May 20 2013
From The Space Library
RELEASE: 13-145 - NASA AND THE WHITE HOUSE PAY TRIBUTE TO SALLY RIDE --WASHINGTON -- NASA and President Obama are honoring the life and legacy of Sally Ride on the day a national tribute was held for the first American woman in space. The president announced Monday afternoon Ride will be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a ceremony at the White House later this year. The Medal of Freedom is the nation's highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. We remember Sally Ride not just as a national hero, but as a role model to generations of young women, said President Obama. "Sally inspired us to reach for the stars, and she advocated for a greater focus on the science, technology, engineering and math that would help us get there. Sally showed us that there are no limits to what we can achieve, and I look forward to welcoming her family to the White House as we celebrate her life and legacy." Monday night, NASA further paid tribute to Ride by creating a new agency internship program in her name and renaming a science instrument aboard the International Space Station. The announcement was made by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden during a national tribute called, "Sally Ride: A Lifetime of Accomplishment, A Champion of Science Literacy," at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. The Sally Ride Internship is intended to help students from underserved backgrounds pursue a research interest at one of NASA's centers nationwide. As many as 10 internships total will be available in the spring and fall semesters of each school year, giving students the opportunity to develop a meaningful professional experience and work side by side with practicing scientists and engineers who are helping the United States lead the world in exploration and discovery. The internships also will encourage students to go into careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), of which Ride was a strong and longtime proponent. NASA also is recognizing Ride by renaming a camera aboard the space station the Sally Ride EarthKAM. Through Sally Ride Science, hundreds of thousands of middle school students have participated in space research by using EarthKAM. Students use the Internet to request images based on their classroom investigations, and the image collection and accompanying learning guides and activities are extraordinary resources to support lessons in Earth and space science, geography, social studies, mathematics, communications, and even art. Sally's impact on our nation and future generations of explorers is immeasurable, said Bolden, who served with Ride in NASA's astronaut corps in the 1980s. "God speed, Sally Ride, and thank you for reminding us to reach higher, break barriers and dream big." Monday's tribute highlighted Ride's contributions and her legacies. The celebration included longtime friends and colleagues who worked side-by-side with her to motivate and inspire girls and boys to study the STEM fields. Sally Ride Science is thrilled to be presenting a National Tribute to Sally to honor her lifelong commitment to space exploration, but also to improving science education and to supporting science literacy for all students, said Tam O'Shaughnessy, Ride's life partner, co-founder and chair of the board of Sally Ride Science. In addition to space exploration and science, the tribute was built around others things that had special meaning to Ride, including sports, music, dance and poetry. Those were represented by the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras playing Claude Debussy's "Clair de Lune"; Twyla Tharp's "Jordan" dance; Patti Austin singing Tena Clark's "Way Up There"; and Maria Shriver reading Mary Oliver's poem "The Summer Day." Speakers at the tribute included Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, who talked about how Ride changed STEM education and policy, and NASA's Associate Administrator for Education and former astronaut Leland Melvin and former astronaut and space shuttle commander Pam Melroy, who spoke about Ride's impact on the astronaut corps, the space program and beyond. I'm thrilled to pay tribute to Sally because her dedication and superb talent cemented the value of women's contributions in space and in science, smoothing the path for all women to achieve success, said Pam Melroy, former NASA astronaut and space shuttle commander. "Sally showed the world what was possible, opening the eyes of millions of women and men to what could be. Her achievements in space inspired a generation of young women, and her achievements in STEM education will pass that legacy of inspiration on to future generations." Ride died on July 23, 2012, after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Ride's first space flight was 30 years ago next month, on June 18, 1983.
RELEASE: 13-147 - VANDERBILT TAKES TOP PRIZE IN NASA STUDENT LAUNCH CHALLENGE HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- The Aerospace Club of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., took first prize in the 2013 annual NASA Student Launch Projects challenge, in which student teams design, build and fly small rockets with science payloads to an altitude of 1 mile and return them safely to Earth. After two consecutive third-place finishes, Vanderbilt beat 35 other colleges and universities to win the $5,000 top prize, provided by ATK Aerospace Group of Promontory, Utah. The University of Louisville in Kentucky and Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, won second and third place, respectively, in the April 21 "launch fest" at Bragg Farms in Toney, Ala., near NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. After months of preparation, each team had an opportunity to launch its rocket and payload. NASA judges evaluated the rocket designs based on a series of technical design reviews, the results from the rocket's flight including altitude, and the operation of the payload. The judges also evaluated each team's written report and its outreach activities including a website documenting the experience and local educational engagement campaigns to share their enthusiasm for rocketry. The challenge seeks to inspire younger students to pursue technical learning fields, including science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This program is a valuable tool for students and their teachers because they use all the knowledge gained in a classroom setting to tackle a real-world challenge, said Tammy Rowan, manager of Marshall's Academic Affairs Office, which manages the rocketry challenge. "They stretch those STEM skills to create a complex machine, which could lead them to a future in the aerospace industry. Plus, their enthusiasm when they finally see their creations fly is inspirational to those who already work in the many different aspects of space exploration." In addition to the top prize, the Vanderbilt University team also took home the Best Payload Design for the most creative and innovative payload experiment. Third-place Tarleton State also won three additional recognitions: the Rookie Award; the Science Mission Directorate Payload Award for most creative and innovative payload design while maximizing safety and science value; and the Best Team Spirit prize, a peer award voted on by all the rocket teams. Alabama A&M University in Huntsville won the Altitude Award for coming closest to the 1-mile mark without going over -- only 11 feet shy of 5,280 feet above ground. The University of Louisville team won three awards: Best Vehicle Design for the most creative, innovative and safety-conscious rocket; Best Web Design; and the Education Engagement Award. The team from Mississippi State University in Starkville won the Project Review Award for their reviews and formal presentations and also finished in fifth place overall. The student teams voted the University of Nebraska in Lincoln as winner of this year's Best-Looking Rocket. NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, Science Mission Directorate and Office of Education, all in Washington, sponsor the Student Launch Projects challenge. ATK provides corporate sponsorship. The National Association of Rocketry provides technical review and launch support. Hundreds of flight enthusiasts cheered the student rocketeers at the launch site. More than 8,000 individual viewers also watched the event live on Marshall's UStream channel.
MEDIA ADVISORY: M13-079 - NASA ADMINISTRATOR VISITS CALIFORNIA CENTERS, MEETS MEDIA --WASHINGTON -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will hold media availabilities at all three of the agency's centers in California this week, highlighting progress on the asteroid mission, commercial crew transportation and space technology development. Bolden will tour of Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) Space Systems' Dream Chaser spacecraft Wednesday, May 22 at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base. SNC is preparing the vehicle for tow, captive-carry and free-flight tests later this year as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) initiatives to develop safe, reliable and cost-effective access to and from the International Space Station and low-Earth orbit. Bolden, Dryden Center Director David McBride and Sierra Nevada's director of flight operations, former NASA space shuttle astronaut Steve Lindsey, will make remarks and take questions from the media next to the vehicle at 10 a.m. PDT. On Thursday, May 23, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Bolden will see a prototype ion thruster being tested for NASA's mission to capture and relocate an asteroid. JPL and NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland are developing the ion thruster jointly. The administrator, mission engineers and asteroid experts will make remarks and take questions from the media at 11 a.m. On Friday, May 24, at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Bolden, Ames Center Director S. Pete Worden and Rep. Mike Honda (17th congressional district) of California will visit Ames' Space Shop to see work being done on PhoneSat nanosatellite technology and additive manufacturing, also known as 3-D printing, which is a critical part of President Obama's push for building a strong American manufacturing sector. The PhoneSat program recently launched three small satellites built from off-the-shelf cellular phone technology. Bolden, Worden and Honda will make remarks and take questions at 10 a.m. While at the three centers, Bolden also will speak with employees and be briefed on current programs, projects and operations.
MEDIA ADVISORY: M13-080 - SALLY RIDE NATIONAL TRIBUTE AT KENNEDY CENTER TONIGHT --WASHINGTON -- NASA and Sally Ride Science are inviting journalists to tonight's "Sally Ride: A Lifetime of Accomplishment, A Champion of Science Literacy," a national tribute to America's first woman in space. The special event will be held at the Concert Hall of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., at 7 p.m. EDT. The celebration will highlight Ride's contributions and legacies. These include her long-time focus on education, and her passion for inspiring all students, especially girls and under-represented minority students, to learn more about science and consider pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Miles O'Brien of PBS serves as master of ceremonies for the tribute, which is sponsored by Sally Ride Science, the education company Ride co-founded after she left the space program. The tribute will include the talents of Patti Austin, Damian Kulash of the band OK Go, Maria Shriver, Emil de Cou and Billie Jean King, with music by Tena Clark and choreography by Twyla Tharp. Speakers include NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, former astronaut and space shuttle commander Pam Melroy and NASA's Associate Administrator for Education and former astronaut Leland Melvin. Veteran journalist Tom Brokaw of NBC News, who covered the Space Shuttle Program and met Ride and her family for a story he did about her, narrates a special video that makes its debut at the tribute.
MEDIA ADVISORY: M13-084 - NASA, BIGELOW TO DISCUSS PRIVATE SECTOR HUMAN SPACE EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT --WASHINGTON -- NASA and Bigelow Aerospace of Las Vegas are holding a media availability at 1:30 p.m. EDT, Thursday, May 23, to discuss the agency's Space Act Agreement with the company for its insight on collaborating with commercial industry on exploration beyond Earth orbit. The media availability participants are: -- William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator, human exploration and operations, NASA -- Robert Bigelow, founder and president, Bigelow Aerospace Under the agreement, Bigelow will work with a variety of commercial space companies to assess and develop options for innovative and dynamic private and public investments to create infrastructure to support domestic and international governmental exploration activities alongside revenue generating private sector enterprises. Bigelow will deliver its analysis by the end of this year. The agreement includes a two-phased approach that will help NASA assess potential opportunities for collaboration. During the first phase, Bigelow will leverage its existing relationships with other private companies and its expertise from continuing operations in space to form common objectives between the private sector and NASA. In the second phase, Bigelow will create a series of options for public-private collaboration that lower costs and takes advantage of rapid implementation.
MEDIA ADVISORY: M13-083 - INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION PROGRAM, SCIENCE BRIEFING SET --HOUSTON -- NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston will host a news conference and social media event at 1 p.m. CDT (2 p.m. EDT) Wednesday, May 22, to preview the upcoming Expedition 36 mission aboard the International Space Station. NASA Television and the agency's website will carry the briefings live. Social media followers, who will be at Johnson for a NASA Social focusing on scientific research aboard the space station, will participate in the briefing and ask questions. The International Space Station Program and Science Overview briefing will cover mission priorities and objectives. The two expeditions will involve increasing research on the orbital laboratory; up to six spacewalks (four Russian and two U.S.); arrival of the next European, Japanese and Russian cargo ships; and the maiden flight of the U.S. commercial resupply vehicle, Cygnus, from Orbital Sciences Corp. The briefing participants are: -- Michael Suffredini, International Space Station Program manager -- Gary Horlacher, Expedition 36 lead flight director -- Tara Ruttley, International Space Station Program associate program scientist NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg, Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin and European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano are scheduled to launch to the station May 28 on a Soyuz spacecraft from Kazakhstan. They will join Expedition 36 crew members Chris Cassidy of NASA and cosmonauts Pavel Vinogradov and Alexander Misurkin, who have been aboard the station since late March. Nyberg, Yurchikhin and Parmitano will remain in orbit until mid-November and will be joined in September by three additional crew members, Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryazanskiy of the Russian Federal Space Agency and NASA astronaut Michael Hopkins, who will replace Vinogradov, Cassidy and Misurkin after they return to Earth in mid-September.
