Help Make Women NASA LEGO Minifigs a Reality

Ripples Through a Dark Sky

Sunlight ripples through a dark sky on this Swedish summer midnight as noctilucent or night shining clouds seem to imitate the river below. In fact, the seasonal clouds often appear at high latitudes in corresponding summer months. Also known as polar mesospheric clouds, they form as water vapor is driven into the cold upper atmosphere. Fine dust supplied by disintegrating meteors or volcanic ash provides sites where water vapor can condense, turning to ice at the cold temperatures in the mesosphere. Poised at the edge of space some 80 kilometers above, these icy clouds really do reflect sunlight toward the ground. They are visible here even though the Sun itself was below the horizon, as seen on July 16 from Sweden's Färnebofjärdens National Park. via NASA http://ift.tt/2a7ecFo

NASA's Faith-Based Approach For Future SLS/Orion Budgets

A new, independent review of the Orion spacecraft is pretty damning, Ars Technica

"Despite these concerns, NASA is pressing ahead with an effort to try and accelerate development of Orion to enable an August 2021 launch of Exploration Mission-2. Yet the GAO found this scenario improbable. "To stay on the aggressive internal schedule, the agency is counting on receiving higher appropriated funds than what it plans to request, which may not be realistic in a constrained budget environment," the report states. There is low confidence - 40 percent - in NASA making the 2021 launch date, and the GAO believes this may not be a "beneficial strategy" for Orion in the long term."

- Double GAO Reports: SLS and Orion Cost and Risk Estimates Are Still Unreliable, earlier post
- Earlier posts on SLS and Orion

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Dawn Journal: Staying at Ceres

The official end of Dawn's prime mission was June 30, but the valiant adventurer began its "extended mission" of performing more Ceres observations without missing a beat.

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Days of Wine and Redwoods and SCIENCE

NASA Announces Changes to International Space Station Coverage

In September, NASA will bring its online audience inside the world of human spaceflight as never before, from its Johnson Space Center in Houston -- home to NASA’s astronaut corps, the storied mission control and several human spaceflight programs.

July 29, 2016
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NASA Orders Second SpaceX Crew Mission to International Space Station

NASA took another important step Friday in returning U.S. astronaut launches from U.S. soil with the order of a second post-certification mission from commercial provider SpaceX in Hawthorne, California.

July 29, 2016
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What's up in the solar system, August 2016 edition: Juno to get Jupiter close-ups, Rosetta descending, road-tripping rovers

This month we'll finally see JunoCam's first high-resolution images of Jupiter. We'll also see OSIRIS-REx making progress toward its September 8 launch. Both rovers are road-tripping at Mars, while ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter has completed a major mid-course correction ahead of its October arrival.

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Space Station View of the Chesapeake Bay

On July 21, 2016, Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams of NASA shared this photograph of sunglint illuminating the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, writing, "Morning passing over the Chesapeake Bay heading across the Atlantic." via NASA http://ift.tt/2ahQO9n

Re-Entering Chinese Rocket Booster Lights Up Western United States Skies

ISS Daily Summary Report – 07/28/16

Mouse Epigenetics Cage Unit Maintenance: The Mouse Cage Units containing the mice were transferred to the glove box from the Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) while the crew conducted standard cleaning and maintenance on the Mouse Habitat Cage Units. The Mouse Epigenetics investigation studies altered gene expression patterns in the organs of male mice that spend one month in space, and also examines changes in the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of their offspring. Results from the investigation identify genetic alterations that happen after exposure to the microgravity environment of space. Fluid Shifts Operations: With guidance from the ground teams, crewmembers continued the first week of the Fluid Shifts experiment run by performing a Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emission (DPOAE) test, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Tonometry exams, Cerebral Cochlear Fluid Pressure (CCFP) test and an ultrasound scan. The Fluids Shift investigation is divided into three segments: Dilution Measures, Baseline Imaging, and Baseline Imaging using the Russian Chibis Lower Body Negative Pressure (LBNP) device. The experiment measures how much fluid shifts from the lower body to the upper body, in or out of cells and blood vessels, and determines the impact these shifts have on fluid pressure in the head, changes in vision and eye structures.  European Crew Personal Active Dosimeter (EUCPAD) Installation: The crew retrieved and inserted the ESA Active Dosimeter Mobile Units into the personal storage device.  The European Crew Personal Active Dosimeter is a device worn by crew members on orbit to measure radiation exposure. This device, coupled with other dosimeters in the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Columbus Laboratory, provides radiation dosage information that can be used to support risk assessment and dose management. The goal is to enable verification of radiation monitoring systems for future medical monitoring of crew members in space. Maritime Awareness Radio Installation: The crew installed the Maritime Awareness Radio drawer into EXPRESS rack 3 and connected it to the Vessel ID antenna. Nearly all commercial ships on the world’s oceans are being tracked and monitored using the Automatic Identification System (AIS) but the curvature of the Earth blocks the signals when ships are far from shore. The Global AIS on Space Station (GLASS) (Maritime Awareness) investigation uses a space-based AIS receiver system on ISS to acquire and disseminate ship information. During a 12-month test period, the system’s ability to continuously monitor ships for use in commercial, safety and security, environmental and educational applications will be investigated. Airway Monitoring Overview and Setup: In preparation for the European Space Agency (ESA) Airway Monitoring experiment scheduled to begin next week, the crew reviewed reference material and began setup activities in the Airlock.  With dust particles in the ISS atmosphere, Airway Monitoring studies the occurrence and indicators of airway inflammation in crewmembers using ultra-sensitive gas analyzers to analyze exhaled air. This helps to highlight any health impacts and to maintain crewmember wellbeing on future human spaceflight missions, especially longer-duration missions to the Moon and Mars where crewmembers must be more self-sufficient in highlighting and avoiding such conditions. Space Headaches: The crew completed the European Space Agency (ESA) Space Headaches questionnaire to provide information that may help in the development of methods to alleviate associated symptoms and improvement in the well-being and performance of crew members in space. Headaches during space flight can negatively affect mental and physical capacities of crew members which can influence performance during a space mission. Dose Tracker: The crew completed entries for medication tracking on an iPad. This investigation 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.  Habitability Human Factors Directed Observations: The crew recorded and submitted a walk-through video documenting observations of life onboard ISS, 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.  Microgravity Experiment Research Locker Incubator 3 (MERLIN-3) Failure to Power On Fully: Yesterday, ground teams reported that the MERLIN-3 file count was not incrementing. Based on similarity to a previous anomaly ground teams attempted a reboot to recover but did not see Health & Status (H&S) indications. Ground teams then power cycled the Locker 6 power and data but MERLIN-3 did not fully power back up. Teams noted the power draw went from 5.5A to less than 0.5A. MERLIN-3 lost its cooling capacity so science was moved from MERLIN-3 to MERLIN-1.  Ground teams are working additional troubleshooting plans. If MERLIN-3 cannot be recovered it may be returned on SpX-9. Additional MERLIN capacity is not required until SpX-10.  Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Resize:  Preparation activities for the EVA currently planned for August 18 continued today. The crew resized EMU 3003 to fit Williams and EMU 3008 was resized to fit Rubins. The crew also gathered suit components to be returned to ground and replaced a frayed Thermal Micrometeoroid Garment on one of the EVA Helmet Interchangeable Portable Lights (EHIP). Cyclic Load Management (CLM) Not Being Applied to Shell Heaters Following Software Transition: As part of the Software Transition that occurred on Sunday July 24, an update was made for Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) Day/Night Cycling and Shell Heater Cyclic Load Delta to be avoided during periods of high beta. Prior to the software transition, a delta would be applied to adjust set points which allowed the heaters to use more power when it was available to warm the shell heaters. Temperatures are currently maintaining above dew point and there is no concern that will change, but there […]

July 29, 2016 at 12:00AM
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Herschel's Eagle Nebula

A now famous picture from the Hubble Space Telescope featured Pillars of Creation, star forming columns of cold gas and dust light-years long inside M16, the Eagle Nebula. This false-color composite image views the nearby stellar nursery using data from the Herschel Space Observatory's panoramic exploration of interstellar clouds along the plane of our Milky Way galaxy. Herschel's far infrared detectors record the emission from the region's cold dust directly. The famous pillars are included near the center of the scene. While the central group of hot young stars is not apparent at these infrared wavelengths, the stars' radiation and winds carve the shapes within the interstellar clouds. Scattered white spots are denser knots of gas and dust, clumps of material collapsing to form new stars. The Eagle Nebula is some 6,500 light-years distant, an easy target for binoculars or small telescopes in a nebula rich part of the sky toward the split constellation Serpens Cauda (the tail of the snake). via NASA http://ift.tt/2aApCiB

Inclusive Astronomy

American Astronomical Society Endorses Vision Statement for Inclusive Astronomy, AAS

"We believe that people of all races, genders, sexual orientations, and physical abilities are capable of doing excellent science and shaping the future of our discipline. We know that identity is intersectional, and we see connections among barriers facing communities of color, women, people with disabilities, and LGBTIQA* people in science. We believe in equal opportunity. We share a vision of a more inclusive, more productive profession. We know that true inclusion and diversity require hard work from individual astronomers, organizations, and our profession as a whole to re-examine our professional culture, modify our existing practices, and remove barriers to inclusion. We assert that progress can and should be measured, and should be pursued with the same zeal as other strategic scientific goals. We have faith that we all -- as colleagues and as a profession -- can learn and improve."

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NASA Awards Protective Services Contract at Kennedy Space Center

NASA has selected Chenega Infinity, LLC of Chantilly, Virginia, to provide protective services at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

July 28, 2016
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A Black Hole ‘Choir’

The blue dots in this field of galaxies, known as the COSMOS field, show galaxies that contain supermassive black holes emitting high-energy X-rays. via NASA http://ift.tt/2aB7Ifz

Lopsided Gender Balance at SETI Institute Board

Another view of 2 female: 11 male gender ratio of @SETIInstitute board of trustees https://t.co/5zOE82BVK5 #SETI http://pic.twitter.com/uL1BcacArV

— NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) July 27, 2016

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Dava Newman Announces Stealth STEM Conference

Keith's note: A few moments ago at the NASA Advisory Council meeting Dava Newman was just gushing about a "Mission STEM" conference they are holding in Washington DC on 8-9 August with "hundreds of attendees" and partnerships with other agencies. Yet there is no mention of this event at NASA's calendar, NASA's Education webpage or even at missionstem.nasa.gov. How are people outside of NASA's little bubble supposed to know about these things?

Odd: @DavaExplorer gushes about 8/9 Aug Mission STEM conf in DC that is not mentioned at https://t.co/yw2P4V5px5 or https://t.co/v4obsr9VNN

— NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) July 28, 2016

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Field Report From Mars: Sol 4410 - June 20, 2016

Opportunity is finishing up its activities in Marathon Valley, getting ready to hit the road again.

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The Corpse of a Dead Star Zaps Its Companion With a Death Ray

ISS Daily Summary Report – 07/27/16

Biological Rhythms 48 Holter and Actiwatch Removal and Data Save: Upon completion of the Biological Rhythms recording session, today the crewmember removed the Digital Walk Holter Electrocardiogram (ECG) and the Actiwatch Spectrum from his body and saved the data collected from the holter and the multi-media card to the medical laptop. This concluded a series of activities for the Biological Rhythms experiment where two separate 24-hour Actiwatch measurement sessions were performed to study the effects of long-term microgravity exposure on heart functions by analyzing an astronaut’s electrocardiogram for 48 hours. Fluid Shifts Operations: With operator assistance from the ground team, crewmembers continued the first week of the Fluid Shifts experiment run by configuring the Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) hardware, the Cerebral and Cochlear Fluid Pressure (CCFP) analyzer, and the Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emission (DPOAE) hardware, before completing a DPOAE test, OCT exam, Tonometry exam, and a CCFP test. The Fluids Shift investigation is divided into three segments: Dilution Measures, Baseline Imaging, and Baseline Imaging using the Russian Chibis Lower Body Negative Pressure (LBNP) device. The experiment measures how much fluid shifts from the lower body to the upper body, in or out of cells and blood vessels, and determines the impact these shifts have on fluid pressure in the head, changes in vision and eye structures. Heart Cells Microscope Operations: The crew set up the Heart Cells microscope and removed the BioCell Habitat from the Space Automated Bioproduct Lab (SABL) and the Multiwell BioCell from the BioCell Habitat. These items were inserted into the microscope before conducting Heart Cells operations and placing the Multiwell BioCell back into BioCell Habitat and stowing the BioCell habitat inside SABL-1. The investigation studies the human heart, specifically how heart muscle tissue, contracts, grows and changes (gene expression) in microgravity and how those changes vary between subjects. Understanding how heart muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes, change in space improves efforts for studying disease, screening drugs and conducting cell replacement therapy for future space missions.  Mouse Epigenetics Maintenance Operations: The crew conducted standard maintenance operations by exchanging the food cartridge of the Mouse Habitat Cage Unit and completing Transportation Cage Unit dryout activities. The investigation studies altered gene expression patterns in the organs of male mice that spend one month in space as well as changes in the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of their offspring. Results from the investigation identify genetic alterations that happen after exposure to the microgravity environment of space. Fine Motor Skills: A series of interactive tasks on a touchscreen tablet were completed for the Fine Motor Skills investigation. This investigation is critical during long-duration space missions, particularly those skills needed to interact with technologies required in next-generation space vehicles, spacesuits, and habitats. The crewmember’s fine motor skills are also necessary for performing tasks in transit or on a planetary surface, such as information access, just-in-time training, subsystem maintenance, and medical treatment. Habitability Human Factors Directed Observations: The crew recorded and submitted a walk-through video documenting observations of life onboard ISS, 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. Portable Emergency Provisions (PEPS) Inspection: The crew inspected and confirmed that the Portable Fire Extinguishers (PFEs), Extension Hose Tee Kits (EHTKs), Portable Breathing Apparatuses (PBAs) and Pre-Breathe Masks are all free of damage. This maintenance is scheduled every 45 days to ensure continuous functionality of the units.  SSRMS Operations for Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 (PMA2) Androgynous Peripheral Attachment System (APAS) Inspection – SSRMS ungrappled from SpaceX-9 and used the SSRMS Latch End Effector (LEE) camera to complete the PMA2 APAS inspection in preparation for the International Docking Adapter (IDA) ExtraVehicular Activity (EVA) installation in August. No significant items were noted in the inspection. The PMA2 APAS is Go for IDA installation. Following the PMA2 APAS inspection, the SSRMS was maneuvered to its park position at the pre-grapple for Dragon Flight Release Grapple Fixture (FRGF). Today’s Planned Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. CASKAD. Manual Mixing in Bioreactor / r/g 2888 Fine Motor Skills (FINEMOTR) Test Scheduled monthly maintenance of Central Post Laptop.  Laptop Log-File Downlink. Scheduled monthly maintenance of Central Post Laptop Laptop log-file dump, Handover FLUID SHIFTS Hardware Setup FLUID SHIFTS Unit Activation Fine Motor Skills (FINEMOTR) Test FLUID SHIFTS Measuring Pressure FLUID SHIFTS Ultrasound Scan Operations MOUSE Equipment setup for the experiment Work Prep BLR48 Saving Experiment Data MCRSCPE Hardware Setup FLUID SHIFTS. Ultrasound 2 keyboard operation assistance during scanning DAN. Experiment Tagup with specialists / r/g 2780 DAN. Experiment Operator Assistance / r/g 2780 BLR48 Data Saving XF305 Camcorder Settings Adjustment MOUSE Habitat Cage Unit Maintenance HRTCEL Biocell Sample Insertion into Microscope  Crew Onboard Training (OBT) Self-Assessment Questionnaire HRTCEL Experiment Ops FLUID SHIFTS Test with the use of CCFP Analyzer FLUID SHIFTS  OCT Baseline Exam FLUID SHIFTS. Tonometer Eye Test with Remote Guidance FLUID SHIFTS Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emission (DPOAE) measurement Test FLUID SHIFTS. Hardware Deactivation and Stowage Inspection of Portable Breathing Apparatus (PBA) and Portable Fire Extinguisher (PFE) Verification of ИП-1 Flow Sensor Position MCRSCPE Microscope Exam Ops FLUID SHIFTS. Tonometry Test BIOPLENKA. Removal of cassette No.3-4 from CRYOGEM-03 thermostat, Fixation of Constanta No.3-4 cassette biofilm and setup in ТБУ-В No.04. AQM Cartridge Replacement FLUID SHIFTS. Tonometer Exam Operator FLUID SHIFTS Tonometer Exam FLUID SHIFTS DOFF Exam FLUID SHIFTS. Hardware Removal and Stowage Transfer water from Progress 433 (DC1) Rodnik H2O Tank 1 to SM Rodnik Water Tank 1, Equipment Configuration / r/g 2921 Vacuum cleaning ventilation grille on FGB interior panels (201, 301, 401) PILOT-T. Experiment Ops r/g 2922 Preparing for SM ОДУ СУ БФК command generator R&R (procedure review, tool gathering, and work site setup)  HABIT Habitability Walk-Through Video Transfer water from Progress 433 (DC1) Rodnik H2O Tank 1 to SM Rodnik H2O Tank 1, compressor restart POLAR1 Replacement of consumables MRTIME Installation of Radio TEPC […]

July 28, 2016 at 12:00AM
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Thora Halstead

Keith's note: The funeral of Dr. Thora Halstead will be held Friday, 29 July at 3:00 pm at Fort Myer's Old Post Chapel in Arlington, VA. followed by internment at Arlington National Cemetery.

Thora retired from NASA Life Sciences in 1994, where she was the Manager of the Space Biology Program; Life and Biomedical Sciences and Applications Division.

- Thora Halstead, earlier post

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Trump Mentions NASA on Reddit

Donald Trump addresses NASA and new media in his first Reddit AMA, Tech Crunch

"Asked by the same Redditor the role NASA should "play in helping to Make America Great Again," he responded with, "Honestly I think NASA is wonderful! America has always led the world in space exploration," echoing similar comments by Peter Thiel, whose recent Republican Convention address took issue with expenditures on war rather than space exploration, stating, "Instead of going to Mars, we invaded the Middle East." While unequivocally pro-NASA and America, Trump's response was decidedly less detailed than Obama's answer to a similar question on his own AMA."

That time Trump said "NASA' on reddit

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M13: A Great Globular Cluster of Stars

M13 is one of the most prominent and best known globular clusters. Visible with binoculars in the constellation of Hercules, M13 is frequently one of the first objects found by curious sky gazers seeking celestials wonders beyond normal human vision. M13 is a colossal home to over 100,000 stars, spans over 150 light years across, lies over 20,000 light years distant, and is over 12 billion years old. At the 1974 dedication of Arecibo Observatory, a radio message about Earth was sent in the direction of M13. The featured image in HDR, taken through a small telescope, spans an angular size just larger than a full Moon, whereas the inset image, taken by Hubble Space Telescope, zooms in on the central 0.04 degrees. via NASA http://ift.tt/2a9rZrY

Space and Science Comments at Democratic National Convention

Astronaut Mark Kelly "Thank you, everyone. I speak to you tonight as the proud son of two New Jersey cops; as a veteran of 39 combat missions during Operation Desert Storm and of 25 years in the United States Navy. And as a former NASA astronaut who flew four missions to space. My decades as a pilot, military officer, and astronaut gave me a unique perspective. From above, I saw our country at its best. I also saw humanity at its worst. I saw us lead an international coalition against the illegal invasion of Kuwait. I also saw the devastating human effects of war itself. From orbit, I saw our planet as a perfect blue marble. But I also saw shrinking glaciers and rainforests. At war and in space, I saw American leadership on display. But I was always frustrated to return to a country that struggles to address some of our biggest problems here at home."

Governor Jerry Brown: "As we just saw, climate change is unlike any other threat we humans face. It is overarching and affects the entire earth and all living things. It is slow. It is relentless. And it is subject to irreversible tipping points and vast unknowns. Combating climate change, the existential threat of our time, will take heroic effort on the part of many people and many nations. Make no mistake, climate change is REAL. The vast majority of world leaders and climate scientists, like those at NASA and the Department of Defense - indeed, almost anyone who chooses to think - believes in the science of climate change and sees the moral imperative to take action."

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Summer 2016 issue of The Planetary Report

The Summer 2016 issue of The Planetary Report is in the mail! Planetary Society members who want a head start on reading can access the electronic version.

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MAVEN Status and Extended-Mission Planning

The MAVEN mission to Mars was just approved for a two-year extended mission that runs through September 2018. Now is a good time to take stock of we've learned so far and to describe the plans for the extended mission.

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Double GAO Reports: SLS and Orion Cost and Risk Estimates Are Still Unreliable

Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle: Action Needed to Improve Visibility into Cost, Schedule, and Capacity to Resolve Technical Challenges, GAO

"GAO found that the Orion program's cost and schedule estimates are not reliable based on best practices for producing high-quality estimates. Cost and schedule estimates play an important role in addressing technical risks. ... For example, the cost estimate lacked necessary support and the schedule estimate did not include the level of detail required for high-quality estimates. Without sound cost and schedule estimates, decision makers do not have a clear understanding of the cost and schedule risk inherent in the program or important information needed to make programmatic decisions. ... NASA and the Orion program have made some programmatic decisions that could further exacerbate cost and schedule risks. The Orion program is executing to an internal schedule with a launch readiness date of August 2021, which has a lower confidence level than its commitment baseline. This means that NASA is accepting higher cost and schedule risk associated with executing this schedule .... The lack of cost reserves has caused the program to defer work to address technical issues and stay within budget. As a result, the Orion program's reserves in future years could be overwhelmed by work being deferred. Program officials told GAO that they have not performed a formal analysis to understand the impact that delaying work might have on the available reserves since the program was confirmed. Without this type of analysis, program management may not have a complete understanding of how decisions made now will affect the longer-term execution of the program."

NASA Human Space Exploration: Opportunity Nears to Reassess Launch Vehicle and Ground Systems Cost and Schedule, GAO

"... the SLS program has not positioned itself well to provide accurate assessments of core stage progress - including forecasting impending schedule delays, cost overruns, and anticipated costs at completion - because at the time of our review it did not anticipate having the baseline to support full reporting on the core stage contract until summer 2016 - some 4.5 years after NASA awarded the contract. Further, unforeseen technical challenges are likely to arise once the program reaches its next phase, final integration for SLS and integration of SLS with its related Orion and Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) human spaceflight programs. Any such unexpected challenges are likely to place further pressure on SLS cost and schedule reserves. ... NASA officials stated that this review will have limited discussion of cost and schedule. Proceeding ahead without reassessing resources, however, could result in the EGS or SLS program exhausting limited resources to maintain pace toward an optimistic November 2018 launch readiness date. ... In July 2015, GAO found that SLS's limited cost and schedule reserves were placing the program at increased risk of being unable to deliver the launch vehicle on time and within budget."

Earlier posts on SLS and Orion

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The Loneliest Young Star

An unusual celestial object called CX330 was first detected as a source of X-ray light in 2009. It has been launching “jets” of material into the gas and dust around it. via NASA http://ift.tt/2aqttPC

Old Space Ponders New Space But Only Sees Old Space

Market doesn't justify reusable launchers, expendable rocket makers argue, Ars Technica

"Monday evening in Salt Lake City, some aerospace industry officials sat down to discuss this new development. The panel at an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics forum on propulsion had a provocative title, "Launch Vehicle Reusability: Holy Grail, Chasing Our Tail, or Somewhere in Between?" Moderator Dan Dumbacher said of the panel, "We purposefully tried to get a good cross-section of those who have been working on it." However, the panel included no one actually building reusable rockets and relied heavily on the old-guard perspective. Dumbacher himself, now a professor at Purdue University, previously managed development of the Space Launch System rocket for NASA, and he expressed doubt about the viability of reusable launch vehicles in 2014 by essentially saying that because NASA couldn't do it, it was difficult to see how others could."

Keith's note: Well of course SLS-hugger and former NASA SLS manager Dan Dumbacher can't see a world where the launch market is diverse in terms of customers, payloads, launch vehicles, and financing. He only has wetware that lets him see giant government-built rockets - so that is all that he can see.

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Why Doesn’t Ceres Have Any REALLY Big Craters?

ISS Daily Summary Report – 07/26/16

Biological Rhythms 48 Multi Media Card Exchange: The crew stopped the first half of the 24-hour recording that began yesterday and changed out the Multi Media Card and battery of the Digital Walk Holter ECG, then began the second half of the 24-hour recording. The objective of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Biological Rhythms 48 is to study the effects of long-term microgravity exposure on heart function by analyzing an astronaut’s electrocardiogram for 48 hours. Fluid Shifts: Crewmembers continued Fluid Shifts operations by configuring the Refrigerated Centrifuge for sample load operations, conducting body (blood, urine, and saliva) sample collections and stowing the samples in a MELFI (Minus Eighty-degree Freezer for ISS). Fluid Shifts is a joint USOS – Russian experiment that measures how much fluid shifts from the lower body to the upper body, in or out of cells and blood vessels, and determines the impact these shifts have on fluid pressure in the head, changes in vision and eye structures JEM Airlock (JEM AL) Operations: With assistance from the ground team, the crew completed Airlock Control and Display Unit-Remote Control (ACDU-RC) checkout and JEM AL labeling activities. They also removed the Handhold Experiment Platform Adapter from the Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform (MPEP) prior to removing MPEP from the Small Fine Arm (SFA) Airlock Attachment Mechanism (SAM) which is on the JEMAL slide table. This is in preparation for next week’s planned installation of NanoRacks External Platform (NREP). At Home in Space Questionnaire: The crew completed a questionnaire for the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) At Home in Space experiment which assesses culture, values, and psychosocial adaptation of astronauts to a space environment shared by multinational crews on long-duration missions. It is hypothesized that astronauts develop a shared space culture that is an adaptive strategy for handling cultural differences and they deal with the isolated confined environment of the space craft by creating a home in space. At Home in Space investigates individual and culturally related differences, family functioning, values, coping with stress, and post-experience growth.  Microbial Check Valve (MCV) Orbital Replacement Unit (ORU) Remove & Replace (R&R): The Water Processing Assembly (WPA) has been experiencing high pressure faults when in reprocess mode due to high delta pressure across the MCV. The old MCV was installed following a failed R&R in 2015 and was degraded. Today the crew replaced the MCV with a spare delivered on SpX-9. The WPA is currently in process mode and data indicates the delta pressure has returned to normal levels. Transition to the Power Management Control Application (PMCA) and Photovoltaic Control Application (PVCA) R5 Software Suite: The X2 PMPV R5 software transition began over the weekend and continued through today.  Yesterday the software was pushed to the Backup Photovoltaic Control Unit (PVCU) Multiplexer-Demultiplexers (MDMs) [PVCU-3B, PVCU-3A, PVCU-4A and PVCU-2B], which were then transitioned to Primary.  Today the software was pushed to the remaining PVCU MDMs [PVCU-1A, PVCU-1B, PVCU-2A, and PVCU-4B]. After the software loads were completed, the MDMs were transitioned from backup to primary. This returned the MDMs in their final desired Prime/Backup configuration. Dragon Cargo Operations: The crew has unloaded all cargo from the vehicle.  The crew completed 2.5 hours of cargo packing and loading for return. Today’s Planned Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. BIOPLENKA. Removal of cassette No.3-2 from CRYOGEM-03 thermostat, Fixation of Constanta No.3-2 cassette biofilm and setup in ТБУ-В No.04 r/g 2908 FLUID SHIFTS. Saliva Test FLUID SHIFTS. MELFI Urine Sample Insertion FLUID SHIFTS. Urine Sample Collection FLUID SHIFTS. MELFI Urine Sample Insertion FLUID SHIFTS. Basic blood values FLUID SHIFTS Blood Collection FLUID SHIFTS Refrigerated Centrifuge Configuration FLUID SHIFTS. Water Collection from the Galley and taking radioisotope marker BLR48 – starting measurement AHIS Questionnaire Completion FLUID SHIFTS. Refrigerated Centrifuge Spin Conclude FLUID SHIFTS. MELFI Urine Sample Insertion FLUID SHIFTS. Urine Sample Collection XF305 Camcorder Settings Adjustment JEM Airlock Inner Hatch Open Filling (separation) of ЕДВ (КОВ) for Elektron r/g 2851 FLUID SHIFTS. MELFI Urine Sample Insertion CASKAD. Manual Mixing in Bioreactor / r/g 2888 JEM Airlock Monitor JEM AL Slide Table extension to JPM HXP ADPTR Adapter Removal СОЖ Maintenance MPEP Removal of MPEP from Small Fine Arm (SAM) Part 1 JEM Airlock Releasing Capture Mechanism MPEP Removal of MPEP from Small Fine Arm (SAM) (assistance) MPEP Removal of MPEP from Small Fine Arm (SAM) Part 2 BIOCARD. Operator Assistance During the Experiment / r/g 1907 BIOCARD. Experiment  r/g 1907 SSIPC Management / ISS Crew Tagup Virus Definition File Update on Auxiliary Computer System (ВКС) Laptops FLUID SHIFTS Blood Collection FLUID SHIFTS. 3-Hour Blood Collection, Subject SFA  Remove Small Fine Arm (SFA) SAM from JEM AL Slide Table FLUID SHIFTS Refrigerated Centrifuge Configuration FLUID SHIFTS. 3-hour Saliva Collection, Subject FLUID SHIFTS. MELFI Urine Sample Insertion FLUID SHIFTS Cerebral and Cochlear Fluid Pressure (CCFP) Analyzer Device Baseline Setup VIZIR. Fit check assessment for installation of Photo Image Coordinate Reference System  r/g 2907 Replacement of FGB Power Supply System АБ4 Module 800А (A74) unit FLUID SHIFTS. Refrigerated Centrifuge Spin Conclude FLUID SHIFTS. MELFI Urine Sample Insertion SFA Removal of  Small Fine Arm (SFA) Airlock Attachment Mechanism (SAM) from JEM Airlock (AL) Slide Table (assistance) OCT Hardware Setup FLUID SHIFTS Refrigerated Centrifuge Spin Conclude Gathering Microbial Check Valve (MCV) equipment for IFM Access to Microbial Check Valve (MCV) JEM Airlock Monitoring Capture Mechanism motion FLUID SHIFTS. 5-hour Saliva Collection, Subject FLUID SHIFTS. MELFI Urine Sample Insertion FLUID SHIFTS. Urine Sample Collection, Closeout Ops FLUID SHIFTS. MELFI Urine Sample Insertion FLUID SHIFTS. Urine Collection Hardware Stowage JEM Airlock Inner Hatch Closure Health Maintenance System (HMS) Profile of Mood States (POMS) Questionnaire Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), Operator Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), Subject MCV Remove and Replace ALGOMETRIA. Experiment Ops / r/g 2911 BIOPLENKA. Fixation of Constanta No.3-3 cassette biofilm and setup in ТБУ-В No.04 r/g 2909 24-hour ECG Monitoring (termination) / r/g 2892 MCV Close-out Ops Disinfectant dump to 2 ЕДВ containers and SM Rodnik H2O Tank 1 bladder compression / r/g 2910 CALCIUM. Experiment Session 6 / r/g 2906 24-hour BP monitoring […]

July 27, 2016 at 12:00AM
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Puzzling a Sky over Argentina

Can you find the comet? True, a careful eye can find thousands of stars, tens of constellations, four planets, three galaxies, and the central band of our Milky Way Galaxy -- all visible in the sky of this spectacular 180-degree panorama. Also, if you know what to look for, you can identify pervasive green airglow, an earthly cloud, the south celestial pole, and even a distant cluster of stars. But these are all easier to find than Comet 252P/LINEAR. The featured image, taken in el Leoncito National Park, Argentina in early April, also features the dome of the Jorge Sahade telescope on the hill on the far right. Have you found the comet yet? If so, good for you (it was the green spot on the left), but really the harder thing to find is Small Cloud of Magellan. via NASA http://ift.tt/2abPyBU

Trekking On The Edge of Forever

My Star Trek Episode at Everest, SpaceRef

"As we approach the 50th anniversary of Star Trek (and in anticipation of participating in this week's Star Trek-themed NASA Social), I thought I'd write about how many experiences in my life have intersected with- and have been affected by its legacy. In late April 2009 I found myself at Everest Base Camp for a month. I was living at 17,600 feet in Nepal 2 miles from China and 2 miles from the highest point on our planet. I was surrounded by the epic majesty of the Himalayas, a thousand people supporting several hundred Type A individuals with a shared intent to summit the mountain and stand in the jet stream. And all of this was enabled by the austere and noble Sherpa people. I was on a mission not unlike a space mission. My team mate was my long-time friend Scott Parazynski, an astronaut. I could just stop there and what is in these sentences would be cool enough. This had all the makings of a Star Trek episode - and I knew it."

NASA: On the Edge of Forever

"When Star Trek originally aired in 1966, NASA's space program was still in its infancy. But Star Trek allowed us to imagine what could be, if we dared to boldly go where no one had gone before."

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Rosetta end-of-mission plans: Landing site, time selected

ESA's comet-chasing Rosetta spacecraft is nearing the end of its mission. Last week, ESA announced when and where Rosetta is going to touch down. And tomorrow, it will forever shut down the radio system intended for communicating with the silent Philae lander.

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We’re Building a Movement!

Today we launch a new expedition to engage our members in more ways than ever before. Since our inception, our members have supported The Planetary Society as we forge new paths in space science and exploration. You have always been at the center of our success and we want the structure of our membership program to reflect that by offering new benefits, premiums and payment options.

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Cockpit of the First All-Electric Propulsion Aircraft

NASA’s Scalable Convergent Electric Propulsion Technology and Operations Research (SCEPTOR) project has reached a critical milestone, where the electric propulsion integration and conversion of the Tecnam P2006T aircraft into the X-57 will commence. via NASA http://ift.tt/2au7n11

ISS Daily Summary Report – 07/25/16

Biological Research In Canisters (BRIC) 23: Over the weekend, the crew transferred all four of the BRIC-23 canisters that were actuated last week to the Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI).  Two of the four canisters were transferred to MELFI following a 24-hour growth period and the remaining two canisters were transferred following a 48-hour growth period. The BRIC-23 investigation studies Bacillus subtilis spores and Staphylococcus aureus cells to understand how they respond to the stressful environment of space. Results from this investigation improve the understanding of how microbes adapt to spaceflight, including whether their adaptations change antibiotic effectiveness, which benefits efforts to maintain crew member health. NanoRacks Module 9: Over the weekend the crew completed the second session of the NanoRacks Module-9 experiment by activating, shaking, and deactivating the mixture tubes. The NanoRacks Module-9 experiment is a collection of student research projects utilizing the NanoRacks Mixsticks. Student teams from across the United States design their own experiments using flight approved fluids and materials. The investigation consists of several science experiments flown in a NanoRacks Module on board the ISS. Biological Rhythms 48 Holter Start: Earlier this morning the crew continued the operations phase of the Biological Rhythms experiment by attaching the Digital Walk Holter Electrocardiogram (ECG) and electrodes. The objective of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Biological Rhythms 48 is to study the effects of long-term microgravity exposure on heart function by analyzing an astronaut’s electrocardiogram for 48 hours. Mouse Epigenetics Maintenance Operations: The crew refilled water in the Mouse Habitat Cage Unit located in the Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF). The Mouse Epigenetics investigation studies altered gene expression patterns in the organs of male mice that spend one month in space, and also examines changes in the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of their offspring. Results from the investigation identify genetic alterations that happen after exposure to the microgravity environment of space.  Fluid Shifts: The crew conducted the first Fluid Shifts operation of this session by configuring the Refrigerated Centrifuge for sample load operations, performing body sample collections and stowing the samples in a MELFI. The crew also collected a galley water sample and stowed in the MELFI prior to ingestion of a Tracer solution from the Tracer Syringe. Fluid Shifts is a joint USOS Russian experiment that measures how much fluid shifts from the lower body to the upper body, in or out of cells and blood vessels, and determines the impact these shifts have on fluid pressure in the head, changes in vision and eye structures. Meteor Hard Drive Change-out: The crew removed and replaced the hard drive in the Meteor Laptop located in the Window Observational Research Facility (WORF). The investigation provides the first space-based measurement of meteor flux as well as monitoring of carbon-based compounds. Continuous measurement of meteor interactions with the Earth’s atmosphere could also spot previously unforeseen meteor showers.  Habitability Human Factors Directed Observations: The crew recorded and submitted a walk-through video documenting observations of life onboard ISS, 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. “Road To” Extravehicular Activity (EVA): This week begins preparation tasks for the IDA2 EVA currently scheduled for August 18. Today the crew was scheduled to complete the following EVA Mobility Unit (EMU) tasks, but only completed the first three due to scheduling constraints: Remove EMU 3008 from the Fwd EMU Don/Doff Assembly (EDDA) and stow in the Crew Lock (CL). Remove EMU 3006, which was delivered on SpX-9, from the SEMU Launch Enclosure (SLE), install on the Fwd EDDA and configure for on-orbit operations. Configure and install EMU 3005 in the SLE for return on SpX-9. Retrieve EMU 3003 from the CL and install on Aft EDDA. [Deferred] Remove EMU 3006 from Fwd EDDA and install EMU 3008. [Deferred] Potable Water Dispenser Filter Maintenance: The crew R&Rd the PWD filter and cleaned the fan filter areas behind the PWD. This preventive maintenance is required every 18 months. Transition to the Power Management Control Application (PMCA) and Photovoltaic Control Application (PVCA) R5 (PMPV R5) software suite – The X2 PMPV R5 software transition began over the weekend and will continue into Tuesday.  PMCA and PVCA R5 contains new software to manage the Li-Ion batteries that will arrive on HTV-6. In addition to the PMCA and PVCA updates, there also are updates to the Command and Control (C&C) and Portable Computer System (PCS) software.  All software has good health signatures to date. Today’s Planned Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. FS – saliva sampling FS – urine sampling FS – install cooling centrifuge FS – blood sampling FS – water sampling from on-board kitchen and acceptance of radiopaque marker FS – configure cooling centrifuge CASCADE. Manual mixing in bio reactor / r/g 2888 MOUSE- prepare equipment for experiment FLUID SHIFTS. Close out ops with cooling centrifuge FLUID SHIFTS. Placement of samples into MELFI MOUSE- clean the module FS- urine sampling PILOT-Т. Preparation for experiment r/g 2885 WRS – water sampling Crew handover / РПС BLR48 – start of measurements FLUID SHIFTS. Placement of samples into MELFI Recording of audio gram with EARQ s/w PILOT-Т. Experiment run r/g 2885 XF305 video camera adjustment MOUSE- replacement of water in the module EMU SS backpack replacement SLE – rotation, part 1 EMU-reconfiguration after retrieval from transportation container FS – activation of cooling centrifuge FS – blood sampling FS – sampling FS – configure cooling centrifuge FLUID SHIFTS. Установка проб в MELFI Cargo ops in Progress №433 (on DC1) and IMS update r/g 2834, 2835 PILOT-Т. Experiment run. Tagup with specialists. / r/g 2886 Activity for deployment of FMK monitors HMS – eye view check Sampling in GSC container FLUID SHIFTS. Close out ops with cooling centrifuge Testing of vision functions – questionnaire fill out EMU […]

July 26, 2016 at 12:00AM
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Asteroid Collisions Create a Forbidden Crystal

Deep Magellanic Clouds Image Indicates Collisions

Did the two most famous satellite galaxies of our Milky Way Galaxy once collide? No one knows for sure, but a detailed inspection of deep images like that featured here give an indication that they have. Pictured, the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is on the top left and the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is on the bottom right. The surrounding field is monochrome color-inverted to highlight faint filaments, shown in gray. Perhaps surprisingly, the featured research-grade image was compiled with small telescopes to cover the large angular field -- nearly 40 degrees across. Much of the faint nebulosity is Galactic Cirrus clouds of thin dust in our own Galaxy, but a faint stream of stars does appear to be extending from the SMC toward the LMC. Also, stars surrounding the LMC appear asymmetrically distributed, indicating in simulations that they could well have been pulled off gravitationally in one or more collisions. Both the LMC and the SMC are visible to the unaided eye in southern skies. Future telescopic observations and computer simulations are sure to continue in a continuing effort to better understand the history of our Milky Way and its surroundings. via NASA http://ift.tt/29Zk4Ml

Now NASA Wants Special Treatment From Congress

Gerst: Get conflicting drctn from H and S appropriators, appropriators & authorizers, Admin and Congress. Better if they did high level only — Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) July 25, 2016

Gerstenmaier says Congress makes his life "really hard" by being overly specific in report language about budget and program direction. — Jeff Foust (@jeff_foust) July 25, 2016

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Rocket Science and Teleconferences at NASA

At NASA, they make rocket science look easy and the easy--like running a WebEx presentation--look like rocket science. — Jeff Foust (@jeff_foust) July 25, 2016

FYI @jeff_foust NAC notices in Federal Register say "You must use a touch-tone phone to participate in this meeting" https://t.co/9qXquclREe — NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) July 25, 2016

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Novel Space Commerce Is Happening in Low Earth Orbit But NASA and CASIS Ignore It

Mouser Electronics and Grant Imahara Launch Groundbreaking Contest to 3D-Print Design Aboard International Space Station

"Imagine how exciting it would be to see your design made in space," said Glenn Smith, President and CEO of Mouser Electronics, a leading global distributor of the newest semiconductors and electronic components. "We are really excited to present this unique contest. We hope our wide range of electronic components will enable people to create whatever their imagination sparks." For the I.S.S. Design Challenge, Mouser has partnered with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and Made In Space, along with Hackster and MacroFab. The winner of the I.S.S. Challenge will receive a 3D printer, a consultation with Made In Space - pioneers in additive manufacturing technology for use in the space environment - and the prestige of seeing their design 3D-printed aboard the I.S.S."

Keith's note: How cool. A bunch of companies are offering a competition where the winner gets to print something on a commercial device on board the ISS. Isn't this the sort of thing that NASA and CASIS should be promoting? Sam Scimemi from NASA and Greg Johnson from CASIS constantly proclaim their intent to bring education and commerce to Low Earth Orbit on board the ISS. But when it starts to happen in LEO on ISS - on its own - NASA and CASIS could not be bothered to even mention it. One would think that any news like this is good news for everyone involved with the promotion of ISS commercial capabilities. CASIS has signed agreements and has flown Made in Space hardware. But in this case, CASIS prefers to play around with comic book illustrators instead of highlight how its efforts and those of NASA are actually resulting in novel private sector interest in the ISS.

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Hubble Views a Galaxy Fit to Burst

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image reveals the vibrant core of the galaxy NGC 3125. Discovered by John Herschel in 1835, NGC 3125 is a great example of a starburst galaxy — a galaxy in which unusually high numbers of new stars are forming, springing to life within intensely hot clouds of gas. via NASA http://ift.tt/2a7K2wJ

More Evidence that Dinosaurs Suffered a One-Two Extinction Punch

M2 9: Wings of a Butterfly Nebula

Are stars better appreciated for their art after they die? Actually, stars usually create their most artistic displays as they die. In the case of low-mass stars like our Sun and M2-9 pictured above, the stars transform themselves from normal stars to white dwarfs by casting off their outer gaseous envelopes. The expended gas frequently forms an impressive display called a planetary nebula that fades gradually over thousands of years. M2-9, a butterfly planetary nebula 2100 light-years away shown in representative colors, has wings that tell a strange but incomplete tale. In the center, two stars orbit inside a gaseous disk 10 times the orbit of Pluto. The expelled envelope of the dying star breaks out from the disk creating the bipolar appearance. Much remains unknown about the physical processes that cause planetary nebulae. via NASA http://ift.tt/29TfmnS

Time-Lapse: The Skies Over Dry Tortugas

CASIS Ignores NASA While NASA Pays All Of CASIS' Bills

NASA Is Putting Rocket Raccoon And Groot On Their Official Emblem, Nerdist

"It's pretty hilarious that they went with these two characters, as opposed to a scientist like Reed Richard, for instance. Maybe they were just concerned that would jinx the mission and lead to one of the astronauts becoming a giant, orange rock monster? Whatever the case, these things are amazing. Kudos, NASA."

NASA Will Put Rocket Raccoon And Groot On Its New Mission Patch, Gizmodo

"A major mission for us here at CASIS is to find unique and innovative ways to bring notoriety to the ISS National Laboratory and the research that is being conducted on our orbiting laboratory," said CASIS Director of Operations and Educational Opportunities Ken Shields. It's also part of a secret mission that might help us get a Rocket and Groot of our very own. "The reward for us [is that] we'll actually have two characters go into space," said Mitch Dane, director of custom publishing. Then he joked, "With a little luck, there'll be a little cosmic radiation going on, they'll come back alive."

'Guardians of the Galaxy' team up with NASA: Groot, Rocket Raccoon on mission patch, Washington Times

"Director James Gunn, whose "Guardians of the Galaxy" grossed $773 million worldwide in 2014, was awed by the decision. "So cool. NASA Oasis has paired with Marvel and is using Rocket & Groot as an official emblem for the mission to Mars," Mr. Gunn wrote."

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

"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." Coincidentally this letter was sent on the same day that CASIS staff made a rather awkward presentation to the NASA Advisory Council."

Keith's note: CASIS issues a press release that mentions that comic book/movie characters at ComicCon are now ISS mascots or something. Alas NASA is there too - as @NASASocial - and neither @NASASocial or @ISS_CASIS mention one another's presence. Apparently CASIS thinks that Groot, a orange rock man, and a foul mouthed raccoon are better poised to explain ISS science than ISS scientists. So they cite a movie whose director refers to "CASIS" as "OASIS". NASA makes no mention of this news. NASA is never mentioned in the CASIS press release and yet news stories say that NASA is behind all of this. CASIS whines and complains that NASA is not giving them enough quality time and then they go off and mount a PR stunt like this without asking NASA? NASA has already expressed concern that CASIS has marketing practices that are misleading. Can we get any more dysfunctional CASIS?

So cool. NASA Oasis has paired with Marvel and is using Rocket & Groot as an official emblem for the mission to Mars http://pic.twitter.com/0ox5vnMEFS

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 22, 2016

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Bolden Forgot What He Said From Mars And Maybe We'll Name SLS Or Something

Not My Job: NASA's Charles Bolden Gets Quizzed On 'Charles In Charge', NPR

"SAGAL: Really? And what did you say from Mars?
BOLDEN: I have no idea.
SAGAL: You don't know?
BOLDEN: No. I don't remember.
ROXANNE ROBERTS: Really?
SAGAL: You're...
BOLDEN: It was like we...
SAGAL: You recorded the...
BOLDEN: ...Come in peace or something like that."

and

"BOLDEN: We're going to Mars in the 2030s. So we've got the vehicle called - we're going to name it but right now we call it the Space Launch System. It's a heavy lift launch vehicle."

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Rosetta’s Final Resting Place Has Been Chosen

Galaxy Cluster Abell S1063 and Beyond

Some 4 billion light-years away, galaxies of massive Abell S1063 cluster near the center of this sharp Hubble Space Telescope snapshot. But the fainter bluish arcs are magnified images of galaxies that lie far beyond Abell S1063. About twice as distant, their otherwise undetected light is magnified and distorted by the cluster's largely unseen gravitational mass, approximately 100 trillion times the mass of the Sun. Providing a tantalizing glimpse of galaxies in the early universe, the effect is known as gravitational lensing. A consequence of warped spacetime it was first predicted by Einstein a century ago. The Hubble image is part of the Frontier Fields program to explore the Final Frontier. via NASA http://ift.tt/2alHNLW

GAO Report on DoD EELV Acquisition Strategy

Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle: DOD Is Assessing Data on Worldwide Launch Market to Inform New Acquisition Strategy, GAO

"In February 2016, Congress asked GAO to examine what is known about other countries with launch capabilities and whether or not countries had fostered competition among launch providers, similar to what the United States is attempting to do in the EELV program. GAO responded to this request with a written briefing on the worldwide space launch capabilities and the status of the United States and global launch market."

Commercial Launch: All Government Subsidies Are Not Created Equal, earlier post

"This is all rather odd and self-serving. Both Space Foundation and Commercial Spaceflight Federation depend on commercial space company membership dues. On one hand it is wrong to allow U.S. commercial payloads to be launched by India because their rockets have large government subsidies. Yet Space Foundation and CSF think that it is just fine to launch these same U.S. commercial payloads on Chinese, Russian, and European launch vehicles - all of which get substantial government subsidies. Meanwhile ULA has been getting billions a year for decades in U.S. government subsidies to keep both EELV fleets afloat (with no competition until recently) - and they will now get more money to wean themselves from RD-180 engines whose use was mandated by the U.S. government. Again, where you stand depends on where you sit."

- America's Hypocritical Fear of Indian Rockets, earlier post
- Will U.S. Companies Be Allowed To Launch on Indian Rockets?

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Aquanauts Splash Down, Beginning NEEMO 21 Research Mission

The NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) 21 mission began on July 21, 2016, as an international crew of aquanauts splashed down to the undersea Aquarius Reef Base, 62 feet below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. The NEEMO 21 crew will perform research both inside and outside the habitat during a 16-day simulated space mission. via NASA http://ift.tt/2a1syW3

ISS Daily Summary Report – 07/21/16

Dragon Operations:  The crew was scheduled to ingress and configure Dragon for on-orbit operations today, however, these tasks were completed yesterday. Today they transferred critical cargo and unpacked double cold bags to retrieve science as well as transferring 2 “Polar” freezers from Dragon into the EXPRESS rack locations that had been prepared for them.  Mouse Epigenetics Setup Operations: Crewmembers reconfigured the Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) to establish an alternate power resource from the Utility Outlet Panel (UOP) and transferred the mice from the Transportation Cage Unit (which was used to house them during launch) into the Mouse Habitat Cage Units onboard ISS. The Mouse Epigenetics investigation studies altered gene expression patterns in the organs of male mice that spend one month in space and also examines changes in the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of their offspring. Results from the investigation identify genetic alterations that happen after exposure to the microgravity environment of space. Heart Cells Habitat Preparation and Sample Installation: Today, the Heart Cells samples were removed from the SpaceX-9 Dragon capsule and transferred to SABL 2.  The crew then prepared for operations in SABL 1 by configuring the carbon dioxide (CO2) Incubator Controller and installing hardware inside.  The samples were placed in active temperature and CO2 control when they were transferred from SABL 2 into SABL 1. The Heart Cells investigation studies the human heart, specifically how heart muscle tissue contracts, grows and changes (gene expression) in microgravity and how those changes vary between subjects. Understanding how heart muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes, change in space improves efforts for studying disease, screening drugs and conducting cell replacement therapy for future space missions. NanoRacks Platform-1 Module Install: Six NanoRack Modules were installed on NanoRacks Platform 1. NanoRacks Modules 41 (Awty-BE-HDPE Rad Shielding), 43 (Slime Mold), and 44 (Awty-Yeast Cell Growth in a Microgravity Environment) were configured on the left side of the NanoRack Platform and Modules 45 (Duchesne-Light Wavelengths on Algae Production), 46 (Duchesne-Plant Growth Chamber), and 69 (Silver Electrolysis/ Eagelcrest) were configured on the right side. The NanoRack Platform is a multipurpose research facility that supports NanoRacks Modules by providing power and data transfer capabilities to operate investigations in microgravity. NanoRacks Module 9: The crew performed tasks for the NanoRack Module-9 experiment by activating, deactivating, and shaking the mixture tubes. This experiment is a collection of student research projects utilizing the NanoRacks Mixsticks. Student teams from across the United States design their own experiments using flight approved fluids and materials.  Fluids Integration Rack (FIR) RPC trip troubleshooting – RPCM LA2A3B-G RPC-2 (FIR Main Power) tripped in late June.  The payload that was running inside FIR at the time (MicroChannel Diffusion) was able to complete their operations on auxiliary power.  Troubleshooting on the RPC trip was completed today.  FIR was initially powered using auxiliary power, but gradually transitioned to main power. FIR was then deactivated and re-activated in a nominal configuration. No RPC trips were seen throughout the troubleshooting. FIR was deactivated upon completion. There are currently no liens on future use of FIR main power. Today’s Planned Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. NEUROIMMUNITET. Saliva Sample Psychological Testing (Session 1) r/g 2857 CORRECTSIYA. NEUROIMMUNITET. Blood Collection r/g 2857 NEUROIMMUNITET. Venous blood sample processing (smear)  r/g 2857 CORRECTSIYA. NEUROIMMUNITET. Venous blood sample processing using Plasma-03 centrifuge / r/g 2857 RUEXP Blood Sample Insertion into MELFI CORRECTSIYA. NEUROIMMUNITET. Handover to USOS for MELFI Insertion / r/g 2857 CORRECTSIYA. NEUROIMMUNITET. Closeout Ops / r/g 2857 Crew Quarters Closing Doors On MCC Go Regeneration of БМП Ф1 Micropurification Cartridge (start) DRAGON Ingress SpX9 Air Sampling using АК-1М sampler prior to Air Duct Installation r/g 2858 24-hour BP monitoring (start) / r/g 2856 NEUROIMMUNITET. Psychological Test / r/g 2857 Sprint Exercise, Optional 24-hour ECG Monitoring (start) / r/g 2855 Dragon Arrival Photos Dragon Center Stack Transfers NEUROIMMUNITET. Hair Sample / r/g 2857 CORRECTSIYA. Logging Liquid and Food (Medicine) Intake / r/g 2822 Familiarization with Auxiliary Computer System r/g 2863 PRODUTSENT. Removal from ТБУ-В No.02 (+30 deg C), switching to +26 deg C and transfer to ТБУ-В No.04 r/g 2865 SEISMOPROGNOZ. Downlink data from Control and Data Acquisition Module (МКСД) HDD (start) r/g 2224 Crew time for ISS adaptation and orientation Photography of Plume Impingement and Deposit Monitoring Unit (БКДО) position on MRM2 through SM window No.13  (after Progress 433 docking) / r/g 1348 IDENTIFICATION. Copy ИМУ-Ц micro-accelerometer data to laptop / r/g 1589 XF305 Camcorder Settings Adjustment Early unstow items CBEF Backup power reconfig CARDIOVECTOR. Experiment Ops r/g 2859 Preventive Maintenance of Docking Assembly (АСП)/ Hatch Sealing Mechanisms (DC1) and Progress 433 Hatch CASKAD. Completion of Anabioz P/L battery charge / r/g 2848 Dragon Double Cold Bag Unpack BODYM  Equipment Setup MOUSE. Item gathering STEM CELL Insertion of bio-dosimeters into MELFI UOP. Activation HRTCEL. Installation of СО2 Controller in SABL IMS Delta File Prep UOP. Activation XF305 Camcorder Settings Adjustment GLOVE BOX. Installation of Glove Box CORRECTSIYA. Logging Liquid and Food (Medicine) Intake / r/g 2822 Filling (separation) of EDV [KOB] for Elektron Multi-Purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) Hard Drive Exchange Restow Dragon Vestibule Outfitting Kit (VOK) Polar Transfer and Installation in EXPRESS rack СОЖ Maintenance MSG Installation of Gloves in the Glove Box Polar Transfer and Installation in EXPRESS rack OTKLIK. Hardware Monitoring / r/g 1588 SEISMOPROGNOZ. Download data from Control and Data Acquisition Module (МКСД) HDD (end) and start backup r/g 2224 NANO Viewing OBT materials for MODULE-9 NANO Experiment ops and video. CORRECTSIYA. NEUROIMMUNITET. Experiment setup / r/g 2864 MOUSE. Module Transfer to JPM INTERACTION-2. Experiment Ops / r/g 2861 NANO – Module installation Dragon Double Cold Bag Unpack Vacuum Cleaning area behind panels 405, 406 and MRM1 Interior CASKAD. Glovebox-S hardware prep r/g 2866 RWS Power Down POLAR sample transfer 1 Dragon Cargo Operations Conference CEVIS Exercise INTERACTION-2. . Experiment Ops / r/g 2862 POLAR sample transfer 1 GLOVE. Close-out ops with the Glove Box HRTCEL. Experiment Setup On MCC Go Regeneration of БМП Ф1 Absorption Cartridge (end) NEUROIMMUNITET. Saliva Sample. Psychological Test / r/g 2857 NEUROIMMUNITET. End of […]

July 22, 2016 at 12:00AM
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EPIC Earth: A Year of Days from Space

Stealthy Changes to NASA Advisory Council

Keith's note: More than two months ago I posted news that NASA Advisory Council chair Steve Squyres had sent an email to the NAC and to NASA resigning as chair of the NAC. NASA never publicly announced Squyres' departure, never publicly thanked him for his service, etc. How creepy is that?. Now we quietly find out that Ken Bowersox is the "interim chair" of the NAC. Again, no public announcement from NASA. Who cares, I guess.

There is a meeting planned for next week 28-29 July in Cleveland. Charlie Bolden is on constant travel - often international - doing a victory lap/farewell tour - with Dava Newman doing much the same (that's all she every really ever did at NASA). As such, one has to ask what value-added the NAC has these days since there is no one home on the 9th floor at NASA HQ to pay attention to the NAC.

NASA Advisory Council Chair Steve Squyres Resigns, earlier post

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Falcon 9: Launch and Landing

Shortly after midnight on July 18 a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, planet Earth. About 9 minutes later, the rocket's first stage returned to the spaceport. This single time exposure captures the rocket's launch arc and landing streak from Jetty Park only a few miles away. Along a climbing, curving trajectory the launch is traced by the initial burn of the first stage, ending near the top of the bright arc before stage separation. Due to perspective the next bright burn appears above the top of the launch arc in the photo, the returning first stage descending closer to the Cape. The final landing burn creates a long streak as the first stage slows and comes to rest at Landing Zone 1. Yesterday the Dragon cargo spacecraft delivered to orbit by the rocket's second stage was attached to the International Space Station. via NASA http://ift.tt/2adChLr

Astronaut Mark Kelly Will Speak at Democratic National Convention

Gabby & I are excited to speak at @DemConvention on Wed. about why @HillaryClinton will make our country safer. http://pic.twitter.com/zquyOLJaG2

— Mark Kelly (@ShuttleCDRKelly) July 21, 2016

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The Planetary Society at San Diego Comic-Con

Whether or not you're attending San Diego Comic-Con, you can enjoy a discussion panel with Emily Lakdawalla and five science fiction authors about the future of science fiction in the context of today's amazing scientific advances.

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Reaction To Eileen Collins' Speech at the Republican Convention

Sorry, Eileen Collins: Here's why America is already great in space, Ars Technica

"But the public needs to recognize this as well, which is why I was disappointed by Collins and her pining for the Apollo era on such a big stage. The reality is that the best way to "lead on the frontier" in the 21st century is not through flags and footprints, but rather by sending people into space to stay, in a sustainable way, with the eventual aim of making space profitable. One would hope that Donald J. Trump, if he is elected president, would recognize such capitalism when he sees it."

Retired astronaut Eileen Collins endorses Donald Trump in all but name, Mashable

"In a speech before the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night, retired astronaut Eileen Collins delivered a sharp rebuke of NASA's recent leadership, endorsing controversial Republican nominee Donald Trump in all but name. Collins, who was the first woman to command a NASA space shuttle mission, had been expected to deliver a nonpartisan speech, and stopped just shy of issuing a more explicit endorsement. However, the speech will be viewed as a clear critique of NASA's leadership under the Obama administration."

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Viking at 40 Symposium - The Lectures

NASA Viking at 40 Symposium Lectures

"This week NASA hosted the Viking Mars Landers 40th anniversary symposium. In 1976 Viking 1 and 2 were the first landers to successfully land on Mars."

"NASA's Viking 1 and 2 missions to Mars, each consisting of an orbiter and a lander, became the first space probes to obtain high resolution images of the Martian surface; characterize the structure and composition of the atmosphere and surface; and conduct on-the-spot biological tests for life on another planet."

"Viking provided the first measurements of the atmosphere and surface of Mars. These measurements are still being analyzed and interpreted. The data suggested early Mars was very different from the present day planet. Viking performed the first successful entry, descent and landing on Mars. Derivations of a Viking-style thermal protection system and parachute have been used on many U.S. Mars lander missions since."

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NASA's Hubble Looks to the Final Frontier

This view of a massive cluster of galaxies unveils a very cluttered-looking universe filled with galaxies near and far. Some are distorted like a funhouse mirror through a "space warp" phenomenon first predicted by Einstein a century ago. via NASA http://ift.tt/2ajiTfA

ISS Daily Summary Report – 07/20/16

SpaceX (SpX)-9 Capture: The Dragon vehicle was successfully captured by the SSRMS at 5:56AM CDT today. Ground teams then berthed the vehicle to the Node 2 Nadir (N2N) port at approximately 9 AM, after which the crew performed vestibule pressurization and outfitting.  Thanks to the crew and ground operators getting ahead of the timeline, they were able to ingress the vehicle today instead of waiting until tomorrow as previously planned. Thermolab Instrumentation for Circadian Rhythms: The crew began the first of a three-day European Space Agency (ESA) Circadian Rhythms experiment by performing instrumentation with the Thermolab Double sensors, mounting the Thermolab Unit in a belt and connecting and powering on the Thermolab Unit before beginning a 36 hour continuous measurement. After the measurement is complete, the data will be transferred and the hardware will be stowed. The objective of the experiment is to get a better understanding of any alterations in circadian rhythms in humans during long-term space flights. Such knowledge will not only provide important insights into the adaptations of the human autonomic nervous system in space over time, but also has significant practical implications by helping to improve physical exercise, rest and work shifts, as well as fostering adequate workplace illumination in the sense of occupational healthcare in future space missions. Mouse Epigenetics Pre-experiment Transfer Overview: In preparation for the Mouse Epigenetics experiment that arrived on SpX-9, the crew reviewed reference material on transferring mice from the transportation Cage Unit to the Mouse Habitat Cage Unit and installing the Mouse Habitat Cage Unit to Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) Incubator Unit (IU).  Double Coldbag Unpack and Polar Transfer Overview: The crew reviewed reference material and procedures to understand the timing and choreography of unpacking the Double Coldbags from SpX-9 and transferring and installing the Polars from Dragon into the Expedite the Processing of Experiments to Space Station (EXPRESS) racks. Today’s Planned Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. Crew Command Panel (CCP) Cable Route and Checkout Hematocrit  Test r/g 2813 Hematocrit Hardware Stowage USOS Window Shutter Closure Photo/TV Video recording on Ghost Camera plugged to SSC Laptop power Camcorder Setup to View LAB RWS Monitor 3 CORRECTSIYA. Logging Liquid and Food (Medicine) Intake / r/g 2811 MOUSE. Sample Transfer Review Closing window 6,8,9,12,13,14 shutters / r/g 6965 CORRECTSIYA. Logging Liquid and Food (Medicine) Intake / r/g 2822 Soyuz 720 Samsung Tablet Recharge, initiate Soyuz 731 Samsung Tablet Recharge, Initiate Robotic Work Station (RWS) Dragon Configuration ELECTRONIC NOSE. Experiment Part 1 r/g 2846 ISS Crew/SSIPC (Space Station Integration and Promotion Center) Conference Progress 433 (DC1) Transfers and IMS ops / r/g 2834, 2835 EXPRESS Rack 5, Locker Move Dragon, R-bar Approach CARDIOVECTOR Experiment r/g 2850 MATRYOSHKA-R. Transfer of Tritel from Progress to SM / r/g 2844 MATRYOSHKA-R. Deployment of Tritel Passive Detectors at Exposure Location. Photography / r/g 2844 Dragon SSRMS Capture CASKAD. Starting Anabioz Battery Charge / r/g 2848 Video Downlink End Gecko Gripper Operations Ghost Camera Teardown in Cupola High Definition (HD) Encoder Setup in Node 2 to capture Dragon Hatch Opening Dragon – Node 2 pressurization and leak check CALCIUM. Experiment Session 5 / r/g 2843 PLR Sample Transfer Double Coldbag (DCB) Unpacking Review Node 2 Port CBM Pre-mate Status Verification DOSETRK iPad data entry DOSETRK Questionnaire Completion CORRECTSIYA. Logging Liquid and Food (Medicine) Intake / r/g 2811 Life On The Station Photo and Video / r/g 2747 Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM), Capture and Acquire Bolts Crew time for ISS adaptation and orientation Secure at crew discretion. Soyuz 720 Samsung tablet recharging, end CORRECTSIYA. Logging Liquid and Food (Medicine) Intake / r/g 2822 Soyuz 731 Samsung tablet recharging, end Verification of ИП-1 Flow Sensor Position / SM Pressure Control & Atmosphere Monitoring System СОЖ Maintenance Crew time for ISS adaptation and orientation ELECTRONIC NOSE. Experiment Part 2 r/g 2847 Software installation on FS1 for [ТВМ1-Н] data copying r/g 2849 Crew Command Panel (CCP) Cable Routing Dragon – Node 2 pressurization and leak check Dragon Vestibule Outfitting IMS Delta File Prep CORRECTSIYA. NEUROIMMUNITET. Experiment setup / r/g 2845 Crew time for ISS adaptation and orientation Node 2 CBM Controller Panel Assemblies (CPAs) Removal CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS – Trash faulty sensor Thermolab, Instrumentation Ops for Circadian Rhythms NEUROIMMUNITET. Starting 24-hr ECG Recording r/g 2845 CORRECTSIYA. Logging Liquid and Food (Medicine) Intake / r/g 2811 NEUROIMMUNITET. Saliva Collection / r/g 2845 REMINDER – LKR – Reminder CORRECTSIYA. Logging Liquid and Food (Medicine) Intake / r/g 2822 Completed Task List Items None Ground Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. Dragon capture/berth Nominal ground commanding. Three-Day Look Ahead: Thursday, 07/21: Mouse Epigenetics reconfig and setup, Heart Cell CO2 insert, NanoRacks Module 9 hardware retrieval, Polar and DCB transfers Friday, 07/22: Polar 3 hardware install, Heart Cells media change, Biological Rhythms 48 start Circadian Rhythms, OBT Dragon emergency review Saturday, 07/23: Crew off duty, housekeeping, NanoRacks Module 9 hardware retrieval 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) Norm Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab Off Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3 Full Up  

July 21, 2016 at 12:00AM
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These Are the Anti-Heroes We Don't Deserve

NASA PAO Staff Goes Overtly Political

Federal investigators: Cabinet secretary and potential Clinton running mate Julian Castro violated Hatch Act, Washington Post

"Housing Secretary Julian Castro violated the federal Hatch Act restricting partisan political activity by federal employees when he praised Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton during an interview conducted from his government office, government investigators found Monday."

If next pres leaves NASA alone we get astronauts to @Space_Station on @Commercial_Crew + @NASA_SLS/@NASA_Orion & #JWST launches 🚀 #RNCinCLE

— S. Schierholz (@schierholz) July 21, 2016

Keith's note: Stephanie Schierholz works for the NASA Public Affairs Office (PAO). Her job is to convey official NASA opinions - opinions that are guided by White House policies. She states that her Twitter account opinions are her own - yet she overtly uses that same Twitter account almost every day - during the day while she is at work - for official business - including the topics that she mentions in her tweet. Smells like a Hatch Act violation to me.

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Dark Dunes on Mars

How does wind affect sand on Mars? To help find out if it differs significantly from Earth, the robotic Curiosity rover on Mars was directed to investigate the dark Namib Dune in the Bagnold Dune Field in Gale Crater. Namib is the first active sand dune investigated up close outside of planet Earth. Wind-created ripples on Earth-bound sand dunes appear similar to ripples on Mars, with one exception. The larger peaks visible on dark Namib dune, averaging about 3 meters apart, are of a type seen only underwater on Earth. They appear to arise on Mars because of the way the thin Martian wind drags dark sand particles. The featured image was taken last December and is horizontally compressed to show context. In the distance, a normal dusty Martian landscape slopes up in light orange, while a rock-strewn landscape is visible on the far right. Curiosity unexpectedly went into safe mode in early July, but it was brought out last week and has now resumed exploring the once lake-filled interior of Gale Crater for further signs that it was once habitable by microbial life. via NASA http://ift.tt/29UT4xX

NASA's Cheaper Mars Rover Is Now Very Expensive

NASA's Management of the Mars Science Laboratory Project, NASA OIG, 8 June 2011

"... in February 2009, because of the late delivery of several critical components and instruments, NASA delayed the launch to a date between October and December 2011. This delay and the additional resources required to resolve the underlying technical issues increased the Project's development costs by 86 percent, from $969 million to the current $1.8 billion, and its life-cycle costs by 56 percent, from $1.6 billion to the current $2.5 billion. ... Finally, since the 2009 decision to delay launch, the Project has received three budget increases, most recently an infusion of $71 million in December 2010. However, in our judgment because Project managers did not adequately consider historical cost trends when estimating the amount required to complete development, we believe the Project may require additional funds to meet the 2011 scheduled launch date."

NASA announces plans for new $1.5 billion Mars rover, CNet, 4 December 2012

"The new rover announced Tuesday, along with the rocket needed to boost it to Mars, will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.5 billion, plus or minus $200 million, according to a rough estimate by the Aerospace Corp."

Mars 2020 rover mission to cost more than $2 billion, Space News

"[George] Tahu said that the mission also decided to add new technologies to the rover, including a system that increases the accuracy of the rover's landing and another to improve the rover's ability to drive autonomously. "Our confirmed cost today, in real year dollars, of $2.1 billion for development and launch and $300 million for prime mission operations remains consistent with the scope and cost approved at the start of the project," he said."

Keith's note: So that's $2.4 billion for a rover that was supposed to cost around $1.5 billion - a rover that was sold as being inherently cheaper because it was made with MSL spare part, lessons learned from MSL mistakes, etc. Once again JPL has ignored NASA's price claims - and NASA SMD just can't fight the urge and lets it happen. Can you imagine what will happen when NASA starts to price the whole #JourneyToMars thing?

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NASA Establishes Institute to Explore New Ways to Protect Astronauts

NASA is joining with Baylor College of Medicine in Houston to operate a new institute charged with researching and developing innovative approaches to reduce risks to humans on long-duration exploration missions, including NASA’s Journey to Mars.

July 20, 2016
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ISS Daily Summary Report – 07/19/16

64 Progress (64P) Docking: 64P docked successfully to the ISS Docking Compartment (DC)-1 nadir port last night at 7:22PM CDT. Following hatch opening the crew transferred early unstow and US cargo items. Skin-B Operations: The crew performed Corneometer, Tewameter and Visioscan measurements on his forearm for this experiment. The Corneometer measures the hydration level of the stratus coreum (outer layer of the skin), the Tewameter measures the skin barrier function, and the Visioscan measures the skin surface topography. Skin B is a European Space Agency (ESA) investigation that aims to improve the understanding of skin aging, which is greatly accelerated in space. The data will also be used to verify the results from previous testing for the SkinCare investigation on the ISS.  Cardio Ox Ultrasound Operations: With remote guidance from the Cardio Ox ground teams, the crew conducted an ultrasound scan after configuring the VOX, attaching the ECG Electrodes, and marking the arteries followed by blood pressure measurements using the Cardiolab Holter Arterial Blood Pressure Unit. The goal of the Cardio Ox investigation is to determine whether biological markers of oxidative and inflammatory stress are elevated during and after space flight and whether this results in an increased, long-term risk of atherosclerosis risk in astronauts. Twelve crewmembers provide blood and urine samples to assess biomarkers before launch, 15 and 60 days after launch, 15 days before returning to Earth, and within days after landing. Ultrasound scans of the carotid and brachial arteries are obtained at the same time points, as well as through 5 years after landing, as an indicator of cardiovascular health. Human Research Program (HRP) Generic Urine and Frozen Blood Collection Double Spin: The crew continued HRP operations by collecting urine samples for a 24-hour period, configuring the Refrigerated Centrifuge for sample load operations, then collecting and processing a set of blood samples for double spin operations using the Refrigerated Centrifuge. The samples will be stowed in the Minus Eighty-degree Freezer for ISS (MELFI). Personal Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Monitor Installation and Operations: Before performing data collections from the Personal CO2 Monitor, the crewmember first performed a single point calibration of the Personal CO2 Monitor using the iPad app and readings from the minimum circuit amps (MCA) sample port. The Personal CO2 Monitor was then paired to the iPad, before being attached to the crewmember’s clothing, and worn for several hours. The data collected will be uploaded to the Space Station Computer via the iPad app before being powered off and stowed. The Personal CO2 Monitor demonstrates a system capable of unobtrusively collecting and downlinking individual crew members’ CO2 exposure for weeks to months. This investigation evaluates wearability principles in microgravity and also demonstrates Modular Wearable Architecture Base Board, allowing rapid certification of future wearable devices. Marrow Blood, Breath, and Ambient Air Sample Collection: Upon waking this morning, the crew took breath and ambient air samples to measure carbon monoxide concentration for the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Marrow experiment which investigates the effect of microgravity on human bone marrow. It is believed that microgravity, like long-duration bed rest on Earth, has a negative effect on bone marrow and the blood cells that are produced in the marrow. The extent of this effect and its recovery are of interest to space research and healthcare providers on Earth. Space Headaches: The crew completed a European Space Agency (ESA) Space Headaches questionnaire to provide information that may help in the development of methods to alleviate associated symptoms and improvement in the well-being and performance of crew members in space. Headaches during space flight can negatively affect mental and physical capacities of crew members which can influence performance during a space mission. Minus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) 2 & 3 Nitrogen (N2) Pressure Checks: The crew completed nitrogen checks on MELFIs 2 and 3 to verify that the nitrogen pressure in both MELFIs is within acceptable range. The MELFI is a cold storage unit that maintains experiment samples at ultra-cold temperatures throughout a mission. It supports a wide range of life science experiments by preserving biological samples (such as blood, saliva, urine, microbial or plant samples) collected aboard ISS for later return and analysis on Earth.  Today’s Planned Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. HABIT Task Video End Water Resource System (WRS) – Distillate Sample Inspection HRF- Blood collection setup WRS Maintenance CARDOX  Material Review MARROW  Breath And Ambient Air Sample Setup WRS Maintenance HRF Urine Sample Collection HRF Urine Sample MELFI Insertion Water Resource System (WRS) Distillate Sample Inspection ISS HAM RADIO Deactivation USOS Window Shutter Closure CORRECTSIYA. Logging Liquid and Food (Medicine) Intake / r/g 2811 Closing window 6,8,9,12,13,14 shutters/ r/g 6965 MPEG2 Multicast Video Streaming Test Preparation for Progress 433 Docking / Motion Control and Navigation System r/g 2812 Progress 433 Docking to DC1 / Motion Control and Navigation System (СУДН) r/g 2812 Comm Reconfig for Nominal Ops after Docking / Communications System [РТК] Activation of MPEG2 Multicast TV Monitoring On MCC Go Activation of MPEG2 Multicast Recording Mode on CP SSC CASKAD. ТБУ-В No.4 Activation at + 04 deg С setting / r/g 2806 CORRECTSIYA. Logging Liquid and Food (Medicine) Intake / r/g 2811 Close Applications and Downlink MPEG2 Multicast Video via OCA / Communications System [РТК] PRODUTSENT. Activate thermostat at +30 deg C setting / r/g 2807 On MCC Go Progress 433 and DC1 Interface Leak Check / IRS Activation/Deactivation DC1-СУ Hatch Opening / IRS Activation/Deactivation On MCC Go Opening of Progress-СУ Transfer Hatch Installation of Quick Release Screw Clamps (ЗВБ) on DC1-Progress 433 Interface Deactivation of Progress 433 (DC1), Air duct Installation Progress 433 (DC1) Air Sampling using АК-1М sampler  r/g 2810 Photo of a scuffmark left by the Active Docking Mechanism Probe on DC1 АСП Receiving Cone after Progress 433 Docking / r/g 2688 Downlink Photos of Docking Cone Internal Surface via OCA IDENTIFICATION. Copy ИМУ-Ц micro-accelerometer data to laptop / r/g 1589 Progress 433 (DC1) Early Unstow and US Cargo Items Transfers and IMS Ops / r/g 2834, 2835, […]

July 20, 2016 at 12:00AM
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Multimedia recap: Two launches, a landing, a docking, and a berthing

Four days of cargo craft mania came to a close at the International Space Station this morning, as astronauts Kate Rubins and Jeff Williams snagged an approaching SpaceX Dragon vehicle and berthed it to the laboratory's Harmony module.

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NASA’s Hubble Telescope Makes First Atmospheric Study of Earth-Sized Exoplanets

Using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have conducted the first search for atmospheres around temperate, Earth-sized planets beyond our solar system and found indications that increase the chances of habitability on two exoplanets.

July 20, 2016
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Sunset at the Viking Lander 1 Site

On July 20, 1976, at 8:12 a.m. EDT, NASA received the signal that the Viking Lander 1 successfully reached the Martian surface. This major milestone represented the first time the United States successfully landed a vehicle on the surface of Mars, collecting an overwhelming amount of data that would soon be used in future NASA missions. via NASA http://ift.tt/2a90sYR

March … I Mean April… I Mean May… I Mean June 2016 Is the 6th … I Mean 7th… I Mean 8th … I Mean 9th Temperature Record-Breaking Month in a Row

The GOP Fiddles While America Burns

Color the Universe

Wouldn't it be fun to color in the universe? If you think so, please accept this famous astronomical illustration as a preliminary substitute. You, your friends, your parents or children, can print it out or even color it digitally. While coloring, you might be interested to know that even though this illustration has appeared in numerous places over the past 100 years, the actual artist remains unknown. Furthermore, the work has no accepted name -- can you think of a good one? The illustration, first appearing in a book by Camille Flammarion in 1888, is used frequently to show that humanity's present concepts are susceptible to being supplanted by greater truths. via NASA http://ift.tt/29LI9pW