Jun 21 2012

From The Space Library

RELEASE: 12-210 NASA OFFERS WEB, MOBILE LINKS TO FOLLOW SPACE STATION AND MISSION CONTROL

WASHINGTON -- NASA is using the Internet and smartphones to provide the public with a new inside look at what happens aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and in the Mission Control Center at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Log onto the agency's Space Station Live! web page or download the companion ISSLive! mobile application to get up-to-the-minute information. Groundbreaking research and technology development work is going on every day in the microgravity environment of space, and Space Station Live! allows users to see what the expedition astronauts do minute by minute. Streaming data from the space station lets the public see the latest information on temperatures, communications and power generation. Students and teachers can use the data to solve classroom problems in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or to tour the space station and mission control operator consoles through virtual 3-D view models. Space Station Live! includes a web experience and free mobile ISSLive! app for smart phones and tablet computers accessible on NASA's website. The app also is available through the Google Play and iTunes app stores. Special features of the Space Station Live! web and mobile app experience include: -- live streaming data from various space station systems -- live streaming data from actual crew and science timelines with social media links -- descriptions and educational material that describe how the space station works -- educational lessons using the live content -- 3-D virtual mission control -- 3-D virtual space station using live streaming data to correctly position the sun, Earth, moon and the station's solar arrays -- 3-D model of the space station with labels and colored by the international partner contributions to its assembly -- links to NASA's five international partner space agencies' mission information.

RELEASE: 12-211 NASA SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM CORE STAGE MOVES FROM CONCEPT TO DESIGN

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- The nation's space exploration program is taking a critical step forward with a successful major technical review of the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS), the rocket that will take astronauts farther into space than ever before. The core stage is the heart of the heavy-lift launch vehicle. It will stand more than 200 feet (61 meters) tall with a diameter of 27.5 feet (8.4 meters). NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., hosted a comprehensive review. Engineers from NASA and The Boeing Co. of Huntsville presented a full set of system requirements, design concepts and production approaches to technical reviewers and the independent review board. "This meeting validates our design requirements for the core stage of the nation's heavy-lift rocket and is the first major checkpoint for our team," said Tony Lavoie, manager of the SLS Stages Element at Marshall. "Getting to this point took a lot of hard work, and I'm proud of the collaboration between NASA and our partners at Boeing. Now that we have completed this review, we go from requirements to real blueprints. We are right on track to deliver the core stage for the SLS program." The core stage will store liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to feed the rocket's four RS-25 engines, all of which will be former space shuttle main engines for the first few flights. The SLS Program has an inventory of 16 RS-25 flight engines that successfully operated for the life of the Space Shuttle Program. Like the space shuttle, SLS also will be powered initially by two solid rocket boosters on the sides of the launch vehicle. The SLS will launch NASA's Orion spacecraft and other payloads, and provide an entirely new capability for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit. Designed to be safe, affordable and flexible for crew and cargo missions, the SLS will continue America's journey of discovery and exploration to destinations including nearby asteroids, Lagrange points, the moon and ultimately, Mars. "This is a very exciting time for the country and NASA as important achievements are made on the most advanced hardware ever designed for human spaceflight," said William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for the Human Exploration Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "The SLS will power a new generation of exploration missions beyond low Earth orbit and the moon, pushing the frontiers of discovery forward. The innovations being made now, and the hardware being delivered and tested, are all testaments to the ability of the U.S. aerospace workforce to make the dream of deeper solar system exploration by humans a reality in our lifetimes." The first test flight of NASA's Space Launch System, which will feature a configuration for a 77-ton (70-metric-ton) lift capacity, is scheduled for 2017. As SLS evolves, a two-stage launch vehicle configuration will provide a lift capability of 143 tons (130 metric tons) to enable missions beyond low Earth orbit and support deep space exploration. Boeing is the prime contractor for the SLS core stage, including its avionics. The core stage will be built at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans using state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment. Marshall manages the SLS Program for the agency. Across the SLS Program, swift progress is being made on several elements. The J-2X upper-stage rocket engine, developed by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne for the future two-stage SLS, is being tested at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The prime contractor for the five-segment solid rocket boosters, ATK of Brigham City, Utah, has begun processing its first SLS hardware components in preparation for an initial qualification test in 2013.

RELEASE: 12-212 NASA ADMINISTRATOR RECEIVES EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD

WASHINGTON -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden was presented the Excellence in Public Service Award Thursday by former Senator and astronaut John Glenn on behalf of the John Glenn School of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University. "As NASA Administrator, Charlie has charted America's future in space, leading NASA's strategic efforts to fully utilize the International Space Station and launch our astronauts beyond low Earth orbit," Glenn said. "Throughout his career of public service, he has inspired a generation of future astronauts, researchers and innovators who are using what we learn in space to improve life here on Earth." "I always have believed that service is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth, so it is an honor for me to accept this award from Sen. Glenn and the School of Public Affairs," Bolden said. "The John Glenn School of Public Affairs is the starting point for the young people here for making the commitment to public service. Nothing is more important than the path they have chosen." The Excellence in Public Service Award honors a person who demonstrates outstanding dedication to public service.

RELEASE: 12-213 NASA AND DYER OBSERVATORY BRING FUN SUMMER LEARNING TO NASHVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

WASHINGTON -- NASA and Vanderbilt University's Dyer Observatory in Brentwood, Tenn., are hosting a Summer of Innovation event for rising fifth and sixth graders in the Nashville area on Thursday afternoon. NASA Associate Administrator for Education Leland Melvin will address students and join them in hands-on, Mars-related activities. Melvin also will give a presentation to a larger audience during a special astronomy-themed concert performance in the evening. Summer of Innovation events are part of the agency's efforts to inspire and engage middle school students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). This is the second year Dyer Observatory has partnered with NASA on the project. Students will participate in a variety of STEM education activities throughout the week-long camp at Dyer. They also will take a field trip to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, both in Huntsville, Ala., to see flight hardware and learn about America's human spaceflight program throughout its history. Dyer will host a similar Summer of Innovation camp and field trip for rising seventh and eighth graders the week of June 25. "The Dyer camps offer wonderful opportunities for students to hone their STEM skills in a fun and interactive way," Melvin said. "We rely on partners like Dyer to find innovative ways to encourage STEM studies. The musical astronomy component of this week's activity does just that. We are so pleased to have Beth Nielsen Chapman and The Long Players help us in this effort." Chapman and the The Long Players are Nashville-based musicians who will perform songs from The Mighty Sky, a unique compilation of astronomy-themed songs that have associated lesson plans for middle school teachers and informal education providers. The songs for The Mighty Sky were penned by Chapman and Rocky Alvey, director of the Dyer Observatory. During the concert, Melvin will give a presentation that highlights the agency's commitment to STEM education through NASA content. He also will share his personal experience as a two-time space shuttle astronaut. Melvin logged more than 565 hours in space during the STS-122 mission in 2008 and STS-129 in 2009. Summer of Innovation events are taking place this summer at NASA centers and partner organizations across the country