Thursday, April 30, 2015

Fwd: [nasa-jsc-retirees-list] FW: JSC Today - Thursday, April 30, 2015



Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Date: April 30, 2015 at 8:30:28 AM CDT
To: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Subject: [nasa-jsc-retirees-list] FW: JSC Today - Thursday, April 30, 2015
Reply-To: larry.j.moon@nasa.gov

JSC Today - Thursday, April 30, 2015

 

 

 

LEADING THE NEWS

• Progress Spacecraft Fails To Reach ISS With Its Cargo.

NASA NEWS

• Rep. Posey Reintroduces Bill For Moon Mission.

• NASA Responds To Mother's Facebook Plea.

HUMAN EXPLORATION AND OPERATIONS

• NASA Wants Private Space Station To Come After ISS.

• Kelly: ISS' New Screen A "Welcomed Improvement."

• Air Force Plans To Use Different Contract Method To Accelerate Development Of Non-Russian Engine.

• Ten Current Projects Prepare For Mars Missions.

• Cristoforetti Studying Muscle Loss Using Roundworms.

• Colorado High School Students Building Experiment To Send To ISS.

• NASA To Discuss Technology At Offshore Drilling Conference.

• Deaf NASA Engineer Profiled.

• Wilson Interviewed About Her Three Spaceflights.

• Clifford Discusses His Parkinson's Disease.

• Huntsville Rated A Top Place For US Tech Jobs.

• Webber Speaks At Nile University.

Progress Spacecraft Fails To Reach ISS With Its Cargo.

ABC World News (4/29, story 4, 2:15, Muir, 5.84M), in continuing coverage, broadcast that the Progress cargo spacecraft that was "out of control" after its launch is now "doomed" and falling back to Earth without delivering its "vital supplies" to the ISS. ISS astronaut Scott Kelly said, "The program plans for these kinds of things to happen. They're very unfortunate when they do. But we do have supplies on board." Reporter Matt Gutman said that because of other recent launch failures, the astronauts may be "in jeopardy" if June's SpaceX cargo mission is not successful. Meanwhile, Gutman noted that scientists do not know when or where the Progress spacecraft will reenter Earth's atmosphere.

        According to the CBS Evening News (4/29, story 11, 0:20, Pelley, 5.08M), the spacecraft should burn up when it enters the atmosphere "next week."

        The AP (4/30, Dunn) reports that Kelly told the wire, "We should be OK. ... I think we're going to be in good shape." The article also notes that experts believe that the Progress spacecraft should "burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere."

        The New York Times (4/30, Roth, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that according to Igor Komarov, the head of Roscosmos, officials do not yet know what happened to the Progress to cause the failure, although it could involve "the ship's detaching from the rocket." The article notes that both NASA and Roscosmos are monitoring the Progress' course, and NASA spokesperson Dan Huot said any fragments that make it to the ground most likely will land in the ocean "and pose little risk."

        TIME (4/30, 19.57M) similarly paraphrases a statement by NASA spokesperson Stephanie Schierholz about the Progress' fate.

        Another TIME (4/30, Kluger, 19.57M) article reports that while Russian spacecraft are typically reliable, the failed mission "comes at an unhandy time for Russia" when commercial companies are developing spacecraft that will take future US astronauts to the station. Progress and Soyuz spacecraft are "sweet machines;" however, the issues with the Progress could facilitate the transition to newer technology.

        The Washington Post (4/29, Davenport, 5.03M) "The Switch" blog notes that the Air Force's Joint Space Operations Center is tracking "44 pieces of debris around the Russian spacecraft." Lt. Gen. Jay Raymond said, "Human spaceflight safety is our chief concern."

        According to the CBS News (4/29, Harwood, 8.2M) website, the "major question" now is whether Russia will be able to guide the reentry into a safe location. Meanwhile, Kelly said, "We have a lot of redundancy on board the space station. ... One of the great things about this international partnership is that we do have other vehicles that can resupply the space station."

        AFP (4/30) reports that this incident is "the latest embarrassment" for Russia, which has suffered "a series of mishaps."

        Bloomberg News (4/29, Bachman, 3.81M) notes that one of the consequences of the loss of the Progress is that the astronaut's menus may become "drab" with no deliveries of fresh fruit. However, Schierholz "emphasized" on Wednesday, "Both the Russian and [U.S.] segments of the station continue to operate normally and are adequately supplied well beyond the next planned resupply flight."

        Meanwhile, Reuters (4/30, Stubbs) reports that Roscosmos deputy-head Alexander Ivanov said that additional Progress cargo mission will now be delayed until the second half of the year.

        According to Sen (4/29, Zak), there are unofficial reports that "the flight control system onboard the third stage failed to shutdown its engine" when Progress separated from its rocket, which caused "a violent collision between the two." Determining exactly what happened will be "critically important" for "a large array of Russian military and civilian missions, which rely on the Soyuz-2-1a rocket."

        Russia's ITAR-TASS News Agency (4/29, 5K) reports that Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin will conduct "a special meeting" to review the incident.

            Blog Coverage. Jason Rhian at Spaceflight Insider (4/29) contrasts the failed Progress mission with Russia's rhetoric about that the US could use "trampolines" to get astronauts to the ISS is it did not want to use Russian rockets. The current situation is "a drastic change" from Russia's claims of its spaceflight prowess. To Rhian, NASA astronauts like Kelly are demonstrating "more grace" in their comments today.

Rep. Posey Reintroduces Bill For Moon Mission.

The Washington Post (4/29, Itkowitz, 5.03M) reports in its "In The Loop" blog that Florida Rep. Bill Posey (R) reintroduced legislation for "NASA to 'plan to return to the Moon by 2023 and develop a sustained human presence on the Moon.'" Two years ago, Posey was one of the Congressmen who gave NASA Administrator Charles Bolden "a hard time about" not being able to deflect an asteroid headed for Earth. Today, Posey opposes NASA's planned Asteroid Redirect Mission.

        Blog Coverage. Eric Berger at the Houston Chronicle (4/29, 2.29M) "ScieGuy" blog writes about the current "political attacks" by House Republicans on NASA' Earth Science programs. While Berger does not think that it is not inherently improper to question the funding levels, he does believe the current arguments about their "validity" are "less justified" than they may think because NASA's current program has its roots in the Reagan and George H. W. Bush Administrations.

NASA Responds To Mother's Facebook Plea.

The Daily Mail (UK) (4/30, Cliff, 5.37M) reports on the story of a boy whose mother asked Facebook users to send her lonely son birthday cards. The child suffers from speech problems and does not have friends at school. He received birthday cards from around the globe, including from NASA .and 21st Century Fox.

NASA Wants Private Space Station To Come After ISS.

The Wall Street Journal (4/30, Pasztor, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports that in a talk at the Milken Institute Global Conference, William Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, discussed NASA's vision for the post-ISS future. He said, "What we'd like to do is have the next space station…be a private space station that is driven primarily by fundamental or basic research coming from the private sector. ... We can just buy these services." According to the article, NASA's willingness to turn to commercial space stations is based off of the unwillingness of current ISS partners to extend the station past 2024.

Kelly: ISS' New Screen A "Welcomed Improvement."

The AP (4/30, Dunn) reports that on Wednesday, ISS astronaut Scott Kelly said that the station's new 65-inch projection screen is "really a welcome improvement on board." Kelly said, "It was a lot of fun to be able to watch" the movie "Gravity" on the screen while in space.

Air Force Plans To Use Different Contract Method To Accelerate Development Of Non-Russian Engine.

Reuters (4/30, Shalal) reports that on Wednesday, in testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Air Force Secretary Deborah James said that the Air Force could use a non-standard contract type to accelerate the development of a new US engine to replace the Russian RD-180s. James also wanted the legislators to change the wording in the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act to allow the United Launch Alliance (ULA) to use Russian engines it has already ordered, but not paid for. Otherwise, ULA may not be able to compete for contracts past 2018.

        The Air Force Times (4/29, Everstine, 166K) reports that Sen. John McCain asked James if it was wise "to subsidize the Russian military industrial base" by purchasing more Russian engines. James replied that it was not, "but the assured access to space is even more important."

        Bloomberg News (4/29, Capaccio, 3.81M), meanwhile, notes that James said that SpaceX would be certified to compete for launched by June, having "made tremendous progress in establishing their place as a DoD launch provider."

        Blog Coverage. Colin Clark at Breaking Defense (4/30, 18K), writing about McCain's displeasure about the reliance on the Russian engine, noted that no one he has spoken to actually thinks that the US could build an engine in the timeframe that Congress wants, even if it is a "laudatory goal." Clark comments that while it may be true that the US has been "complacent" when it comes to the Russian engines, the situation "may be too important to rush," especially when the US does "very closely with Russia on a range of civil space issues," such as the ISS program.

Ten Current Projects Prepare For Mars Missions.

Business Insider (4/30, Orwig, 3.36M) lists 10 current projects NASA and others are working on now that are "pushing the boundaries of technology and human psychology, physiology, and ingenuity" in order to prepare for missions to Mars. These include Scott Kelly's one-year mission at the ISS, the Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD), the Space Launch System, the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM), SpaceX's reusable rocket technology, an MIT's MOXIE machine to make oxygen on Mars, Mars analog projects, the Asteroid Redirect Mission, NASA's work on new spacesuit designs, and the Mars One mission.

Cristoforetti Studying Muscle Loss Using Roundworms.

Sen (4/30, Winder) reports that at the ISS, astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is conducting an experiment on the loss of muscle mass in space using "tiny nematode worms (roundworms)." This is "one of many experiments" the ISS crew is currently taking part in.

Colorado High School Students Building Experiment To Send To ISS.

The KUSA-TV Denver (4/29, Rodriguez, 248K) website reports that students at Centaurus High School in Lafayette, Colorado are working on an experiment to investigate why bacteria in space have a shorter beginning part in their growth. Their system will be tested on a zero-gravity flight and, eventually sent to the International Space Station on a SpaceX rocket.

NASA To Discuss Technology At Offshore Drilling Conference.

The Houston Chronicle (4/30, Grattan, 2.29M) reports on the upcoming annual Offshore Technology Conference. Among the events, Doreen Chin of Shell and NASA commercial partnerships manager John Gowan "will discuss technological needs common to space exploration and offshore drilling," including "how NASA and oil and gas can work together to make both undertakings safer and push forward with technologies such as wireless sensing and robotics." Additionally, NASA astronaut Michael Bloomfield will speak.

Deaf NASA Engineer Profiled.

Alabama Live (4/30, Roop, 416K) profiles Vicky Garcia, an engineer for NASA at the Marshall Space Flight Center who is deaf. She works with hearing-impaired children at a special Space Camp program at the US Space & Rocket Center.

Wilson Interviewed About Her Three Spaceflights.

The Miami Times (4/29) reports that NASA astronaut and engineer Stephanie Wilson discussed her experience on three spaceflights with Miami-based MDC-TV, describing her roles and activities. Wilson, the second African American female in space, has spent over 42 days in space. She said in the interview, "As a little girl, It was always my dream to work for NASA."

Clifford Discusses His Parkinson's Disease.

The WZZM-TV Grand Rapids, MI (4/29, Lego, 43K) website interviews NASA astronaut Rich Clifford. Clifford discussed his battle with Parkinson's disease, with which he was diagnosed prior to his final mission in space. The documentary, "The Astronaut's Secret," also details his experience of going to space after being diagnosed with the disease.

Huntsville Rated A Top Place For US Tech Jobs.

Alabama Live (4/30, Berry, 416K) reports that NerdWallet rated Huntsville, Alabama, "the second best place for technology-related jobs in the U.S." Analyst Sreekar Jasthi said that NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is one of "the main drivers in Huntsville."

Webber Speaks At Nile University.

The Cairo Post (4/30) reports that former NASA astronaut Mary Ellen Webber spoke at Nile University on Wednesday. She discussed her experience in space, saying, "The really cool thing about being in space? Looking at the earth!" She described the view of Egypt from above, "My view of the Nile and the Delta was beautiful! The dark green, the golden sand and the blue of the Mediterranean."

 

 

 

 

JSC 2.0

JSC External Homepage

Inside JSC

JSC Events

JSC Today Guidelines

Submit JSC Today

JSC Roundup

NASA News

Connect

Category Definitions

April 29, 1990, Shuttle Discovery Lands Following Hubble Deployment Mission

 

 

   Headlines

  1. Joint Leadership Team Web Poll

I hope more people have a chance next year to visit the Safety, Health and Environmental Spring Fair. It was really good. This week I was wondering about how "buried" people feel. It's important, for your development, to get a chance to be seen and heard at many levels. Do you get face time at directorate meetings? Division meetings? Agencywide? JJ needs to call his mom every day, so please let him know that the next time you see him. Speaking of sports teams, the Rockets destroyed the Mavs to stay alive in the playoffs. Who do you think is most crucial to their continued success? The coach? The beard? The fans? Clutch your City on over to get this week's poll.

Joel Walker x30541 http://jlt.jsc.nasa.gov/

[top]

  1. NASA@work: Mars EVA Gap Challenge Now Open

Innovation 2015 has officially begun! This year is all about Mars, and we need your help to get us there. A new challenge has been posted on the NASA@work platform that asks our community to identify hidden gaps in our Mars extravehicular (EVA) systems and operations. NASA has done lots of work in this area and has identified technology gaps and roadmaps, engineering domain plans and a Mars mission definition. But what items might still be missing? Think about areas that might not fit into traditional systems—things like gaps in our operations, systems engineering and integration, human factors, team dynamics models and more.

To submit your ideas, please visit the Mars EVA Gap Challenge.

Kathryn Keeton 281-826-9792 http://nasa.innocentive.com

[top]

  1. Annual IT Security Training

The deadline is approaching for the Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Information Technology (IT) Security and Privacy Awareness Training requirement for all NASA civil servants and contractors, available through SATERN. This training is also required if you apply for a remote-access token and to remotely access Integrated Enterprise Management Program applications such as eTravel and WebTADS. If you are unable to access SATERN or need assistance with IT Security Training, contact the NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC). Mac users are recommended to use Safari to access SATERN. If you require a SATERN user name and password, follow the instructions listed on the SATERN website. For further assistance, contact the SATERN Help Desk at 1-877-NSSC-123 (1-877-677-2123), or JSC-IRD-Outreach at x37682.

JSC-IRD-Outreach X37682 http://ird.jsc.nasa.gov/ITSecurity/default.aspx

[top]

   Organizations/Social

  1. Autism Support Group

As a result of our recent presentation on autism in recognition of Autism Awareness Month, the JSC Employee Assistance Program noticed a need to support those impacted by autism. If you are interested in being a part of an on-site autism group, please contact Lorrie either by email or at 281-483-6130. We plan to take input from participants to determine the frequency and building/room preference. There appears to be a significant need to offer networking, resource sharing and support for caregivers in regards to autism. Please contact us with any questions and interest in participation that you may have. Thank you.

Lorrie Bennett, Employee Assistance Program, Occupational Health Branch x36130

[top]

  1. HERG Hosting Cinco de Mayo Social at Chuy's

The Hispanic Employee Resource Group (HERG) will be hosting a Cinco de Mayo Social on Tuesday, May 5, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Chuy's Tex-Mex Restaurant (located at 20975 Gulf Fwy, Webster, 77598).

This event is an excellent opportunity to network with members of the JSC community and other HERG members.

Please RSVP so we can make reservations to Libby Moreno at 281-483-8608 or via email.

Event Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2015   Event Start Time:5:00 PM   Event End Time:7:00 PM
Event Location: Chuy's, 20975 Gulf Fwy, Webster, TX 77598

Add to Calendar

Libby Moreno x38608 https://collaboration.ndc.nasa.gov/iierg/hispanic/default.aspx

[top]

  1. AIAA ATS Date Change - Register Today

The date for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)-Houston 2015 Annual Technical Symposium (ATS) has been moved to Friday, June 5, at 8 a.m. at the Gilruth Center (previously May 8)!

    • $15 for AIAA members
    • $20 for non-AIAA member students
    • $25 for non-AIAA members

A lunch buffet is included in the registration cost. A continental breakfast (including coffee) is being provided in the Gilruth Alamo Ballroom during registration.

Register now!

Civil servant registration via SATERN is coming soon.

See more here.

Event Date: Friday, June 5, 2015   Event Start Time:8:00 AM   Event End Time:3:00 PM
Event Location: NASA/JSC Gilruth Center

Add to Calendar

Justine Wiles x41728 http://www.aiaahouston.org/event/2015-annual-technical-symposium/

[top]

  1. Mattress Mack Talks Focus, Safety & More - May 6

Make plans to hear Jim McIngvale, Houston's Man of the Year for 2014, discuss the importance of focus, innovation, teamwork and safety on May 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CDT in the Gilruth Alamo Ballroom.

During his presentation "Innovate or Evaporate 2.0," "Mattress Mack" will discuss how Total Quality Management principles he learned from Edward Deming still apply to his day-to-day business operations, as well as share personal stories, innovations and teamwork that inspire him and others to be successful. McIngvale is a well-known community leader and businessman (founder of Gallery Furniture) who has overcome many challenges and obstacles to become a positive force in the community.

Event Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2015   Event Start Time:11:30 AM   Event End Time:1:00 PM
Event Location: Gilruth Center's Alamo Ballroom

Add to Calendar

Della Cardona/Juan Traslavina 281-335-2074/281-335-2272

[top]

  1. Astronaut Ron Garan Returns to JSC Next Week

Only six days left until astronaut Ron Garan returns to JSC!

Garan flew on STS-124 and International Space Station Expeditions 27 and 28. He will be signing copies of his new book, "The Orbital Perspective," in the Building 3 café next Wednesday, May 6, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Books must be pre-ordered for the signing, so visit the ShopNASA Gift Shops in Buildings 3 or 11 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: Building 3 Cafeteria

Add to Calendar

Ansley Browns x46487 http://shopnasa.com

[top]

   Jobs and Training

  1. 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: May 26 to June 25

When: Monday through Thursday, noon to 1 p.m.

Where: Building 12, Room 158

Please register via SATERN.

Natalia Rostova 281-851-3745

[top]

  1. Mastering the Art of Project Management: May 6-7

Mastering the Art of Project Management is an intensive, interactive, high-level program. Enterprise Project Management is one of the hottest topics in the world today, and mastering the art is the roadmap to success. There is a very definite trend for global companies to learn these new skills, since it focuses the entire organization on a common strategy and project priorities based on Return on Investment.

This course is specially designed for managers and executives with both project and operations management experience who have taken the Art of Project Management.

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

Dates: Wednesday to Thursday, May 6 to 7

Location: Building 12, Room 152

Zeeaa Quadri x39723 https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHED...

[top]

  1. APPEL: Assertiveness for Technical Professionals

Learn how to get the job done without worrying, express thoughts clearly, make requests without fear, refuse unreasonable requests without guilt and resolve disputes calmly and effectively.

This course targeted toward all technical professionals and managers at every level of the management team who must work effectively with others to get top results. It's also perfect for team leaders and technical contributors who do not possess formal authority to direct others, but who must express themselves clearly and work with others cooperatively to achieve project success.

This course is open for self-registration in SATERN until Wednesday, May 20, and is open to civil servants and contractors.

Dates: Wednesday through Thursday, May 27 to 28

Location: Building 12, Room 146

Zeeaa Quadri x39723 https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHED...

[top]

  1. LASER Virtual Workshop:Supervision as a Discipline

Please join fellow supervisors from across the agency for a virtual event led by peers to hear about "ah-ha" moments from the LASER Program. Learn to make more intentional choices about how you want to lead your team and encourage them to fully engage and contribute to NASA's mission. Examine and discuss the benefits of: self-awareness as a deep understanding of yourself and your ability to continuously grow and develop; create strong connections with employees that engage and inspire them toward the NASA vision; build skillful and rich relationships with peers, employees, partners and leaders inside and outside the agency; foster a motivating, productive work environment in support of the unique needs and requirements for your organization; and identify specific actions you can take to improve your workplace.

SATERN Registration: LMD-LASER-SD (ID#78307)

Target Audience: Potential future LASER participants, experienced supervisor cohort participants, first-line supervisors and supervisors of current LASER participants

Nancy Garrick x33076

[top]

   Community

  1. Co-ops & Interns Needed for HS Aerospace Scholars

You've landed a great summer internship—now pay it forward by mentoring High School Aerospace Scholars (HAS) students. Share your NASA experience, college background and advice with students interested in following your footsteps, and lend a hand as they participate in engineering challenges and plan a mission to Mars. There are six weeks to choose from, and the commitment requires about 20 hours.

Summer Schedule:

    • Week 1: June 15 to 19
    • Week 2: June 22 to 26
    • Week 3: July 6 to 10
    • Week 4: July 13 to 17
    • Week 5: July 20 to 24
    • Week 6: July 27 to 31

If interested, please:

1. Complete the mentor application here.

2. Create a V-CORPs account.

3. Review mentor responsibilities.

4. Apply by May 4.

Brandi Dean x41403 http://has.aerospacescholars.org/mentors

[top]

  1. Movie Science: Who Cares if it's Wrong?

The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) invites all inquisitive adults to attend "Movie Science: Who Cares if it's Wrong?," a presentation by Dr. Seth Shostak of the SETI Institute. This free public presentation on May 7 is the final presentation in LPI's 2014-2015 Cosmic Explorations Speaker Series, "Science" on the Silver Screen.

The presentation begins at 7:30 p.m. and will be followed by a light reception. Registration is required, as seating is limited to 250.

LPI is located in the USRA building at 3600 Bay Area Boulevard in Clear Lake; the entrance is on Middlebrook Drive. For more information, please click here.

Andrew Shaner 281-486-2163

[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.

 

Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)