Deep Space Information: 6月 2016

2016年6月30日星期四

The New World Atlas of Artificial Sky Brightness

How far are you from a naturally dark night sky? In increasing steps, this world map (medium | large) shows the effect of artificial night sky brightness on the visual appearance of the night sky. The brightness was modeled using high resolution satellite data and fit to thousands of night sky brightness measurements in recent work. Color-coded levels are compared to the natural sky brightness level for your location. For example, artificial sky brightness levels in yellow alter the natural appearance of the night sky. In red they hide the Milky Way in an artificial luminous fog. The results indicate that the historically common appearance of our galaxy at night is now lost for more than one-third of humanity. That includes 60% of Europeans and almost 80% of North Americans, along with inhabitants of other densely populated, light-polluted regions of planet Earth. via NASA http://ift.tt/2970a3C

NASA Awards Grants to Nine Informal Learning Institutions

NASA has awarded almost $10 million in grants to informal education organizations in seven states to help inspire the next generation of scientists and explorers.

June 30, 2016
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NASA Television to Air Next International Space Station Crew Launch

The next three crew members bound for the International Space Station are set to launch Wednesday, July 6. Live launch coverage will begin at 8:30 p.m. EDT on NASA Television and the agency's website.

June 30, 2016
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Aurora South of Australia

On June 24, 2016, Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams of NASA photographed the brilliant lights of an aurora from the International Space Station. Sharing the image on social media, Williams wrote, "We were treated to some spectacular aurora south of Australia today." via NASA http://ift.tt/2964Ep2

Juno's first taste of science from Jupiter

Jupiter is growing in Juno's forward view as the spacecraft approaches for its orbit insertion July 5 (July 4 in the Americas). The mission has released images from JunoCam and sonifications of data from the plasma waves instrument as Juno begins to sense Jupiter.

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NASA holds media briefings ahead of Juno's arrival at Jupiter Monday

Watch: Media Briefing - The Science of Juno's Mission to Jupiter

"During a news briefing from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California the science team involved with the Juno mission to Jupiter talked about the scientific goals of the mission.

This Fourth of July, the solar-powered Juno spacecraft will arrive at our solar system's most massive planet after an almost five-year journey. Once in Jupiter's orbit, the spacecraft will circle the Jovian world 37 times during 20 months, skimming to within 3,100 miles (5,000 kilometers) above the cloud tops. This is the first time a spacecraft will orbit the poles of Jupiter, providing new answers to ongoing mysteries about the planet's core, composition and magnetic fields."

Marc's note: NASA and Apple Music collaborated on short film, Visions of Harmony. The film and original music is available from the link in the tweet below on iTunes. It's worth watching.

Celebrating the intersection of art and science. @AppleMusic x @NASAJuno https://t.co/LcnGZMwxWG http://pic.twitter.com/p5JpmaCg82
— Apple Music (@AppleMusic) June 30, 2016

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NASA Awards Grants to Nine Informal Learning Institutions

NASA Television to Air Next International Space Station Crew Launch

Aurora South of Australia

ISS Daily Summary Report – 06/29/16

Exposed Experiment Handrail Attachment Mechanism (ExHAM) #1-2 Operations: Following the JEMAL depressurization, venting, and leak check yesterday, today ExHAM was installed on the JEMAL Slide Table and extended to the JEM Exposed Facility (JEF) side. ExHAM is a cuboid mechanism equipped with a grapple fixture on the upper surface for the Kibo’s robotic arm, Japanese Experiment Module Remote Manipulator System Small Fine Arm (JEMRMS SFA) for fixation to the handrail on the Kibo’s EF. There are 7 loadable experiments on the upper surface and 13 on the side surfaces. Liberated particles: After ExHAM installation had already been completed but while the external cameras were still configured, loose particles were observed crossing the field of view of one of the cameras in the JEM EF area. The source of these particles is not known at this time. Ground teams are investigating. 3D Printing in Zero-G Experiment Operations: Following yesterday’s activities to print the calibration and compression coupons in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG), today the ground team remotely operated the 3D printer to produce two more 3D printed test coupons, after which the crew removed and stowed them. The 3D Printing In Zero-G experiment demonstrates that a 3D printer works normally in space. A 3D printer extrudes streams of heated plastic, metal or other material, building layer on top of layer to create 3 dimensional objects. Testing a 3D printer using relatively low-temperature plastic feedstock on the ISS is the first step toward establishing an on-demand machine shop in space, a critical enabling component for deep-space crewed missions and in-space manufacturing. Synchronized Position Hold Engage and Reorient Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) Work Area Setup: In preparation for SPHERES maintenance operations tomorrow, the crew participated in a training session and crew conference with the payload developer before completing setup activities. The crew then configured the work area to activate and check out the hardware and the EXPRESS Laptop Computer ELC before testing begins. Upon inspection, it was found that two of the five beacons as well as the spare beacon had corrosion in their battery compartments. Ground teams are developing a cleaning procedure. Dose Tracker: The crew completed entries for medication tracking which documents the medication usage of crewmembers before and during their missions by capturing data regarding medication use during spaceflight, including side effect qualities, frequencies and severities. The data is expected to either support or counter anecdotal evidence of medication ineffectiveness during flight and unusual side effects experienced during flight. It is also expected that specific, near-real-time questioning about symptom relief and side effects will provide the data required to establish whether spaceflight-associated alterations in pharmacokinetics (PK) or pharmacodynamics (PD) is occurring during missions. Today’s Planned Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. JEMRMS Activate and Start Bus Monitor SEISMOPROGNOZ. Downlink data from Control and Data Acquisition Module (МКСД) HDD (start) r/g 2224 JEMAL ST Extension to JEF Side DUBRAVA. Observation and Photography using VSS / r/g 2668 SPHERES – Battery Charging 3DP Printed Coupon Removal and Stowage Filling EDV (KVO) for Elektron r/g 2660nu Separation Assembly Ops r/g 2673 Environmental Control & Life Support System (ECLSS) Tank Drain Verification of ИП-1 Flow Sensor Position / SM Pressure Control & Atmosphere Monitoring System TOCA Calibration PILOT-T. Preparation for the experiment r/g 2666 Environmental Control & Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain Part 2 SPHERES Battery Replacement MELF2 Stowage PILOT-T. Experiment Ops r/g 2666 JEMAL Slide Table Retraction WRS – Recycle Tank Fill from EDV 3DP Printed Coupon Removal and Stowage WRS Recycle Tank Fill from EDV DOSETRK Questionnaire Completion SPHERES Experiment OBT VELO Exercise, Day 3 SPHERES Battery Replacement SEISMOPROGNOZ. Download data from Control and Data Acquisition Module (МКСД) HDD (end) and start backup r/g 2224 SPHERES tagup with PD TOCA Calibration ARED Cylinder Flywheel Evacuation Stopping JEMRMS Arm Bus Monitoring Progress 432 [AO] Transfers and IMS Ops / r/g 1812, 1832 Replacement of СРВК-2М Gas-Liquid Mixture Filter r/g 2671 JEMRMS USB Memory Stick Virus Check JEMRMS Data Transfer SPHERES Battery Replacement USOS Window Shutter Close PILOT-T. Experiment Ops r/g 2667 PILOT-T. Closeout Ops Tagup with specialists / r/g 2667 SPHERES Battery Replacement Environmental Control & Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Fill Part 3 SPHERES. Maintenance Run IMS Delta File Prep Video Footage of Greetings / r/g 2670 WRS Recycle Tank Fill from EDV SPHERES Battery Replacement Completed Task List Items None Ground Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. JEMAL/EXHAM ops Nominal ground commanding Three-Day Look Ahead: Thursday, 06/30: SPHERES Docking Port test/maintenance run Friday, 07/01: 3D Printer Coupon prints and retrievals, ARED quarterly maintenance, T2 acoustic blanket install & SLM measurements Saturday, 07/02: Crew day off, housekeeping QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group: Component Status Elektron On Vozdukh Manual [СКВ] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) Off [СКВ] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”) On Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab Standby Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 Operate Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab Idle Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 Operate Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) Process Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) Standby Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab Off Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 Full Up

June 30, 2016 at 12:00AM
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The GOP’s Denial of Science Primed Them for the Illogic of Trump

Today is Asteroid Day

"Asteroid Day is a growing global movement, supported by international organizations, experts in planetary science, astronauts and citizens around the world to increase awareness, education and support of programs for greater detection, knowledge of the composition, mapping and deflection of dangerous asteroids. ASTEROID DAY is held each year on JUNE 30, the anniversary of the largest asteroid impact of Earth in recent history, 1908 Tunguska event in Siberia, which devastated 2000 square km/800 square miles in Siberia. ASTEROID DAY was co-founded in 2014 by Astrophysicist and QUEEN lead musician Dr. Brian May and Filmmaker Grig Richters, Apollo 9 Astronaut Rusty Schweickart and Silicon Valley operative Danica Remy."

More info: http://asteroidday.org

Slooh: Celebrate World Asteroid Day with Live Show, Expert Guests

"On Thursday, June 30, at 4:00 pm PDT | 7:00 pm EDT | 23:00 UTC (International Times: http://bit.ly/28YW91a), Slooh is celebrating World Asteroid Day with four hours of live programming and an amazing roster of guests."

Keith's note: I'll be appearing on SLOOH's Asteroid Day broadcast to talk about the NASA politics behing asteroid detection and collection missions - and how they do/do not relate to human missions to Mars.

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2016年6月29日星期三

From Alpha to Omega in Crete

This beautiful telephoto composition spans light-years in a natural night skyscape from the island of Crete. Looking south, exposures both track the stars and record a fixed foreground in three merged panels that cover a 10x12 degree wide field of view. The May 15 waxing gibbous moonlight illuminates the church and mountainous terrain. A mere 18 thousand light-years away, huge globular star cluster Omega Centauri (NGC 5139) shining above gives a good visual impression of its appearance in binoculars on that starry night. Active galaxy Centaurus A (NGC 5128) is near the top of the frame, some 11 million light-years distant. Also found toward the expansive southern constellation Centaurus and about the size of our own Milky Way is edge on spiral galaxy NGC 4945. About 13 million light-years distant it's only a little farther along, and just above the horizon at the right. via NASA http://ift.tt/293kSAl

Crew Dragon Pressure Vessel Put to the Test

Pressure vessels built by SpaceX to test its Crew Dragon designs are going through structural testing, so engineers can analyze the spacecraft’s ability to withstand the harsh conditions of launch and spaceflight. A pressure vessel is the area of the spacecraft where astronauts will sit during their ride to the International Space Station. via NASA http://ift.tt/293AbZK

Illinois Students Chat Live with NASA Astronaut, Space Station Commander

Students in Elgin, Illinois, will have the opportunity to speak with a NASA astronaut living and working aboard the International Space Station at 12:35 p.m. EDT Thursday, June 30. The 20-minute, Earth-to-space call will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

June 29, 2016
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Using the Most Violent Explosions in the Universe to Measure Its Size

ISS Daily Summary Report – 06/28/16

3D Printing in Zero-G Experiment Setup: Today, the crew set up the 3D Printer in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) work volume. The payload ground team remotely operated the device to produce two 3D printed test coupons, and the crew removed and stowed each of them. The 3D Printing In Zero-G experiment demonstrates that a 3D printer works normally in space. In general, a 3D printer extrudes streams of heated plastic, metal or other material, building layer on top of layer to create 3 dimensional objects. Testing a 3D printer using relatively low-temperature plastic feedstock on the ISS is the first step toward establishing an on-demand machine shop in space, a critical enabling component for deep-space crewed missions and in-space manufacturing. Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Airlock (JEM A/L) Operations: In preparation for tomorrow’s EXHAM installation on the JEM Exposed Facility (JEF) the JEM A/L was depressurized and the crew performed a leak check and vented residual air. When venting was complete, the vent valve and JEM A/L backup manual valve were closed. Habitability Human Factors Directed Observations: The crew completed a session of the Habitability experiment by recording and submitting a walk-through video documenting observations of an area or activity providing insight related to human factors and habitability. The Habitability investigation collects observations about the relationship between crew members and their environment on the ISS. Observations can help spacecraft designers understand how much habitable volume is required, and whether a mission’s duration impacts how much space crew members need. Health Maintenance System (HMS) Crew Medical Officer (CMO) Training: The crew completed this refresher course on some of the equipment and procedures taught in the CMO classes covering crew illness and/or injury. Lessons include text, pictures and video detailing previously learned medical procedures and hardware. Today’s Planned Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. Verification of anti-virus scan results on Auxiliary Computer System [ВКС] laptops / r/g 8247 Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) Activation of MSG glove box On MCC GO Regeneration of БМП Ф2 Micropurification Cartridge (start) JEM A/L Depress and Vent TM750 Camcorder Battery Operation Checkout VIZIR. Measuring SM panels 114, 116 / r/g 2655 Activation of Progress 431 (DC1), Air Duct Removal / IRS Activation/Deactivation ARED exercise video setup 3D Printing in Zero-G Payload Overview On MCC GO Removal of ССВП Quick-Disconnect screw clamps from DC1 side and video of DC1- Progress 431 interface 3D Printing in Zero-G Hardware Gather DC1-Progress 431 Hatch Closure / IRS Activation/Deactivation Cleaning FGB Gas-Liquid Heat Exchanger (ГЖТ) Detachable Screens 1, 2, 3 On MCC GO DC1-СУ and СУ- Progress 431 Hatch Leak Check / IRS Activation/Deactivation 3DP Hardware Setup Scheduled monthly maintenance of Central Post Laptop. Laptop Log-File Downlink r/g 1888 OTKLIK. Hardware Monitoring / r/g 1588 Vacuum Cleaning of ВД1 and ВД2 air ducts in DC1 Photo/TV Camcorder Setup Verification URAGAN. Observation and Photography using VSS / r/g 2658 JEMAL Verifying depressurization complete JEM Airlock Depressurization and Vent Confirmation ALGOMETRIA. Experiment Ops / r/g 2386 Soyuz 720 Samsung Tablet Recharge – initiate ALGOMETRIA. Experiment Ops / r/g 2385 Filling EDV (KVO) for Elektron r/g 2660 3DP Printed Coupon Removal and Stowage Crew Onboard Training (OBT) Self-Assessment Questionnaire TEPC Transfer СОЖ Maintenance WRS Water Sample Analysis Crew Onboard Training (OBT) Self-Assessment Questionnaire Photo/TV Camcorder Setup Verification HABIT Preparing for the experiment 3DP Printed Coupon Removal and Stowage Soyuz 720 Samsung tablet charge, end IMS Delta File Prep Photo/TV Camcorder Setup Verification CONTENT. Experiment Ops / r/g 2656 FGB ЦВ1 Fan Grille Cleaning / Ventilation and Air Conditioning System ARED Exercise Video Equipment Stowage Evening Work Prep CONTENT. Experiment Ops / r/g 2657 TOCA Data Recording On MCC GO БМП Ф2 Absorption Cartridge Regeneration (end) Completed Task List Items None Ground Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. JEM A/L depress Nominal ground commanding Three-Day Look Ahead: Wednesday, 06/29: CBEF Incubator Unit cleaning, Mouse habitat IU installation, MSPR VRU SSD replacement Thursday, 06/30: SPHERES Docking Port test/maintenance run Friday, 07/01: 3D Printer Coupon prints and retrievals, ARED quarterly maintenance, T2 acoustic blanket install & SLM measurements QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group: Component Status Elektron On Vozdukh Manual [СКВ] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) Off [СКВ] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”) On Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab Standby Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 Operate Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab Idle Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 Operate Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) Process Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) Standby Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab Off Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 Full Up

June 29, 2016 at 12:00AM
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2016年6月28日星期二

Big booster blasts Utah hillside, and NASA discusses Journey to Mars

NASA and Orbital ATK successfully completed a qualification motor firing of a five-segment solid rocket booster that will fly on the Space Launch System in 2018.

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NASA Awards Contract to Increase Water Recovery on Space Station

NASA has selected Paragon Space Development Corporation, a small business headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, to develop a system that will increase the rate of water recovery from the urine of astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

June 28, 2016
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NASA TV News Conference, Media Availability With Next Space Station Crew

NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough and two Russian crewmates will answer questions about their upcoming mission on the International Space Station at a news conference, and be available for one-on-one interviews, Thursday, July 7, at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The 2 p.m. EDT news conference will air live on NASA Television and stream on th

June 28, 2016
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OIG: Impact Of SpaceX SPX-7 Mission Failure

NASA's Response to SpaceX's June 2015 Launch Failure: Impacts on Commercial Resupply of the International Space Station, NASA OIG

"... The most significant item lost during the SPX-7 mission was the first of two Docking Adapters necessary to support upcoming commercial crew missions. Although NASA had planned to have two Adapters installed on the Station before the first commercial crew demonstration mission scheduled for May 2017, it is now likely there will be only one installed in time for these missions.

... we also found that for the first seven cargo missions NASA did not fully utilize the unpressurized cargo space available in the Dragon 1 capsule's trunk, averaging 423 kg for SPX-3 through SPX-7 even though the trunk is capable of carrying more. The ISS Program noted that unpressurized payloads depend on manifest priority, payload availability, and mission risk, and acknowledged it struggled to fully utilize this space on early missions, but as of June 2016 the Agency's cargo manifests show full trunks on all future SpaceX cargo resupply missions.

... risk mitigation procedures are not consistently employed and the subjective launch ratings the Agency uses provide insufficient information to NASA management concerning actual launch risks. In addition, NASA does not have an official, coordinated, and consistent mishap investigation policy for commercial resupply launches, which could affect its ability to determine the root cause of a launch failure and implement corrective actions."

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Small Meteorite Punches Through Roof of House in Thailand

Booster Test for Space Launch System Rocket

The second and final qualification motor (QM-2) test for the Space Launch System’s booster is seen, Tuesday, June 28, 2016, at Orbital ATK Propulsion Systems test facilities in Promontory, Utah. During the Space Launch System flight the boosters will provide more than 75 percent of the thrust needed to escape the gravitational pull of the Earth. via NASA http://ift.tt/291UFD7

NASA's Space Launch System Booster Passes Major Milestone on Journey to Mars

A booster for the most powerful rocket in the world, NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), successfully fired up Tuesday for its second qualification ground test at Orbital ATK's test facilities in Promontory, Utah. This was the last full-scale test for the booster before SLS’s first uncrewed test flight with NASA’s Orion spacecraft in late 2018, a key

June 28, 2016
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Stealthy Black Hole Spotted by Accident

ISS Daily Summary Report – 06/27/16

Ultrasonic Background Noise Test (UBNT): The crew replaced batteries and transmitted data by closing out the Station Support Computer (SSC’s) Distributed Impact Detection System (DIDS) software and removing the UBNT hardware. UBNT detects high-frequency sounds generated by hardware on the U.S.-built portions of the ISS. Identifying sources of noise will aid in development of a leak locating system which would detect the high-pitched sound of air leaking through a pressurized wall. To detect leaks, the system would have to differentiate between harmless background sounds and a potentially dangerous air leak. LAB Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Mass Spectrometer Assembly (MSA) Troubleshooting: In December 2014, the crew installed new Orbital Replacement Units ORU1, ORU2, and ORU8 in the Lab MCA. When the Lab MCA was restarted, there was no communication with ORU2. Today the crew attempted to isolate the problem to either ORU2 or the connector it mates with on the MCA drawer. The crew reported no visible damage to either side of the ORU2 connector interface. He performed resistance checks on sockets on the drawer side connector saver and found that four of the sockets tested had lower than expected resistances. To address one potential cause of this problem, the crew replaced ORU4, the Low Voltage Power Supply, and repeated the resistance check on the previously failed sockets. The resistances of the sockets did not change so the original ORU4 was reinstalled. The rack has been closed out with ORU2 and ORU8 uninstalled. Teams are meeting to discuss the forward plan. The Node 3 MCA is operating nominally. Remote Power Controller RPCM LA2A3B-G RPC 2 Trip: This morning the RPC that provides power to the Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR) Primary Power feed tripped. At the time of the trip, ground teams were activating FIR for science operations. The crew reported no smoke odor and Compound Specific Analyzer Combustion Products (CSA-CP) readings were zero. A current spike high enough to trigger an RPC trip was not visible in the 50 Hz Direct Current to Direct Current Converter Unit (DDCU) current data, however, it is possible that the current spike was rapid enough to not be sampled at 50 Hz. After analysis of the system showed that the suspect components would be isolated if the main power feed was not used, the rack was successfully repowered using the auxiliary power feed. The auxiliary power feed will allow the MicroChannel Diffusion to achieve their science goals, and troubleshooting on the main power feed will occur after that payload’s objectives are complete. Today’s Planned Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. МО-8. Configuration Setup МО-8. Body Mass Measurement r/g 2639 МО-8. Closeout Ops USOS window shutter close Window cover close #6,8,9,12,13,14 r/g 6965 On MCC GO Regeneration of БМП Ф1 Micropurification Cartridge (start) TM750 video camera battery charge Sprint Exercise, Optional TORU OBT r/g 2638, 2642 + 2642 UBNT. Locate Ultrasonic Background Noise Test Battery (UBNT) IFM Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Troubleshooting UBNT. AA batteries swap IFM Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Troubleshooting WRS Maintenance Auxiliary Laptop Anti-Virus Update / r/g 8247 VIZIR. Experiment Ops with СКПФУ Hardware r/g 2643 Transfer of Т61 HDD from USOS / r/g 2641 Preventive maintenance of DC1 АСП hatch sealing mechanisms and Progress 431 [АСА] hatch VIZIR. Experiment Photography / r/g 2644 Progress 431 (DC1) Stowage and IMS Ops / r/g 2584 СОЖ Maintenance IMS Delta File Prep WRS Maintenance Exercise Data Downlink via OCA Progress 431 (DC1) Stowage Completion Report r/g 2234, 2315, 2435, 2512, 2584 UBNT. Hardware Stowage On MCC GO БМП Ф1 Absorption Cartridge Regeneration (end) Preparing for Antivirus scan on Auxiliary Computer Laptops / r/g 8247 Completed Task List Items PL CTB move Polar4 locker prep SSC11, SSC13 battery swap USOS stowage consolidate PiP PS120 secure Ground Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. Nominal ground commanding Three-Day Look Ahead: Tuesday, 06/28: TM750 camcorder battery charge & recording, 3D Printing hardware gather/experiment setup/coupon retrievals Wednesday, 06/29: CBEF Incubator Unit cleaning, Mouse habitat IU installation, MSPR VRU SSD replacement Thursday, 06/30: SPHERES Docking Port test/maintenance run QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group: Component Status Elektron On Vozdukh Manual [СКВ] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) On [СКВ] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”) Off Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab Standby Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 Operate Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab Idle Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 Operate Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) Process Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) Standby Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab Off Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 Full Up

June 28, 2016 at 12:00AM
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2016年6月27日星期一

Watching Where NASA's Money Goes

Keith's note: The next time you hear the space and planetary science communities complaining about budget cuts consider what their NASA mission PIs are paid at SwRI (2014 IRS Form, Part VII)

[Juno] Scott J Bolton $345,145 + 51,887
[New Horizons] Sol A Stern $370,522 + 52,435

SwRI is not at all shy about telling you how much money they earn - indeed they put this on their press releases. They are a non-profit, so this whole income thing should not be all that important - right? Just sayin'

"About SwRI: SwRI is an independent, nonprofit, applied research and development organization based in San Antonio, Texas, with nearly 2,800 employees and an annual research volume of $549 million."

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Anticrepuscular Rays over Colorado II

What's happening over the horizon? Although the scene may appear somehow supernatural, nothing more unusual is occurring than a setting Sun and some well placed clouds. Pictured above are anticrepuscular rays. To understand them, start by picturing common crepuscular rays that are seen any time that sunlight pours though scattered clouds. Now although sunlight indeed travels along straight lines, the projections of these lines onto the spherical sky are great circles. Therefore, the crepuscular rays from a setting (or rising) sun will appear to re-converge on the other side of the sky. At the anti-solar point 180 degrees around from the Sun, they are referred to as anticrepuscular rays. Featured here is a particularly striking display of anticrepuscular rays photographed earlier this month in Westminster, Colorado, USA. via NASA http://ift.tt/28Z5h9z

Ruexit For ISS?

Russia's Plan To Spin Off a New Space Station From the ISS, Popular Mechanics

"According to RKK Energia, the prime Russian contractor on the ISS, the new outpost would begin with the separation of the Nauka from the rest of the old station in mid-2020s. By that time, Nauka should have two even newer modules in tow. One would be the so-called Node Module, a tinker-toy-like component that could connect to six other modules, crew ships, cargo tankers, structural elements, you name it. The Node Module is already in RKK Energia's garage and ready to go within a few months after the Nauka. Next would be the new Science and Power Module (NEM) which, as it name implies, will finally give cosmonauts a state-of-the-art science lab and a pair of large solar arrays, making the Russian segment fully independent from the rest of the ISS in terms of power, communications, and other resources."

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Juno on Jupiter's Doorstep

NASA's Juno spacecraft obtained this color view on June 21, 2016, at a distance of 6.8 million miles (10.9 million kilometers) from Jupiter. Juno will arrive at Jupiter on July 4. As Juno makes its initial approach, the giant planet's four largest moons -- Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto -- are visible. via NASA http://ift.tt/29gy6tM

Comets Scoff at Gravity

Watch a test of the world's largest solid rocket booster tomorrow on NASA TV

Tomorrow morning at 10:05 a.m. EDT (14:05 UTC), NASA and Orbital ATK are test-firing the world's largest solid rocket booster in northern Utah. You can follow along live on NASA TV.

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2016年6月26日星期日

Jupiters Clouds from New Horizons

The New Horizons spacecraft took some stunning images of Jupiter on its way out to Pluto. Famous for its Great Red Spot, Jupiter is also known for its regular, equatorial cloud bands, visible through even modest sized telescopes. The featured image, horizontally compressed, was taken in 2007 near Jupiter's terminator and shows the Jovian giant's wide diversity of cloud patterns. On the far left are clouds closest to Jupiter's South Pole. Here turbulent whirlpools and swirls are seen in a dark region, dubbed a belt, that rings the planet. Even light colored regions, called zones, show tremendous structure, complete with complex wave patterns. The energy that drives these waves surely comes from below. New Horizons is the fastest space probe ever launched, has successfully complete its main flyby of Pluto in 2015, and is now heading further out and on track to flyby Kuiper belt object 2014 MU69 in 2019. In the near term, many space enthusiasts excitedly await Juno's arrival at Jupiter next Monday. via NASA http://ift.tt/291jPFi

Space Sells in India

Keith's note: This TV commercial is titled "Astronaut lachaar, khatam hua aachar". You have to watch the entire thing to figure out what it is selling. Its hilarious.

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A Sunday Morning Brain Teaser For You

2016年6月25日星期六

Strawberry to Honey Moonrise

Near the horizon the Full Moon often seems to loom large, swollen in appearance by the famous Moon illusion. But timelapse images demonstrate that the Moon's apparent size doesn't really change as it climbs toward the zenith. Its color does, though. Recording a frame every 10 seconds, this image shows how dramatic that color change can be. The composite follows a solstice Full Moon climbing above a rugged horizon over northwestern Indiana. A shrinking line-of-sight through planet Earth's dense and dusty atmosphere shifted the moonlight from strawberry red through honey-colored and paler yellowish hues. That change seems appropriate for a northern June Full Moon also known as the Strawberry or Honey Moon. via NASA http://ift.tt/28TXGWX

NASA Bans All Travel to Istanbul for COSPAR

NASA-sponsored Travel to 41st Committee on Space Research Scientific Assembly in Istanbul, Turkey, NASA

"The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) is holding its 41st Scientific Assembly in Istanbul, Turkey, from July 30 to August 7, 2016. As with previous meetings of this biennial international conference, a significant number of NASA employees and contractors have made tentative plans to attend including representatives from your organization. However, based on current US. Department of State guidance regarding offical travel to Turkey, the Administrator has determined that the Agency will not sponsor or process travel for the 2016 COSPAR conference in Istanbul by NASA civil servants or contractors, including those at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory."

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Quick multimedia roundup: China's new rocket blasts off on inaugural mission

China's new Long March 7 rocket successfully blasted off on its inaugural mission today at 8:00 p.m. Beijing time (12:00 UTC, 7:00 a.m. EDT).

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Dawn Brooke Owens

Brooke Owens has left the planet. Ad Astra.

Keith's note: More to follow.

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The Stars at Night Are Big and Bright… Deep in the Heart of the Milky Way.

2016年6月24日星期五

Sagittarius Sunflowers

These three bright nebulae are often featured in telescopic tours of the constellation Sagittarius and the crowded starfields of the central Milky Way. In fact, 18th century cosmic tourist Charles Messier cataloged two of them; M8, the large nebula left of center, and colorful M20 near the bottom of the frame The third, NGC 6559, is right of M8, separated from the larger nebula by dark dust lanes. All three are stellar nurseries about five thousand light-years or so distant. The expansive M8, over a hundred light-years across, is also known as the Lagoon Nebula. M20's popular moniker is the Trifid. In the composite image, narrowband data records ionized hydrogen, oxygen, and sulfur atoms radiating at visible wavelengths. The mapping of colors and range of brightness used to compose this cosmic still life were inspired by Van Gogh's famous Sunflowers. Just right of the Trifid one of Messier's open star clusters, M21, is also included on the telescopic canvas. via NASA http://ift.tt/28RRxrB

Brexit From ESA?

Brexit Does Not Mean the UK Will Leave the European Space Agency, Right?, Inverse

"The resources and partnerships that UK-based companies rely on are now hanging in the balance as the vote moves forward. However, a UK exit from the EU should not affect the country's involvement with ESA. The ESA and EU are two separate entities with different goals and member states."

'Brexit' leaves lingering questions about involvement in European Space Agency, WRAL

"In a May CNN interview from the ISS, Peake commented on how leaving the EU might impact the UK: "The UK will still be part of the European Space Agency, that won't change at all. The European Space Agency is still part of this international partnership here with the International Space Station." Peake added "it really cuts through all barriers, its such a strong partnership."

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The Droid That NASA Should Be Sending To Mars

Keith's note: While NASA pours money into its goofy R5 robot that cannot walk unless it is on a hoist, controlled by a human, and is always broken, Boston Dynamics continues to make astonishing progress on autonomous robots. Imagine if you had something like this on Mars as part of a sample return mission. It would allow access to places that rovers cannot go and has dexterity unmatched by anything NASA has built. Wouldn't it be cool if that first SpaceX Red Dragon opened up and one of these droids walked out?

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Cool NASA Mars Symposium That NASA Is Not Talking About

Keith's note: NASA is holding a Viking 40th Anniversary Symposium at NASA LaRC on 19 & 20 July. This event has quite a line up of speakers for something that ought to resonate with #JourneyToMars (their poster even uses the hashtag). So ... when are NASA LaRC or NASA HQ going to tell people about this? There is nothing online at NASA LaRC, on the NASA HQ Journey To Mars webpage, or at NASA.gov calendar. I only heard about this via a NIA email notice for the live webcast and agenda.

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NASA TV to Air Russian Cargo Ship Movement at Space Station

A Russian cargo ship currently docked to the International Space Station will undock for a short test flight on Friday, July 1. NASA Television coverage will begin at 1:15 a.m. EDT.

June 24, 2016
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WISE Views in Infrared

Amateur image processor Judy Schmidt explains the process of creating gorgeous views of the cosmos from infrared data from the WISE telescope.

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NASA Brings Journey to Mars and Beyond to ESSENCE Festival

Visitors to the 2016 ESSENCE Festival in New Orleans will have a chance to explore the universe through a range of activities, including first-ever festival stage presentations, during NASA Week, a celebration of space exploration to be held June 29-July 3, in conjunction with ESSENCE Festival, which begins June 30.

June 24, 2016
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Transportation Department, NASA, Partners Visit Charlotte to Open Test Lab to Streamline Air Travel

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden today marked the official opening of a new airspace technology demonstration laboratory at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina.

June 24, 2016
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A Test Version of the Booster for NASA's New Rocket

A test version of the booster for NASA's new rocket, the Space Launch System, will fire up for the second of two qualification ground tests at 10:05 a.m. EDT (8:05 a.m. MDT) Tuesday, June 28 at prime contractor Orbital ATK's test facility in Promontory, Utah. NASA Television will air live coverage of the booster test June 28 beginning at 9:30 a.m. via NASA http://ift.tt/28Vyema

Neptune Just Got a Little Dark

ISS Daily Summary Report – 06/23/16

Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Airlock (JEMAL) Exposed Experiment Handrail Attachment Mechanism (ExHAM) #1-2 Operations: Following the JEM Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS) Small Fine Arm (SFA) retrieval and detachment of 14 ExHAM #1 samples from the Handhold Experiment Platform last week, today the new samples were installed. ExHAM #1-2 is the first return and sample exchange mission of the 1-year exposed ExHAM #1 which contain 17 samples and 14 will be returned on SpX-9. ExHAM is a cuboid mechanism equipped with a fixture on the upper surface for grappling by the JEMRMS SFA, and has components on the under surface for attaching the ExHAM to the handrail on the JEM Exposed Facility. Microchannel Diffusion Glacier Sample Retrieve and Diffusion Plate Changeout: Samples were retrieved from the Glacier and temporarily stowed to allow the samples to thaw. The Diffusion Plate in the LMM (Light Microscopy Module) AFC (Auxiliary Fluids Container) was removed and exchanged with another plate. Microchannel Diffusion takes advantage of microgravity to study interactions of medicine, biology, computer science and many other fields that benefit from nanotechnology at slightly larger scales, providing a new understanding of particle flows at the nanoscale. Habitability Human Factors Directed Observations: The crew completed a Habitability session by recording and submitting a walk-through video documenting observations of an area or activity providing insight related to human factors and habitability. The Habitability investigation collects observations about the relationship between crew members and their environment on the International Space Station. Observations can help spacecraft designers understand how much habitable volume is required, and whether a mission’s duration impacts how much space crew members need. Microbial In-Flight Water Operations: On Tuesday the crew collected water samples to determine water quality onboard the ISS with the focus on microbial and coliform detection. Today he visually analyzed Coliform Detection Bags and Microbial Capture Devices following the required 48 hours of incubation. Today’s Planned Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. SPLANKH. EGEG Prep and Recording (start) r/g 2608 SEISMOPROGNOZ. Transfer of Data from МКСД Hard Drive (start) r/g 2224 Closure of USOS Window Shutters Coolant Refill of the MRM2 Thermal Control System [СОТР] Accumulator from the Accumulator of SM [СОТР] Internal Thermal Loop КОБ1 r/g 2615 EHS MCD. Onboard Water Processing and GMT 175 Data Recording Coolant Refill of the Accumulator of SM [СОТР] Internal Thermal Loop КОБ1 Using Refill Tools Set r/g 2615 WRS. Recycle Tank Fill from a EDV R&R of Filters on ПС1 and ПС2 Dust Collectors in the FGB EMU Metal Oxide (METOX) Regeneration (end) Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) MDE. Samples Retrieval and Temp Stow СОЖ Maintenance. Filling of SM Rodnik БВ-1 Tank with Disinfectant r/g 2624 FIR. Rack Doors Opening LMM. Microchannel Diffusion Plate R&R IMS Delta File Prep/ Inventory Management System Coolant Refill of the DC1 Thermal Control System [СОТР] Accumulator from the Accumulator of SM [СОТР] Internal Thermal Loop КОБ2 r/g 2615 SPLANKH. EGEG Recording (end). Closeout Ops r/g 2608 FIR. Closure of Rack Doors Coolant Refill of the Accumulator of SM [СОТР] Internal Thermal Loop КОБ2 Using Refill Tools Set r/g 2615 XF305 Camcorder Setup Handhold Exp Platform #1 (HXP1) Items Gathering JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Extension to JPM Side Handhold Experiment. Sample Attachment on Platform 1(HXP1) URAGAN. Observation and Photography with VSS Hardware / r/g 2620 BAR. Leak Detector Checkout r/g 2617 JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Retraction from JPM Side OTKLIK. Sensors Functional Check and Point of Impact Accuracy Check. Part 1 r/g 2619 Habitability iPad App Update HABIT. Questionnaire Hardware Setup for a PAO Event SEISMOPROGNOZ. Transfer of Data from МКСД Hard Drive (end) and Archiving (start) r/g 2224 Crew Preparation for the PAO Event PAO Event IMS Conference Countermeasures System – Sprint Exercise – Optional OTKLIK. Hardware Monitoring / r/g 1588 Completed Task List Items iPAD cert update [Active] Ground Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. Nominal ground commanding Three-Day Look Ahead: Friday, 06/24: JEMAL pressurization, leak check, PBRE hardware stow Saturday, 06/25: Crew off duty, housekeeping Sunday, 06/26: Crew off duty QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group: Component Status Elektron On Vozdukh Manual [СКВ] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) Off [СКВ] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”) Off Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab Standby Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 Operate Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab Idle Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 Operate Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) Process Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) Standby Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab Off Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 Full Up

June 24, 2016 at 12:00AM
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An Astronomer Learns to Make His CASE

Science in America depends on federal funding, yet many young scientists don't understand how the U.S. government decides to spend its money on science, nor are they encouraged to use their new degrees to advise the process. This is changing with support from the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

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2016年6月23日星期四

An Astronomer Learns to Make His CASE

"The Martian" Just Happened - In Antarctica

Rescuers succeed in evacuating sick workers at the South Pole, Washington Post

"For the third time ever, rescue workers have successfully evacuated someone from the South Pole during the brutal Antarctic winter, the National Science Foundation said. A plane carrying two sick workers from the Amundsen-Scott research station arrived on the Antarctic Coast early Wednesday afternoon, following a harrowing 10-hour flight across the continent. Both workers require medical attention not available at the station, prompting the rare rescue effort. ... Typically, none of the 50 or so people who overwinter at Amundsen-Scott can leave between February and October. One former worker described the South Pole as more inaccessible than the International Space Station."

Ailing Antarctic personnel transported to safety, nsf

"NSF determined that an evacuation was warranted and called on Calgary-based Kenn Borek Air Ltd., which has a U.S. government contract to fly in support of U.S. Antarctic Program science, to conduct this mission."

Keith's note: I have flown in Kenn Borek Twin Otter planes multiple times in the arctic. More than once my pilot was an antarctic veteran - in once case, a mid-winter medical rescue pilot. These folks really, really know their stuff.

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U.S. Army Uses Alien Invasion Movie for Recruiting

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Solstice Dawn and Full Moonset

A Full Moon sets as the Solstice Sun rises in this June 20 dawn skyscape. Captured from a nearby peak in central California, planet Earth, the scene looks across the summit of Mount Hamilton and Lick Observatory domes on a calendar date that marks an astronomical change of seasons and hemispherical extremes of daylight hours. Earth's shadow stretches toward the Santa Cruz Mountains on the western horizon. Just above the atmospheric grey shadowband is a more colorful anti-twilight arch, a band of reddened, backscattered sunlight also known as the Belt of Venus. The interplay of solstice dates and lunar months does make this solstice and Full Moon a rare match-up. The next June solstice and Full Moon will fall on the same calendar date on June 21, 2062. via NASA http://ift.tt/28OTFjY

NASA Extends Hubble Space Telescope Science Operations Contract

NASA is contractually extending science operations for its Hubble Space Telescope an additional five years. The agency awarded a sole source contract extension Thursday to the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy for continued Hubble science operations support at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.

June 23, 2016
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NASA to Discuss, Broadcast Booster Test for Space Launch System Rocket

The booster for the world's most powerful rocket, NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), which will power the agency’s astronauts on the journey to Mars, will fire up for a major ground test at 10:05 a.m. EDT (8:05 a.m. MDT) Tuesday, June 28, at Orbital ATK Propulsion Systems’ test facilities in Promontory, Utah.

June 23, 2016
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Hubble Sees New Dark Spot on Neptune

New images obtained on May 16, 2016, by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope confirm the presence of a dark vortex in the atmosphere of Neptune. This full visible-light image shows that the dark feature resides near and below a patch of bright clouds in the planet's southern hemisphere. via NASA http://ift.tt/28V3nVp

Does Pluto Harbor an Ocean Under All That Ice?

ISS Daily Summary Report – 06/22/16

Cygnus Re-entry: Cygnus re-entry burn was completed today at 7:45 AM CDT following unberth last Tuesday, June 14. The NRCSD-E deployment planned for yesterday succeeded in deploying four of five LEMUR satellites. Several additional attempts were made to deploy the final satellite, but were not successful. Orbital-ATK has confirmed via imagery that the deployer’s doors did not open. Prior to unberth, the ReEntry Breakup Recorder- Wireless (REBR-W) was configured to activate upon sensing deorbit loads and transmit data automatically. The REBR team has not received data as expectedas of the writing of this report. REBR is a cost-effective system that rides a re-entering space vehicle, records data during the re-entry and breakup of the vehicle, and returns the data for analysis. Understanding how vehicles behave during atmospheric reentry gives future spacecraft developers unique information that can enhance design efficiencies and safety. 62P Thruster Test: Russian ground teams performed a thruster test on 62P. However, only the X axis thrusters fired, the Z and Y axis thrusters did not. Ground teams are investigating, and a re-test of the thrusters is expected on June 27. Following the 62P thruster test, Moscow experienced issues reintegrating the Progress into the control loop. The maneuver back to the Torque Equalibrium Attitude (TEA) was subsequently performed using thruster configuration SM411. Thruster configuration will remain SM411 until Moscow has a forward plan for reintegrating the Nadir Progress. In the meantime, a 62P prop purge is planned for tomorrow. Dose Tracker: The crew completed entries for medication tracking on an iPad today. This investigation documents the medication usage of crew members before and during their missions by capturing data regarding medication use during spaceflight, including side effect qualities, frequencies and severities. The data is expected to either support or counter anecdotal evidence of medication ineffectiveness during flight and unusual side effects experienced during flight. It is also expected that specific, near-real-time questioning about symptom relief and side effects will provide the data required to establish whether spaceflight-associated alterations in pharmacokinetics (PK) or pharmacodynamics (PD) is occurring during missions. Habitability Human Factors Directed Observations: The crew recorded and submitted a walk-through video documenting observations of an area or activity providing insight related to human factors and habitability. The Habitability investigation collects observations about the relationship between crew members and their environment on the International Space Station. Observations can help spacecraft designers understand how much habitable volume is required and whether a mission’s duration impacts how much space crew members need. Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Maintenance: The crew spent most of his day performing the following activities to dump and fill EMU 3005, 3008 feedwater tanks to satisfy maintenance requirements for on-orbit stowage. Due to previous EMU off-nominal conditions, steps were included for trend tracking: Obtain a feedwater sample from EMU 3005 water tanks for future ground analysis. Initiate ionic and particulate filtration of the EMU and Airlock cooling water loops. Iodinate EMU Ion Filters and complete a 2-hour EMU iodination. Obtain a 250 mL sample of EMU cooling loop water to determine the effectiveness of the Ion Filter in scrubbing EMU and Airlock cooling water. 10 mL of the water sample will be used for a conductivity test. The remainder of the water will be returned to ground for chemical analysis. Determine a conductivity measurement for EMU water samples. Each sample will be measured once and two readings will be recorded from the Liquid Conductivity Meter display. Regenerate Metal Oxide (Metox) canisters by baking out CO2 in the Metox Regenerator oven. Station Support Computer (SSC) service pack installation: Ground controllers installed a new service pack on the SSCs onboard ISS. Node 3 MCA anomaly: This morning, Node 3 MCA experienced an ion pump current spike and shut down. A system restart recovered the MCA functionality. Today’s Planned Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. SPLANH. Preparation and Initiate EGEG Recording r/g 2607 JSL Password Update On MCC Go SM Rodnik H2O Tank 1 shell compression / r/g 2614 DOSETRK Questionnaire Completion Closing window 6,8,9,12,13,14 shutters / r/g 6965 Closing USOS Window Shutters Soyuz 720 Samsung Tablet Recharge, initiate HABIT Video of the Experiment SM, DC1, MRM2 [СОТР] КОБ1, КОБ2 loops Coolant Refill using refill set, Locating Equipment and R/G Review r/g 2615 WRS Water Sample Analysis Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Full Water Tank Dump and Fill MATRYOSHKA-R. FGB Bag Inventory Audit, Photography r/g 2613 EMU Feedwater Sample СОЖ Maintenance Soyuz 720 Samsung tablet charge, end EMU Cooling Loop Maintenance, Initiate SPLANH. Termination of EGEG recording and Closeout Ops0 r/g 2607 COSMOCARD. Closeout Ops / r/g 2600 Initiate EMU Cooling Loop Scrub Part 1 SPLANH. Preparation for Experiment / r/g 2608 Start EMU cooling loop scrub Greetings Video Footage / r/g 2609, 2610 EMU Conductivity Test Vacuum cleaning ventilation grille on FGB interior panels (201, 301, 401) On MCC Go Urine transfer from EDV-U to Progress 432 Rodnik H2O Tank 2 / r/g 2616 TOCA Data Recording Countermeasures System (CMS) Sprint Exercise, Optional Manometer (ВК-316М) efficiency check and On MCC Go Progress 431 (DC1) H2O Tank 2 pressure monitoring / r/g 2618 EMU Cooling Loop Maintenance, Reconfiguration INTERACTION-2. Experiment Ops / r/g 2611 Start EMU METOX Regeneration INTERACTION-2. Experiment Ops / r/g 2612 Stow Syringes used in Н2О Conductivity Test Completed Task List Items iPAD cert update [Active] Ground Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. EMU ops support Nominal ground commanding Three-Day Look Ahead: Thursday, 06/23: Habitability, Microchannel Diffusion plate changeout Friday, 06/24: JEMAL pressurization, leak check, PBRE hardware stow Saturday, 06/25: Crew off duty QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group: Component Status Elektron On Vozdukh Manual [СКВ] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) On [СКВ] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”) Off Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab Standby Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 Operate Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab Idle Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 Operate Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) Process Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) Standby Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab Off Trace Contaminant Control System […]

June 23, 2016 at 12:00AM
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All about China's new rocket and spaceport, which may see action this Saturday

Sometime between Saturday and Wednesday, China plans to launch a brand new rocket from a brand new launch site, and conduct a small-scale test of its next-generation crew capsule.

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2016年6月22日星期三

That #JourneyToMars NASA Moment

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Cirrus over Paris

What's that over Paris? Cirrus. Typically, cirrus clouds appear white or gray when reflecting sunlight, can appear dark at sunset (or sunrise) against a better lit sky. Cirrus are among the highest types of clouds and are usually thin enough to see stars through. Cirrus clouds may form from moisture released above storm clouds and so may herald the arrival of a significant change in weather. Conversely, cirrus clouds have also been seen on Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Titan, Uranus, and Neptune. The featured image was taken two days ago from a window in District 15, Paris, France, Earth. The brightly lit object on the lower right is, of course, the Eiffel Tower. via NASA http://ift.tt/28TrH7T

Hearing on FAA and Commercial Space

Commercial Space: Industry Developments and FAA Challenges, GAO

"GAO reported in 2015 that FAA's budget requests for its commercial space launch activities generally were based on the number of projected launches, but that in recent years the actual number of launches was much lower than FAA's projections. GAO also reported that, according to FAA officials, more detailed information was not provided in FAA's budget submissions because the agency lacked information on its workload overseeing commercial space launch activities. In addition, GAO reported that the Office of Commercial Space Transportation did not track the amount of time spent on various activities."

Statements by: Taber MacCallum, George Nield, Michael Lopez-Alegria, Michael Gold, Rep. LoBiondo

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Plans for China's farside Chang'e 4 lander science mission taking shape

The future Chang'e 4 lunar farside landing mission is rapidly taking shape. Now the mission's team is coming to a consensus on the landing location, as well as on the mission's instrument package.

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NASA Administrator Bolden and Transportation Secretary Foxx to Announce New Technology at Charlotte International Airport

NASA, the FAA, American Airlines the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) and the Charlotte Douglas International Airport are collaborating on a five-year effort to streamline aircraft arrival, departure and airport surface operations; research and testing will be led out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina.

June 22, 2016
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ISS Daily Summary Report – 06/21/16

NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer- External (NRCSD-E) Operations: Following Cygnus unberth last week, today NRCSD-E conducted post departure satellite deployments prior to Cygnus re-entry tomorrow, June 22. This set of cubesats includes 3 deployment silos containing a total of 5 LEMUR satellites. Two out of three silos (four out of five satellites) were successfully deployed. The Orbital team downlinked and reviewed imagery to ascertain why one of the CubeSats did not deploy. Further troubleshooting is ongoing. The LEMUR satellites are equipped with payloads to provide two primary data products: AIS Data (Maritime Domain Awareness) and GPS-RO Data (Weather). NRCSD-E is a mechanical separation system for small U-class satellites designed specifically to interface with the Orbital-ATK Cygnus cargo resupply vehicle. It consists of an array of up to six individual 6U deployers contained within one mechanical housing that releases the CubeSats from Cygnus after it has completed its primary mission and departed the ISS. Multi-Omics Operations: The crew supported the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Multi-Omics investigation by collecting saliva samples and inserting them into the Minus Eighty-degree Freezer for ISS (MELFI). The investigation evaluates the impacts of space environment and prebiotics on astronauts’ immune function by combining the data obtained from the measurements of changes in the microbiological composition, metabolites profiles, and the immune system. Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Swap: In preparation for tomorrow’s loop scrub activities, the crew retrieved EMUs 3005 and 3008 from the Crewlock and temp stowed them. He then removed EMU 3010 from the forward EMU Don/Doff Assembly (EDDA) and installed EMU 3008. He removed EMU 3003 from the aft EDDA and installed EMU 3005. Microbial In-Flight Water Operations: The crew performed analysis of water samples collected earlier to determine water quality onboard the ISS. The focus was on microbial and coliform detection. On-Board Training (OBT) 46 Soyuz (46S) Emergency Drill: The crew completed an emergency egress drill for proficiency in the event of an ISS emergency requiring crew departure. The OBT is scheduled after 12-14 weeks aboard the ISS and once every two and one half months thereafter. Today’s Planned Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. Multi Omics (MO) Saliva Sample Collection Biochemical Urine Test r/g 2583 Multi Omics (MO) MELFI Sample Insertion Multi Omics (MO) Equipment Stowage Biochemical Urine Test r/g 2583 Multi Omics (MO) Questionnaire Completion URISYS Hardware Stowage JEMRMS Activate and Start Bus Monitor JEMRMS RLT2 Laptop Activation JEMAL Slide Table (ST) Extension to JEF Side COSMOCARD. Closeout Ops / r/g 2579 Maintenance Closures of Vozdukh Valves Work Prep Verification of ИП-1 Flow Sensor Position URAGAN. Observation and photography using Photo Equipment / r/g 2598 WRS Recycle Tank Fill from EDV RELAKSATSIYAHardware Setup r/g 2599 EMU backpack replacement СОЖ Maintenance COSMOCARD. Preparing for and Starting 24-hr ECG Recording / r/g 2600 RELAKSATSIYA. Parameter Settings Adjustment r/g 2599 JEMAL Slide Table Retraction JEMRMS USB Memory Stick Virus Check RS Photo Cameras Sync Up to Station Time / r/g 1594 JEMRMS Deactivation of RLT2 Laptop RELAKSATSIYA. Observation r/g 2599 Countermeasures System (CMS) Sprint Exercise, Optional RELAKSATSIYA. Closeout Ops and Hardware Removal r/g 2599 URAGAN. Observation and photography using Photo Equipment / r/g 2598 Stopping JEMRMS Arm Bus Monitoring JEMRMS Data Transfer ISS Emergency Descent OBT r/g 2596 PAO Hardware Setup Crew Prep for PAO PAO Event SPLANH. Preparation for Experiment / r/g 2597 IMS Delta File Prep Habitability Walk-Through Video Reminder SPLANH. Diet Restrictions Reminder / r/g 2595 Completed Task List Items iPAD cert update [Active] Ground Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. EMU ops support Nominal ground commanding Three-Day Look Ahead: Wednesday, 06/22: EMU 3005, 3008 water maintenance/loop scrub Thursday, 06/23: Habitability, Microchannel Diffusion plate changeout Friday, 06/24: JEMAL pressurization, leak check, PBRE hardware stow QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group: Component Status Elektron On Vozdukh Manual [СКВ] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) Off [СКВ] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”) On Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab Standby Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 Operate Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab Idle Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 Operate Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) Standby Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) Norm Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab Off Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 Full Up

June 22, 2016 at 12:00AM
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Pervasive Ice Retreat in West Antarctica

Along the Bellingshausen Sea coast of West Antarctica, ice has been retreating inland being lost to the sea. Scientists knew this, but they lacked a full picture of the scale. Now a team of researchers has compiled a Landsat-based data set and found that such losses have been going on for at least the past four decades. via NASA http://ift.tt/28OJdyC

Space Foundation Charges News Media To Read Their News

Keith's note: I just got this email from Carol Hively, Director, Public Relations & Team Communications telling me "NOTE TO MEDIA: Today, the Space Foundation will issue a press release announcing data from The Space Report 2016. In addition to the data found in the press release, an overview of the report is available free to media here. There will be a charge of $99 for media to access the complete pdf of The Space Report 2016, which includes more than 80 pages of data on global space activity during 2015. Go here to receive the discount code to order The Space Report 2016 pdf full report for the discounted media rate of $99."

I had to read that email more than once. Space Foundation charges immense fees for its member companies, puts on lavish events, and never does anything in an inexpensive way. Indeed, according to their 2014 Form 990 Space Foundation had over $7,000,000 in income. And yet they want the several dozen news media who pay attention to them to pay $99 to read their self-congratulatory 80 page PDF file? Really? You'd think that the Space Foundation would best serve its membership by making the good news about space economy available to everyone who is interested.

This must be what it was like when Rome was burning.

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Pivoting From Mars To The Moon

Human flights to Mars still at least 15 years off: ESA head, Reuters

"Dreaming of a trip to Mars? You'll have to wait at least 15 years for the technology to be developed, the head of the European Space Agency (ESA) said, putting doubt on claims that the journey could happen sooner. "If there was enough money then we could possibly do it earlier but there is not as much now as the Apollo program had," ESA Director-General Jan Woerner said, referring to the U.S. project which landed the first people on the moon. Woerner says a permanent human settlement on the moon, where 3D printers could be used to turn moon rock into essential items needed for the two-year trip to Mars, would be a major step toward the red planet. U.S. space agency NASA hopes to send astronauts to Mars in the mid-2030s and businessman Elon Musk, head of electric car maker Tesla Motors, says he plans to put unmanned spacecraft on Mars from as early as 2018 and have humans there by 2030. The ESA's Woerner said it would take longer."

- Moon and/or Mars: Challenging Human Exploration Orthodoxy, Earlier Post
- #JourneyToMars Via #ReturnToTheMoon, Earlier Post

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On the Ball of the Midnight Sun

2016年6月21日星期二

NGC 6814: Grand Design Spiral Galaxy from Hubble

In the center of this serene stellar swirl is likely a harrowing black-hole beast. The surrounding swirl sweeps around billions of stars which are highlighted by the brightest and bluest. The breadth and beauty of the display give the swirl the designation of a grand design spiral galaxy. The central beast shows evidence that it is a supermassive black hole about 10 million times the mass of our Sun. This ferocious creature devours stars and gas and is surrounded by a spinning moat of hot plasma that emits blasts of X-rays. The central violent activity gives it the designation of a Seyfert galaxy. Together, this beauty and beast are cataloged as NGC 6814 and have been appearing together toward the constellation of the Eagle (Aquila) for roughly the past billion years. via NASA http://ift.tt/28QSdzN

Next SpaceX Commercial Cargo Launch Now No Earlier Than July 18, US Media Accreditation Remains Open

The next SpaceX commercial cargo resupply services mission for NASA to the International Space Station now is targeted for launch no earlier than 12:45 a.m. EDT Monday, July 18.

June 21, 2016
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NASA Uploads App for Apple TV

Apple TV? There’s a NASA app for that.

June 21, 2016
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Preserving The Status Quo For The Journey To Nowhere

Coalition for Deep Space Exploration Issues Policy Paper to Guide Incoming President and Congress

"The Coalition for Deep Space Exploration has released a policy position paper highlighting the key issues that every presidential and congressional candidate should understand in order to ensure that deep space exploration remains a bipartisan priority over the next several years. The Coalition is the voice of America's deep space industry, with over 40 corporate members supporting NASA's deep space human exploration and science programs. The full paper, entitled "A Space Exploration Roadmap for the Next Administration," is available for download on the Coalition's website."

Keith's note: This document is mostly recycled word salad that states the obvious without ever getting to the point - other than to request continued support SLS and Orion. This is yet another attempt by this organization (actually there is no "organization", its just Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Orbital ATK and Aerojet Rocketdyne with other smaller companies tossed in who write checks) to preserve the status quo. Everything else is just window dressing adjusted to meet the needs of these two programs. Note that there is no support for NASA's "Journey To Mars" or ARM so they're already throwing the Obama folks under the bus. As for space commerce, the Coalition makes little mention of it other than to describe it as something that happens in low Earth orbit - so long as it does not get in the way of SLS and Orion, that is.

We've seen this movie before. Just three months ago a similar effort by many of the usual suspects produced a similar document with the same intent:

Space Policy White Paper = Shopping List For The Journey to Nowhere, March 2016

"Such is the problem with these sort of documents from the space community. On one hand the space groups want to have a say in the political decisions that affect their members (and donors). But on the other hand they'd rather not have the politicians pay too much attention to space such that the current status quo is not upset. In other words "write us the checks but don't rock the boat" - or more bluntly "look but don't touch". This is, at best, naive thinking on the part of the space community. If you read the white paper it becomes immediately apparent that this coalition wants everything that they are doing to be supported and in some cases, they want even more money. They also want a stable funding environment (makes sense). The two main programs being supported by this coalition are SLS/Orion and Commercial Crew and Cargo with gratuitous mention of other projects that are important to the members of this coalition."

- Pioneering Space National Summit One Year Later: No Clear Direction
- Fact Checking SLS Propaganda
- How The #JourneyToMars Becomes The #JourneyToNowhere

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It's Big Jim

Paul Allen's Stratolaunch lifts veil on world's biggest plane - a giant bet on a new way to space, Geekwire

"The plane's wing, taking shape inside a 103,000-square-foot hangar at the Mojave Air and Space Port, stands three stories off the ground and measures 385 feet from tip to tip. That's three times longer than the distance of the Wright Brothers' first powered flight in 1903. If the Enterprise is ever built to its "Star Trek" TV dimensions, now or in the 23rd century, the starship would be only a few dozen feet wider."

Keith's note: Vulcan Aerospace gave a hand-picked group of space journalists a tour of their facility. They saw Stratolaunch. It is big and it is 76% complete. No information was given as to customers, markets, etc. In other words: no news. Did I mention that it is big?

Larger image

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National Selfie Day: Spacecraft self-portraits

It's apparently National Selfie Day. I'm not entirely sure who has the authority to declare these things, or why they decided we needed a National Selfie Day, but since the self-portrait is one of my favorite subgenres of spacecraft photography, I couldn't resist writing about them.

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Space Station View of the Full Moon

Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams of NASA took this photograph on June 21, 2016, from the International Space Station, writing, "A spectacular rise of the full moon just before sunset while flying over western China." via NASA http://ift.tt/28K2lJR

Two Baby Alien Worlds Show Us How to Cook a Planet

ISS Daily Summary Report – 06/20/16

Direct Current To Direct Current (DDCU) LA1A Trip: Last Thursday, DDCU LA1A tripped off due to a ~40 amp overcurrent. Parallel DDCU LA4A was already off for Battery 4A conditioning. A Failure Investigation Team (FIT) recommended the crew perform troubleshooting steps including rotation of the rack and visual inspection of the DDCUs, wire harnesses, and the Secondary Power Distribution Assembly (SPDA). The crew also performed multimeter measurements on both DDCU outputs on the face of the DDCU as well as on the output cable leading to downstream wiring for indications of a fault. Following the troubleshooting, another FIT was held and the recommendation was to R&R DDCU LA1A which the crew completed this morning. Both DDCUs and Pressurized Mating Adapter (PMA)2 shell heaters were powered on and are operating nominally. CEVIS has been reinstalled. Ground teams have recovered most affected loads with a few remaining items to be repowered tonight. Multi-Omics Operations: The crew supported the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Multi-Omics investigation by collecting samples and inserting them in the Minus Eighty-degree Freezer for ISS (MELFI). The investigation evaluates the impacts of space environment and prebiotics on astronauts’ immune function by combining the data obtained from the measurements of changes in the microbiological composition, metabolites profiles, and the immune system. NeuroMapping Operations: The crew set up the hardware and performed this experiment, including testing in both a “strapped in” and ”free floating” body configuration. The investigation studies whether long-duration spaceflight causes changes to the brain, including brain structure and function, motor control, and multi-tasking abilities. It also measures how long it takes for the brain and body to recover from changes. Previous research and anecdotal evidence from astronauts suggests movement control and cognition can be affected in microgravity. The NeuroMapping investigation performs structural and functional magnetic resonance brain imaging (MRI and fMRI) to assess changes that occur after spending an extended period on the ISS. Ammonia Measurement Kit Chip Measurement System (CMS) Battery Changeout: The CMS draws a small amount of current even while inactive, therefore the batteries must be changed periodically to ensure the CMS will activate in an emergency. During this procedure the crew verified that the CMS would have activated using the installed batteries near end-of-life, then replaced them. Treadmill 2 (T2) Monthly Maintenance: The crew completed this regularly scheduled maintenance to inspect the bungee shackle key mount witness marks, Y-Axis isolators, two boot snubbers, and all four snubber arms for signs of free play. Today’s Planned Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. Morning Inspection, Laptop RS1(2) Reboot Morning Inspection, RSS1,2 Reboot / r/g 1460 SM ПСС (Caution & Warning Panel) Test MRM2 comm config to support the P/L Ops KULONOVSKIY KRISTALL. Hardware Setup and Configuration r/g 2578 JEMAL Depress and Vent COSMOCARD. Preparing for and Starting 24-hr ECG Recording / r/g 2579 Multi Omics (MO) Sample Collection RELAKSATSIYA Hardware Setup r/g 2575 Multi Omics (MO) Sample Insertion into MELFI Kulonovskiy Kristall Experiment Run r/g 2578 Multi Omics (MO) Equipment Stowage Multi Omics (MO) Hardware Setup RELAKSATSIYA. Parameter Settings Adjustment r/g 2575 Monthly Inspection of T2 Treadmill System MRM2 Comm Reconfig for Nominal Ops URAGAN. Observation and photography using Photo Equipment / r/g 2581 RELAKSATSIYA. Observation r/g 2575 PHS Evaluation Setup RELAKSATSIYA. Closeout Ops and Hardware Removal r/g 2575 Periodic Health Status (PHS), Subject Periodic Health Status (PHS) – CMO Periodic Health Status (PHS) Data Entry and Hardware Stowage KULONOVSKIY KRISTALL. Copy and Downlink Data / r/g 2578 DUBRAVA. Observation and photography using VSS / r/g 2580 JEMAL Verifying depressurization complete JEM Airlock Depressurization and Vent Confirmation Water Recovery System (WRS): waste tank offload – init Filling (separation) of EDV (KOV) for Elektron or EDV-SV r/g 2590 Progress 432 (Aft) Transfers and IMS Ops / r/g 1812, 1832 Emergency Operations (EMER) Chip Measurement System (CMS) Battery Changeout СОЖ Maintenance HMS Defibrillator Inspection Water Recovery System (WRS): waste tank offload – term WRS – recycle tank fill from EDV Progress 431 (DC1) Stowage and IMS Ops / r/g 2435, 2512, 2584 Dragon Prepack NeuroMapping (NMAP) Test Ops Countermeasures System (CMS) Sprint Exercise Optional Exercise Data Downlink via OCA IMS Delta File Prep URISYS Hardware Setup r/g 2583 RELAKSATSIYA. Charging battery for Relaksatstiya experiment (initiate) / r/g 0167 SPLANH. Diet Restrictions Reminder / r/g 2576 Completed Task List Items iPAD cert update [Active] Ground Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. Nominal ground commanding Three-Day Look Ahead: Tuesday, 06/21: OBT 46S emergency drill, EVA EMU swap, JEMAL antivirus scan Wednesday, 06/22: EMU 3005, 3008 water maintenance/loop scrub Thursday, 06/23: Habitability, Microchannel Diffusion plate changeout QUICK ISS Status – Environmental Control Group: Component Status Elektron On Vozdukh Manual [СКВ] 1 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV1”) Off [СКВ] 2 – SM Air Conditioner System (“SKV2”) On Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab Standby Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3 Operate Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab Idle Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3 Operate Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) Process Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) Norm Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab Off Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 Full Up

June 21, 2016 at 01:36AM
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2016年6月20日星期一

Sunrise Solstice over Stonehenge

Today the Sun reaches its northernmost point in planet Earth's sky. Called a solstice, the date traditionally marks a change of seasons -- from spring to summer in Earth's Northern Hemisphere and from fall to winter in Earth's Southern Hemisphere. The featured image was taken during the week of the 2008 summer solstice at Stonehenge in United Kingdom, and captures a picturesque sunrise involving fog, trees, clouds, stones placed about 4,500 years ago, and a 4.5 billion year old large glowing orb. Even given the precession of the Earth's rotational axis over the millennia, the Sun continues to rise over Stonehenge in an astronomically significant way. via NASA http://ift.tt/28IPzxT

A Closer Look At The CASIS "Space Is In It" Endorsement

Keith's 16 note: As readers of NASAWatch have noted by now, I have an interest in the utilization of the International Space Station. When the amazing capabilities of ISS are used to their fullest potential we all benefit. When those resources are under-utilized our tax dollars and the finite utility of the ISS are wasted. CASIS has been given responsibility for managing the U.S. assets aboard the ISS that have been collectively proclaimed as being the ISS National Laboratory. I've already written a lot about CASIS. I'll be writing much more in the weeks to come.

Let's start with a clear-cut example of how CASIS has stumbled: its preoccupation with golf and its relationship with Cobra Puma Golf, a large and very successful golfing gear manufacturer. If you look at the LinkedIn page of Patrick O'Neill, CASIS Marketing & Communications Manager, you will see that he was an account executive for VitroRobertson. Between 2008-2009 he was "Account Executive on the Cobra Golf Account. Managed the day to day operations of all Brand Marketing efforts and assisted in the production of all Advertising efforts for Cobra Golf." If you read CASIS President/Executive Director Greg Johnson's astronaut bio you'll see that he lists golf among his recreational interests. So, senior CASIS management likes golf. "Go with what you know", so they say.

On 31 March 2016 NASA International Space Station Director Sam Scimemi sent a letter to Greg Johnson on a number of topics. One of the issues Scimemi raised had to do with how CASIS hypes/promotes the research that it takes credit for having facilitated onboard the ISS. In that letter Scimemi notes: "We would advise caution in the lending of the ISS National Lab brand (via your "Space is in it" certification) too freely; care must be taken to that research performed on the ISS has actually influenced product development in advance of awarding the certification. Failure to do so weakens the brand and may lend an air of being nonserious in our mutual quest to fully utilize the ISS as a national lab."

The "Space Is In It" designation that CASIS calls an "endorsement" has apparently only been awarded once - to Cobra Puma Golf. As such it would be illustrative to examine how that whole process came about and what it says about the ability of CASIS to recognize the actual commercial research potential of the ISS.

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