Space Exploration Archives

November 21, 2014December 23, 2015 by Ken Kremer

Iconic Kennedy Space Center Countdown Clock Retires

STS-135: Last launch using RS-25 engines that will now power NASA’s SLS deep space exploration rocket. NASA’s 135th and final shuttle mission takes flight on July 8, 2011 at 11:29 a.m. from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida bound for the ISS and the high frontier with Chris Ferguson as Space Shuttle Commander. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com

Iconic Kennedy Space Center Countdown Clock seen here retires
NASA’s 135th and final shuttle mission takes flight on July 8, 2011 at 11:29 a.m. from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida bound for the ISS and the high frontier with Chris Ferguson as Space Shuttle Commander. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com
Story updated and more photos[/caption]

In another sign of dramatically changing times since the end of NASA’s Space Shuttle program, the world famous Countdown Clock that ticked down to numerous blastoffs at the Kennedy Space Center Press Site and was ever present to billions of television viewers worldwide, has been retired.

Years of poor weather and decades of unforgiving time have visibly taken their toll on the iconic Countdown Clock beloved by space enthusiasts across the globe – as I have personally witnessed over years of reporting on launches from the KSC Press Site.

It was designed in the 1960s and has been counting down launches both manned and unmanned since the Apollo 12 moon landing mission in November 1969. And it continued through the final shuttle mission liftoff in July 2011 and a variety of unmanned NASA launches since then.

The countdown clock’s last use came just two months ago in September 2014 during the SpaceX CRS-4 launch to the ISS, which I attended along with the STS-135 launch.

The clock is located just a short walk away from another iconic NASA symbol – the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) – which assembled the Apollo/Saturn and Space Shuttle stacks for which it ticked down to blastoff. See photo below.

A new clock should be in place for NASA’s momentous upcoming launch of the Orion crew capsule on its inaugural unmanned test flight on Dec. 4, 2014.

Space Shuttle Endeavour blasts off on her 25th and final mission from Pad 39 A on May 16, 2011 at 8:56 a.m. View from the world famous countdown clock at T Plus 5 Seconds. Credit: Ken Kremer – kenkremer.com

Because of its age, it has become harder to replace broken pieces.

“Maintaining the clock was becoming problematic,” NASA Press spokesman Allard Beutel told Universe Today.

It displays only time in big bold digits. But of course in this new modern digital era it will be replaced by one with a modern multimedia display, similar to the screens seen at sporting venues.

“The new clock will not only be a timepiece, but be more versatile with what we can show on the digital display,” Beutel told me.

The countdown clock is a must see for journalists, dignitaries and assorted visitors alike. Absolutely everyone, and I mean everyone !! – wants a selfie or group shot with it in some amusing or charming way to remember good times throughout the ages.

And of course, nothing beats including the countdown clock and the adjacent US flag in launch pictures in some dramatic way.

Indeed the clock and flag are officially called “The Press Site: Clock and Flag Pole” and are were listed in the National Register of Historic Places on Jan. 21, 2000.

The clock was officially powered down for the last time at 3:45 p.m. EDT on Nov. 19, 2014.

Famous KSC Press Site Countdown Clock and US Flag with VAB during SpaceX CRS-5 launch in September 2014. Credit: Ken Kremer – kenkremer.com — Famous KSC Press Site Countdown Clock and US Flag with VAB during SpaceX CRS-4 launch in September 2014. Credit: Ken Kremer – kenkremer.com

“The countdown clock at Kennedy’s Press Site is considered one of the most-watched timepieces in the world and may only be second in popularity to Big Ben’s Great Clock in London, England. It also has been the backdrop for a few Hollywood movies,” noted a NASA press release announcing the impending shutdown of the iconic clock.

“It is so absolutely unique — the one and only — built for the world to watch the countdown and launch,” said Timothy M. Wright, IMCS Timing, Countdown and Photo Services. “From a historical aspect, it has been very faithful to serve its mission requirements.”

The famous landmark stands nearly 6 feet (70 inches) high, 26 feet (315 inches) wide is 3 feet deep and sits on a triangular concrete and aluminum base.

Each numerical digit (six in all) is about 4 feet high and 2 feet wide. Each digit uses 56 40-watt light bulbs, the same ones found at the local hardware store. There are 349 total light bulbs in the clock, including the +/- sign (nine) and pair of colons (four), according to a NASA statement.

The new clock will be about the same size.

Fortunately for space fans, there is some good news!

The Countdown Clock will be moved to the nearby Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (KSCVC) and placed on permanent display for public viewing.

Details soon!

Space Shuttle Discovery awaits blast off on her final mission from Pad 39 A on the STS-133 mission, its 39th and final flight to space on February 24, 2011. Prelaunch twilight view from the countdown clock at the KSC Press Site. Credit: Ken Kremer – kenkremer.com

Stay tuned here for Ken’s continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news.

Ken Kremer

November 20, 2014December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

With Philae Delivered, Rosetta Will Play ‘Comet Escort’ Through 2015

The Rosetta spacecraft takes a selfie Oct. 7 with its target, 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, from an altitude of about 9.9 miles (16 kilometers). Credit: ESA/Rosetta/Philae/CIVA

With the Philae mission down on the comet and preliminary science results coming from its brief science surge on the surface, little has been said about the delivery vehicle. But while Philae is in hibernation, the Rosetta spacecraft remains quietly in orbit around Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko for what will prove to be a dramatic 2015.

Should the orbiter remain healthy, it will be the first to be a “comet escort” — to watch a comet changing from up close as the celestial body draws closer to the Sun. And to stay out of the debris field, Rosetta will have some fancy footwork to perform in the next few months, says the European Space Agency (ESA).

“Burns” with the comet are planned on Saturday (Nov. 22) and Wednesday (Nov. 26) to bring it up about 30 kilometers (19 miles) above, and then it will scoot down closer to about 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) on Dec. 3. Rosetta will remain in this orbit for a while to look at the comet’s nucleus, as well as to measure plasma, dust and gas that is expected to increase as the comet gets closer to the Sun.

Rosetta will stay as close to 67P as possible, but if activity heats up to an unacceptable risk, it will jump to a “high-activity” trajectory that will keep it away from the worst of the debris. And it’s also going to keep an ear out for Philae, just in case more sunlight on the comet ends up recharging the hibernating lander’s battery. “Early next year, Rosetta will be switched into a mode that allows it to listen periodically for beacon signals from the surface.,” ESA wrote.

There has been some discussion about the magnitude of Philae’s success given that it did land on the comet as planned, but the harpoons (which had travelled a decade in space at that point) did not fire on to the surface as planned. This meant that the lander drifted for about two hours before settling far from its prime landing spot, mostly outside of the sunlight it needs to recharge its batteries.

But in a science marathon, researchers got as much as they could out of the instruments and have already released preliminary results, such as how the sound of Philae’s landing revealed the comet’s interior structure, and the discovery of organic materials on the surface.

Source: European Space Agency

November 20, 2014December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

First Orion Flight Will Assess Radiation Risk As NASA Thinks About Human Mars Missions

The Mars Society prototype habitat in Utah conducts studies on what it would be like to live on Mars. Credit: Mars Society MRDS

If you wanna get humans to Mars, there are so many technical hurdles in the way that it will take a lot of hard work. How to help people survive for months on a hostile surface, especially one that is bathed on radiation? And how will we keep those people safe on the long journey there and back?

NASA is greatly concerned about the radiation risk, and is asking the public for help in a new challenge as the agency measures radiation with the forthcoming uncrewed Orion test flight in December. There’s $12,000 up for grabs across at least a few awards, providing you get your ideas into the agency by Dec. 12.

“One of the major human health issues facing future space travelers venturing beyond low-Earth orbit is the hazardous effects of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs),” NASA wrote in a press release.

“Exposure to GCRs, immensely high-energy radiation that mainly originates outside the solar system, now limits mission duration to about 150 days while a mission to Mars would take approximately 500 days. These charged particles permeate the universe, and exposure to them is inevitable during space exploration.”

Orion in orbit in this artists concept. Credit: NASA

Here’s an interesting twist, too — more data will come through the Orion test flight as the next-generation spacecraft aims for a flight 3,600 miles (5,800 kilometers) above Earth’s surface. That’s so high that the vehicle will go inside a high-radiation environment called the Van Allen Belts, which only the Apollo astronauts passed through in the 1960s and 1970s en route to the Moon.

While a flight to Mars will also just graze this area briefly, scientists say the high-radiation environment will give them a sense of how Orion (and future spacecraft) perform in this kind of a zone. So the spacecraft will carry sensors on board to measure overall radiation levels as well as “hot spots” within the vehicle.

You can find out more information about the challenge, and participation details, at this link.

Source: NASA

November 20, 2014December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

Thud! Sound Of Philae’s Comet Landing Shows Signs Of Possible Ice

Our last panorama from Philae? This image was taken with the CIVA camera; at center Philae has been added to show its orientation on the surface. Credit: ESA

And we have touchdown! This is what the feet of the Philae lander experienced as the spacecraft touched down on its cometary destination last week. You can hear the brief sound from the Cometary Acoustic Surface Sounding Experiment (CASSE) above. What’s even cooler is the scientific data that short noise reveals.

CASSE is embedded in the three legs of Philae and recorded the first of three landings for the spacecraft, which bounced for about two hours before coming to rest somewhere on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko (where is still being determined).

About that first touchdown: “The Philae lander came into contact with a soft layer several centimetres thick. Then, just milliseconds later, the feet encountered a hard, perhaps icy layer on 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko,” stated German Space Agency (DLR) researcher Klaus Seidensticker. He is the lead for the Surface Electric Sounding and Acoustic Monitoring Experiment (SESAME), which includes CASSE.

CASSE also recorded information from the lander’s feet from Philae’s final resting spot, and transmitted information about the MUlti PUrpose Sensor (MUPUS) as the latter instrument drilled into the surface. Other instruments on SESAME found no dust particles nearby the lander (which scientists say means the landing site is quiescent) and also sensed water ice beneath the lander.

Philae is now in hibernation as its final resting spot does not include a lot of sunlight to recharge the solar panels, but the researchers are hoping that more energy might be available as 67P draws closer to the Sun in 2015. The orbiting Rosetta spacecraft is continuing to collect data on the comet.

Source: DLR

November 19, 2014December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

Lunar Mission One Wants To Crowdfund A Robotic Moon Lander

Artist's conception of Lunar Mission One's robotic lander touching down on the surface. Credit: Lunar Missions Ltd.

Just hours after announcing that it plans to put a robotic lander on the moon in the next decade, the British-led group Lunar Mission One is already a sixth of a way to its £600,000 (US$940,000) initial crowdfunding goal.

The money is intended to jumpstart the project and move it into more concrete stages after seven years of quiet, weekend work, the group said on its Kickstarter page.

“We’ve reached the limit of what we can do part-time. The next three years are going to be hard, full-time work to set the project up. We need to confirm and agree the lunar science and develop the instrument package,” the page read.

“We need to plan and research the online public archive. We need to get commercial partners on board to design and develop the lunar landing module and the drilling mechanism. We need to pilot the education programme. We need to prepare the sales and marketing campaign for our memory boxes. And we need to do all of this globally.”

Among the rewards is something called a “digital memory box”, where you can upload your favorite sounds to be placed on the spacecraft. The group also plans to offer a little bit of physical space to put a strand of your hair along with the small digital archive.

And what does the group want to do there? Drill. It would place the lander at the Moon’s south pole and push down at least 20 meters (65 feet), potentially as far as 100 meters (328 feet), to learn more about the Moon’s history.

Artist's conception of a moon drill that could potentially be used by Lunar Mission One's lunar lander. Credit: Lunar Missions Ltd. — Artist’s conception of a moon drill that could potentially be used by Lunar Mission One’s lunar lander. Credit: Lunar Missions Ltd.

“By doing this, we will access lunar rock dating back up to 4.5 billion years to discover the geological composition of the Moon, the ancient relationship it shares with our planet and the effects of asteroid bombardment,” the group wrote. “Ultimately, the project will improve scientific understanding of the early Solar System, the formation of our planet and the Moon, and the conditions that initiated life on Earth.”

Private ideas for bold missions is something we’ve heard about repeatedly in the last few years, with initiatives ranging from the Mars One mission to send people on a one-way mission to the Red Planet, to the potential asteroid-mining ventures Planetary Resources and Deep Space Initiatives. As with these other ventures, the nitty gritty in terms of costs, systems and mission plans is still being worked out. This coupled with the long timelines to get these ventures off the ground means that success is not necessarily a guarantee.

Lunar Mission One, however, does have an experienced space hand helping it out: RAL Space, who the Kickstarter campaign page says has helped out with 200 missions. That’s including the high-profile Philae lander that just landed on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko last week and did a brief surge of science before going into hibernation.

For more information on the mission, check out their leading team here and the official website here.

November 19, 2014December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

NASA SoundCloud Sounds Aim To Bring Music To The Final Frontier

Atlantis sits on the launch pad in July 2011 ahead of the final launch of the space shuttle program, STS-135. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Fancy having a shuttle launch play as your ringtone? NASA is trying to make that possible through offering several dozen space sounds on SoundCloud, a popular music- and sound-sharing service.

In the last month, the agency has uploaded 63 sound files ranging from objects in the solar system, to rocket launches, to famous quotes from NASA’s history. And you can download and use the files for free from here, as long as you follow the usage guidelines over here.

“Here’s a collection of NASA sounds from historic spaceflights and current missions. You can hear the roar of a space shuttle launch or Neil Armstrong’s ‘One small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind’ every time you get a phone call if you make our sounds your ringtone. Or, you can hear the memorable words ‘Houston, we’ve had a problem,’ every time you make an error on your computer,” the agency wrote on SoundCloud.

Space isn’t a foreign entity to SoundCloud, which also hosted dozens of sounds uploaded by prolific social-media sharing Chris Hadfield when the Canadian astronaut went into space between 2012 and 2013. He put up a few songs as well as what certain activities sound like on the International Space Station, such as dinnertime or a spaceship docking.

November 18, 2014December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

Shortly After Mars Comet, NASA’s New Red Planet Spacecraft Officially Starts Mission

MAVEN's Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (IUVS) uses limb scans to map the chemical makeup and vertical structure across Mars' upper atmosphere. It detected strong enhancements of magnesium and iron from ablating incandescing dust from Comet Siding Spring. Credit: NASA

NASA’s newest Mars spacecraft is “go” for at least a year — and potentially longer. After taking a time-out from commissioning to observe Comet Siding Spring whizz by the Red Planet in October, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) officially began its science mission Monday (Nov. 17). And so far things are going well.

“From the observations made both during the cruise to Mars and during the transition phase, we know that our instruments are working well,” stated principal investigator Bruce Jakosky, who is with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. “The spacecraft also is operating smoothly, with very few ‘hiccups’ so far. The science team is ready to go.”

MAVEN arrived in orbit Sept. 16 after facing down and overcoming a potential long delay for its mission. NASA and other federal government departments were in shutdown while MAVEN was in final launch preparations, but the mission received a special waiver because it is capable of communicating with the rovers on Mars. Given the current relay spacecraft are aging, MAVEN could serve as the next-generation spacecraft if those ones fail.

Three views of an escaping atmosphere, obtained by MAVEN’s Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph. By observing all of the products of water and carbon dioxide breakdown, MAVEN's remote sensing team can characterize the processes that drive atmospheric loss on Mars. Image Credit: University of Colorado/NASA — Three views of an escaping atmosphere, obtained by MAVEN’s Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph. By observing all of the products of water and carbon dioxide breakdown, MAVEN’s remote sensing team can characterize the processes that drive atmospheric loss on Mars.
Image Credit:
University of Colorado/NASA

But that’s providing that MAVEN can last past the next year in terms of hardware and funding. Meanwhile, its primary science mission is better understanding how the atmosphere of Mars behaves today and how it has changed since the Red Planet was formed.

“The nine science instruments will observe the energy from the Sun that hits Mars, the response of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere, and the way that the interactions lead to loss of gas from the top of the atmosphere to space,” Jakosky added.

“Our goal is to understand the processes by which escape to space occurs, and to learn enough to be able to extrapolate backwards in time and determine the total amount of gas lost to space over time. This will help us understand why the Martian climate changed over time, from an early warmer and wetter environment to the cold, dry planet we see today.”

Source: NASA

November 18, 2014December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

No ‘Rubber Duckie’! Rosetta’s Comet Looks Weird In Decade-Old Hubble Model

A 3-D reconstruction of the Rosetta comet (67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko) in a 2003 model from the Hubble Space Telescope. Credit: NASA, ESA and Philippe Lamy (Laboratoire d'Astronomie Spatiale)

Okay, let’s take a deep breath about Rosetta and remember just how far we’ve come since the mission arrived at its target comet in August. Lately we’ve been focused on reporting on the Philae landing, but remember how we barely knew how the comet looked until this summer? How much of a surprise the rubber duckie shape was to us?

This Hubble Space Telescope model from 2003 shows us why. From afar, Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is a tiny object to image, even for the NASA probe’s powerful lens. Back then, the telescope was tasked with examining the comet to look at its size and shape to better design the Philae lander spacecraft. And the model reveals no duckie; it looks more like a sombrero from some angles.

The main concern of scientists back then was redirecting Rosetta to a new target when its original comet (46P/Wirtanen) fell out of reach due to a launch delay. 67P was bigger and had a higher gravity, requiring scientists to make adjustments to Philae before landing, according to the release. So Hubble sprung into action to look at 67P. Below are the release images from that time.

A 2003 illustration of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko based on Hubble Space Telescope observations. Credit: NASA, ESA and Philippe Lamy (Laboratoire d'Astronomie Spatiale) — A 2003 illustration of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko based on Hubble Space Telescope observations. Credit: NASA, ESA and Philippe Lamy (Laboratoire d’Astronomie Spatiale)

And here’s a fun quote from 2003 that finally came last Wednesday, when Philae touched down for its (sadly brief, so far) mission on the comet: “Although 67P/C-G is roughly three times larger than the original Rosetta target, its elongated shape should make landing on its nucleus feasible, now that measures are in place to adapt the lander package to the new configuration before next year’s launch,” stated Philippe Lamy of the Space Astronomy Laboratory (Laboratoire d’Astronomie Spatiale) in France.

We’ve sure come a long way since then. Below are some of the pictures Rosetta caught of 67P as it made its approach to its target this year, after a decade flying through space. While Philae is in what could be permanent hibernation, Rosetta is orbiting, working well and expected to keep up observations when the comet draws closer to the sun in 2015.

(h/t Reddit)

Animation of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko as seen by Rosetta on June 27-28, 2014

Comet 67P/C-G photographed on July 14, 2014 from a distance of approximately 12 000 km. Credits: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA — Comet 67P/C-G photographed on July 14, 2014 from a distance of approximately 12 000 km.
Credits: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA

Raw pixelated image of the comet (left) and after smoothing. Credit: ESA

Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at 621 miles (1,000 km) on August 1. Wow! Look at that richly-textured surface. This photo has higher resolution than previous images because it was taken with Rosetta's narrow angle camera. The black spot is an artifact. Credit: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA — Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at 621 miles (1,000 km) on August 1. Wow! Look at that richly-textured surface. This photo has higher resolution than previous images because it was taken with Rosetta’s narrow angle camera. The black spot is an artifact. Credit: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA

Photo of Comet 67P/C-G taken by Rosetta on August 6, 2014. Credit: ESA

November 18, 2014December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

OSIRIS-REx: The Audacious Plan To Scoop An Asteroid And Fly Back To Earth

Artist's conception of asteroid Bennu from the NASA film "Bennu's Journey." Credit: NASA/YouTube (screenshot)

We’ve been super-excited about the Philae landing recently, the first soft landing on a comet. But imagine if the spacecraft was equipped to bring a sample of Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko back to Earth. What sort of secrets could we learn from examining the materials of the comet up close?

That dream will remain a dream for 67P, but guess what — if all goes to plan, that idea will execute for asteroid Bennu. Check out the new video above for more details on the audacious mission; below the jump is a brief mission description.

There is a mission expected to launch in 2016 called OSIRIS-REx that will spend two years flying to the asteroid to nab a sample, then will come back to Earth in 2023 to deliver it to scientists. This is exciting because asteroids are a sort of time capsule showing how the Solar System used to be in the early days, before gravity pulled rocks and ice together to gradually form the planets and moons that we have today.

“Scientists tell us that asteroid Bennu has been a silent witness to titanic events in the solar system’s 4.6 billion year history,” NASA wrote on a website commemorating the new video. “When it returns in 2023 with its precious cargo, OSIRIS-REx will help to break that silence and retrace Bennu’s journey.”

For more information on OSIRIS-REx, check out the mission’s website.

November 18, 2014December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

Smart Robots Could Build ‘Snow Forts’ On The Moon One Day

Artist's conception of a future lunar rover gathering regolith to construct a moon base using 3-D printing. Credit: Foster+Partners/European Space Agency/YouTube (screenshot)

The Moon is so close to us, and yet so far. Just last year the Chang’e-3 spacecraft and Yutu rover made the first soft landing on the surface in more than a generation. Humans haven’t walked in the regolith since 1972. But that hasn’t decreased the desire of some to bring people back there — with an armful of new technologies to make life easier.

Take the European Space Agency’s desire to do 3-D printing on the lunar surface. Rovers with big scoopers would pick up the moon dust and use that as raw materials to make a habitat that humans would then enjoy. Far out? Perhaps, but it is something the agency is seriously examining in consultation with Foster+Partners. See the video above.

Universe Today recently explored the value of being on the Moon or a nearby asteroid. In a nutshell, the lower gravity would make it easier to loft things from the base, making it potentially cheaper to explore the Solar System. That said, there are considerable startup costs. One thing that could be considered is the value of investing in smart robots that could build simple structures on the moon or even (gasp) build other prototypes to replace or supplement them.

As ESA explained in a 2013 blog post, the agency envisions using robots to use more “local” resources on the moon and to reduce the need to ship stuff in from planet Earth. “As a practice, we are used to designing for extreme climates on Earth and exploiting the environmental benefits of using local, sustainable materials,” stated Xavier De Kestelier of Foster + Partners specialist modelling group. “Our lunar habitation follows a similar logic.”

The new video takes that concept a bit further and specifies a location: Shackleton Crater, which receives near-constant sunlight in certain areas, next to spots that are in permanent shadow. As ESA explains, being in this crater allows the best of two scenarios: constant energy available for solar panels, but areas to build structures that would be more sensitive to extreme heat.

ESA plans to push forward its research from 2013 to look at “harnessing concentrated sunlight to melt regolith rather than using a binding liquid,” as the agency explains on its YouTube page. Moon dust structures glued together with more moon dust? Sounds like the ultimate snow fort.