As an active member of what has not been coined, "Generation Y," I find this PR move by NASA to be the greatest effort made yet to engage a young, technology hungry audience. With quarterly progress posted on iTunes viewers will have a unique opportunity to keep up with what NASA is accomplishing with the Ares rocket as easily as they would a favorite band or television show.
Going beyond making knowledge accessible to the public, this announcement ensures a greater following for the Constellation program altogether. People who do not check up on NASA regularly but are interested in its programs will stumble upon this easy-to-use and forward-focused tool. Latent, casual NASA followers will become avid enthusiasts upon viewing the new space race play out before them in the palm of their hand.
Working in outerspace to benefit planet Earth
NASA Uses iTunes to Share Development Progress of Ares Rocket
RELEASE : 08-314
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Video updates reporting progress made on NASA's newest family of exploration vehicles -- the Ares I crew launch vehicle and Ares V heavy cargo launch vehicle -- are now featured on iTunes.
The Ares Projects quarterly progress reports offer viewers a rare glimpse at the on-going development work of the next-generation launch vehicles that will take explorers to the moon and beyond in coming decades. Beginning in 2015, the Ares I rocket will launch the Orion crew capsule, carrying astronauts and payloads to the International Space Station.
iTunes is the place to get an up-close look at the Ares rockets and learn more about key engine, hardware and system milestones as the rockets proceed through the design, review and development processes that will take them -- and their future crews -- to launch.
The video progress reports, which have been produced quarterly beginning in August 2006, have been used to visually share progress with the NASA team at all levels and to record the historical work being completed on America's newest fleet of spacecraft for future generations. Now, in an effort to share the Ares development with a broader audience, NASA is posting the full library of reports on iTunes. The programs range in length from 5-15 minutes.
The 10 quarterly reports produced to date spotlight the detailed evolution of the Ares vehicles, from earliest conception through various design phases and the most recent testing. The latest report in the series -- Ares quarterly progress report number 10 -- includes video segments about:
- Wind tunnel testing of scale models of the Ares I test vehicle, known as Ares I-X, and the Ares V rocket. The testing aids engineers in designing aerodynamic vehicles.
- Disassembly and inspection of part of the J-2X engine -- known as the powerpack -- that will produce the thrust needed to power the Ares I rocket to orbit. The powerpack pushes liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the engine's main combustion chamber. This test series helped address early design risks. Engineers are now evaluating hardware used as part of the recent testing.
- The first tests to weld together pieces of the rockets being developed. NASA recently tested a new robotic friction stir welding facility by fusing space shuttle fuel tank panels. Friction stir welding is an innovative technique invented in 1991 that uses forging pressure and frictional heating to produce high-strength bonds virtually free of defects.
- A test of a parachute for the Ares I rocket. The parachute will slow the rapid descent of the rocket's reusable first-stage motor as it falls back to Earth after detaching from the rocket during its climb to space. The parachute permits recovery of the motor for use on future Ares I flights.
The Ares Projects team at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., manages the development of the Ares rockets. NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston manages the Constellation Program, which includes the Ares I and Ares V rockets, the Orion crew module and the Altair lunar lander.
To view the Ares quarterly progress reports on iTunes, visit:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=296275310
To learn more about the Ares rockets and view the Ares quarterly progress reports on NASA's Ares web site, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ares
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Video updates reporting progress made on NASA's newest family of exploration vehicles -- the Ares I crew launch vehicle and Ares V heavy cargo launch vehicle -- are now featured on iTunes.
The Ares Projects quarterly progress reports offer viewers a rare glimpse at the on-going development work of the next-generation launch vehicles that will take explorers to the moon and beyond in coming decades. Beginning in 2015, the Ares I rocket will launch the Orion crew capsule, carrying astronauts and payloads to the International Space Station.
iTunes is the place to get an up-close look at the Ares rockets and learn more about key engine, hardware and system milestones as the rockets proceed through the design, review and development processes that will take them -- and their future crews -- to launch.
The video progress reports, which have been produced quarterly beginning in August 2006, have been used to visually share progress with the NASA team at all levels and to record the historical work being completed on America's newest fleet of spacecraft for future generations. Now, in an effort to share the Ares development with a broader audience, NASA is posting the full library of reports on iTunes. The programs range in length from 5-15 minutes.
The 10 quarterly reports produced to date spotlight the detailed evolution of the Ares vehicles, from earliest conception through various design phases and the most recent testing. The latest report in the series -- Ares quarterly progress report number 10 -- includes video segments about:
- Wind tunnel testing of scale models of the Ares I test vehicle, known as Ares I-X, and the Ares V rocket. The testing aids engineers in designing aerodynamic vehicles.
- Disassembly and inspection of part of the J-2X engine -- known as the powerpack -- that will produce the thrust needed to power the Ares I rocket to orbit. The powerpack pushes liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the engine's main combustion chamber. This test series helped address early design risks. Engineers are now evaluating hardware used as part of the recent testing.
- The first tests to weld together pieces of the rockets being developed. NASA recently tested a new robotic friction stir welding facility by fusing space shuttle fuel tank panels. Friction stir welding is an innovative technique invented in 1991 that uses forging pressure and frictional heating to produce high-strength bonds virtually free of defects.
- A test of a parachute for the Ares I rocket. The parachute will slow the rapid descent of the rocket's reusable first-stage motor as it falls back to Earth after detaching from the rocket during its climb to space. The parachute permits recovery of the motor for use on future Ares I flights.
The Ares Projects team at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., manages the development of the Ares rockets. NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston manages the Constellation Program, which includes the Ares I and Ares V rockets, the Orion crew module and the Altair lunar lander.
To view the Ares quarterly progress reports on iTunes, visit:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=296275310
To learn more about the Ares rockets and view the Ares quarterly progress reports on NASA's Ares web site, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ares
NASA Calls for Comment on Draft Ares V Request for Proposals
RELEASE : 08-311
WASHINGTON -- NASA has released a draft request for proposals, or RFP, regarding Phase I of its Ares V launch vehicle. The rocket will perform heavy lift and cargo functions as part of the next generation of spacecraft that will return humans to the moon. Phase I will define operational concepts, develop requirements, and refine design concepts for the Ares V.
This document is a draft of the final version of the RFP for Phase I, expected in January 2009. By responding to this draft RFP, potential offerors can provide input on the requirements, small business goals and contract structure. The industry input received will be combined with NASA's expertise for potential inclusion in the final version of the RFP for Phase I, which will ask for bids on five Ares V work packages.
A pre-solicitation conference is scheduled for Dec. 3, 2008, at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The conference is designed for information sharing about the Ares V Phase I for potential offerors.
For a copy of the draft RFP for Phase I, designated NNM09274026R, and more information about the conference, visit:
http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/sol.cgi?acqid=131145#Draft%20Document
For more information about the Ares program, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ares
WASHINGTON -- NASA has released a draft request for proposals, or RFP, regarding Phase I of its Ares V launch vehicle. The rocket will perform heavy lift and cargo functions as part of the next generation of spacecraft that will return humans to the moon. Phase I will define operational concepts, develop requirements, and refine design concepts for the Ares V.
This document is a draft of the final version of the RFP for Phase I, expected in January 2009. By responding to this draft RFP, potential offerors can provide input on the requirements, small business goals and contract structure. The industry input received will be combined with NASA's expertise for potential inclusion in the final version of the RFP for Phase I, which will ask for bids on five Ares V work packages.
A pre-solicitation conference is scheduled for Dec. 3, 2008, at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The conference is designed for information sharing about the Ares V Phase I for potential offerors.
For a copy of the draft RFP for Phase I, designated NNM09274026R, and more information about the conference, visit:
http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/sol.cgi?acqid=131145#Draft%20Document
For more information about the Ares program, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ares
Orion Scale Model Tested in Water
A 1/4th-scale model of the Orion spacecraft is lowered into the 6.2-million-gallon Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Engineers used the test to gather data on how the model behaved and reacted in the water. Photo Credit: NASA
Scale models of the Orion crew exploration vehicle recently were tested at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, or NBL, at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and at a wave tank at Texas A&M University in College Station.
NASA conducted a series of buoyancy and flotation characteristics tests using the NBL and a 1/4-scale model of the Orion crew capsule. The model was lowered into the NBL’s 6.2-million-gallon pool and was floated in a series of positions. This testing will allow the engineers and the NBL team to develop their full-scale crew training mock-up that will be used for mission training and for creating the crew safety procedures for water-based landings of the Orion crew capsule.
The team also performed a series of tests to validate a new seal design and updated wireless communications. Engineers also evaluated a prototype floatation collar for the spacecraft, which was provided by NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
“It is rewarding to see an actual scale model of Orion finally being tested in the water,” said Alan Rhodes, a NASA engineer who was observing the testing. “The NBL is a one-of-a-kind testing facility for NASA, and the team helped us gather a tremendous amount of critical data that we will use to refine the design of Orion.”
A smaller scale model of the Orion crew capsule also was tested at a wave tank at Texas A&M University. The goal of the test was to determine how the spacecraft reacts to strong waves while it floats in the water. Engineers simulated gale force winds and large waves to ensure the spacecraft would remain upright.
The next step for the team will be to partner with a team of naval architects from the United States Navy to conduct a series of flotation characteristics and towing tests to help further understand how the Orion crew capsule will act in different sea states and to help generate recovery procedures. The next round of testing will be held in October at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Carderock, Md., and at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Aberdeen, Md.
Along with the scaled testing, NASA and the United States Navy began fabrication of a full-scale test article that will allow search and rescue divers from the Human Space Flight Support team at the Kennedy Space Center to begin working with an Orion mock-up in the water. These tests will allow the team to review current recovery procedures and to understand how changing sea states will affect the overall recovery operation. Full-scale testing will take place off the coast of Florida, near the Kennedy Space Center, in January 2009.
Courtesy of Nasa.gov
Scale models of the Orion crew exploration vehicle recently were tested at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, or NBL, at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and at a wave tank at Texas A&M University in College Station.
NASA conducted a series of buoyancy and flotation characteristics tests using the NBL and a 1/4-scale model of the Orion crew capsule. The model was lowered into the NBL’s 6.2-million-gallon pool and was floated in a series of positions. This testing will allow the engineers and the NBL team to develop their full-scale crew training mock-up that will be used for mission training and for creating the crew safety procedures for water-based landings of the Orion crew capsule.
The team also performed a series of tests to validate a new seal design and updated wireless communications. Engineers also evaluated a prototype floatation collar for the spacecraft, which was provided by NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
“It is rewarding to see an actual scale model of Orion finally being tested in the water,” said Alan Rhodes, a NASA engineer who was observing the testing. “The NBL is a one-of-a-kind testing facility for NASA, and the team helped us gather a tremendous amount of critical data that we will use to refine the design of Orion.”
A smaller scale model of the Orion crew capsule also was tested at a wave tank at Texas A&M University. The goal of the test was to determine how the spacecraft reacts to strong waves while it floats in the water. Engineers simulated gale force winds and large waves to ensure the spacecraft would remain upright.
The next step for the team will be to partner with a team of naval architects from the United States Navy to conduct a series of flotation characteristics and towing tests to help further understand how the Orion crew capsule will act in different sea states and to help generate recovery procedures. The next round of testing will be held in October at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Carderock, Md., and at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Aberdeen, Md.
Along with the scaled testing, NASA and the United States Navy began fabrication of a full-scale test article that will allow search and rescue divers from the Human Space Flight Support team at the Kennedy Space Center to begin working with an Orion mock-up in the water. These tests will allow the team to review current recovery procedures and to understand how changing sea states will affect the overall recovery operation. Full-scale testing will take place off the coast of Florida, near the Kennedy Space Center, in January 2009.
Courtesy of Nasa.gov
NASA to Realign Constellation Program Milestones
Aug. 11, 2008
WASHINGTON -- In a news conference Monday, NASA managers discussed how the agency will be adjusting the budget, schedule and technical performance milestones for its Constellation Program to ensure the first crewed flight of the Ares I rocket and Orion crew capsule in March 2015.
The Constellation Program is developing the spacecraft and systems, including the Ares I and Ares V rockets, the Orion crew exploration vehicle, and the Altair lunar lander, that will take astronauts to the International Space Station after the retirement of the space shuttle, and eventually return humans to the moon.
"Since the program's inception, NASA has been working an aggressive plan to achieve flight capability before our March 2015 target," said Rick Gilbrech, associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "We are still confident the Constellation Program will make its first flight to the International Space Station on or before that date. Our new path forward better aligns our project schedules with our existing funds to ensure we can address the unplanned challenges that always arise when developing a complex flight system."
NASA will retire the space shuttles in 2010 and had established a goal of achieving flight capability for the Constellation Program before 2015 to narrow the gap in America's human spaceflight capability. As such, NASA aligned Constellation contracts and internal milestones against a date much earlier than March 2015 to incentivize an earlier flight capability.
As part of an annual budget process that evaluates the program's budget, schedule and technical performance milestones, NASA will be working with its contractors to discuss how program plans and internal milestones should be adjusted -- a process that will take several months and require contract modifications and associated milestone realignments. Such adjustments are not unusual for a complex development program as work matures and schedules and resources are aligned.
For more information about the Constellation Program, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/constellation
- end -
Courtesy of www.nasa.gov
WASHINGTON -- In a news conference Monday, NASA managers discussed how the agency will be adjusting the budget, schedule and technical performance milestones for its Constellation Program to ensure the first crewed flight of the Ares I rocket and Orion crew capsule in March 2015.
The Constellation Program is developing the spacecraft and systems, including the Ares I and Ares V rockets, the Orion crew exploration vehicle, and the Altair lunar lander, that will take astronauts to the International Space Station after the retirement of the space shuttle, and eventually return humans to the moon.
"Since the program's inception, NASA has been working an aggressive plan to achieve flight capability before our March 2015 target," said Rick Gilbrech, associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "We are still confident the Constellation Program will make its first flight to the International Space Station on or before that date. Our new path forward better aligns our project schedules with our existing funds to ensure we can address the unplanned challenges that always arise when developing a complex flight system."
NASA will retire the space shuttles in 2010 and had established a goal of achieving flight capability for the Constellation Program before 2015 to narrow the gap in America's human spaceflight capability. As such, NASA aligned Constellation contracts and internal milestones against a date much earlier than March 2015 to incentivize an earlier flight capability.
As part of an annual budget process that evaluates the program's budget, schedule and technical performance milestones, NASA will be working with its contractors to discuss how program plans and internal milestones should be adjusted -- a process that will take several months and require contract modifications and associated milestone realignments. Such adjustments are not unusual for a complex development program as work matures and schedules and resources are aligned.
For more information about the Constellation Program, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/constellation
- end -
Courtesy of www.nasa.gov
Work on Ares and Launch Pad Continue at Kennedy Space Center
August 8, 2008
On Launch Pad 39B, workers are installing a lightning protection system. Each of the three new lightning towers will be 500 feet tall with an additional 100-foot fiberglass mast atop supporting a wire centenary system. This improved lightning protection system also allows for the taller height of the Ares I compared to the space shuttle.
The pad, previously used for Apollo and shuttle launches, is being modified to support future launches of Ares and Orion spacecraft.
Ares I is a two-stage rocket that will transport the Orion crew exploration vehicle to low Earth orbit. The first stage will consist of a single reusable solid propellant rocket booster, similar to those used on space shuttles, with an additional fifth segment. The second, or upper, stage will consist of a J-2X liquid oxygen- and liquid hydrogen-fueled main engine and a new upper stage fuel tank.
The first Ares test launch is scheduled for April 2009.
(Courtesy of www.nasa.gov)
On Launch Pad 39B, workers are installing a lightning protection system. Each of the three new lightning towers will be 500 feet tall with an additional 100-foot fiberglass mast atop supporting a wire centenary system. This improved lightning protection system also allows for the taller height of the Ares I compared to the space shuttle.
The pad, previously used for Apollo and shuttle launches, is being modified to support future launches of Ares and Orion spacecraft.
Ares I is a two-stage rocket that will transport the Orion crew exploration vehicle to low Earth orbit. The first stage will consist of a single reusable solid propellant rocket booster, similar to those used on space shuttles, with an additional fifth segment. The second, or upper, stage will consist of a J-2X liquid oxygen- and liquid hydrogen-fueled main engine and a new upper stage fuel tank.
The first Ares test launch is scheduled for April 2009.
(Courtesy of www.nasa.gov)
August 1, 2008 Weekly Summary
**TO EXPAND THE ARTICLE PLEASE CLICK THE RECTANGULAR BOX IN THE UPPER-RIGHT HAND CORNER**
NASA Debuts Web Site for First Ares Test Flight
WASHINGTON -- NASA is developing new spacecraft, the Ares rockets and Orion crew capsule, to deliver astronauts to the International Space Station and send them on their way to the moon. The first test flight of the spacecraft, known as Ares I-X, is scheduled to launch in spring 2009. The latest information about this launch is now available at:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/ares/flighttests/aresIx/index.html
The Web site was created to offer key information about the details and objectives of the Ares I-X test flight. The site features articles, images and videos that outline the objectives of the Ares I-X test flight and explain how these objectives will influence the design and flight of the Ares I rocket and Orion crew capsule.The Ares I-X flight will test hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I rocket. It also will provide critical data during ascent of the integrated Orion crew exploration vehicle and the Ares I launch vehicle stack -- data that will be used to design a vehicle system that is safe and fully operational before astronauts begin traveling into orbit. The Ares I-X test flight will bring America one step closer to a return to the moon by 2020 and eventual trips to Mars and destinations beyond. For more information about NASA's exploration plans, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/constellation
MEDIA ADVISORY : M08-131 Courtesy of www.nasa.gov
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/ares/flighttests/aresIx/index.html
The Web site was created to offer key information about the details and objectives of the Ares I-X test flight. The site features articles, images and videos that outline the objectives of the Ares I-X test flight and explain how these objectives will influence the design and flight of the Ares I rocket and Orion crew capsule.The Ares I-X flight will test hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I rocket. It also will provide critical data during ascent of the integrated Orion crew exploration vehicle and the Ares I launch vehicle stack -- data that will be used to design a vehicle system that is safe and fully operational before astronauts begin traveling into orbit. The Ares I-X test flight will bring America one step closer to a return to the moon by 2020 and eventual trips to Mars and destinations beyond. For more information about NASA's exploration plans, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/constellation
MEDIA ADVISORY : M08-131 Courtesy of www.nasa.gov
NASA Technology: Putting the California wildfires into perspective
NASA is lending a hand to those battling recent California wildfires with detailed imaging of the blazes from NASA’s Aqua satellite.
"The MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) Rapid Response Team provides twice-daily images of Northern and Southern California in additional resolutions and formats, including an infrared-enhanced version that highlights the presence of burned ground," said NASA's Earth Observatory team.
With a particularly dry spring continuing to plague the state, a staggering 364,600 acres, or nearly 570 square miles of the state have been left charred.
"The MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) Rapid Response Team provides twice-daily images of Northern and Southern California in additional resolutions and formats, including an infrared-enhanced version that highlights the presence of burned ground," said NASA's Earth Observatory team.
With a particularly dry spring continuing to plague the state, a staggering 364,600 acres, or nearly 570 square miles of the state have been left charred.
"Places where the sensor detected actively burning fires are outlined in red. Smoke spreads north up the coast. The two fires pictured are among the largest of scores of fires burning in the state," NASA officials explained of the images.
This imaging is not only sheding new light on the damage from the fires of 2008, but giving hope to those battling the flames. By lending a broader perspective and sharing this valuable tool, NASA is helping firefighters to more easily predict, plan, and end the devistation of one of mother nature's most dangerous forces.
Image and information courtesy of www.nasa.gov
Inspiring words from NASA Administrator Mike Griffin
January 22, 2008
"Today’s topic is motivated by the inquiries I’ve had lately, in one forum or
another, concerning various aspects of NASA’s post-Shuttle spaceflight
architecture. None of the questions is new, and all of them were elucidated during
our Exploration Systems Architecture Study (ESAS). The architecture is
essentially as it was coming out of ESAS back in September 2005, and the
architectural trades we made then when considering mission requirements,
operations concepts, performance, risk, reliability, and cost hold true today.
But more than two years have gone by, and the logic behind the choices we
made has receded into the background. People come and go, new questioners
lacking subject matter background appear, and the old questions must be answered
again if there is to be general accord that NASA managers are allocating public
funds in a responsible fashion. And so it seemed to me that the time was right to
review, again, why we are developing the post-Shuttle space architecture in the
way that we are."
For the complete Speech please visit http://www.nasa.gov/news/speeches/admin/index.html and select the January 22, 2008 option.
"Today’s topic is motivated by the inquiries I’ve had lately, in one forum or
another, concerning various aspects of NASA’s post-Shuttle spaceflight
architecture. None of the questions is new, and all of them were elucidated during
our Exploration Systems Architecture Study (ESAS). The architecture is
essentially as it was coming out of ESAS back in September 2005, and the
architectural trades we made then when considering mission requirements,
operations concepts, performance, risk, reliability, and cost hold true today.
But more than two years have gone by, and the logic behind the choices we
made has receded into the background. People come and go, new questioners
lacking subject matter background appear, and the old questions must be answered
again if there is to be general accord that NASA managers are allocating public
funds in a responsible fashion. And so it seemed to me that the time was right to
review, again, why we are developing the post-Shuttle space architecture in the
way that we are."
For the complete Speech please visit http://www.nasa.gov/news/speeches/admin/index.html and select the January 22, 2008 option.
From Mere Plans to Mammoth Production
As the Space Shuttle winds down its service to NASA in 2010, many wonder where mankind will go from here. The answer is in the highly publicized Constellation program and its Orion and Ares projects. Orion will replace the space shuttle and the Ares V launch vehicle is set to replace the previous Crew Launch Vehicle for future excursions to the Moon and later Mars. On December 17, 2007, NASA made the major step from plans to implementation and began testing the engines built to power the Ares launch vehicle ( http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/dec/HQ_07281 ). This future generation of NASA exploration vessels will surely open new doors for our understanding of not only Mars, and the Moon, but our planet Earth itself. For more information on the Constellation ProgramAres and Orion visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/main .
From the ESMD NASA January Newsletter:
ESMD Moves from Concept to Construction
Several years ago, before they received proper names, Ares, and Orion were merely concepts.
Today, thanks to the dedication and hard work of employees within the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) and its partners, those concepts are taking shape.Last year significant progresswas made in many areas – new construction and lunar architecture among others. The groundbreaking of two major construction projects– one at White Sands Missile Range and the other at Kennedy Space Center – are signs of things to come. Together, these projects promise to build the infrastructure that will materialize the Agency’s goal of building the next generation of spacecraft and send astronauts to the moon by 2020. During the roll out of the second phase of the lunar architecture study, the Directorate proudly revealed fi ndings to stakeholders and the general public, which included an inside look at the options (i.e. mobile lunar habitats, pressurized rovers, etc.) being considered by the Lunar Architecture Team. While every year in space exploration is charged with exciting milestones, 2008 will host a series of historical events. In addition to the observance of NASA’s 50th anniversary, ESMD will celebrate the launch the first mission of the exploration program – Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO ) and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) – and Orion’s pad abort test. Things are starting to happen in a very visual and tangible way. Stay tuned. Before you know it, we’ll all be celebrating NASA’s return to the
moon.
Several years ago, before they received proper names, Ares, and Orion were merely concepts.
Today, thanks to the dedication and hard work of employees within the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) and its partners, those concepts are taking shape.Last year significant progresswas made in many areas – new construction and lunar architecture among others. The groundbreaking of two major construction projects– one at White Sands Missile Range and the other at Kennedy Space Center – are signs of things to come. Together, these projects promise to build the infrastructure that will materialize the Agency’s goal of building the next generation of spacecraft and send astronauts to the moon by 2020. During the roll out of the second phase of the lunar architecture study, the Directorate proudly revealed fi ndings to stakeholders and the general public, which included an inside look at the options (i.e. mobile lunar habitats, pressurized rovers, etc.) being considered by the Lunar Architecture Team. While every year in space exploration is charged with exciting milestones, 2008 will host a series of historical events. In addition to the observance of NASA’s 50th anniversary, ESMD will celebrate the launch the first mission of the exploration program – Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO ) and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) – and Orion’s pad abort test. Things are starting to happen in a very visual and tangible way. Stay tuned. Before you know it, we’ll all be celebrating NASA’s return to the
moon.
How to help raise space exploration awarness in the 2008 Presidential election
Amongst the frenzy of debated issues in the 2008 Presidential race, space exploration is vastly overlooked. The advancements in this field are crucial to many mainstream issues such as global warming. Bringing the support for space exploration to the forefront in '08 is essential. To raise your questions please visit this Politico.com and submit a question to the Democratic and Republican candidates for the CNN/Politico/LA Times debates on January 31. Please follow the link: http://dyn.politico.com/debate/
Sanitizing your produce -- NASA style
NASA has recently come out with a new sanitation product that serves as a great use in home kitchens. "PRO-SAN -- is safe, stable, and biodegradable," according to NASA news releases.The product is available for public use and serves to protect consumers from foodborne bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, listeria, cholera, and streptococcus--all of which can be found on common produce in the United States.According to NASA officials, "It has the power to kill 100 million bacteria in 30 seconds, with 99.999-percent efficiency."Not only does PRO-SAN serve to keep your family safe and healthy, it also preserves original taste and amplifies the color of your fruits and vegetables all while leaving behind no unwanted residue.http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/technologies/germ_wipe.html
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