Yahoo Executive Confronts NSA Director Over Backdoors

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In one of the most public confrontations of a top U.S. intelligence official by Silicon Valley in recent years, a senior Yahoo Inc. official peppered the National Security Agency director, Adm. Mike Rogers, at a conference on Monday over digital spying.

The exchange came during a question and answer session at a daylong summit on cybersecurity hosted by the think tank New America. Mr. Rogers spent an hour at the conference answering a range of questions about his agencys practices and the global cyber threat.

The tense exchange began when Alex Stamos, Yahoos chief information-security officer, asked Mr. Rogers if Yahoo should acquiesce to requests from Saudi Arabia, China, Russia, France and other countries to build a backdoor in some of their systems that would allow the countries to spy on certain users.

It sounds like you agree with [Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James] Comey that we should be building defects into the encryption in our products so that the US government can decrypt, Mr. Stamos said, according to a transcript of the exchange compiled by the Just Security blog.

That would be your characterization, Mr. Rogers said, cutting the Yahoo executive off.

Mr. Stamos was trying to argue that if Yahoo gave the NSA access to this information, other countries could try and compel the company to provide the same access to data.

Mr. Rogers said he believed that it is achievable to create a legal framework that allows the NSA to access encrypted information without upending corporate security programs.He declined to provide more details.

Well, do you believe we should build backdoors for other countries? Mr. Stamos continued?

My position is hey, look, I think that were lying that this isnt technically feasible, Mr. Rogers replied.

He said the framework would have to be worked out ahead of time by policy makers not the NSA.

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Volokh Conspiracy: Supreme Court review of cell-site cases?

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On Tuesday of this week, the en banc Eleventh Circuit will hear oral argument in United States v. Davis, the case I blogged about here and here on whether the Fourth Amendment protects cell-site records. The en banc briefs are here, and an exhibit from the trial showing some of the cell-site records is here. The Eleventh Circuit doesnt post oral argument audio, so well likely be stuck relying on press accounts to find out what happened.

Whichever way the Eleventh Circuit rules, Supreme Court review is a possibility. It seems likely that Fourth Amendment protection for cell-site data will be the next big Fourth-Amendment-and-technology case at the Supreme Court, following the GPS case in 2012 and the searching-cellphones-on-arrest case in 2014. But when?

Lets recall the lower court cases so far. The Fifth Circuit has held that there is no Fourth Amendment protection for historical cell-site records, and the Florida Supreme Court has held that the Forth Amendment protects cell-site records at least in real time. The Fourth Circuit held argument in mid-December on a historical cell site case, and in Davis well get a ruling from the en banc Eleventh Circuit on the same issue. There may be some other cases working their way up to state Supreme Courts or even a federal circuit that I dont know about. (The Third Circuit offered some dicta on the issue in 2010 without reaching a decision, but that doesnt count.)

In light of these cases, decided and pending, theres likely to be a colorable case for Supreme Court review no matter how the Fourth and Eleventh Circuits rule. Supreme Court review focuses heavily on splits, that is, clear and outcome-determinative disagreement among federal circuits and state supreme courts about how the law applies. If the Fourth and Eleventh Circuits hold that the Fourth Amendment applies, it creates a plausible split with the Fifth. If they hold that the Fourth Amendment doesnt apply, they create a plausible split with the Florida Supreme Court especially pressing in the case of the Eleventh Circuit, as it would be within the same jurisdiction.

Maybe, but there are two important caveats. [UPDATE: Actually, only one caveat. See below.]

First, the Florida Supreme Court repeatedly tried to limit its holding to real-time cell-site monitoring as opposed to historical access. There are possible grounds to say that at least some kinds of real-time cell-site monitoring might raise some different issues. So if the Fourth and Eleventh hold that there is no protection, you could say that there is no split because the Florida Supreme Courts decision was only about real-time monitoring. Its a possible argument, although its worth noting that the Florida Supreme Court didnt actually offer a legal basis for limiting its holding to real-time monitoring. It announced the limitation, but it didnt actually develop a clear reason why it could make a difference.

Similarly, its possible to say that a Fourth and Eleventh Circuit finding cell site protection for historical cell site data wouldnt create a real split with the Fifth Circuit given the unusual procedure of the Fifth Circuit case. [BUT SEE UPDATE BELOW] Recall that the Fifth Circuit case arose when the government applied for an order for historical cell site data and the Magistrate Judge denied the application on Fourth Amendment grounds. In response to an academic amicus brief that raised ripeness problems with ruling in that context absent any facts, the Fifth Circuit limited its analysis to whether access to historical cell site records was per se unconstitutional. By answering only the issue of per se unconstitutionality, which I take to be kind of like asking whether a statute is facially unconstitutional, the Fifth Circuit arguably only answered whether access to historical cell site records always violated the Fourth Amendment, not whether it would in a particular case. If you take that reading of the case, then perhaps there would be no split with a decision finding a Fourth Amendment violation based on a specific set of facts. This is a possible argument, but not an obvious one, as the reasoning actually adopted by the Fifth Circuit applies more broadly than that limited reading would suggest.

Putting all these pieces together, its hard to know when the Supreme Court might be interested. We might get a clear split from the Fourth and/or Eleventh Circuit cases, but the Court might decide to wait a while given the possible arguments that there is not yet a super-clear split. As always, stay tuned.

UPDATE: A reader reminds me that in a subsequent case, United States v. Guerrero, 768 F.3d 351 (5th Cir. 2014), the Fifth Circuit applied the reasoning of its initial cell-site case to an as-applied set of facts involving historical cell site records. After Guerrero, the Fifth Circuit rule is clear: Historical cell-site data is not protected. So scratch that second caveat above.

Also, another reader points out in United States v. Skinner, where the Sixth Circuit also suggested that cell-site data is not protected. Maybe, although recall that Skinner involved pinging a phone, which raises some different issues.

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Volokh Conspiracy: Supreme Court review of cell-site cases?

Ward amendment would OK sawed-off shotguns, silencers

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PHOENIX (AP) A Republican lawmaker who has been pushing a series of guns rights bills pulled out a new proposal Monday, tacking an amendment onto a minor bill that will legalize sawed-off shotguns, silencers and nunchucks in Arizona.

The state already has some of the strongest Second Amendment protections in the country, but the Republican-dominated Legislature is working to add more breathing room for gun owners.

The amendment by Sen. Kelli Ward, R-Lake Havasu City, adds to a bill designed to restore a persons gun rights if a judge sets aside a guilty conviction.

We have a right to keep and bear arms and really that right shouldnt be infringed, she said.

The amendment legalizes devices that muffle guns, rifles and shotguns with barrels less than 16 inches and nunchucks weapons made from two sticks or rods connected by a rope or chain.

Ward said the idea for her amendment came from a pastor in the western Arizona community of Topock who wants to own nunchucks.

Critics said the amendment is overly broad and avoided scrutiny by never going through committee hearings.

Rep. Steve Farley, D-Tucson, said Wards amendment makes the bill less about helping people and more about legalizing weapons prohibited under Arizona law.

It is only going to further our reputation on The Daily Show here in Arizona that we couldnt find a way of banning driving while texting while at the same time making legal silencers, sawed-off shotguns and nunchucks.

Rep. Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, said he sees the problem with sawed-off shotguns, but not silencers.

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2015 could be year of the gun in Nev. Legislature

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By Sean Whaley, Las Vegas Review-Journal

CARSON CITY A flurry of firearm and Second Amendment related bills introduced in the Legislature have already generated plenty of controversy even though none of the major proposals have even had hearings yet.

First there was a dust-up between Senate Democrats and Republicans over a GOP gun measure that includes domestic violence provisions that Democrats said fell short of what is needed.

Firearms are making some noise in the Nevada Legislature this session.

This could be the year of the gun, as Republicans, who are in the majority in the Legislature for the first time in decades, see a chance to enact Second Amendment measures supported by many of their constituents.

Assembly Judiciary Chairman Ira Hansen, R-Sparks, said the large number of bills is in part a reflection of concerns that there is a strong movement to curtail gun rights nationally.

At least nine bills directly relating to firearms have either been introduced or are being drafted.

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2015 could be year of the gun in Nev. Legislature

Bitcoin Millionaires – How People With Vision Will Make Millions With Digital Currency – Video

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Bitcoin Millionaires - How People With Vision Will Make Millions With Digital Currency
Be Informed here: http://wealthy.abundantservant.com If you #39;ve ever wanted to be in the right place at the right time...pay attention to the information below... The UToken is the first...

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Comets Are Like Deep Fried Ice Cream, Scientists Say

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NASA researchers think they understand why comets have a hard, crispy outside and a cold but soft inside just like fried ice cream.

Two NASA spacecraft have interacted with a comet surface, and both found a crunchy exterior and somewhat softer, more porous interior. Scientists know thatcomets are made of a mixture of rock and ice, but up until now they could not fully explain this change in texture from the inside to the outside.

Now, researchers using a souped-up refrigerator (officially known as a cryostat instrument) have re-created the conditions on the surface of a comet. They think they can explain the process that makes a comet not unlike a flying hunk of fried ice cream. [AmazingCometPhotos from Europe's Rosetta Probe]

Scientists suspect that the very coldest comets and icy moons in the solar system contain a special kind of ice called amorphous, or porous, ice. To create amorphous ice, water vapor molecules must be flash-frozen at a temperature of about minus 405 degrees Fahrenheit (243 degrees Celsius).

According to astatement from NASA, this flash-freezing process is "sort of like Han Solo in the Star Wars movie 'The Empire Strikes Back,'" in the film, Solo is flash-frozen alive in a slab of carbonite.

Amorphous ice is extremely cold, but relatively soft, like cotton candy, according to Murthy Gudipati, a researcher at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and an author on the new study.

When the comet makes its way toward the sun, the temperatures on the outside become too hot for amorphous ice to survive. In the new study, the researchers re-created what happens on the comet's exterior when the temperature starts to rise.

Comet Quiz: Test Your Cosmic Knowledge

Comets are debris left over after the solar system formed 4.6 billion years ago. Let's see what you know about these ancient and elusive celestial wanderers.

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Comets Are Like Deep Fried Ice Cream, Scientists Say

FIFA to face pressure for shortened winter World Cup in Qatar

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Updated FEB 23, 2015 1:00p ET

FIFA will come under pressure on Tuesday to agree to a shortened World Cup in 2022 in compensation for moving the tournament in Qatar to the winter.

The final meeting of the 2022 task force will be held in Doha on Tuesday when recommendations on the timing of the World Cup are expected to confirm a November/December tournament in order to avoid the searing heat of the summer.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore is among those on the task force and at its last meeting argued forcefully for a shortened World Cup to minimise disruptions to the clubs and leagues, with a shorter preparation period beforehand and fewer international dates that season.

One task force member, who wished to remain anonymous, told Press Association Sport: "It is almost certain that November/December will be agreed but the trade-offs will be for a cut in the length of the World Cup and the preparation period beforehand.

"The leagues have been forceful in arguing that you only need two weeks' preparation beforehand rather than the usual three or four, and that the tournament does not need to be as long as the 32 days it was in Brazil.

"The players from northern hemisphere clubs - which is the majority - will be fresher than usual and the logistics of Qatar mean it will be less than two hours' drive to every stadium so there will be no travel days for teams.

"For example you probably don't need five days between the semi-final and final - 72 hours should be long enough."

Britain's FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce favours a January/February option but accepted that would clash with the Winter Olympics, and said the important thing was to agree to play the tournament in the winter.

Boyce, who sits on FIFA's executive committee that will have to ratify the task force recommendations, told Press Association Sport: "If it's going to be in Qatar then let's agree on a date in the winter and look forward to a wonderful World Cup there because you cannot possibly take people there to play it in the summer.

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Europe Approves Holoclar, the First Stem Cell-Based Medicinal Product

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Parma And Modena, Italy (ots/PRNewswire) -

The collaboration between a public excellent research center and a solid private pharmaceutical company allowed to achieve an extraordinary result, entirely "made in Italy": the first medicinal product containing stem cells approved in the Western world

The European Commission has granted a conditional marketing authorization, under Regulation (EC) No 726/2004, to Holoclar(R), an advanced therapy based on autologous stem cells and capable to restore the eyesight of patients with severe cornea damage. Holoclar(R) is manufactured by Holostem Terapie Avanzate (Holostem Advanced Therapies) - a spin-off of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia - at the Centre for Regenerative Medicine "Stefano Ferrari" (CMR) of the same University.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150223/731609-a )

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(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150223/731609-c )

"Holoclar is the very first medicinal product based on stem cells to be approved and formally registered in the Western world," states Andrea Chiesi, Director of R&D Portfolio Management of Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A. and CEO of Holostem Terapie Avanzate. "This record," continues Andrea Chiesi, "shows that the partnership between the public and private sectors is not only possible, but is probably the best strategy for the development of stem cell-based regenerative medicine, particularly when autologous cells are used. Holostem is now considered as a business model to translate into clinics the results obtained by scientific research in this field."

Underlying Holoclar(R) are more than 20 years of excellence in research, conducted by a team of internationally renowned scientists in the field of epithelial stem cell biology aimed at clinical translation. European Directive 1394/2007 substantially equalizes advanced cell therapies to medicines and imposes, among other things, that cell cultures has to be manufactured only in GMP-certified facilities (GMP: Good Manufacturing Practice). Thanks to the investments of Chiesi Farmaceutici, the Centre for Regenerative Medicine in Modena - where Holostem operates - was certified as GMP compliant and continue to follow the path towards the registration of this newly developed advanced therapy.

"The authorization process has been long and complex, but the result achieved today shows that cells can be cultured according to pharmaceutical standards appropriate to guarantee safety and efficacy," adds Professor Michele De Luca, Scientific Director and co-founder of Holostem, as well as Director of the CMR of the University of Modena. "In addition, in a period of great confusion about the real therapeutic possibilities of stem cells, such as the one we are living in, being able to demonstrate that stem cells can be definitely safe and successful in a controlled clinical setting is more important than ever."

To explain how Holoclar(R) works is Professor Graziella Pellegrini, Coordinator of cell therapy at CMR, as well as director of R&D and co-founder of Holostem, who authored, together with Professor De Luca, the research and designed the product development: "After developing cell cultures based on epithelial stem cells for the treatment of various disorders of the stratified epithelia - from the skin for full-thickness burns to the reconstruction of the urethra - we discovered that the stem cells that allow the regeneration of the cornea reside in a small area at the border between the cornea (the transparent part at the center of the eye) and the conjunctiva (the contiguous white part), which is called 'the limbus'. When thermal or chemical burns of the ocular surface damage irreversibly this stem cell reserve, the corneal surface - which in a healthy eye completely renews itself approximately every six/nine months - stops regenerating and the conjunctiva gradually begins to cover the cornea with a white coating, that prevents vision and causes chronic pain and inflammation. If in at least one of the eyes of the patient even a small residue of undamaged limbus is left, we areable to reconstruct in a laboratory the epithelium that covers the corneal surface, thanks to the stem cells harvested through a 1-2mmsquared biopsy. This graft of epithelium - Holoclar(R), precisely - that looks like a kind of contact lens, is then transplanted into the patient and allows to obtain a long-term transparent cornea and a full recovery of visual acuity, without causing any rejection reaction, because it consists of cells of the patient him/herself."

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Recap 2014 IIIHS Conference | Health | Spirituality | Wellness | Personal Transformation | Science – Video

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Recap 2014 IIIHS Conference | Health | Spirituality | Wellness | Personal Transformation | Science
Health, spirituality, wellness, personal transformation. neuroscience, medicine, complimentary medicine, nutritional science, Ayurveda, near death research, sound therapy, energy medicine,...

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Speaking Tree Akasha with Art of Living Sadhvi Bhagawati and Smita Jaykar – Video

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Speaking Tree Akasha with Art of Living Sadhvi Bhagawati and Smita Jaykar
The IInd Chapter of Speaking Tree #39;s Akasha saw a culmination of spirituality, wellness and oneness with nature under one roof. Speaking Tree #39;s Akasha saw big names(spiritual gurus) like...

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X-Rays of Buddhist Statue Reveal Mummified Monk

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(Courtesy: Drents Museum)

Its not surprising that Southeast Asia is home to countless ancient Buddha statues, but when one of those statues contains a mummified monk, that is certainly a surprise.

A mummified monk is exactly what researchers at Norways Meander Medical Center found when they placed a 1,000-year-old Chinese Buddha statue inside a CT scanner. Researchers believe the statue contains the body of a Buddhist master named Liuquan, who may have practiced the tradition of self-mummification to reach his final resting place.

Researchers werent completely surprised by what the scans revealed. They knew there was a mummified body within the statue, but they didnt know much else about it.

Buddha statues containing mummified monks are quite rare and this was the first time this particular statue was released beyond the borders of China. The statue had been displayed in a mummy exhibit last year at the Drents Museum in Netherlands, which yielded the perfect opportunity to examine it in more detail.

(Courtesy: Meander Medical Centre)

Scientists and medical staff performed the CT scan that revealed Liuquans mediating body in full detail. They also used an endoscope to examine the abdominal cavity of the mummy inside, and they discovered that the organs had been removed and replaced with paper scraps that were printed with ancient Chinese characters. It isnt clear what specifically was written on those paper scraps.

If you were a monk that wanted to achieve enlightenment and be revered as a living Buddha, self-mummification was your brutal option. Monks on this spiritual path would starve themselves for almost a decade, subsisting on water, seeds and nuts. Then, theyd be sealed inside the statue and ingest roots, pine bark and a toxic, tree sap-based tea for another 1,000 days eating and breathing through a small tube. Eventually death would come, and monks mummified in this manner were said to have reached enlightenment.

According to the Drents Museum, this Buddha sarcophagus is an example of self-mummification. However, the fact that his organs were removed and replaced with paper suggests that may not be true.

Regardless, lets hope sealing yourself inside a statue while surviving on toxic tea isnt the only path to true enlightenment.

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X-Rays of Buddhist Statue Reveal Mummified Monk

OUT OF THIS WORLD: Council Rock South students connect with International Space Station on an amazing call to space

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NORTHAMPTON TOWNSHIP >> Radio noise filled the auditorium at Council Rock South High School on Feb. 19 as everyone sat on the edge of their seats.

In front of them, on a large screen, they watched as a blip from the International Space Station appeared somewhere over the state of Georgia.

Nearly two minutes ticked by as operators from the Warminster Amateur Radio Club attempted to make contact as the blip moved toward the Northeast.

Then, suddenly, a voice broke through the noise sending a collective gasp through the room filled with more than 300 students, teachers and administrators gathered there to experience the once-in-a-lifetime moment.

This is November Alpha 1SS how do you read me? Over, came the voice of European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, her voice filling the auditorium via the ham radio set up.

For seven amazing minutes, as the International Space Station traveled from Georgia to Nova Scotia at a speed of 17,500 mph and at an altitude of more than 200 miles above the Earth, Cristoforetti fielded questions from students about life and work aboard the station.

Eleven pre-selected students stood in line on the stage waiting for a chance to ask a question of the astronaut on the long distance ham radio call to space.

We work on a 24 hour clock. We are human beings so we naturally have that kind of rhythm, said the Italian astronaut, answering a question on how the 90 minute orbit affects the way the way they work on the station, especially since they see a sunrise and sunset every 45 minutes.

Plus we work with teams on the ground, Cristoforetti continued. Of course they also go by a 24 hour clock. So we go by our watches and we use GMT time, which is the time that goes through Greenwich.

Answering another question, Cristoforetti said, I am not aware of any injuries happening on the space station luckily. We have a lot of safety teams on the ground that monitor all the equipment we have here to make sure its safe. However, even with little cuts and scratches they take a little longer to heal, she said. Continued...

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OUT OF THIS WORLD: Council Rock South students connect with International Space Station on an amazing call to space

World View Makes Record-Setting Parafoil Flight from Near …

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A private company that aims to send tourists to the edge of space in a balloon broke a record Friday, flying a parafoil higher than anyone has before.

The Arizona-based company World View sent the parafoil 102,200 feet (31,151 meters) into the air during a test flight Friday (Feb. 20), according to representatives with the organization. That is the altitude that officials hope to fly passengers to when the company starts sending people to the edge of space and back, World View added.

"The accomplishments of this flight further our two main objectives of manned spaceflight and advancing research," Taber MacCallum, World Views chief technology officer, said in a statement. "The successful flight of the parafoil at this altitude brings us closer to flying private citizens safely to the edge of space and also allows us to continue our research and education program by providing safe access to the near-space environment." [See more photos from World View]

World View plans to provide flights to the edge of space for $75,000 eachhigh enough for tourists to see the curvature of the Earth and a black of sky.

The company also announced a partnership with United Parachute Designs (as well as Performance Designs) to "design and build an advanced descent system capable of returning payloads of increasingly higher masses."

While the balloon had no people on board, it did include two university science experiments. One was from Montana State University to test high-definition video and computer equipment at high altitudes, to prepare for the 2017 United States eclipse. Also, the University of North Florida measured ozone gas using an experimental nanocrystalline gas sensor.

Last year, World View said it plans to launch customers in 2016. There is competition, however; XCOR Aerospace is creating the Lynx suborbital rocket plane (which carries one passenger) and Virgin Galactic plans flights using SpaceShipTwo, a six-passenger suborbital spaceliner.

XCOR plans powered test flights later this year. Virgin Galactic suffered a tragic setback last year when its SpaceShipTwo crashed during a test flight, killing one co-pilot and sending the other to hospital.

Follow Elizabeth Howell@howellspace. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.

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Europe's Newly Tested Space Plane Aims for Next Launch in 2019

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With one reportedly flawless test flight already under its belt, officials are already planning a European space plane for its next test.

The manager for the European Space Agency's shuttle-like Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle(IXV)robotic space plane is getting ready for the program's next approved flight in 2019 or 2020. IXV performed its first uncrewed space test, launching to space and then landing in the ocean 100 minutes later on Feb. 11.

Officials working with IXV are hoping to bring the space plane down on land instead of in the ocean for its next test in the coming years. To do this, they will either install a landing gear or use a parachute-like "parafoil" to set it down safely. [How the IXV Works (Infographic)]

"The idea, the main element, is to have a space plane able to have payloads that will operate in orbit, to test technology for robotic exploration and microgravity," Giorgio Tumino, ESA's project manager for IXV, told Space.com.

Meetings to figure out the next phase will begin in March, with the heavy design work starting in the summer. Meanwhile, data from the first IXV test flight will be analyzed in great detail, Tumino said, focusing on elements such as the thermal protection during re-entry.

One main goal of IXV was to figure out how to bring a spacecraft back to Earth safely in order to use it again, officials have said.

During its first flight to space, the space plane soared as high as 256 miles (412 kilometers) before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, west of the Galapagos Islands and within sight of its recovery ship. Tumino remained at the launch site in Kourou, French Guiana to co-ordinate the 60 or so people involved in the mission.

"This mission was extremely precise," Tumino said. "We landed where we were supposed to be, and all the systems and subsystems worked perfectly," Tumino said. "I would say we are really happy about the mission result."

ESA's push to improve re-entry technologies saw another milestone this week when an Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) left the International Space Station loaded with sensors to track what happened as it broke up in the atmosphere.

The final flight of ATV Georges Lemaitre concluded Sunday (Feb. 15) and the data from that mission will be analyzed for future spacecraft design.

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Europe's Newly Tested Space Plane Aims for Next Launch in 2019

NASAs Orion Flight Test Yields Critical Data

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NASAs Orion spacecraft continues on the agencys journey to Mars as engineers analyze data from the spacecrafts December flight test and make progress developing and building the spacecraft for its first mission atop NASA Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lift rocket.

At machine houses across the country, elements of the primary structure for the next Orion to fly in space are coming together. Avionics components are being built and simulators for the ESA (European Space Agency)-built service module that will house the spacecrafts propulsion and solar arrays are being delivered. By the end of the year, engineers hope to have the primary structure for Orions next mission to NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida for processing. Meanwhile, every piece of data and each element of the spacecraft flown in the December test is being analyzed and compared to pre-flight models to improve Orions design.

Orions flight test was a big success and what we learned is informing how we design, develop and build future Orions that will help us pioneer deep space destinations, said Mark Geyer, NASAs Orion Program manager. Taking a look at all the flight test data is a huge part of the development process and a key part off in why we flew a test flight. We have critical work happening this year, both on the data analysis and development side, to keep us moving toward our first mission with SLS.

Engineers and technicians at Kennedy, where Orion was assembled and returned after its flight test, recently took off the back shell and heat shield that protected Orion during its reentry to Earths atmosphere, to unload unused propellants and allow for a close-up analysis of the spacecrafts systems.

One of the main objectives of Orions flight, which sent the vehicle 3,600 miles into space during a two-orbit, 4.5-hour test, was to test how the spacecraft would fare returning to Earth at high speeds and temperatures.

The heat shield looks in great shape, said Michael Hawes, Orion Program manager for Lockheed Martin, NASAs prime contractor for the spacecraft. The char on the shield is consistent. If you look at it now, youd see a few big holes because weve taken core samples. Weve also done a total laser scan of the surface of the heat shield. Thatll give us a very detailed engineering base of knowledge of what the heat shield did.

In March, the heat shield will be shipped to NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, where the ablative material on the heat shield will be taken off. From there, the heat shield structure will be shipped to the agencys Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, where it will be reused on a test capsule for water impact testing. NASA and Lockheed Martin also are taking a look at potential modifications to the heat shields design to make it even stronger.

Evaluating how the thermal protection system fared during Orions reentry wasnt the only critical objective of the flight. The test also provided important insight into key separation events, including whether the Launch Abort System and protective fairings came off at the right times, how the parachutes assisting Orion during its descent fared and how the operations to recovery Orion from the Pacific Ocean progressed.

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NASAs Orion Flight Test Yields Critical Data