Apr 16 2012

From The Space Library

RELEASE: 12-116 NASA ANNOUNCES 16TH UNDERSEA EXPLORATION MISSION DATES AND CREW

WASHINGTON -- An international team of aquanauts will travel again to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean to simulate a visit to an asteroid in the 16th expedition of NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO). This year's NEEMO mission will begin June 11. It will build on lessons learned from 2011's NEEMO 15 mission and test innovative solutions to engineering challenges allowing astronauts to eventually explore asteroids. "We're trying to look out into the future and understand how we'd operate on an asteroid," said Mike Gernhardt, NASA astronaut and NEEMO principal investigator. "You don't want to make a bunch of guesses about what you'll need and then get to the asteroid to find out it won't work the way you thought it would. NEEMO helps give us the information we need to make informed decisions now." This NEEMO expedition will focus on three areas: communication delays, restraint and translation techniques, and optimum crew size. The crew of four will spend 12 days living 63 feet below the Atlantic Ocean's surface on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Aquarius Reef Base undersea research habitat off the coast of Key Largo, Fla. NASA astronaut and former space shuttle crew member Dottie M. Metcalf-Lindenburger will lead the crew. She will be joined by fellow astronauts Kimiya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Timothy Peake of the European Space Agency and Cornell University professor Steven Squyres, who was also a NEEMO 15 crew member. To request interviews with the NEEMO 16 crew during the mission, contact Brandi Dean of NASA at brandi.k.dean@nasa.gov, Rosita Suenson of the European Space Agency at Rosita.Suenson@esa.int, Akiko Niizeki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency at niizeki.akiko@jaxa.jp or Fred Gorell of NOAA at fred.gorell@noaa.gov. The NEEMO mission is sponsored by NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems Program

RELEASE: 12-111 NASA'S ORION SPACECRAFT TO APPEAR ALONGSIDE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY

WASHINGTON -- A full-scale test version of the Orion spacecraft is one of several NASA-sponsored exhibits that will appear alongside space shuttle Discovery at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va. Discovery is scheduled to fly over the Washington area on Tuesday, April 17, and land at Dulles. A transfer ceremony of the shuttle to the National Air & Space Museum will take place on Thursday, April 19. In addition to Orion, dozens of NASA-sponsored exhibits are on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center to celebrate the arrival of Discovery and highlight the agency's current and future exploration missions. The exhibits will showcase the International Space Station, a solar telescope, a planetary spacesuit, an inflatable Mars Science Laboratory rover and many hands-on educational activities. The Orion spacecraft will be on free display at the Udvar-Hazy Center from April 19-22 as part of the events surrounding the arrival of shuttle Discovery. Engineers, officials and NASA spokespeople will be on-site and available to speak with media and the public. The Orion test vehicle was used in the Pad Abort-1 Test in 2010, which saw the successful flight of Orion's launch abort system. This escape capability will protect future crews in the event of an emergency during launch. NASA is constructing the first space-bound Orion capsule, which will launch on Exploration Flight Test-1, an uncrewed launch planned for 2014. This test will see Orion travel farther into space than any human spacecraft has gone in more than 40 years. After its construction at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, the spacecraft will be shipped to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for final assembly. Following its display at the Udvar-Hazy Center, the Orion capsule will appear at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington for the U.S. Science and Engineering Festival from April 27-29.

RELEASE: 12-113 NASA, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS SELECT FIRST ASTROBIOLOGY CHAIR

WASHINGTON -- NASA and the Library of Congress have announced the selection of David H. Grinspoon to be the first Baruch S. Blumberg NASA-Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology. The chair, selected through an international competition, is named for the late Nobel Laureate and founding director of the NASA Astrobiology Institute, Baruch "Barry" Blumberg. Applications are solicited by the Library of Congress and reviewed by a panel jointly established by the Library and NASA. The prestigious position was created in November 2011. Grinspoon will be in residence for a year beginning November 2012 at the library's scholarly research organization, the Kluge Center, in Washington. He is the curator of astrobiology in the Department of Space Sciences at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Grinspoon is a well-known researcher in planetary science and the author of the award-winning book "Lonely Planets: The Natural Philosophy of Alien Life." "Grinspoon's background as an astrobiology researcher, writer and communicator of science makes him an ideal choice," said Carl Pilcher, director of the Astrobiology Institute at NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif. "This is certainly the start of what will become a great tradition of astrobiology chairs at the library." Astrobiology is the study of the origins, evolution, distribution and future of life in the universe. It addresses three fundamental questions: How did life begin and evolve? Is there life elsewhere? What is the future of life on Earth and beyond? The institute's mission is to promote interdisciplinary research in astrobiology, train the next generation of astrobiologists and provide scientific and technical leadership for NASA space missions. "Grinspoon is uniquely positioned to introduce the Library's unique multidisciplinary collections on the emerging subject to a wide and diverse public," said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. At the library, Blumberg was a founding member of the Scholar's Council, a 12-member group of distinguished scholars who advise the Librarian of Congress on matters of scholarship. Blumberg was awarded the 1976 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for discovery of the Hepatitis B virus and development of a vaccine to prevent Hepatitis B infection. He was the founding director of the NASA Astrobiology Institute, serving from 1999 to 2002. Grinspoon will examine choices facing humanity as we enter the Anthropocene Era, the epoch when human activities are becoming a defining characteristic of the physical nature and functioning of Earth. His research will include studies of the role of planetary exploration in fostering scientific and public understanding of climate change and the power of astrobiology as a model of interdisciplinary research and communication.

MEDIA ADVISORY: M12-069 NASA TELEVISION TO AIR MOVEMENTS OF SPACE STATION CARGO SHIPS

HOUSTON -- NASA Television will broadcast the departure of one Russian Progress cargo ship from the International Space Station (ISS) and the arrival of another beginning on Thursday, April 19. ISS Progress 46, which arrived at the station in January and has been filled with trash for disposal, will undock from the Pirs docking compartment at 6:03 a.m. CDT April 19. Russian flight controllers will command the resupply ship to leave the station for several days of tests, then send it to burn up in the Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean. NASA TV coverage of undocking will begin at 5:45 a.m. At 7:50 a.m. on April 20, the ISS Progress 47 cargo craft will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, loaded with 2.5 tons of food, fuel and supplies for the six crew members aboard the orbiting laboratory. NASA TV coverage of launch will begin at 7:30 a.m. Expedition 30 Commander Dan Burbank of NASA and his five crewmates will monitor events as the Progress 47 automatically docks to the Pirs docking compartment at 9:40 a.m. Sunday, April 22.

MEDIA ADVISORY: M12-070 COVERAGE SET FOR NASA/SPACEX LAUNCH AND MISSION TO SPACE STATION

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Following the completion of NASA's flight readiness review, the second SpaceX demonstration launch for NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program is scheduled for Monday, April 30. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon capsule will liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. There is a single instantaneous launch opportunity at 12:22 p.m. EDT. NASA Television launch commentary from Cape Canaveral will begin at 11 a.m. During the flight, SpaceX's Dragon capsule will conduct a series of check-out procedures to test and prove its systems, including rendezvous and berthing with the International Space Station (ISS). The primary objectives for the flight include a flyby of the ISS at a distance of approximately 1.5 miles to validate the operation of sensors and flight systems necessary for a safe rendezvous and approach. The spacecraft also will demonstrate the ability to abort the rendezvous. After these capabilities are successfully proven, the Dragon will be cleared to berth with the ISS. FALCON 9 LAUNCH PAD PHOTO OPPORTUNITY Saturday, April 28 (L-2 days): A photo opportunity of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule on the launch pad will be available for the news media. Spokespeople from SpaceX will be available to answer questions. Media will depart NASA's Kennedy Space Center press site by government bus at 9:30 a.m. for Space Launch Complex 40. Media will be returned at approximately 11 a.m. SpaceX security regulations require that media representatives attending this event be U.S. citizens. REMOTE CAMERA SETUPS Sunday, April 29 (L-1 day): Media will be able to establish sound-activated remote cameras at the launch pad. The location is within Space Launch Complex 40 on the east side of the pad outside the perimeter fence. Media wanting to participate in remote camera setup will depart from the Kennedy press site by government bus at 10:30 a.m. Only photographers establishing remote cameras can participate in this activity. SpaceX security regulations require that media representatives participating in this activity be U.S. citizens. PRELAUNCH AND POSTLAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCES Sunday, April 29 (L-1 day): The prelaunch news conference for the NASA/SpaceX Falcon 9 launch will be held at the Kennedy Press Site at 1 p.m. NASA Television will provide live and streaming Internet coverage. Monday, April 30 (L-0 day): A postlaunch news conference will be held at Kennedy at approximately 2 p.m. NASA TV LAUNCH COVERAGE Monday, April 30 (L-0 day): NASA TV live coverage begins at 11 a.m. and concludes at approximately 1 p.m. NASA TV MISSION COVERAGE Tuesday, May 1 (Flight Day 2): An update on the Dragon's flight during the daily "ISS Update" program from NASA's Johnson Space Center airs at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 2 (Flight Day 3): Live coverage from NASA's Johnson Space Center mission control in Houston as the Dragon spacecraft performs its fly-under of ISS to test its systems begins at 2:30 a.m. and will continue until the Dragon passes out of the vicinity of the station. A news briefing will be held following the activities. Thursday, May 3 (Flight Day 4): Live coverage of the rendezvous and berthing of the Dragon spacecraft to the station begins at 2 a.m. and will continue through the capture and berthing of the Dragon to the station's Harmony node. A news briefing will be held once Dragon is secured to the ISS. Friday, May 4: Live coverage of the hatch opening and entry of the Dragon spacecraft includes a ceremony during which the ISS crew will mark the occasion. Sunday, May 20: A news briefing at Johnson will preview the following day's unberthing and splashdown of the Dragon spacecraft. Monday, May 21: Live coverage of the unberthing, re-entry and splashdown of the Dragon spacecraft in the Pacific Ocean. Specific times of coverage will be provided at a later date.

MEDIA ADVISORY: M12-071 SHUTTLE ENTERPRISE TO FLY OVER NEW YORK CITY METRO AREA APRIL 23

WASHINGTON -- NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) with space shuttle Enterprise mounted atop will fly at a relatively low altitude over various parts of the New York City metropolitan area on Monday, April 23. The Federal Aviation Administration is coordinating the flight, which is scheduled to occur between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. EDT. The exact route and timing of the flight depend on weather and operational constraints, including the on-time delivery of space shuttle Discovery to the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., this week. If all goes as planned, the aircraft is expected to fly near a variety of landmarks in the metropolitan area, including the Statue of Liberty and the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. When the flyover is complete, the SCA will land at John F. Kennedy International Airport. During the weeks following the arrival, Enterprise will be "demated" from the 747 and placed on a barge that will be moved by tugboat up the Hudson River to the Intrepid museum in June. The shuttle will be lifted by crane and placed on the flight deck of the Intrepid, where it will be on exhibit to the public starting this summer in a temporary climate-controlled pavilion. The Intrepid continues to work on a permanent exhibit facility to showcase Enterprise that will enhance the museum's space-related exhibits and education curriculum. If the flight is postponed for any reason, an additional notice will be released.

MEDIA ADVISORY: M12-072 NASA'S TOP SCIENTIST AND TECHNOLOGIST DISCUSS WHAT'S NEXT FOR NASA

WASHINGTON -- NASA Chief Scientist Waleed Abdalati and Chief Technologist Mason Peck will hold a teleconference on Wednesday, April 18, at 4 p.m. EDT to brief media representatives on developments for NASA's future. The agency is moving forward with an ambitious plan to develop cutting-edge space technologies to advance human and robotic exploration, reach new destinations, and launch revolutionary science missions. NASA expects to reach several milestones this year in its ongoing support of industry's innovative work to transport crew and cargo to low Earth orbit and enhance our nation's use of the International Space Station to improve life on Earth and prepare for the missions of the future. Journalists wishing to join the call should contact Lauren Worley at 202-358-1288 or e-mail lauren.b.worley@nasa.gov for dial-in information.