NASA s new commercial space partners

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Washignton, Dec 24 (IANS): NASA has selected four US companies to collaborate with the US space agency to develop new space capabilities available to the government and other customers.

The partnerships build on the success of NASA's commercial spaceflight initiatives to leverage NASA experience and expertise into new capabilities, the space agency said in a statement.

The companies selected for the Collaborations for Commercial Space Capabilities and their projects are Maryland-based ATK Space Systems; New York-basedAFinal Frontier Design; California-based Space Exploration Technologies; and Colorado-based United Launch Alliance.

"We look forward to working with these partners to advance space capabilities and make them available to NASA and other customers in the coming years," said Phil McAlister, director of commercial spaceflight development at NASA headquarters in Washington, DC.

The Collaborations for Commercial Space Capabilities (CCSC) initiative is designed to advance private sector development of integrated space capabilities through access to NASA's spaceflight resources and ensure emerging products or services are commercially available to government and non-government customers within approximately the next five years.

These collaborations are one of several NASA partnership initiatives with the commercial space industry.

Others include the Lunar CATALYST initiative which selected three companies for commercial robotic lunar lander capabilities and the Asteroid Redirect Mission Broad Agency Announcement, which selected 18 proposals for studies related to NASA's plan to collect and redirect an asteroid, then send astronauts to collect samples.

As NASA works with US industry to develop the next generation of US spaceflight services to low-Earth orbit, the agency also is developing the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS), a crew capsule and heavy-lift rocket to provide an entirely new capability for human exploration in deep space.

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NASA s new commercial space partners

NASA Commercial Crew Partners Complete 23 Milestones In 2014

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NASAs Commercial Crew Program and the agencys industry partners completed 23 agreement and contract milestones in 2014 and participated in thousands of hours of technical review sessions. The sessions focused on creating a new generation of safe, reliable and cost-effective crew space transportation systems to low-Earth orbit destinations.

To say weve been busy would truly be an understatement, said Kathy Lueders, manager of the Commercial Crew Program. Our partners at Blue Origin, Boeing, Sierra Nevada Corporation and SpaceX have made tremendous strides in their respective systems throughout the year and were happy to have supported them along their way. My team and I are excited to continue to work with our partners in the coming year.

Blue Origin continued the development of its Space Vehicle spacecraft designed to carry people into low-Earth orbit. The company also continued work on its subscale propellant tank assembly through an unfunded Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) agreement with NASA, which was recently extended until April 2016. In the coming year, Blue Origin will further test its propellant tank and BE-3 engine.

Both Boeing and SpaceX began work on the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contracts to develop systems to transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station.

In 2014 Boeing closed out its Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) agreement and Certification Products Contract (CPC) with NASA. The company also completed its first two CCtCap milestones. Boeing worked with the agency to set an operating rhythm and path toward certification of the CST-100 spacecraft and United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. NASA evaluated the designs of the companys ground-based systems that will be used to carry crews to the station, including the launch complex, crew training, countdown operations mission control facilities, landing locations and post-landing operations.

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) performed incremental tests of its reaction control system that will help maneuver its Dream Chaser spacecraft in space. SNC achieved its CCiCap milestone in November and built on previous propulsion system development efforts by implementing a compact prototype thruster operating in a vacuum chamber to simulate an on-orbit environment. This year, the company also performed wind tunnel and risk-reduction testing under its CCiCap agreement and closed out its Certification Products Contract with NASA. In 2015, the company will perform the second free-flight of its Dream Chaser test article at NASAs Armstrong Flight Research Center.

SpaceX performed two milestones, its Dragon Primary Structure Qualification and Delta Crew Vehicle Critical Design Review, in November as part of its CCiCap agreement. Under that agreement, SpaceX also performed other critical design reviews of its systems and operations this year. The company continued to provide NASA with data in preparation for the companys Certification Baseline Review under its CCtCap contract, which was approved this month. SpaceX also closed out its CPC contract with NASA in 2014. Next year, SpaceX will perform two abort tests for its Crew Dragon spacecraft under its CCiCap agreement.

"Our partners and providers are working on real hardware and will be doing exciting tests next year, Lueders said. Pad infrastructures, processing facilities, hardware and crew training mock-ups, which are all key elements crucial to flying crew safely in just a few years, will take a more cohesive shape next year.

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NASA Commercial Crew Partners Complete 23 Milestones In 2014

Hands On! to expand science programming in 2015

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Kay Campbell with Hands On! pours vinegar on some baking soda for make a volcano during a Mad Scientists on Wheels Workshop at the Fletcher Library in September. Kids learned how different states of matter, liquid, solid and gas are formed.

Thanks to a state grant gained with help from local legislators, Hands On! A Child's Gallery is planning to expand its science programming in 2015 to encompass lessons ranging from the molecular level to the heights of flight.

Last August, state Sen. Tom Apodaca and Rep. Chuck McGrady worked to get Hands On! a $58,000 grant-in-aid within the 2014-15 state budget, part of $2.3 million appropriated to community programs by the N.C. Department of Commerce.

The funding has allowed the children's museum on Main Street to expand its family science nights, bring a program revolving around flight to a county park this summer and, for the first time, host a traveling exhibit focused on nanoscience the study of extremely small things.

It's all designed to enhance science, technology, engineering and math education in Western North Carolina and encourage kids to aspire to STEM-related careers while having fun, museum organizers said.

About 62 percent of currently available jobs in North Carolina require STEM skills, according to the N.C. Grassroots Science Museum Collaborative, yet only 21 percent of students graduate with those abilities. Hands On! was able to join the collaborative thanks to last year's budget bill.

Since we've been accepted as a grassroots museum, I've been able to sit at the table with organizations such as the Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh and Discovery Place in Charlotte, said Executive Director Heather Boeke. We're just thrilled our community is going to benefit from this partnership.

Hands On! has been bringing fun science activities into classrooms and libraries since it opened in 2007. The nonprofit museum has also hosted Nano Days each spring since 2012 to teach kids about ultra-tiny elements, using materials from the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network.

Nano science is part of our world today and we want everybody to understand it, said Beth Bockoven, education coordinator at Hands On! It's used in everything from heat-sensitive T-shirts that change color to our cellphones and sunscreen.

Last week, using a NISE mini-grant, the museum expanded its educational outreach to Mission Children's Hospital in Asheville. Two of the museum's fictional instructors, dubbed Dr. Beaker and Dr. Bunsen, brought lessons about nanoscience to kids who can't leave the hospital.

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Hands On! to expand science programming in 2015

ChefMD Weight Loss Success Story. Dr John La Puma, Culinary Medicine – Video

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ChefMD Weight Loss Success Story. Dr John La Puma, Culinary Medicine
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ChefMD Weight Loss Success Story. Dr John La Puma, Culinary Medicine - Video

Health Ministry to monitor price of medicine after GST implementation

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CHANGLUN, Dec 21 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry will monitor the price of medicine to ensure patients are not burdened by expensive medicine after the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in April next year.

Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya said the price of medicine in private hospitals and clinics may experience an increase of between one and two per cent, but not all.

He said several types of medicine were exempted from GST, such as panadol, which was commonly used in hospitals and clinics.

"Patients seeking treatment from government hospitals need not worry about GST as the cost of medicine is funded by the government," he told a news conference after a health programme with the people at Kampung Tradisi here today.

He said private clinics and hospitals in the country must comply with the ceiling price of medicine and medical treatment set by the Health Ministry so that it would not burden patients.

Should patients be imposed expensive medicine costs after the GST is implemented they can lodge a report with the Health Ministry.

Dr Hilmi said the ministry was also negotiating with medicine suppliers to standardise prices to avoid uncontrolled price hikes.

On the flood situation in the east coast, he said the ministry has deployed 322 personnel including 157 medical personnel stationed at mobile clinics.

"So far none of the flood evacuees have experienced health problems such as food poisoning. There are enough personnel at flood relief centres to monitor the health of evacuees.

"I advise flood victims, especially children, to avoid playing in flood waters as it may cause illness," he added.

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Health Ministry to monitor price of medicine after GST implementation