Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Fwd: [nasa-jsc-retirees-list] FW: JSC Today - Wednesday, April 15, 2015



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Begin forwarded message:

From: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Date: April 15, 2015 at 7:45:47 AM CDT
To: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Subject: [nasa-jsc-retirees-list] FW: JSC Today - Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Reply-To: larry.j.moon@nasa.gov

JSC Today - Wednesday, April 15, 2015

 

 

LEADING THE NEWS

• SpaceX Launches Dragon Toward ISS, But Does Not Successfully Complete Landing Test.

NASA NEWS

• Kane: Europa Mission Deserves Funding Now.

• New NASA Website Will Catalog Agency's APIs.

• Embrace Warmer's To Launch Consumer Model Baby Warmer.

• Auction To Sell Items That Landed On The Moon.

HUMAN EXPLORATION AND OPERATIONS

• Orbital ATK, GenCorp Differ On Cause Of Antares Launch Failure.

• ISS Program About To Post Images Of Toronto Stadium, Jackie Robinson Replica Jersey.

• Enthusiasts Meet For International Workshop On Lunar Surface Applications.

• Orion Image Used To Explain Why Box Purchased Verhold.

SpaceX Launches Dragon Toward ISS, But Does Not Successfully Complete Landing Test.

Coverage continues on SpaceX's latest mission to the ISS. While the scope of coverage expanded to include national TV news coverage, the focus of the articles continued to be on SpaceX's reusable rocket test and not the Dragon cargo spacecraft launch. Often, the NASA mission was relegated to the end third of the article. As for SpaceX's test, coverage typically characterized it as another step toward SpaceX's goals of developing reusable rockets and not as a failure.

        NBC Nightly News (4/14, story 9, 0:25, Holt, 7.86M), in continuing coverage, broadcast that SpaceX successfully launched a spacecraft to the ISS on Tuesday. However, "once again," SpaceX was not able to land its rocket "on a drone ship" following the launch. According to the broadcast, SpaceX was a "bit closer" to a successful landing than it was back in January when it made its last attempt.

        The AP (4/15, Dunn) reports that the rocket booster "landed too hard" before falling over. The company will make another attempt in June when it next sends a Dragon spacecraft to the ISS. Meanwhile, NASA praised SpaceX for Tuesday's "spectacular" launch. The article notes that NASA was "eager" to get the cargo to the ISS astronauts because last October's Orbital ATK launch failure left "a month-or-two backlog for food and equipment."

        Public Can See Dragon As It Flies Toward The ISS. In his "Skywatching" column for SPACE (4/14, 236K), Joe Rao details how the public can spot the Dragon in the sky as it flies toward the ISS. He lists "several ways" readers can determine when and where to spot the ISS as well.

        The Irish Examiner (4/15, Molloy, 171K) has similar coverage, with a focus on how to spot the ISS and Dragon from Ireland.

        Tuesday's Launch Was The First Under LISC. Space News (4/14, Gruss, Subscription Publication, 481) reports that SpaceX's launch was the first supported by the "Raytheon-led" Range Generation Next team, which took over operations under the Launch and Test Range System Integrated Support Contract (LISC). The Air Force issued the contract "to consolidate many of its ground support contracts as operating budgets shrink and the possibility of the automatic budget cuts known as sequestration lingers." Dave Wasjgras, president of Raytheon Intelligence Information and Services, said that these savings, which he did not specify, are "meaningful" to the Air Force.

        SpaceX Also Launched Additional Satellites. The Puget Sound (WA) Business Journal (4/14, Wilhelm, Subscription Publication, 48K) "TechFlash" blog reports that along with launching the Dragon spacecraft, SpaceX launched Planetary Resources' first satellite, the company's "first tangible step toward" space mining. The A3R satellite, formerly known as the Arkyd 3, was supposed to launch months ago but was lost during the Antares launch failure. The satellite will now serve as "a test platform for Planetary Resources' avionics, control systems and software."

        Dow Jones Newswires (4/14, Hay) reports that SpaceX also launched 14 nanosatellites in an article titled, "Planet Labs Raises World Bank Funding as Its Nanosatellites Launch With SpaceX."

        SpaceX's Commercial Launch Site "Pretty Quiet" Ahead Of Summer Construction. The KAMR-TV Amarillo, TX (4/14, 428) website reports that activity at SpaceX's commercial launch site in Brownsville, Texas is "pretty quiet." Mayor Tony Martinez said, "It's just a matter of time. Of course it'll take us a while to get us built, but pretty soon we're going to be like, okay, what's next?" Construction is expected "this summer," with launches set to begin in 2017.

        Blog Coverage. Geoff Brumfiel at the NPR (4/15, 1.58M) "The Salt" blog on the ISSpresso machine now heading to the ISS. Speaking about the coffee the machine will produce, Vickie Kloeris, who manages the ISS' food supply, said, "For an instant coffee, it's an excellent instant coffee," but "can it compete with brewed espresso? No." According to Brumfiel, Kloeris is "anxious" about the technology because of the pods and the expense of launching them. She said, "Each cup has an individual capsule that has to be packaged separately. So there's a lot of trash and a lot of volume involved in it. ... We'll see how it goes. ... If it's successful, then we'll have to figure out how we're going to resupply it."

Kane: Europa Mission Deserves Funding Now.

In an op-ed for Scientific American (4/15, 2.83M), Van R. Kane, who writes for the Planetary Society, writes that Europa potentially has "rich ecosystems" below its surface, which is why a spacecraft needs to be sent there. Kane notes that until last year, a Europa mission was "in a perpetual early-study phase." However, even with the Administration's backing, the proposed Europa Clipper mission has no "firm launch date or target cost," let alone a significant portion of its estimated $2 billion budget. Kane contrasts these facts with Mars latest rover project, which has "a firm launch date (2020), a target budget ($1.5 billion) and substantial funding ($775 million for its first four years)." Kane concludes that with NASA's current "credible mission concept," Congress and the Administration need to assign it enough funding now, or else it could be delayed "into the indefinite future."

New NASA Website Will Catalog Agency's APIs.

ProgrammableWeb (4/14, Carter, 1K) reports that NASA is building a new website, api.nasa.gov, to "catalog the numerous APIs the space agency maintains" because it knows "that data without access proves useless." NASA Presidential Innovation Fellow Dan Hammer wrote, "Data is one of the most important assets at NASA. ... We have data on comets, measurements of mars, and real-time imagery of earth. But what good is data if you can't access it? Not good at all!"

Embrace Warmer's To Launch Consumer Model Baby Warmer.

Newsweek (4/15, Westcott, 118K) reports that a Kickstarter campaign set to begin on Tuesday will seek to fund Little Lotus, "a consumer iteration of Embrace Warmers, lightweight portable incubators for preterm and low-weight newborns" that has been used to help babies in developing countries. The article notes that the company uses "material originally designed for NASA spacesuits" to help regulate a healthy babies temperature by "recycling body heat and releasing it when they get too hot." The companies co-founder, Jane Chen details the reason for the consumer line and how sales will be used to help babies in developing countries receive Embrace Warmers.

Auction To Sell Items That Landed On The Moon.

The Daily Mirror (UK) (4/15, Edwards, 620K) reports that auction that begins on Thursday will allow people to bit on a "piece of NASA space exploration history." The article notes that the online auction includes things "spanning the history of spaceflight by both America and the USSR," such as various items that spent time on the moon.

Orbital ATK, GenCorp Differ On Cause Of Antares Launch Failure.

Reuters (4/15, Shalal) reports that at the Space Symposium conference, Orbital ATK's Ronald Grabe said that excessive bearing wear in the Antares rocket engine's turbo pump was the likely cause of last October's failed launch of cargo for the ISS. Grabe expected to submit a final report on the incident to the FAA in the coming days. According to the article, GenCorp's Aerojet Rocketdyne, which refurbished the engine, may now suffer some financial penalties.

        However, another Reuters (4/15, Shalal) article notes that GenCorp had a different explanation for the launch failure. It claimed that debris inside the engine was at fault. GenCorp spokesman Glenn Mahone said that the debris was what led to the cause of the excessive bearing wear. The article notes that NASA has its own investigation into the incident, but that will not be made public. Furthermore, according to the article, NASA is not the lead investigator here because of the commercial supply contract covering the launch.

        Space News (4/14, Foust, Subscription Publication, 481) also covers the story.

ISS Program About To Post Images Of Toronto Stadium, Jackie Robinson Replica Jersey.

The Canadian Press (4/15, Rakobowchuk) reports on ISS astronaut Terry Virts' attempts to get "baseball lovers" to identify images he took of cities with Major League Baseball stadiums in them. According to the article, NASA spokesperson Megan Sumner said that coming up are images for "Blue Jays fans" to identify. Summer added, "There's a lot of passionate baseball fans out there that don't even know anything about the International Space Station, so I think it's important to reach out to those different audiences that we don't typically reach." The article notes that NASA "hinted" that it may post images of a "Jackie Robinson replica jersey" now at the ISS for Wednesday's anniversary of the end segregation in baseball in 1947.

Enthusiasts Meet For International Workshop On Lunar Surface Applications.

CFLN-TV Orlando, FL (4/15, 8:37 p.m. EDT, 9K) broadcast on the International Workshop on Lunar Surface Application, where "space enthusiasts" are looking at "how to get astronauts back to the moon for the first time since 1972." Russell Cox, who organized the event, said that the workshop aims "to create a community" of lunar exploration enthusiasts. The broadcast notes that NASA is working on "different plans."

Orion Image Used To Explain Why Box Purchased Verhold.

The USA Today (4/14, Mandaro, 4.95M) "America's Markets" website reports that Box, a "cloud-storage company," has bought Verhold, "whose technology renders 3-D content into interactive presentations on the Internet, for an undisclosed amount." Box CEO Aaron Levie used a 3D image of the Orion spacecraft in a blog post to explain that Verhold was a good purchase for Box because its technology is "a game-changing proposition in many industries."

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

 

JSC 2.0

JSC External Homepage

Inside JSC

JSC Events

JSC Today Guidelines

Submit JSC Today

JSC Roundup

NASA News

Connect

Category Definitions

SpaceX Launches NASA Cargo and Research To International Space Station

 

 

   Headlines

  1. Mars Week Kicks Off April 27

Mark your Martian calendars for Sol 618! Innovation 2015 kicks off with Mars Week on April 27. There will be on-site activities, online activities and a skilled group of speakers, including Daniel Kraft (physican-scientist and TED speaker) and Andy Weir (author of "The Martian"). Look out for some cool Mars Week merchandise at Starport, too!

See the full Mars Week schedule on the JSC 2.0 site.

Gary Jordan x27929 http://strategicplan.jsc.nasa.gov/?id=105&catid=11

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  1. Easy, Read-y, Beautiful ... Roundup

Spring has sprung, which means that along with the never-ending rain and "fun" with allergies, a new issue of Roundup is available online.

Inside this one, you can find out about: Hubble's ongoing legacy thanks to spacewalking astronauts;
science on the space station—including the one-year crew; the evolution of the Mission Control Center; and more!

Check out the spring 2015 issue of the magazine on the ISSUU digital newsstand for an easy-to-read version on your computer, tablet or smartphone. To download or view the accessible PDF version or view past PDF issues of the magazine, click here.

Or, instead of relying on JSC Today to let you know when Roundup is online, why not subscribe and get the issues delivered straight to your inbox? No muss, no fuss—and you are always the first in line to read great stories about JSC projects and programs. It's a win for space nerds everywhere!

JSC Roundup Office x33317 http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/roundup/roundup_toc.html

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  1. Three Things Everone Loves: Cats, Lasers and Space

NASA's Cloud-Aerosol Transport System, or CATS, is a lidar remote-sensing instrument that will extend profile measurements of atmospheric aerosols and clouds from our International Space Station. The CATS payload will improve our understanding of aerosol and cloud properties and interactions, as well as improve climate change models. CATS is specifically intended to demonstrate a low-cost, streamlined approach to developing station science payloads. Read about it here.

Liz Warren x35548

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  1. Food Trucks at the Spring Fair

Delight your senses by purchasing a unique lunch (and dessert) at one of three food trucks that will be at the Spring Safety, Health, and Environmental Fair on Wednesday, April 22, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Gilruth. Quite a Stir, Curbside Bistro and Angie's Cake will be there to take your order. Don't miss out on lively day filled with good food, entertaining education and lots of diverse exhibits.

Event Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2015   Event Start Time:10:00 AM   Event End Time:1:00 PM
Event Location: JSC Gilruth

Add to Calendar

Rindy Carmichael x45078

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  1. May 2015 AAPI Heritage Month Nomination Call-Out

The May 2015 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month theme is "Many Cultures, One Voice: Promote Equality and Inclusion." We would like to highlight one or two AAPI employees whose achievements, challenges, character and commitment have helped shape them into the people they are today, and whose stories serves as an inspiration to others.

Please submit your nomination, or self-nomination, for consideration to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity by Friday, April 17. Please include the nominee's name, organization, job title, and why you nominate the individual or yourself in 300 words or less. If selected, the stories will be highlighted on JSC Features.

JSC Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity x30607 http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oeod/

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  1. JSC Special Operations SWAT Training

The JSC Special Operations SWAT Team will be conducting training in Building 4S from 6 to 10 p.m.

Cpl. Samuel Green x32060

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   Organizations/Social

  1. ISS Astronaut Ron Garan is Returning to JSC

Join ShopNASA in welcoming astronaut Ron Garan back to JSC on Wednesday, May 6! Garan will be signing his new book, "The Orbital Perspective" in the Building 3 café from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. He flew aboard the space shuttle Discovery on STS-124 as a mission specialist and served as a flight engineer aboard the International Space Station on Expeditions 27 and 28.

Books for the book signing must be pre-ordered in the Buildings 3 and 11 gift shops, so come by to purchase your copy today!

Event Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2015   Event Start Time:11:00 AM   Event End Time:1:00 PM
Event Location: Bldg 3 Cafeteria

Add to Calendar

Ansley Browns x46487

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  1. Why Do You Work Safely?

The JSC Safety and Health Action Team (JSAT) is hosting the "Why I Work Safely" photo-laminating booth on Wednesday, April 22, for the JSC Spring Safety, Health and Environmental Fair. Don't forget to bring a photo of the reason you work safely (family, pets, sports car, boat, motorcycle, etc.), and we will laminate it for display on your lanyard.

Do you always forget to bring a picture with you? You can email your photo ahead of time and then stop by the JSAT booth at the fair to complete the emergency contact information and pick up your "Why I Work Safely" badge. Show everyone your reason(s) for working safely!

Note: Please trim photos to 2 inches wide by 2.5 inches in length. Scanned photos work well also.

Reese Squires x37776 http://jsat.jsc.nasa.gov/

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  1. Starport Summer Camp: Registration Now Open

Starport is offering summer camp for youth at the Gilruth Center all summer long! We have tons of fun planned, and we expect each session to fill up, so get your registrations in early. Weekly themes are listed on our website, as well as information regarding registration.

Ages: 6 to 12

Times: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Dates: June 8 to Aug. 21 in one-week sessions

Fee per session: $140 per child | $125 per sibling

Register for all sessions and receive a discount! Register online or at The Gilruth Center information desk.

Like us on Facebook to receive daily information about camps!

Shericka Phillips x35563 https://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/en/programs/familyyouth-programs/youth-day...

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  1. Starport Boot Camp – Evening Classes Available

Starport's boot camp is back, and registration is open and filling fast. Don't miss a chance to be part of Starport's incredibly popular program. The class will fill up, so register now!

Regular registration (April 11 to 20):

    • $110 per person

The workout begins on Monday, April 20.

Morning: 6 a.m.

Evening: 6 p.m.

Are you ready for 18 hours of intense workouts with an amazing personal trainer to get you to your fitness goal? Don't wait—sign up today!

Register now online or at the Gilruth Center information desk.

Shericka Phillips x35563 https://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/en/programs/recreation-programs/boot-camps

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  1. Parent's Night Out at Starport: April 17

Enjoy a night out on the town while your kids enjoy a night with Starport. We will entertain your children with a night of games, crafts, a bounce house, pizza, a movie, dessert and loads of fun!

When: Friday, April 17, from 6 to 10 p.m.

Where: Gilruth Center

Ages: 5 to 12

Cost: $20/first child and $10/each additional sibling if registered by the Wednesday prior to event. If registered after Wednesday, the fee is $25/first child and $15/additional sibling.

Shericka Phillips x35563 https://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/en/programs/familyyouth-programs/parents-n...

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   Jobs and Training

  1. ISS EDMS User Forum

The International Space Station (ISS) Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) team will hold the monthly General User Training Forum Thursday, April 16, at 9:30 a.m. in Building 4S, Room 5315. Lync meeting and telecom provided.

If you use EDMS to locate station documents, join us to learn about basic navigation and searching. Bring your questions, concerns and suggestions and meet the EDMS Customer Service team. The agenda is located here.

Event Date: Thursday, April 16, 2015   Event Start Time:9:30 AM   Event End Time:10:30 AM
Event Location: JSC Bldg 4S, Room 5315

Add to Calendar

LaNell Cobarruvias x41306 https://iss-www.jsc.nasa.gov/nwo/apps/edms/web/UserForums.shtml

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  1. JSC Risk-Informed Decision Making - April 30

JSC Risk-Informed Decision Making (RIDM): The JSC RIDM collaborative workshop provides students with a strategy to integrate RIDM and Continuous Risk Management (CRM). Course materials include a discussion of the benefits of ensuring decisions include risk considerations with appropriate rigor commensurate with the significance. Facilitators will lead students through exercises demonstrating the steps to evaluate options and select a decision alternative that is risk-informed.

Event Date: Thursday, April 30, 2015   Event Start Time:8:00 AM   Event End Time:12:00 PM
Event Location: Building 12/Room 134

Add to Calendar

Russell Hartlieb 281-335-2443

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  1. Writing that Works: May 26-29

Writing that Works is a two-day class that improves your productivity and career during this lively seminar on how to make your writing clear, complete, concise and convincing. Whether you write about outer space or office space, this proven seminar will make a difference. It cannot take all the pain out of writing, but it can remove a lot of the guesswork ... and that's half the battle. Course includes two days of class and a one-on-one session with the instructor to review your writing samples.

This course is available for self-registration in SATERN and is open to civil servants and contractors.

Dates: Tuesday through Friday, May 26 to 29

Location: Building 12, Room 146

Registration: https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=REGISTRATI...

Aaron Blevins x33111

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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.

 

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