Monday, April 27, 2015

Fwd: [nasa-jsc-retirees-list] FW:NASA News and JSC Today has gone red - Monday, April 27, 2015



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Begin forwarded message:

From: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Date: April 27, 2015 at 8:18:12 AM CDT
To: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Subject: [nasa-jsc-retirees-list] FW:NASA News and  JSC Today has gone red - Monday, April 27, 2015
Reply-To: larry.j.moon@nasa.gov

JSC Today - Monday, April 27, 2015

Happy Rainy Monday everyone.   Be safe out there in the Houston metro area driving around.

 

 

LEADING THE NEWS

• Hubble Telescope Has Overcome Much To Reach Its 25th Anniversary.

NASA NEWS

• Bolden Addresses University Of Pittsburgh Graduates.

• Nelson Predicts Manned Mars Mission At UVA.

• House To Mark Up NASA Authorization It Says Will "Balance" NASA's Portfolio.

• NASA IG Finds Plum Brook Is Underutilized.---------No Kidding!

• Apollo 13's Lovell And Kranz Speak At Georgia Regents University.

• ABC Releases Trailer For Upcoming "Astronaut Wives Club" TV Series.

HUMAN EXPLORATION AND OPERATIONS

• ISS Astronauts Watch "Gravity" On Movie Night.

• Progress Spacecraft Leaves The ISS.

• New Rockets Under Development Could Transform KSC, Cape Canaveral.

• Space Congress Meets This Week.

• Santa Monica Student Art Headed To Space.

• Japanese Astronaut Heading To The ISS In May.

• Williams Talks With Winter, Wisconsin Students.

• Students Team Compete In NASA Culinary Challenge.

• Cameron Dines With Middle School Students.

Hubble Telescope Has Overcome Much To Reach Its 25th Anniversary.

The New York Times (4/24, Overbye, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) continued coverage on the Hubble telescope's 25th anniversary in space, one of the "few icons of science" that has survived "political storms, physical calamities and the simple passage of time" over the course of its history. Like previous coverage, the NYTimes highlighted that it took "tense" spacewalks to correct the problems that threatened to make the telescope a "technoturkey" after its launch. Even after that, Hubble has "reborn again and again over the years, thanks to the efforts of astronaut servicing crews." John M. Grunsfeld, NASA associate administrator for science, who was noted as being instrumental in saving the Hubble over the years, said that the current festivities for the telescope "is a celebration partly about the telescope and partly about NASA...but much of it is a celebration of people doing science."

        The Los Angeles Times (4/24, Greene, 4.03M) reported that Mike Garcia, a program scientist for Hubble at NASA headquarters, said, "The Hubble images capture the beauty of the heavens in a way that nothing else has done. The pictures are works of art, and nothing else has done that." John Trauger of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory similarly praised the telescope, saying, "Hubble has really helped the idea of communicating science." According to the article, Garcia believes that the telescope has reached "its scientific peak of productivity," adding, "It just hit its stride."

Bolden Addresses University Of Pittsburgh Graduates.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (4/27, Wereschagin, 682K) reports that NASA Administrator Charles Bolden spoke to 6,000 University of Pittsburgh graduates on Sunday. He told the graduates during their commencement, "You're part of the generation that will travel to an asteroid, that will walk the face of Mars — and, yes, return home safely." Meanwhile, ahead of the address, Bolden told the paper about NASA's use of commercial space companies to reach the ISS. He said, "Today NASA doesn't provide access to low-Earth orbit. We buy it ... It cost us $2 billion a year to maintain the shuttle — for the standing army, the facilities and everything — and that was whether we flew or not. Today we pay a set price for cargo. We pay a set price for crew. And if the provider doesn't fly, they don't get paid." With no likely spike in funding coming for NASA like it did during the Apollo era, Bolden said, "We should feel threatened by the fact that we are lagging the rest of the world in science and technology and research and development — the things that this university does, for example. .. That's what universities used to thrive on. That's where this nation became so great. It's because we were doing research and development here in the nursery of future leaders, in the breeding ground of future leaders. We don't do that to the same degree that we used to."

Nelson Predicts Manned Mars Mission At UVA.

The Charlottesville (VA) Daily Progress (4/24, Quizon, 91K) reports that in a talk at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, Sen. Bill Nelson predicted that there will be a manned Mars mission "sometime during the 2030s." According to the article, Nelson's talk, which was a mix of politics and space development, "seemed to work well on the crowd." One engineering student reportedly was "hopeful but skeptical" about Nelson's claim, especially as there are doubts "about whether the funding will be there."

        The WVIR-TV Charlottesville, VA (4/24, 41K) website also covered the story.

        Space Agencies Do Not Foresee Mars Mission For Decades. The New Scientist (4/25, 15K) reported that NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Johann-Dietrich Wörner, the incoming head of the ESA, claim that humanity will "be waiting decades for humans to walk on Martian soil." Citing Bolden's recent statement that "no commercial company without the support of NASA and government is going to get to Mars," the article added that even NASA only has a "loose and unfunded plan" for a Mars mission.

        In contrast, Business Insider (4/24, Dickerson, 3.36M) reported that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, "during an episode of Neil deGrasse Tyson's StarTalk Radio show," said that a person could land on Mars "within the next 12 years." Musk said he was motivated to make a Mars mission SpaceX's goal in part because he could not find a date on NASA's website. The article noted that NASA does currently have "a realistic time frame" for a manned mission, but its future is "a little murky" because of "budget cut after budget cut." Meanwhile, the article considered that this timeframe may not be "crazy," especially because of NASA's "faith in SpaceX's lofty goals," which was demonstrated by its commercial crew and cargo contracts.

        Some Think Mars One Cannot Succeed Because Of Lack Of NASA Backing. Sarah Townsend at Arabian Business (ARE) (4/24, Townsend, 194K) wrote about an interview with Bas Lansdorp, the head of Mars One. He had "the nervous expression of somebody expecting to, but hoping he won't, be attacked," which Townsend thought was possibly caused by the "grilling" he has received over the project in recent months. Townsend noted that while Lansdorp speaks with certainty about the "extensive research and development" now taking place, there has been "scarcely any research." Furthermore, people have pointed to "a lack of funding, no spacecraft and no formal support from NASA" as reasons why the project will fail. A NASA spokesperson said, "We have no involvement or insight into the Mars One activity. NASA is focused on our own journey to Mars — one that began more than four decades ago when our robotic explorers were the first to study the Red Planet. We continue to make important scientific discoveries that will one day pave the way for our astronauts." Townsend commented that the venture appears "all the more risky" because NASA is not involved.

House To Mark Up NASA Authorization It Says Will "Balance" NASA's Portfolio.

Space News (4/24, Foust, Subscription Publication, 481) reported that the House Science Committee is expected to "mark up a two-year NASA authorization bill on April 30" that "returns balance to NASA's entire portfolio." NASA will receive the same amount of money in the Administration's proposed 2016 budget for NASA, but would reduce funds for Earth sciences and space technology, while increasing money for exploration systems and planetary sciences. The bill also will have a "constrained" version of the same budget that assumes the Budget Control Act is not amended.

        The Examiner (4/24, Whittington, 1.2M) blog and Guardian Liberty Voice (NV) (4/26, Boulware, 23K) also covered the story.

        Blog Coverage. Eric Berger at the Houston Chronicle (4/24, 2.29M) noted that "for the first time," the House did give the commercial crew program its full request. This is "a new twist" in what Berger considers to be a familiar budget fight between the House and the Obama Administration. He thinks the House will now fight over Earth Science like it did the commercial crew program in the past.

        Meanwhile, Mark Whittington at the Examiner (4/25, 1.2M) blog wrote that an overheard exchange by William Gerstenmaier, Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations at NASA, and space consultant Mary Lynne Dittmar showed that NASA is willing to go against President Obama's space policy and return to the moon, especially if a foreign partner was willing to develop a lunar lander. He described this as "Gerstenmaier's big idea." Whittington thinks NASA is "signaling through the media" to Congress that it is willing to change course if Congress decides to legislate it. Whittington thought it was an "open question" just how the Administration would react to these proposals.

NASA IG Finds Plum Brook Is Underutilized.

Space News (4/24, Leone, Subscription Publication, 481) reported that in an audit of Plum Brook Station, NASA's inspector general (IG) found that the "majority of the test facilities are underutilized, with the level of use and funding for these facilities depending on NASA programs and external customers choosing to perform testing at Plum Brook rather than at other NASA or private facilities." The article noted that the IG wants NASA to either find a way for "maintaining or disposing of underutilized infrastructure," which NASA agreed with. Plum Brook's B-2 Spacecraft Propulsion Research Facility is "of special concern to the IG" because of the $15 million it needs in repairs. No one is currently scheduled to use the facility. The current "leading candidate" is the Space Launch System (SLS), but the IG found that the SLS program "would be expected to cover the estimated $15 million in basic refurbishment costs as well as SLS Program-specific test costs, which could likely be significant."

Apollo 13's Lovell And Kranz Speak At Georgia Regents University.

The Augusta (GA) Chronicle (4/25, Highfield, 184K) reported that Apollo 13's James Lovell and Gene Kranz recently spoke at Georgia Regents University about their mission. One student called the talk "a 'surreal' experience," while another thought it was "more exciting than the 1995 movie Apollo 13," according to he article.

        The WAGT-TV website also covered the story.

        Apollo Engineer Profiled. The U-T San Diego (4/26, Kragen, 579K) profiles Shelby Jacobs, who NASA called one of the "unsung heroes" of the Apollo program. The retired engineer "designed the camera system that in 1968 captured the famous color video of a ringlike section of the Saturn V rocket separating from the Apollo 6 spacecraft."

        Backpack Strap Used In Space Auctioned For $41,000. The AP (4/24) reported that RR Auction of Massachusetts "says the strap that Edgar Mitchell brought back as a souvenir of the mission fetched $41,806 this week." Mitchell's full space suit is on display at the National Air and Space Museum.

ABC Releases Trailer For Upcoming "Astronaut Wives Club" TV Series.

collectSPACE (4/24, Pearlman) reported on a trailer released by ABC during its Thursday night line-up that gave viewers a sneak peak at the upcoming show "The Astronaut Wives Club," a fictional drama set in 1959. The show, based on the Lily Koppel bestseller of 2013, claims to be "based on a true story," and follows the wives of the crew of astronauts who piloted the Mercury mission.

ISS Astronauts Watch "Gravity" On Movie Night.

BBC News (4/27, 1.79M) reported that during "movie night" at the ISS, astronauts watched "Gravity." It was seen on "a brand new HD projector" just sent to the ISS for conferences. The article posted tweet's about the movie and the screen from astronaut Scott Kelly, who has also sent back images "of his living space – and explaining that his iPad is usually used for work, although he does have some TV shows recorded on there too."

        The Metro (UK) (4/27, Payton, 150K) notes that astronauts in space watching a movie about a space disaster is a known "perverse enjoyment of people working in isolated situation."

        Also covering the movie are the Daily Mirror (UK) (4/26, Edwards, 788K), UpRoxx (4/27, 993K), The Verge (4/26, D'Orazio, 913K), Mashable (4/26, Schroeder, 2.3M), collectSPACE (4/27, Pearlman), and io9 (4/25, Eddy, 837K).

       

Progress Spacecraft Leaves The ISS.

The Aviation Week (4/25, Carreau, 2K) "On Space" blog reported that a Progress cargo spacecraft departed the ISS on Saturday to make room for another Progress spacecraft "just days away from lift off" on Tuesday. The Progress 57 spacecraft, now that it has left the ISS with trash, was set "to make a destructive re-entry" yesterday.

        ITAR-TASS News Agency (4/25, 5K) also covers the story.

New Rockets Under Development Could Transform KSC, Cape Canaveral.

The Orlando (FL) Sentinel (4/26, Powers, 776K) reports that the Space Launch System, SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, ULA's Vulcan, and Blue Origin's upcoming rocket are part of the "new, bigger, bolder and more advanced rockets" that will make the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station "the 21st-century multiuser launch center that officials have been talking about since the space shuttle program ended in 2011." Dale Ketcham, chief of strategic alliances for Space Florida, said that the competition between these companies is "a good thing." The article notes that a side benefit of these efforts also could be "new waves of tourists" coming to the region to see launches.

        SpaceX, Blue Origin In "21st-Century Space Race" In Texas. The AP (4/26, Graczyk) reports on the "21st-century space race" taking place in Texas between Blue Origin and SpaceX, both of which are led by billionaires with "seemingly unlimited resources...and lofty aspirations." Their work toward lowering the cost of launches through reusable spacecraft comes after "Texas' glory days of space exploration," which was implied by the article to have ended with the space shuttle. David Kanipe, a former NASA division chief, said both of these companies want to work on their own and not "use or benefit from the lessons learned from what NASA did for 40 years, 50 years."

        TechRadar (4/25, Bookwalter, 221K), meanwhile, listed the leading commercial spacecraft companies, noting that NASA and the ESA are supporting the companies through programs like the Centennial Challenges.

Space Congress Meets This Week.

Florida Today (4/26, Dean, 168K) reported that the Space Congress, which once brought in "more than 1,000 aerospace industry professionals from around the country and even internationally," is being held this week in Cape Canaveral. Organizers hope "to revive the once-proud event." This year's topics include "NASA and Air Force Innovation at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport," the "emerging roles for states and local governments in space programs," and "the return of human spaceflight to the area." According to the article, the lower prominence of the event "somewhat mirrors the area's space program," especially after the end of the Apollo mission.

Santa Monica Student Art Headed To Space.

The Santa Monica (CA) Daily Press (4/27, Goodman, 74) reports that students at Lincoln Middle School in Santa Monica, California have designed two decorative patches that were chosen to accompany a science experiment also designed by Lincoln students to the ISS. The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, which slected the experiment, supports and promotes STEM field learning in young students, as well as "the importance of interdisciplinary learning and communication, which is why organizers include an artistic component."

Japanese Astronaut Heading To The ISS In May.

The Japan Times (4/24, 6K) reported that Japan's Kimiya Yui launches to the ISS on May 27 for a six-month mission.

Williams Talks With Winter, Wisconsin Students.

KDLH-TV Duluth, MN (4/24, 10:29 p.m. CDT, 5K) broadcast that astronaut Jeff Williams was in his hometown of Winter, Wisconsin to speak about his time in space to local students. He said he made his first mission in 2000, "at the very early part of the space station assembly process and then I got an opportunity to go back this time on a Russian rocket, a Soyuz in 2006 and spent six months on the International Space Station." The article notes that he has another mission scheduled in 2016.

        The KBJR-TV Duluth, MN (4/24, Anderson, 1K) website also covered the story.

Students Team Compete In NASA Culinary Challenge.

The KDAF-TV Dallas NewsFix (4/24) website reported that high school teams competed at the Johnson Space Center to develop a meal for ISS astronauts. Alli Westover, project manager for the NASA Culinary Challenge, said, "Students are challenged to make food that has certain specifications in it, such as sodium content, sugar content, carbohydrates and fiber." Vickie Kloeris, manager of the ISS Food System, added, "The biggest challenge in making the proper food for astronauts is the fact that we do not have refrigerators or freezers for food on board the International Space Station." The article noted that it did not know which team actually won the contest.

        The KAMR-TV Amarillo, TX (4/24, 428) website noted a winner will not be named "for another few weeks."

Cameron Dines With Middle School Students.

The Tennessean (4/24, 444K) reported that a group of sixth graders from Joe Shafer Middle School in Galatin, Tennessee spent a weekend in Orlando, Florida. As part of their trip, the students got to eat a meal with and ask questions of NASA astronaut Ken Cameron at the Kennedy Space Center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Headlines

  1. Mars(cia)! Mars(cia!) Mars(cia)!

Yes, Mars Week is upon us! Your first stop on NASA's #JourneyToMars is right here in the Teague Auditorium at noon to hear renowned TED speaker Daniel Kraft, MD, talk about "The Future of Health and Medicine: Where Can Technology Take Us?" 

Human health and the development of countermeasures to combat extraterrestrial environs is just one vital piece in solving the puzzle that is the Red Planet. Expand your knowledge and ignite your imagination in the very important field of health and medicine, and help us complete our #JourneyToMars.

JSC External Relations, Office of Communications and Public Affairs x35111 http://strategicplan.jsc.nasa.gov/default.aspx?j=ZhKxoiXmJrPFMFcGxKny0Ht...

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  1. NASA TV to Broadcast ISS Cargo Ship Activities

NASA TV will provide live coverage of the arrival of a cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) beginning late into the night.

Progress 59 will launch and dock to the station Tuesday, April 28, with almost three tons of food, fuel and supplies for the station's Expedition 43 crew.

NASA TV coverage will begin at 1:45 a.m. The spacecraft will launch at 2:09 a.m. (1:09 p.m. Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, make a four-orbit, six-hour trip to the space station and dock at 8:07 a.m. Docking coverage will begin at 7:30 a.m.

JSC, Ellington Field, Sonny Carter Training Facility and White Sands Test Facility employees with hard-wired computer network connections can view the event 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.

JSC External Relations, Office of Communications and Public Affairs x35111 http://www.nasa.gov/station

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  1. Memorial & Tree Planting – M. Scott Carpenter

A memorial service honoring the life of astronaut M. Scott Carpenter will be held Friday, May 1, at 2 p.m. in the Teague Auditorium. Immediately following there will be a tree planting ceremony in the JSC Memorial Tree Grove.

Carpenter, one of the original "Mercury seven" astronauts, was the second spacefaring American to ever orbit the Earth, propelling NASA's dawn of human spaceflight. Read more about Carpenter's incredible life and achievements on JSC Features.

For the tree planting ceremony, there will be limited parking available along the tree grove; employees are encouraged to walk or carpool.

Event Date: Friday, May 1, 2015   Event Start Time:2:00 PM   Event End Time:3:30 PM
Event Location: Teague, Memorial Tree Grove

Add to Calendar

Stephanie Castillo x33341

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  1. Get Off the Phone! It's Distracted Driving Month

Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of death and injury for American drivers, and that includes NASA personnel. As the weather gets warmer, traffic increases on America's roads. Visit the NASA Safety Center website to find out how you can help prevent senseless accidents and keep yourself, your colleagues and your family safer.

Jan Wittry 440-962-3096 https://nsc.nasa.gov/

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   Organizations/Social

  1. ShopNASA's #JourneyToMars T-shirt Available Now

ShopNASA is celebrating Innovation 2015 Mars Week with an exclusive "Martian red" #JourneyToMars T-shirt! T-shirts are available for purchase in the Buildings 3 and 11 gift shops, as well as the Gilruth front desk, for $11.95.

The shirts will also be available at ShopNASA's Martian Exploration Outpost in the Teague Auditorium lobby tomorrow—before and after "The Martian" author Andy Weir's talk.

Celebrate NASA's #Journey to Mars with an exclusive T-shirt today!

Ansley Browns x46487 https://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/en/programs/special-events/mars-week-merch...

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  1. HSI ERG Meeting with HSI Case Study Presentation

Before you head to the Martian book event, come join us for lunch while we learn about and discuss a recent Human Systems Integration (HSI) case study that can help shape NASA's future efforts to avoid some of the pitfalls seen in the book. There are some great efforts going on to develop our HSI expertise and capabilities here at JSC. On the Orion Project, the team recently performed a human rating assessment of the Exploration Mission-2 mission/system. This effort provides a case study of HSI in progress on a program. Paul Campbell has been a key leader in this effort and will be joining us to discuss successes and lessons learned from this effort. During the meeting, we will also have a time for discussing those areas at JSC most in need of HSI development. Pizza and drinks will be provided.

Event Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2015   Event Start Time:11:00 AM   Event End Time:11:45 AM
Event Location: 1/620

Add to Calendar

James Taylor x34339 http://collaboration.jsc.nasa.gov/iierg/HSI/SitePages/Home.aspx

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   Jobs and Training

  1. Job Opportunities

Where do I find job opportunities?

Both internal Competitive Placement Plan and external JSC job announcements are posted on the Human Resources (HR) portal and USAJOBS website. Through the HR portal, civil servants can view summaries of all the agency jobs that are currently open at: https://hr.nasa.gov/portal/server.pt/community/employees_home/239/job_opportu...

To help you navigate to JSC vacancies, use the filter drop-down menu and select "JSC HR." The "Jobs" link will direct you to the USAJOBS website for the complete announcement and the ability to apply online.

Lateral reassignment and rotation opportunities have now moved to NASA Employee Talent Search (NETS). These opportunities do not possess known promotion potential.

If you have questions about any JSC job vacancies or reassignment opportunities, please call your HR representative.

Brandy Braunsdorf x30476

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  1. APPEL - Strategic Thinking for Project Success

This course introduces concepts and methods for using strategic thinking as a logical foundation upon which to shape project definition and management.

This course is designed for experienced project and program managers, chief engineers, lead and senior systems engineers and business group leaders.

This course is open for self-registration in SATERN until Thursday, May 14, and is open to civil servants and contractors.

Dates: Tuesday through Thursday, June 16 to 18

Location: Building 12, Room 152

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

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  1. Understanding & Creating SysML Models: May 12-15

This course covers all nine SysML diagram types in a quick and easy-to-learn format. A consistent system modeling example is presented throughout the course to better learn how SysML concepts and diagrams work together. We cover these concepts in a tool-independent manner with a focus on how to interpret SysML models. This course also provides a hands-on training, where participants learn to implement SysML concepts using a representative tool. These skills are reinforced by doing useful things with your SysML models—not just building them for the sake of documentation.

This course is designed for engineers, scientists, managers and technicians interested in model-based engineering.

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

Dates: Tuesday through Friday, May 12 to 15

Location: Building 12, Room 144

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

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   Community

  1. Save 10 Percent on SCH Summer Day Camps

JSC team members can save 10 percent on Space Center Houston (SCH) summer day camps! Book online using discount code JSCCAMP10 to save.

Send your child on a fun, action-packed summer adventure. Campers can train like an astronaut or drive a rover in our hands-on, science-based activities at SCH's day camps.

SCH offers a diverse collection of age-appropriate single-day and weeklong summer day camps that will ignite your child's imagination with inspiring innovations and discoveries. Campers ages 4 to 14 will experience science and the future of spaceflight while having an amazing time in camps like Astronaut Training I & II, Robot Ruckus, Aliens and Astronauts, Space Detectives, Rocket Combustion, Invention Dimension and more.

All NASA employees and NASA-badged contractors are eligible to save 10 percent on summer day camps. Reserve your space before the camps fill up. For more information, click here or call 281-283-4755.

Space Center Houston 281-283-4755 http://spacecenter.org/education-programs/day-camps/

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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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