From MSNBC

"MOSES LAKE, Wash. - Two NASA astronauts in spacesuits drove their lunar truck up a steep sand dune in a barren, wind-swept landscape so forbidding it was reminiscent of the surface of the moon.

Space agency officials certainly think so. NASA scientists and contractors recently spent two weeks here field-testing some of the vehicles and robots that will be used when humans return to the moon later this century.

"Believe it or not, this place has a lot in common with the moon," Robert Ambrose, deputy division chief for NASA, said of the unusual sand dunes in central Washington."

More here.

From NASA and Spacefellowship.com

"Students take a microphone in hand and start speaking into it.

They’re not making an announcement over their school’s PA system; they’re talking with crew members aboard the International Space Station. For an incredible few moments, students communicate with the space inhabitants, asking questions about what it’s like living and working in space.

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, or ARISS, is a program supported by a team of volunteer radio operators formed to build and operate radio equipment to facilitate communication between the orbiting outpost and Earth. "

More here.

From MSNBC

"Leaders of the "Old Space" effort and the "New Space" effort laid out separate visions for the next 15 years on the final frontier at the world's biggest experimental air show this week. It turns out that their visions are not all that separate - and that the current space frontiers are not anywhere near that final.

The bottom line? If you think space is cool now, just wait."

More here.

Countries are signing on the dotted line to take part in the creation of an International Lunar Network, or ILN for short.

On July 24, representatives from numbers of space agencies -- Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States -- met at the NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, California.

Those nine nations are laying the groundwork for the ILN - a robotic network of science sensors to be positioned on the Moon.

By signing a statement of intent, the ultimate goal is to form a network of missions that will benefit scientists worldwide.

NASA plans to spot its first two ILN landers on the surface of the Moon in 2013-2014. The landers are being developed under the Lunar Precursor Robotic Program at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

While a first step, much work remains - like picking landing areas for the science nodes across the Moon's nearside - and even the lunar farside. Also, what science devices each nation agrees to plant on the Moon, and the ability to operate the entire network as a unit is still to be hammered out.

-- Leonard David

From BBC News

"Less than a month after it was put in orbit, the ocean-mapper Jason-2 has returned its first pictures to Earth.

From an altitude of more than 1,300km, the spacecraft is now feeding back data covering nearly the entire globe.

Jason-2 is set to become the primary means of measuring the shape of the world's oceans, taking readings with an accuracy of better than 4cm.

The information will be crucial to our understanding of both sea level rise and changing ocean currents.

The satellite is now flying in tandem with its predecessor, Jason-1.

The spacecraft, only 55 seconds apart, are making simultaneous measurements of the oceans' "hills" and "valleys", to allow precise calibration of Jason-2's instruments. "

Click here for more.

From MSNBC

"A giant, glassy lake larger than North America's Lake Ontario graces the south pole of Saturn's largest moon Titan, new research confirms.

"This is the first observation that really pins down that Titan has a surface lake filled with liquid," said lead researcher Robert Brown of the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in Tucson. "

Click here for more.

 

"The Coalition for Space Exploration is pleased that two of the leading presidential candidates recognize the importance of America’s space program as a national imperative. We look forward to the continuing development of a robust space policy in the next Administration. Our country's preeminence in space is at a critical juncture. We need strong leadership and a sustained commitment to ensure NASA has the necessary funding and resources for its Constellation program and other exploration initiatives to remain a leader in space, science and technology. These are key factors that benefit every American, strengthen our nation’s economy and maintain our national security. "

Tracy Lamm, Acting Chair – Public Affairs Team
Coalition for Space Exploration

 Statement by John McCain on the 50th Anniversary of NASA

ARLINGTON, VA -- July 29, 2008 - U.S. Senator John McCain issued the following statement on the 50th anniversary of NASA:
"Fifty years ago today, President Eisenhower signed the bill that launched the United States on the magnificent journey to space discovery and exploration. In doing so, he sent a powerful message to the world that the United State would harness its creativity, inventiveness and drive to lead all others into this most distant frontier. Since that time, Presidents of both parties have remained steadfast in guaranteeing U.S. leadership in space. Under current plans, the United States will retire the space shuttle in 2010 after its final mission to the international space station, and thus lose the capability to send on our own, an American to space. While my opponent seems content to retreat from American exploration of Space for a decade, I am not. As President, I will act to make ensure our astronauts will continue to explore space, and not just by hitching a ride with someone else. I intend to make sure that the NASA constellation program has the resources it needs so that we can begin a new era of human space exploration. A country that sent a man to the moon should expect no less."

NASA's 50th Anniversary: Statement from Sen. Obama

Chicago, IL | July 29, 2008
Chicago, IL -- Senator Obama today released the following statement on the 50th Anniversary of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's signing of the legislation that created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA):

"Fifty years ago, President Eisenhower officially created the NASA space program, capturing the imagination of generations and inspiring Americans to think bigger, aim higher and believe in a greater tomorrow. When I was young, the astronauts would come to Hawaii after landing in the Pacific Ocean. I remember the incredible inspiration I felt from knowing that these men had gone where few had gone before them.

"In recent years, Washington has failed to give NASA a robust, balanced and adequately funded mission. Though the good people of NASA who work day in and day out on new frontiers are doing amazing things, Americans are no longer inspired as they once were. That's a failure of leadership.

"I believe we need to revitalize NASA's mission to maintain America's leadership, and recommit our nation to the space program, and as President I intend to do just that. We must revive the American ingenuity that led millions of children look to NASA astronauts and scientists as role models and enter the fields of math, engineering and science. Our leadership in the world depends on it."

 

 

 

ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain issued the following statement on the 50th anniversary of NASA:
"Fifty years ago today, President Eisenhower signed the bill that launched the United States on the magnificent journey to space discovery and exploration. In doing so, he sent a powerful message to the world that the United States would harness its creativity, inventiveness and drive to lead all others into this most distant frontier. Since that time, Presidents of both parties have remained steadfast in guaranteeing U.S. leadership in space. Under current plans, the United States will retire the space shuttle in 2010 after its final mission to the International Space Station, and thus lose the capability to send on our own, an American, to space. While my opponent seems content to retreat from American exploration of space for a decade, I am not. As President, I will act to ensure our astronauts will continue to explore space, and not just by hitching a ride with someone else. I intend to make sure that the NASA Constellation program has the resources it needs so that we can begin a new era of human space exploration. A country that sent a man to the moon should expect no less."

Chicago, IL -- Senator Obama today released the following statement on the 50th Anniversary of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's signing of the legislation that created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA):
"Fifty years ago, President Eisenhower officially created the NASA space program, capturing the imagination of generations and inspiring Americans to think bigger, aim higher and believe in a greater tomorrow. When I was young, the astronauts would come to Hawaii after landing in the Pacific Ocean. I remember the incredible inspiration I felt from knowing that these men had gone where few had gone before them.
"In recent years, Washington has failed to give NASA a robust, balanced and adequately funded mission. Though the good people of NASA who work day in and day out on new frontiers are doing amazing things, Americans are no longer inspired as they once were. That's a failure of leadership.
"I believe we need to revitalize NASA's mission to maintain America's leadership, and recommit our nation to the space program, and as President I intend to do just that. We must revive the American ingenuity that led millions of children look to NASA astronauts and scientists as role models and enter the fields of math, engineering and science. Our leadership in the world depends on it."

There is excitement in the air at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California...as hundreds of space enthusiasts witness the debut of the WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft that will in the future, lift the SpaceShipTwo rocket high in the sky for its launch to the edge of space.

There are two rollout events today - one was this morning for the media, VIPs and guests and we are now waiting for the second rollout event for more than 100 future Virgin Galactic space tourists who will be paying $200,000 for their out-of-this-world experience of rocketing to at least 110 kilometers (about 68 miles) above Earth and floating free in microgravity for a few minutes - then returns to the planet on a ride that beats the best experience that amusement parks have to offer.

WhiteKnightTwo was designed and built at Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites facility located at the Mojave Airport. Its unique design includes twin fuselages and is made of carbon composite. Its power and propulsion - four Pratt & Whitney PW308 engines which are amongst the most powerful, economic and efficient available.

In addition to carrying the more than 250 space tourists - six at a time with two pilots - who have already signed up and put some serious bucks down on a flight, SpaceShipTwo will also be capable of taking science payloads to the edge of space.

For more information, check out Scaled Composites' website at - scaled.com 

and Virgin Galactic's website at - virgingalactic.com

 

Here are a few of the visual highlights of the rollout:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sir Richard Branson and Burt Rutan wave from one of the two cockpits of WhiteKnightTwo as it is unveiled at Mojave Air and Space Port.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Branson and Rutan answer questions from the media.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WhiteKnightTwo outside Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites hangers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cloaked in black, SpaceShipTwo which is about 60% completed is hidden from view - and bears a sign saying "COMING SOON...TO A SPACEPORT NEAR YOU...Virgin Galactic."

 

 

 

From Spaceref.com

" A NASA concept for lifting and manipulating materials on the lunar surface will be demonstrated for reporters at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., on Friday, Aug. 1.

NASA's Lunar Surface Manipulation System recently completed a successful June field test on the lunar-like landscape of Moses Lake, Wash. The system is a lifting and precision positioning device that will be used on items ranging from large airlocks and habitats to delicate scientific payloads. The robotic manipulator incorporates features that could help astronauts during early lunar outpost construction and follow-on operations. The principles behind the device also are directly applicable to future operations on the Martian surface. "

See the full article here.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The Coalition for Space Exploration was recently asked if astronauts have ever chewed gum in space and the answer is a most emphatic “yes!”

Gum of one flavor or another has been on board every U.S. manned mission going back to Project Gemini in 1964. The space agency’s gum of choice: sugar-free Trident.

According to its manufacturer (now known as Cadbury Adams), the Trident brand was introduced in 1960 as the first national brand of sugar-free chewing gum. Its inclusion on NASA’s two-man spacecraft was part of the company’s national marketing campaign.

A 1964 NASA news release entitled “Gemini Astronauts Will Chew Gum” was a big deal back then. At a time when space food still was served in tubes, the fact that astronauts would have gum to chew helped take some the strangeness out of spaceflight.

Gum chewing astronauts can be spotted from time to time in onboard films or video.

The late Wally Schirra recalled in his book, Schirra’s Space, the story of when Gemini 6 and Gemini 7 conducted the first rendezvous in space, flying so close at times the four astronauts could see each other through their windows.

"There seems to be a lot of traffic up here," Schirra radioed from Gemini 6 after one particularly close maneuver.

"Call a policeman," Gemini 7 commander Frank Borman said.

"I can see your lips moving," Gemini 7 pilot Jim Lovell told Schirra.

"I'm chewing gum," Schirra replied.

Years later, in honor of the 25th anniversary of the first Space Shuttle mission, Trident put out a news release touting its chewy relationship with NASA and reminding everyone that the sugarless gum was still on board for the astronaut’s enjoyment.

“It's only appropriate that Trident has such a wonderful relationship with the Space Shuttle. After all, Trident was the first gum in space!" said Brad Irwin, president of Cadbury Adams USA LLC.

Speaking for Trident, former Shuttle-era astronaut Tom Jones weighed in with his support of the tasty gum.

"In the fast-paced environment of a space mission, you tend to reach for something that delivers great flavor on the go," Jones said. "Whether working on the Shuttle or inside the Space Station, Trident was always there, floating right inside my 'velcroed' pocket."

If you know of a “gum in space” story, let us know and we’ll share it with everyone.

Jim Banke

From BBC News

"Previous research has considered the possibility of micro organisms existing in Venus's atmosphere despite extreme temperatures on its surface.

But two scientists at the Cardiff Centre for Astrobiology say microbes from Venus could actually be blown into the Earth's atmosphere by solar winds.

Their findings follow analysis of data from the European Space Agency's Venus Express probe, launched in 2005.

Prof Chandra Wickramasinghe and Dr Janaki Wickramasinghe claim Venus's clouds contain chemicals that are consistent with the presence of micro organisms.
 
They suggest that under certain conditions, these microbes from high in Venus's atmosphere could be blown into the Earth's atmosphere. "

Click here for the full article.

From NASA.gov

"At the edge of our solar system in December 2004, the Voyager 1 spacecraft encountered something never before experienced during its then 26-year cruise through the solar system — an invisible shock formed as the solar wind piles up against the gas in interstellar space. This boundary, called the termination shock, marks the beginning of our solar system's final frontier, a vast expanse of turbulent gas and twisting magnetic fields.

A NASA-sponsored team is developing a way to view this chaotic but unseen realm for the first time. Just as an impressionist artist makes an image from countless tiny strokes of paint, NASA’s new Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft will build up an image of the termination shock and areas beyond by using hits from high-speed atoms that are radiating out of this region."

See the full article here.

From Spacedaily.com

"Mark your calendar: The 2008 Perseid meteor shower peaks on August 12th and it should be a good show. "The time to look is during the dark hours before dawn on Tuesday, August 12th," says Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center.

"There should be plenty of meteors--perhaps one or two every minute."

The source of the shower is Comet Swift-Tuttle. Although the comet is far away, currently located beyond the orbit of Uranus, a trail of debris from the comet stretches all the way back to Earth. Crossing the trail in August, Earth will be pelted by specks of comet dust hitting the atmosphere at 132,000 mph."

Click here for more.

 

Live from NASA Ames Research Center at the NASA Lunar Science Conference...

The purpose of the conference - "to explore the full spectrum of lunar science of the Moon, on the Moon, and from the Moon". 

Details about the conference are at - http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/nlsc2008 

The conference is sponsored by the new NASA Lunar Science Institute at NASA Ames and the Lunar and Planetary Institute of the Houston area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Everett Gibson, an astrobiologist from NASA Johnson Space Center - and the Moon, during the NASA Lunar Science Conference held at NASA Ames Research Center from July 20-23, 2008.

 

On Sunday July 20th, NASA Ames held a public day in celebration of the 39th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Landing on the Moon at their NASA Exploration Visitors Center. There were displays, NASA scientists talking about the lunar soil, and activities for children including making a lunar rocket, building an edible solar system, and a hands-on activity about lunar craters. 

 

 

 

 

The understanding craters activity involved dropping a metal object into a tray of flour, powdered cocoa and rock-like clumps of flour simulating the Moon's surface. A photographer (in the background) takes a photo at the exact moment of impact that is then shown on the screen (upper center) capturing the flying debris that the impact creates.

This is an demonstation of what one of NASA's future lunar spacecraft called Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) will do when it sends an impactor to the Moon's surface during its mission to study the debris with instruments on its orbiting satellite.

 

 

More about the Lunar Science Conference soon...

                                                                                                                     - Barbara David reporting

 

From Florida Today

"NASA wants to move up launch dates for its next two shuttle missions to ensure the second can be sent up before a window of opportunity closes in late November, officials said Tuesday.
Advertisement

But it is unlikely NASA can advance the Oct. 8 launch of a Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission more than a couple days.

And a proposed six-day move for a Nov. 10 launch would put liftoff of an International Space Station supply run on the same day as the 2008 presidential election."

Click here for the full article

From Wired.com

"Mustard on the moon?

NASA scientists are suggesting that before sending humans back to the moon, we should launch plants there and watch them grow.

Dr. Chris McKay, my former astrobiology mentor at NASA, and plant biologist Dr. Robert Ferl of the University of Florida, presented their plan at a meeting of lunar scientists at NASA Ames this week.

The idea is simple: Fly a simple plant habitat to the moon. Bring along seeds (you don't have to care for them or feed them on the launch pad or the flight out). Germinate them inside your lunar plant-growth module on the surface and see how they cope with the low gravity, temperature and pressure as well as the high radiation by monitoring their gene expression. You can even go a step further and add lunar soil to the chamber to monitor the toxicity of the soil or the content of the soil."

Click here for the full article

From SpaceRef.com

"COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The same Ohio State University researcher who is helping rovers navigate on Mars is leading a new effort to help humans navigate on the moon.

When NASA returns to the moon -- the space agency has set a target date of 2020 to do so -- astronauts won't be able to use a global positioning system (GPS) to find their way around, explained Ron Li, the Lowber B. Strange Designated Professor of civil and environmental engineering and geodetic science.

So NASA has awarded Li $1.2 million over the next three years to develop a navigation system that will feel a lot like GPS to the astronauts that use it, but will rely on signals from a set of sensors including lunar beacons, stereo cameras, and orbital imaging sensors. "

Click here for more.

From Space.com

"NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander pulled an all-nighter for the first time Monday.

Mission controllers extended the spacecraft's schedule to keep it awake during the Martian night so the lander could coordinate with observations made by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) as it flew over Phoenix.

Phoenix is using its weather station (which measures temperature, wind speed and wind direction), stereo camera and fork-like thermal and conductivity probe to monitor changes in the lower atmosphere and at the surface of Mars as MRO monitors the atmosphere and ground from above."

Click here for the full story.

Returning to the Moon is a step toward learning more about ourselves.

That's the view of noted author and authority on space exploration, Andrew Chaikin. He is taking part this week in the kickoff meeting of NASA's Lunar Science Institute here at the space agency's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California.

Chaikin's books include the acclaimed A Man on the Moon, the impetus for the Tom Hanks HBO television miniseries, From the Earth to the Moon.

"We look at the Moon through new eyes," Chaikin said, and with that view gain a new perspective about our own planet. "We see a world that tells us a story -- a fundamental story -- of where did we come from and how did we get here."

Chaikin told the gathering of lunar experts that the Moon is a witness to the first 500 million years of solar system history. "In fact, it preserves that history better than any other body in the solar system...and it's right in our backyard!"

In gazing at the crater-pocked Moon, that world showcases the fact that the origin and evolution of the terrestrial planets, and perhaps life itself, were shaped by the violence of impacts.

"When we look up at the Moon we also see a reminder of our own precarious position on this planet," Chaikin advised. By exploring the Moon, he added, we are going to a place of spectacular beauty and priceless science.

"The Moon is a magnet for exploration...it has shown us who we can become. And I think [that] one of the most important things about going back to the Moon is who we become in doing that," Chaikin concluded.

Here at the NASA Lunar Science Institute, some 500 leading authorities on exploring the Moon are delving into the nature and history of the Moon, but also investigating how the lunar environment impacts both a robotic and human presence there.

Furthermore, the new organization is looking into ways the Moon could be uniquely useful as a platform to observe the Earth and the surrounding universe.

NASA's Constellation program -- including such key elements as the Orion spacecraft, the Altair lunar lander, as well as the Ares boosters -- are now in development to help further new exploration goals of returning to the Moon, dispatching humans to Mars, and reaching outward to other destinations in space.

-- Leonard David

From Wired.com

"In NASA lingo, events that go as expected are "nominal." And in space, you really want things to be nominal. But in April, astronaut Peggy Whitson had a ride home from the International Space Station that was anything but. Her Soyuz descent module failed to separate properly, forcing it into a ballistic path— a fast, steep entry that caused the craft to miss the landing site by 295 miles. We asked her what it was like.

Wired: Can you describe the descent?

Whitson: We did the predicted deorbit burn. Then we separated from the other modules. That's done with pyros— explosive bolt releases— and you can hear it, because they're up against the vehicle.

Wired: When did you know something was wrong?

Whitson: Right after that. I looked out my window and saw part of the module's cover floating about a meter away. I asked Yuri Malenchenko, the Soyuz commander, "Hey, is that normal?"

Wired: Nice. Then what happened?

...."

Click here to read the rest!

From MSNBC

"If space elevators work out the way the idea's advocates hope, sending payloads into orbit would become as routine as, say, sending a shipment on a freight train - except that the train would travel straight up for hundreds or thousands of miles, powered by laser beams.

But will such a "railroad to the sky" ever be built? That's the big question hanging over the 2008 Space Elevator Conference, taking place this weekend on Microsoft's Seattle-area campus. And considering that this is an event primarily attended by elevator enthusiasts, you may find some of the answers surprising."

Click here to read more!

From MSNBC

"NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has begun using a special rasp tool to shave off bits of the hard icy material on the Martian ground.

The rasp is a motorized tool attached to the back of the lander's robotic arm scoop, which scientists hope will be able to grind enough ice off the ground to eventually use as a sample in Phoenix's Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer (TEGA) oven instrument."

Click here for more!

From Space.com

"A lot more Martian rocks were altered by water than scientists originally thought, suggesting that early Mars was a very wet place.

New observations made by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), currently circling the planet, have revealed evidence that vast regions of the southern highlands of Mars were altered by water in a variety of environments billions of years ago."

Click here for more!

Follow along as American, Canadian and Inuit teachers work side by side with NASA scientists studying remote and extreme environments in the Arctic July 25 through Aug. 2, 2008. Training slides and biographies of expedition participants are available online. Science plans are also available that outline the investigations that will be taking place to search for life in extreme environments. During the expedition, participants will post journal entries.

The mission of Spaceward Bound is to train the next generation of space explorers. The mission has students and teachers participate in the exploration of scientifically interesting but remote and extreme environments on Earth as analogs for human exploration of the Moon and Mars. Spaceward Bound Field Expeditions involve teachers in authentic fieldwork so that they can bring that experience back to their classrooms and assist in the development of curriculum related to human exploration of remote and extreme environments.

For more information, visit http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/projects/spacewardbound/arctic2008/index.html 

If you have any questions about this event, please e-mail Liza Coe at Lizabeth.K.Coe@nasa.gov

If you want a front-row seat of how the Moon looks as it passes in front of the Earth...well, look no more.

NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft has relayed back to Earth a video of this space scenic event - a video that also helps scientists to develop techniques to study alien worlds.

The NASA Deep Impact spacecraft is the first to show a transit of Earth with enough detail to see large craters on the Moon, as well as oceans and continents on Earth.

Therefore, the video is a good primer on how to detect vegetated land masses on far-away, extrasolar planets. That is, the video sharpens our thinking about how to look for variations in the intensity of vegetated land masses in the near-infrared as an extrasolar planet rotates.

By the way, look for a "sun glint" in the movie, caused by light reflected from Earth's oceans. Similar glints gleaned in the future as spacecraft look for extrasolar planets orbiting their home star could indicate alien oceans!

It's important to remember that Deep Impact already made history: On July 4, 2005, the Ball Aerospace-built spacecraft unleashed an impactor that smashed into comet Tempel 1. Following that "worlds in collision" event, NASA decided to extend the mission to strive for a flyby of comet Hartley 2 in early November 2010.

That extended mission is called Epoxi - a name created from the melding of the two extended mission components - a search for extra-solar planets and the flyby of comet Hartley 2.

To get Epoxi, think Extrasolar Planet Observations and Characterization, or EPOCh and the comet flyby that's tagged as Deep Impact eXtended Investigation, or DIXI for short. Go figure!

This new video of Earth and the Moon was made by the Deep Impact spacecraft en route to its distant flyby of comet Hartley 2 - some two years from now.

So...long winded way for you to take a look yourself at the impressive video of the Moon transiting the Earth by going to:

http://www.nasa.gov/mov/260503main_red_green_blue2.mov

-- Leonard David

Take your own flyby of the giant Tycho crater on the Moon!

Thanks to Japan's Kaguya lunar orbiter - reaching its nominal observation orbit around the Moon mid-October of 2007 -- numbers of fascinating, up-close pics of the lunar landscape are being taken.

A new one that's up from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is of Tycho - and it can be viewed at:

http://wms.selene.jaxa.jp/data/jpn/tc/012/tc_012_a_l.jpg

Better yet...if you want to zoom over the site, just fly your Internet connection to:

http://wms.selene.jaxa.jp/data/jpn/tc/012/tycho_20mbps.html

And while you're doing your lunar swing-bys, also check out a new image snapped of the Apollo 17 landing site!

That mission took place in December 1972 - quite a long time ago. But get a fresh look at their exploration zone by going to:

http://wms.kaguya.jaxa.jp/data/en/tc/009/tc_009.jpg

Happy viewing!

-- Leonard David

 

From Discovery News

"July 16, 2008 -- Have a business meeting in Houston next week? Be a good American and drop by for quick pee break at 2200 Space Park near the Johnson Space Center. Yes, you read that right: NASA needs your urine.

The drive is to benefit NASA's fledgling Orion Program, which aims to put astronauts back on the moon by 2020. The pee drive is to help engineers working on designing the new spaceship's toilet."

Click here to read more!

July 12, 2008 – HOUSTON, TX – The Coalition for Space Exploration, a collaboration of space industry businesses and advocacy groups whose mission is to educate and inform the public on the value and benefits of space exploration, issued the following statement regarding the death of Dr. Michael Ellis DeBakey, world-famous cardiovascular surgeon and member of the Coalition’s Board of Advisors.

“We at the coalition are saddened by the loss of Dr. DeBakey,” stated Mary Engola, Chairwoman of the Coalition’s Public Affairs Team. “His service to humankind and his pioneering accomplishments in using NASA-derived technology in the development of life-saving medical devices is truly extraordinary.”

Throughout his esteemed career, DeBakey established famous medical-care procedures, such as the military’s Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) unit, and invented myriad medical devices, some resultant from NASA technology that significantly enhanced the care and treatment of heart patients worldwide. For example, a fuel pump used on the Space Shuttle eventually led to the development and use of the MicroMed-DeBakey ventricular assist device, a tiny heart-assist pump used to help patients awaiting transplants.

NASA, in keeping with its mission of transferring space-based technology to the private sector, wanted to license its pump to a company that could further develop and test it, bringing it into public use. The result was DeBakey’s remarkable battery-operated pump – two inches long, one inch in diameter and weighing less than four ounces – used as a long-term "bridge" to transplant, or as a permanent device to help patients toward recovery and a more normal life.

Dr. DeBakey, who died at age 99 of natural causes, was a heart surgeon, innovator, medical educator and international medical statesman. He was the chancellor emeritus of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas and director of The DeBakey Heart Center of Baylor and the Methodist Hospital. “We laud his vast accomplishments and the decades of dedicated service to the medical community and the health and well-being of all,” added Engola.

China is readying a Shenzhou spacecraft for liftoff in October - a mission that will involve three "Taikonauts" orbiting the Earth, one of which will conduct that country's first spacewalk.

Chinese news outlets are reporting today that the Shenzhou-7 spaceship has reached the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu province. Technicians there will carry out a series of final checks on the vehicle, all in preparation for  the Shenzhou launch on a Long March booster in October.

Some 5,000 pieces of equipment involved in the upcoming mission have already undergone testing.

A team of six space travelers are in training for the mission - with a down-select to the three that will actually fly expected shortly. 

The October flight marks the third time China has lofted people into Earth orbit. A single pilot was flown in 2003; a second mission carrying two people flew in 2005. Several flight tests of unpiloted Shenzhou spacecraft were conducted prior to the first passenger-carrying sojourns.

Meanwhile, reports from China indicate progress is being made on building a more-powerful Long March rocket.

Engines for the Long March 5 booster are to be first tested by year's end. Current projections by China's rocket designers are that the launcher is to be in operation by 2014.

Capable of tossing far heavier payloads into space -- including Shenzhou-series spacecraft -- the Long March 5 is viewed as an important step in China's space station effort, as well as bolstering its ability to carry out lunar exploration objectives.

This October's Shenzhou mission is manifested to have a spacewalker test construction techniques that would permit the building of an outpost in Earth orbit. 

-- Leonard David

As a teacher, summer is looked upon as a time of renewal, reflection, and relaxation.  Thus far, I have had time for each, as well as continuing my involvement in teaching.  Late in June I was on staff at the Delaware AeroSpace Education Foundation’s (www.dasef.org) Space Academy at the University of Delaware.  This program is headed up by a remarkable person - Dr. Stephanie Wright.  She was part of the original ‘Teacher in Space’ program, and has dedicated her time and energy to creating opportunities for children (and educators) to learn about aviation and aerospace.  The Space Academy programs started by Dr. Wright nineteen years ago, offer learning experiences for children of all ages.  If you live in the Delaware area, be sure to check out the website.





This week I was involved in running a workshop for teachers.  It was a great group from my district, with an interest in and enthusiasm for space exploration.  Several of the teachers who attended had been involved in celebrating Mars back in the springtime, with a special focus on Phoenix.  They found that students were very excited about the red planet, and we are hoping that each year more of our teachers come on board to learn more about Mars.








Today’s workshop, Motivating Students through Space Exploration Activities, included making kites, learning about the culture of NASA mission patches, ‘astronaut training’ activities (working with gloves), and finding out more about extravehicular activities (EVA) or space walks.  We also talked about the upcoming Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, STS-125/SM4, LRO, and returning to the moon.  Working with my colleagues is a very rewarding experience.  We are all learners together, and as I share my knowledge and activities, the ‘participants’ build on ideas presented with their own thoughts for variations on the theme, and how to integrate what I share into their own curriculum.  They came away with new enthusiasm, lessons and activities, and I came away with additional ideas for use in my classroom as well.

 

NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have fleshed out possible programs and technologies that if done together might support a human outpost on the Moon.

That assessment has been underway over the last six months. Teams of experts from NASA and ESA weighed in on various lunar exploration concepts that could complement, augment, or enhance the exploration plans of one another.

Both ESA capabilities as well as NASA's Ares I and Ares V -- the set of Constellation boosters now under development -- were reviewed in the joint assessment.

ESA program officials included in their study potential future use of an automated, Ariane 5-based lunar cargo landing system, as well as ESA-developed lunar surface hardware, such as habitation and mobility systems.

In an ESA-released statement today, Geoff Yoder, Directorate Integration Office Director of NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate said: "As future exploration plans mature around the world, it is becoming increasingly important that we seek compatibilities between NASA's plans and those of its potential future partners."

Bruno Gardini, ESA Exploration Program Manager added that ESA is preparing itself to make decisions that will "mark Europe's role in human spaceflight and exploration for the decades to come."

Gardini said that the Moon serves as an important case study and a useful test bed to ready plans and technology for more distant destinations.

-- Leonard David

 

SPACE EDUCATION-RELATED CONTESTS & COMPETITIONS

PETE CONRAD SPIRIT OF INNOVATION AWARD
Competition to create a concept that will benefit
the personal spaceflight industry or lunar exploration
for high school students
http://www.conradfoundation.org
(click on Pete Conrad Award)

INTERNATIONAL SPACE SETTLEMENT DESIGN COMPETITION
For high school students worldwide
www.spaceset.org

JOINT NASA/NSS STUDENT DESIGN CONTEST
For 6-12 grade students
http://www.nss.org/settlement/nasa/Contest/index.html

NASA CENTENNIAL CHALLENGES
For university students & adults,
with some high school involvement
centennialchallenges.nasa.gov

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ROCKETRY
Model rocket competition for all ages
www.nar.org

NATIONAL ENGINEERING DESIGN CHALLENGE
and TEAMS Competition
JETS: Junior Engineering Technical Society
For U.S. high school students
www.jets.org

SPACE DAY
International events for all grade levels
www.spaceday.org

TEAM AMERICA ROCKET CHALLENGE
Model rocketry for middle & high school students
http://www.aia-aerospace.org/tarc
 
THE GREAT MOONBUGGY RACE
International competition for high school & college students
moonbuggy.msfc.nasa.gov

 TOY CHALLENGE
Sally Ride Science
For 5-8 grade students
www.toychallenge.com
 
_______________________

ROBOTIC COMPETITIONS 

BEST ROBOTICS COMPETITION
For U.S. middle & high school students
www.bestinc.org

BOTBALL EDUCATION ROBOTICS PROGRAM
International competitions for middle & high school students
www.botball.org
 
FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION
International competitions for all ages
www.usfirst.org

                                                                          -  Barbara David