Aug 10 2010

From The Space Library

RELEASE: 10-156

NASA PLAYS KEY EXPLORATION ROLE IN NEW ADMINISTRATION SPACE POLICY

WASHINGTON -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden issued the following statement today regarding President Obama's new National Space Policy: "NASA is pleased to be an integral part of President Obama's National Space Policy. NASA's new direction, announced as part of the fiscal year 2011 budget, is embodied in the new National Space Policy. I would like to thank Lori Garver, my deputy, who led this policy review for NASA, and Phil Mcalister, the NASA representative, who led our working group effort. "NASA has a key role in achieving the goals defined in the new policy. We are committed to working with other agencies, industry, and international partners to achieve national goals in exploration - human and robotic - and technology development that will ensure a robust future for the U.S. and our friends around the world. "The new space policy sets our nation on a path to develop the next generation of capabilities we will need to live and work in space. Human and robotic exploration will flourish and bring a wealth of economic and scientific dividends. We will reach new horizons of discovery and expand the reach of humans throughout the solar system. "This policy embraces the historical roles of the agency, such as research and development of launch systems, robotic missions to destinations throughout the solar system, and Earth science, including climate change. "But it also challenges NASA to embrace new roles and areas of emphasis, such as enhancing use of the International Space Station, identifying and characterizing of near-Earth objects, and eliminating or limiting orbital debris and its danger to spacecraft. "In addition, we will expand our partnerships with private industry, allowing commercial companies to take a larger role in the exploration of space while NASA pursues those activities the agency is uniquely qualified to do. "This policy will enable a vibrant, job-creating, transportation system for taking humans to and from low-Earth orbit, which should significantly contribute to the national economy, benefit all of our nation's citizens, and enable exploration beyond low-Earth orbit. This policy promises to transform human spaceflight for future generations. "As we pursue the capabilities of the future, our work will make life better for people here on Earth. Our focus on innovation will generate new jobs in new industries and revitalize the country's industrial base for space. "At the same time, NASA will strengthen and improve its Earth-observing capabilities and develop new tools for decision-makers to use this crucial data. Building on our history of international partnerships, we will forge new relationships with nations of all sizes to leverage our resources and achieve more than we could on our own. "NASA stands ready to again transform our perspectives and expectations, and help the nation reach its highest potential. The White House has posted the National Space Policy at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/national_space_policy_6-28-10.pdf

-end-

RELEASE: 10-147

NASA ISSUES BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT FOR HEAVY LIFT STUDIES

WASHINGTON -- NASA has issued a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) seeking proposals and industry input on heavy-lift system concepts and propulsion technology. NASA is seeking an innovative path for human space exploration that strengthens its capability to extend human and robotic presence throughout the solar system. The information also may help lay the groundwork for humans to safely reach multiple potential destinations, including asteroids, Lagrange points, the moon and Mars. The total funding available under this announcement is approximately $8 million; maximum individual contract award is $625,000. The deadline for submitting proposals is July 29, 2010. Submissions should include assessments of a variety of heavy-lift launch craft and in-space vehicle architectures using various propulsion combinations. The submissions also should explain how the architectures can be employed to meet mission objectives. Proposals should capture potential system architectures and identify technology gaps, including propellant tanks, main propulsion elements and rocket health management. A variety of in-space architectural elements may be included, such as propellant depots, and space transfer stages and vehicles. The focus will be on developing affordable system concepts that may be used by multiple entities, such as the Department of Defense, commercial corporations and international space agencies.

-end-

RELEASE: 10-263

NASA JOINS USA SCIENCE & ENGINEERING FESTIVAL IN WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON -- NASA is joining more than 500 science organizations this weekend to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers during the first national science and engineering festival to be held in the nation's capital. The USA Science & Engineering Festival, which began Oct. 10 with activities in local schools, ends this weekend with a two-day expo on the National Mall and surrounding areas. The event also marks the culmination of NASA's new Summer of Innovation education initiative, aimed at engaging middle school students in science, technology, engineering and math activities during the summer break. The program reached more than 75,000 middle-schoolers during its inaugural year. NASA booths at the expo will feature hands-on activities, demonstrations and exhibits. Children and adults can learn about the agency's many scientific missions. Students also can learn how to become involved in 2011 Summer of Innovation events. "This is such a dynamic way to reach students and the general public and get them excited about what NASA is doing, said Leland Melvin, NASA associate administrator for Education. Hands-on experiences and interaction with the NASA team brings exploration and discovery to life. The Summer of Innovation pilot program, which began in June, used the same approach to engage middle school students across the nation in STEM activities. I look forward to an even larger program in 2011. Admission to the expo is free. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EDT each day.

-end-

RELEASE: 10-178

NASA ASTRONAUT SENDS FIRST SIGNED MESSAGE FROM ORBIT

WASHINGTON -- The number of languages used on the International Space Station has recently increased. In addition to those spoken in the 15 countries that have had representatives aboard the space station, American Sign Language, or ASL, is now included. NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson has sent a message in ASL from the station to the deaf community. In the video, Caldwell Dyson answered several questions about living and working aboard the station and how she became interested in sign language. "I am truly grateful for this opportunity on behalf of the deaf community and the multitudes of students who will benefit from seeing their language spoken in space, Caldwell Dyson said. It is my hope that this video will help inspire our next generation of scientists and explorers. As NASA's missions advance beyond Earth's orbit, the agency will continue its efforts to highlight its diverse workforce. NASA strives to assist the next generation of researchers to gain access to science-related fields. Caldwell Dyson will work on several other videos targeted to users of ASL. When the videos are completed, they will be posted on the agency's website at: http://www.nasa.gov To view Caldwell Dyson's message and learn more about the space station, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station To view Caldwell Dyson's bio, visit: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/caldwell.html

-end-

RELEASE: 10-036

SPACE STATION PRIMED FOR NEW ERA OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA and its international partners are looking forward to unprecedented scientific opportunities aboard the International Space Station, or ISS. With station assembly nearing completion, the ISS Partnership is looking forward to using the station to its fullest capacity. The U.S. administration's fiscal year 2011 budget proposal calls for continuing station operations to at least 2020, which will create new opportunities for advancing microgravity science research. "This is a really exciting week for the space station and for the scientists that want to use these laboratories, said Julie Robinson, program scientist for the station at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. We've already had some important findings on station during its construction. With this strong support for continued space station lifetime to 2020 or beyond, we will have amazing discoveries from the science and technology research that can be accomplished. NASA senior managers from the space station program and counterparts at Russia's Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency and Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology met to discuss the implications of continuing station operations and utilization and recently issued a joint statement about the station's future. They noted, ISS continuation could bring great benefit to all partners and humankind by demonstrating significant and sustained return on the partnership's investment in the ISS program, primarily through the enhanced research and usage opportunities. The entire statement is available at: http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/423071main_mcb_joint_stmt_020110.pdf The ISS Partnership is scheduled to meet again at the Heads of Agency level on March 11 in Tokyo to further discuss partner efforts to undertake their own decisions for space station extension and the opportunity it will provide to use this unique platform for scientific, technological, diplomatic and educational purposes. The continued use of the station will open the window for more studies that can only be done in the unique environment of space. Specifically, scientists can discover how cells reproduce and differentiate in microgravity with applications to areas such as tissue generation and wound repair. Also, there are opportunities for more human physiology research to learn about systems such as heart, muscle and bone, which can benefit space explorers and ill or injured patients. Studies of fluid physics that benefit from lack of buoyancy in microgravity will provide new understanding of soft matter, supercritical fluids and two phase flow. Technology tests will advance areas such as robotics, life support and spacecraft servicing. Station construction began in Dec. 1998 and will be completed during 2010. Once complete, the station will transition to a new full usage phase, where continuous scientific research will be conducted aboard the multinational orbiting laboratory. During the past decade, scientific research accomplishments made aboard the station included advances in the fight against food poisoning and new methods for delivering medicine to cancer cells. Studies of salmonella bacteria identified the controlling gene responsible for its increased virulence in microgravity, and a commercial company has used changes in virulence of microbes to screen for candidate vaccines. Results of an early station experiment led to improvements in a method for delivering drugs to targets in the human body. The research led the way for better methods of micro-encapsulation, a process of forming miniature, liquid-filled balloons the size of blood cells that can deliver treatment directly to cancer cells. NASA has a new Web feature that provides examples of space station research dividends including cancer treatment, food poisoning vaccine development, air purification, remote ultrasound tests and many more.

-end-

'

'