Jun 10 2016

From The Space Library

MEDIA ADVISORY M16-067 NASA Highlights Research in X-Planes, Safer, Greener Aviation at Aviation 2016

NASA’s leadership and top aeronautics innovators will discuss the agency’s 10-year plan to transform aviation at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) annual Aviation and Aeronautics Forum and Exposition, or Aviation 2016.

The five-day conference, which will include a keynote address by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, will be held June 13-17 at the Washington Hilton at 1919 Connecticut Ave., NW in Washington.

NASA-related content of note includes:

Tuesday, June 14, at 9:30 a.m. EDT– NASA officials will report on roadmaps drafted during the past year to guide research in finding solutions for safe, efficient growth in global aviation operations; innovation in commercial supersonic aircraft and ultra-efficient commercial vehicles; transitioning to low-carbon propulsion; real-time, system-wide safety assurance; and assured autonomy for aviation transformation.

Friday, June 17, at 8 a.m. – Bolden will give a keynote address entitled “Concept to Reality - Our Journey to Transforming Aviation,” where he will highlight NASA Aeronautics New Aviation Horizons, a 10-year research plan based on the president’s FY2017 budget request. This includes the development, manufacture and flight testing of several planned experimental aircraft (X-planes). During his address, Bolden also will announce the designation given to the agency’s next X-plane.

NASA researchers representing the agency’s aeronautics field centers in Virginia, Ohio and California also will serve as panelists during special sessions throughout the conference, and will present more than 90 technical papers. A list of all technical seminars is available on AIAA’s conference website.

AIAA will livestream the Plenary and Forum 360 sessions and NASA will tweet and post live updates throughout the conference. Follow these social media conversations using the hashtags #FlyNASA or #Aviation2016.

If attending the conference, plan to visit the NASA exhibit located at booth 207 in Columbia Hall, Tuesday and Wednesday, June 14 and 15. This year’s displays include four-foot models of a hybrid wing body aircraft, the quiet supersonic technology demonstrator and the Ikhana unmanned aircraft; a sonic boom comparison demonstrator; an interactive hologram display of future aircraft concepts; a drone sense and avoid interactive display; and material on many other topics.

MEDIA ADVISORY M16-068 NASA TV Airs Return of NASA Astronaut, Two Crewmates from Space Station

Three International Space Station crew members are scheduled to depart the orbiting outpost Saturday, June 18. NASA Television will provide coverage of their preparations for departure and return to Earth, beginning at 9:15 a.m. EDT Friday, June 17.

Expedition 47 Commander Tim Kopra of NASA, Flight Engineer Tim Peake of ESA (European Space Agency) and Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko of the Russian space agency Roscosmos will undock their Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft from the space station at 1:52 a.m. Saturday and land in Kazakhstan at 5:15 a.m. (3:12 p.m. Kazakhstan time).

Their return will wrap up 186 days in space for the crew since their launch in December 2015. Together, the Expedition 47 crew members contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science aboard humanity’s only orbiting laboratory.

NASA TV will air coverage of the departure and landing activities at the following dates and times:

Friday, June 17

• 9:15 a.m. -- Change of command ceremony in which Kopra hands over station command to NASA astronaut Jeff Williams
• 10:15 p.m. -- Farewell and hatch closure coverage (hatch closure scheduled for 10:35 p.m.)

Saturday, June 18

• 1:30 a.m. -- Undocking coverage (undocking scheduled for 1:52 a.m.)
• 4 a.m. -- Deorbit burn and landing coverage (deorbit burn scheduled for 4:21 a.m., with landing at 5:15 a.m.)
• 7 a.m. -- Video File of hatch closure, undocking and landing activities.
• 6 p.m. -- Video File of landing and post-landing activities and post-landing interviews with Kopra and Peake in Kazakhstan.

At the time of undocking, Expedition 48 will begin aboard the station under Williams’ command. Williams and his crewmates Oleg Skripochka and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos, will operate the station for three weeks until the arrival of three new crew members.

NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, Russian cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin and Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency are scheduled to launch July 6 (Eastern time) from Baikonur, Kazakhstan.