Museum mourns passing of local space pioneer

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ALAMOGORDO When Edward Chris Dittmer was born on Sept. 24, 1918, very few people thought about man travelling to space and even fewer considered that Dittmer would play an important role in that effort.

Dittmer, who passed away on Jan. 2, 2015 in Alamogordo, was instrumental in mans early research into space flight. A decorated veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam wars, he joined the service in 1942 as part of the 1st Cavalry Division Horse Cavalry. In 1946, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. While serving in Vietnam in the early 1960s, Dittmer flew pilot rescue missions into enemy territory.

Dittmers last duty station was at Holloman Air Force Base where he worked in the Space Biology Department. During his time there, he trained six Astrochimps including HAM and Enos both of whom flew into space as a precursor to manned spaceflight. In addition, he also worked on Project Manhigh, which put the first three Americans into near-space in gondolas lifted aloft by balloons. This work was made famous when U.S. Air Force Col. Joe Kittinger made a record breaking high altitude jump from 102,800 feet, proving that an astronaut could survive a high-altitude ejection.

It was during a practice ascent for Manhigh III that Dittmer proved his heroism once again, just as he had done during his wartime tours of service.

The Holloman Story (UNM Press, 1967) said Capt. Grover Schock, who was the prime mission pilot, was nearly killed when a freak mishap plunged the car .a hundred feet to the ground. Schock had his throat cut almost from ear to ear.

It was Master Sgt. Ed Dittmer who sped to the scene, refusing to even stop for pursuing law enforcement. He administered expert first aid and is credited with saving Schocks life.

Dittmer retired in 1973 with the distinction of having been named NCO of the Holloman Air Force Base Aeromedical Field Laboratorys Space Biology Branch by USAF Col. Dr. John Paul Stapp. After retirement, he became a valued volunteer at the New Mexico Museum of Space History which inducted him into the International Space Hall of Fame in 2001 for his work with the Astrochimps.

Dittmer also spent many hours at local elementary schools talking about his experiences and was interviewed frequently by reporters, authors and filmmakers.

A reception paying tribute to Dittmers life will be held at the New Mexico Museum of Space History today at 4 p.m. on the museums first floor.

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Museum mourns passing of local space pioneer

Red Wings' Franzen heads to IR

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Detroit, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - The Detroit Red Wings have placed forward Johan Franzen on injured reserve with an upper-body injury after the veteran missed Wednesday's game at Calgary.

In Tuesday's game against Edmonton, Franzen was hit near the head area by Rob Klinkhammer away from the puck in the neutral zone. He remained on the ice momentarily but was able to skate to the bench and remain in the game.

On the team's flight from Edmonton to Calgary, Franzen reported feeling ill, and he will be re-evaluated.

In 33 games this season, Franzen has seven goals and 15 assists. The 35-year- old owns 369 points in his 600 game NHL career, all with the Red Wings.

In a corresponding roster move, the Red Wings recalled winger Teemu Pulkkinen from Grand Rapids (AHL). Pulkkinen has scored in eight consecutive games for Grand Rapids and leads the AHL with 20 goals.

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Red Wings' Franzen heads to IR

Peoples Choice Awards Worst Dressed: Ginnifer Goodwin & More

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Awards season is officially here and you know what that means! Along with a slew of stylish looks theres bound to be some misses on the red carpet. While the fashion from the 2015 Peoples Choice Awards on Jan. 7 in LA was pretty standard there were still some unflattering styles that left us scratching our heads. From ill-fitting silhouettes to unflattering frocks, see the looks we didnt love hopefully these gals can recover from their style slip up and make it through the rest of awards season looking fabulous and flawless. Are there any styles you really didnt like last night?

Honestly all in all it was actually quite hard to round up our worst dressed list and while some looks werent our favorite they werent totally awful. The biggest problem here seemed to be with the silhouettes with a little tailoring a majority of these looks couldve gone from drab to fab!

Take, for example, Ginnifer Goodwin. I get it, hitting the red carpet after having a baby definitely isnt easy, (thankfully not everyone can bounce back like theyre Gisele!), but relying on a loose silhouette isnt always your best bet. For starters, I didnt think the white color did anything for the star. The dress just didnt do anything for her figure! If the hemline was raised an inch or two and we caught a glimpse of her ankles I think it wouldve done more for her frame. Aside from the silhouette, I also was underwhelmed by the styling. Plain black pumps and a clutch added to the snooze factor of this look. Although I didnt like the dress, I do commend Ginnifer for stepping out and think her post-baby body is fabulous I just hope next time shes back to showing off her stellar style on the red carpet.

New mom Kristen Bell also opted for a loose silhouette but in a bold pink hue the proportions totally worked on the star. She hit the red carpet just three weeks after giving birth. I dont know how Ginnifer and Kristen did it!

Host Anna Faris was dressed to impress on stage but unfortunately the same cant be said about her red carpet look! The ruffled top and matching skirt was very early 2000s and thats a time that I have no desire to relive, especially on the red carpet! She looked like she was heading to the beach in a mediocre teen movie from, like, 1999. Not exactly the vibe you wanna go for at an award show but luckily she recovered and finished off the night flawlessly in one great dress after another.

Another look that left me quite perplexed was the sheer get-up that Camila Cabello showed off on the red carpet. Not only was the skirt entirely sheer, but the top hardly closed, putting her bra on display. It was just showing too much skin in all the wrong ways. Had she balanced out the skirt with a high halter top I mightve been able to get on board but that wasnt the case. The whole get-up seemed ill-fitting and a bit cheap. We love Camila and her trendy sense of style, we just hope next time she tones it down!

What do you think? Which star really impressed you on the red carpet?

Katrina Mitzeliotis

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Peoples Choice Awards Worst Dressed: Ginnifer Goodwin & More

What Is It Really Like To Live In Space? ft. Astronaut Reid Wiseman – Video

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What Is It Really Like To Live In Space? ft. Astronaut Reid Wiseman
Each month DNews will sit down with NASA to discuss amazing space topics! This month, we will be discussing what it #39;s like in space! How do you train for a mission to space? What are the...

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What Is It Really Like To Live In Space? ft. Astronaut Reid Wiseman - Video

APOD: 2014 December 31 – Comet Lovejoy before a Globular …

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Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2014 December 31

Explanation: Comet Lovejoy has become visible to the unaided eye. To see the comet, just go outside an hour or so after sunset and look for a fuzzy patch to the right of Orion's belt. Binoculars and a star chart may help. Pictured here, Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) was captured three days ago passing nearly in front of M79, the globular star cluster visible as the bright spot slightly above and to the left of the comet's green-hued coma. The nucleus of Comet Lovejoy is a giant dirty iceberg that is shedding gas into a long and intricate ion tail, extending across the image, as it nears the Sun. The comet is expected to become even easier to spot for northern observers during January, as it is rises earlier and, hopefully, continues to brighten.

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APOD: 2014 December 31 - Comet Lovejoy before a Globular ...

Before explosion, NASA knew aging Soviet engines posed …

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Years before an unmanned rocket erupted in a fireball in October, NASA officials knew the metal in its 50-year-old Soviet-made engines could crack, causing fuel to leak and ignite, government documents show.

As early as 2008, a NASA committee warned about the "substantial" risk of using the decades-old engines, and a fire during a 2011 engine test in Mississippi heightened the agency's concern.

The engines had a "fundamental flaw in the materials," said a top manager for NASA's contracted rocket builder, Orbital Sciences, in a 2013 interview with an agency historian. The Soviet engines were built in the 1960s and 1970s in a failed attempt to take cosmonauts to the moon.

"They were never designed to be in storage that long," said the Orbital manager, Ken Eberly, deputy director for the rocket program.

The explosion, just seconds after liftoff from a Virginia launch pad on Oct. 28, destroyed tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded supplies, experiments and equipment, all bound for the International Space Station. The episode has raised questions about NASA's oversight of a new program to hire private contractors to carry cargo and astronauts to orbit, rather than operate the spacecraft itself.

The program aimed to encourage private industry to develop innovative, safe and reliable spacecraft, and ideally save money. But NASA and Orbital officials knew the decades-old engines posed a danger before the agency awarded the company a $1.9-billion deal to launch eight missions.

The company and NASA tried to address the risk by X-raying the engines to find cracks and patching them with welds.

NASA officials knew before the October explosion that the fix had not worked as well as intended. In May, an overhauled engine exploded during a test at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.

Under NASA's contract with Orbital, taxpayers shoulder most of the risk of a catastrophe. The company receives as much as 80% of its fee for each launch even if the rocket explodes.

NASA has not said how much the destroyed cargo was worth. The government will also spend up to $20 million to repair damage the explosion caused to the Virginia launch facility, according to legislation approved in December.

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APOD: 2015 January 4 – Crescent Rhea Occults Crescent Saturn

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Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2015 January 4

Explanation: Soft hues, partially lit orbs, a thin trace of the ring, and slight shadows highlight this understated view of the majestic surroundings of the giant planet Saturn. Looking nearly back toward the Sun, the robot Cassini spacecraft now orbiting Saturn captured crescent phases of Saturn and its moon Rhea in color a few years ago. As striking as the above image is, it is but a single frame from a 60-frame silent movie where Rhea can be seen gliding in front of its parent world. Since Cassini was nearly in the plane of Saturn's rings, the normally impressive rings are visible here only as a thin line across the image center.

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply. NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC & Michigan Tech. U.

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APOD: 2015 January 4 - Crescent Rhea Occults Crescent Saturn

NASA and Nissan Join Forces to Build Self-Driving Vehicles for Earth and Space

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Nissan and NASA are teaming up to develop autonomous vehicles that will take us across townor across Mars.

The automaker and the space agency announced a five-year partnership today that will see their engineers working together to develop the robo-cars of tomorrow. The R&D effort, much of which will occur in Silicon Valley, could yield technology that will be put to use in passenger vehicles here on Earth and rovers on distant planets.

Nissan and NASA will develop and test zero-emission autonomous cars (modified electric Nissan Leafs, naturally) at NASAs Ames Research Center, which is just up the road from Nissans Silicon Valley research center in Sunnyvale, California.

This is a perfect blend of the capability of what the robotics folks at NASA Ames have and the autonomy that we bring, says Maarten Sierhuis, the director of Nissans Silicon Valley research center, who also spent ten years as a NASA senior scientist. The timing is right because we are ready to start testing the ability to autonomously navigate city streets, which the automaker has pledged to have in cars on the market by 2020, and NASA can help it do that.

Those rovers roaming the Red Planet may not be entirely autonomous, but they have a lot to teach Nissan.NASAs proven its ability to remotely operate vehicles millions of miles from Earth, a feat that requires superlative levels of engineering. NASA has a lot to teach automakers about building remarkably durable and reliable systems, and about the interaction between man and machine, says Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn.

Nissan has a lot to teach NASA about autonomous vehicles.The automaker already is testing cars thatcan navigate urban environments on their own. This is one of the toughest challenges facing autonomous vehicles, because cities contain countless variables like pedestrians, cyclists, double-parked trucks, construction and so much more. Developing a system smart enough, and fast enough, to adapt to so chaotic an environment is a Herculean task.

Wandering the surface of a hostile planet, where there may be rocks, sand and other obstacles, is no less challenging, and NASA can piggyback on the work Nissans already doing in autonomous navigation.The more we look at it, the more there are a lot of similarities there, says Pete Worden, director of the Ames Research Center.We have a rover on Mars. It is not very autonomous. As we go deeper into space, into more and more dangerous locations, we need to add that autonomy.

The newly minted partners are starting their work in the digital world. Step one is to extend the maps Nissan uses in its autonomous driving simulator, which now cover the immediate area around its research center, to include the Ames campus. Then plan to have an actual car on the road by the end of 2015, which will help Nissan hit its goal of proving its technology and getting it into production in the next five years.

We gain time, we gain knowledge, we gain expertise, Ghosn says. Thats what the whole thing is aboutmoving as fast as we can.

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NASA and Nissan Join Forces to Build Self-Driving Vehicles for Earth and Space

NASA's Kepler Space Telescope finds 1,000th alien planet

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NASA's Kepler spacecraft has discovered its 1,000th alien planet, further cementing the prolific exoplanet-hunting mission's status as a space-science legend.

Kepler reached the milestone today (Jan. 6) with the announcement of eight newly confirmed exoplanets, bringing the mission's current alien world tally to 1,004. Kepler has found more than half of all knownexoplanetsto date, and the numbers will keep rolling in: The telescope has also spotted 3,200 additional planet candidates, and about 90 percent of them should end up being confirmed, mission scientists say.

Furthermore, a number of these future finds are likely to be small, rocky worlds with temperate, relatively hospitable surface conditions in other worlds, planets a lot like Earth. (In fact, at least two of the newly confirmed eight Kepler planets which were announced in Seattle today during the annual winter meeting of the American Astronomical Society appear to meet that description, mission team members said.) [Gallery: A World of Kepler Planets]

"Kepler was designed to find these Earth analogues, and we always knew that the most interesting results would come at the end,"Kepler missionscientist Natalie Batalha, of NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, told Space.com last month.

"So we're just kind of ramping up toward those most interesting results," she added. "There's still a lot of good science to come out of Kepler."

Exoplanet science is a young field. The first world beyond our solar system wasn't confirmed until 1992, and astronomers first found alien planets around a sunlike star in 1995. [7 Ways to Discover Alien Planets]

TheKepler spacecrafthas therefore been a revelation, and has helped lead a revolution. The $600 million mission launched in March 2009, with the aim of determining how frequently Earth-like planets occur around theMilky Way galaxy.

The telescope spots alien planets using the "transit method," watching for the telltale brightness dips caused when an orbiting planet crosses the face of its host star from Kepler's perspective.

The instrument generally needs to observe multiple transits to flag a planet candidate, which is part of the reason why the most intriguing finds are expected to come relatively late in the mission. (Several transits of a huge, close-orbiting "hot Jupiter," which has no potential to host life, can be observed relatively quickly, while it may take years to gather the required data for a more distantly orbiting, possibly Earth-like world.)

"Before, we were just kind of plucking the low-hanging fruit, and now we're getting down into the weeds, and things are getting a little harder," Batalha said. "But that's a challenge we knew we would have."

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NASA's Kepler Space Telescope finds 1,000th alien planet

Nissan, NASA to work together on self-driving technology

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TOKYO Japanese automaker Nissan and NASA are teaming up to advance the technology behind cars that drive themselves.

Yokohama-based Nissan Motor Co. and NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, California, announced Thursday a five-year research-and-development partnership for autonomous vehicle systems so they can eventually be applied to commercially sold cars.

Nissan is excited about the potential of self-driving cars, which executives say could lead to improved safety, a pillar for future autos along with low emission technology.

NASA researchers will be working with Nissan's research unit in Silicon Valley, they said in a joint statement.

The maker of the Leaf electric car and Infiniti luxury models aims to introduce autonomous driving technology to consumers between 2016 and 2020. Ames developed the Mars rover software and robots onboard the International Space Station.

"The partnership brings together the best and brightest of NASA and Nissan and validates our investments in Silicon Valley," said Nissan Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn.

The safety technology in the works includes cars that know through sensors they are about to collide and will brake automatically, even if the driver doesn't do a thing. There are also cars that can park themselves.

At its most sophisticated, the technology could replace human drivers altogether, though there are many hurdles to that being put into practice on roads.

Automakers besides Nissan are working on the technology, including Japanese rival Toyota Motor Corp. and U.S. manufacturers General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co.

And companies outside the industry are getting involved, such as Google Inc.

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Nissan, NASA to work together on self-driving technology

These Vintage NASA Posters Imagine Travel Beyond the Stars

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TIME Science space travel These Vintage NASA Posters Imagine Travel Beyond the Stars Designers NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory capture the excitement of space exploration

Planet-hunters havent found a Mirror Earth orbiting a star beyond the Sun yet, but this weeks discovery of a new batch of exoplanets that come awfully close, plus the announcement that the amazing Kepler probe has topped the 1,000 mark in its search for alien worlds makes it only a matter of time before we find planets where life might be thriving.

Once that happens, of course were going to want to go visit.. Thats not going to happen tomorrow: its impossible to visit any of these worlds in person with any current technology, so until we build a Star Trek-style warp drive or discover an Interstellar-esque worm hole, a trip to an exoplanet will have to remain a dream.

Fortunately, though, NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in Pasadena, has some professional dreamers on staffartists who try to capture the excitement of space exploration in a way the rest of us can appreciate. Their latest creation: three fanciful posters advertising tourism to three actual exoplanets, done in the gorgeously romantic style of 1930s-era railway posters.

This being a NASA lab, they didnt just make stuff up. There was a lot of back-and-forth with the scientists, says David Delgado, one of the designers, figuring out which exoplanets to choose, then noodling on what it would actually like to visit them. In the case of Kepler 186f, for example, which was discovered last year, the planet orbits a small red star. Maybe the color of vegetation would be different there, he saysand on the poster, it is. The second poster shows Kepler 16b, a planet that orbits twin suns. The third depicts HD 40307g, a so-called Super Earth about 1.4 times the size of our home planet and eight times as massive. All three could in principle be habitable, based on how much heat they get from their stars.

The posters were really designed primarily for use within JPL, says Joby Harris, another designer on the project. When they were released to the public a few days ago, however, the response was overwhelmingly positive. We were a little surprised by it, admits Harris.

He shouldnt be. One of the reasons JPL has these artists on staff, says Delgado, is to get people excited about space science, to build their curiosity. Theyre clearly exceptionally good at doing their jobs.

Three more exoplanet posters are in the works, although theres no word on when theyll be finished. For those who want to print out their own posters, high-resolution print-optimized versions are on JPLs Planet Quest website.

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These Vintage NASA Posters Imagine Travel Beyond the Stars

NASA takes climate change studies to the air

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The DC-8 airborne laboratory is one of several NASA aircraft that will fly in support the five new Earth Venture class missions to launch this year (Photo: NASA)

With the goal of shedding more light on a number of Earth system processes whose effect on our climate is incompletely understood, NASA will this year launch five new airborne field campaigns. These studies will look at long-range air pollution, warming ocean waters, melting Greenland glaciers, greenhouse gas sources, fires in Africa and clouds over the Atlantic, with the captured data to complement satellite- and surface-based observations to help provide a better understanding of the interconnected systems that affect our climate and how it is changing.

The missions were selected from a list of 33 proposals, with each to be funded by up to US$30 million over five years as part of the Earth Venture-class of missions. These are a series of uncoupled, relatively low-to-moderate cost, small to medium-sized, competitively selected missions, the first series of which were undertaken in 2010.

"These innovative airborne experiments will let us probe inside processes and locations in unprecedented detail that complements what we can do with our fleet of Earth-observing satellites," said Jack Kaye, associate director for research in NASA's Earth Science Division.

In total, these five new projects will involve seven NASA centers, 25 universities and other educational institutions, three American government agencies and two industry partners.

Source: NASA

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NASA takes climate change studies to the air

NASA Education Express Message for Jan. 8, 2015

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Space Shuttle Thermal Protective Tiles Available for Educational UseNASA invites eligible U.S. educational institutions and museums to request space shuttle thermal protective tiles and other special items offered on a first-come, first-served basis while quantities last. Organizations previously allocated thermal protective tiles may request an additional three tiles.There will be a nominal shipping fee that must be paid online with a credit card. To make a request for special items online, visithttp://gsaxcess.gov/htm/nasa/userguide/Special_Item_Request_Procedure.pdf.Questions about this opportunity should be directed toGSAXcessHelp@gsa.gov.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics Unveils New Federal Agency Opportunity Bank

In order to increase Hispanic participation in all levels of government and in funding opportunities, the Federal Agency Opportunity Bank collects information from the Federal Interagency Working Group on Educational Excellence for Hispanics about the vast number of opportunities and investments supporting all youth, local and state agencies, nonprofits and other organizations supporting Hispanic educational excellence.Opportunities include but are not limited to federal employment, fellowships, internships, grant and peer review opportunities, and technical assistance workshops. In addition, there is information regarding partnerships, resources and tools, and federal award nominations. The Opportunity Bank will be updated quarterly with information from participating federal agencies. The goal is to continue highlighting opportunities and investments supporting all youth, local and state agencies, nonprofits and other organizations supporting Hispanic educational excellence. Users are encouraged to share this resource with their networks and congratulate agencies for their efforts on behalf of the Latino community.To view the Opportunity Bank, visithttp://www.ed.gov/edblogs/hispanic-initiative/federal-agency-opportunity-bank/.Questions about this resource should be directed towhieeh@ed.gov.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional DevelopmentNASA Educator Professional Development is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources to bring NASA into your classroom.NASA Rockets 2 Racecars Audience:Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12Event Date:Jan. 8, 2015, at 5 p.m. ESTParticipants will learn about the NASA Rockets 2 Racecars program that offers opportunities for professional development at race tracks on the East Coast. Learn about the different NASA spinoffs related to car racing and how to participate at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 1, 2015.Magnetospheric Multiscale Mathematics Audience:Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8Event Date:Jan. 8, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. ESTParticipants will learn about the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission set to launch in March 2015 and the mathematics-based educator guide associated with the mission. Participants will learn about the mission, get an overview of the lesson activities and engage in discussion about classroom implementation.For more information about these webinars and to register online, visithttps://paragon-tec.adobeconnect.com/admin/show-event-catalog.Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to Clarence Jones atClarence.F.Jones@NASA.gov.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2015 NASA Human Exploration Rover ChallengeNASA has opened team registration for the 2015 NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge. Organized by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, the event will be held April 16-18, 2015, at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, also in Huntsville.The challenge engages high school, college and university students in hands-on, experiential learning activities, while also testing potential technologies needed for future deep space exploration. Both U.S. and international teams may register to participate. For U.S. teams, registration closesFeb. 6, 2015. Registration for international teams closesJan. 9, 2015.Student teams participating in the Rover Challenge must design, engineer and test a human-powered rover on a mock course designed to simulate the harsh and demanding terrains future NASA explorers may find on distant planets, moons and asteroids.For more information on the 2015 Human Exploration Rover Challenge and registration, visithttp://go.nasa.gov/14dikMF.

Follow the Rover Challenge on social media for the latest news and updates:https://www.facebook.com/roverchallenge?ref=hlhttps://twitter.com/RoverChallengehttp://instagram.com/nasa_marshall.

View images from the 2014 Rover Challenge athttp://go.nasa.gov/1iEjGRp.International teams with questions about this event or registration may email Amy McDowell atAmy.McDowell@nasa.gov. U.S. teams with questions may contact Diedra Williams atMSFC-RoverChallenge2015@mail.nasa.gov.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2015 RASC-AL Aerospace Concepts Design CompetitionNASA and the National Institute of Aerospace announce the 2015 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts-Academic Linkage, or RASC-AL, Aerospace Concepts competition. RASC-AL is a design project competition for university-level engineering students and faculty.The 2015 RASC-AL contest challenges participants to design projects based on real NASA problems, responding to one of four themes:-- Earth-Independent Mars Pioneering Architecture-- Earth-Independent Lunar Pioneering Architecture-- Mars' Moons Prospector Mission-- Large-Scale Mars Entry, Decent and Landing Pathfinder MissionConcepts derived from the design projects could potentially be implemented by NASA.Teams must submit an abstract for their proposed project byJan. 11, 2015. The RASC-AL Steering Committee of NASA and industry experts will evaluate the proposals and select as many as 11 undergraduate and five graduate teams to compete against each other at a forum in June 2015 in Florida.The RASC-AL competition is open to full-time undergraduate or graduate students majoring in engineering or science at an accredited university. University design teams must include one faculty or industry advisor with a university affiliation and two or more undergraduate or graduate students. A group of universities may also collaborate on a design project entry. Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged.For more information about this competition, visithttp://nianet.org/RASCAL.If you have questions about this competition, please contact Stacy Dees atstacy.dees@nianet.orgor Shelley Spears atShelley.Spears@nianet.org.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2014-2015 NASA Goddard OPTIMUS PRIME Spinoff ChallengeNASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is launching the 2014-2015 TRANSFORMERS OPTIMUS PRIME Spinoff Challenge, hosted by the Innovative Technology Partnerships Office. The purpose of the challenge is to raise awareness of NASA's Technology Transfer Program and to inspire interest in all NASA missions, programs and projects.This year the scope of the contest is being expanded to include two challenges. In the first challenge, students in grades 3-12 are asked to submit a video describing their favorite NASA Goddard spinoff. In a new twist, participants in this years contest must also use the engineering design process to develop and propose a new spinoff application of their own for the technology. Spinoffs are technologies originally created for space and modified into everyday products used on Earth. Examples include memory foam, invisible braces and scratch-resistant lenses for eyeglasses.The second challenge, the TRANSFORMERS OPTIMUS PRIME InWorld Challenge, offers students in grades 6-12 an opportunity to take their video spinoff ideas to another level. Interested teams must study James Webb Space Telescope spinoff technology and post their completed spinoff videos for review by college engineering students. Engineering college mentors will select 20 teams to continue the collaborative design process within a multiuser virtual world to build a 3-D model of the teams design solutions.Winning students from each grade category will be invited to Goddard to participate in a behind-the-scenes workshop, attend a VIP awards ceremony and meet actor Peter Cullen, the voice of OPTIMUS PRIME.The deadline to register and upload videos isJan. 12, 2015.For more information, visithttp://itpo.gsfc.nasa.gov/optimus/.Questions about this contest should be directed to Darryl Mitchell atDarryl.R.Mitchell@nasa.gov.TRANSFORMERS and OPTIMUS PRIME are trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission. 2014 Hasbro. All rights reserved.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Free Program -- Cubes in SpaceTMidoodlelearning is offering two flight opportunities as part of the Cubes in Space program. A free science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics, or STEAM, program for students ages 11-18, Cubes in Space provides opportunities for students to design and compete to launch experiments into space.In partnership with Colorado Space Grant Consortium as part of the RockSat-C program, experiments will be launched via a sounding rocket from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, in late June 2015. This opportunity is open to U.S. and international students 11-14 years of age.Through partnership with NASA Langley Research Center, a second flight opportunity is offered on a zero-pressure scientific balloon to be launched from Ft. Sumner, New Mexico, in September 2015. The Science Missions Directorate Astrophysics division manages the NASA scientific balloon program; Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia oversees Balloon Flight Operations. This opportunity is open to students 11-18 years of age who are U.S. citizens.Using formal or informal learning environments, students and educators will learn about the methodology for taking an idea from design through the review process. Throughout the experience, students will acquire key 21st century skills necessary for success in a highly connected, global society.The deadline for program registration isJan. 12, 2015.For more information, visithttp://www.CubesInSpace.com.Questions about this program should be directed toinfo@cubesinspace.com.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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NASA Education Express Message for Jan. 8, 2015

Exposure to nanoparticles may threaten heart health

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Nanoparticles, extremely tiny particles measured in billionths of a meter, are increasingly everywhere, and especially in biomedical products. Their toxicity has been researched in general terms, but now a team of Israeli scientists has for the first time found that exposure nanoparticles (NPs) of silicon dioxide (SiO2) can play a major role in the development of cardiovascular diseases when the NP cross tissue and cellular barriers and also find their way into the circulatory system. Their study, published in the December issue of Environmental Toxicology.

The research team was comprised of scientists from the Technion Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Rambam Medical Center, and the Center of Excellence in Exposure Science and Environmental Health (TCEEH).

"Environmental exposure to nanoparticles is becoming unavoidable due to the rapid expansion of nanotechnology," says the study's lead author, Prof. Michael Aviram, of the Technion Faculty of Medicine, "This exposure may be especially chronic for those employed in research laboratories and in high tech industry where workers handle, manufacture, use and dispose of nanoparticles. Products that use silica-based nanoparticles for biomedical uses, such as various chips, drug or gene delivery and tracking, imaging, ultrasound therapy, and diagnostics, may also pose an increased cardiovascular risk for consumers as well."

In this study, researchers exposed cultured laboratory mouse cells resembling the arterial wall cells to NPs of silicon dioxide and investigated the effects. SiO2 NPs are toxic to and have significant adverse effects on macrophages. a type of white blood cell that take up lipids, leading to atherosclerotic lesion development and its consequent cardiovascular events, such as heart attack or stroke. Macrophages accumulation in the arterial wall under atherogenic conditions such as high cholesterol, triglycerides, oxidative stress -- are converted into lipids, or laden "foam cells" which, in turn, accelerate atherosclerosis development.

"Macrophage foam cells accumulation in the arterial wall are a key cell type in the development of atherosclerosis, which is an inflammatory disease" says co-author Dr. Lauren Petrick. "The aims of our study were to gain additional insight into the cardiovascular risk associated with silicon dioxide nanoparticle exposure and discover the mechanisms behind Si02's induced atherogenic effects on macrophages. We also wanted to use nanoparticles as a model for ultrafine particle (UFP) exposure as cardiovascular disease risk factors."

Both NPs and UFPs can be inhaled and induce negative biological effects. However, until this study, their effect on the development of atherosclerosis has been largely unknown. Here, researchers have discovered for the first time that the toxicity of silicon dioxide nanoparticles has a "significant and substantial effect on the accumulation of triglycerides in the macrophages," at all exposure concentrations analyzed, and that they also "increase oxidative stress and toxicity."

A recent update from the American Heart Association also suggested that "fine particles" in air pollution leads to elevated risk for cardiovascular diseases. However, more research was needed to examine the role of "ultrafine particles" (which are much smaller than "fine particles") on atherosclerosis development and cardiovascular risk.

"The number of nano-based consumer products has risen a thousand fold in recent years, with an estimated world market of $3 trillion by the year 2020," conclude the researchers. "This reality leads to increased human exposure and interaction of silica-based nanoparticles with biological systems. Because our research demonstrates a clear cardiovascular health risk associated with this trend, steps need to be taken to help ensure that potential health and environmental hazards are being addressed at the same time as the nanotechnology is being developed.

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The above story is based on materials provided by American Technion Society. The original article was written by Kevin Hattori. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Exposure to nanoparticles may threaten heart health

Research: Exposure to Nanoparticles May Threaten Heart Health

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Newswise Nanoparticles, extremely tiny particles measured in billionths of a meter, are increasingly everywhere, and especially in biomedical products. Their toxicity has been researched in general terms, but now a team of Israeli scientists has for the first time found that exposure nanoparticles (NPs) of silicon dioxide (SiO2) can play a major role in the development of cardiovascular diseases when the NP cross tissue and cellular barriers and also find their way into the circulatory system. Their study, published in the December issue of Environmental Toxicology, can be found on-line at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tox.22084/abstract.

The research team was comprised of scientists from the Technion Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Rambam Medical Center, and the Center of Excellence in Exposure Science and Environmental Health (TCEEH).

Environmental exposure to nanoparticles is becoming unavoidable due to the rapid expansion of nanotechnology, says the studys lead author, Prof. Michael Aviram, of the Technion Faculty of Medicine, This exposure may be especially chronic for those employed in research laboratories and in high tech industry where workers handle, manufacture, use and dispose of nanoparticles. Products that use silica-based nanoparticles for biomedical uses, such as various chips, drug or gene delivery and tracking, imaging, ultrasound therapy, and diagnostics, may also pose an increased cardiovascular risk for consumers as well.

In this study, researchers exposed cultured laboratory mouse cells resembling the arterial wall cells to NPs of silicon dioxide and investigated the effects. SiO2 NPs are toxic to and have significant adverse effects on macrophages. a type of white blood cell that take up lipids, leading to atherosclerotic lesion development and its consequent cardiovascular events, such as heart attack or stroke. Macrophages accumulation in the arterial wall under atherogenic conditions such as high cholesterol, triglycerides, oxidative stress - are converted into lipids, or laden "foam cells" which, in turn, accelerate atherosclerosis development.

Macrophage foam cells accumulation in the arterial wall are a key cell type in the development of atherosclerosis, which is an inflammatory disease says co-author Dr. Lauren Petrick. The aims of our study were to gain additional insight into the cardiovascular risk associated with silicon dioxide nanoparticle exposure and discover the mechanisms behind Si02s induced atherogenic effects on macrophages. We also wanted to use nanoparticles as a model for ultrafine particle (UFP) exposure as cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Both NPs and UFPs can be inhaled and induce negative biological effects. However, until this study, their effect on the development of atherosclerosis has been largely unknown. Here, researchers have discovered for the first time that the toxicity of silicon dioxide nanoparticles has a significant and substantial effect on the accumulation of triglycerides in the macrophages, at all exposure concentrations analyzed, and that they also increase oxidative stress and toxicity.

A recent update from the American Heart Association also suggested that fine particles in air pollution leads to elevated risk for cardiovascular diseases. However, more research was needed to examine the role of ultrafine particles (which are much smaller than fine particles) on atherosclerosis development and cardiovascular risk.

The number of nano-based consumer products has risen a thousand fold in recent years, with an estimated world market of $3 trillion by the year 2020, conclude the researchers. This reality leads to increased human exposure and interaction of silica-based nanoparticles with biological systems. Because our research demonstrates a clear cardiovascular health risk associated with this trend, steps need to be taken to help ensure that potential health and environmental hazards are being addressed at the same time as the nanotechnology is being developed.

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Research: Exposure to Nanoparticles May Threaten Heart Health

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Pioneers in 3D printing unveil its MC product line aimed at enabling the medical, scientific, academic and research communities to create tiny things that help solve huge, real-world problems

LAS VEGAS Old World Labs (OWL) today announced the launch of two new best-in-class 3D printers in its MC Series, delivering unmatched precision and accuracy and offering the best resolution in the industry. The MC-1 and MC-2 were unveiled at the 2015 International CES in Las Vegas and are available via a service plan subscription, which allows customers to upgrade their hardware as the technology is refined, ensuring small-volume, high-value manufactured parts are printed at optimum quality. Customers interested in learning how they can procure an OWL 3D printer or finding out more about the MC-1 and MC-2 should visit http://www.oldworldlabs.com.

Tiny Solutions to Huge, Real-World Problems OWL customers are working on the future of everything - medicine, science, engineering, robotics, art - and need to be able to create things that are tomorrow-ready, today. OWL printers have 250x the resolution of other 3D printers, making them most precise option for laboratories and research facilities. Customers depend on OWL's printers to have the most accurate outputs to solve problems that require the most utterly accurate production possible. Customers include NASA, Stanford University, University of Virginia, Virginia Tech and Old Dominion University. OWL is also working with the United States Department of Defense, and collaborating with institutions on creating photonics based tools for the Integrated Photonics Institute for Manufacturing Innovation.

"The benefits of 3D printing to science, medical research and academic discovery are evolving, and the people who are making the utmost progress and greatest discoveries need the most precise and accurate printers available. The MC Series fit this description - no other 3D printers can match them for resolution, precision and functionality," said Nick Liverman, CEO and Founder, Old World Labs. "Our printers are not like anything else on the market. They are more accurate and capable of handling printing the minute details that makes the difference to people trying to change the world."

OWL'S Newest Lineup The MC-1 is a high-precision nano-scale photo fabrication device, built by hand in the U.S.A. It offers cutting-edge resolution designed for use in leading medical, engineering, scientific, and defense laboratories. This precision instrument is designed to be run constantly, maximizing productivity without compromising quality. The MC-1 comes with a selection of services, support, training and consultation packages.

The MC-2 features an advanced control board, multiple upgraded lasers capable of processing new multiple materials, and improved software. It is the first scheduled upgrade printer for OWL's subscription customers and will become available mid-2015.

As new technology is developed and 3D printers evolve, older models will quickly become obsolete. Instead of selling its 3D printers outright, OWL is offering customers a contracted service plan that gives immediate access to new hardware and software by invoking the option to upgrade their model to reflect the technological progressions in this changing market.

Visitors to International CES 2015 can visit OWL at the Sands Expo Centre, booth #72620.

About Old World Labs Founded in Hampton Roads in 2013 Old World Labs (OWL) revolutionizes how engineers, medical professionals, educators, hobbyists and designers create and produce. OWL is a group of passionate, gifted individuals from an array of multidisciplinary backgrounds. Our mission is to advance manufacturing by creating advanced processes and equipment to make your dreams a reality. Our team develops and manufactures innovative products that support automated chemical and industrial platforms. We design technology that has much higher feature resolution than competitors, which enables advanced solutions. OWL is dedicated to deliver the best and most innovative technology with an unmatched return on investment. Our team remains committed to making sophisticated, high-quality technology.

We only strive for excellence when it comes to developing and manufacturing technology; to turn your dreams into a reality. If you can dream it, OWL can build it.

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Professional 3D Printers support future upgrades.