Juno Leaves Earth On A Trip To Jupiter

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Juno has left Earth and is on a 5 year cruise to Jupiter. It will arrive in Jovian space in July 2016. Juno will orbit Jupiter for about one year. Juno will study how much water is in Jupiter's atmosphere; look deep into Jupiter's atmosphere to measure composition, temperature, cloud motions and other properties; map Jupiter's magnetic and gravity fields, revealing the planet's deep structure; and study Jupiter's magnetosphere near the planet's poles, especially the auroras - Jupiter's northern and southern lights - providing new insights about how the planet's enormous magnetic force field affects its atmosphere.

MRO News Conference: Water Flowing on Mars

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NASA Spacecraft Data Suggest Water Flowing on Mars

"Observations from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have revealed possible flowing water during the warmest months on Mars. "NASA's Mars Exploration Program keeps bringing us closer to determining whether the Red Planet could harbor life in some form," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said, "and it reaffirms Mars as an important future destination for human exploration." Dark, finger-like features appear and extend down some Martian slopes during late spring through summer, fade in winter, and return during the next spring. Repeated observations have tracked the seasonal changes in these recurring features on several steep slopes in the middle latitudes of Mars' southern hemisphere."

Boeing Announces Commercial Crew Rocket Selection

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"Boeing will announce the selection of its rocket for the Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 on Thursday, August 4 at noon Eastern Time (11 a.m. Central Time, 9 a.m. Pacific Time). John Elbon, vice president and program manager of Boeing's Commercial Crew Programs will host the call, and he will be joined by a senior representative of the rocket company. They will make brief opening remarks and go into a question and answer portion. Three test flights will be flown with this rocket in 2015. With sufficient funding and selection for a development contract, Boeing expects to provide an operational capability to transport crews to and from the International Space Station in 2015."

Keith's note: Boeing has picked the Lockheed Martin Atlas V which is currently marketed by the Boeing/Lockheed Martin joint venture United Launch Alliance. Boeing's CST-100 crew spacecraft will be launched on an Atlas 5 - 412.

Boeing Selects Atlas V Rocket for Initial Commercial Crew Launches

"The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today announced it has selected the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket to launch the Boeing Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 spacecraft from Florida's Space Coast."

NASA OIG: NASA’s Stuff Is Getting Old

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NASA Infrastructure and Facilities: Assessment of Data Used to Manage Real Property Assets, NASA OIG

"NASA Inspector General Paul K. Martin today released a report examining the accuracy of the primary database NASA uses to evaluate its extensive real property assets. NASA owns approximately 5,000 buildings and structures such as wind tunnels, laboratories, launch pads, and test stands valued at more than $26.4 billion. However, 80 percent of NASA's facilities are 40 or more years old and many are in degraded condition. Given the extent and age of NASA's facilities, it is imperative that NASA managers have reliable data with which to manage these assets."

Hiding NASA’s Advisory Council (Update)

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NASA's Invisible Advisory Council

"This week the NASA Advisory Council (NAC) and its various committees are meeting. This body is federally chartered to formally advise NASA - yet the public knows little - if anything about what this committee does. By law the public is supposed to be informed of these meetings, allowed to attend, and offered means whereby they can present their views to the committee. By law, these meetings are announced in the Federal Register. But unless you are a policy wonk, you are not likely to read these notices. That is why I post them on NASA Watch (look to the calendar) and on SpaceRef. Alas, beyond the formal notification process, NASA does not lift a finger to make certain that the public is aware of these activities and the means whereby the public is supposed to be encouraged to participate. NASA's NAC staff and PAO have done a pitiful job informing the public of these meetings."

Keith's 3 Aug note: The NASA Advisory Council is meeting on Thursday and Friday. Charlie Bolden will be there. The meeting will be available to the public on WebEx and via telecon (info). Given NASA's previous shyness/ambivalence with regard to encouraging public appreciation of - and participation with - the NAC, you can expect continued silence from the NAC and PAO.

Imagine the visibility that the NAC - and the topics it wil be discussing - would get if NASA used its Twitter account to reach its 1.3 million followers. Imagine also if NASA used one of its 4 TV channels to webcast the meeting. Alas, NASA PAO is focusing today on sending LEGO dolls to Jupiter.

Keith's 4 Aug update: Interestingly, unlike nasa.gov, the open.nasa.gov folks are paying attention to the interests of the public and are letting their readers know that there is a NAC meeting - and how to participate. Well done!

SETI Needs Your Help (Update: Crowd Sourcing Actually Works)

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SETI Needs Your Help to Resume Search for Extraterrestrial Life

Keith's note 22 June 2011: "We are discovering more Earth-like planets every day, so now is more critical than ever to look for extraterrestrial life. A contribution from you, today, will fund telescope scans for signs of intelligence beyond our solar system. Please donate and help us find intelligent life out there. At the SETI Institute, we've made a name for ourselves exploring space. But it's our community here on Earth--passionate, science-minded and creative--that truly defines us. That's why we're launching SETIstars, an initiative to connect us more closely than ever with the constellation of visionaries and supporters that make our work possible."

Keith's note 4 August 2011: " 2181 STARS - $202,299 OUT OF $200,000 - 101%"

DIRECTV Charges for (Free) NASA TV

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Reader note: Read the following on the Direct TV web site regarding NASA TV. So they now want to charge $10.00 extra but not deliver HD. "Is NASA TV still available on DIRECTV? Yes, DIRECTV will still offer NASA TV on Channel 289. However, starting August 3, 2011, NASA TV will only be available to customers who have DIRECTV HD equipment and are subscribed to HD Access ($10/month). But please note: NASA TV will remain a standard definition channel. Upgrade to HD online or call us at 1-800-531-5000."

SpaceRef Launches New Magazine and Forum

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SpaceRef Launches New Magazine Space Quarterly and the SpaceRef Forum, SpaceRef

"SpaceRef, a provider of new media services since 1999, announced today that it was launching its first magazine, Space Quarterly, in both digital and print format. Space Quarterly will be published in two editions: a U.S. edition with an international section and a Canadian edition. To complement Space Quarterly, SpaceRef will also launch a new online service, the SpaceRef Forum, where readers can participate in ongoing discussions on topics covered by the magazine including commercial space, space policy, military space and other timely topics. Both new products will be available September 1, 2011."

Marc's Note: I'm excited to announce these two new products today. We've been working hard on the magazine for many months and hope you'll like it as much as we do. As well many of you have expressed an interest in having SpaceRef/NASA Watch create an online Forum. We'll we've listened and come September 1 we'll be launching it. You can now subscribe to Space Quarterly here.

NASA Maker Camp

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NASA ARC Maker Camp

Maker Camp is an effort stemming from the burgeoning NASA Forward group targeted at engaging the work force in fast, hyper-local projects that advance NASA's mission and vision. Based on the "Maker" culture, the concept is to gather interested individuals and go about creating something new. Several centers have already conducted their Maker Camps, focusing on 2 to 3 activities ranging from physical creations to process improvements.

NASA JSC Maker Camp

"Do you like to build, tinker and try new things? Do you wish some days that you could just get your hands dirty and create something? Maker Camp is an internal pilot project focused on creating a culture of experimentation by offering individuals the chance to collaborate on quick, innovative projects that are good for the center and the agency. JSC will connect remotely and work collaboratively with teams at ARC to see what we can do together in a short, focused period of time."

Working Outside the Box at Johnson Space Center open.nasa.gov

"Inside one of the high bays overlooking the former home of the WETF is a work area available to everyone at the center. The decor is simple and functional: whiteboard tables, colorful rolling chairs, mobile desks and whiteboard walls. Have an idea? Write it on the table or a wall. Share it on a screen. Need a bit of privacy? Go to the neighboring room ("the fishbowl") and work there."

Driver Fatigue: an Alarming Situation

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Fatigue is a common cause of highway tractor trailer accidents. About one-quarter of commercial roadway accidents are due to drivers falling asleep at the wheel. That stark reality in mind, inventors in Denmark developed a dash-mounted alarm system that detects when a driver is about to fall asleep

Microstepping Madness

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A recent article describes a machine-tool manufacturer's use of step motors and microstepping drives in place of continuous motors, making note of how quietly the machines run. What's your experience with smooth-performing microstepping drives and step motors, and their ability to replace continuous

Drinking Water Regulation

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Are agencies assuring the safety of public drinking water? It has been said some fell down on the job both in establishing criteria for identifying contaminants of greatest public health concern, and in testing unregulated contaminants in ways that provide useful data for making regulatory decisions

Prius Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle Program: Fast Facts

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I think I've finally managed to out-smug my Seattle neighbors.

Parked directly in front of a garage that contains my old gas-guzzling Mopar is the new Prius Plug-In Hybrid. I have one of just 160 or so they are using in testing this year, but they'll start showing up in dealderships early next ye

Are Nanocoatings the Future of Sustainable Surfaces?

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From improving the efficacy of solar cells to creating anti-microbial clothing, the future of surface treatments seems to be nanotechnology. The pursuit of nanoparticle-based coatings is also promoting the innovation of other technologies to support the process, such as the high-temperature gel perm

Are You Ready for Worst Case Scenarios?

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Hospitals have emergency response plans in place for when disaster strikes the community, but what about when disaster strikes the hospital? How well is your facility prepared to face that eventuality? How can you train and drill staff without disrupting regular activities? Should there be a nationa

Will Prettier Power Make a Difference?

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Communities often complain about wind turbines, power plants, and power poles —calling them eyesores. Now, energy companies are working with architects to make more visually-appealing designs. Do you think people will be more accepting of power generation in their communities if the facilities