Apr 27 2012

From The Space Library

RELEASE: 12-140 SPACE STATION TRIO LANDS SAFELY IN KAZAKHSTAN

HOUSTON -- Three members of the Expedition 30 crew undocked from the International Space Station and safely returned to Earth on Friday, wrapping up a five-and-a-half-month mission in space. Commander Dan Burbank of NASA and Russian Flight Engineers Anatoly Ivanishin and Anton Shkaplerov landed their Soyuz TMA-22 spacecraft in Kazakhstan at 6:45 a.m. CDT after undocking from the space station's Poisk module at 3:18 a.m. The trio, which arrived at the station on Nov. 16, 2011, spent a total of 165 days in space, 163 of them conducting research on the station. Before leaving the station, Burbank handed over command of Expedition 31 to the Russian Federal Space Agency's Oleg Kononenko, who remains aboard the station with NASA astronaut Don Pettit and European Space Agency astronaut Andre Kuipers. They will be joined by NASA astronaut Joseph Acaba and Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin. Acaba, Padalka and Revin are scheduled to launch May 14 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and dock with the station on May 16.

RELEASE: 12-141 NASA SELECTS 10 SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROJECTS

WASHINGTON -- NASA has selected ten proposals from small business and research institution teams to continue work on innovative technologies that could advance future missions. The Phase II winners in the agency's Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program now can enter negotiations for possible contract awards, with a total for all projects of approximately $7.49 million. High-technology firms in seven states submitted proposals in partnership with research institutions in nine states. The STTR Program uses a highly competitive, three-phase award system that provides collaborative opportunities between qualified small businesses, including women-owned and disadvantaged firms, and research institutions to address specific technology gaps in NASA's programs. STTR projects provide a foundation for future technology developments and are complementary to other NASA research investments. Firms and research institutions that participated in Phase I of the STTR submitted 44 Phase II proposals. Selection criteria included technical merit and innovation, Phase I results, value to NASA, commercial potential and company capabilities. Phase I is a feasibility study to evaluate the scientific and technical merit of an idea and Phase II will expand on the results of last year's projects, with up to $750,000 to support research for up to two more years. Phase III is for the commercialization of the results of Phase II and requires private sector or non-STTR federal funding. STTR is part of NASA's Space Technology Program and is managed at the agency's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif., with executive oversight by the Office of the Chief Technologist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Individual projects are managed by NASA's field installations.

RELEASE: 12-142 NASA STATEMENT ON JOHN GLENN SELECTION FOR MEDAL OF FREEDOM

WASHINGTON -- NASA has released the following statement by Administrator Charles Bolden about President Obama's announcement that astronaut John Glenn has been selected as a recipient of the 2012 Presidential Medal of Freedom: "NASA sends its warmest congratulations to Sen. John Glenn on being named a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Both of John's historic missions to space personified America's dreams and what we believed we could be. Just as President Obama has set us on a course to explore farther destinations in the solar system, John Glenn helped this nation forge a path to a brighter future with greater capabilities. We will build on his achievements to remain the world's space leader for generations to come." ####-end-

MEDIA ADVISORY: M12-078 UPDATED COVERAGE FOR NASA/SPACEX LAUNCH AND MISSION TO STATION

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The second SpaceX demonstration launch for NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) has been rescheduled for a liftoff on Monday, May 7. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon capsule will occur from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. There is a single instantaneous launch opportunity at 9:38 a.m. EDT. NASA Television launch commentary from Cape Canaveral begins at 8 a.m. During the flight, SpaceX's Dragon capsule will conduct a series of check-out procedures to test and prove its systems, including the capability to rendezvous and berth with the International Space Station. The primary objectives for the flight include a flyby of the space station at a distance of approximately 1.5 miles to validate the operation of sensors and flight systems necessary for a safe rendezvous and approach. The spacecraft also will demonstrate the ability to abort the rendezvous. Once these capabilities are successfully proven, the Dragon will be cleared to berth with the space station. FALCON 9 LAUNCH PAD PHOTO OPPORTUNITY Saturday, May 5 (L-2 days): A photo opportunity of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule on the launch pad will be available for the news media. Spokespeople from SpaceX will be available to answer questions. Media will depart from NASA's Kennedy Space Center Press Site by government bus at 9:15 a.m. for Space Launch Complex 40. Media will be returned at approximately 11 a.m. SpaceX security regulations require that media attending this event be U.S. citizens. REMOTE CAMERA SETUPS Sunday, May 6 (L-1 day): Media will be able to establish sound-activated remote cameras at the launch pad. The location is within Space Launch Complex-40 on the east side of the pad outside the perimeter fence. Media who want to participate in remote camera setup will depart from Kennedy's Press Site by government bus at 10:30 a.m. Only photographers establishing remote cameras can participate in this activity. SpaceX security regulations require that media participating in this activity be U.S. citizens. PRELAUNCH AND POST-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCES Sunday, May 6 (L-1 day): The prelaunch news conference for the NASA/SpaceX launch will be held at the Kennedy Press Site at 1 p.m. NASA Television will provide live and streaming Internet coverage. Monday, May 7, (Launch Day): A postlaunch news conference will be held at Kennedy at approximately noon. Media representative can participate in the news conference in- person at Kennedy or via a phone bridge by calling NASA's Johnson Space Center newsroom at 11:45 a.m. at 281-483-5111. Audio of the prelaunch and postlaunch news conferences also will be carried on the NASA "V" circuits, directly accessible by dialing 321-867-1220, 1240, 1260 or 7135. The briefings will be streamed live on the agency's website. NASA TV LAUNCH COVERAGE Monday, May 7 (L-0 day): NASA TV live coverage begins at 8 a.m. and concludes at approximately 10:30 a.m. On launch day, "mission audio," the launch conductor's countdown activities without NASA TV launch commentary, will be carried on 321-867-7135 starting at 8 a.m. Launch information also will be available on local amateur VHF radio frequency 146.940 MHz, heard within Brevard County. NASA TV MISSION COVERAGE Tuesday, May 8 (Flight Day 2): An update on the Dragon's flight during the daily "ISS Update" program from NASA's Johnson Space Center airs at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 9 (Flight Day 3): Live coverage from NASA's Johnson Space Center mission control in Houston as the Dragon spacecraft performs its fly-under of ISS to test its systems begins at 2:30 a.m. and will continue until the Dragon passes out of the vicinity of the station. A news briefing will be held following the activities. Thursday, May 10 (Flight Day 4): Live coverage of the rendezvous and berthing of the Dragon spacecraft to the station begins at 2 a.m. and will continue through the capture and berthing of the Dragon to the station's Harmony node. A news briefing will be held once Dragon is secured to the ISS. Friday, May 11: Live coverage of the hatch opening and entry of the Dragon spacecraft includes a ceremony during which the ISS crew will mark the occasion. Thursday, May 24: A news briefing at Johnson will preview the following day's unberthing and splashdown of the Dragon spacecraft. Friday, May 25: Live coverage of the unberthing, re-entry and splashdown of the Dragon spacecraft in the Pacific Ocean. Specific times of coverage will be provided at a later date.