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

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.

"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.

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.

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