Jul 21 2017

From The Space Library

MEDIA ADVISORY M17-086 NASA Television Coverage Set for Next International Space Station Crew Launch

Three new crew members for the International Space Station are scheduled to launch on Friday, July 28. Live launch coverage will begin at 10:45 a.m. EDT on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, Sergey Ryazanskiy of Roscosmos and Paolo Nespoli of ESA (European Space Agency) will launch at 11:41 a.m. (9:41 p.m. Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Expedition 52/53 crew will spend more than four months together aboard the orbital complex before returning to Earth in December. Video of prelaunch activities from the crew’s activities in Baikonur will air July 24-27 on NASA TV.

After launching, the trio will travel for six hours in the Soyuz MS-05 spacecraft before docking to the space station’s Rassvet module at 6 p.m. NASA TV coverage of the docking will begin at 5:15 p.m.

Hatches between the Soyuz and station will open at approximately 7:40 p.m. The arriving crew will be welcomed onboard by Expedition 52 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos and Flight Engineers Peggy Whitson and Jack Fischer of NASA. Coverage of hatch opening and welcoming ceremonies will begin at 7 p.m.

The soon-to-be six crew members of Expedition 52 will continue work on hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science aboard the International Space Station.

RELEASE 17-063 NASA Recommends Safety Tips to View the August Solar Eclipse

More than 300 million people in the United States potentially could directly view the Aug. 21 total solar eclipse, and NASA wants everyone who will witness this celestial phenomenon to do so safely.

That Monday, a partial eclipse will be visible in every state. A total solar eclipse, which is when the Moon completely covers the Sun, will occur across 14 states in the continental U.S. along a 70-mile-wide (112-kilometer-wide) swath of the country.

It’s common sense not to stare directly at the Sun with your naked eyes or risk damaging your vision, and that advice holds true for a partially eclipsed Sun. But, only with special-purpose solar filters, such as eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer, you can safely look directly at the Sun.

NASA recommends that people who plan to view the eclipse should check the safety authenticity of viewing glasses to ensure they meet basic proper safety viewing standards.

Eclipse viewing glasses and handheld solar viewers should meet all the following criteria:

• Have certification information with a designated ISO 12312-2 international standard
• Have the manufacturer’s name and address printed somewhere on the product
• Not be used if they are older than three years, or have scratched or wrinkled lenses
• Not use homemade filters, or be substituted for ordinary sunglasses -- not even very dark ones -- because they are not safe for looking directly at the Sun

“While NASA isn’t trying to be the eclipse safety glasses ‘police,’ it’s our duty to inform the public about safe ways to view what should be a spectacular sky show for the entire continental United States,” said Alex Young, associate director for science in the Heliophysics Science Division at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “It’s important that individuals take the responsibility to check they have the proper solar eclipse viewing glasses. With the eclipse a month away today, it’s prudent to practice ahead of time.”

An alternative method for safe viewing of the partially-eclipsed Sun is with a pinhole projector. With this method, sunlight streams through a small hole – such as a pencil hole in a piece of paper, or even the space between your fingers – onto a makeshift screen, such as a piece of paper or the ground. It’s important to only watch the screen, not the Sun. Never look at the Sun through the pinhole -- it is not safe.

NASA has coordinated with medical and science professionals to provide additional safety information. For details, visit: https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety

More than 6,800 libraries across the U.S. are distributing safety-certified glasses. Many are working with scientists to hold viewing events and activities before and during the eclipse. For a listing of participating libraries, visit: https://www.starnetlibraries.org/2017eclipse

NASA Television is offering a special live program, “Eclipse Across America: Through the Eyes of NASA” with real-time coverage of the event from coast to coast. The nearly four-hour program will include unprecedented images of the Aug. 21 eclipse from numerous spacecraft -- including the International Space Station – high-altitude aircraft and balloons, and ground observations. Each will offer a unique vantage point for the eclipse. Additionally, the broadcast will include live coverage of activities in parks, libraries, stadiums, festivals and museums across the nation, and on social media. To watch the Aug. 21 NASA TV eclipse broadcast online and access interactive web content and views of the eclipse from these assets, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/eclipselive

MEDIA ADVISORY M17-087 NASA to Show Technologies at Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture 2017

Visitors to the Experimental Aircraft Association’s 2017 AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin will see NASA’s latest technologies from across the agency. The annual airshow will be held Monday through Sunday, July 24-30.

This year, the agency will fill the NASA Exhibit Pavilion in Aviation Gateway Park with displays and hands-on activities highlighting NASA’s progress of future aircraft, the International Space Station, Earth science, the solar system, and NASA’s plan for sending astronauts into deep space, including Mars. Visitors to the pavilion also will be able to touch an actual moon rock brought back during NASA’s Apollo missions. NASA also will have more than 20 subject matter experts presenting at the various AirVenture venues and on the flightline. Static displays of a NASA T-38 Talon aircraft, a NASA SR22 research aircraft and a former National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) P-63 aircraft.

NASA’s main event will be a special presentation on “New Aviation Horizons: Ready for Flight” on July 27 from 8-9 p.m. CDT in AirVenture’s Theatre in the Woods. Moderated by NASA Acting Chief Technologist, Douglas Terrier, the panel features senior leaders from all four of NASA’s aeronautical research centers talking about their latest work on technologies involved with experimental, or “X”-planes (low boom supersonic and ultra-efficient subsonic) and testing traffic management systems for drones, followed by audience Q&As.

Here is a sampling of the more than 20 AirVenture forum talks involving NASA speakers (all times Central.) For a complete list, visit: https://go.nasa.gov/2gQP8Gt

Monday, July 24, 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

NASA Langley 100 Years: Airplanes – Hear about Langley’s storied history as the nation’s first aeronautics research facility and the hundreds of aircraft made possible thanks to critical research done in Langley’s first wind tunnels.

Location: Hilton Theater

Thursday, July 27, 10 to 11:15 a.m.

The Journey to Mars is Underway - NASA is inspiring a nation through deep space exploration. Right now we are building the launch vehicle and spacecraft that will take humans to new deep space destinations – to an asteroid, the Moon and even Mars! Learn more about America’s new Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft during this “talk show” forum with industry leaders – and a former NASA astronaut.

Location: Theater in the Woods

Saturday, July 29, 10 to 11:15 a.m.

NASA Fostering Commercial Space - Since the dawn of aviation, the government has played a pivotal role in research and technology development that has led to new knowledge and capabilities that enabled viable commercial markets, from general to commercial aviation, and beyond. Today, NASA is helping to foster new types of flight, both within and above the atmosphere. As NASA continues to move the exploration needle forward, the agency will continue to transfer new technologies and innovation to U.S. commercial aerospace firms, enabling new horizons for air and space commerce and discovery.

Location: Aviation Gateway Park

For information about NASA aeronautics, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics

For information about the EAA Airventure Airshow, visit: https://www.eaa.org/en/airventure