Recorded Interview: Blue Angels in Mission Control
Members of the Blue Angles team visited Mission Control, and spoke with the crew aboard the International Space Station. HD download link: ...
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ISS Astronaut Talks with Members of the German Parliament – Video
ISS Astronaut Talks with Members of the German Parliament
Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 41 Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency discussed the highlights of his mission on the complex and his upcoming return...
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ISS Astronaut Talks with Members of the German Parliament - Video
FUNNY LIFE IN SPACE STATION – Video
ISS Avoids a Near Shave With Space Junk
The ESA's ATV supply ship last week boosted the space station to a higher orbit to avoid a potential collision.
As in the movie "Gravity," the International Space Station (ISS) recently faced a threat from deadly debris hurtling through space on a collision course with the orbiting laboratory. Unlike in the Hollywood version, the ISS was boosted out of harm's way thanks to a concerted effort by the five space agencies responsible for the space station.
On Oct. 27, ground stations which track space debris determined that a small piece of Russia's Cosmos-2251 satellite "around the size of a hand" was going to pass within 4 kilometers of the ISS in a matter of hours, or "too close for comfort," the European Space Agency (ESA) reported this week.
With six hours to spare before the potential impact, the five space agencies agreed to "an emergency maneuver" using the ESA's expendable Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) to lift the ISS to a higher orbit.
"The ATV Control Center team in Toulouse, France triggered a boost of 1.8 km/h, enough to raise the 420-ton Station by 1 km and out of harm's way," the ESA said.
Just a few years ago, with a collision threat that imminent, the six crew members aboard the ISS would have been preparing to evacuate the space station, per protocol. But in 2012, a new procedure was put in place to fire up one of Russia's Progress resupply capsules to move the space station to a different orbit with less than 24 hours warning, the ESA noted.
For last week's close call, however, no Progress spacecraft was docked with the ISS. Instead, the responsible space agencies opted to the ATV Georges Lematre, the first time the ESA's own supply craft has been tasked with such a maneuver. Unlike the reusable Progress and cargo pods built by NASA contractor SpaceX, the ESA's ATVs are designed to burn up in the atmosphere once they undock and depart from the ISS.
The Georges Lematre is in the process of delivering more than 14,500 pounds of supplies, fuel, and gases to the ISS and is set to depart in February, the ESA said.
Cosmos-2251 collided with another satellite in 2009 and broke apart, leaving bits of debris which, as "Gravity" fans know, can pose a grave danger to other orbiting objects, even when very small.
"Ground stations continuously track space junkleftover hardware from defunct satellitesfor potentially life-threatening collisions. A fleck of paint can cause major damage travelling at 28,800 km/h," the ESA noted.
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Satellite Debris Forces Space Station To Evade Threat Hours Before Collision Risk
The International Space Station as seen by the departing STS-134 crew on May 29, 2011. Credit: NASA
A spacecraft attached to the International Space Station did an emergency maneuver to push the complex, which now houses six people, away from a threatening piece of space debris Oct. 27, the European Space Agency said in a statement.
A hand-sized shard of the Russian Cosmos-2251 satellite, which collided with a U.S. Iridium satellite in 2009, would have come within at least four kilometers (2.5 miles) of the orbiting outpost. This was close enough for the space station partners to agree to a move six hours before the potential impact.
This is the first time the stations international partners have avoided space debris with such urgency, the European Space Agency wrote. The push to a safer orbit took place using the agencys automated transfer vehicle Georges Lematre, which docked with the space station in August.
The International Space Station in October 2014, with the European automated transfer vehicle Georges Lematre attached. Credit: Alexander Gerst/ESA/NASA
While many collision threats are spotted at least days before impact, occasionally ground networks arent able to see a piece until 24 hours or less before the potential impact. Since 2012, the space station has normally done last-minute maneuvers using Russian cargo Progress vehicles, but this time around none were docked there. This is where the ATV came in.
Controllers at the ATV control center in France then did a four-minute preprogrammed move that raised the stations orbit by one kilometer (0.6 miles), enough to get out of the way.
The ATV is expected to remain at the station until February, when it will undock and burn up in the atmosphere. This is the last of the series of ATVs that Europe agreed to make as a part of its space station agreement.
Elizabeth Howell is the senior writer at Universe Today. She also works for Space.com, Space Exploration Network, the NASA Lunar Science Institute, NASA Astrobiology Magazine and LiveScience, among others. Career highlights include watching three shuttle launches, and going on a two-week simulated Mars expedition in rural Utah. You can follow her on Twitter @howellspace or contact her at her website.
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Satellite Debris Forces Space Station To Evade Threat Hours Before Collision Risk
After two crashes, how can commercial space flights be regulated?
Back in the day when space exploration was the brave new frontier of John Glenn, Neil Armstrong and a monkey named Gordo, NASA presided over it all with a god-like presence.
In 2014, with a rocket exploding near one coast and a futuristic spaceship crashing near the other, theres another new frontier: regulating corporate Americas rush to capitalize on the vacuum created when NASA retired from hands-on space flight.
Into that void, Congress thrust the Federal Aviation Administration, charging it with setting the guidelines for a fledgling industry that has drawn more than a half dozen companies with a variety of goals.
Its a little bit different than the rest of the aviation oversight that we do, said FAA spokeswoman Laura J. Brown, because the industry is kind of where the Wright brothers were in aviation.
Some companies want to deliver payloads to the orbiting International Space Station; others plan to launch satellites and research missions; and some intend to carry paying passengers on joyrides into space.
A rocket that was to resupply the International Space Station blew up a few seconds after lift-off from Wallops Island, Va. (NASA)
The Antares rocket that exploded on takeoff from Virginias Eastern Shore on Oct. 28 was built by Orbital Sciences and bound for the space station carrying the unmanned Cygnus spacecraft loaded with food, water and equipment. The Virgin Galactic spacecraft that crashed on a test flight in the Mojave Desert three days later was designed to carry passengers into flight.
The fact that the spacecraft flew under two different FAA guidelines underscores the nascent nature of space flight regulation. It also reflects the challenge federal regulators face in governing emerging technologies: Step in too soon with a heavy hand and it may stifle creative thinking.
A current example: The people developing the new breed of autonomous cars have begged state and federal regulators not to impose rigid guidelines until they can refine how best to make things work.
Congress has taken the viewpoint that they understand that [commercial space flight] is an evolving industry, Brown said, and if you put a regulatory framework in place that was as constrictive or as comprehensive as it is in commercial aviation, it would basically kill the industry before it got off the ground.
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After two crashes, how can commercial space flights be regulated?
'Interstellar' Review: Reaching for the stars
'Suddenly, for a short amount of time, the stars arent so far away,' writes Zig Marasigan
The difficulties of space travel are very real. After the recent crash of Virgin Galactics SpaceShip Two and the mid-flight explosion of the unmanned NASA Antares rocket, spaceflight has had a spotty record at best over the past two weeks.
FORWARD. The voyage to space takes its emotional toll. All photos courtesy of Warner Bros
But despite the inherent risks of space flight, the scientific community continues to reach passionately, and perhaps foolishly, for the stars. (READ: New Nolan movie Interstellar tackles space, love, sacrifice)
Coincidentally, Interstellar is very similar in that regard. It is an ambitious piece of cinematic work that brazenly attempts to distill the herculean task of interstellar travel into a palatable 3-hour movie. But like the doomed population of Earth, the odds are against it.
Set in the indeterminate future, Interstellar doesnt shower us with visions of technological progress. Instead, the film greets us with the familiar vistas of the American countryside. But hiding behind the postcard views of cornfields and rural homes is the depressing reality that the world is running out of food.
Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a former pilot and engineer, has resigned himself to life as a farmer, helping grow corn for surviving members of humanity. But when Cooper stumbles upon a decades-long plan to leave Earth, he is asked to lead a team of scientists to establish humanitys first extraterrestrial colony.
From its premise alone, Interstellar grasps at more straws than it can realistically handle. The idea of following humanitys first steps into the far reaches of space is already a large enough concept, and depicting it in any believable fashion is no small matter.
But director and co-writer Christopher Nolan was never known to be a filmmaker with small ideas. Interstellar is Nolans most ambitious project to date, which says a lot about the man behind The Dark Knight Trilogy and Inception. And while Interstellar does stretch itself thin in a lot of places, it does so with the same dauntless ambition that makes space, truly, the final frontier.
Larger than life
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Is there a place for private companies to send civilians on space flight?
Americans are spoiled when it comes to space travel. We beat the Soviet Union (now Russia) to the moon. We've sent unmanned crafts to Mars. We've sent craft toward Jupiter. Our satellites roam the nightly skies.
So when there's an accident involving a rocket, such as the one involving an unmanned Orbital Sciences rocket carrying supplies to the International Space Station that exploded just above the launching pad, or the "anomaly" experienced by the Virgin Galatic test vehicle SpaceShipTwo that crashed in the Mojave Desert Friday, the question comes up as to how such a thing can happen.
Virgin Atlantic chief Richard Branson expressed shock at the crash but vowed to push on.
"Space is hard - but worth it. We will persevere and move forward together," Branson said.
Admirable, to be sure, but is it really achievable in the long run? When tragedy struck the American space program (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) with the fire aboard the Apollo spacecraft that killed three astronauts, NASA and the space program rebounded.
When the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded on liftoff or when the Shuttle Columbia blew up upon return, the space program rebounded.
But will those who can afford the $250,000 ticket for three exhilarating minutes want to take the chance? Time will tell.
The accident left one pilot dead, the other seriously wounded. But it leaves an even greater void. NASA has already seen its budget diminish, and the shuttle program has been mothballed. The public hasn't demonstrated a strong desire to see the billions of dollars in taxpayer money sent into outer space.
It all begs a larger question. Is there truly a place for space travel for private companies taking civilians up into the outer reaches of space?
Given the exploratory nature of humans, it's a question that at some point, those companies and the American people may not know how to answer.
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Is there a place for private companies to send civilians on space flight?
Why space tourism is worth the risk
Accidents will happen as commercial space travel develops, but if we want more widespread space flight we shouldn't be deterred by them
ANOMALY. That was the bland term used by both Orbital Sciences and Virgin Galactic to describe what turned out to be the destruction of their respective spacecraft last week.
Orbital's cargo ship was lost when its Antares carrier rocket exploded a few seconds after lift-off, while Virgin's SpaceShipTwo, designed to carry high-flying tourists, came apart in mid-air killing one pilot and injuring the other (see "SpaceShipTwo crash: Wings were unlocked too soon").
Why such understatement? There's a tradition of euphemism in space flight: think of "Houston, we've had a problem". That's partly born of reluctance to jump to conclusions when the situation is unclear; it's also rooted in the mindset that any deviation from the plan, no matter how dramatic, must be examined and explained. As Space Race test pilots put it: "To err is human, to forgive is divine; neither is Air Force policy."
That mentality has never been clearer than in the aftermath of the Challenger shuttle disaster in 1986. The combination of fault-finding, wounded national pride and budget constraints led to a cooling of political backing for crewed space flight from which NASA has never really recovered, leaving it dependent on private contractors like Orbital Sciences.
By contrast, the SpaceShipTwo crash, while obviously tragic for those involved, is ultimately an industrial accident one that the company, and industry, should learn from. That's the attitude needed if human space travel is ever to become routine, as many hope it will. The UK Space Agency, for example, plans to open a British spaceport by 2018. And one firm thinks it could be launching 400 space tourists a year within a decade (see "UK spaceport plan boosts engineering careers").
Of course, the challenge for such firms at the moment is finding passengers willing to buy a ticket, now the perils have been so dramatically highlighted. Space tourism currently looks less like a pleasure trip than an extreme sport, to be conducted at tourists' own risk. "If certification of spacecraft was demanded as you would for, say, a Boeing 787, in all probability the industry would never get off the ground," Virgin Galactic's boss George Whitesides told New Scientist before the crash and before his firm was forced to rebut allegations that it had taken a lax approach to safety.
Still, as we went to press, New Scientist had no confirmed reports of Virgin customers cancelling seats. Space tourism generally will survive and perhaps even thrive. The huge expense and frequent accidents of early aviation did not stop the well-heeled from getting on planes, followed by the rest of us. History may repeat itself.
Should it? Air travel is a means to an end, whereas today's space tourism is an end in itself. When it comes to knowledge, real progress lies with robots. Machines go where we currently cannot to the far side of the moon, for example, from which vantage point China's Chang'e 5-T1 last week returned the stunning image above. Next week, the Philae lander will try to touch down on comet 67P (see "Rosetta: Days from the toughest space landing ever"). If it succeeds, it will help us understand the origins of the solar system, and perhaps of life.
Next to that, space tourism might look like no more than an enviable indulgence. But we won't know what space really has to offer humanity until more of us can go there. That means making space travel safer and that implies the cycle of investigation and improvement that has made air travel what it is today.
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2014 CMA Awards Red Carpet Arrivals: See Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert & More!
It's that time again, y'all!
Celebs are flocking to the 2014 CMA Awards red carpet, and attendees areserving up their A-game for country music's biggest night.
As for who we're dying to see that? That's obviously Carrie Underwood, who's hosting the event alongside fellow country heartthrob Brad Paisley. The newly-pregnant singer is never disappoints in the style department, and we're eager to see the gown she's picked to accommodate her growing bump.
Miranda Lambert will be turning heads at the CMAs too, and will no doubt showcase her svelte figure in a drool-worthy gown. And let's not forget about the newest country music's newest actress-turned-singer, Lucy Hale. The Pretty Little Liars star just chopped her longer locks into a shorter do ahead of tonight's big show, and we're eager to see how the country music rookie will style her new hairstyle.
NEWS:Lucy Hale gets a haircut hours before the 2014 CMA Awards
And that's not allwe're crossing out fingers (and toes!) that Taylor Swift makes another leggy red carpet appearance tonight. Plus, Connie Britton, Ariana Grande and Kellie Pickler will all be on-site to heat up the awards show.
So what are you waiting for? Check out the 2014 CMAs arrivals gallery below!
PHOTOS: See the 2014 CMA Awards red carpet arrivals
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2014 CMA Awards Red Carpet Arrivals: See Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert & More!
Penn football heads to Princeton with upset on its mind
With disappointment swirling around Penn football and its conference record, the squad has upset on its collective mind.
The Red and Blues matchup with rival Princeton on Saturday represents an opportunity for the Quakers to bury some of the frustration that has largely defined the transitioning teams season.
The task will be far from easy for the Red and Blue (1-6, 1-3 Ivy), however, as the Tigers team they face will be fighting to keep its Ivy League title hopes alive.
Princeton(4-3, 3-1), tied with Yale and Dartmouth in the Ivy standings behind undefeated Harvard, bounced back from a lopsided loss to the Crimson with a 38-27 win over Cornell last weekend.
The Tigers third-ranked offense boasts a pair of talented quarterbacks in seniors Connor Michelsen and Quinn Epperly .
Michelsen has seen the majority of snaps behind center as of late, an opportunity he has taken advantage of.
In Princetons last two wins,over Cornell and Brown, Michelson threw for a combined 648 yards and six touchdowns.
Overall, Michelsen has been more efficient and less mistake-prone than Epperly this season.
Its likely that the Tigers will roll with the hot hand this Saturday against Penn, but Epperly, who is a strong runner, is always a change-of-pace threat.
When they have [Epperly] in the game, they tend to run him more than they would run [Michelson], coach Al Bagnoli said. You have to prepare for the same passing attack its a lefty [Epperly]/righty [Michelsen] combination but in the run game is where you see the big difference.
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NASA’s Animation Shows Massive Space Junk Around Earth – Video
NASA #39;s Animation Shows Massive Space Junk Around Earth
Floating in Earth #39;s orbit are millions of tiny particles of space junk. Litter is an ongoing problem on Earth, but it also appears to be an issue in outer space. NASA released an animated...
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NASA's Animation Shows Massive Space Junk Around Earth - Video
NASA astronauts landing their T-38 Jet – Video
NASA astronauts landing their T-38 Jet
The Northrop T-38 Talon is a two-seat, twin-engine supersonic jet trainer introduced in 1961.
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Starfighter F-104 at NASA – Video
Starfighter F-104 at NASA
NASA Starfighters provided flight research data on everything from aircraft handling characteristics, such as roll coupling, to reaction control system research. With the approaching X-15 rocket-po...
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Carbon | Phane | DJ NASA – Inima [AMINI] – Video
Carbon | Phane | DJ NASA - Inima [AMINI]
CONCERT LANSARE "AMINI" - Bucuresti, 27 nov - The Silver Church Club \\ FB page event: :https://www.facebook.com/events/721425397945329/ Album: AMINI Instrumental: Phane...
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PAST LIFE ON MARS NASAS IMAGE PROVES IT ! -SOL 794 Anomaly Research,Martian Artifacts,UFO’s,Aliens – Video
PAST LIFE ON MARS NASAS IMAGE PROVES IT ! -SOL 794 Anomaly Research,Martian Artifacts,UFO #39;s,Aliens
PLEASE WATCH IN 1080P HD TO GET THE MOST OUT OF MY VIDEOS ! Please check out our website all moon,mars ,planet anomalies http://WWW.WHATSUPINTHESKY.COM WhatsUpInTheSky37 ...
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NASAs supersonic flying saucer highlighted – Video
NASAs supersonic flying saucer highlighted
NASA #39;s Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator project was the focus of a November 5 What #39;s New in Aerospace? discussion at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, featuring Principal...
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NASA Notice of Intent to Grant Exclusive License: Juntura Group Inc.
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 207 (Monday, October 27, 2014)] [Notices] [Pages 63950-63951] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2014-25446]
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
[Notice (14-072)]
Notice of Intent To Grant an Exclusive License
AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
ACTION: Notice of Intent To Grant an Exclusive License.
SUMMARY: This notice is issued in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 209(e) and 37 CFR 404.7(a)(1)(i). NASA hereby gives notice of its intent to grant an exclusive license in the United States to practice the invention described and claimed in USPN 7,290,737, Nonsurvivable Momentum Exchange System, NASA Case No. GSC-14845-1 to Millennium Space Systems, having its principal place of business in El Segundo, California. The patent rights in this invention have been assigned to the United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The exclusive license will comply with the terms and conditions of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR 404.7.
DATES: The prospective exclusive license may be granted unless, within fifteen (15) days from the date of this published notice, NASA receives written objections including evidence and argument that establish that the grant of the license would not be consistent with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR 404.7. Competing applications completed and received by NASA within fifteen (15) days of the date of this published notice will also be treated as objections to the grant of the contemplated exclusive license.
Objections submitted in response to this notice will not be made available to the public for inspection and, to the extent permitted by law, will not be released under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552.
ADDRESSES: Objections relating to the prospective license may be submitted to Mr. Bryan A. Geurts, Chief Patent Counsel/140.1, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, (301) 286-7351.
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NASA Notice of Intent to Grant Exclusive License: Juntura Group Inc.
Orbital Sciences to Fulfill NASA Contract Following Explosion
Orbital Sciences (ORB) announced Wednesday its plan to fulfill its contract to NASA following the launch failure of its Antares rocket last month.
Orbital will buy rockets from an unnamed source, according to Reuters, to deliver Orbitals Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station by the end of 2015. Thanks to the Cygnus spacecrafts ability to carry heavier loads, Orbital said it will likely need to launch only one or two non-Antares rockets to satisfy its NASA commitments.
The company promised the launches would be conducted at no additional cost to NASA. Orbital said it is also planning to introduce an Antares propulsion system upgrade ahead of schedule in 2016.
Orbital is taking decisive action to fulfill our commitments to NASA in support of safe and productive operations of the Space Station. While last weeks Antares failure was very disappointing to all of us, the company is already implementing a contingency plan to overcome this setback. We intend to move forward safely but also expeditiously to put our CRS cargo program back on track and to accelerate the introduction of our upgraded Antares rocket, Orbital Chairman and CEO David W. Thompson said.
Given that the Antares upgrade was already in the works, Thompson said he expected no significant adverse financial effects in 2016 or later. In the short term, the financial impact of the Antares explosion will depend on the launch options Orbital selects. However, Thompson said the effects are not anticipated to be material on an annual basis in 2015.
Shares of Orbital Sciences were down over 1.5% Wednesday afternoon. Year-to-date, the stock is up over 6%.
As for the Antares launch failure, Orbital said preliminary analysis points to probable failure in the turbopump in one of the rockets two Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ26 engines. The company said use of these engines for the Antares rockets will likely be discontinued.
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Orbital Sciences to Fulfill NASA Contract Following Explosion
Job Opportunity: Life Sciences Technical Capability Leader at NASA Headquarters
A job opportunity is available at NASA Headquarters for a Life Sciences Technical Capability Leader
The incumbent serves as the Technical Capabilities Leader for Life Sciences and reports directly to the NASA Chief Scientist. The incumbent leads the agency effort in enhancing communication among Life Science researchers, provides advice to relevant program and project managers in the areas of astrobiology, planetary protection, space biology, and human research crew health with regard to capabilities needed to enable successful program and project execution. In collaboration with other Technical Capability Leaders the incumbent will conduct strategic assessments to ensure critical assets of the Agency are managed efficiently.Assessments will be made both internally to NASA and externally to other government agencies, academia, and industry.
SALARY RANGE:
$120,749.00 to $167,000.00 / Per Year
OPEN PERIOD:
Monday, November 3, 2014 to Friday, November 28, 2014
SERIES & GRADE:
SL-1301-00
KEY REQUIREMENTS
Position subject to pre-employment background investigation
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Job Opportunity: Life Sciences Technical Capability Leader at NASA Headquarters