Mar 22 2012

From The Space Library

RELEASE: 12-092 NASA'S CASSINI MISSION RECEIVES SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM'S HIGHEST HONOR

WASHINGTON -- The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum has bestowed its highest group honor, the Trophy for Current Achievement, on NASA's Cassini mission to Saturn. The annual award recognizes outstanding achievements in the fields of aerospace science and technology. The trophy was presented Wednesday during an evening ceremony at the museum in Washington. Established in 1985, the award has been presented to seven NASA planetary mission teams. "This joint mission has produced an unprecedented science return," said William Knopf, Cassini program executive at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "Missions like Cassini pave the way for future robotic and human exploration throughout our solar system and beyond." Launched in 1997, the Cassini spacecraft entered Saturn's orbit in June 2004 with the European Space Agency's (ESA) Huygens probe bolted to its side. In December 2004, the spacecraft successfully released Huygens, which entered the atmosphere of Saturn's largest moon Titan. Cassini completed its prime mission in 2008 and has been extended twice. It is now in its so-called solstice mission, which will enable scientists to observe seasonal changes in Saturn and its moons during the planet's northern summer solstice. The mission will last through September 2017. "We look forward to sailing around the Saturn system for several more years to see how our views of the planet and its magnificent moons change as we get into northern summer solstice," said Robert Mitchell, the Cassini program manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., who accepted the award on behalf of the team. The Cassini spacecraft carries 12 science instruments and investigations, with an additional six aboard Huygens. Cassini mission highlights to date include the discovery of four new moons and two new rings around Saturn. Cassini observed spraying water vapor and icy particle jets from the moon Enceladus. In Saturn's northern hemisphere, the spacecraft watched the evolution of a monster storm, a sign of seasonal change from northern winter into northern spring. Cassini and Huygens also revealed new characteristics about Titan, the only body in the solar system other than Earth with stable liquid on its surface. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, ESA and the Italian Space Agency. JPL manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL.

RELEASE: 12-095 NASA CONGRATULATES WINNERS OF YOUTUBE SPACE LAB CONTEST

WASHINGTON -- NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver issued the following statement Thursday, March 22, about the announcement of the YouTube Space Lab contest winners: "I want to congratulate the winners of the YouTube Space Lab contest for their outstanding proposals. I am especially proud of the two winners from the United States, Dorothy Chen and Sara Ma, and look forward to seeing the results of their experiments after they are flown and conducted on the International Space Station during Expedition 32 and 33 this summer. Earlier today, I had a chance to speak with Dorothy and Sara to thank them for their hard work, and salute them on behalf of NASA. "As a national laboratory, our goal is to open up the space station to new paths for the exploration, discovery and economic development of space. Educating and inspiring the next generation of space explorers and scientists are among the most important things NASA can do, and these students are getting the opportunity of a lifetime. A contest like this taps into the passion of so many people who get involved, from the just over 2,000 students who submitted proposals to everyone who voted for them, and we want to encourage that passion and engagement."

RELEASE: 12-093 NASA'S GRAIL MOONKAM RETURNS FIRST STUDENT-SELECTED LUNAR IMAGES

WASHINGTON -- One of two NASA spacecraft orbiting the moon has beamed back the first student-requested pictures of the lunar surface from its onboard camera. Fourth grade students from the Emily Dickinson Elementary School in Bozeman, Mont., received the honor of making the first image selections by winning a nationwide competition to rename the two spacecraft. The image was taken by the MoonKam, or Moon Knowledge Acquired by Middle school students. Previously named Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) A and B, the twin spacecraft are now called Ebb and Flow. Both washing-machine-sized orbiters carry a small MoonKAM camera. Over 60 student-requested images were taken aboard the Ebb spacecraft from March 15-17 and downlinked to Earth on March 20. "MoonKAM is based on the premise that if your average picture is worth a thousand words, then a picture from lunar orbit may be worth a classroom full of engineering and science degrees," said Maria Zuber, GRAIL mission principal investigator from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass. "Through MoonKAM, we have an opportunity to reach out to the next generation of scientists and engineers. It is great to see things off to such a positive start." GRAIL is NASA's first planetary mission to carry instruments fully dedicated to education and public outreach. Students will select target areas on the lunar surface and request images to study from the GRAIL MoonKAM Mission Operations Center in San Diego. The MoonKAM program is led by Sally Ride, America's first woman in space, and her team at Sally Ride Science in collaboration with undergraduate students at the University of California in San Diego. More than 2,700 schools spanning 52 countries are using the MoonKAM cameras. "What might seem like just a cool activity for these kids may very well have a profound impact on their futures," Ride said. "The students really are excited about MoonKAM, and that translates into an excitement about science and engineering." Launched in September 2011, Ebb and Flow will answer longstanding questions about the moon and give scientists a better understanding of how Earth and other rocky planets in the solar system formed. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., manages the GRAIL mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. GRAIL is part of the Discovery Program managed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver built the spacecraft.

CONTRACT RELEASE: C12-011 NASA AWARDS ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACTS

HOUSTON -- NASA has selected four Texas companies to perform architecture and engineering services at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. This will include work at Ellington Field, the Sonny Carter Training Facility and the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. The four contractors selected are HDR Architecture of Dallas and three Houston-based companies: PDG Architects; Reynolds, Smith and Hills, Inc.; and URS Group, Inc. These firm-fixed-price contracts have a period of performance of five years from the effective date of the contract, with no options. The cumulative maximum indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity value of the contracts is $49 million. The services required will include feasibility studies; conceptual designs; preliminary engineering reports; budget estimates; and designs for alterations, new construction, repair and refurbishment projects. Selectees also will serve as the owner's representative during pre-solicitation activities by issuing a certificate of occupancy for design-build construction projects.

CONTRACT RELEASE: C12-011 NASA AWARDS PROTECTIVE SERVICES CONTRACT FOR HEADQUARTERS

WASHINGTON -- NASA has awarded a contract to Security Support Services, LLC, in Henderson, Nev., to support the Office of Security at the agency's Headquarters in Washington. The firm fixed-price core, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity component contract has a period of performance of five years. This includes a one-year base period and four one-year-option periods, with a potential value of approximately $26 million. Security Support Services, LLC, will provide protective services consisting of: operating and maintaining on-site uniformed protective forces; locksmith services; security systems administration, support and services; and administrative and technical support to assist security office staff. The company also will be responsible for acquiring, installing, maintaining and repairing items related to the Headquarters integrated security system. This system includes electronic access control, video surveillance and alarm monitoring.

MEDIA ADVISORY: M12-050 NASA INNOVATIVE ADVANCED CONCEPTS SYMPOSIUM MARCH 27-29

WASHINGTON -- NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Symposium will be held March 27-29 at the Westin Pasadena Hotel, 191 North Los Robles Ave., in Pasadena, Calif. The NIAC examines early stage concepts that may lead to advanced and innovative space technologies critical for NASA to enable missions 10 to 100 years from today. Panel topics during the symposium include space debris elimination, fission fragment rocket engine propelled spacecraft, and the potential for ambient plasma wave propulsion systems. NIAC is part of NASA's Space Technology Program, which develops technologies that enable future NASA missions. NIAC awardees come from academia, the private sector and government research labs.