Feb 27 2012

From The Space Library

Feb 27 2012 RELEASE: 12-060 NASA OFFICIAL ANNOUNCES LEAD OF NEW MARS PROGRAM PLANNING GROUP

WASHINGTON -- NASA' s associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, John Grunsfeld, has named former veteran NASA program manager Orlando Figueroa to lead a newly established Mars Program Planning Group (MPPG) tasked to reformulate the agency's Mars Exploration Program. Figueroa's first assignment is to develop a draft framework for review by March 15. Grunsfeld made the announcement at an annual gathering of Mars scientists and engineers in Dulles, Va. Figueroa, a consultant with more than 30 years of aerospace experience, will lead the scientific and technical team to develop an integrated strategy for NASA's Mars Exploration Program in light of current funding constraints. The team's initial focus will be on a possible 2018-2020 robotic mission. The program's official framework will be developed in consultation with the science community and international partners and is expected to be released for full review as early as this summer. "The team will develop a plan that advances the priorities in the National Research Council's Decadal Survey, which puts sample return as the top scientific goal, and leverages NASA's research in enabling technology," Grunsfeld said. "Our investments in the new Mars program will incorporate elements of advanced research and technologies in support of a logical sequence of missions to answer fundamental scientific questions and ultimately support the goal of sending people to Mars." The MPPG will report to Grunsfeld, a physicist and five-time flown space shuttle astronaut. Grunsfeld is chairing the overall, agency-wide reformulation strategy along with William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for the human exploration and operations directorate, NASA Chief Scientist Waleed Abdalati and NASA Chief Technologist Mason Peck. The MPPG will ensure that America maintains the critical technical skills developed over decades needed to achieve the highest priority science and exploration objectives. NASA has a recognized track record of successful Mars missions. The rover Opportunity, which landed on Mars in 2004, is still operating despite an official mission timeline of 90 days. There are also two NASA satellites orbiting the Red Planet; the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Odyssey. The duo continue to return unprecedented science data and images. This August, NASA will land the Mars Science Laboratory, "Curiosity," on the planet's surface. This roving science laboratory will assess whether Mars was or is today an environment able to support life. In 2013, NASA will launch the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution orbiter, the first mission devoted to understanding the Martian upper atmosphere. NASA will continue to gather critical information to help scientists understand the Red Planet. These data will be used in future years to meet President Obama's challenge to send humans to Mars in the mid-2030s. "We'll look at all of the assets NASA is developing to reach, explore and study Mars, as well as spacecraft at or on its way to Mars," Figueroa said. NASA already has been developing technology that will improve precision in landing, the ability to conduct scientific analysis remotely, handle and collect samples, and transmit larger volumes of data back to Earth. "The science and engineering communities have worked continuously over a decade to define our knowledge gaps for Mars exploration, so we have a solid starting point," Grunsfeld said. Mars exploration is a top priority for NASA. America's investment in exploring Mars during the past decade totals $6.1 billion. NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden directed Grunsfeld to lead the agency-wide team in order to optimize a coordinated strategy of Mars exploration and continue America's leadership role in the exploration of the Red Planet within available future budgets.

RELEASE: 12-061 NASA GLENN EVENT TO CELEBRATE JOHN GLENN'S LEGACY ON MARCH 2

CLEVELAND -- NASA's Glenn Research Center will host an event on March 2 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of John Glenn's orbital flight, the first by an American. "Celebrating John Glenn's Legacy: 50 Years of Americans in Orbit" will be held at 1 p.m. EST at Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center, 2000 Prospect Ave., in Cleveland. More than 800 complimentary tickets are being distributed to the general public for this event through a lottery by Cleveland State University in partnership with NASA Glenn. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Glenn Director Ramon "Ray" Lugo will provide remarks during the one-hour program, which will include a welcome from Cleveland State University President Dr. Ronald Berkman. Space shuttle mission STS-95 pilot Steve Lindsey will pay tribute from the astronaut corps to Glenn. The program will culminate with a keynote address by the guest of honor Sen. John H. Glenn Jr. Musical performances will be provided by the Cleveland Institute of Music, The Singing Angels and a soloist from Cleveland State University's music program. Doors open at noon and a special pre-program musical performance by the Cleveland Institute of Music will begin at 12:15 p.m., followed by a video tribute to Glenn. "This is a great opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate the achievements of John Glenn," Lugo said. "We are delighted to combine the 50th anniversary celebration with the anniversary of the center renaming. The inspiration that John Glenn gives to millions of people along with the pioneering spirit that lives in the hearts of all who work at the center will continue to keep our nation on the path of exploration and discovery." On March 1, 1999, the Lewis Research Center was officially renamed the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field in recognition of Glenn's contributions to science, space and the state of Ohio. As one of the original seven Mercury astronauts, Glenn trained in 1960 at Lewis in the Multiple Axis Space Test Inertia Facility. Others attending the tribute event include agency officials, Ohio astronauts, NASA employees and contractors, elected officials, several hundred high school students throughout northeast Ohio, and 100 Twitter followers selected to participate in a day-long Tweetup event that includes tours of NASA Glenn and its visitor center at the Great Lakes Science Center. Following the program, Glenn, Bolden and Lugo will participate in a news media opportunity and question and answer session with the Tweetup participants.

CONTRACT RELEASE: C12-006 NASA EXTENDS AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE CONTRACT

HOUSTON -- NASA has awarded a three-month extension with two three-month options, for a total of nine months, on a contract with Computer Sciences Corporation of Fort Worth, Texas, to provide aircraft maintenance and modification support. The extension, including all options, is valued at $46.6 million. The Aircraft Maintenance and Modification Program contract provides for the continuity of services for flight line, intermediate and depot level maintenance, repairs, modifications and engineering support on aircraft. NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston; Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif.; and Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., operate the supported aircraft, which are used for astronaut crew training and NASA flight research. Contracted work will be performed at Johnson, Dryden, Langley and at NASA facilities in El Paso, Texas. The extension begins March 1. It is a cost-plus-award-fee contract. The base contract, valued at $162.1 million, began Sept. 1, 2009.

CONTRACT RELEASE: C12-007 NASA CONTRACT MODIFICATION FOR SUPPORT AT MICHOUD ASSEMBLY FACILITY

WASHINGTON -- NASA has signed a one-year contract option with Jacobs Technology, Inc., of New Orleans to continue manufacturing support and facilities operations at the Michoud Assembly Facility in eastern New Orleans. The one-year contract option begins on May 1, 2012. The performance based, cost- plus-award-fee, mission services contract with an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity portion has a potential mission services value of $37 million and a potential maximum order quantity value of $137 million, with the exercise of this first option period. The contract was originally awarded in May 2009.