May 22 2012
From The Space Library
RELEASE: 12-162 NASA, NSBRI SELECT 29 PROPOSALS TO SUPPORT CREW HEALTH ON MISSIONS
WASHINGTON -- NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) of Houston will fund 29 proposals to help investigate questions about astronaut health and performance on future deep space exploration missions. The selected proposals are from 25 institutions in 11 states and will receive a total of about $26 million over a one- to three-year period. A major area of emphasis for both HRP and NSBRI has been the recently identified issue of visual impairment in astronauts during and after long-duration spaceflight. In addition, eight of the selected proposals will examine several facets of this poorly understood syndrome. HRP and NSBRI research provides knowledge and technologies to improve human health and performance during space exploration and develops possible countermeasures for problems experienced during space travel. The organizations' goals are to help astronauts complete their challenging missions successfully and preserve astronauts' health throughout their lives. HRP quantifies crew health and performance risks during spaceflight and develops strategies that mission planners and system developers can use to monitor and mitigate the risks. These studies often lead to advancements in understanding and treating illnesses in patients on Earth. The 29 projects were selected from 104 proposals received in response to the research announcement "Research and Technology Development to Support Crew Health and Performance in Space Exploration Missions." Scientific and technical experts from academia and government reviewed the proposals. NASA will manage 14 of the projects; NSBRI will manage 15. NSBRI is a NASA-funded consortium of institutions studying health risks related to long-duration spaceflight. The Institute's science, technology and education projects take place at more than 60 institutions across the United States.
RELEASE: 12-160 SPACEX DRAGON TRANSPORTS STUDENT EXPERIMENTS TO SPACE STATION
WASHINGTON -- The SpaceX Dragon capsule, which on Tuesday became the first commercially developed and built spacecraft to launch to the International Space Station, is carrying among its cargo a suite of 15 science experiments designed by students. Known collectively as Aquarius, the experiments will assess the effects of microgravity on physical, chemical and biological systems. The students have been immersed in every facet of research, from definition of the investigation to experiment design, proposal writing and a formal NASA proposal review for selection of flight experiments. "This unique student activity adds a new dimension to the International Space Station and its role as America's only orbiting national laboratory," said Leland Melvin, NASA's associate administrator for Education. "It also clearly demonstrates that students still can actively participate in NASA microgravity opportunities in the post-shuttle era." Aquarius is sponsored by the Student Space Flight Experiments Program (SSEP), which is a cooperative venture by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) and NanoRacks LLC, a national science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education initiative. The organizations work together to give 300 to 1,000 students across a community the opportunity to design and propose microgravity experiments to fly in low Earth orbit. The first two SSEP payloads flew in 2011 aboard space shuttles Endeavour and Atlantis on the STS-134 and STS-135 missions respectively. This third round of experiments will be the first to be conducted in orbit by space station astronauts. The announcement of opportunity for Aquarius was released in July 2011. It elicited responses from 12 communities in nine states and the District of Columbia. A total of 779 student teams, with 41,200 members ranging from fifth graders to community college, submitted proposals. After a formal two-step review process in fall 2011, the final 15 flight experiments were selected. They all passed a formal NASA flight safety review, clearing the final hurdle on their journey to launch. This is one of many programs that use NASA's science and exploration missions to encourage students to pursue a STEM-centric school curriculum. Building a robust cadre of scientists and engineers for the future is a high priority for NASA's Office of Education. The Dragon flight to the International Space Station is the second demonstration mission for SpaceX under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. The demonstration flight is intended to lead to regular resupply missions to the space station.
RELEASE: 12-161 SPACEX LAUNCHES NASA DEMONSTRATION MISSION TO SPACE STATION
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The second demonstration mission for NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program is under way as SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft lifted off Tuesday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 3:44 a.m. EDT. "I want to congratulate SpaceX for its successful launch and salute the NASA team that worked alongside them to make it happen," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "Today marks the beginning of a new era in exploration; a private company has launched a spacecraft to the International Space Station that will attempt to dock there for the first time. And while there is a lot of work ahead to successfully complete this mission, we are certainly off to good start. Under President Obama's leadership, the nation is embarking upon an ambitious exploration program that will take us farther into space than we have ever traveled before, while helping create good-paying jobs right here in the United States of America." The Dragon capsule will conduct a series of checkout procedures to test and prove its systems, including the capability to rendezvous and berth with the International Space Station. On Thursday, May 24, Dragon will perform a flyby of the space station at a distance of approximately 1.5 miles to validate the operation of sensors and flight systems necessary for a safe rendezvous and approach. Live NASA TV coverage beginning at 2:30 a.m. Following analysis of the flyby by NASA and SpaceX managers, the Dragon capsule will be cleared to rendezvous and berth with the space station on Friday, May 25, marking the first time a commercial company has attempted this feat. The Expedition 31 crew on board the station will use the orbiting complex's robotic arm to capture Dragon and install it on the bottom side of the Harmony node. NASA TV will provide live coverage beginning at 2 a.m. "This flight is an important milestone as NASA and SpaceX develop the next generation of U.S. spacecraft to carry the critically important experiments, payloads and supplies to our remarkable laboratory in space," said William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for NASA's Human Exploration Operations Directorate at the agency's Headquarters in Washington. SpaceX and Orbital Sciences, which will perform its own test flight later this year, have been working under NASA's COTS program, which provides investments to stimulate the commercial space industry in America. Once the companies have successfully completed their test flights, they will begin delivering regular cargo shipments to the station. "NASA is working with private industry in an unprecedented way, cultivating innovation on the path toward maintaining America's leadership in space exploration," said Philip McAlister, director for NASA's Commercial Spaceflight Development. In parallel to COTS, NASA's Commercial Crew Program is helping spur innovation and development of new spacecraft and launch vehicles from the commercial industry to develop safe, reliable and cost-effective capabilities to transport astronauts to low Earth orbit and the space station. NASA also is developing the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS), a crew capsule and heavy-lift rocket that will provide an entirely new capability for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit. Designed to be flexible for launching spacecraft for crew and cargo missions, SLS and Orion will expand human presence beyond low Earth orbit and enable new missions of exploration across the solar system.
RELEASE: 12-164 STATEMENT BY JOHN P. HOLDREN, ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, ON LAUNCH OF FALCON 9 ROCKET AND DRAGON SPACECRAFT
WASHINGTON -- Following Tuesday's launch of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft, John P. Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, issued the following statement: "Congratulations to the teams at SpaceX and NASA for this morning's successful launch of the Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Every launch into space is a thrilling event, but this one is especially exciting because it represents the potential of a new era in American spaceflight. Partnering with U.S. companies such as SpaceX to provide cargo and eventually crew service to the International Space Station is a cornerstone of the president's plan for maintaining America's leadership in space. This expanded role for the private sector will free up more of NASA's resources to do what NASA does best -- tackle the most demanding technological challenges in space, including those of human space flight beyond low Earth orbit. I could not be more proud of our NASA and SpaceX scientists and engineers, and I look forward to following this and many more missions like it."
MEDIA ADVISORY: M12-090 STATION CREW TO TAKE QUESTIONS ABOUT COMMERCIAL SPACECRAFT
HOUSTON -- International Space Station crew members will answer questions from reporters following the scheduled hatch opening of SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft. Three of the six Expedition 31 station residents will be available during a news conference that will be carried live on NASA Television and streamed on the agency's website at 10:25 a.m. CDT on Saturday, May 26. The news conference is subject to change depending on real-time operational events aboard the space station. Expedition 31 flight engineers Don Pettit and Joseph Acaba of NASA and Andre Kuipers of the European Space Agency will speak with reporters. The crew members will discuss the demonstration flight of the Dragon spacecraft and the implications of commercial spaceflight for the space station. Dragon is set to be the first commercial cargo spacecraft to berth to the station. Because this is a test flight, the Dragon is carrying non-critical cargo, including additional food and clothing for the station residents. Dragon also is carrying a collection of student experiments.
MEDIA ADVISORY: M12-092 NASA ADMINISTRATOR TO ADDRESS MEDIA AFTER SPACEX LAUNCH
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will address media representatives at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 5:00 a.m. EDT following Tuesday's SpaceX NASA demonstration flight launch to the International Space Station. The event, held in front of the Kennedy Press Site countdown clock, will be carried live on NASA Television. Following the administrator's remarks, he will conduct one-on-one interviews with reporters in attendance.
