Obama Backs New Launcher and Bigger NASA Budget

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Obama Backs New Launcher and Bigger NASA Budget, Science Insider

"President Barack Obama will ask Congress next year to fund a new heavy-lift launcher to take humans to the Moon, asteroids, and the moons of Mars, ScienceInsider has learned. The president chose the new direction for the U.S. human space flight program Wednesday at a White House meeting with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, according to officials familiar with the discussion. NASA would receive an additional $1 billion in 2011 both to get the new launcher on track and to bolster the agency's fleet of robotic Earth-monitoring spacecraft."

Obama meeting with NASA chief yields few details so far, Orlando Sentinel

"Among the things Bolden told lawmakers and Congressional staff was that the White House was now favoring a $1 billion top line increase to NASA's budget in 2011. This would be far better than the 5 percent cut that all agencies, including NASA, were asked by the White House to prepare, but difficult to secure given the deficit-cutting mindset in Congress now."

XCOR wins a major customer

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XCOR Aerospace announced this afternoon a major business development for the suborbital vehicle developer: a contract to provide suborbital space launch services for a South Korean organization. XOCR will provide and operate a Lynx Mark 2 vehicle to the Yecheon Astro Space Center under a “wet lease” model, pending export control approvals. The center will use the Lynx for “space tourism, educational, scientific and environmental monitoring missions”, according to the announcement.

The center, formerly known as the Yecheon Astronomy Foundation, is not well-known, at least outside of Korea: the center’s web site is in Korean, and a Google search primarily turns up references to this announcement. The press release states that the center has put together “a broad coalition of regional and national entities” to fund the project.

That funding, estimated to be $30 million, could be critical to XCOR. At the Space Investment Summit 7 conference in Boston in late September, XCOR COO Andrew Nelson said that the company was looking for abut $10 million in investment or sales to fund development of the Mark 2 vehicle, which will be able to fly to higher altitudes than the single Mark 1 prototype under development.

Soyuz Rolls to the Pad

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Soyuz Rolls to the Pad
The Soyuz TMA-17 spacecraft is rolled out by train to the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Friday, Dec. 18, 2009. The launch of the Soyuz spacecraft with Expedition 22 NASA Flight Engineer Timothy J. Creamer of the U.S., Soyuz Commander Oleg Kotov of Russia and Flight Engineer Soichi Noguchi of Japan, is scheduled for Monday, Dec., 21, 2009 at 3:52a.m. Kazakhstan time.

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Milt Thompson’s Wild Ride

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Investigators pore over the site of the nose-first, high-impact JF-104A crash that left this large crater in the desert near Edwards Air Force Base in December 1962. NASA test pilot Milton OOminous black smoke rose over California's high desert on a crisp, cold December morning in 1962, and there was no sign of a parachute. Della Mae Bowling, the pilot's office secretary at NASA's Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base, was crying as fire trucks raced across the vast expanse of Rogers Dry Lake toward the crash scene. But Bowling and others were to learn that what might have been a terrible tragedy turned out instead to be a triumph of piloting skill.

Several years earlier, NASA had acquired a production Lockheed F-104A for use as a research aircraft. On April 13, 1959, Neil Armstrong ferried the supersonic jet from Lockheed's Palmdale, Calif., facility to NASA's Flight Research Center, where it was equipped with special instrumentation and re-designated as a JF-104A. It initially served as a launch platform for parachute test vehicles and experimental sounding rockets. Later, it was used for mission support, pilot proficiency and as a chase plane for other research aircraft. In all, seven NASA pilots flew the airplane 249 times.

On Dec. 20, 1962, NASA research pilot Milton O. Thompson was scheduled to evaluate weather conditions over Mud Lake, Nev., in preparation for the launch of an X-15 rocket plane over that area a few hours later. Weather flights were critical because go/no-go decisions were based on real-time observations made along the planned flight path.

NASA research pilot Milt Thompson poses in front of an F-104 similar to the one from which he ejected on Dec. 20Thompson strapped himself into the JF-104A cockpit, taxied to the runway, took off to the northeast and climbed to cruising altitude. Visibility was clear all along his route. Upon returning to Edwards, Thompson configured the airplane so he could practice simulated X-15 landings on the clay surface of Rogers Dry Lake.

During his first approach he cut throttle, extended speed brakes and began a steep, descending turn toward a runway marked on the lakebed's surface. Decelerating, he lowered the flaps and held 300 knots indicated airspeed as he dove toward the airstrip. The jet lost altitude at a rate of 18,000 feet per minute until he leveled off at 800 feet, lit the afterburner and climbed away.

During his second approach, Thompson noticed the airplane was rolling to the left. He applied full right aileron and rudder but failed to stop the motion. Seeing his airspeed dropping rapidly, he advanced the throttle to full and relit the afterburner. As his speed increased to 300 knots the roll ceased, leaving the airplane in a 90-degree left bank. Thompson increased his speed to 350 knots to gain more control effectiveness and began to troubleshoot the problem.

Guessing that the airplane was experiencing an asymmetric control condition – either flaps or speed brakes – he repeatedly cycled the roll and yaw dampers, flap-selector switch and speed brakes. He verified that both flaps indicated "up" and visually examined the exterior of the aircraft using his rear-view mirrors. The leading-edge flaps appeared to be up and locked but he couldn't see the trailing-edge flaps. Thompson knew he was in serious trouble and wasn't sure he could land safely. It slowly dawned on him that he might have to eject.

In a last-ditch effort, Thompson radioed NASA-1 – the Flight Operations office – and urgently asked for fellow research pilot Joe Walker, who was suiting up for his X-15 mission.

"Trouble?" Walker asked.

"Right, Joe," said Thompson, "I'm running out of right aileron."

After a brief discussion, Walker decided one of the flaps might be locked in the down position and suggested that Thompson cycle the flap lever again. Thompson tried this and immediately knew it was a mistake, as the airplane started to roll rapidly. He soon realized the situation was hopeless.

"She's going, Joe!" he called.

After four complete rolls, Thompson ejected while inverted. He felt a terrible pain in his neck as the seat's rocket motor blasted him free of the airplane. His body was whipped by air blast, and he began to tumble wildly. After rocket burnout, he separated from the seat but soon realized he was still holding onto the ejection handle. His parachute opened promptly as soon as he released his grip.

JF-104A #56-0749 on the ramp at NASA's Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base in 1959 with the Air Launched Sounding Rocket (ALSOR) attached to its underbelly. NASA test pilot Milton OFloating gently down from 18,000 feet, Thompson saw the airplane plummet nose-first into the desert and explode on the Edwards bombing range. He was breathing rapidly and felt lightheaded and slightly breathless. After several failed attempts to activate his bailout oxygen bottle, he unfastened his mask and breathed the thin, but fresh, air. He landed softly, gathered up his parachute, and walked to a nearby road.

At NASA-1, the mood was grim. Thompson hadn't had time to inform anyone that he was ejecting and nobody saw his parachute. Their faces bearing shock and tears, NASA employees stared at the column of thick, black smoke rising in the distance.

NASA Flight Operations chief Joe Vensel hopped in a car and sped across the lakebed toward the crash site, expecting the worst. To his surprise, he found Thompson waiting calmly by the roadside, apparently unharmed.

An investigation revealed that the accident had most likely been the result of an electrical malfunction in the left trailing-edge flap. The investigating board, headed by Donald R. Bellman, gave Thompson high marks for his actions.

"Throughout the emergency," the board's report read, "the pilot showed superior skill and judgment, which contributed materially to his own safety and to the understanding of the causes of the aircraft loss."

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Shock & Awe Symposium – a review

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Shock & Awe Symposium – a review

2784RoseLee Goldberg, founder of PERFORMA, welcomed guests to the conference “Shock and Awe: The Troubling Legacy of the Futurist Cult of War” at Hunter on Wednesday, November 11, 2009, in the midst of several ongoing events she has organized around New York City for PERFORMA 09. Goldberg stressed the importance of this conference, aimed at a reassessment of Futurism, her longtime interest and objective, and has often been colored by notions regarding the movement’s complex relationship with Fascism.

The afternoon began with conference organizer Mimi Braun (Distinguished Professor, Hunter College) who discussed Futurist aeropainting, while bringing the discussion into the present moment with references to September 11th. Braun also introduced the topic of General Douhet and his “Command of the Air” treatise on Aerial war from 1921, while questioning the absence of depictions of the Army and Navy in Second Futurist art. Differing from other depictions of air power, the futurist art did not function merely as reportage, but rather was a modernist take on the subject. Braun concluded with images from archeological and military photographs, with their classical motifs – which she cleverly compared to Gerhard Richter’s Cityscape from 1970.

Next, Lynda Klich (Assistant Professor of Art History, Hunter College, CUNY) brought to our attention the topic of postcards as art and propaganda – focusing on those reflecting the Futurist and Fascist aesthetic – and how art and life converged in the postcard. The medium began in England in 1869 and would be used as propaganda in the 1890s as it grew in popularity only to experience a fall in popularity as factories were destroyed in the war and by the rise of the telephone. Klich used examples of Tato’s work in the 1920’s, created while politically supporting Mussolini, those depicting Mussolini as a heroic aviator, and those by Latini utilizing photomontage.

Lucia Re (Professor of Italian and Women’s Studies, UCLA) spoke of “The Futurist Cult of Speed Vs. Women’s Time and Space,” pointing out that Futurism replaced old symbols and rituals of Christianity and re-mapped space and time. Re also examined woman’s experience of time and it’s repositioning in light of industrial wartime jobs which women occupied.

shockandawe1In his discussion of Douhet, Marinetti, and “The Command of the Air,” David Lewis (The Graduate Center, CUNY) noted that it is possible that Marinetti and Douhet had met, as Marinetti had inscribed a book to Douhet. Lewis edified the audience about the military theory of Douhet and his premonition of air power as the sole means for military success while drawing comparisons based on the cultural framework of the time between the Futurist project and Douhet’s theories and works.

Maria Antonella Pelizzari (Associate Professor of Art History, Hunter College, CUNY) spoke about the art of Bruno Munari in relation to aviation and photomontage, looking at magazine imagery – sources included L’ala Italia and Campo Grafico – and advertising as a new language.

Ernest Ialongo (Assistant Professor of History, Hostos College, CUNY) posited “Marinetti’s Bombshell” as his declaration of war as the world’s sole hygiene.

unapilotaThis led nicely to Ruth Ben-Ghiat’s (Professor of Italian Studies and History, NYU) discussion of Roberto Rossellini’s Un Pilota Ritorna, of which she screened a few very interesting minutes demonstrating the repositioning of the human figure within the world of military flight.

On another note, Laura Beiles (Department of Education, The Museum of Modern Art) focused on “The Venice Biennale At War,” discussing the effects of Italian regionalism and war on the event. Her paper touched on Italo Balbo’s Royal Air Force as well as the military use of abandoned pavilions.

Next, Robert Lumley (Professor of Italian Cultural History, University College London) showed and discussed the films of Yervant Gianikian and Angela Ricci Lucchi, whose “signature style often involves the manipulation of rare footage through re-photographing, selectively hand-tinting, and altering film speed to produce a final work of a distinctly otherworldly quality. The stunning visuals Gianikian and Ricci Lucchi create—and often enhance with original music—unravel ideologies and conflicts in a given moment in history.” (MoMA)

The energetic Elihu Rose (Adjunct Associate Professor of History, NYU) capped the day with his discussion “A Brief History of Strategic Bombing,” delving into precision bombing, industrial web theory, and total war.

Overall, the symposium “Shock and Awe: The Troubling Legacy of the Futurist Cult of War,” organized by Mimi Braun, was full of enlightening talks regarding the theory and history of the Italian military and aeronautics, definitely fulfilling its goal of shedding new light on Futurism Studies.

- Jessica Palmieri

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Hansen Explains Temperature

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Hansen on MSNBC Dec. 18th

As readers know, I’m on the mailing list of climate scientist James Hansen (along with thousands of others). His most recent article on temperature, science procedure, the basic science of climate change data, and how we know the temperature across the planet is going up, is like starting from scratch.  It’s meant to counteract the infamous emails from the UK University that were illegally hacked into, and which ultimately expressed nothing that negated the climate science.

You can download the entire document here and an excerpt is printed below. You can also see a Hansen interview on MSNBC from December 18th here.

The Temperature of Science, is available here.  (PDF) Here is an excerpt:

“Is it possible to totally eliminate data flaws and disinformation? Of course not. The fact
that the absence of incriminating statements in pirated e-mails is taken as evidence of wrongdoing provides a measure of what would be required to quell all criticism. I believe that the steps that we now take to assure data integrity are as much as is reasonable from the standpoint of the use of our time and resources.”

The summary is below.

Summary
The nature of messages that I receive from the public, and the fact that NASA
Headquarters received more than 2500 inquiries in the past week about our possible
“manipulation” of global temperature data, suggest that the concerns are more political than
scientific. Perhaps the messages are intended as intimidation, expected to have a chilling effect
on researchers in climate change.

The recent “success” of climate contrarians in using the pirated East Anglia e-mails to
cast doubt on the reality of global warming* seems to have energized other deniers. I am now
inundated with broad FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests for my correspondence, with
substantial impact on my time and on others in my office. I believe these to be fishing
expeditions, aimed at finding some statement(s), likely to be taken out of context, which they
would attempt to use to discredit climate science.

There are lessons from our experience about care that must be taken with data before it is
made publicly available. But there is too much interesting science to be done to allow
intimidation tactics to reduce our scientific drive and output. We can take a lesson from my 5-
year-old grandson who boldly says “I don’t quit, because I have never-give-up fighting spirit!”

There are other researchers who work more extensively on global temperature analyses
than we do – our main work concerns global satellite observations and global modeling – but
there are differences in perspectives, which, I suggest, make it useful to have more than one
analysis. Besides, it is useful to combine experience working with observed temperature
together with our work on satellite data and climate models. This combination of interests is
likely to help provide some insights into what is happening with global climate and information
on the data that are needed [...]

American University in Cairo are conducting leading-edge nanotechnology research

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Through the Yousef Jameel Science and Technology Research Center, AUC faculty are conducting cutting-edge research that includes the development of novel diagnostic tests for sensitive detection of the hepatitis C virus; detection of cancer biomarkers, as well as creating a new generation of nano-devices that include smart bricks with tiny sensors, which can analyze building safety and warn of fires and earthquakes.