Space Coalition Blog

Rasping for Martian Ice

2008-07-18T13:16:46-05:00

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!

A Moist Mars

2008-07-18T11:45:15-05:00

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 Teachers and Scientists as They Explore the Arctic

2008-07-17T14:55:39-05:00

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

Visit the Moon: Tycho and Apollo 17 Landing Site

2008-07-17T00:00:00-05:00

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

Earth and Moon: Here's Looking At You!

2008-07-17T00:00:00-05:00

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

NASA Wants Your Urine

2008-07-16T11:02:26-05:00

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!

Coalition Statement Regarding Loss of Renowned Surgeon

2008-07-14T10:29:51-05:00

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 Prepares for 3rd Human Space Mission

2008-07-11T00:00:00-05:00

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

Motivating Students through Space Exploration Activities

2008-07-09T16:55:00-05:00

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/ESA Review Partnership for Moon Outpost

2008-07-09T00:00:00-05:00

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-Related Contests & Competitions for Students

2008-07-04T18:55:00-05:00

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

Gen Y Asks Why the Moon?

2008-07-03T00:00:00-05:00

A unique event is slated during NASA's upcoming Lunar Science Conference being held at NASA's Ames Research Center later this month.

On July 20, members from the younger generation from four NASA Centers will discuss the future of space exploration. The panel is entitled "This is Your Future - Why the Moon?" - and is open to a variety of space topics.

The invitation is out for participants to submit questions to the panel online. The format is modeled after the CNN YouTube Debates. And if your video is selected, it will be aired at the event and discussed by the panel.

Instructions for submitting a video question:

1) Record your question. Include your name, location, and do keep your video under one minute.

2) Go to http://www.youtube.com/group/nasacolab

3) Join the group and click "add videos"

4) NOTE: videos are due by July 15, 2008 (so get going!)

5) Rate the posted submitted questions on youtube to help determine which videos will be selected for the conference

6) Check back during the end of July for answers to questions. Selected videos and the discussion will be posted at: http://www.youtube.com/user/LunarSciConference08

To learn more, Internet yourself over to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlX5sbqEpqM

-- Leonard David

Smithsonian Folklife Festival Honors NASA

2008-07-02T11:42:02-05:00

Pictured above (from left): Andy Aldrin, son of Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin; Gwen Griffin, daughter of Apollo flight director Gerry Griffin; and Jeannie Kranz, daughter of Apollo flight director Gene Kranz, participate in an Apollo Kids panel during the 42^nd Annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

In honor of NASA’s 50^th anniversary, the festival is showcasing the role that the men and women of NASA have played in broadening the horizons of American science and culture, as well as the role that they will continue to play in helping to shape the future. In addition to “NASA: Fifty Years and Beyond,” the festival also highlights the Himalayan nation of Bhutan and the music, food and wine of Texas.

To view more photos or watch videos from last weekend’s festivities, click here While you’re there, check out the plans for this weekend’s (July 2-6) activities.

Study abroad through Second Life

2008-07-02T00:00:00-05:00

When a group at Ohio University in Athens created a video tour of the school’s virtual Second Life campus, Christopher Keesey expected that it would be, by and large, for the OU community. Yet while browsing YouTube, he found a copy of that same video tour translated into what he thinks was a Nordic language, possibly Danish.

“We didn’t know the person. The person, as far as we know, wasn’t even here, they were in Europe,” recounts Mr. Keesey, project manager of Ohio University Without Boundaries. Now the OU virtual campus receives visitors from around the world who regularly interact with student avatars on the virtual campus commons.

Around the world, universities, and even the US Department of State, are turning to online virtual worlds to create cultural exchanges. In these immersive, 3-D environments, users from around the globe can collaborate in ways that were previously impossible.

“If you learn about a culture … and your behavior changes in Second Life while you’re interacting with another culture, when you leave the virtual world these processes stay with you,” says Jeremy Bailenson, director of Stanford University’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab in Palo Alto, Calif.

Although virtual-reality advocates say this digital realm is no match for real life experiences, most argue that in the absence of traveling overseas, it is one of the best available means of cultural exchange.

At the Dubai Women’s College, professors saw an opportunity to use Second Life to connect students with the world outside their tiny Arabian Gulf state. As a virtual orientation, the group visited a Second Life re-creation of Darfur and made an online pilgrimage to Mecca. Most notably, they met regularly with a group of Korean students in computer renditions of each other’s campuses to practice English and learn about one another’s culture.

“You couldn’t find two groups of students who are so different, and they were just fascinated by each other,” says Nicole Shammas, an English language teacher at Dubai Women’s College who helped coordinate the exchange.

During discussions, Mrs. Shammas says that, among other things, her students learned to respond respectfully when asked questions deemed inappropriate by their cultural standards, such as how they found boyfriends. Dealing professionally with such faux pas is an important skill for those going into international business.

“Back in the early days of the Web, we all knew that this was powerful stuff and it was going to affect learning. But I don’t think anyone could predict how profoundly it was going to change things,” says Claudia L’Amoreaux, educational programs manager at Linden Lab, the creator of Second Life, based in San Francisco. “We’re at the same point with the 3-D Internet and the immersive world experience of Second Life.”

The US State Department has begun exploring Second Life as a means to introduce people to American culture. Last year, it organized an eight-hour jazz concert that stretched across time zones. Next year, officials may work with Ohio University to coordinate tours of a virtual art exhibit led by the artist’s avatar. Already, several other countries, including Sweden and Estonia, have built cultural embassies in the online world.

“We need to be where the people are as we engage in public diplomacy, and virtual worlds are one of the mediums out there,” says William May, senior IT adviser for the State Department in public diplomacy.

NASA Debuts Web Site For First ARES Test Flight

2008-07-02T00:00:00-05:00

WASHINGTON -- NASA is developing new spacecraft, the Ares rockets and Orion crew capsule, to deliver astronauts to the International Space Station and send them on their way to the moon. The first test flight of the spacecraft, known as Ares I-X, is scheduled to launch in spring 2009. The latest information about this launch is now available at:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/ares/flighttests/aresIx/index.html

The Web site was created to offer key information about the details and objectives of the Ares I-X test flight. The site features articles, images and videos that outline the objectives of the Ares
I-X test flight and explain how these objectives will influence the design and flight of the Ares I rocket and Orion crew capsule.

The Ares I-X flight will test hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I rocket. It also will provide critical data during ascent of the integrated Orion crew exploration vehicle and the Ares I launch vehicle stack -- data that will be used to design a vehicle system that is safe and fully operational before astronauts begin traveling into orbit.

The Ares I-X test flight will bring America one step closer to a return to the moon by 2020 and eventual trips to Mars and destinations beyond. For more information about NASA's exploration plans, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/constellation

NASA Administrator Statement on the Death of Robert Seamans

2008-06-30T14:36:44-05:00

WASHINGTON -- The following is a statement from NASA Administrator Michael Griffin regarding the death Dr. Robert C. Seamans, Jr., NASA deputy administrator from 1965 to 1968:

"Robert Seamans was one of the early leaders in launching NASA's efforts to explore the new frontier of space. As NASA's associate administrator and then deputy administrator, Bob, as a top manager and consummate engineer, was instrumental in the decision making, planning and program execution that enabled the United States to meet President Kennedy's goal of landing men on the moon. He will be remembered as one of the great pioneers and leaders of America's space program."

Full Article here

Diggin' the Moon - Regolith Roundup

2008-06-30T00:00:00-05:00

Back in the Apollo days, digging in your heels on the Moon was one giant leap for humankind.

Now jump to today and the 21st century and there's a new type of lunar digging that's groundbreaking.

Over two dozen teams are vying for the upcoming 2008 Regolith Excavation Challenge involving a NASA prize of $750,000!

The cosmic competition is being held on August 2 at California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo, California. The contest pits teams that have built individual roving lunar excavator that can autonomously navigate, excavate, and transfer some 330 pounds of simulated lunar regolith into a collector bin within 30 minutes.

The majority of the teams represent the private sector, while four of them are affiliated with universities. Several of the teams have backgrounds that are not traditionally associated with the aerospace industry, such as toy and information technology enterprises - while several of the teams do have an aerospace background.

The California Space Education Workforce Institute (CSEWI) administers the Regolith Excavation Challenge and is co-hosted by the California Space Authority (CSA) and the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo College of Engineering. The event is sponsored by Diani Building Corporation, Empirical Systems Aerospace, and the California Business Transportation and Housing Agency.

Prize funding is provided by the NASA Centennial Challenges Program.

This upcoming August 2 competition underscores a key fact: Excavation will be an important first step towards lunar resource utilization - to live off the land. Advances in lunar regolith excavation have the potential to advance space exploration operations beyond the Earth as NASA moves forward on its Constellation agenda in the years to come.

To learn more about the teams and the rules of the contest, go to:

http://regolith.csewi.org/

-- Leonard David

Be an Alien and Listen in on Earth

2008-06-27T00:00:00-05:00

The European Space Agency's (ESA) Cluster mission is snooping in on the sounds of Earth - and is getting an ear-full.

In fact, the first thing a distant extraterrestrial civilization might pick up from our blue planet is the buzz of chirps and whistles. The ESA Cluster mission is showing scientists how to understand the sounds of Earth, valuable clues as to what we should be listening for in future searches for alien worlds.

The data used in the ESA study was collected by the NASA Wide Band instrument flying onboard the four Cluster spacecraft.

To give a listen to your own planet - as heard by the Cluster spacecraft - check out:

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMLX5SHKHF_index_0.html

-- Leonard David

Phoenix Returns Treasure Trove for Science

2008-06-26T00:00:00-05:00

Phoenix Mars Lander performed its first wet chemistry experiment on Martian soil flawlessly yesterday, returning a wealth of data that for Phoenix scientists was like winning the lottery.

"We are awash in chemistry data," said Michael Hecht of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, lead scientist for the Microscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer, or MECA, instrument on Phoenix. "We're trying to understand what is the chemistry of wet soil on Mars, what's dissolved in it, how acidic or alkaline it is. With the results we received from Phoenix yesterday, we could begin to tell what aspects of the soil might support life."

"This is the first wet-chemical analysis ever done on Mars or any planet, other than Earth," said Phoenix co-investigator Sam Kounaves of Tufts University, science lead for the wet chemistry investigation.

About 80 percent of Phoenix's first, two-day wet chemistry experiment is now complete. Phoenix has three more wet-chemistry cells for use later in the mission.

"This soil appears to be a close analog to surface soils found in the upper dry valleys in Antarctica," Kouvanes said. "The alkalinity of the soil at this location is definitely striking. At this specific location, one-inch into the surface layer, the soil is very basic, with a pH of between eight and nine. We also found a variety of components of salts that we haven't had time to analyze and identify yet, but that include magnesium, sodium, potassium and chloride."

"This is more evidence for water because salts are there. We also found a reasonable number of nutrients, or chemicals needed by life as we know it," Kounaves said. "Over time, I've come to the conclusion that the amazing thing about Mars is not that it's an alien world, but that in many aspects, like mineralogy, it's very much like Earth."

Another analytical Phoenix instrument, the Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer (TEGA), has baked its first soil sample to 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,800 degrees Fahrenheit). Never before has a soil sample from another world been baked to such high heat.

TEGA scientists have begun analyzing the gases released at a range of temperatures to identify the chemical make-up of soil and ice. Analysis is a complicated, weeks-long process.

But "the scientific data coming out of the instrument have been just spectacular," said Phoenix co-investigator William Boynton of the University of Arizona, lead TEGA scientist.

"At this point, we can say that the soil has clearly interacted with water in the past. We don't know whether that interaction occurred in this particular area in the northern polar region, or whether it might have happened elsewhere and blown up to this area as dust."

Leslie Tamppari, the Phoenix project scientist from JPL, tallied what Phoenix has accomplished during the first 30 Martian days of its mission, and outlined future plans.

The Stereo Surface Imager has by now completed about 55 percent of its three-color, 360-degree panorama of the Phoenix landing site, Tamppari said. Phoenix has analyzed two samples in its optical microscope as well as first samples in both TEGA and the wet chemistry laboratory. Phoenix has been collecting information daily on clouds, dust, winds, temperatures and pressures in the atmosphere, as well as taking first nighttime atmospheric measurements.

Lander cameras confirmed that white chunks exposed during trench digging were frozen water ice because they sublimated, or vaporized, over a few days. The Phoenix robotic arm dug and sampled, and will continue to dig and sample, at the 'Snow White' trench in the center of a polygon in the polygonal terrain.

"We believe this is the best place for creating a profile of the surface from the top down to the anticipated icy layer," Tamppari said. "This is the plan we wanted to do when we proposed the mission many years ago. We wanted a place just like this where we could sample the soil down to the possible ice layer."

The Phoenix mission is led by Peter Smith of The University of Arizona with project management at JPL and development partnership at Lockheed Martin, located in Denver. International contributions come from the Canadian Space Agency; the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland; the universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark; Max Planck Institute, Germany; and the Finnish Meteorological Institute. For more information on the Phoenix mission, link to http://www.nasa.gov/phoenix and http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu.

Join NASA's Return to the Moon!

2008-06-24T18:35:00-05:00

Sign up to send your name to the moon. Names will be collected and placed onboard the LRO spacecraft for its historic mission bringing NASA back to the moon. The deadline is June 27th so sign up today!

Click Here!

Poll Shows Support for U.S. Space Program Among Young Adults

2008-06-24T00:00:00-05:00

Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 were most supportive of increasing NASA’s budget and more often than any other age group said the benefits of space exploration outweigh the risks, according to a Gallup poll commissioned by the Coalition for Space Exploration and released June 17.

At a time when aerospace industry leaders are holding workshops and focus groups to meet the challenges of recruiting college graduates, the Gallup poll showed the youngest of the 1,002 people surveyed expressing more favorable opinions of the U.S. space program than their older counterparts.

For example, 62 percent of the 18- to 34-year-olds supported or strongly supported increasing NASA’s budget to 1 percent of the U.S. federal budget— an amount the Gallup poll noted would cost about $58 per average citizen per year. Support decreased as the ages of respondents went up. Those who supported or strongly supported a NASA budget increase dropped among 35- to 49-year-olds to 53 percent, and to 46 percent among respondents aged 50 or older.

Mary Engola, chairwoman of the Coalition for Space Exploration’s public affairs team, said a highlight of the poll was the young respondents’ answers.

"I think it’s very encouraging, especially since that’s our future work force," she said. "It goes against some of the popular belief in the industry."

The Gallup poll was the fourth conducted for the coalition, and Engola said the plan is for at least one each year. In the latest poll, conducted in April by telephone, 71 percent of respondents said the nation is doing a good or very good job maintaining leadership in space exploration, far better than responses to the nation’s handling of the war on terrorism, national disasters and health care needs. Thirty-two percent were concerned or somewhat concerned that China may become the new leader in space exploration, up from 28 percent in the last poll conducted in August 2006.

While the 18- to 34-year-old respondents supported raising NASA’s budget, they were less likely to agree with raising taxes to close a five-year gap between the space shuttle’s planned 2010 retirement and the scheduled completion of a replacement vehicle. Fifty-five percent said they were not too willing or not willing at all to support a tax increase to close the gap, a figure that matches the 35- to 49-year-old age group. The percentage of those opposed increased among the 50 and older group.

When it comes to inspiring youth, 70 percent of the 18- to 34-year-olds said NASA inspires people to consider an education in science, technology, math and engineering fields either somewhat or a great deal. That percentage was about the same among the 35- to 49-year-old and 50- to 64-year-old groups, and dropped to 67 percent among the 65 and older group.

The oldest age group is most concerned about the gap in human space transportation between 2010 and 2015, with 58 percent either very or somewhat concerned, the poll found. The number decreased among the younger groups, with 64 percent of the 18- to 34-year-olds responding that they were not very or not at all concerned about the gap.

Jeremiah Gertler, acting vice president of national security for Aerospace Industries Association, a trade group here, said he was not surprised that the poll found support for space exploration among young people, but added that the challenge is to maintain their interest by offering opportunities.

"What we’ve found as we talk to kids across the country is that if there’s something going on in aerospace, it is inspiring," he said. "The bigger question is how many programs are there going to be that they can get inspired about."

Another challenge, Gertler said, is to help young students make the connection between aerospace and math and science; that studying those subjects is the "price of admission into the aerospace field."

Studies such as the Gallup poll can be helpful to presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain as they formulate their positions on the U.S. space program, Gertler said, noting that respondents across the board said NASA does a good job of inspiring youth.

"It can help inform candidates who have different views," he said. "Yes, Americans still care about these things and there isn’t the kind of generation gap that we’ve been led to believe … There’s still a hunger to do more."

Comments: riannotta@space.com

Former NFL Player Ken Harvey Teams Up With Challenger Center and Richard Garriott

2008-06-23T15:46:00-05:00

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Can you play sports in space? Challenger Center and Richard Garriott, the next civilian to fly into space, teams up with former NFL player and four time pro bowler, Ken Harvey and his company JAKA Consulting group to promote a series of fitness activities that students can do here on earth. Students can then send in a YouTube video with a prediction about what will happen when Richard Garriott performs them in space. Richard, son of Dr. Owen Garriott, a NASA astronaut who flew on the Skylab in the 1970's, plans to record a series of educational videos for students while on orbit to help demonstrate some of the basic physics that help astronauts live and work in the weightlessness of space. Ken Harvey has recorded a series of video clips for the Challenger Center's national website to show kids some basic moves like throwing, catching, blocking, jumping and kicking that Richard will replicate on orbit this October aboard the International Space Station...

Click here to read the rest of the article

Click here for videos and to submit your prediction

Students and Teachers Excited about Their Interview with ISS Astronaut Garrett Reisman

2008-06-20T13:53:00-05:00

International Space Station (ISS) astronaut Garrett Reisman recently hitched a ride on the Space Shuttle and returned to Earth after his stay in space as a member of the ISS Expedition 17 crew. While on the ISS, he was interviewed by very enthusiastic students from the Los Angeles area and Queens, New York on May 12, 2008 - during NASA's first coast-to-coast downlink . (See earlier blogs about this ISS Downlink after May 12th.)

Below are the photos of that wonderful day that they and their teachers - Pam Leestma of Valley Christian Elementary School in Bellflower, California, and Neme Alperstein of One Stop Richmond Hill Community Center in Queens - had been anticipating for years.

Astronaut Garrett Reisman (on the screen) floats in the microgravity of ISS while answering the questions of teacher Pam Leestma's 2nd grade students and their 6th grade "buddies" from Valley Christian Elementary School in Bellflower, CA. Although their teacher Pam appears to be standing at the podium, she was so excited about her class and Neme's students in New York being selected by NASA for the downlink - that she is actually floating a few inches off the ground!

Photo credit: Robert Kline

Pam Leestma and her 2nd graders and their 6th grade "buddies" from Valley Christian Elementary School in Bellflower, CA await the opportunity to ask questions of astronaut Garrett Reisman on the International Space Station. Garrett compliment the students in California and New York on their excellent questions.

Photo credit: Robert Kline

Neme Alperstein's 5th graders from the One Stop Richmond Hill Community Center in Queens, New York, pose with their inflatable Space Shuttle after the thrill of interviewing ISS astronaut Garrett Reisman.

Ice On Mars

2008-06-20T09:14:00-05:00

From NASA...
"Bright Chunks at Phoenix Lander's Mars Site Must Have Been Ice 06.19.08

TUCSON, Ariz. – Dice-size crumbs of bright material have vanished from inside a trench where they were photographed by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander four days ago, convincing scientists that the material was frozen water that vaporized after digging exposed it.

"It must be ice," said Phoenix Principal Investigator Peter Smith of the University of Arizona, Tucson. "These little clumps completely disappearing over the course of a few days, that is perfect evidence that it's ice. There had been some question whether the bright material was salt. Salt can't do that."

The chunks were left at the bottom of a trench informally called "Dodo-Goldilocks" when Phoenix's Robotic Arm enlarged that trench on June 15, during the 20th Martian day, or sol, since landing. Several were gone when Phoenix looked at the trench early today, on Sol 24.

Also early today, digging in a different trench, the Robotic Arm connected with a hard surface that has scientists excited about the prospect of next uncovering an icy layer. "

To read the full article click here

THE MOON: AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL TREASURE TROVE

2008-06-19T12:47:00-05:00

Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 moonwalker at Tranquility Base during the first human voyage to the Moon in July 1969.

Credit: NASA

Protecting leftover equipment used on the Moon during the Apollo program is part an archaeological campaign to preserve humankind’s outreach to the lunar surface.

Credit: NASA

There is archaeological history on the Moon – items that document humankind’s outreach to the lunar surface. Moreover, those landing zones – particularly Tranquility Base, the touchdown site of Apollo 11’s Eagle lander carrying Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in July 1969 – should be preserved as the first celestial anthropological sites.

That’s the view of Beth O’Leary, assistant professor of anthropology at New Mexico State University. She and other members of a Lunar Legacy Project have been busy at work using NASA archives to put together a catalog of leftover artifacts from Apollo lunar landings.

O’Leary’s Lunar Legacy Project got off the ground, quite literally, after receiving a grant from the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium, a research arm of NASA, to learn more about the archaeological significance of Tranquility Base.

Team members have cataloged 106 artifacts, ranging from technical equipment -- such as a laser ranging retroreflector that for the first time provided the exact distance between Earth and the Moon -- to more basic gear, such as a hammer and trenching tool, to simple evidence of human presence – like discarded, but empty food bags.

Protecting Tranquility Base

In a June 18 news release from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, O’Leary points out that, while artifacts left on the Moon remain under the ownership and jurisdiction of the nation that left them there, an international agreement stipulates that no nation can claim property rights over the Moon itself.

Therefore, when the Lunar Legacy Project team attempted to register the Tranquility Base as a National Historic Landmark, in order to ensure some protection of the site, it was not supported. The site also qualifies as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site, but O’Leary said no country, including the U.S., has nominated it to the list.

New Mexico has helped to preserve the site by listing it as Laboratory of Anthropology 2,000,000 in the state’s Archaeological Records Management Section (ARMS) database.

Since ARMS only accepts sites within the state, Tranquility Base is tied to and hosted in New Mexico by the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo, New Mexico. O’Leary also is part of an international space heritage task force, which will meet at the World Archaeological Congress in Dublin, Ireland this month.

Future lunar traffic

All this effort is dedicated to preserving space sites. And given the increasing amount of future traffic – by both private sector companies and government agencies – all headed for the lunar landscape in future years, more attention should be placed on preserving archaeological sites of the Moon.

From O’Leary’s perspective, there’s need for a legal framework for visiting historic sites on the Moon or other celestial bodies. Also needed is a series of protocols and agreements to assure that historic sites are not damaged or even looted in the future, she believes.

O’Leary told the Coalition: “The current interest and support of everyone who cares about the extraordinary events and achievements of humans in space can only help to protect its past for future generations.”

For more information on the Lunar Legacy Project web site, hosted by the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium, go to:

http://spacegrant.nmsu.edu/lunarlegacies/

Take Your Own Moonwalk - Apollo Style!

2008-06-19T00:00:00-05:00

If you want to take your own stroll on the Moon...you can't do much better right now than visiting a new "boots-on-the-ground" resource provided by the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) in Houston, Texas.

This is an incredible collection of Hasselblad camera panoramas stitched together using imagery taken by the Apollo expeditionary crews on the lunar surface between 1969-1972.

According to David Kring, a visiting scientist for the Lunar Exploration Initiative at LPI, these panoramas were not easy to produce.

"The astronauts' movements on the lunar surface were encumbered by spacesuits. The astronauts were also unable to align the cameras with a view-finder," Kring explains. Because the moonwalkers were wearing helmets, the cameras were mounted on the chests of the spacesuits. So without a view finder, crews walking on the Moon had to learn how to point, shoot, turn slightly, point and shoot again...until a panorama of overlapping photographs was generated, he notes.

Kring adds: "This required a lot of training on Earth, before they traveled to the Moon. Fortunately, this task will be much easier with modern digital imaging systems when we return to the Moon."

The digitized and re-rendered panoramas were produced by Warren Harold at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

So go ride the Internet surf and visit the Apollo Surface Panoramas - a digital library of photographic panoramas that the Apollo astronauts took while exploring the Moon's surface.

Go to:

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/apollopanoramas/

-- Leonard David

Invitation to "Meet the Astronauts"

2008-06-18T00:00:00-05:00

Here's your chance to "meet the astronauts" - and from two space agencies at that! It is a free public event at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum (NASM) in Washington, D.C.

The event takes place on Tuesday, June 24th at 2:00 p.m. eastern time. Join Hans Schlegel and Leopold Eyharts from the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA's Carl Walz as they share their memories of life onboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Schlegel of Germany and Eyharts of France were critical to the installation and activation of ESA's Columbus space laboratory - a key facility now attached to the space station.

Former NASA astronaut, Carl Walz, spent over 230 days in space, including his record-breaking flight endurance of 196 days aboard the orbiting outpost, the ISS.

So if you're hungry to know about space travel -- from three individuals that have orbited the Earth -- this is your chance. A question-and-answer session will follow their talks and visitors will have the opportunity to meet the astronauts during an autograph signing session at the conclusion of the program.

So set your personal trajectory on a course to visit the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum's Space Hall...to rendezvous with the space travelers.

-- Leonard David

This Week on NASA TV for Educators

2008-06-17T10:24:11-05:00

June 16, 2008
Monday
8-9 a.m.

What's In the News: Space Episode 9: Eyes in the Sky: Communications Satellites (4-12)
Destination Tomorrow™ Five (9-Adult)
What's In the News: Space Episode 10: Eyes in the Sky: Landsurvey Satellites (4-12)

4-6 p.m. and 8-10 p.m.

What's In the News: Space Episode 9: Eyes in the Sky: Communications Satellites (4-12)
Destination Tomorrow™ Five (9-Adult)
What's In the News: Space Episode 10: Eyes in the Sky: Landsurvey Satellites (4-12)
Passport to Knowledge: Looking for Life (6-10)

June 17, 2008
Tuesday
8-9 a.m.

What's In the News: Space Episode 11: Weather Satellites (4-12)
Space Place Live! Kip Thorne, Program 1 (3-6)
Unlocking the Mysteries: Science on the Edge of Our Solar System (Adult)
Destination Tomorrow™ Seven (9-Adult)

4-6 p.m. and 8-10 p.m.

What's In the News: Space Episode 11: Weather Satellites (4-12)
Space Place Live! Kip Thorne, Program 1 (3-6)
Unlocking the Mysteries: Science on the Edge of Our Solar System (Adult)
Destination Tomorrow™ Seven (9-Adult)
NASA SCIence Files™: The Case of the Great Space Exploration (3-5)

June 18, 2008
Wednesday
8-9 a.m.

Infrared: More Than Your Eyes Can See (5-8)
Our Home: Earth From Space (9-12)
NASA CONNECT™: Path of Totality: Measuring Angular Size and Distance (6-8)

4-6 p.m. and 8-10 p.m.

Infrared: More Than Your Eyes Can See (5-8)
Our Home: Earth From Space (9-12)
NASA CONNECT™: Path of Totality: Measuring Angular Size and Distance (6-8)
Passport to Knowledge: Countdown to Mars (4-10)

June 19, 2008
Thursday
8-9 a.m.

Space Place Live! Michelle Thaller, Program 6 (3-6)
Aeronautical Oddities (7-Adult)
Space Place Live! Deb Vane, Program 3 (3-6)
NASA CONNECT™: Data Analysis and Measurement: Having a Solar Blast! (6-8)

4-6 p.m. and 8-10 p.m.

Space Place Live! Michelle Thaller, Program 6 (3-6)
Aeronautical Oddities (7-Adult)
Space Place Live! Deb Vane, Program 3 (3-6)
NASA CONNECT™: Data Analysis and Measurement: Having a Solar Blast! (6-8)
Passport to the Universe - Program 1: Live From a Black Hole (6-10)

June 20, 2008
Friday
8-9 a.m.

Space Place Live! Donya Douglas, Program 5 (3-6)
Science in Action: Nerf Glider (K-12)
Aeronautical Oddities (7-Adult)
NASA CONNECT™: The Right Ratio of Rest: Proportional Reasoning (6-8)

4-6 p.m. and 8-10 p.m.

Space Place Live! Donya Douglas, Program 5 (3-6)
Science in Action: Nerf Glider (K-12)
Aeronautical Oddities (7-Adult)
NASA CONNECT™: The Right Ratio of Rest: Proportional Reasoning (6-8)
Destination Tomorrow™ Twenty-One (9-Adult)
NASA CONNECT™: Measurement, Ratios and Graphing: 3, 2, 1...Crash! (5-8)

June 21, 2008
Saturday
8-9 a.m.

Space Place Live! Dr. Chris Martin, Program 4 (3-6)
Aeronautical Oddities (7-Adult)
Destination Tomorrow™ Seventeen (9-Adult)

4-6 p.m. and 8-10 p.m.

Space Place Live! Dr. Chris Martin, Program 4 (3-6)
Aeronautical Oddities (7-Adult)
Destination Tomorrow™ Seventeen (9-Adult)
Passport to Knowledge: Following the Water (6-8)

June 22, 2008
Sunday
8-9 a.m.

Introduction to High-Altitude Ballooning (9-Adult)
Sun Splash: Ozone (9-12)
NASA CONNECT™: The Right Ratio of Rest: Proportional Reasoning (6-8)

4-6 p.m. and 8-10 p.m.

Introduction to High-Altitude Ballooning (9-Adult)
Sun Splash: Ozone (9-12)
NASA CONNECT™: The Right Ratio of Rest: Proportional Reasoning (6-8)
Passport to Knowledge: Bouncing to Mars (All)

June 23, 2008
Monday
8-9 a.m.

What's In the News: Space Episode 11: Weather Satellites (4-12)
Unlocking the Mysteries: Science on the Edge of Our Solar System (Adult)
What's In the News: Space Episode 1: Beyond Planet Earth (4-12)

4-6 p.m. and 8-10 p.m.

What's In the News: Space Episode 11: Weather Satellites (4-12)
Unlocking the Mysteries: Science on the Edge of Our Solar System (Adult)
What's In the News: Space Episode 1: Beyond Planet Earth (4-12)
NASA SCIence Files™: The Case of the Zany Animal Antics (3-5)

Students Chosen as Cassini Scientists for a Day

2008-06-16T23:23:23-05:00

Here is the press release about the Cassini Scientist for a Day Contest winners and link to the opportunity to participate in September:

MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA)
PASADENA, CALIF. 91109 TELEPHONE 818-354-5011
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov

Carolina Martinez 818-354-9382/ Diya Chacko 818-393-5464
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
Carolina.Martinez@jpl.nasa.gov
Diya.S.Chacko@jpl.nasa.gov

NEWS RELEASE: 2008-111 June 16, 2008

STUDENTS CHOSEN AS CASSINI SCIENTISTS FOR A DAY

Four students have won the Cassini Scientist for a Day contest, with most choosing Rhea, Saturn's second-largest moon, as the best place for scientists to study using NASA's Cassini spacecraft.

Contest participants had to choose one of three target areas for Cassini's camera: Saturn's moon Enceladus, Rhea, or a section of Saturn's rings that includes the tiny moon Pan. The students had to write an essay explaining why their chosen snapshot would yield the most scientific rewards, and the winners were invited to discuss their essays with Cassini scientists via teleconference.

The essays were judged by a panel of Cassini scientists, mission planners, and the education and outreach team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

This year's winners are located in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Michigan. Their essays were chosen from 197 essays written by fifth-to-twelfth-grade students across the United States.

Michael Keefe, an eighth-grader from Scituate, Mass., and the winner in the 7th-to-8th-grade category, chose Rhea.

"A photograph of Rhea would not just give us clues about what forces are at work upon it, but also what forces have worked on other satellites," Keefe wrote in his essay.

Matt Pleatman and Noah Van Valkenburg, 11th-grade students from Bloomfield Hills, Mich., and the winners in the 9th-to-12th-grade division, also chose Rhea for their joint essay, writing "What better moon to study than the one discovered by Cassini himself?"

Ben Basalik, a 6th-grade student from Collegeville, Penn., and the winner in the 5th-to-6th-grade category, chose Enceladus, Saturn's geologically active moon. Cassini has discovered Yellowstone-like geysers spewing from its surface.

"This moon is unusual because it reflects almost 100 percent of the sunlight that strikes it and although it is cold, it has many features that suggest that it is generating heat," Basalik wrote in his essay.

The next opportunity to participate in the Cassini Scientist-for-a-Day contest will be in September. More information is online at http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/education/scientist.
More information on the Cassini-Huygens mission is at http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov and http://www.nasa.gov/cassini.

The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The Cassini orbiter was designed, developed and assembled at JPL.