FoxNews: Robot Butler Hitching Ride to Space on Shuttle Discovery
Life aboard the International Space Station will get a little cushier when a robot butler arrives at the orbiting lab later this week.
The space shuttle Discovery, slated to launch Thursday afternoon, is carrying a humanoid robot named Robonaut 2 up to the orbiting lab. Robonaut 2 — also known as R2 — is a prototype robotic assistant designed to help human crews with chores and repairs. Researchers will use the bot as a test bed to help develop more advanced robotic helpers in the future.
"This project exemplifies the promise that a future generation of robots can have both in space and on Earth, not as replacements for humans but as companions that can carry out key supporting roles," John Olson, director of NASA's Exploration Systems Integration Office, said in a statement. [Photos: NASA's Robonaut 2 Space Droid]
Robonaut 2: The basics
Robonaut 2, which will become the first humanoid robot in space, looks a bit like a boxer's training aid.
Related Video
NASA Introduces Robonaut 2
Humanoid robot heading to space
Related Links
Robonaut's Space Debut a 'Giant Leap for Tinmankind'
NASA Prepares First Ever Robonaut for Space Shuttle Discovery Launch
Will Robonaut Boldly Go Where NASA Won't? The $2.5 million space bot consists of a head and torso, along with a pair of dexterous arms that pack down into a puncher's pose. R2 stands 3 feet, 4 inches (1.01 meter) tall and weighs about 330 pounds (150 kilograms).
R2 is a joint project of NASA and carmaker General Motors. It's the product of a cooperative agreement to develop a robotic assistant that can work alongside humans, whether they're astronauts in space or workers at GM plants here on Earth, NASA officials have said.
The bot is made primarily of aluminum and steel. Its head houses five cameras — including one infrared camera in the mouth — to provide stereo vision and depth perception. The torso contains 38 PowerPC processors, and R2 carries a backpack that can be filled with batteries or a power conversion system. [Infographic: Meet Robonaut 2]
Each of R2's arms can carry about 20 pounds (9.1 kg), and its hands have articulating fingers and thumbs. The robot, which builds on NASA's work with its first Robonaut project, should be able to use the same tools astronauts on the space station use, agency officials said.
The robot's job
Astronauts will install Robonaut 2 inside the station's U.S. Destiny laboratory and put it through some test paces. The goal is to see just what the robot helper can do — how it can work side-by-side with astronauts to make station operations run more smoothly.
"We're going to use Robonaut on orbit to learn more about how robots can take over astronaut tasks — some mundane things and then potentially some of the more dangerous tasks," said Scott Higginbotham, payload manager for Discovery's STS-133 mission.
Robonaut 2 was designed to use both internal and external interfaces, so future bots could eventually be installed on the station's exterior to aid in spacewalks and other difficult or dangerous tasks. However, R2 itself will likely stay inside, officials said, since the bot lacks protection against the extreme cold of space.
As advanced as it is, R2 represents an early stage in the effort to get robots more involved in space travel and exploration.
"I think we see Robonaut as the program does — a technology demonstration," said astronaut Michael Barratt, a mission specialist for STS-133. "This is very much a first step, but we’ll be identifying and mapping some of the tasks and capabilities that Robonaut demonstrates over the years."
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Wakata to be 1st Japanese ISS captain
Daily Yomiuri Online: Wakata to be 1st Japanese ISS captain
Astronaut Koichi Wakata will become the first Japanese captain of the International Space Station, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency announced Thursday.
Wakata, 47, will serve as head of the ISS during the last two months of a six-month mission to begin at the end of 2013.
"I'd like to bring the team together, emphasizing the Japanese spirit of wa [harmony]," Wakata said during a press teleconference connecting Tokyo and Houston.
Wakata said he was informed of his selection Thursday. "I truly feel a heavy load has been placed on my shoulders," he said.
Six crew members are scheduled to stay at the ISS for the mission. Past captains have mostly been Russian or U.S. astronauts.
"I think I was named captain because the Konotori [an unmanned Japanese cargo craft that carried supplies to the ISS last month] deepened trust in Japan," he said. "I want to use all the things I've learned and experienced. I also want to make plans that'll fully utilize the talents of each astronaut, so we can achieve the best possible results as a team."
The mission will be Wakata's second long assignment following a four-month stay in 2009, and his fourth space mission--both records for a Japanese astronaut.
Wakata is said to be highly valued by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and now serves as the chief of NASA's ISS Operations Branch.
Astronaut Koichi Wakata will become the first Japanese captain of the International Space Station, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency announced Thursday.
Wakata, 47, will serve as head of the ISS during the last two months of a six-month mission to begin at the end of 2013.
"I'd like to bring the team together, emphasizing the Japanese spirit of wa [harmony]," Wakata said during a press teleconference connecting Tokyo and Houston.
Wakata said he was informed of his selection Thursday. "I truly feel a heavy load has been placed on my shoulders," he said.
Six crew members are scheduled to stay at the ISS for the mission. Past captains have mostly been Russian or U.S. astronauts.
"I think I was named captain because the Konotori [an unmanned Japanese cargo craft that carried supplies to the ISS last month] deepened trust in Japan," he said. "I want to use all the things I've learned and experienced. I also want to make plans that'll fully utilize the talents of each astronaut, so we can achieve the best possible results as a team."
The mission will be Wakata's second long assignment following a four-month stay in 2009, and his fourth space mission--both records for a Japanese astronaut.
Wakata is said to be highly valued by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and now serves as the chief of NASA's ISS Operations Branch.
NASA Exploration Experience at Sci-Quest
News Courier: NASA Exploration Experience at Sci-Quest
The lives of most Huntsville area residents are closely intertwined with the space program, considering the city is home to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. Now they'll get a chance to journey through the past, present and future of space exploration, and along the way see a vast number of NASA-inspired technologies that improve our life on Earth.
NASA's immersive, hexagonal theater – the Exploration Experience Pavilion – will visit Sci-Quest, Hands-on Science Center on Feb. 11 through March 6.
The Pavilion will allow Sci-Quest visitors to be taken to the edge of the known universe, and then be transported to the beginnings of exploration. They're then propelled into the future to glimpse how NASA plans to revolutionize the way tomorrow’s explorers will live and work in space. The journey includes a visual timeline of vehicles that paved the way for future space flight, and a look at those NASA technological advances in space.
There is no additional admission fee to the NASA exhibit. NASA's Exploration Experience Pavilion exhibit will be open to the public during regular operating hours, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
To learn more about the traveling exhibit and NASA’s exploration mission, visit: exploration.nasa.gov.
For more about events and activities at Sci-Quest, visit www.sci-quest.org
The lives of most Huntsville area residents are closely intertwined with the space program, considering the city is home to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. Now they'll get a chance to journey through the past, present and future of space exploration, and along the way see a vast number of NASA-inspired technologies that improve our life on Earth.
NASA's immersive, hexagonal theater – the Exploration Experience Pavilion – will visit Sci-Quest, Hands-on Science Center on Feb. 11 through March 6.
The Pavilion will allow Sci-Quest visitors to be taken to the edge of the known universe, and then be transported to the beginnings of exploration. They're then propelled into the future to glimpse how NASA plans to revolutionize the way tomorrow’s explorers will live and work in space. The journey includes a visual timeline of vehicles that paved the way for future space flight, and a look at those NASA technological advances in space.
There is no additional admission fee to the NASA exhibit. NASA's Exploration Experience Pavilion exhibit will be open to the public during regular operating hours, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
To learn more about the traveling exhibit and NASA’s exploration mission, visit: exploration.nasa.gov.
For more about events and activities at Sci-Quest, visit www.sci-quest.org
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
NASA Chief's Journey from Segregated South to Space
Space.com: NASA Chief's Journey from Segregated South to Space
In 2009, Charles Bolden became NASA's first black administrator. The former astronaut, a veteran of four space shuttle flights, is helming the space agency as it transitions through hard economic times and the looming retirement of the space shuttle program.
In honor of Black History Month, Bolden, a retired Marine Corps Major General, wrote of his journey from his home town of Columbia, S.C., to space and back. The following essay was published on the White House blog.
It's a long way from the segregated south to low Earth orbit. But I am fortunate to have made the journey and to have had many opportunities to serve my nation in a 34-year career with the U.S. Marine Corps and in many roles at NASA, currently as head of the nation's space program.
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When I was a young man, my service as NASA's first African American administrator under the nation's first black president would have been nearly unthinkable. But through the efforts of many people of all races, our nation has changed. And, thanks to the space shuttle program, and NASA's cross-disciplinary exploration missions, African Americans and many others have had access to space and also to science and technological careers. The shuttle was really instrumental in breaking the color barrier for African Americans in space, and it all happened without a single law being passed.
Today, African Americans are scientists, engineers and astronauts. They're developing instruments for spacecraft to peer beyond the edge of our solar system and opening solar arrays on the International Space Station with just a tether holding them to a vehicle moving nearly 17,000 miles per hour. NASA is reinvigorating its focus on research and development to develop technologies that don't exist today. We will send humans farther and faster into space. We'll visit places we've never been with people and robots, launch science missions to uncover unfathomable secrets of the universe and make air travel safer and cleaner here on the home front. African Americans have been, and will continue to be, key to all of these efforts.
I might never have had a chance in space were it not for the late great Ron McNair, another African American pioneer in exploration who encouraged me to apply to the astronaut corps. I was being a naysayer, thinking there was no way I would be accepted. But Ron persisted, and I am grateful to him to this day and for all of the life and professional learning he shared with me in his too-short time before he was lost in the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy. Ron was my "Sputnik moment."
Since America's "Sputnik moment," when the nation stood up and took notice, and made a decision to commit to exploration and the technology development and innovation that would be required, many African Americans have given their heart and soul to the space program. The list is long at NASA. Astronauts like Guion S. Bluford, Dr. Mae Jemison, Frederick D. Gregory, and Dr. Ronald McNair and Michael P. Anderson, to name just a few, pioneered a path in space. Similarly, scientists like astrochemist Dr. Emmett Chappelle, who was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and Dr. George Carruthers, who helped our Apollo missions be more than just flags and footprints, and Dr. Harriett Jenkins, who helped diversify the agency as head of its Equal Employment Programs, made vital contributions to the space program. Without the historic contributions of these and many others, NASA would not be the agency it is today.
For my part, my parents were probably the biggest influences on my life. Not only growing up, but still, today, as I make decisions as a husband, grandfather, father, brother and leader. My father was a teacher, my mother a librarian. Learning was always at the forefront of our lives as well as a commitment to public service. That led me to the military and a chance to serve my country as my father and my uncles had done in World War II when blacks had to fight for the right to serve in our armed forces. I wanted to follow in the footsteps of so many African Americans who had already served this country with distinction, if not always with recognition.
For me, it was an uphill battle. Because of my race, no one in my South Carolina congressional delegation would provide an appointment nor nomination to the Academy as was required for admission. I wrote President Lyndon B. Johnson asking for help, and that's when Congressman William Dawson of Illinois provided me the appointment I needed to be accepted. Rep. Dawson was himself a veteran of World War I, and only the third African American elected to Congress in the 20th century. He was the only serving black member during his first term.
Since then, I graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, flew more than 100 combat missions over Vietnam, earned a master's degree in systems management, flew on the space shuttle four times, and rose to the rank of major general in the U.S. Marine Corps.
It has been quite a ride, but I couldn’t have done it without all those who came before. That's why I tell today's young people that I hope they will take the gains that previous generations have made and make their own progress. Students ask me how to become an astronaut. I tell them to pursue any of the paths in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and their chances of a strong, secure career that makes contributions to our economy and improves life for people worldwide will be possible.
When I speak to young people, I tell them, don't waste your time trying to explain yourself or your identity to anyone or justify why you are where you are -- in the workplace or anywhere else. Do your job and do it very well. Live your life according to the golden rule and the strong principles taught by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Always remind yourself of "why" you are pursuing the things you do. Stay in touch with that answer, and don't let others define it for you.
A touchstone of my personal philosophy is these words from Rev. Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, Dr. King's mentor during his years of study at Morehouse College. It is Dr. Mays who perhaps influenced Dr. King most, and whose words and thoughts we frequently heard reflected in the words of Dr. King. This is from a sermon by Dr. Mays titled "What Man Lives By":
"Man must believe that however hard the road, however difficult today, tomorrow things will be better. Tomorrow may not be better, but we must believe that it will be. Wars may never cease, but we must continue to strive to eliminate them. We may not abolish poverty, but we must believe that we can provide bread enough to spare for every living creature and that we can find the means to distribute it. We may not exterminate racism, but we must believe that different racial groups can live together in peace, and we must never cease to try to build a society in which the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man become realities."
I never really left Columbia, S.C., behind. The family and teachers and friends that are still there remind me of who I am, where I come from, and what my ideals should be. It was a fortunate upbringing in many ways, despite the hardships. I wouldn't change a thing. And despite what some might say, the future is bright for the young people just entering the workforce today. I hope I have had some small part in the progress this nation has made. I look forward to the space program's continued success improving people's lives around the world through new technologies and discoveries and showing that with innovation, creativity and passion, you can knock down any barrier of race, ethnicity, creed, or gender.
In 2009, Charles Bolden became NASA's first black administrator. The former astronaut, a veteran of four space shuttle flights, is helming the space agency as it transitions through hard economic times and the looming retirement of the space shuttle program.
In honor of Black History Month, Bolden, a retired Marine Corps Major General, wrote of his journey from his home town of Columbia, S.C., to space and back. The following essay was published on the White House blog.
It's a long way from the segregated south to low Earth orbit. But I am fortunate to have made the journey and to have had many opportunities to serve my nation in a 34-year career with the U.S. Marine Corps and in many roles at NASA, currently as head of the nation's space program.
Ads by GoogleAfro American PublishingPartner with an Afro American Book Publisher. Receive a Free Guide!www.ChooseYourPublisher.comDanica Patrick Honda FilmWatch now to discover the upside of failure through Danica Patrick.www.honda.comWhat is Quantum Jumping?Discover Why Thousands of People are "Jumping" to Change Their Lifewww.QuantumJumping.com
When I was a young man, my service as NASA's first African American administrator under the nation's first black president would have been nearly unthinkable. But through the efforts of many people of all races, our nation has changed. And, thanks to the space shuttle program, and NASA's cross-disciplinary exploration missions, African Americans and many others have had access to space and also to science and technological careers. The shuttle was really instrumental in breaking the color barrier for African Americans in space, and it all happened without a single law being passed.
Today, African Americans are scientists, engineers and astronauts. They're developing instruments for spacecraft to peer beyond the edge of our solar system and opening solar arrays on the International Space Station with just a tether holding them to a vehicle moving nearly 17,000 miles per hour. NASA is reinvigorating its focus on research and development to develop technologies that don't exist today. We will send humans farther and faster into space. We'll visit places we've never been with people and robots, launch science missions to uncover unfathomable secrets of the universe and make air travel safer and cleaner here on the home front. African Americans have been, and will continue to be, key to all of these efforts.
I might never have had a chance in space were it not for the late great Ron McNair, another African American pioneer in exploration who encouraged me to apply to the astronaut corps. I was being a naysayer, thinking there was no way I would be accepted. But Ron persisted, and I am grateful to him to this day and for all of the life and professional learning he shared with me in his too-short time before he was lost in the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy. Ron was my "Sputnik moment."
Since America's "Sputnik moment," when the nation stood up and took notice, and made a decision to commit to exploration and the technology development and innovation that would be required, many African Americans have given their heart and soul to the space program. The list is long at NASA. Astronauts like Guion S. Bluford, Dr. Mae Jemison, Frederick D. Gregory, and Dr. Ronald McNair and Michael P. Anderson, to name just a few, pioneered a path in space. Similarly, scientists like astrochemist Dr. Emmett Chappelle, who was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and Dr. George Carruthers, who helped our Apollo missions be more than just flags and footprints, and Dr. Harriett Jenkins, who helped diversify the agency as head of its Equal Employment Programs, made vital contributions to the space program. Without the historic contributions of these and many others, NASA would not be the agency it is today.
For my part, my parents were probably the biggest influences on my life. Not only growing up, but still, today, as I make decisions as a husband, grandfather, father, brother and leader. My father was a teacher, my mother a librarian. Learning was always at the forefront of our lives as well as a commitment to public service. That led me to the military and a chance to serve my country as my father and my uncles had done in World War II when blacks had to fight for the right to serve in our armed forces. I wanted to follow in the footsteps of so many African Americans who had already served this country with distinction, if not always with recognition.
For me, it was an uphill battle. Because of my race, no one in my South Carolina congressional delegation would provide an appointment nor nomination to the Academy as was required for admission. I wrote President Lyndon B. Johnson asking for help, and that's when Congressman William Dawson of Illinois provided me the appointment I needed to be accepted. Rep. Dawson was himself a veteran of World War I, and only the third African American elected to Congress in the 20th century. He was the only serving black member during his first term.
Since then, I graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, flew more than 100 combat missions over Vietnam, earned a master's degree in systems management, flew on the space shuttle four times, and rose to the rank of major general in the U.S. Marine Corps.
It has been quite a ride, but I couldn’t have done it without all those who came before. That's why I tell today's young people that I hope they will take the gains that previous generations have made and make their own progress. Students ask me how to become an astronaut. I tell them to pursue any of the paths in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and their chances of a strong, secure career that makes contributions to our economy and improves life for people worldwide will be possible.
When I speak to young people, I tell them, don't waste your time trying to explain yourself or your identity to anyone or justify why you are where you are -- in the workplace or anywhere else. Do your job and do it very well. Live your life according to the golden rule and the strong principles taught by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Always remind yourself of "why" you are pursuing the things you do. Stay in touch with that answer, and don't let others define it for you.
A touchstone of my personal philosophy is these words from Rev. Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, Dr. King's mentor during his years of study at Morehouse College. It is Dr. Mays who perhaps influenced Dr. King most, and whose words and thoughts we frequently heard reflected in the words of Dr. King. This is from a sermon by Dr. Mays titled "What Man Lives By":
"Man must believe that however hard the road, however difficult today, tomorrow things will be better. Tomorrow may not be better, but we must believe that it will be. Wars may never cease, but we must continue to strive to eliminate them. We may not abolish poverty, but we must believe that we can provide bread enough to spare for every living creature and that we can find the means to distribute it. We may not exterminate racism, but we must believe that different racial groups can live together in peace, and we must never cease to try to build a society in which the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man become realities."
I never really left Columbia, S.C., behind. The family and teachers and friends that are still there remind me of who I am, where I come from, and what my ideals should be. It was a fortunate upbringing in many ways, despite the hardships. I wouldn't change a thing. And despite what some might say, the future is bright for the young people just entering the workforce today. I hope I have had some small part in the progress this nation has made. I look forward to the space program's continued success improving people's lives around the world through new technologies and discoveries and showing that with innovation, creativity and passion, you can knock down any barrier of race, ethnicity, creed, or gender.
Alliant Techsystems: It's Not Rocket Science to See the Value
Seeking Alpha: Alliant Techsystems: It's Not Rocket Science to See the Value
While most defense stocks like Lockheed Martin (LMT), L-3 Communications (LLL), Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Raytheon (RTN) are up approximately 10% this year, there is one that is down for the year so far. That stock is Alliant Techsystems (ATK), a manufacturer of ammunition, aerospace structures and rocket systems.
With a market cap in the $2 billion range, the company is a tenth of the size of the major defense contractors. It could make a nice acquisition target for a mid-size company like L-3 Communications, a European firm like Finmeccanica (FINMF.PK), BAE Systems (BAESY.PK), or a private equity firm.
Most of the company’s $4.8 billion annual revenue is relatively stable and recurring. The U.S. Department of Defense accounts for approximately half the company’s revenue. There is some concern that with military operations winding down in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the pressures on the U.S. defense budget, this revenue will decline. While this is a legitimate concern, the magnitude is probably overstated. Most of the ammunition used by the defense forces is used for training, which is independent of active military missions.
Ten percent of the company’s revenue is from NASA, with approximately $100 million from the space shuttle program and $400 million from the Constellation program (meant to be the replacement for the space shuttle). This revenue is at risk as the space shuttle program is reaching the end of its life and Constellation faces significant opposition.
For the fiscal year ending March 2011, the company is expected to show net income of approximately $300 million or $9 per share, relatively stable with the year ago figures. The company is projecting free cash flow of $275 to 300 million. It has generated only $54 million in the first nine months, with a big increase in receivables, so this is a cause for concern and needs to be watched.
The company’s pension plan had losses in the 2008 downturn, which are being amortized over five years. This has caused a $50 million (pre-tax) headwind. Effective 2007, new employees are not in the pension plan (only 401K plans), so the pension becomes less of an issue over time.
The company’s capital management has been somewhat shoddy, with the company making acquisitions, hoarding excess cash, and issuing unnecessary debt. The company recently instituted a dividend amounting to $0.80 per share annually, and one hopes that this is a step towards returning a meaningful amount of cash to shareholders.
With sustainable earnings power in the $9 per share range, ATK shares should be trading at $90, in line with the valuation of other defense stocks. From a recent share price of $72, that’s 25% upside.
While most defense stocks like Lockheed Martin (LMT), L-3 Communications (LLL), Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Raytheon (RTN) are up approximately 10% this year, there is one that is down for the year so far. That stock is Alliant Techsystems (ATK), a manufacturer of ammunition, aerospace structures and rocket systems.
With a market cap in the $2 billion range, the company is a tenth of the size of the major defense contractors. It could make a nice acquisition target for a mid-size company like L-3 Communications, a European firm like Finmeccanica (FINMF.PK), BAE Systems (BAESY.PK), or a private equity firm.
Most of the company’s $4.8 billion annual revenue is relatively stable and recurring. The U.S. Department of Defense accounts for approximately half the company’s revenue. There is some concern that with military operations winding down in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the pressures on the U.S. defense budget, this revenue will decline. While this is a legitimate concern, the magnitude is probably overstated. Most of the ammunition used by the defense forces is used for training, which is independent of active military missions.
Ten percent of the company’s revenue is from NASA, with approximately $100 million from the space shuttle program and $400 million from the Constellation program (meant to be the replacement for the space shuttle). This revenue is at risk as the space shuttle program is reaching the end of its life and Constellation faces significant opposition.
For the fiscal year ending March 2011, the company is expected to show net income of approximately $300 million or $9 per share, relatively stable with the year ago figures. The company is projecting free cash flow of $275 to 300 million. It has generated only $54 million in the first nine months, with a big increase in receivables, so this is a cause for concern and needs to be watched.
The company’s pension plan had losses in the 2008 downturn, which are being amortized over five years. This has caused a $50 million (pre-tax) headwind. Effective 2007, new employees are not in the pension plan (only 401K plans), so the pension becomes less of an issue over time.
The company’s capital management has been somewhat shoddy, with the company making acquisitions, hoarding excess cash, and issuing unnecessary debt. The company recently instituted a dividend amounting to $0.80 per share annually, and one hopes that this is a step towards returning a meaningful amount of cash to shareholders.
With sustainable earnings power in the $9 per share range, ATK shares should be trading at $90, in line with the valuation of other defense stocks. From a recent share price of $72, that’s 25% upside.
Rocket science all in a day of learning
The Southland Times (New Zealand): Rocket science all in a day of learning
Makarewa School pupils received a crash-course lesson about space rockets yesterday in a flying visit from a French space agent.
Michel Debeir, European Space Agency exploitation and launch range department administrator, visited the school for about an hour to teach the pupils about rockets, how they enter space and their purposes.
The agent's talk coincides with the expected launch of an Ariane 5 rocket carrying an automated transfer vehicle (ATV) into space today, which Mr Debeir will supervise from the Awarua Tracking Station, near Invercargill.
The rocket was scheduled to launch yesterday but was delayed because of an oxygen sensor malfunction.
It is being launched from Kourou, French Guiana, and will pass over New Zealand about midday before separating from the ATV, which will orbit the earth again before heading to the International Space Station. Mr Debeir told the pupils the unmanned ATV would take about a week to reach the station and was being used to refuel the space station with things such as food, water, air and equipment.
Space was one answer to many problems mankind faced and so it was important for young people to learn about physics and chemistry, he said.
Makarewa teacher Gabrielle Canny said the pupils were already being taught about solar systems at school so it was great to get firsthand expert experience.
"They haven't stopped talking about it all day," she said.
He talked about the ATV and Ariane 5 and brought it down to a level the children could understand, which was great, she said.
Venture Southland enterprise and strategic projects group manager Steve Canny, who has been working with Mr Debier while in Southland, said he was a key person in the development of the Ariane 5 so he was honoured to have him in the region.
Makarewa School pupils received a crash-course lesson about space rockets yesterday in a flying visit from a French space agent.
Michel Debeir, European Space Agency exploitation and launch range department administrator, visited the school for about an hour to teach the pupils about rockets, how they enter space and their purposes.
The agent's talk coincides with the expected launch of an Ariane 5 rocket carrying an automated transfer vehicle (ATV) into space today, which Mr Debeir will supervise from the Awarua Tracking Station, near Invercargill.
The rocket was scheduled to launch yesterday but was delayed because of an oxygen sensor malfunction.
It is being launched from Kourou, French Guiana, and will pass over New Zealand about midday before separating from the ATV, which will orbit the earth again before heading to the International Space Station. Mr Debeir told the pupils the unmanned ATV would take about a week to reach the station and was being used to refuel the space station with things such as food, water, air and equipment.
Space was one answer to many problems mankind faced and so it was important for young people to learn about physics and chemistry, he said.
Makarewa teacher Gabrielle Canny said the pupils were already being taught about solar systems at school so it was great to get firsthand expert experience.
"They haven't stopped talking about it all day," she said.
He talked about the ATV and Ariane 5 and brought it down to a level the children could understand, which was great, she said.
Venture Southland enterprise and strategic projects group manager Steve Canny, who has been working with Mr Debier while in Southland, said he was a key person in the development of the Ariane 5 so he was honoured to have him in the region.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
NASA craft snaps pics of comet in Valentine fling
NASA craft snaps pics of comet in Valentine fling
PASADENA, Calif. – Nearly six years after an 800-pound copper bullet excavated a crater on a comet, a NASA spacecraft revisiting the site has seen evidence of the destruction in images snapped during a Valentine's Day flyby, scientists said Tuesday.
Instead of a well-defined pit, the Stardust craft saw what looked like a crater rim that was filled in the middle — a sign that the plume of debris from the 2005 high-speed crash that created the crater shot up and fell back down.
"The crater was more subdued than I think some of us thought," said mission scientist Pete Schultz of Brown University. "It partially buried itself."
Stardust zoomed past Tempel 1 Monday night, passing within 110 miles of the comet's surface. Along the way, it snapped six dozen pictures.
It was NASA's second visit to Tempel 1, but the first time a spacecraft had imaged the manmade crater.
In 2005, another NASA probe, Deep Impact, fired a projectile into Tempel 1 that carved a football-sized hole, but so much dust spewed out that it blocked Deep Impact's view.
Astronomer Michael A'Hearn of the University of Maryland, who led Deep Impact, was pleased to come full circle.
"It's wonderful to go back and see the effects we had on the comet due to our impact," A'Hearn said.
Revisiting with Tempel 1 also allowed scientists to examine changes on the surface since Deep Impact.
Tempel 1 has since made a full loop around the sun. Every time comets orbit the sun, they lose material from the surface and become less bright.
Scientists found evidence of erosion in then-and-now images of the Deep Impact site, said principal investigator Joe Veverka of Cornell University.
Stardust continued beaming back images from the Valentine encounter Tuesday. Scientists planned to spend the next several weeks analyzing the data.
Stardust's trip to Tempel 1 was a bonus mission. Launched in 1999, Stardust's original target was comet Wild 2, where it collected dust samples that were later jettisoned to Earth.
The Tempel 1 flyby went off almost flawlessly. Stardust got knocked several times by dust grains, but its protective bumpers bore the brunt of the blast and it came out unharmed.
A slight problem occurred during download. Since Stardust's antenna was pointed away from Earth during the flyby, it stored all the images and data in its memory, waiting to be played back at a later time.
NASA's plan was to downlink close-up pictures to the ground first, followed by shots farther away. For reasons that engineers are still troubleshooting, the pictures came down in the order they were taken with the most distant views popping up first.
Normally, it wouldn't be a big deal. But since Stardust's camera is a spare from the Voyager program, it takes a long time for each image to be received.
The glacial download disappointed some space fans who stayed up on Valentine's night for a glimpse of the comet nucleus. After NASA announced that the closest approach images won't be ready until Tuesday, scores of people on Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites signed off.
PASADENA, Calif. – Nearly six years after an 800-pound copper bullet excavated a crater on a comet, a NASA spacecraft revisiting the site has seen evidence of the destruction in images snapped during a Valentine's Day flyby, scientists said Tuesday.
Instead of a well-defined pit, the Stardust craft saw what looked like a crater rim that was filled in the middle — a sign that the plume of debris from the 2005 high-speed crash that created the crater shot up and fell back down.
"The crater was more subdued than I think some of us thought," said mission scientist Pete Schultz of Brown University. "It partially buried itself."
Stardust zoomed past Tempel 1 Monday night, passing within 110 miles of the comet's surface. Along the way, it snapped six dozen pictures.
It was NASA's second visit to Tempel 1, but the first time a spacecraft had imaged the manmade crater.
In 2005, another NASA probe, Deep Impact, fired a projectile into Tempel 1 that carved a football-sized hole, but so much dust spewed out that it blocked Deep Impact's view.
Astronomer Michael A'Hearn of the University of Maryland, who led Deep Impact, was pleased to come full circle.
"It's wonderful to go back and see the effects we had on the comet due to our impact," A'Hearn said.
Revisiting with Tempel 1 also allowed scientists to examine changes on the surface since Deep Impact.
Tempel 1 has since made a full loop around the sun. Every time comets orbit the sun, they lose material from the surface and become less bright.
Scientists found evidence of erosion in then-and-now images of the Deep Impact site, said principal investigator Joe Veverka of Cornell University.
Stardust continued beaming back images from the Valentine encounter Tuesday. Scientists planned to spend the next several weeks analyzing the data.
Stardust's trip to Tempel 1 was a bonus mission. Launched in 1999, Stardust's original target was comet Wild 2, where it collected dust samples that were later jettisoned to Earth.
The Tempel 1 flyby went off almost flawlessly. Stardust got knocked several times by dust grains, but its protective bumpers bore the brunt of the blast and it came out unharmed.
A slight problem occurred during download. Since Stardust's antenna was pointed away from Earth during the flyby, it stored all the images and data in its memory, waiting to be played back at a later time.
NASA's plan was to downlink close-up pictures to the ground first, followed by shots farther away. For reasons that engineers are still troubleshooting, the pictures came down in the order they were taken with the most distant views popping up first.
Normally, it wouldn't be a big deal. But since Stardust's camera is a spare from the Voyager program, it takes a long time for each image to be received.
The glacial download disappointed some space fans who stayed up on Valentine's night for a glimpse of the comet nucleus. After NASA announced that the closest approach images won't be ready until Tuesday, scores of people on Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites signed off.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Echoes of Sputnik in Modern Rocket Race for Space
FoxNews.com: Echoes of Sputnik in Modern Rocket Race for Space
Fifty four years after the first Sputnik, is a new race for space brewing?
The fierce Cold War boiled over with the Russian launch of Sputnik in 1957. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara answered with the legendary Nike-Zeus program, a six-year project to develop the Army's first antiballistic missile. General Ivey O'Drewry Jr., the man who led the follow-on Nike-X program from 1962-1969, tells FoxNews.com that McNamara's demands were blunt and clear: Get the job done and beat those Russians.
"I was reviewing the development of the Sprint missile, which had gone through about 12 months of failure," the 90-year old retired general said from his home in Huntsville, Alabama. "I was reviewing the details with him, what we learned and how we'll improve. His answer to me was 'Shut up and sit down, I know you're gonna make it work!'"
"What he wanted hear was, what was the Russian reaction?" O'Drewry said.
The U.S. answer was clear: If Russia wanted a space race, America was all in.
The Nike-Zeus program hit technological limitations in the areas of missile design and communications integration, so the Kennedy Administration created the more robust Nike-X Program in 1963. The project offered a new terminal interceptor, high-speed computers and other technological advancements that enabled the country to battle Russia in the area of missile defense.
"We moved from the radar system used in World War II, where we rotated the lens, to a phased array, which is an electronic phase of small radar beams that could be rotated around electronically,” said the retired general.
Even the small details of the unrelenting and demanding space race of the 60s are still fresh O'Drewry's memory.
Today, the stable of competitors has dramatically increased to include China and India -- and the pressure is back on. China had a record-breaking 2010, launching 15 satellites from its Xi Chiang Satellite Launch Center. India's Chandrayaan-1 revealed the presence of large amounts of water on the moon during the country's first lunar mission in 2008.
And if you take into account President Obama's recent decision to end NASA's Constellation program and shift attention to more commercial launch operations, experts wonder, is the United States even participating in the current space race?
“I was opposed to the decision to end the Constellation program, as it was not replaced with a clear way forward for human space exploration,” Scott Pace, director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, told FoxNews.com. “It also created more uncertainties for industry, in an already difficult environment, in adapting to the end of the Space Shuttle program."
The uncertainty is something Pace feels the U.S. should address sooner rather than later.
“The United States, and NASA in particular, needs to have a clear, mission-driven focus on human space exploration.,” said Pace. “This should start with utilization of the International Space Station, followed by returning humans to the moon, and laying the technical and organizational foundations for eventual missions to Mars and other objects in the solar system. Space technology can not be effectively developed without a defined and sustainable commitment to a logical process of exploration.”
As far as O'Drewry. is concerned, the very idea of a new space race is non-existent. He feels something is missing from the current competition between the United States and its fellow space technology competitors, China, India and Russia: combat.
“We're not involved in war today, we're not trying to beat anybody,” said O'Drewry. “Our objective was to develop technology and the Department of Defense's objective was to fight a Cold War."
With that said, he's optimistic that the United States will still be the front-runner when it comes to space technology in the future.
I'm sure improvements are being made," O'Drewry said. "Because as you know, technology never really ends.”
Thursday, February 10, 2011
ATK Might Be The New Frontier For Space Exploration
Daily News Pulse:; ATK Might Be The New Frontier For Space Exploration
ATK and a partner on Tuesday unveiled the two-stage Liberty rocket that they want NASA to use as the next launch vehicle for the U.S. space program. And they are hoping the space agency will see fit to award it at least a portion of a $200 million pool of money set aside for promising projects.
Getting In The Air
The companies say they have planned an initial first flight by the end of 2013, a second test flight in 2014, and operational capability in 2015. The five-segment first stage has been successfully ground tested twice and got a flight test in October 2009 to demonstrate proof of concept. However, Astrium would have to build and ship an upper stage in the next two years, and that upper stage would have to be successfully integrated with the first stage — an interesting challenge, especially given there’s no established track record of the two companies working together.
Great Experience
“Together we combine unique flight-proven systems and commercial experience that allows us to offer the market’s most capable launch vehicle along with flexibility to meet a wide variety of emerging needs," ATK Aerospace Systems Group President Blake Larson said in a press statement. "Liberty provides greater performance at less cost than any other comparable launch vehicle.”
First Stage
The Liberty rocket would use a Utah-built solid-fuel motor similar to those used for the space shuttle as the first stage, with the second liquid-fueled stage produced by a European company,Astrium. Both companies boast that their motors have been used on dozens of successful flights.
Working With A Challenge
Yet melding the two technologies — the companies have never worked together before — remains a challenge. “We have a team of 30 people working full time on that goal as we speak,” Patterson said.
ATK and a partner on Tuesday unveiled the two-stage Liberty rocket that they want NASA to use as the next launch vehicle for the U.S. space program. And they are hoping the space agency will see fit to award it at least a portion of a $200 million pool of money set aside for promising projects.
Getting In The Air
The companies say they have planned an initial first flight by the end of 2013, a second test flight in 2014, and operational capability in 2015. The five-segment first stage has been successfully ground tested twice and got a flight test in October 2009 to demonstrate proof of concept. However, Astrium would have to build and ship an upper stage in the next two years, and that upper stage would have to be successfully integrated with the first stage — an interesting challenge, especially given there’s no established track record of the two companies working together.
Great Experience
“Together we combine unique flight-proven systems and commercial experience that allows us to offer the market’s most capable launch vehicle along with flexibility to meet a wide variety of emerging needs," ATK Aerospace Systems Group President Blake Larson said in a press statement. "Liberty provides greater performance at less cost than any other comparable launch vehicle.”
First Stage
The Liberty rocket would use a Utah-built solid-fuel motor similar to those used for the space shuttle as the first stage, with the second liquid-fueled stage produced by a European company,Astrium. Both companies boast that their motors have been used on dozens of successful flights.
Working With A Challenge
Yet melding the two technologies — the companies have never worked together before — remains a challenge. “We have a team of 30 people working full time on that goal as we speak,” Patterson said.
Friday, February 4, 2011
All Systems Go for Space Adventurers in Dry Run to Red Planet
TechNewsWorld: All Systems Go for Space Adventurers in Dry Run to Red Planet
Despite the many successes achieved with robotic exploration, humans still have a hankering to visit Mars, and five cosmonauts and astronauts are partially fulfilling that dream. Their virtual adventure puts them through all the paces of a trip to the Red Planet without actually leaving the ground. The crew just entered Mars orbit and is preparing to step onto the Martian surface on Feb. 12.
An international crew of cosmonauts and astronauts reached orbit around Mars Thursday, marking a major milestone on a 520-day simulated journey to the fourth planet from the Sun.
Mars500 crewmembers testing the Russian Orlan suits before their mission started in early June 2010. (Photo: IBMP/Oleg Voloshin)
Now 245 days away from Earth, Mars500 crew members from Russia, France, China, Italy and Colombia are scheduled to land Feb. 12 with simulated trips to the Martian surface.
A European Space Agency (ESA)-sponsored venture, "Mars500 is the most realistic space flight simulation possible without leaving the ground," explained ESA human space flight directorate communications officer Rosita Suenson.
Simulated missions, or dry-runs "are always very important, even in early stages when we do not know specific details about what space vehicle or propulsion system will bring humans to Mars," said University of Southern California astronautics and aerospace engineering professor Michael Gruntman. "Such experiments can uncover important problems and challenges which -- if not addressed -- may ruin the real mission many years later."
Virtual Cosmology
Though the flight to Mars is real in every way possible on Earth, the six-man crew is actually parked in a simulator at the Institute for Medical and Biological Problems in Moscow, Russia. At an orbit-dependent 36 million to more than 250 million miles (58-402 million km) from Earth, Mars is far enough distant that simulated missions are necessary to address concerns about stress, claustrophobia and fatigue.
"Long duration flights without a possibility of abort have never been tried," USC's Gruntman told TechNewsWorld. "In addition, designing the mission and space hardware right in the beginning is a very effective and cost-efficient way for space missions. Making changes in design later is always very expensive and causes delays."
The Earth-bound voyagers will leave their simulated craft for an eight-day rendezvous with the planet surface, flying home Feb. 28.
"The program's emphasis on realism extends to the mission's first Mars walk -- stepping from a mock lander into a simulated Martian environment, overseen from Russia's real-life Mission Control Center," Suenson explained. "Further adding to the realism, space-suited crewmen and controllers alike will be working around a 20-minute communications delay -- the time it takes radio signals to travel between Mars and Earth."
Martian Chronicle
From The War of the Worlds to The Martian Chronicles, Mars has fascinated humans for eons, even promising intelligent Martian life as the 19th century became the 20th. But the idea of sending humans to the Red Planet is getting dated, especially as robots have proved they can cost-effectively explore Mars with far less potential peril.
"I remain surprised by the emphasis on sending humans to Mars," said University of Missouri Vice Chancellor for Research Robert Duncan, a physics professor.
"Generally, I think it makes more sense both economically and ethically to send robots," Duncan told TechNewsWorld. "Simulations with humans can duplicate many important factors such a journey might encounter, but even the best simulation cannot duplicate the huge dose of radiation humans would receive on the voyage. Robots aren't subject to such perils."
Other worlds, too, beckon first, including the moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos, said Simon Fraser University PolyLAB director Stephen Braham, who cofounded the Mars Institute and is a senior researcher for the Canadian Space Agency-funded MarsCanada project.
"We are all looking at new and exciting destinations in the solar system for short-term exploration, and are not planning on landing humans on the moon or Mars for awhile," Braham told TechNewsWorld. "These new deep space mission opportunities include EML-1 -- a point between Earth and moon where gravity balances out -- and near-Earth asteroids. From these locations, we can easily operate robots to explore planets efficiently, without having to risk humans or spend a lot of money."
At a potential cost MU's Duncan estimated at roughly US$1 trillion, a lot of money is what it will take to land humans on Mars. "Compare that to the $150 million total cost of the Martian rovers," he said.
High costs don't mean human space exploration is over, however, and Braham emphasized that "eventually, we will get a lot more bang for the buck by landing humans." Meanwhile, the Mars500 simulation will provide "psychological and other lessons that may well help us understand issues for other deep space missions as well."
Despite the many successes achieved with robotic exploration, humans still have a hankering to visit Mars, and five cosmonauts and astronauts are partially fulfilling that dream. Their virtual adventure puts them through all the paces of a trip to the Red Planet without actually leaving the ground. The crew just entered Mars orbit and is preparing to step onto the Martian surface on Feb. 12.
An international crew of cosmonauts and astronauts reached orbit around Mars Thursday, marking a major milestone on a 520-day simulated journey to the fourth planet from the Sun.
Mars500 crewmembers testing the Russian Orlan suits before their mission started in early June 2010. (Photo: IBMP/Oleg Voloshin)
Now 245 days away from Earth, Mars500 crew members from Russia, France, China, Italy and Colombia are scheduled to land Feb. 12 with simulated trips to the Martian surface.
A European Space Agency (ESA)-sponsored venture, "Mars500 is the most realistic space flight simulation possible without leaving the ground," explained ESA human space flight directorate communications officer Rosita Suenson.
Simulated missions, or dry-runs "are always very important, even in early stages when we do not know specific details about what space vehicle or propulsion system will bring humans to Mars," said University of Southern California astronautics and aerospace engineering professor Michael Gruntman. "Such experiments can uncover important problems and challenges which -- if not addressed -- may ruin the real mission many years later."
Virtual Cosmology
Though the flight to Mars is real in every way possible on Earth, the six-man crew is actually parked in a simulator at the Institute for Medical and Biological Problems in Moscow, Russia. At an orbit-dependent 36 million to more than 250 million miles (58-402 million km) from Earth, Mars is far enough distant that simulated missions are necessary to address concerns about stress, claustrophobia and fatigue.
"Long duration flights without a possibility of abort have never been tried," USC's Gruntman told TechNewsWorld. "In addition, designing the mission and space hardware right in the beginning is a very effective and cost-efficient way for space missions. Making changes in design later is always very expensive and causes delays."
The Earth-bound voyagers will leave their simulated craft for an eight-day rendezvous with the planet surface, flying home Feb. 28.
"The program's emphasis on realism extends to the mission's first Mars walk -- stepping from a mock lander into a simulated Martian environment, overseen from Russia's real-life Mission Control Center," Suenson explained. "Further adding to the realism, space-suited crewmen and controllers alike will be working around a 20-minute communications delay -- the time it takes radio signals to travel between Mars and Earth."
Martian Chronicle
From The War of the Worlds to The Martian Chronicles, Mars has fascinated humans for eons, even promising intelligent Martian life as the 19th century became the 20th. But the idea of sending humans to the Red Planet is getting dated, especially as robots have proved they can cost-effectively explore Mars with far less potential peril.
"I remain surprised by the emphasis on sending humans to Mars," said University of Missouri Vice Chancellor for Research Robert Duncan, a physics professor.
"Generally, I think it makes more sense both economically and ethically to send robots," Duncan told TechNewsWorld. "Simulations with humans can duplicate many important factors such a journey might encounter, but even the best simulation cannot duplicate the huge dose of radiation humans would receive on the voyage. Robots aren't subject to such perils."
Other worlds, too, beckon first, including the moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos, said Simon Fraser University PolyLAB director Stephen Braham, who cofounded the Mars Institute and is a senior researcher for the Canadian Space Agency-funded MarsCanada project.
"We are all looking at new and exciting destinations in the solar system for short-term exploration, and are not planning on landing humans on the moon or Mars for awhile," Braham told TechNewsWorld. "These new deep space mission opportunities include EML-1 -- a point between Earth and moon where gravity balances out -- and near-Earth asteroids. From these locations, we can easily operate robots to explore planets efficiently, without having to risk humans or spend a lot of money."
At a potential cost MU's Duncan estimated at roughly US$1 trillion, a lot of money is what it will take to land humans on Mars. "Compare that to the $150 million total cost of the Martian rovers," he said.
High costs don't mean human space exploration is over, however, and Braham emphasized that "eventually, we will get a lot more bang for the buck by landing humans." Meanwhile, the Mars500 simulation will provide "psychological and other lessons that may well help us understand issues for other deep space missions as well."
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