Looking at Boulders on the Moon

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Keith's note: Tonight we are testing out our newest Mac computer at the Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project located at NASA ARC. We'll be using this machine (8 processors and 10 TB of storage) to do near-real time processing of imagery once we have pulled it off of original Lunar Orbiter analog data tapes using our restored FR-900 tape drives. We hope to do a live webcast this coming Thursday so that you can look over our shoulders as we bring another image to light for the first time in more than 40 years.

As we were flying through a portion of one of the images we came across a boulder field. The image was taken by Lunar Orbiter II on 20 Nov 1966 at an altitude of 52.2 miles with a ground resolution of 1.14 meters/pixel. The framelet image shown here is approximately 220 meters across. You can clearly make out a number of boulders around 1 meter in size sitting on the surface.

Hi res images here.

Big Party in The Mojave Tonight

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Virgin Galactic unveils SpaceShipTwo, the world's first manned commercial spaceship

"SpaceShipTwo will be unveiled after darkness has fallen over the Mojave Desert to the sound of a space-themed anthem from Britain's biggest DJs, Above & Beyond. Fittingly titled "Buzz" the track will sample Buzz Aldrin's original moon landing dialogue. Following the naming by Governors Richardson and Schwarzenegger, the DJs will also perform an exclusive set at the celebration cocktail party which will follow and feature the first ever IceBar in the desert hosted by Absolut and the world famous Swedish IceHotel. All the guests will be protected from the desert cold by designer space jackets supplied by PUMA. Finally, to close off the celebrations, all the guests will have the opportunity to view the stunning night skies using specialist telescopes supplied by Ron Dantowitz of the Clay Observatory whose unique tracking cameras followed SS1 into space during the epic flights of 2004."

Keith's note: Apparently the festivities were cut short and moved indoors when high winds threatened to rip down the party tents and cold temperatures made the IceBar less than enticing...

... Video after the break

NASA Employee Claims To Have Witnessed Hijacking Planning

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NASA Diver Insists Tale Of Porn-Watching Muslim Hijackers Is True, Despite Discrepancies

"There's one other wrinkle to the story: Petruna sent the e-mail out from an account marked "Petruna, Tedd J. (JSC-DX12)[RAYTHEON TECHNICAL SERVICES COMPANY]." Raytheon partners with NASA on the Neutral Buoyancy Lab, where Petruna is a diver. And Petruna told us he works for Raytheon as well as NASA. But Raytheon spokesman Jon Kasle tells TPMmuckraker, "This individual is not a Raytheon employee." Kasle says he's not sure why Raytheon's name is on Petruna's e-mail account, and declined to comment on whether the company is looking into the matter."

AirTran 297- Anatomy of an Urban Legend, AirTran

Keith's note: I really am not sure what to make of this story - but if you go to people.nasa.gov there is a "Petruna, Theodore John" with an email address of tedd.j.petruna -at - nasa.gov and the organizational code JSC-DX12 is what is used for the Neutral Buoyancy Lab at JSC i.e. http://dx12.jsc.nasa.gov/site/index.shtml

Software Aids Design of Ares V Composite Shroud Structure

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NASA’s Ares V space launch vehicle makes significant use
of composites, and during flight, the shroud of the Ares V
will separate into four petals to release the Lunar Lander. In
the design of the structure, the aerodynamic pressure on
the shroud is resolved into internally distributed forces. A
combination of two software packages — HyperSizer structural
sizing software and Abaqus FEA (finite element analysis)
software from SIMULIA (Providence, RI) — was used to
model and simulate this process.

Industry Update: Analysis & Simulation Software

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Changing Roles in a
Challenging Environment

In our annual poll of executives at leading analysis and simulation software companies, we posed questions
dealing with virtual prototyping, the changing role of the analyst, and how the economic environment is
affecting software users and vendors. Here’s what they had to say about market trends for 2010, and maintaining
competitive advantages in a challenging business market.

Battery Will Provide Backup Power for Space Shuttles

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International Battery is building a battery prototype for
NASA that will provide backup power in support of the space
shuttle program. NASA is interested in the company’s largeformat,
high-energy-density prismatic cells that provide
advanced energy storage, as well as their Battery Management
System (BMS). The BMS is specifically designed for large-format
cells and provides increased safety through individual cell
monitoring and continuous cell balancing. The entire system
is being deployed as an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to
maintain backup power for critical ground operations.

Virgin Galactic Unveils SpaceShipTwo

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SpaceShipTwo

SpaceShipTwo, intended to carry passengers and scientific payloads into suborbital space, is being unveiled today by Virgin Galactic in Mojave, California. SpaceShipTwo was developed for Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic by the engineering firm Scaled Composites, a team that includes aerospace pioneer Burt Rutan.

This reusable spacecraft will take two pilots and six passengers to space after first being carried aloft by the WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft, which has already been undergoing test flights for a year. SpaceShipTwo will conduct flights of passengers and science payloads to space from Spaceport America near Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galactic, stated, “This is truly a momentous day. The team has created not only a world first but also a work of art. The unveil of SS2 takes the Virgin Galactic vision to the next level and continues to provide tangible evidence that this ambitious project is not only moving rapidly, but also making tremendous progress towards our goal of safe commercial operation.”

Bretton Alexander, President of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, commented, “Just a few years ago, SpaceShipOne became the first new U.S. human spacecraft to be unveiled since the Space Shuttle over twenty years ago. Today’s rollout of SpaceShipTwo, the first human spacecraft built for routine commercial operations, is an even more exciting milestone for the commercial spaceflight sector.”

Alexander added, “SpaceShipTwo marks the start of a new wave of commercial spacecraft that will provide frequent and low-cost access to space for people and science payloads.”

According to Virgin Galactic, “The emergence of new commercial space companies like Virgin Galactic will be an engine for employment, growth and the creation of a new technology and science base in the United States… the Virgin Galactic project alone is creating significant opportunities for employment in both the company itself and with suppliers in both California and New Mexico. Approximately 600 people are now working on activities relating to the project and it is estimated that this figure will rise to over 1,100 jobs during the peak of the construction phase at the space port and through the introduction of the commercial space vehicles into regular astronaut service.”

The precursor vehicle to SpaceShipTwo, the SpaceShipOne vehicle unveiled in 2003, became the first private human spacecraft to reach space in 2004 and won the $10 million Ansari X PRIZE for commercial spaceflight.

Image credit (showing WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo): Virgin Galactic

Inspect? Or Test?

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In electronics manufacturing, increasing complexity and declining feature size push test-strategies to the limit. In recent years, inspection has become an integral part of test strategies to improve results and maximize product quality. Where do you draw the lines? What do you inspect and what do y

Get Warriors' Input for New Technology

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U.S. Army soldiers recently voted for the "Top Ten Great Inventions of 2008" deployed in that year. Offhand it seems like their input would be invaluable in developing new concepts for communications, weapons-control systems, improved armor, etc. Does anyone know if their input is routinely conveyed

USB Vacuum Cleaner Keeps Your Cubicle Clean

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When you knock over something on your desk, and need to clean it up in a hurry, this mouse-like device which plugs into your USB port can suck up the dirt in no time at all. The device comes with usual vacuum cleaner add-on heads, so you can clean all those breadcrumbs and crusty bits which tend

'Cryo-egg' to Predict Sea Levels

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From BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition:

A hi-tech "cryo-Egg", which will help predict sea levels changes, is to be created by experts at Bristol university. The device will be sunk into the depths of the Greenland ice sheet before beaming back data about how frozen w

Minuscule Primate Caught on Film

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From BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition:

The tiny spectral tarsier, one of the shortest primates in the world, has been filmed hunting at night in the jungle of Sulawesi, Indonesia. The tarsier stands 13cm (five inches) tall and has massive eyes that enable it to see

Stunning Vistas from UK telescope

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From BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition:

The first images have been revealed from a telescope that can map the sky much faster and deeper than any other. The Vista (Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy) is dedicated to mapping the sky in infrared light.

Bizarre But Clever Christmas Decorations

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From mental_floss Blog:

I knew a family once that had several mounted deer heads on their walls. At Christmas time, they would put a red clown nose on one of the trophies, which I though was rather clever. My kids didn't like it at all. Unfortunately, they moved away and I couldn't

Commercial Spaceflight Federation Announces Creation and Initial Membership of Spaceports Council

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Washington, D.C. – The Commercial Spaceflight Federation is pleased to announce the creation and initial membership of the Spaceports Council, composed of spaceports worldwide who seek to cooperate on issues of common interest such as airspace access, legal and regulatory frameworks, infrastructure, international policy migration, liability, and voluntary common operating standards.

The Spaceports Council, which will operate under the aegis of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF), was officially created following the conclusion of the second CSF Spaceports Executive Summit held on October 20, 2009 in Las Cruces, New Mexico to coincide with the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight. This summit built on the success of an earlier CSF spaceports summit held on May 27, 2009, hosted by Space Florida as part of the International Space Development Conference in Orlando, Florida.

Initial member spaceports and spaceport principals of the CSF Spaceports Council include:
• Spaceport America, represented by Executive Director Steve Landeene (Chairman)
• Aeroports de Catalunya, represented by Executive Director Jordi Candela
• Cecil Field Spaceport, represented by Administrator of Planning and Development Todd Lindner
• Mojave Air and Space Port, represented by General Manager Stuart Witt
• Oklahoma Spaceport, represented by Executive Director Bill Khourie
• Space Florida, represented by President Frank DiBello
• Spaceport Indiana, represented by President Brian Tanner
• Spaceport Scotland, represented by Chairman Howie Firth
• Spaceport Sweden, represented by Vice President Bengt Jaegtnes
• Wisconsin Aerospace Authority, represented by Chairman Tom Crabb

Steve Landeene, Executive Director of Spaceport America, has been selected as the first chair of the CSF Spaceports Council. Landeene stated, “I am deeply honored and humbled to take up the first chairmanship of the Spaceports Council. Collecting and sharing the knowledge and experience base of spaceports worldwide will be beneficial to us all as commercial space vehicles begin to push the envelope toward more and more flights. And when working with policymakers, spaceports will benefit by formulating and presenting common positions.”

The Spaceports Council will convene regular meetings of spaceports principals, as well as coordinate additional cooperation between spaceports on the staff level, in order to address common problems affecting spaceports, work toward voluntary uniform standards for development of common use equipment and operational procedures, and advise vehicle operators, developers, and other members of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, on issues of concern to the spaceport community.

Bretton Alexander, President of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, stated, “The formation of the Spaceports Council marks another milestone in the growth of the commercial spaceflight industry. By deepening the cooperation among both domestic and international spaceports in this new industry, we can help ensure that the industry continues to grow and flourish. Congratulations to Steve Landeene on his selection as the first chairman of this group, as well as all the spaceports that have chosen to form the initial membership of the Council.”

Stuart O. Witt, General Manager of Mojave Air and Space Port and an Officer of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, added, “We are excited to welcome this great group of spaceports, both domestic and international, as we join together to share our lessons learned. As we look toward a new generation of suborbital and orbital launch vehicles, I know that a strong spaceport network, armed with the latest in operational ‘lessons learned,’ will be critical.”

About the Commercial Spaceflight Federation
The mission of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) is to promote the development of commercial human spaceflight, pursue ever higher levels of safety, and share best practices and expertise throughout the industry. CSF member organizations include commercial spaceflight developers, operators, and spaceports. The Commercial Spaceflight Federation is governed by a board of directors, composed of the member companies’ CEO-level officers and entrepreneurs. For more information please visit http://www.commercialspaceflight.org or contact Executive Director
John Gedmark at john@commercialspaceflight.org or at 202.349.1121.

About the CSF Spaceports Council
The Spaceports Council, which operates under the aegis of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF), is composed of spaceports worldwide who discuss and collaborate on issues of common interest, such as access, legal and regulatory frameworks, infrastructure, international policy migration, liability, voluntary common operating standards, and engagement with other spaceport stakeholders including vehicle developers and operators, other spaceport users, and government agencies. For more information please contact CSF Executive Director John Gedmark at john@commercialspaceflight.org or at 202.349.1121.

CSF President Bretton Alexander Testifies Before House Science Committee on Spaceflight Safety

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Washington, D.C. – Bretton Alexander, President of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, testified this morning before the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee of the House Science Committee on the topic of commercial spaceflight safety. Alexander, who also chairs the Commercial Space Committee of the NASA Advisory Council, said in his opening statement that, “Safety is paramount to everyone in this industry. … We firmly believe that NASA and commercial industry can and must work together to develop safer human spaceflight capabilities.”

Alexander added, “Commercial crew systems will only begin crewed flights once reliability has been demonstrated through multiple successful test flights without crew. Demonstrated launch reliability is essential for overall safety. The Atlas family, for example, has had over 90 consecutive successes. The Atlas V has a perfect record of 19 successful launches. And the Falcon 9 will have been launched more than a dozen times for cargo and satellite missions before crew missions begin.”

Alexander thanked the Subcommittee and the full Committee for their support of commercial spaceflight, and noted that letting the commercial sector handle the less difficult task of Space Station servicing will enable NASA to focus its resources and expertise on exploration beyond Low Earth Orbit.

Discussing government oversight, Alexander explained, “While the FAA would retain overall licensing authority, NASA would maintain oversight as the customer. In particular, NASA would establish astronaut safety requirements in consultation with industry; establish mission-unique requirements, such as crew capacity and requirements for Space Station docking; and most importantly, have final approval authority over the launch of NASA astronauts.”

Alexander testified along with five other witnesses: Bryan O’Connor, Chief of Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA; Jeff Hanley, Constellation Program Manager at NASA; John Marshall, Council Member of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel; Joseph Fragola, Vice President at Valador Inc; and Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Thomas Stafford.

The panelists took questions from members of Congress including Subcommittee Chair Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), Committee Ranking Member Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX), and Subcommittee Ranking Member Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX).

About the Commercial Spaceflight Federation
The mission of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) is to promote the development of commercial human spaceflight, pursue ever higher levels of safety, and share best practices and expertise throughout the industry. CSF member organizations include commercial spaceflight developers, operators, and spaceports. The Commercial Spaceflight Federation is governed by a board of directors, composed of the member companies’ CEO-level officers and entrepreneurs. For more information please visit http://www.commercialspaceflight.org or contact Executive Director John Gedmark at john@commercialspaceflight.org or at 202.349.1121.

CSF Vice-Chairman Jeff Greason Testifies Before House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Commercial Spaceflight Regulation

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Jeff Greason, Vice-Chairman of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation and CEO of XCOR Aerospace, testified before the Aviation Subcommittee of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on Wednesday, December 2.

In his opening statement, Greason said the current regulatory regime for commercial spaceflight, as framed by the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004, “has boosted the confidence of investors, entrepreneurs, and customers,” and “has encouraged development of several suborbital vehicles to address scientific research and education markets as well as spaceflight participants, and investments in commercial spacecraft for carriage of cargo and humans to and from Earth orbit.”

Addressing safety, Greason stated, “The need to find a better, safer way to operate is what motivates the industry.”

Greason’s testimony before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee took place on the same day as CSF President Bretton Alexander’s testimony in a separate hearing before the House Science Committee, both on the topic of commercial spaceflight.

Greason praised the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST), stating that “AST has done a good job of implementing the statute” of the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004, “both in new regulations and through developing the skill to work with these new kinds of vehicles. I want to praise the office’s placement of technical staff out in the field, where they can closely observe development and test activities of industry.”

Greason testified along with four other witnesses: Dr. George Nield, FAA Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation; Dr. Gerald Dillingham, Director of Physical Infrastructure Issues at the U.S. Government Accountability Office; J.P. Stevens, Vice President for Space Systems at the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA); and James Testwuide, Chairman of the Great Lakes Aerospace Science and Education Center at Spaceport Sheboygan.

The panelists took questions from members of Congress including Subcommittee Chair Rep. Jerry Costello (D-IL) and Subcommittee Ranking Member Rep. Thomas Petri (R-WI).