NASA Archives

March 24, 2008December 26, 2015 by Ian O'Neill

Spirit Rover is Switched Off to Save NASA Money (Update)

To save the Mars Expedition Rover (MER) program some cash, controllers will be forced to switch one of the four-year old rovers into “hibernation mode”. NASA wants to cut $4 million from the MER budget, so extreme measures are needed. Sadly, operations will need to be limited and it has been announced today that activities will be stopped on Spirit for the coming weeks. Mission scientists are obviously demoralized.

[UPDATE (03/25/08): NASA has now announced that it has “absolutely no plans” to turn off the Mars rovers, only hours after mission scientists announced they had new directives from the organization to cut $4 million from budget cuts. When more news is forthcoming I will post an article as to what is going on… ]

This appears to be the case of a mission being too successful for its own good.

The MER project was only intended to last for a few months, but the two rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, have surpassed all expectations and continued to explore the planet for four whole years. They are so efficient, that they have braved the worst dust storms, battled through technical issues and even freed themselves from quicksand, there seems to be nothing standing in their way of these super robotic troopers…

Except NASA budget cuts.

When the money runs out, the rovers have to be shut down and this is exactly what is going to happen to Spirit, currently located on a sunny slope at Gusev Crater. Even though the rovers are in the middle of an extensive exploratory phase of the Martian landscape, a NASA directive must be enforced to save $4 million from the project’s $20 million annual budget.

Shutting down Spirit isn’t the only budget-saving measure to be taken. Opportunity’s tasks will now be severely cut; limiting commands to be sent from controllers to every other day, rather than daily.

MER controllers are said to be very demoralized by these measures. Although budget cuts can never come at a “good time”, the timing of this announcement is terrible as both rovers are operating at full strength and still have vast amounts of potential.

The problem is that NASA is currently being stretched to accommodate other Mars missions currently in operation. But when should a highly successful mission like the MER project end? Up till now, most Mars surface missions are good until they break down. In the case of Spirit and Opportunity, neither is showing many signs of breaking. So for now, controllers will have to hover by the “off” switch while budget requirements are met.

Source: PhysOrg.com

February 19, 2008December 26, 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

Space Program At Risk, Panel Says

A panel of 50 space experts met recently to discuss NASA’s current direction with its Vision for Space Exploration. While the conference, “Examining the Vision: Balancing Science and Exploration” was seemingly billed as forum for discussing alternatives to the moon/Mars vision, attendees endorsed NASA’s current direction and then concluded what anyone with an eye on NASA already knew: NASA isn’t receiving adequate funds in line with the grand goal of sending humans to Mars.

The panel of scientists, engineers, and former astronauts and NASA administrators concluded that NASA is on the right path with its objectives of going to the moon as a stepping stone to reach Mars, but those goals are in danger because of chronic underfunding to the US space program.

“The nation’s space program is in peril,” said Stanford Professor Scott Hubbard, former director of NASA’s Ames Research Center, and an organizer of the conference. “You simply cannot continue doing more with less and meet these goals. That is a fact. This workshop achieved a consensus that NASA’s resources have not been commensurate with its mandated missions of exploration and science.”

The panel did say, however, that NASA should focus more on sending humans to Mars instead of building large bases on the moon. But also, former astronaut Kathryn Thornton said before the meeting, she felt the best way to get to Mars was going there directly. But the meeting changed her mind, she said, and she now believes there are benefits to using the moon as a way station, such as scientific research and testing rocket hardware and infrastructure.

Alternatives such as going to asteroids was discussed, but not endorsed by the panel. Also of interest is that the panel said science is not the major motivation for human spaceflight.

But the panel concluded that any human ventures out of low earth orbit should be international in nature. “The next administration should make the human spaceflight goal an international venture focused on Mars–both to bring in more public support and to sustain the program politically,” said Louis Friedman, Executive Director of The Planetary Society.

In particular the attendees agreed to the following statements:

It is time to go beyond LEO with people as explorers. The purpose of sustained human exploration is to go to Mars and beyond. The significance of the Moon and other intermediate destinations is to serve as steppingstones on the path to that goal.
Bringing together scientists, astronauts, engineers, policy analysts, and industry executives in a single conversation created an environment where insights across traditional boundaries occurred.
Human space exploration is undertaken to serve national and international interests. It provides important opportunities to advance science, but science is not the primary motivation.
Sustained human exploration requires enhanced international collaboration and offers the United States an opportunity for global leadership.
NASA has not received the budget increases to support the mandated human exploration program as well as other vital parts of the NASA portfolio, including space science, aeronautics, technology requirements, and especially Earth observations, given the urgency of global climate change.

The panel gathered privately on Feb. 12-13, 2008 to discuss space policy options facing the new US administration that will take office in January 2009, and may offer more recommendations in the future.

Original News Sources: New Scientist, Planetary Society Press Release

February 13, 2008December 26, 2015 by Fraser Cain

Spies Caught Selling Shuttle Secrets to the Chinese

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You wouldn’t think espionage would have much of a place here in Universe Today, but you’d be wrong. Four people in the US were arrested recently, accused of selling selling secrets to the Chinese. And what were they selling? Details about the space shuttle and other US aerospace programs.

The space shuttle? Really? Didn’t anyone tell them the program would be shelved in just a few years. And they’re not exactly the safest way to get into and back from space.

Anyway, here’s what happened.

The US justice department charged Chinese-born Dongfan Chung with 8 counts of economic espionage, conspiracy, and making false statements to FBI investigators.

The 72-year-old engineer had been working in the aerospace industry for the last 30 years, mostly at Rockwell and Boeing. He retired back in 2002, but he’d been still working as a contractor for Boeing as recently as 2006.

Apparently he sent trade secrets to China, including information on the C-17 military transport aircraft, Delta IV rocket and the B-1 bomber; in addition to information about the space shuttle.

And he’d been a spy for a long time, receiving instructions from Chinese officials as far back as 1979. In one letter sent back to China, Chung expressed a desire to contribute to the Motherland.

If convicted, Chung is looking at 100 years in prison.

So that’s one person, what about the other 3?

They’re Tai Shen Kuo, 58; Yu Xin Kang, 33; and Gregg William Bergersen, 51. Bergersen is a US weapons system policy analyst with the defense department, and was charged with conspiracy to disclose national defense information to a foreign government. Kuo cultivated a relationship with Bergersen to get the information, and Kang was ferrying it to Chinese officials.

Kuo and Kang are looking and life in prison, and Bergersen will face at least 10 years.

Original Source: Department of Justice News Release

February 7, 2008December 26, 2015 by Ian O'Neill

Are we sending a bit too much information into the cosmos?

On Monday (February 4, 7 pm EST) NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN) sent a transmission toward the North Star, Polaris. The transmission sent was the song “Across the Universe” by the Beatles intended for any sufficiently advanced extra terrestrial life to listen to. Although this is a nice gesture and may nurture Beatles fans beyond our solar system, some scientists have expressed concerns for advertising our planet’s location to the universe, just in case the aliens listening in aren’t that friendly after all…

Scientists attending the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) “Sound of Silence” meeting at Arizona State University in Tempe this week are worried. Their concern focuses on some aspects of the scientific community who want to advertise and educate sufficiently advanced lifeforms beyond Earth about our presence and location in the cosmos. Previous efforts have included information about our biology on the Voyager and Pioneer probes, and a broadcast by the Arecibo observatory in 1974. These attempts at communication plus accidental “leakage” of TV and radio signals can all travel vast distances through space and perhaps be received by aliens.

The main argument against trying to communicate with other civilizations is the possibility that if there are aliens out there listening in, then perhaps they might not be friendly. By giving away our location, critical facts about our society, biology and intelligence, we have already given possible alien aggressors a strategic advantage. This threat is obviously very far-fetched, but sending information about our current state of humanityÂ will be inaccurate when signals are received in hundreds, thousands or millions of year’s time, perhaps putting our future generations in a negative light.

“Before sending out even symbolic messages, we need an open discussion about the potential risks […] It’s very charitable to send out our encyclopedia, but that may short-change future generations.” – Douglas Vakoch of the SETI Institute, Mountain View, California.

Vakoch is not concerned that we are risking an alien invasion any time soon, but does highlight the need to discuss the implications of attempted extra-terrestrial communication in an open scientific forum before acting.

If there are any advanced alien beings out there however, they are keeping very quiet. The purpose of the “Sound of Silence” meeting is to discuss why the SETI project has, thus far, not found anything compelling to suggest there are any life forms transmitting their presence to the universe.

“Have we been looking in the wrong place, at the wrong time, in the wrong way?” asks Prof Paul Davies of Arizona State University. “The purpose of this meeting is to brainstorm some radically new thinking on the subject.“

Source: Telegraph.co.uk

February 7, 2008December 26, 2015 by Fraser Cain

Name That Satellite

Have you ever named a space mission? Well, here’s your chance. NASA announced today that they’re looking for help from the public to rename their upcoming Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) before it launches in mid-2008.

Think you’ve got a good idea for a name? Here’s what the mission’s going to be doing:

– Explore the most extreme environments in the universe, where nature harnesses energies far beyond anything possible on Earth
– Search for signs of new laws of physics and what composes the mysterious dark matter
– Explain how black holes accelerate immense jets of material to nearly light speed
– Help crack the mysteries of the stupendously powerful explosions known as gamma-ray bursts
– Answer long-standing questions about a broad range of phenomena, including solar flares, pulsars and the origin of cosmic rays

So, come up with a name that’s very high-energy. Send in the name along with a statement of 25 words on why you like your idea to NASA’s “Name That Satellite”.

Click here to access the website.

You’ve got until March 31, 2008, so get thinking.

Original Source: NASA News Release

February 1, 2008December 26, 2015 by Fraser Cain

Astronaut Treadmills are on the Wall

If you’re hoping to be an astronaut, I hope you like exercise. When they aren’t sleeping or doing a range of scientific activities, astronauts are exercising – upwards of 2 hours a day. This is to prevent bone mass and muscle atrophy caused by microgravity. This isn’t a perfect solution, so NASA researchers have developed a vertical treadmill that will let them imitate the conditions of space here on Earth. Now even the astronauts on the ground will have to run, run, run.

The new device, developed at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is called the Standalone Zero Gravity Locomotion Simulator. Instead of a regular treadmill, this is mounted to the wall. The runners are then suspended horizontally and pulled towards the treadmill to let them actually run without pushing away from the treadmill.

With this setup, astronauts are essentially getting the same workout they get in space; they no longer have to support the weight of the body over top of them. The equipment can simulate microgravity, or conditions on the Moon, where an astronaut will experience 1/6th the force of gravity. Scientists can then study the long term effects on the human body, and see what techniques will prevent bone loss and muscle atrophy.

“These studies are a key component of our research into how we can better protect astronauts,” said Linda Loerch, project manager for the Exercise Countermeasures Project at Johnson. “The focus of our work is to understand how to maintain astronaut health and performance at the highest possible levels, both on our current flights aboard the International Space Station and for future exploration beyond Earth orbit.”

There’s another advantage too. The treadmill will help give training astronauts a sense of what walking in space will be like. Combine this training with the underwater simulations, and astronauts will be much better prepared for when they step outside the space station for the first time.

Original Source: NASA News Release

February 1, 2008December 26, 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

“Across the Universe” Day for NASA and Beatles Fans

NASA will use its Deep Space Network to transmit a song across the universe. And fittingly, the song is “Across the Universe” by the Beatles. On Feb. 4 at 7 pm EST, the song will be beamed towards the North Star, Polaris, located 431 light years away from Earth, and will travel across the universe at 186,000 miles per second.

Former Beatle Paul McCartney thinks this is a great idea. “Send my love to the aliens,” he said in a message to NASA.

If there are any beings near Polaris, they’ll hear the song in about 431 years.

The song’s transmission will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the day The Beatles recorded the song, as well as the 50th anniversary of both NASA’s founding and the beginning days of the Beatles. Two other anniversaries also are being honored: The launch 50 years ago this week of Explorer 1, the first U.S. satellite, and the founding 45 years ago of the Deep Space Network, an international network of antennas that supports missions to explore the universe.

Feb. 4 has been declared “Across The Universe Day” by Beatles fans to commemorate the anniversaries. As part of the celebration, the public around the world has been invited to participate in the event by simultaneously playing the song at the same time as the transmission by NASA.

John Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, characterized the song’s transmission as a significant event. “I see that this is the beginning of the new age in which we will communicate with billions of planets across the universe,” she said.

Even though radio and television signals on Earth ‘leak’ out into space all the time, hopefully NASA can use this event to generate enthusiasm and promote awareness of its history, as well as its plans for future missions.

Additionally, this is a chance for the public to learn more about the Deep Space Network, NASA’s incredibly reliable system of radio antennas that is critical in supporting lunar and planetary exploration. The DSN is used for tracking of spacecraft, sending telemetry and commands, and for deep space navigation. Learn more about the DSN here.

Original News Source: NASA Press Release

January 24, 2008December 26, 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

NASA Astronaut Survey: No Launch Day Drinking

A NASA survey of astronauts and flight surgeons released on January 23, 2008 turned up no evidence of launch day drinking by flight crews, contradicting an earlier report by a health care panel that disclosed two instances of drunken astronauts. NASA surveyed 87 of all 98 astronauts as well as all 31 flight surgeons. None reported seeing a crew member heavily drinking alcohol on launch day, or within 12 hours of liftoff.

However, the anonymous survey did find one report of “perceived impairment” in an astronaut during the days preceding launch, which was later was traced to an interaction between prescription medication and alcohol. That astronaut was ultimately cleared for flight and launched into space.

“We really never understood from the beginning exactly what might have led to the comment in the health care report,” said Ellen Ochoa, deputy director of Johnson Space Center and a former shuttle astronaut. “We’ve tried to run it to ground. We haven’t uncovered anything. I don’t know of any issues associated with alcohol before flight.”

The healthcare report was conducted in mid-2007 in the wake of astronaut Lisa Nowak’s arrest. Nowak, who traveled from Houston to Florida to confront another woman about a romantic rivalry involving another astronaut, was arrested for attempted kidnapping and burglary with assault. She has yet to stand trial.

NASA established a panel of aerospace medicine experts, led by U.S. Air Force Col. Richard Bachmann, Jr., to look into astronaut mental health. The panel, citing unidentified sources, reported heavy drinking by two astronauts right before launches; one before a shuttle launch and another prior to the launch of a Russian Soyuz rocket. The panel reported that the flight surgeon’s concerns about the astronauts’ impairment were supposedly overruled by management, which created an atmosphere where both astronauts and flight surgeons were reluctant to report improper conduct.

In the new survey, however, conducted in August-December 2007, astronauts and flight surgeons indicated they were not afraid to raise concerns of flight safety, and they felt there is a healthy relationship between astronauts and doctors. But a small number of respondents acknowledged that some astronauts still feel they could lose out on a space assignment if they expressed concerns.

The astronaut survey was conducted and analyzed using both NASA specialists and external academic experts to ensure the study’s validity. “The response rate of the survey was 91 percent, a rate well above what you would normally expect in a survey,” Ochoa said. “That indicates the seriousness with which astronauts and flight surgeons approached this survey.”

The survey focused four areas: the relationship between astronauts and flight surgeons regarding openness of communication, level of trust, and understanding of safety responsibilities; concerns with raising and responding to issues of flight safety and/or crew suitability for flight; knowledge and implementation of policies and procedures detailing astronaut performance and crew assignment; and determining if there was personal knowledge of a US astronaut presenting a risk to flight safety due to alcohol use on launch day.

The 12-hour ban on drinking, which originally an “unwritten rule” is now standard policy. A new astronaut code of conduct is being written, as well.

Dr. Richard Williams, NASA’s chief health and medical officer said that NASA is in a better position today than it was a year ago to detect serious behavioral health problems facing astronauts, and to intervene before it’s too late.

Original News Source: NASA News Release

January 18, 2008December 26, 2015 by Fraser Cain

NASA’s Planning its Own Version of World of Warcraft

Level 23 shuttle pilot LFG pst. If you play an online role-playing game, you understood that. If you don’t, but you really like space exploration, you might soon enough. In a recent request for information, NASA announced that it’s looking for help in the development of a NASA-inspired massively multiplayer role playing game.

The request for information from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center was published to NASA’s Acquisition Internet Service on January 16th, 2007.

Here’s their goal:

A NASA-based MMO built on a game engine that includes powerful physics capabilities could support accurate in-game experimentation and research. It should simulate real NASA engineering and science missions in a medium that is comfortable and familiar to the majority of students in the United States today. A NASA-based MMO could provide opportunities for students to investigate STEM (note: STEM means science, technology, engineering and mathematics) career paths while participating in engaging game-play. Through a NASA-based MMO, students will gain insight into a wide range of exciting career opportunities and be encouraged to make educational choices that lead them into STEM fields of study and eventually the STEM careers needed to fulfill NASAâ€™s Vision for Space Exploration. Learning Technologies is seeking input on how to accomplish those goals.

In this request for information, NASA is hoping that various game companies can provide information on how they think a NASA-based educational game could be designed, how it would support education efforts, connect to missions, and help publicize space exploration careers.

Oh, and how it might actually be fun. It’s that last part that’s going to be the challenge.

If you’ve ever played a massively multiplayer online game, there’s an awful lot of… killing. There’s also a certain degree of independence that might be hard to place over top of NASA’s governmental structure. And I’d be interested to see how they deal with the scientific reality of spaceflight. You can’t just hop the next rocket to the Moon whenever you like; there are mission plans, years of training, government intervention, greedy contractors and all that paperwork.

If some team can come up with an idea that will make for a compelling game. To be both challenging and entertaining, and yet respect the engineering and scientific reality that currently exists in human spaceflight, I’ll be impressed.

Better yet, I’ll play. I’ll put that level 67 orc warrior on hold, and switch to an astronaut – maybe a Canadian mission specialist.

The closing date is February 15, 2008.

Thanks to NASA Watch for catching this.

Original Source: NASA MMO Site

January 15, 2008December 26, 2015 by Fraser Cain

Get Ready for the Great Moonbuggy Race

You can tell that NASA is really serious about sending astronauts back to the Moon – they’re even working on the moonbuggies (I mean, rovers). In order to get the best designs possible, the agency is opening up the competition to student teams to design the best lunar rovers they can. The 15th annual race is going to be in Huntsville, Alabama on April 4-5, 2008. And who knows, maybe some of their good ideas might make it all the way to the Moon.

More than 40 student teams from the US and other countries have already registered for the 15th annual Great Moonbuggy Race. The students have to design, build and then race their own two-person lunar vehicles across a simulated surface of the Moon.

Here are the important rules:

each buggy must be the work of students from a high school or institute of higher learning
it must be human powered
the unassembled vehicle must fit within a 1.2-metre (4-foot) cube
the passengers must be able to carry it 6 metres (20 feet)
the assembled vehicle has to be thinner than 1.2 metres (4 feet)
it has to carry a bunch of simulated rover equipment, like a camera, antenna, and batteries

The total length of the course is about 1,100 metres (.7 miles), and strewn with rocks, craters and other lunar hazards. The team, consisting of a male and female, have to race their rover through the terrain as quickly as possible. Each team gets two runs, and the fastest times are the winners.

The three fastest-finishing buggies in both high school and college categories will win prizes from the race sponsors. There are also awards for the most unique moonbuggy design, best overall design, most improved team, best rookie team and most spirited team

There’s still time to register for the competition – registration ends on February 1st. If you’re interested in the rules and requirements, check out NASA’s website for the Great Moonbuggy Race.

Original Source: NASA News Release