May 24 2010
From The Space Library
RELEASE: 10-301
NASA FINANCIALS GET CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH
WASHINGTON -- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration received a much-improved financial statement audit opinion for the 2010 fiscal year. "I am pleased to receive this qualified audit opinion that reflects the fact NASA is fairly stating our financial position to our stakeholders, NASA Chief Financial Officer Elizabeth Robinson said. "We are working hard to provide useful, accurate information about our financial results, and this audit opinion is an important achievement in that effort. It marked the first time since the 2002 fiscal year that independent auditors issued a qualified opinion, with no material weaknesses, rather than a disclaimer of opinion on NASA's financial statements. The agency's independent auditors also reported that, in their opinion, NASA's fiscal 2010 financial statements fairly represent the financial position of the agency as of Sept. 30, 2010, and its budgetary resources for the year that ended. This significant achievement is clear evidence of NASA's progress in financial management during the past decade. As a result of successful efforts to fully integrate the financial accounting system, the auditors concluded for the first time since the 2000 fiscal year that NASA is now substantially compliant with federal financial management systems requirements of the Federal Financial Management Improvement Act.
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RELEASE: 10-228
NASA SELECTS HIGH SCHOOLS TO COMPETE IN NEW CHALLENGE; WINNING SOFTWARE DESIGNS WILL PROGRAM SATELLITES ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
WASHINGTON -- NASA and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Mass., have selected 24 high schools to participate in a new science, technology, engineering, and math education program. The teams will design software to program small satellites aboard the International Space Station. The Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, and Reorient Experimental Satellites, or SPHERES, are three volley ball-sized spherical satellites that fly inside the space station's cabin to test advanced maneuvers for spacecraft, like formation flying and autonomous rendezvous and docking. Each contains its own power, propulsion, computing, and navigation equipment. The selections are part of the Zero-Robotics investigation, which is run by MIT and designed to inspire future scientists and engineers. Students write their own algorithms to solve a problem important to future missions. This year's pilot program, HelioSPHERES, allows selected high schools to compete against each other and helps students build critical engineering skills, such as problem solving, design thought process, operations training, teamwork and presentation skills. The competition was open to all accredited high schools in the United States and attracted 48 applications. The 24 high schools are from 19 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. The list of schools is available at http://www.nasa.gov/topics/technology/features/zero_robotics_2010.html The 24 teams will compete in elimination rounds against each other using online simulations and ground-based testing at MIT. The software of the top 10 winners will be sent to the station, and an astronaut aboard the orbiting laboratory will program the SPHERES satellites to run the students' tests. MIT's Space Systems Laboratory developed the SPHERES program to provide the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, NASA and other researchers with a long-term test bed for validating technologies critical to the operation of future satellites, docking missions and satellite autonomous maneuvers. SPHERES have been used by many organizations, including other government agencies and graduate student research groups, since the program began in 2006. The satellites provide opportunities to test a wide range of hardware and software at an affordable cost. For additional information on NASA and MIT's Zero-Robotics program, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/science/experiments/SPHERES-Zero-Robotics.html
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RELEASE: 10-026
NASA GIVES 'GO' FOR FEB. 7 AS FINAL SPACE SHUTTLE NIGHT LAUNCH
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Endeavour is set to begin a 13-day flight to the International Space Station with a Feb. 7 launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff is planned for 4:39 a.m. EST, making this the final scheduled space shuttle night launch. Endeavour's launch date was announced Wednesday at the conclusion of a flight readiness review at Kennedy. During the meeting, senior NASA and contractor managers assessed the risks associated with the mission and determined the shuttle's equipment, support systems and procedures are ready. Endeavour's flight will begin the final year of space shuttle operations. Five shuttle missions are planned in 2010, with the last flight currently targeted for launch in September. Endeavour's mission will include three spacewalks and the delivery of the Tranquility node, the final module of the U.S. portion of the space station. Tranquility will provide additional room for crew members and many of the space station's life support and environmental control systems. Attached to the node is a cupola, which houses a robotic control station and has seven windows to provide a panoramic view of Earth, celestial objects and visiting spacecraft. After the node and cupola are added, the orbiting laboratory will be about 90 percent complete. Commander George Zamka and his crew of five astronauts are scheduled to arrive at Kennedy at approximately 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 2, for final launch preparations. Joining Zamka on STS-130 are Pilot Terry Virts and Mission Specialists Kathryn Hire, Stephen Robinson, Nicholas Patrick and Robert Behnken. Virts will be making his first trip to space. STS-130 will be Endeavour's 24th mission and the 33rd shuttle flight dedicated to station assembly and maintenance.
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MEDIA ADVISORY: M10-172
HOT CITIES, ICE VOLCANOES AND CALIFORNIA QUAKES AMONG NASA NEWS HIGHLIGHTS AT AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION MEETING
WASHINGTON -- NASA researchers will present new findings on a wide range of Earth and space science topics at the 2010 fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union. The meeting takes place Dec. 13-17 at the Moscone Convention Center, 747 Howard St., in San Francisco. Media briefings during the meeting will feature topics including new results about the health impacts of urban heat islands; the search for ice volcanoes on one of Saturn's moons; new observations of solar eruptions; and earthquake risk in southern California. In addition, NASA scientists and their colleagues who use NASA research capabilities will present noteworthy findings during scientific sessions that are open to registered journalists. Registration is still open. For a complete list of NASA-related news briefings at the meeting, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/agu The website contains detailed information about how reporters can participate in the briefings, both on-site and remotely. The site will be updated throughout the week with additional information about NASA presentations.
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