Fwd: LAUNCH EDITION: NASA and Human Spaceflight News - Thursday - September 25, 2014

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From: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Date: September 25, 2014 12:52:57 PM CDT
To: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Subject: FW: LAUNCH EDITION: NASA and Human Spaceflight News - Thursday - September 25, 2014

Happy Flex Friday eve everyone.

 

Thursday, September 25, 2014

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JSC TODAY CATEGORIES Headlines -  Exp. 41/42 Lauch Viewing in Teague - Today -  Science on SpaceX-4 -  The Orion Trivia Contest Winner is ... -  Last Chance to Catch the Orion All Hands Replays -  New JSC Wireless Network Certificate -  Temporary Drinking Water Change Starting Sept. 29 Organizations/Social -  JSC Features: Teresa Gomez -  Understanding Anger -  Massage Special at Starport - Ending Soon -  Orion T-Shirt and Cap Distribution Jobs and Training -  Human Systems Academy Lecture -  Russian Phase One Language Course - for Beginners -  Russain Language Training for Phase II -  Reminder: Sharpen Your Technical Skills

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Headlines Exp. 41/42 Lauch Viewing in Teague - Today NASA astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Russian Federal Space Agency cosmonauts Elena Serova and Alexander Samokutyaev will launch to the International Space Station today, Sept. 25, in a Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 3:25 p.m. CDT. JSC team members will be welcomed to the Teague Auditorium at 2:30 p.m. for the crowd-pleasing launch event, which coincides with NASA TV coverage beginning at 2:30 p.m. on the big screen featuring prelaunch activities leading up to and including the crew members boarding their spacecraft. Astronaut Mike Hopkins will meet and greet with employees in the Teague lobby at 2:45 p.m., leading up to his launch overview presentation in the Teague Auditorium at 3 p.m. Displays in the Teague lobby include a Starport table and a 3-D printer along with samples of tools designed and printed by High School Aerospace Scholars on-site this summer. Employees are invited to come early, enjoy the festivities and grab a great seat for the viewing. Please use all entrances except the northwest corner of the building, which is closed for construction. After the launch-viewing event, be sure to catch the rest of the crew's activities later tonight on NASA TV at the following times (all CDT): Docking to the Poisk module: Coverage begins at 8:45 p.m. for a 9:16 p.m. docking Hatch opening: Coverage begins at 10:30 p.m. for hatch opening at 10:55 p.m. JSC, Ellington Field, Sonny Carter Training Facility and White Sands Test Facility employees who cannot make it to the Teague Auditorium but have hard-wired computer network connections can view the events using the JSC EZTV IP Network TV System on channel 404 (standard definition) or channel 4541 (HD). Please note: EZTV currently requires using Internet Explorer on a Windows PC or Safari on a Mac. Mobile devices, Wi-Fi, VPN or connections from other centers are currently not supported by EZTV. First-time users will need to install the EZTV Monitor and Player client applications: For those WITH admin rights (Elevated Privileges), you'll be prompted to download and install the clients when you first visit the IPTV website For those WITHOUT admin rights (Elevated Privileges), you can download the EZTV client applications from the ACES Software Refresh Portal (SRP) If you are having problems viewing the video using these systems, contact the Information Resources Directorate Customer Support Center at x46367, or visit the FAQ site. Stay connected with the mission and its crew! Follow the space station crew members on Instagram at http://instagram.com/iss, and follow NASA astronauts via Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/NASA_Astronauts JSC External Relations, Office of Communications and Public Affairs x35111 http://www.nasa.gov/station [top] Science on SpaceX-4 Yesterday, the space station crew began some of the new science experiments launched on SpaceX-4. Get smart about science here. Liz Warren x35548 [top] The Orion Trivia Contest Winner is ... The winner of the Orion monthly trivia contest drawing is: Edgar Rivera September Trivia Question: How long (in hours) will Orion's first mission, Exploration Flight Test-1, last from launch to splashdown? * Answer: Approximately 4.5 hours Congratulations, Edgar, and thank you to all contest participants. The next trivia contest question will post in October. Join the fun. You could be the next winner of the Orion monthly trivia contest! Orion Communications Office http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/mpcv/ [top] Last Chance to Catch the Orion All Hands Replays If you missed the Orion All Hands on Sept. 17 featuring Orion Program Manager Mark Geyer, Lockheed Martin Orion Program Manager Mike Hawes, United Launch Alliance Director of Human Launch Services Ellen Plese, as well as Ground Systems Development and Operations Program Manager Mike Bolger and his deputy Jennifer Kunz, today is your last opportunity to watch replays at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on JSC RF channels 2 (SD) and 52-2 (HD), as well as IPTV Channels 402 (SD) and 4522 (HD). Employees with hard-wired computer network connections can view this event using the JSC EZTV IP Network TV System on channel 402 (standard definition) or channel 4522 (HD). Please note: EZTV currently requires using Internet Explorer on a Windows PC or Safari on a Mac. Mobile devices, Wi-Fi, VPN or connections from other centers are currently not supported by EZTV. If you are having problems viewing the video using these systems, contact the Information Resources Directorate Customer Support Center at x46367, or visit the FAQ site. Orion Communications Office [top] New JSC Wireless Network Certificate Beginning tomorrow, Sept. 26, wireless users throughout JSC, Ellington Field and Sonny Carter Training Facility will be presented with a new certificate that they will be required to accept before they can continue to connect to the "nasa" or "nasabyod" wireless networks. All users connecting to "nasa" or "nasabyod" will be affected by this change. Minimal user impact is expected. Wireless users should only experience the presentation and required acceptance of a new certificate when attempting to connect. This is a one-time acceptance. There is no outage required for this activity. The Information Resources Directorate (IRD) is making this configuration change to the authentication process as part of an ongoing effort to improve the JSC wireless network. For questions regarding this activity and other issues with the network, please contact the Enterprise Service Desk at 281-483-4800 (x34800) - Option 2, Option 2. JSC-IRD-Outreach 281-792-8203 [top] Temporary Drinking Water Change Starting Sept. 29 The local water utility, Southeast Water Purification Plant (SEWPP), will temporarily change its purification method starting Sept. 29. Periodically, the local water utility provider to JSC has events where the potable water disinfection temporarily switches to a free chlorine treatment instead of the standard chloramine treatment. These events are planned in advance and coordinated by the City of Houston through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The last time this temporary change was performed was around eight years ago. JSC was recently notified of an upcoming free chlorine treatment event starting Sept. 29 and running for three to four weeks. Other local municipalities receiving drinking water from the SEWPP requested this temporary switch in an attempt to reduce possible nitrification that may be occurring in their systems. Contact Denton Crotchett in Occupational Health (x36727), Doug Conover in Center Ops (x33130) or Alan Amor (x33146) if you have any questions. Alan C. Amor x33146 [top]    Organizations/Social JSC Features: Teresa Gomez As part of Hispanic Heritage Month/Mes de la Herencia Hispana, JSC is recognizing employees whose character and culture have helped shaped them into the people they are today. For Teresa Gomez, significant career change and opportunity came with a random glance at a personnel form while she worked at Randolph Air Force Base near her San Antonio home. That glance became a catalyst, one that would bring the newlywed to Houston and JSC. Gomez, assistant manager of the Astronaut Selection Office, has played an essential role in the hiring of 211 astronauts during her 36 years and a dozen fiercely competitive selection rounds at JSC. "When you think of NASA, you think of astronauts," said Gomez, who is being recognized for her many contributions during Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. To read more about Gomez, visit the link below. HERG Officers https://jscfeatures.jsc.nasa.gov/pages.ashx/144/Teresa%20Gomez%20concent... [top] Understanding Anger Ever notice what a polarizing emotion anger is? Some of us will go to great lengths to suppress our own anger and avoid anger in others, while others use anger to meet needs and establish control. How we navigate anger, in ourselves and others, determines the success or failure of our interpersonal relationships. Knowing how to process anger in a productive way is essential to constructive communication and healthy relationships at work and at home. This workshop will teach you how anger is a vitally important emotion that can be useful under the right circumstances, and how anger can be a "scorched earth" that destroys teams and families. You will also learn what is always at the heart of anger. Please join Jackie Reese, MA, LPC, director of the JSC Employee Assistance Program, for a workshop on "Understanding Anger." Event Date: Tuesday, September 30, 2014   Event Start Time:12:00 PM   Event End Time:1:00 PM Event Location: Building 30 Auditorium Add to Calendar Lorrie Bennett, Employee Assistance Program, Occupational Health Branch x36130 [top] Massage Special at Starport - Ending Soon Starport's $55 for 60 Minutes Massage Special is coming to a close at the end of this month. Schedule yours today. Monday through Thursday only: Schedule a 60-minute massage for only $55 online. Massage must be scheduled online by Sept. 30 and must take place at the Gilruth Center by Oct. 31. This offer cannot be combined with any other discounts or offers. Anette, Starport LMT - Mondays and Wednesdays Click HERE to schedule. Marj, Starport LMT - Tuesdays and Thursdays Click HERE to schedule. Don't miss out on this great discount! Steve Schade x30304 https://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/en/programs/massage-therapy [top] Orion T-Shirt and Cap Distribution Previously ordered Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 T-shirts and caps are available for pickup today, Sept. 25, from noon to 5 p.m. If you are unable to pick up during one of these events, the shirts will be available in the Building 11 Starport Gift Shop until Oct. 31. Cyndi Kibby x47467 [top]    Jobs and Training Human Systems Academy Lecture Join the Human Systems Academy lecture on "Human Risks of Spaceflight." This lecture provided by Jonathan Clark, M.D., M.P.H., will cover aspects and consideration for crew survivability and threats to health and performance during spaceflight activities. As space is limited, please register in SATERN. Event Date: Thursday, October 2, 2014   Event Start Time:1:00 PM   Event End Time:3:00 PM Event Location: B2S/Studio B (Rm 180) Add to Calendar Ruby Guerra x37108 https://sashare.jsc.nasa.gov/hsa/default.aspx [top] Russian Phase One Language Course - for Beginners Russian Phase One is an introductory course designed to acquaint the novice student with certain elementary aspects of the Russian language and provide a brief outline of Russian history and culture. Our goal is to introduce students to skills and strategies necessary for successful foreign language study that they can apply immediately in the classroom. The linguistic component of this class consists of learning the Cyrillic alphabet and a very limited number of simple words and phrases, which will serve as a foundation for further language study. Dates: Oct. 6 to Nov. 6 When: Monday through Thursday, noon to 1 p.m. Where: Building 12, Room 158Q Please register via SATERN by Oct. 2. Natalia Rostova 281-851-3745 [top] Russain Language Training for Phase II The JSC Language Education Center announces Phase Two Russian Language course offerings for the 2014 fall quarter (Oct. 6 to Dec. 24). Only the following classes will be offered this quarter: 2A, 2B and 2C. Registration for all courses is now conducted exclusively through NASA's SATERN system. Continuing students, both JSC contractors and civil servants who have the approval of their supervisor and training coordinator, can enroll in the appropriate level group class through SATERN. Enrollment preference is, however, given to civil servants. Students new to the program who've had previous Russian language training, or students who are resuming their Russian language training after a break of two or more quarters, should contact Dr. Anthony Vanchu (x30644 or via email) to schedule a placement interview to determine the most appropriate level class for them to join. Natalia Rostova 281-851-3745 [top] Reminder: Sharpen Your Technical Skills Does the sight of power tools strike fear in you? Ever measure twice and cut once … only to have to cut again?! Join us for the FIRST in an ongoing series of lunchtime courses aimed at providing JSC team members with technical training. The first few courses will cover practical skills needed in a machine shop and important design considerations for engineers. Don't know the first thing about manufacturing? Not even sure where the power switch is? Perfect—join us! Have rusty technical skills you haven't used in a while? Wonderful—join us! Each course will include theory and an introduction to best practices, with opportunities for hands-on experiences. Topic #1: "Locating, Drilling and Tapping a Hole in Metal" Note: Tools and food don't mix. Keep food out of the machine shop. Wear closed-toe shoes. If you have safety goggles, please bring them. Event Date: Monday, September 29, 2014   Event Start Time:12:00 PM   Event End Time:1:00 PM Event Location: Building 348, the Innovation Design Center Add to Calendar Katie Collier x49002 [top]

 

JSC Today is compiled periodically as a service to JSC employees on an as-submitted basis. Any JSC organization or employee may submit articles. Disclaimer: Accuracy and content of these notes are the responsibility of the submitters.

 

 

 

NASA and Human Spaceflight News

Thursday – September 25, 2014

 

NASA TV: www.nasa.gov/ntv

NASA Astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore and the Expedition 41 crew is set to launch from Kazakhstan at 3:25 p.m. Central today. Watch the launch live on NASA TV and follow along on @NASA_Johnson Twitter starting at 2:30 p.m. JSC team members are invited to view the launch in the Teague Auditorium with NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins. Elena Serova of Roscosmos will be the first female cosmonaut to visit the space station when the crew enters the hatch around 11:55 p.m. this evening.

 

Follow Wilmore throughout his mission with images on the @iss Instagram.

 

HEADLINES AND LEADS

Expedition 41 set to launch from Kazakhstan

 

Talia Landman – Spaceflight Insider

 

Beginning with the launch of SpaceX CRS-4 on Sept. 21 and the successful docking of its Dragon cargo capsule, the International Space Station is experiencing quite a busy week. The excitement is not over yet however, as the orbital laboratory is preparing for another visit. This time, the space station will welcome more than just cargo and crew supplies. Three new crew members are poised to lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrone located in Kazakhstan atop a venerable Soyuz booster tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 25 at 4:25 p.m. EDT (2:25 a.m. Friday, Sept. 26, local time).

 

Tennessean blasts off into space Thursday

 

Donnie Cox – WCYB-TV

 

Tomorrow is a big day for a man from Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. Astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore will take on a new adventure that will begin on the launch pad in Kazakhstan, Russia.

 

Elena Serova May Be First Female Cosmonaut to Reach Space in 17 Years

 

Patrick Kulp – Mashable

 

A Russian woman may become the first female cosmonaut to travel to space in 17 years on Friday when the Soyuz-TMA-14M spacecraft launches from Kazakhstan and sets course for the International Space Station. In the early hours of Friday morning local time, Elena Serova is scheduled to embark on a six-month mission along with fellow cosmonaut Alexander Samokutyaev and NASA astronaut Barry Wilmore. The crew plans to join the three astronauts already stationed at the space station as part of an interagency mission called Expedition 41.

 

NASA contract gives big boost to Boeing in Houston

 

Joe Martin – Houston Business Journal

 

Following the announcement that NASA would award Boeing (NYSE: BA) $4.2 billion to transport crews to the International Space Station, the Houston offices of the Chicago-based aerospace company are gearing up to handle the new job. While the manufacturing Boeing's crew transport pod, the CST-100, will take place at its facility in Florida, the software development and training of the astronauts will happen here in Houston. Boeing is expected to hire an initial 100 high-tech employees to expand its space transportation development in Houston.

 

A Giddy Bill Clinton Talks Live With Astronauts in Space

 

Liz Kreutz – ABC News

 

It was like Christmas morning for Bill Clinton today at the closing session of his foundation's annual meeting in New York City, where he surprised the audience by video-chatting live with astronauts in space. Joined on stage by NASA's Cady Coleman, he video-conferenced with astronaut Reid Wiseman, who is in the International Space Station. At one point during the session at the Clinton Global Initiative, Clinton and Coleman even turned around and snapped a selfie with Wiseman, which they then sent to him in space. Wiseman, in turn, tweeted out the photo.

 

ISS gets its first 3D printer

 

Melissa Hassett – CNN

 

Life on the International Space Station may never be the same. The crew is now unpacking the latest cargo delivery, which includes the station's first-ever 3D printer. "Having that on-demand capability is a real game-changer," says Niki Werkheiser, NASA's 3D Printing in Zero-G project manager.

 

NASA's Countdown Clock eyed for retirement

 

Jason Rhian – Spaceflight Insider

 

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla – The Countdown Clock located at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is one of the more iconic structures located at the center. The Countdown Clock has been at the Kennedy Space Center Press Site since the Apollo era. With space flight now entering a new age, NASA is looking to replace the iconic clock with something more modern – and much more versatile.

 

Huntsville's Dynetics teams with Boeing to build test, flight hardware for Space Launch System

 

Lee Roop – Huntsville Times

 

Huntsville technology company Dynetics, Inc. will build and test hardware for NASA's Space Launch System rocket under a new contract with Boeing, Dynetics said this week. Boeing is the NASA contractor developing the core stage and other key parts of the new deep-space rocket being designed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville.

 

Newser experiences moment satellite MAVEN enters Mars orbit while on tour of NASA facilities in Colorado

 

Chase Hill – New York Daily News

 

I had just finished animating a GIF of NeNe Leakes on my tumblr page. It was 3 a.m. and I started my social media shutdown for the night. I scanned my Twitter feed and saw a post by NASA asking for followers to join them for a NASA Social event in Colorado. They would be celebrating the satellite MAVEN's insertion into orbit around Mars. The satellite, launched in November 2013, would complete its hundreds-of-millions-of-miles journey to study the upper atmosphere of the red planet. I love Mars. I love Colorado. And I love NASA.

 

 

COMPLETE STORIES

Expedition 41 set to launch from Kazakhstan

 

Talia Landman – Spaceflight Insider

 

Beginning with the launch of SpaceX CRS-4 on Sept. 21 and the successful docking of its Dragon cargo capsule, the International Space Station is experiencing quite a busy week. The excitement is not over yet however, as the orbital laboratory is preparing for another visit. This time, the space station will welcome more than just cargo and crew supplies. Three new crew members are poised to lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrone located in Kazakhstan atop a venerable Soyuz booster tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 25 at 4:25 p.m. EDT (2:25 a.m. Friday, Sept. 26, local time).

 

The launch of the Soyuz TMA-14M carrying two Roscosmos cosmonauts and one NASA astronaut to the ISS will utilize one of Russia's Soyuz-FG launch vehicle. The crew consists of NASA astronaut Barry Wilmore, as well as Russian cosmonauts Yelena Serova and Alexander Samokutyaev. This expedition is notable for Russia because it will mark the first space mission with a Russian woman cosmonaut - in twenty years.

The Soyuz-FG carrier rocket and Soyuz TMA-14M spacecraft have been delivered and installed at the launch site in Kazakhstan. Photo Credit: Aubrey Gemignani / NASA

 

The Soyuz-FG carrier rocket and Soyuz TMA-14M spacecraft have been delivered and installed at the launch site in Kazakhstan. Photo Credit: Aubrey Gemignani / NASA

 

On Tuesday, September 23, RIA Novosti noted that the Soyuz-FG carrier rocket and Soyuz TMA-14M spacecraft had been delivered and installed at the launch site in Kazakhstan.

 

Already aboard the ISS are the three crew members of Expedition 40, which launched back in late May and have a planned return to Earth slated for November. The crewmembers are Russian cosmonaut Maxim Suraev, NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman and Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency (ESA). When the Soyuz TMA-14M completes its six-hour, four-orbit ride to the station's Poisk module, the completed crew of six will of the Expedition 41 crew will be in place on orbit.

The Soyuz booster made its maiden voyage in May of 2001 and is the sole rocket that currently sends crews to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: Aubrey Gemignani / NASA

 

The Soyuz booster made its maiden voyage in May of 2001 and is the sole rocket that currently sends crews to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: Aubrey Gemignani / NASA

 

Expedition 41 began on September 10, 2014 and will end on November 10, 2014. This expedition includes research projects focusing on biology, physical science and Earth and space science investigations. In a mission summary released by NASA, this mission is described as consisting of:

 

"Seedling growth, observation of meteors entering Earth's atmosphere and studies of animal biology and none and muscle physiology define the research of Expedition 41. Model organisms, such as plant seedling and small fish, traveling to the space station will help advance our body of scientific knowledge about the influence of microgravity on cells. Model organisms are non-human species with characteristics that allow them easily to be maintained, reproduced and studied in a laboratory. Taking these organisms to space allows for examination of growth and development and physiological, psychological and aging processes without the impact of gravity."

 

The crew for the ISS-41/42 mission will be aboard the Station for 168 days, returning in March of 2015. Wilmore will be the Expedition 41 commander with Samoukutyaev and Serova serving as flight engineers.

Archive photo of Russian Soyuz-FG rocket launching from Baikonur. Photo Credit: Bill Ingalls / NASA

 

Archive photo of Russian Soyuz-FG rocket launching from Baikonur. Photo Credit: Bill Ingalls / NASA

 

Alexander Samokutyaev, RSA, was a flight engineer for the ISS long duration Expedition 27/28 missions. He also served as the Soyuz TMA-21 commander. He was selected as a cosmonaut in June of 2003. This will be his second flight to orbit.

 

NASA's Barry Wilmore completed his first flight as pilot on the space shuttle's STS-129 mission onboard Discovery. This was the 31st shuttle flight to the ISS. Wilmore has logged more than 259 hours in space. This will be his second space flight. Wilmore is scheduled to take over command of the station in November of this year when the current Expedition 40/41 returns to Earth.

 

"We do science and various other things on the space station for the betterment of mankind," Wilmore said in a recent interview. "That's why the station exists, so we can turn around what we learn there and use it here on Earth – that's our purpose. To go and have the opportunity to do that – is very humbling."

 

Elena Serova, RSA, will be the first Russian woman in space in about two decades and will be conducting her first journey  as a flight engineer during the ISS 41/42 mission. In 2011, she was assigned to the Energia Rocket/Space Corporation Cosmonaut Corps as a cosmonaut candidate. By February of 2007, Serova began a two-year course consisting of basic spaceflight training. In June 2009, she was certified as a test cosmonaut and since 2011 she is a test cosmonaut of the Roscosmos Cosmonaut Corps. For her part, Serova detailed elements about what helped form and maintain her desire to become a cosmonaut.

 

"Most of all, I want to perform my work with great quality, and I want to stand up for the people who helped me prepare for this mission," Serova said via a translator during a recent interview. "Since I was a child – I was very interested in space. Everything that related to space exploration."

 

The spacecraft will dock to the Poisk module of the Russian segment of the station at 10:16 p.m. and around 11:55 p.m. hatches between the Soyuz and station will open. Live coverage of the docking will begin at 9:45 p.m. on NASA TV. Hatch opening coverage and greeting of the two separate crews will begin at 11:30 p.m.

 

The backup crew consists of two Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Mikhail Kornienko, and American astronaut Scott Kelly.

 

Those interested can also watch the flight streamed live at SpaceFlight Insider's Mission Monitor

An Orthodox priest blesses members of the media at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2014, in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for Sept. 26 and will carry Expedition 41 Soyuz Commander Alexander Samokutyaev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineer Barry Wilmore of NASA, and Flight Engineer Elena Serova of Roscosmos into orbit to begin their five and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: Aubrey Gemignani / NASA

 

An Orthodox priest blesses members of the media at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2014, in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for Sept. 26 and will carry Expedition 41 Soyuz Commander Alexander Samokutyaev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineer Barry Wilmore of NASA, and Flight Engineer Elena Serova of Roscosmos into orbit to begin their five and a half month mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: Aubrey Gemignani / NASA

 

The crew will perform over 50 experiments in the Russian segment of the station, handle three Russian resupply spacecraft, and take a spacewalk. The spacewalk will be performed by Alexander Samoukutyaev, and current ISS crew member Maksim Surayev.

 

The flight of Soyuz TMA-14M's to the International Space Station will be the 123rd since 1967. The Russian spacecraft is expected to remain on board the ISS as an emergency escape vehicle.

 

Tennessean blasts off into space Thursday

 

Donnie Cox – WCYB-TV

 

Tomorrow is a big day for a man from Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. Astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore will take on a new adventure that will begin on the launch pad in Kazakhstan, Russia.

 

In 2009, Atlantis roared into space with Wilmore in the pilot's seat on a mission to build, resupply and do research on the International Space Station.

 

In September Wilmore will again head into space, but this time it will be for a six-month stay on the ISS. "We launch on the 25th of September. We do a rendezvous, we go four orbits around the earth, and we're at the space station," Wilmore told us.

 

It is a long way from Mt. Juliet, but Wilmore still calls it home and keeps an eye on Tennessee from space. "Every time we were anywhere near going overhead Tennessee, I tried to take a break, come take a peek and see what I could see," he said.

 

Recently we spent the afternoon with Wilmore at Mt. Juliet High School, where a tribute is proudly displayed in honor of their former student. Barry Wilmore had a love for football and played it on the field here at Mt. Juliet. Former coach John Simms recalls Wilmore's passion for the game all the way back to junior high. "When he was playing football, I don't know that I ever coached a kid that had an enthusiasm for practice," he said. "Not just games, but practice."

 

"I was one of the rare ones. I loved to practice," Wilmore said. "I just loved everything about the sport."

 

It was just a few miles to Tennessee Tech University, where Barry Wilmore wanted to study engineering and continue his education. He also wanted to play football; he walked on, earned a scholarship, and is now in the Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Fame.

 

After two months on the space station, Wilmore's duties will change. "I will be the commander of Expedition 42," he said. "We will be about four months together. March 12th, I think, is the scheduled date when my Russian crewmates and I will come back and land."

 

He will then be looking forward again to a return to Tennessee. 'There is nothing like the greenery and the rolling Tennessee hills," he said. "It is the most beautiful place on Earth."

 

Wilmore and two cosmonauts will liftoff Thursday afternoon at 4:25 Eastern time.

 

Since the end of NASA's shuttle program, U.S. astronauts ride on Russian rockets headed to the ISS.

 

Elena Serova May Be First Female Cosmonaut to Reach Space in 17 Years

 

Patrick Kulp – Mashable

 

A Russian woman may become the first female cosmonaut to travel to space in 17 years on Friday when the Soyuz-TMA-14M spacecraft launches from Kazakhstan and sets course for the International Space Station.

 

In the early hours of Friday morning local time, Elena Serova is scheduled to embark on a six-month mission along with fellow cosmonaut Alexander Samokutyaev and NASA astronaut Barry Wilmore. The crew plans to join the three astronauts already stationed at the space station as part of an interagency mission called Expedition 41.

 

The mission will make Serova the first female cosmonaut to board the space station and the fourth female cosmonaut to reach space in the history of the Russian space agency, during which more than 100 male cosmonauts have made the voyage.

 

In November, Expedition 41 is set to end with the departure of the three current crew members and the arrival of three more, while Serova and her colleagues are to stay on the ISS through Expedition 42. The spacecraft and carrier rocket to be used in the launch were delivered and installed at the site in Kazakhstan on Tuesday.

 

NASA paid tribute to the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" with its Expedition 42 poster, a reworking of the art for the 2005 film based on Douglas Adams' classic science fiction novel. The poster features the six Expedition 42 crew members posing as characters from the movie.

 

Valentina Tereshkova shattered the cosmic glass ceiling in 1963 when she became the first woman to travel to space onboard Russia's Vostok 5 rocket. By some accounts, however, her selection was met with opposition from within the space agency and officials resisted sending another woman into space.

 

Another female cosmonaut did not make the trip until the early 1980's, when Svetlana Savitskaya became the first female to do a spacewalk. The most recent trip to space undertaken by a Russian woman was Yelena Kondakova's space shuttle mission in 1997.

 

When a technical problem with the ballistic reentry of the Soyuz TMA-11 caused the spacecraft to land several hundred kilometers off-course in 2008, Anatoly Perminov, then-head of the Russian space program, joked to an Associated Press reporter that the failure was related to an old naval superstition that having a woman onboard is bad luck.

 

"Of course in the future, we will work somehow to ensure that the number of women will not surpass [the number of men,]" Perminov told AP.

 

In an interview with a Russian television program in 2012, Serova said the discrimination is rooted in traditional cultural values and that many within the space program do not see space travel as "a woman's profession."

 

Serova said she hopes to serve as a role model for other Russian women and offered words of encouragement to fellow cosmonaut Anna Kikina, the only other woman in the 35-person cosmonaut corps.

 

"I never thought about it too much because space is what I do for work, and that's what I think about it: It's my work. But obviously for Russian women it might be a breakthrough in this area," Serova said in a NASA pre-flight interview.

 

 

NASA contract gives big boost to Boeing in Houston

 

Joe Martin – Houston Business Journal

 

Following the announcement that NASA would award Boeing(NYSE: BA) $4.2 billion to transport crews to the International Space Station, the Houston offices of the Chicago-based aerospace company are gearing up to handle the new job.

 

While the manufacturing Boeing's crew transport pod, the CST-100, will take place at its facility in Florida, the software development and training of the astronauts will happen here in Houston. Boeing is expected to hire an initial 100 high-tech employees to expand its space transportation development in Houston.

 

And those jobs will come mostly within Houston, said Chris Ferguson, the director of crew and mission systems for Boeing.

 

"If you're hiring in the space business, this is the place to do it," he told the Houston Business Journal.

 

Ferguson also said some of Boeing's new hires will come from within Boeing and that it's working with NASA and the Johnson Space Center for sub-contracting as well.

 

"You have highly-skilled workers who've worked shuttle operations and are familiar with the dynamic aspects of flight … Now you have them gainfully doing the things the JSC excels at doing," Ferguson said.

 

The deal between NASA, Boeing and SpaceX represents a new chapter for the United States in space travel. NASA previously paid up to $71 million per seat for U.S. astronauts on Russian spacecraft traveling to the International Space Station. The hope is that with collaboration between the private sector, NASA can alleviate some costs for space travel and open up a new industry in the process.

 

Boeing notified the Texas Workforce Commission that it would cut 175 jobs at its Houston office, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filed in June. However, Boeing filed the WARN letter as a precaution in case it didn't land the contract. A Boeing spokesperson said those jobs are still active following the announcement of the lucrative contract.

 

The plan is to have payloads on their way to the ISS by 2017. Ferguson also mentioned that Boeing is interested in bidding on the new contract for the cargo resupply missions.

 

 

A Giddy Bill Clinton Talks Live With Astronauts in Space

 

Liz Kreutz – ABC News

 

It was like Christmas morning for Bill Clinton today at the closing session of his foundation's annual meeting in New York City, where he surprised the audience by video-chatting live with astronauts in space.

 

Joined on stage by NASA's Cady Coleman, he video-conferenced with astronaut Reid Wiseman, who is in the International Space Station. At one point during the session at the Clinton Global Initiative, Clinton and Coleman even turned around and snapped a selfie with Wiseman, which they then sent to him in space. Wiseman, in turn, tweeted out the photo.

 

All the while, the former president, who has a special place in his heart for astronauts, stood there beaming.

 

Wiseman, who was joined mid-chat by a second astronaut, spoke about how the astronauts – all from different countries – work together in space to get the job done. To this, Clinton joked that in order to end political gridlock in Washington, D.C., he's "convinced" we should send members of Congress up to the space station. "Obviously, something happens to you up there," he quipped.

 

During the roughly 15-minute chat, Clinton continually stressed the importance of international space endeavors, and when Wiseman told him he thought earthlings would at some point leave the solar system, Clinton wistfully replied, "me too."

 

Hillary Clinton eventually joined Bill Clinton on stage and thanked the astronauts for their insights, and their somersaults. She then turned to her giddy husband and said, "That was very exciting, especially for someone who wanted to be an astronaut. Oh, my goodness!"

 

 

ISS gets its first 3D printer

 

Melissa Hassett – CNN

 

Life on the International Space Station may never be the same. The crew is now unpacking the latest cargo delivery, which includes the station's first-ever 3D printer.

 

"Having that on-demand capability is a real game-changer," says Niki Werkheiser, NASA's 3D Printing in Zero-G project manager.

 

Astronauts will test how the printer performs in microgravity. Samples will be brought back to Earth, to confirm that the technology works the same as on the ground.

 

If it's successful, the ISS crew will no longer have to rely on resupply missions to bring them the tools they need.

 

And down the line, a 3D printer would also be a key part of deep space exploration missions.

 

"We won't be able to launch every single thing that we might ever need with us," Werkheiser says. "So we'll have to have sustainable technologies that allow the astronauts to be able to adapt and use whatever resources are available to them for living and operations."

 

 

NASA's Countdown Clock eyed for retirement

 

Jason Rhian – Spaceflight Insider

 

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla – The Countdown Clock located at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is one of the more iconic structures located at the center. The Countdown Clock has been at the Kennedy Space Center Press Site since the Apollo era. With space flight now entering a new age, NASA is looking to replace the iconic clock with something more modern – and much more versatile.

 

Members of the NASA Social held for the Sept. 21 launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket with its payload of a Dragon spacecraft and its 5,100 lbs of cargo were told about the plans for the Clock and tweeted that it would be replaced by December 2014. While this is what the space agency hopes to do – firm plans are not currently in place in terms of when the Clock will be retired – or where it will be going.

KSC's Countdown Clock has been used to track the various times of NASA missions as far back as the 1960s. Photo Credit: Jim Siegel / SpaceFlight Insider

 

KSC's Countdown Clock has been used to track the various times of NASA missions as far back as the 1960s. Photo Credit: Jim Siegel / SpaceFlight Insider

 

SpaceFlight Insider spoke with NASA's Lisa Malone who stated that, while nothing is set in stone in terms of the destination of this historic artifact, the space agency is looking to replace it with a more modern version of the clock which currently resides approximately three miles from Launch Complex 39 – the site where NASA used to launch astronauts from for more than four decades.

 

The Countdown Clock's replacement will probably be able to show videos as well as other elements. The current Countdown Clock uses a series of light bulbs to provide the exact time before a mission takes off, as well as in the case of crewed missions – mission elapsed time.

 

"The Clock is getting older and it isn't working as well as it used to. It does need to be replaced, there are some parts that it uses that aren't manufactured anymore," Malone said. "Nothing is a 'done deal' yet…if we're going to replace this clock, it'd be nice to have the new one out there for EFT-1."

 

EFT-1, or Exploration Flight Test 1, is the first flight of NASA's new Orion crew-rated spacecraft. The mission is currently scheduled to launch on December 4 of this year. Orion will be launched on a two-orbit mission which will test out the spacecraft's key systems some 3,600 miles (5,794 km) above our world. Launching atop a United Launch Alliance Delta Heavy booster, the spacecraft will carry out these orbits and then return to Earth at a speed of some 20,000 miles per hour (32,187 km).

 

The Countdown Clock's place in history is not in question; the device was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places as part of a Multiple Property Submission on January 21, 2000. It has served NASA since it was installed on Nov. 9, 1967. Several possible destinations for the clock are possible, with the adjacent Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex most likely.

 

There are a number of clocks located at Kennedy Space Center that provide accurate times for missions about to launch, as well as those already underway. These timepieces are set by the IMCS Timing and Imaging Technical Support Group. A number of timing technicians are responsible for the distribution of the exact times to various points in and around KSC. These technicians will be responsible for the new timepiece when it is put in place.

 

"The new clock will be different, it's going to be a flat screen, outdoor kind of device and it's going to be bigger…we're looking at something that is durable, weather-proof and we're looking into putting something there that is not just a clock, but something that would allow us to put the NASA TV program out there too. It would be something that you could have some flexibility with," Malone said.

 

 

Huntsville's Dynetics teams with Boeing to build test, flight hardware for Space Launch System

 

Lee Roop – Huntsville Times

 

Huntsville technology company Dynetics, Inc. will build and test hardware for NASA's Space Launch System rocket under a new contract with Boeing, Dynetics said this week. Boeing is the NASA contractor developing the core stage and other key parts of the new deep-space rocket being designed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville.

 

Dynetics will build three structural test simulators in Huntsville for Boeing and deliver them to NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, where the rocket's core is being built. Dynetics will also design, build and test in Huntsville a piece of flight hardware called the TVC EGHE that will fly on the SLS core stage.

 

No financial details were released, but the jobs are part of a partnership agreement signed this week by Boeing and Dynetics. "Dynetics is a key Huntsville business, and we're excited to welcome them to the SLS team," Boeing Vice President Virginia Barnes said in a statement.

 

"We are pleased to work with Boeing, which has a rich heritage in NASA manned human spaceflight," Dynetics President David King said in the statement.. "We look forward to providing additional support to the SLS program. This is a great step toward our two companies partnering together to support NASA's exploration program."

 

Dynetics is an independent midsize company working for government and commercial companies in the defense, intelligence, aerospace, automotive, IT/cybersecurity and physical security sectors. It is based in Huntsville's Cummings Research Park.

 

 

Newser experiences moment satellite MAVEN enters Mars orbit while on tour of NASA facilities in Colorado

 

Chase Hill – New York Daily News

 

I had just finished animating a GIF of NeNe Leakes on my tumblr page. It was 3 a.m. and I started my social media shutdown for the night.

 

I scanned my Twitter feed and saw a post by NASA asking for followers to join them for a NASA Social event in Colorado. They would be celebrating the satellite MAVEN's insertion into orbit around Mars.

 

The satellite, launched in November 2013, would complete its hundreds-of-millions-of-miles journey to study the upper atmosphere of the red planet.

 

I love Mars. I love Colorado. And I love NASA.

 

I was excited, but quickly realized they probably wouldn't be looking for sarcastic twits to represent their event.

 

I took a chance and submitted my information and statistics about my followers and monthly notes on tumblr, Twitter and Instagram.

 

On the surface, my social media landscape screams NeNe! Bravo TV! "Daria"! Snark! Sarcasm! But peel back that thin layer and you've got a nerdy, thoughtful science dude.

 

Since only 1% of my posts are related to science, you'd think I was hardly what NASA wanted, right? Wrong.

 

The next week was a whirlwind. I received e-mails from NASA and Lockheed Martin. I got in! (At the time, I wasn't told why; I was just told I was accepted. Later, I deduced it was just a matter of stats and personality in my brief application essay.)

Scale model of Mars satellite MAVEN shown at Colorado University in Boulder. Chase Hill Scale model of Mars satellite MAVEN shown at Colorado University in Boulder.

 

I felt like I was now involved in something so much bigger. It was amazing. I couldn't book the flight to Colorado fast enough.

 

First stop: LASP — the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics — at the University of Colorado campus in Boulder.

 

Entering the LASP lobby is unforgettable. Hanging from the high ceiling were scale models of satellites past and present. A large rocket at least 15-feet long hangs in the middle of the room. Hanging from the walls were shelves of components. Display cases covered in glass were filled with models and replicas of optical parts and MAVEN components.

 

We toured the labs where the parts were made. Long corridors lined with "clean rooms" were around every turn. Safety and quality control seemed to be some of the most important parts of their process.

 

Throughout the tour I was able to see the mission control center for satellites, speak with LASP engineer Heather Reed and scientist Nick Schneider. Both had a hand in MAVEN's creation. Schneider seemed to be more excited to take a photo with me than I was to get a shot with him — but that definitely was NOT the case. I'll never forget that moment.

 

Lockheed Martin is located in Littleton, Colo. This is where it gets super top-secret. They checked my ID before I boarded the bus and when I arrived.

 

We were told about the ZERO unauthorized photo policy during our tour of the Lockheed Martin campus (5,000 acres of land), which is home to some 6,000 employees, mountain lions, deer and of course ROCKETS!

 

We passed building after building the size of airplane hangars. On our right were test stands for rockets. On the left, employee-boarded horses graze the fields.

NASA's newest Mars lander, InSight, was unveiled to the public for the first time during the tour at Lockheed Martin facility. NASA's newest Mars lander, InSight, was unveiled to the public for the first time during the tour at Lockheed Martin facility.

 

Once inside we were led to a media room where we would set up shop. At about this point the altitude change really hit me. I was chugging water as fast I could and felt so tired.

 

I had a Lockheed Martin escort take me to the restroom. This place was serious about security.

 

Once we finished a few lectures, including one by astronaut John Grunsfeld, current lead of science for NASA, we made our way into what looked like Dr. Evil's lair.

 

Doors the size of those that Dorothy approached in "The Wizard of Oz" are the only comparison I can think of. It took about two minutes for the doors to open.

 

Inside were a handful of engineers putting together components of a spacecraft. It was like looking into a cosmic fishbowl. They moved around briskly in white, full-body suits with masks and booties. It was a "clean room."

 

Imagine how clean you think your home is — now burn it to the ground because it's not clean enough. That is how clean these rooms were. We were ushered up a few flights of stairs to our final clean room tour. Inside of this room they are currently working on InSight, a new lander. This was the first time the public has seen this room and the first time it would be photographed.

 

Right on schedule, MAVEN reached its destination. Cheers could be heard from down the hall. MAVEN's team was celebrating an event that was a long time in the making.

 

As the engineers and scientists shook hands and embraced one another, I couldn't help but feel like I too was a part of the team - if only because I am part of the human race. We're so close to sending humans to Mars; remember when we could only imagine making it to the moon?

 

The long day ended around midnight. Sick from the altitude, exhausted mentally and physically, I left Lockheed Martin. I looked up through the drizzle at the sky. I forgot how many stars you could see outside of Brooklyn. The moon was the brightest I had ever remembered seeing. I had just been part of something so much bigger than I. Afterward, I stood under a security booth awning and cried in the rain.

 

How in the hell did I get to that point? A week earlier I was posting "Real Housewives" GIFs and now I was standing 1,200 miles away from home in a valley surrounded by mountains and all because of Twitter? Social media brought me there.

 

I had made a connection somehow, on the Internet, with people who had never met me, yet they saw something within me that they liked.

 

So to those who laugh at others checking their phones for tweets and likes and faves, us tech nerds are getting the last laugh.

 

Oh yeah! I almost forgot. On my flight back to New York I tweeted from my laptop as I did some work. "Getting some work done on the plane with @Gogo internet and some @samsmithworld in my ears. #productive #travel." Sam Smith "faved" it.

 

I love social media!

 

 

END

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