Materials" On the Space Station
Space Station Live commentator Pat Ryan talks to Dr. Eric Furst, Principal Investigator for the InSPACE experiment, from the University of Delaware. InSpace,...

By: ReelNASA

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Space Station Live: Investigating "Genius Materials" On the Space Station - Video

Red tape in outer space? More regulations could be on way

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WASHINGTON It's a story almost as old as humanity: Braving unknown dangers, a team of explorers settles a wild frontier, and then almost as quickly bureaucrats tie it up with red tape.

This time, the frontier is outer space. And the regulators are from the Federal Aviation Administration, which licenses commercial-rocket launches in addition to monitoring the airlines.

The FAA has so far been constrained by one major loophole: Once a spacecraft reaches orbit, it's largely free of regulation a libertarian's final refuge.

But that could change soon.

This week, at a congressional hearing and an industry conference in Washington, FAA officials and space attorneys began seriously discussing rules of the road for outer space, from mining rights to safety practices.

Although there have been some broad guidelines the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, for example, prohibits nations from claiming the moon specific space regulations have been few and far between. In part that's because few countries let alone private companies have had the ability to blast people or products into orbit.

But the commercial space industry, once a pipe dream for "Star Trek" fans, has burgeoned in recent years.

In 2012, the California company SpaceX became the first commercial-rocket company to deliver cargo to the International Space Station. And space tourism companies, such as Virgin Galactic and XCOR Aerospace, are preparing to fly passengers to suborbital space as soon as this year.

Those efforts have led Congress, the administration and industry to begin talking about how to ensure that people and property stay safe in microgravity.

These proposals run the gamut, from figuring out how to restrict the amount of dangerous "space junk" shed by spacecraft to finding a way to coordinate traffic in Earth's orbit.

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Red tape in outer space? More regulations could be on way

Space Flight Mission Critical Systems Personnel Reliability Program: Removal of Obsolete Regulations

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[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 26 (Friday, February 7, 2014)] [Rules and Regulations] [Pages 7391-7392] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2014-02591]

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

14 CFR Part 1214

[Docket Number: 2014-0002] RIN 2700-AD87

Space Flight Mission Critical Systems Personnel Reliability Program: Removal of Obsolete Regulations

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

ACTION: Direct final rule.

SUMMARY: This direct final rule makes nonsubstantive changes by removing a regulation that is obsolete and no longer used. The revision to this rule are part of NASA's retrospective plan under Executive Order (EO) 13563 completed in August 2011.

DATES: This direct final rule is effective on April 8, 2014. Comments due on or before March 10, 2014. If adverse comments are received, NASA will publish a timely withdrawal of the rule in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Comments must be identified with RIN 2700-AD87 and may be sent to NASA via the Federal E-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Please note that NASA will post all comments on the Internet with changes, including any personal information provided.

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Space Flight Mission Critical Systems Personnel Reliability Program: Removal of Obsolete Regulations

David O. Russell: If NASA Gets ‘Pristine Images From Mars,’ Why Can’t My Monitor? – Video

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David O. Russell: If NASA Gets #39;Pristine Images From Mars, #39; Why Can #39;t My Monitor?
The Oscar-nominated director jokes about his frustrations over using monitors on set, saying he instead chooses to stand next to a steady camera. "Half the t...

By: The Hollywood Reporter

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David O. Russell: If NASA Gets 'Pristine Images From Mars,' Why Can't My Monitor? - Video

NASA spies Earth from Mars

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Carl Sagan once referred to the Earth as "where we make our stand."

And when seen by NASA's Mars rover Curiosity spacecraft across the vast expanse of space, that pale, blue dot he described suddenly makes sense. It's home -- but just one tiny speck barely visible in the infinite reach of space.

One very important speck, that is:

Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there -- on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. From Carl Sagan's "Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space."

From the surface of the Red Planet, NASA's rover took a few minutes off from its science mission to gaze back at our planet, capturing a twinkling Earth spinning slowly in the sky.

The view of the twilight sky and Martian horizon shows Earth as the brightest point of light in the night sky -- the planet is a little left of center in the image, and just beneath it, almost invisible in the picture, our moon.

A human observer with normal vision, if standing on Mars, could easily see Earth and the moon as two distinct, bright evening stars, NASA said.

Not everyone was pleased with the view, however; a very sad Tweet from the parody Twitter account @SarcasticRover puts a different spin on the image:

In July 2013, NASA's Cassini craft took a similar image of Earth from over 900 million miles away, as the spacecraft spun around the planet. Researchers called it "the day the Earth smiled," because NASA asked Earthlings to smile and wave back at the spacecraft, knowing the exact moment the picture would be taken.

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NASA spies Earth from Mars

NASA Media Accreditation Open for Next SpaceX Station Resupply Mission Launch

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Media accreditation is open for the launch of NASA's next commercial cargo resupply flight to the International Space Station.

Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) will launch its Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket at about 4:41 a.m. EDT Sunday, March 16 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida.

This will be the company's third commercial resupply mission to the space station, which will deliver several tons of supplies, including new science experiments and technology research.

Prelaunch and launch activities for media will take place at CCAFS and nearby at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. International media without U.S. citizenship must apply for credentials to cover the prelaunch and launch activities by noon Thursday, Feb. 13, in order to gain access to CCAFS for the launch. Accreditation is open until Thursday, Feb. 27, for international media without U.S. citizenship who do not need access to CCAFS. The deadline for U.S. media to apply for credentials is 4 p.m. Monday, March 10.

All media accreditation requests need to be submitted online at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

NASA also is inviting 50 social media users to apply for credentials for the launch. Social media users selected to attend will be given the same access as journalists. All social media accreditation applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Registration for social media accreditation is open online. Social media users with U.S. citizenship must apply for credentials by 3 p.m. EST Wednesday, Feb. 19, to qualify. For more information about NASA social media accreditation requirements and to register, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/social

International journalists must submit a scanned copy of their "I" visa and passport. Green card holders must submit a scanned copy of their card. They must send their scanned documents to Jennifer Horner atjennifer.p.horner@nasa.govfor credential request processing.

All media representatives must present two forms of legal, government identification to access Kennedy Space Center. One form must be a photo ID, such as a passport or driver's license. Questions about accreditation should be directed to Jennifer Horner atjennifer.p.horner@nasa.gov, 321-867-6598 or 321-867-2468.

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NASA Media Accreditation Open for Next SpaceX Station Resupply Mission Launch

NASA Technology to Help Develop Noninvasive Medical Treatments

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NASA has signed two patent license agreements with GRoK Technologies LLC of Houston to help develop novel biotechnology approaches that could have multiple applications in space and on Earth. The agreements are the results of the agency's Technology Transfer Program, which helps opens up NASA's research and technology to the public for use and development.

The agreements grant rights for four patented technologies invented by NASA and GRoK scientists. NASA is interested in the potential these technologies present for regenerating bone and muscle. During long spaceflights, astronauts are susceptible to developing osteopenia, which is a condition arising from the loss of bone and muscle mass and bone density. The patented technologies could help GRoK develop breakthrough products for the research and medical communities and advance our overall understanding of biomedicine.

"Biotechnology research taking place on the International Space Station and at NASA centers around the country continues to push the leading edge of science," said Yolanda Marshall, director of the Strategic Opportunities and Partnership Development Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "This partnership will further enhance NASA's ability to share the unique breakthroughs made in space-based research."

GRoK will be able to use these patented methods on two platform technologies the company is developing.

The first platform, called BioReplicates, will allow users to create 3-D human tissue models that can be used to test cosmetics, drugs and other products for safety, efficacy and toxicity with greater accuracy, reliability and cost-efficiency. Additionally, using such models may reduce the industry's reliance on animal testing.

The second platform, called Scionic, could lead to the development of medical devices designed to target musculoskeletal pain and inflammation in humans and animals noninvasively and without the use of pharmaceuticals.

"The GRoK team is delighted we are now a NASA licensee with the opportunity to bring forward into the commercial sector technologies that have the capacity to improve the lives of people everywhere," said Moshe Kushman, GRoK's founder and CEO. "It's not just science fiction anymore. All indications are that 21st century life sciences will change dramatically during the next several decades, and GRoK is working to define the forefront of a new scientific wave."

NASAs Technology Transfer Program ensures that technologies developed for missions in exploration and discovery are broadly available to the public, maximizing the benefit to the nation. Making NASA technologies available promotes commercial activity, encourages economic growth, and stimulates innovation in business and commerce.

For information about NASA's Technology Transfer Program, visit:

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NASA Technology to Help Develop Noninvasive Medical Treatments