Jul 23 2012

From The Space Library

CONTRACT RELEASE: C12-030 NASA EXTENDS CONTRACT FOR SUPERCOMPUTING SUPPORT SERVICES

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- NASA will exercise the fourth one-year option on a contract with Computer Sciences Corp. of Lanham, Md., to provide supercomputing support services at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. The option is valued at about $60.3 million. The option exercised on the cost-plus-award-fee contract begins Aug. 1 and continues through July 31, 2013. The contract consists of a two-year base period, which began Aug. 1, 2007, and eight one-year priced options with a maximum value of about $597 million, if all options are exercised. The company will continue to support supercomputing services provided by the agency's primary high-performance computing facility operated by the Advanced Supercomputing Division at Ames. The facility serves as the supercomputing pathfinder for the agency and develops and operates some of the largest, most advanced and most productive supercomputers in the world. The contract is structured so the company also may provide supercomputing services to the Center for Climate Simulation at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., and additional high-performance computing support to other agency field centers as needed.

RELEASE: 12-229 NASA ASTRONAUT SPINS DISCS FROM SPACE FOR THIRD ROCK RADIO

WASHINGTON -- NASA astronaut Joe Acaba will host a two-hour special radio broadcast on the Internet radio station Third Rock Radio while aboard the International Space Station, 240 miles above Earth. "The Joe Show: New Rock from Space" will debut at 4 p.m. EDT, Friday, Aug. 3. Acaba, a fan of classic rock, will discuss his experiences aboard the orbiting laboratory while presenting new rock to listeners around the world. The Joe Show is a blend of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and art. It highlights the latest technology, all within the context of "exploring new worlds of music." "I'm excited to be the first astronaut to DJ from space on Third Rock Radio," Acaba said. "From the recordings launched aboard the Voyager spacecraft to the wakeup songs on shuttle missions, NASA and music have a long history together. As a former educator, I also appreciate the strong links between music and math, one of the core STEM components that is so critical to my work as an astronaut." Third Rock Radio is produced under a NASA Space Act Agreement with RFC Media of Houston. It was created to help cultivate new interest in STEM among hard-to-reach young Americans.

RELEASE: 12-248 NEW NASA SUPERCOMPUTER FACILITY SET TO ADVANCE EARTH RESEARCH

WASHINGTON -- NASA soon will open a new chapter of discovery using enhanced Landsat Earth-observing data in a state-of-the-art, high-performance computing and data access facility called NASA Earth Exchange (NEX). This new facility is a virtual laboratory that will allow scientists to tackle global Earth science challenges with global high-resolution satellite observations. After extensive development and testing, NASA is making the NEX facility available to the research community for further research and development. With NASA's state-of-the-art supercomputing capacity, researchers can use NEX to explore and analyze large Earth science data sets in hours rather than months. Scientists can produce complex, interdisciplinary studies of world phenomena and share their findings instantly on the NEX platform. "Because of the large volume of high-resolution Landsat data, scientists who wanted to study the planet as a whole prior to NEX needed to invest tremendous amounts of time and effort to develop high-end computational methods rather than focus on important scientific problems," said Tsengdar Lee, high-end computing program manager at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "NEX greatly simplifies researchers' access to and analysis of high-resolution data like Landsat." This new facility boasts a large collection of global data sets and analysis tools from NASA and other agencies, including surface weather records, topography, soils, land cover and global climate simulations. Using NEX, scientists now can fit Landsat scenes together like a giant jigsaw puzzle to create snapshots of global vegetation patterns containing more than a half-trillion pixels in less than 10 hours. These global vegetation products, referred to as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, complement the more standard products from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on NASA's Aqua satellite but with 10 times higher resolution. "The science community is under increasing pressure not only to study recent and projected changes in climate that likely impact our global environment and natural resources, but also to design solutions to mitigate, or cope, with the likely impacts," said Rama Nemani, a senior Earth scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. "We want to change the research paradigm by bringing large data holdings and supercomputing capabilities together, so researchers have everything they need in one place." Developed by a team at Ames, NEX combines Earth-system modeling, remote-sensing data from NASA and other agencies, and a scientific social networking platform to deliver a complete research environment. Users can explore and analyze large Earth science data sets, run and share modeling algorithms, collaborate on new or existing projects and exchange workflows and results within and among other science communities. Scientists believe costs and time associated with research development may be reduced significantly by allowing NEX members to collaborate instantly in this type of large-scale supercomputing work environment. For example, NEX may relieve researchers from redundantly retrieving and integrating data sets and building modeling analysis codes. NEX uses Landsat data, which constitute a large collection of images collected over 40 years by a series of satellite sensors. The enhanced collection of Landsat data gives scientists the opportunity to study and understand changes on a planetary scale, looking at one-quarter acre at a time. NASA, in cooperation with the Interior Department and its science agency, the U.S. Geological Survey, launched the first Landsat satellite in 1972. The resulting 40-year archive of Earth observations from the Landsat fleet supports the improvement of human and environmental health, biodiversity, energy and water management, urban planning, disaster recovery and crop monitoring. The Landsat program is jointly managed by NASA and the Interior Department.

RELEASE: 12-250 NASA SUCCESSFULLY TESTS HYPERSONIC INFLATABLE HEAT SHIELD

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. -- A large inflatable heat shield developed by NASA's Space Technology Program has successfully survived a trip through Earth's atmosphere while travelling at hypersonic speeds up to 7,600 mph. The Inflatable Reentry Vehicle Experiment (IRVE-3) was launched by sounding rocket at 7:01 a.m. Monday from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va. The purpose of the IRVE-3 test was to show that a space capsule can use an inflatable outer shell to slow and protect itself as it enters an atmosphere at hypersonic speed during planetary entry and descent, or as it returns to Earth with cargo from the International Space Station. "It's great to see the initial results indicate we had a successful test of the hypersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerator," said James Reuther, deputy director of NASA's Space Technology Program. "This demonstration flight goes a long way toward showing the value of these technologies to serve as atmospheric entry heat shields for future space." IRVE-3, a cone of uninflated high-tech rings covered by a thermal blanket of layers of heat resistant materials, launched from a three-stage Black Brant rocket for its suborbital flight. About 6 minutes into the flight, as planned, the 680-pound inflatable aeroshell, or heat shield, and its payload separated from the launch vehicle's 22-inch-diameter nose cone about 280 miles over the Atlantic Ocean. An inflation system pumped nitrogen into the IRVE-3 aeroshell until it expanded to a mushroom shape almost 10 feet in diameter. Then the aeroshell plummeted at hypersonic speeds through Earth's atmosphere. Engineers in the Wallops control room watched as four onboard cameras confirmed the inflatable shield held its shape despite the force and high heat of reentry. Onboard instruments provided temperature and pressure data. Researchers will study that information to help develop future inflatable heat shield designs. After its flight, IRVE-3 fell into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of North Carolina. From launch to splashdown, the flight lasted about 20 minutes. A high-speed U.S. Navy Stiletto boat is in the area with a crew that will attempt to retrieve IRVE-3. The Stiletto is a maritime demonstration craft operated by the Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock, Combatant Craft Division, and is based at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Ft Story, Va. "A team of NASA engineers and technicians spent the last three years preparing for the IRVE-3 flight," said Lesa Roe, director of NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. "We are pushing the boundaries with this flight. We look forward to future test launches of even bigger inflatable aeroshells." This test was a follow-on to the successful IRVE-2, which showed an inflatable heat shield could survive intact after coming through Earth's atmosphere. IRVE-3 was the same size as IRVE-2, but had a heavier payload and was subjected to a much higher re-entry heat, more like what a heat shield might encounter in space. IRVE-3 is part of the Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD) Project within the Game Changing Development Program, part of NASA's Space Technology Program. Langley developed and manages the IRVE-3 and HIAD programs.

RELEASE: 12-251 NASA SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS RECEIVE PRESIDENTIAL EARLY CAREER AWARDS

WASHINGTON -- President Obama has named six NASA individuals as recipients of the 2011 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). The NASA recipients and 90 other federal researchers will receive their awards in a ceremony later this month in Washington. The PECASE awards represent the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers. They recognize recipients' exceptional potential for leadership at the frontiers of scientific knowledge, and their commitment to community service as demonstrated through professional leadership, education or community outreach. "These talented individuals have already made significant contributions to the agency's mission at this early stage in their careers," said NASA Chief Scientist Waleed Abdalati. "We look forward to celebrating their continued success for many years to come." The 2011 NASA recipients were nominated by the agency's Science Mission Directorate, Office of the Chief Engineer, and Office of the Chief Technologist: - Morgan B. Abney, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., recognized for innovative technical leadership in advancing technologies for recovering oxygen from carbon dioxide for self-sustaining human space exploration. - Ian Gauld Clark, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., recognized for exceptional leadership and achievement in the pursuit of advanced entry, descent and landing technologies and techniques for space exploration missions. - Temilola Fatoyinbo-Agueh, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., recognized for exceptional achievement in merging scientific priorities with advanced technology to develop innovative remote-sensing instrumentation for carbon-cycle and ecosystems science. - Jessica E. Koehne, NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., recognized for exceptional dedication to the development of nano-bio sensing systems for NASA mission needs. - Francis M. McCubbin, Institute of Meteoritics, University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M., recognized for studies of the geochemical role of water and other volatiles in extraterrestrial materials from the inner solar system. - Yuri Y. Shprits, University of California, Los Angeles, recognized for early-career leadership and innovative research and modeling in the realm of the Earth's Van Allen radiation belts. The PECASE awards were created to foster innovative developments in science and technology, increase awareness of careers in science and engineering, give recognition to the scientific missions of participating agencies, enhance connections between fundamental research and many of the grand challenges facing the nation, and highlight the importance of science and technology for America's future. Eleven federal departments and agencies nominated scientists and engineers for the 2011 PECASE awards.

RELEASE: 12-252 NASA OFFERS CONDOLENCES ON THE PASSING OF PIONEERING ASTRONAUT SALLY RIDE

WASHINGTON -- In a space agency filled with trailblazers, Sally K. Ride was a pioneer of a different sort. The soft-spoken California physicist broke the gender barrier 29 years ago when she rode to orbit aboard space shuttle Challenger to become America's first woman in space. "Sally Ride broke barriers with grace and professionalism -- and literally changed the face of America's space program," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "The nation has lost one of its finest leaders, teachers and explorers. Our thoughts and prayers are with Sally's family and the many she inspired. She will be missed, but her star will always shine brightly." "Sally was a personal and professional role model to me and thousands of women around the world," said NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver. "Her spirit and determination will continue to be an inspiration for women everywhere." Ride's contribution to America's space program continued right up until her death at age 61 this week. After two trips to orbit aboard the shuttle, she went on to an award-winning academic career at the University of California, San Diego, where her expertise and wisdom were widely sought on matters related to space. She holds the distinction of being the only person to serve as a member of both investigation boards following NASA's two space shuttle accidents. She also served as a member of the Review of U.S. Human Spaceflight Plans Committee in 2009 which informed many of the decisions about NASA's current human spaceflight programs. However, Ride's place in history was assured on June 18, 1983 when she rocketed into space on Challenger's STS-7 mission with four male crewmates. "The fact that I was going to be the first American woman to go into space carried huge expectations along with it," Ride recalled in an interview for the 25th anniversary of her flight in 2008. "That was made pretty clear the day that I was told I was selected as a crew. I was taken up to Chris Kraft's office. He wanted to have a chat with me and make sure I knew what I was getting into before I went on the crew. I was so dazzled to be on the crew and go into space I remembered very little of what he said." "On launch day, there was so much excitement and so much happening around us in crew quarters, even on the way to the launch pad," Ride said. "I didn't really think about it that much at the time -- but I came to appreciate what an honor it was to be selected to be the first to get a chance to go into space." Ride joined NASA as part of the 1978 astronaut class, the first to include women. She and five other women, along with 29 men, were selected out of 8,000 applicants. The class became known as the "Thirty-Five New Guys" and reported to the Johnson Space Center the next summer to begin training. Ride trained for five years before she and three of her classmates were assigned to STS-7. The six-day mission deployed two communications satellites and performed a number of science experiments. Following that historic flight, Ride returned to space on another shuttle mission, STS-41G in 1984. The 8-day mission deployed the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite, conducted scientific observations of Earth, and demonstrated potential satellite refueling techniques. She was assigned to a third flight, but transitioned to a role on the Rogers Commission that investigated the Challenger accident after that shuttle was lost in January 1986. When the investigation was completed, she accepted a job as a special assistant to the NASA administrator for long range and strategic planning. Ride left NASA in 1987. In 1989, she joined the faculty at the University of California, San Diego, as a professor of physics and director of the University of California's California Space Institute. In 2001, she founded her own company, Sally Ride Science, to pursue her long-time passion of motivating girls and young women to pursue careers in science, math and technology. A native of Los Angeles, Ride graduated from high school there in 1968 and enrolled at Stanford University. At Stanford, she earned four degrees, including a doctorate in physics in 1978. She also was an accomplished athlete who played varsity tennis at Stanford after being nationally ranked as a youth. Ride received numerous honors and awards during the course of her career. Most notably, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame and the Astronaut Hall of Fame, and received the Jefferson Award for Public Service, the von Braun Award, the Lindbergh Eagle, and the NCAA's Theodore Roosevelt Award. ####-end-

RELEASE: 12-253 FORMER NASA ASTRONAUT STEVE HAWLEY REMEMBERS SALLY RIDE'S DEDICATION TO STUDENTS

WASHINGTON -- The following is a statement from former NASA astronaut Steve Hawley regarding the death of fellow astronaut Sally Ride. Hawley was selected into the astronaut corps in 1978 and was married to Ride from 1982 until 1987. A veteran of five space shuttle flights, he left the agency in 2008 and now is Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Kansas, Lawrence. "Sally was a very private person who found herself a very public persona. It was a role in which she was never fully comfortable. I was privileged to be a part of her life and be in a position to support her as she became the first American woman to fly in space. While she never enjoyed being a celebrity, she recognized that it gave her the opportunity to encourage children, particularly young girls, to reach their full potential. Sally Ride, the astronaut and the person, allowed many young girls across the world to believe they could achieve anything if they studied and worked hard. I think she would be pleased with that legacy."

RELEASE: 12-243 THE LONGEST CONTINUOUS VIEW OF EARTH FROM SPACE HITS 40

WASHINGTON -- NASA and the Interior Department Monday marked the 40th anniversary of the Landsat program, the world's longest-running Earth-observing satellite program. The first Landsat satellite was launched July 23, 1972, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The 40-year Landsat record provides global coverage that shows large-scale human activities such as building cities and farming. The program is a sustained effort by the United States to provide direct societal benefits across a wide range of human endeavors, including human and environmental health, energy and water management, urban planning, disaster recovery and agriculture. Landsat images from space are not merely pictures. They contain many layers of data collected at different points along the visible and invisible light spectrum. A single Landsat scene taken from 400 miles above Earth can accurately detail the condition of hundreds of thousands of acres of grassland, agricultural crops or forests. "Landsat has given us a critical perspective on our planet over the long term and will continue to help us understand the big picture of Earth and its changes from space," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "With this view we are better prepared to take action on the ground and be better stewards of our home." In cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a science agency of the Interior Department, NASA launched six of the seven Landsat satellites. The resulting archive of Earth observations forms a comprehensive record of human and natural land changes. "Over four decades, data from the Landsat series of satellites have become a vital reference worldwide for advancing our understanding of the science of the land," said Interior Department Secretary Ken Salazar. "The 40-year Landsat archive forms an indelible and objective register of America's natural heritage and thus it has become part of this department's legacy to the American people." Remote-sensing satellites such as the Landsat series help scientists to observe the world beyond the power of human sight, to monitor changes and to detect critical trends in the conditions of natural resources. "With its entirely objective, long term records for the entire surface of the globe, the Landsat archive serves as the world's free press, allowing any person, anywhere, to access vital information without charge," said Interior's Anne Castle, assistant secretary for water and science. "Landsat has been a game changer for agricultural monitoring, climate change research and water management." NASA is preparing to launch the next Landsat satellite, the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM), in February 2013 from Vandeberg. LDCM will be the most technologically advanced satellite in the Landsat series. LDCM sensors take advantage of evolutionary advances in detector and sensor technologies to improve performance and increase reliability. LDCM will join Landsat 5 and Landsat 7 satellites in Earth orbit to continue the Landsat data record. "The first 40 years of the Landsat program have delivered the most consistent and reliable record of Earth's changing landscape," said Michael Freilich, director of NASA's Earth Science Division in the Science Mission Directorate in Washington. "We look forward to continuing this tradition of excellence with the even greater capacity and enhanced technologies of LDCM." NASA and USGS will highlight the accomplishments of the Landsat program in a televised news briefing 11 a.m. EDT, Monday at the Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, in Washington. During the briefing, the agencies will announce the 10 most significant images from the Landsat record; the U.S. regions selected for the "My American Landscape" contest showing local environmental changes; and the top five Landsat "Earth As Art" images selected in an online poll. The public is encouraged to participate in the briefing's question-and-answer sessions by using the Twitter hashtag #asknasa.