Happy Flex Friday eve.
NASA and Human Spaceflight News
Thursday – Jan. 29, 2015
HEADLINES AND LEADS
Op-Ed | Charlie Bolden Has a Message for the Space Generation
Charles Bolden – Space News
The following is adopted from remarks prepared for a commencement address at the University of Michigan in December. As I travel the world, it's one of the greatest pleasures of my job to meet young people who are going to lead this nation — this planet — into the coming decades. Your generation is going to take the things that people of my generation started and make them your own. You're going to do things that we haven't even considered yet.
NASA Safety Panel Criticizes Commercial Crew Program for Lack of Openness
NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) released its annual report today. Among its key points is criticism of NASA's commercial crew program for its lack of openness, preventing the panel from offering "any informed opinion" on the certification process or "sufficiency of safety." The report's release coincides with NASA's Day of Remembrance in honor of the astronauts who died as the result of spaceflights. The first of those accidents, the 1967 Apollo fire, led to Congress creating ASAP to advise NASA on safety.
Kennedy Space Center honors fallen astronauts as part of NASA Day of Remembrance
Bill Jelen - Spaceflight Insider
Around 200 people gathered at the Astronaut Memorial at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Complex at 10:30 a.m. (1330 GMT) on Jan. 28, 2015 to pay tribute to the crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, as well as other NASA astronauts and ground support crew who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery.
Fire Ends Mock Mars Mission in Utah Desert
Four crewmembers simulating a mission on Mars dealt with a real-life emergency late last month — a greenhouse fire so strong that flames reached at least 10 feet (3 meters) high.
What Would It Be Like to Live on Mercury?
With its extreme temperature fluctuations, Mercury is not likely a planet that humans would ever want to colonize. But if we had the technology to survive on the planet closest to the sun, what would it be like to live there?
RSC Energia works on manned spacecraft for flights to Moon
Interfax
The Rocket and Space Corporation (RSC) Energia and Russian aerospace enterprises are working on creating a new manned spacecraft intended for missions to the Moon, Nikolai Bryukhanov, deputy general constructor of RSC Energia, said in a speech given at the Academic Recitals on Wednesday.
Closing in on Mysterious Ceres
Yet another world that may have an internal ocean.
Dirk Schulze-Makuch - Air & Space Museum Magazine
NASA's Dawn spacecraft, which is due to reach Ceres on March 6, just transmitted the sharpest images ever taken of that dwarf planet, from a distance of 147,000 miles. Discovered in 1801, Ceres is the largest of the main-belt asteroids, with a diameter of 590 miles. In fact, this one body contains about one third of the total mass in the asteroid belt located between Mars and Jupiter—enough mass that it may, like some of the moons of the outer solar system, have liquid water underneath its surface.
Mars Science Treasure Dead Ahead as Opportunity Celebrates 11th Year Alive Roving Martian Mountain
Ken Kremer – AmericaSpace
Magnificent science treasures lie dead ahead for NASA's world-famous Opportunity Mars Exploration Rover, as she celebrates an astonishing 11th year alive on the Red Planet atop a Martian mountain named Cape Tribulation on Jan. 24, 2015.
More than 300 students make learning fun at Space Center Houston
Lauren Talarico - KHOU 11 News
The sky was the limit Tuesday when it came to learning, as more than 300 kids from local middle schools dove into science, technology, engineering and math at Space Center Houston.
Can You Teach Rocket Science To Middle School Students?
Space Center Houston did just that at a workshop designed to engage students in STEM, an acronym for science, technology, engineering and math.
Hundreds of students were greeted by NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps who shared stories of her travels in space. It was all geared toward inspiring kids to pursue careers in STEM, an acronym for science, technology, engineering and math. Sixth grader Hla Aye said science was already his favorite subject, but now, he's even more eager to learn.
COMPLETE STORIES
Op-Ed | Charlie Bolden Has a Message for the Space Generation
Charles Bolden – Space News
The following is adopted from remarks prepared for a commencement address at the University of Michigan in December. As I travel the world, it's one of the greatest pleasures of my job to meet young people who are going to lead this nation — this planet — into the coming decades. Your generation is going to take the things that people of my generation started and make them your own. You're going to do things that we haven't even considered yet.
It's your generation that's going to land humans on Mars. That's an amazing thing to contemplate. The feet in the first boots on the red planet could be here in this room today. Your generation also is going to take the data from the amazing fleet of Earth observation satellites flying overhead and help us solve the challenges we face from climate change. Besides the amazing technological accomplishments I know you're going to make, you're also going to create the art and stories around our journeys farther in to the solar system. In March, an American astronaut, Scott Kelly, and a Russian cosmonaut, Mikhail Komienko, will launch to the International Space Station for a one-year mission that will further help us learn to live and work in space for the long term.
So you're going to have to really use your imagination to come up with something new that is not already being done. So much of what I encounter every day at my job was pure science fiction when I was a child: multiple spacecraft at Mars; a spacecraft on its way to Jupiter; telescopes peering across the boundaries of our solar system; American companies working on the capability to launch astronauts by 2017. Most of this is among accomplishments of the 21st century.
Right now Voyager 1, a spacecraft launched in 1977, has become the first man-made object to reach interstellar space. That means it has left the solar system. It is truly out in the great unknown.
I'm sure many of you have younger brothers and sisters, and if they're younger than age 14, they've never known a time in their lives — not one second — when there has not been continuous human habitation in space aboard the International Space Station.
A child born today will never have known a time when commercial companies were not regularly carrying cargo to space.
Those of you before me today will now spread out across the world with your knowledge and your curiosity. You'll realize that what you learned here is only the beginning of your story. Like my systems engineers always tell me, there is just nothing that can take the place of what you learn on the job.
For them, this means developing and troubleshooting the complex systems that run spacecraft and propel them at thousands of miles per hour through space like the Orion spacecraft that recently made its first flight test to simulate a re-entry from a lunar mission.
In case any of you were wondering, Orion is the spacecraft you're going to travel on to an asteroid and Mars.
I like to tell the students that I meet in my travels all around the world that they are the space generation because of the things I just mentioned — that they will be developing those human missions to Mars, and it's a certainty they will expand on the human exploration of space.
But beyond that, you all are the space generation because of the expansive way you look at our world, our universe and the possibilities they contain.
You routinely talk with colleagues half a world away, whether it's via Skype or social media. In fact, science has become the new language of diplomacy as people seeking knowledge transcend boundaries and they no longer need to travel to meet face to face.
In your lifetime, you can contemplate conclusively locating a world like Earth orbiting a star in another solar system.
You can and should believe that the man-made challenges facing us on a global scale can be overcome with even greater efforts at cooperation across international lines. Here at home, you must ensure that we provide peace and justice for all our citizens no matter their race, creed or national origin.
You live in a world where astronauts from many nations fly together in space every single day, and where we're preparing to extend the human presence farther into the solar system.
I like to tell people that what NASA does is important for inspiring the next generation, but really, I think you already have that spark and it's up to you now to fan it for those who are at this moment just children. It's now your time and your responsibility to pick up the mantle of leadership and mentorship for the generations that will follow you. I never dreamed of being an astronaut and flying in space, and none of that would have occurred and I would not be standing before you today had it not been for the mentorship and encouragement of a kind and generous man, the late Dr. Ron McNair, who challenged me to not be afraid of challenging myself — to believe what my Mom and Dad had told me for as long as I can remember — that I could do anything I wanted to do.
But I would have to be willing to study hard and work hard to attain my goals — I would have to have faith in my ability and myself.
Many of you are blessed to have the same type of people in your lives. I hope that you will decide to provide the same support for others in the months and years ahead. That's truly how the next giant leaps happen.
I know that Michigan prides itself on its diversity and its commitment to research. Those are the exact things that are enabling the global cooperation that is going to land humans on Mars in the 2030s and extend our scientific knowledge beyond what any one nation can accomplish.
NASA launched the Global Precipitation Measurement mission with Japan in 2014. Five other nations provided instruments for the Curiosity rover that we landed on Mars in August 2012 — nations that may have never been able to say they landed anything on Mars had they not partnered with the U.S. Many nations will have instruments on the next rover we send to Mars in 2020. The first woman from Italy to fly in space is aboard the space station right now. There are countless more examples of how our world is more unified than divided.
Whatever field you will be entering, my advice for you is quite simple: Dream big dreams; do what you want to do; don't listen to anyone who tells you can't do something or you don't belong; do your job and do it very well; and don't let the opportunity to make a difference in your world pass you by.
The writer Zora Neale Hurston said, "No matter how far a person can go, the horizon is still way beyond you."
There's truly much to behold on the horizon, and all of you are at the leading edge of reaching for it, no matter what your field of expertise. In fact, a spacecraft named New Horizons that has been traveling for nine years already on its way to Pluto in 2015 just woke up in December. We've never seen that icy dwarf planet up close, but we will soon.
As much as humanity has done, we will never be done.
I can't tell you with certainty how things will look in 10 years, but I expect that many of you will help lead us to a better world. Not just more prosperous, but filled with more fairness, opportunity, freedom, creativity and love. It's been said, "The best way to predict the future is to invent it."
That is our mission and this is your moment.
NASA Safety Panel Criticizes Commercial Crew Program for Lack of Openness
NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) released its annual report today. Among its key points is criticism of NASA's commercial crew program for its lack of openness, preventing the panel from offering "any informed opinion" on the certification process or "sufficiency of safety." The report's release coincides with NASA's Day of Remembrance in honor of the astronauts who died as the result of spaceflights. The first of those accidents, the 1967 Apollo fire, led to Congress creating ASAP to advise NASA on safety.
The panel's criticism of the commercial crew program was direct and unambiguous and levied at the very beginning of the report so as not to be missed:
"Within NASA, there are outstanding examples of programs that have inculcated a culture of clear and candid communications. Their approach to accountability, good systems engineering, and respect, both up and down the organization chart, would find strong favor with the authors of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board Report.
"The Commercial Crew Program (CCP) is an exception to the culture of open communications. Regrettably, the Panel has been denied the necessary timely access to information and is therefore unable to offer any informed opinion regarding the adequacy of the certification process or the sufficiency of safety in the CCP. The NASA Administrator has committed to making the changes necessary to resolve this situation and to ensuring that these barriers are removed going forward into 2015."
ASAP's complaint comes just two days after NASA held a press conference with its commercial crew partners, Boeing and SpaceX, to herald the progress they are making to provide services to take astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS) by the end of 2017.
In a color-coded "traffic signal" chart later in the report, ASAP rated "risk transparency -- Insight and communications" as red, meaning an issue of "long-standing concern or an issue that has not been adequately addressed by NASA." It is the only one of nine areas designated that way. In describing its concerns in that area, ASAP includes not only commercial crew, but the Space Launch System and Orion programs.
"Risk communications concerning commercial crew activities by the Director of Commercial Spaceflight Development has been less than forthcoming. Because Probabilistic Risk Assessment results provide a risk assessment of the design capability at maturity, actual risks for early operations of the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion could be significantly higher than the calculated or 'advertised' risk. Because the perception of external stakeholders is vitally important, NASA's Office of Communications must be cautious not to create or reinforce inaccurate perceptions of risk."
A second key concern of the panel is what it calls the need for "constancy of purpose" at NASA. It reflects the panel's assessment that there is a "perceived lack of a well-defined mission for NASA's space program" and a mismatch between NASA's budget and what it is expected to do. Reiterating what it said in prior years, ASAP finds that it is "imperative that NASA unambiguously articulate a well-defined purpose, including a path toward the execution of that mission, the technologies that need to be developed and matured, and the resources needed to accomplish that mission."
ASAP criticizes NASA's current "capabilities-based approach" which it believes is driven by budgets rather than a "purposeful, schedule-driven, goal-oriented endeavor." While acknowledging that may be a pragmatic approach that could bridge a transition between presidential administrations, ASAP believes NASA would be better served to "focus on doing fewer things and on doing them better."
Without a clear and consistent goal, ASAP worries that schedule will become a "casualty" that could affect SLS and Orion in particular.
The panel expressed other concerns about Orion and its use for the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM). The panel assessed ARM itself as "a reasonable approach to a mission that is achievable," but worries that the lack of an airlock on Orion adds risk because the entire capsule will have to be depressurized to allow the crew to exit and collect samples of the asteroid. That means the crew will be entirely reliant on their spacesuits. The spacesuits used for ISS spacewalks are "unworkable" for Orion, ASAP said, and although NASA officials have indicated that they have no plans to develop new spacesuits for ARM, ASAP suggests otherwise: "design and development of new-design suits, while underway, are still preliminary and untested." In addition, the panel notes, Orion is small and does not have much room for astronauts to move about or exercise even though the missions may last as long as three weeks: "This long duration, crew habitability risk remains to be assessed and evaluated in order to develop an objective mission risk estimate."
ASAP also is concerned about the small number of flights planned for SLS in terms of maintaining ground crew proficiency. SLS and Orion are part of NASA's Exploration Systems Development (ESD) program, which ASAP rates as "progressing very well." but "there is much more work to be done ... [in] defining the risks and the road to Mars. These risks should continue to be communicated openly and transparently."
The full ASAP report is posted on NASA's website. ASAP submits it both to NASA and to Congress. ASAP chairman Vice Admiral Joseph Dyer (retired) typically is invited to testify to Congress about the panel's findings each year.
ASAP was created by Congress in the NASA Authorization Act of 1968 (P.L. 90-67) following the January 27, 1967 Apollo fire that killed Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee during a pre-launch ground test of what was expected to be the first Apollo mission. Fourteen more astronauts subsequently died in two space shuttle accidents. The January 28, 1986 space shuttle Challenger tragedy killed NASA astronauts Francis "Dick" Scobee, Mike Smith, Ron McNair, Ellison Onizuka and Judy Resnik; Hughes Aircraft engineer Greg Jarvis; and New Hampshire schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. On February 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated during its return to Earth, killing NASA astronauts Rick Husband, William McCool, Michael Anderson, David Brown, Kalpana Chawla, and Laurel Clark, and Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon.
Each year NASA holds a Day of Remembrance honoring all the astronauts who lost their lives in spaceflights. Today is NASA's 2015 Day of Remembrance, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, members of the Challenger families and others participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington Cemetery. Several NASA centers held their own remembrance events.
Kennedy Space Center honors fallen astronauts as part of NASA Day of Remembrance
Bill Jelen - Spaceflight Insider
Around 200 people gathered at the Astronaut Memorial at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Complex at 10:30 a.m. (1330 GMT) on Jan. 28, 2015 to pay tribute to the crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, as well as other NASA astronauts and ground support crew who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery.
None of the family of the fallen astronauts were in attendance on the clear, sunny day which greeted the event. Before the ceremony, individuals approached the fence around the memorial and inserted carnations in the fence railing. Among those leaving flowers were astronaut Wendy Lawrence, a veteran of four shuttle missions, including STS-114, the return to flight after the Columbia disaster. Also in attendance was Florida Senator Thad Altman.
Long-time Launch Director (LD) Bob Sieck was also in attendance. He talked about his 1963-1999 tenure, and that incidents like this – were a sad part of the business. He noted that Challenger's crew were aware of the risks.
He recalled, "It was their mission to accept this risk. On the other hand, they would be the first to say, 'We should move on'. Don't dwell. Understand what happened. Reflect. Honor. Then move on."
Over 50 students from Ilan Roman High School in Beersheba, Israel were in attendance. This is the twelfth year that the school, named after Columbia STS-107 astronaut Ilan Roman, has sent a contingent for the ceremony.
Many other present and former NASA employees were in attendance. Unlike the previous night's memorial for Apollo 1, the attendees who worked on the 1986 and 2003 launches continue to attend these events.
The colors were presented by a color guard from the Junior ROTC program from Merritt Island High School.
Susie Cunningham sang the national anthem. A large wreath with the words "Fallen Heroes" was placed at the memorial by Kennedy Deputy Director Janet Petro, Kennedy's Associate Director Kelvin Manning, and President and Chief Executive Officer of The Astronauts Memorial Foundation, Senator Altman.
Janet Petro thanked the crowd for attending today's Day of Reflection. She noted that a similar wreath was being presented at Arlington National Cemetery today by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden.
She seemed to be addressing the NASA employees in attendance when she said, "These fallen heroes have made the ultimate sacrifice. There are hard lessons that we've learned. Reflect today if there was something we could have done differently. Think about how to prevent similar tragedies going forward."
The colors were retired and the ceremony concluded at 10:36 a.m. EST (1336 GMT).
Many people in the audience have a personal story to tell about their connection to one of the missions. One notable story was that of Canadian Mark Gotch. Gotch recalls driving from Clearwater to West Palm Beach in 1986 when he took a detour on the 528 Beeline tollway to watch Challenger launch. He detailed how he got out of his car and snapped six photos using his film camera.
Months later, after returning to Canada and processing the film, he sent enlargements of the photos in to the team investigating the Challenger disaster. He eventually received a typewritten thank you letter from Charles J. Stevenson who was the head of the investigative team examining all photos from the launch. Stevenson said that one of Gotch's photos was a key to understanding how the crew cabin separated from the shuttle.
As a result, the crew capsule would be redesigned, paving the way to safety for all future shuttle crews. Gotch said, "You can't understand. It is beyond comprehension what this day means to me. To be here, 29 years later, it is just incredible. It brings it all together."
Today's ceremony is only part of NASA's National Day of Remembrance, as NASA administrator Charlie Bolden visited Arlington National Cemetery for a 90-minute wreath laying ceremony. During this morning's ceremony Bolden addressed NASA personnel and others, and wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration.
Bolden remarked, "Today we remember and give thanks for the lives and contributions of those who gave all trying to push the boundaries of human achievement. They have our eternal respect, love and gratitude."
He went on to say, "Today, their legacy lives on as the International Space Station (ISS) fulfills its promise as a symbol of hope for the world and a springboard to future missions. Our lost friends are with us in the strivings of all of our missions to take humans to destinations and to unlock the secrets of our universe."
On Thursday, Jan. 29, at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, a candle lighting ceremony will be held led by center director Patrick Scheuermann along with former shuttle astronaut astronaut Robert "Hoot" Gibson at 9 a.m. CST (1330 GMT).
Fire Ends Mock Mars Mission in Utah Desert
Four crewmembers simulating a mission on Mars dealt with a real-life emergency late last month — a greenhouse fire so strong that flames reached at least 10 feet (3 meters) high.
On Dec. 29, the first day of their mission, the crew noticed an unusual power surge in their habitat at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), in the Utah desert near the small town of Hanksville. A few minutes later, somebody spotted smoke coming from the greenhouse.
Crew commander Nick Orenstein, an experienced camper who has built bonfires in the past, ran outside to take a look. He said he figured the group could take on the fire, because the smoke was blowing away from the habitat, and only one shelf inside the greenhouse was aflame. At that time, the fire was about the size of three overstuffed chairs. [Mock Mars Mission Photos: Life on a Simulated Red Planet]
"This is a moment where instinct took over, the instinct of fight or flight, and we had fight," Orenstein told Space.com. "There really wasn't a question at the moment."
It took the crew about half an hour to bring the fire under control. Orenstein and crew engineer Dmitry Smirnov used all available fire extinguishers on site, but even after the extinguishers were exhausted and the power cut, the fire was still not out.
"We put out the rest by putting water on the flames," Orenstein recalled.
The four-person crew was barely able to deal with the emergency, he added. "Six or seven [people], to me, seems realistic as the adequate number of people to handle a situation like this most effectively."
The middle of the greenhouse, which was called the GreenHab, was destroyed. An investigation by the fire marshal determined two days later that an electrical heater caused the fire, which was ruled an accident. The heater was set up close to some wooden shelves that had likely dried out over more than 10 years of use, said Orenstein, who is also the volunteer MDRS GreenHab coordinator.
Crew effects
In response to a 911 call, the Lane County sheriff came to MDRS later on Dec. 29, after the crew had successfully fought the fire. (The isolated location of the facility means it usually takes some time for emergency services to arrive.) The sheriff did a preliminary investigation and confirmed that nobody was hurt, Orenstein said.
Orenstein's crew, the 146th one to use the habitat, decided it was best to stay in Hanksville temporarily, for two reasons — there were no fire extinguishers left at the research station, and there was some concern about chemical contamination in the habitat from the fire.
"My responsibilities for the next few days were to look after the crew and to make sure that they were OK," Orenstein said. "Essentially, it was a post-tramautic stress therapy session there. We were making sure we were all OK, and looking out for each other."
For the next two days, the crew commuted back and forth to MDRS and coordinated with emergency officials before deciding to end the simulation early, on Dec. 31. They drove back to the hotel in Grand Junction, Colorado, where they had met up before the simulation began. Two crewmembers went home, while Orenstein and Smirnov remained in Colorado for a couple of weeks.
MDRS director Shannon Rupert and a few other MDRS officials did extra cleanup before the next crew arrived, and Orenstein went back to the facility briefly for the Crew 147 handover later in January. A temporary tentlike greenhouse is now available for experiments to go forward this season, Rupert added.
"It's devastating because it's a loss of a functional component of the campus," Rupert told Space.com. "But it could have been so much worse. Everyone was safe. That was the main thing. Everybody got out."
Replacement plans
Rupert said there is no estimate available for how much the GreenHab cost — it was funded and built by Explore Mars board member Gary Fisher — but she has been told a replacement structure would be worth at least $40,000. Rupert said she hopes to construct it for a quarter of the price using volunteer labor. Funding would come from donations from the nonprofit Mars Society, which runs MDRS.
Orenstein said the design for the new GreenHab hasn't yet been set, but Rupert added some preliminary ideas include partially burying the greenhouse and using no materials made of wood. [The 9 Coolest Mock Space Missions] "The GreenHab as a greenhouse wasn't cost-effective; we had to keep it heated and cooled. The idea is this will be much easier to maintain," Rupert said.
The Fisher GreenHab was the second greenhouse built at MDRS, after the first one collapsed under heavy winds. Built in 2003, the structure was first used for five years as an experimental water recycling system.
The GreenHab was reconfigured in 2009 for use as a greenhouse, after concerns were raised that the water-recycling system would not be able to support crews properly. Crops for crews were grown for three seasons. A "Zen Garden" was also available for crews inside the GreenHab, allowing for a small spot to retreat from the main habitat for privacy.
The Mars Society aims to have a replacement structure ready in time for the 2015-16 field season, which begins this fall.
What Would It Be Like to Live on Mercury?
Editor's note: Have you ever wondered what it might be like to homestead on Mars or walk on the moons of Saturn? So did we. This is the first in Space.com's 12-part series on what it might be like to live on or near planets in our solar system, and beyond. Check back each week for the next space destination. With its extreme temperature fluctuations, Mercury is not likely a planet that humans would ever want to colonize. But if we had the technology to survive on the planet closest to the sun, what would it be like to live there?
To date, only two spacecraft have visited Mercury. The first, Mariner 10, conducted a series of Mercury flybys in 1974, but the spacecraft only saw the lit half of the planet. NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft, on the other hand, conducted flybys and then entered Mercury's orbit — in March of 2013, images from the spacecraft allowed scientists to completely map the planet for the first time. [Living on Mercury Would Be Hard (Infographic)] MESSENGER photos of Mercury show that the planet has water ice at its poles, which sit in permanent darkness. Mining this ice would be a good way to live off the land, but setting up bases at the poles might not be a good idea, said David Blewett, a participating scientist with the Messenger program. "The polar regions would give you some respite from the strength of the sun on Mercury," Blewett told Space.com. "But, of course, it's really cold in those permanently shadowed areas where the ice is, and that presents its own challenge." A better option, he said, would probably be to set up a home base not far from one of the ice caps, perhaps on a crater rim, and have a water mining operation at the pole.
Still, dealing with extreme temperatures on Mercury would likely be unavoidable: Daytime temperatures on the planet can reach 800 degrees Fahrenheit (430 degrees Celsius), while nighttime temperatures can drop down to minus 290 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 180 degrees Celsius).
Scientists once believed Mercury was tidally locked with the sun, meaning that one side of the planet always faces the sun because it takes the same amount of time to rotate around its axis as it does to revolve around the star. But we now know that Mercury's day lasts almost 59 Earth days and its year stretches for about 88 Earth days.
Interestingly, the sun has an odd path through the planet's sky over the course of Mercury's long day, because of the interaction between Mercury's spin rate and its highly elliptical orbit around the sun.
"It [the sun] rises in the east and moves across the sky, and then it pauses and moves backwards just a tad. It then resumes its motion towards the west and sunset," said Blewett, adding that the sun appears 2.5 times larger in Mercury's sky than it does in Earth's sky.
And during the day, Mercury's sky would appear black, not blue, because the planet has virtually no atmosphere to scatter the sun's light. "Here on Earth at sea level, the molecules of air are colliding billions of times per second," Blewett said. "But on Mercury, the atmosphere, or 'exosphere,' is so very rarefied that the atoms essentially never collide with other exosphere atoms." This lack of atmosphere also means that the stars wouldn't twinkle at night.
Without an atmosphere, Mercury doesn't have any weather; so while living on the planet, you wouldn't have to worry about devastating storms. And since the planet has no bodies of liquid water or active volcanoes, you'd be safe from tsunamis and eruptions.
But Mercury isn't devoid of natural disasters. "The surface is exposed to impacts of all sizes," Blewett said. It also may suffer from earthquakes due to compressive forces that are shrinking the planet (unlike Earth, Mercury doesn't have tectonic activity).
Mercury is about two-fifths the size of Earth, with a similar gravity to Mars, or about 38 percent of Earth's gravity. This means that you could jump three times as high on Mercury, and heavy objects would be easier to pick up, Blewett said. However, everything would still have the same mass and inertia, so you could be knocked over if someone threw a heavy object at you, he added.
Finally, you can forget about a smooth Skype call home: It takes at least 5 minutes for signals from Mercury to reach Earth, and vice versa.
RSC Energia works on manned spacecraft for flights to Moon
Interfax
The Rocket and Space Corporation (RSC) Energia and Russian aerospace enterprises are working on creating a new manned spacecraft intended for missions to the Moon, Nikolai Bryukhanov, deputy general constructor of RSC Energia, said in a speech given at the Academic Recitals on Wednesday.
"RSC Energia is working on the spacecraft. We are the head organization, and there is a lot of cooperation on the development and production of this spacecraft," he said.
"The main task of the new ship is to take the crew to high orbits, including the orbit around the Moon and back," he said.
Bryukhanov reiterated that the UN requirements on the non-contamination of space and on ground infrastructure safety are fulfilled in the course of this work.
"After the compartments separate, the propulsion compartment gives an additional impulse and ensures its burning over the Pacific Ocean," he said.
Closing in on Mysterious Ceres
Yet another world that may have an internal ocean.
Dirk Schulze-Makuch - Air & Space Museum Magazine
NASA's Dawn spacecraft, which is due to reach Ceres on March 6, just transmitted the sharpest images ever taken of that dwarf planet, from a distance of 147,000 miles. Discovered in 1801, Ceres is the largest of the main-belt asteroids, with a diameter of 590 miles. In fact, this one body contains about one third of the total mass in the asteroid belt located between Mars and Jupiter—enough mass that it may, like some of the moons of the outer solar system, have liquid water underneath its surface.
Last month at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union, Jian-Yang Li of the Planetary Science Institute and colleagues suggested that water must have played a significant role in the evolution of Ceres. Spectral reflectance measurements of its surface reveal tell-tale signs of hydrated minerals and carbonate rocks—indications of liquid water sometime in the dwarf planet's past. By some estimates, water might account for up to 40 percent of Ceres' mass, though most of it would be in the form of ice.
Planetary evolution models also suggest that liquid water would have been present on early Ceres, and would have driven hydrothermal activity for a few tens of million years after the body formed. If that is the case, Ceres may once have harbored a subsurface ocean, and pockets of liquid water may still exist under its icy crust—particularly if radioactive material still provides heating from the interior. Ceres is large enough that this is an intriguing possibility.
The astrobiological potential of Ceres has already been noted by scientists contributing to a NASA survey of priorities for solar system exploration. Ceres is intermediate in nature between the rocky bodies of the inner Solar System and the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn. While the outer solar system is extremely rich in organic material, combining that with the rock and water composition of the inner planets would increase the potential for habitability. Since Ceres has no atmosphere, we would not expect life to exist close to the surface, but it may be viable underneath the icy crust.
As the Dawn spacecraft closes in on Ceres, little is known about the object. We don't know, for example, whether the water vapor seen emanating from it is due to internal heating (as on Europa and Enceladus) or simply from ice sublimating on the asteroid's surface. Dawn's exploration of Ceres may therefore turn up a few surprises.
Mars Science Treasure Dead Ahead as Opportunity Celebrates 11th Year Alive Roving Martian Mountain
Ken Kremer – AmericaSpace
Magnificent science treasures lie dead ahead for NASA's world-famous Opportunity Mars Exploration Rover, as she celebrates an astonishing 11th year alive on the Red Planet atop a Martian mountain named Cape Tribulation on Jan. 24, 2015.
Just how unfathomable is that astounding accomplishment?
"It's about 10.5 more years on Mars than I ever thought we'd get!" Prof. Steve Squyres, the rover's Science Principal Investigator of Cornell University, said exclusively to AmericaSpace.
And a huge cache of long-sought-after water-altered minerals providing clues to habitability for potential Martian microbes, if they ever existed, now lies just about 200 meters away!
It's the realization of an impossible dream no one ever dared to imagine during the nail-biting touchdown 11 years ago.
Recall that Opportunity and her twin sister Spirit were given an expected lifetime of merely three months—a "warranty" of 90 Martian days (Sols) as Squyres and Co. like to say. Spirit endured over six years before succumbing to Antarctic-like winter temperatures.
"The symbolic value of reaching a major summit on Mars eleven years into a 90-day mission can't be underestimated," noted Squyres, who has led the rover mission during more than a decade and a half of conception, development, launch, landing, and breathtaking science operations across the stunningly beautiful but inhospitable surface floor of the alien Red Planet.
The six-wheeled Opportunity rover reached the summit of Cape Tribulation just days prior to the 11th anniversary (Sol 3911) of her daunting air-bag assisted touchdown on Jan. 24, 2004, on Mars.
After bouncing about a dozen times, she rolled to a stop after falling down inside Eagle crater—for a 250-million-mile hole-in-one-shot from Earth to Mars!
You can see the entire 11-year overland traverse of Opportunity, and her current location, in our exclusive route map below.
Opportunity has been on a crater-hopping expedition ever since and making remarkable discoveries unmasking the history of flowing liquid water on Mars billions of years ago when it was far warmer, wetter, and more hospitable to life than today.
"It is amazing to me that we are moving into yet another year with Opportunity," Prof. Ray Arvidson, the rover Deputy Principal Investigator of Washington University, told AmericaSpace.
Today is Sol 3914, and that's an unbelievable 44 times beyond her expected warranty.
Think of it like this: It's as though we launched 44 rovers to explore the Red Planet for the price of one rover launch, way back in the summer of 2003 on a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral. That's more than an Earth decade ago.
Opportunity reached the peak of Cape Tribulation on Jan. 6, 2015, overlooking humongous Endeavour crater for a once-in-a-lifetime vista across its vast expanse.
See Mars as it looks today from Opportunity's mountaintop vantage point in our exclusive new mosaic above.
Endeavour crater spans some 22 kilometers (14 miles) in diameter.
Cape Tribulation sits along a ridge of the eroded western rim of Endeavour crater. She arrived at the giant crater in the summer of 2011 after an arduous and nearly three-year-long trek from Victoria crater, which was a bold gamble since no one know whether it would succeed.
After exploring some rim segments for about two years, it took about a year and a half for the rover to climb about 440 feet (about 135 meters) in elevation to the summit from a lower section of the Endeavour rim that it crossed in mid-2013, "Botany Bay."
The mountain peak is called "Summit Lithology," says Arvidson.
Overall the summit has an elevation of 1380 meters, and the view from "Summit Lithology" offers a commanding 360 degree panoramic view of the alien surroundings from the highest peak she will ever climb.
"Summit Lithology" also counts as the highest elevation Opportunity has reached in seven years since departing Victoria Crater in 2008 on a down-slope journey to Endeavour Crater.
The team commanded the robot to gather a pair of incomparable panoramas from the pancam and navcam cameras on Sol 3894, as well as summit science during a stay of some two weeks.
The pancam panorama shown herein is newly released from the rover team. It includes an image of the U.S. flag printed on the rover's rock abrasion tool held high that is intended as a memorial to victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center in New York.
The navcam summit panorama and approach imagery shown herein were created by Ken Kremer and Marco Di Lorenzo.
"The drive that put us on the summit was executed on Sol 3894," said Squyres.
Endeavour crater spans some 22 kilometers (14 miles) in diameter.
Cape Tribulation sits along a ridge of the eroded western rim of Endeavour crater. She arrived at the giant crater in the summer of 2011 after an arduous and nearly three-year-long trek from Victoria crater, which was a bold gamble since no one know whether it would succeed.
After exploring some rim segments for about two years, it took about a year and a half for the rover to climb about 440 feet (about 135 meters) in elevation to the summit from a lower section of the Endeavour rim that it crossed in mid-2013, "Botany Bay."
The mountain peak is called "Summit Lithology," says Arvidson.
Overall the summit has an elevation of 1380 meters, and the view from "Summit Lithology" offers a commanding 360 degree panoramic view of the alien surroundings from the highest peak she will ever climb.
"Summit Lithology" also counts as the highest elevation Opportunity has reached in seven years since departing Victoria Crater in 2008 on a down-slope journey to Endeavour Crater.
The team commanded the robot to gather a pair of incomparable panoramas from the pancam and navcam cameras on Sol 3894, as well as summit science during a stay of some two weeks.
The pancam panorama shown herein is newly released from the rover team. It includes an image of the U.S. flag printed on the rover's rock abrasion tool held high that is intended as a memorial to victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center in New York.
The navcam summit panorama and approach imagery shown herein were created by Ken Kremer and Marco Di Lorenzo.
How far away is Marathon Valley? What is the origin of the name?
"We are about 220 meters from Spirit of Saint Louis crater," Arvidson said.
"Spirit of Saint Louis' crater is at the entrance to Marathon Valley. Its named that because the rover will have traveled one marathon's distance to reach it!"
What is the near-term roving/science plan? Plans for mobility during the upcoming Martian winter?
"Looking forward to getting to Spirit of Saint Louis crater and to Marathon Valley," stated Arvidson.
"Working out a plan for exploration with the team this week. Hope to have some mobility during the winter."
"It's all downhill (about 70 m down in elevation) from here," according to rover science team member Larry Crumpler, of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science (NMMNHS), in an update.
The ancient, weathered slopes around Marathon Valley hold a motherlode of "phyllosilicate" clay minerals, based on data obtained from the extensive orbital measurements made by the Mars orbiting CRISM spectrometer accomplished earlier at the direction of Arvidson.
Phyllosilicate clay minerals form in neutral water more conducive to the origin of life.
The clay minerals were detected from orbit by the CRISM spectrometer aboard NASA's powerful Martian "Spysat"—the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)—while gathering context data at rock outcrops along the long and winding way over the past few years.
The robot's science team specifically directed Opportunity toward Cape Tribulation several years ago, based on the detection of abundant exposures of aluminum-rich clay minerals at a spot a bit beyond the summit called "Marathon Valley," using the spectral measurements from CRISM and MRO.
As of today Opportunity's total odometry is over 25.9 miles (41.7 kilometers) since touchdown on Jan. 24, 2004, at Meridiani Planum.
The rover has driven an additional 1.7 miles and 2.7 kilometers over the past year.
On July 27, 2014, the long-lived rover set the "off-Earth roving distance record after accruing 25 miles (40 kilometers) of driving. The previous record was held by the Soviet Union's Lunokhod 2 rover," according to NASA"s Jet Propulsion Laboratory which manages the rover mission.
So far she has snapped over 200,240 amazing images on the first overland expedition across the Red Planet.
NASA's long-term goal is to send Humans to Mars in the 2030s, and Opportunity and sister rover Curiosity are paving the path to the Red Planet.
Stay tuned here for continuing developments from Earth's invasion fleet at Mars.
To view entire story and imagery, visit:
More than 300 students make learning fun at Space Center Houston
Lauren Talarico - KHOU 11 News
The sky was the limit Tuesday when it came to learning, as more than 300 kids from local middle schools dove into science, technology, engineering and math at Space Center Houston.
"We know that if we can get a kid's hands dirty," explained Richard Allen, President at Space Center Houston, "if we can get them out of the classroom, get them involved in programs where they're actually doing something, it's much easier to learn!"
Students were learning in different ways, "I made a parachute for the Orion station!" said Jean-Michel Torrez, a 6th grade student.
They also used models of the Mars Rover, picking up "samples" in a similar way the real one does. There were even several gravity chairs, which gave kids the chance to experience a bit of weightlessness.
"It makes it fun and you don't just do paperwork!" said another student, Mercedes Diaz.
This was a way for students to figure out that real world examples of STEM uses are exciting.
They also got to mingle with Jeanette Epps, an astronaut at NASA.
"As a kid watching science-fiction and then getting involved in science and technology," said Epps, "you think of the possibilities and you can create new things that way. I want the students to be able to visualize; if they see me they can see themselves doing the same thing in the future."
Tuesday it was okay for the kids to get their heads out of the books and into the clouds.
It was made possible due to a joint effort of Space Center Houston, NASA, the Houston Rockets and Houston Community College System.
Can You Teach Rocket Science To Middle School Students?
Space Center Houston did just that at a workshop designed to engage students in STEM, an acronym for science, technology, engineering and math.
Hundreds of students were greeted by NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps who shared stories of her travels in space. It was all geared toward inspiring kids to pursue careers in STEM, an acronym for science, technology, engineering and math. Sixth grader Hla Aye said science was already his favorite subject, but now, he's even more eager to learn.
"It was very exciting," he said. "I never met a real life astronaut."
Students also launched mini rockets and bounced around in gravity chairs. Science teacher Roshundria King said activities like these get students engaged with STEM subjects.
"Once you're able to build something, you see the creativity and actually how it works instead of just reading it all day," King said.
That's just what the Space Center team hopes to accomplish. Director Richard Allen said they want to reach out to young students as they're deciding what career to pursue.
"So when they leave here they go, 'You know, I think I want to go find out some more about robotic hands, or about astronaut safety, or about building rockets,'" he said.
This was the first time the Space Center has hosted the workshop. Allen said he wants to continue hosting the event in future years.
END
| | JSC TODAY CATEGORIES - Headlines
- 3 JSC Tech Briefs Featured - Jan. 2015 Publication
- Today: Day of Remembrance & Tree Planting
- Heard of the Space Station Research Explorer App?
- JSC NMA and BALaNCE Presents - Natalie V. Saiz
- JLT Web Poll - Organizations/Social
- Today! Get WELL with Lauri Hansen
- AIAA Houston Dinner Meeting: Dr. Randii Wessen
- NASA at the Movies - Screening for "Spare Parts"
- What's New With Engineers Without Borders-JSC
- JSC NMA Presents: General Jeff "Beak" Howell - Jobs and Training
- SEPMAP Development Program Info/Prep Session
- Creating Effective Environments: Virtual Workshop - Community
- Gregg Elementary Science Fair Mentors Needed
- Yuri's Night Houston 5k - Early Bird Ends Edition |  |
| Headlines - 3 JSC Tech Briefs Featured - Jan. 2015 Publication
The newest edition of NASA Tech Briefs magazine features three new innovative technologies from here at JSC. The Jan. NASA Tech Briefs publication introduces information on advanced research and technology programs developed through NASA in the following categories: Electrical/Electronics, Communications and Materials & Coatings. The JSC work highlighted includes: PATTERNS: Panoptic Aspect Time Triggered Ethernet Robust Network Scheduler, Version 1.0 (Inventor: Jeremy Moreau); E-Textile Antenna Tuning Stitches (Inventors: Timothy Kennedy, Patrick Fink, Andrew Chu and Gregory Lin); and Selective Functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes (Inventors: Michael Strano, Paul Barone, Monica Usrey, Christopher Dyke, James Tour, Wilbur Kittrell, Robert Hauge and Richard Smalley). - Today: Day of Remembrance & Tree Planting
Today, Jan. 29, NASA will commemorate the men and women lost in the agency's space exploration program by celebrating their lives, their bravery and advancements in human spaceflight. All employees are encouraged to observe a moment of silence at their workplace or the commemorative tree grove located behind and adjacent to Building 110 to remember our friends and colleagues. At 10 a.m., we will honor the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia. Following will be a tree-planting ceremony for William R. Pogue, former NASA astronaut. A T-38 flyover is planned for approximately 10:40 a.m. over the center as tribute to the heroes who lost their lives serving our nation's great space program. These astronauts and their families will always be a part of the NASA family, and we will continue to honor their contributions. Our Day of Remembrance commemorates not only the men and women lost in NASA's space exploration program and their courage, but celebrates human space exploration since then. Apollo 1 (Jan. 27, 1967): Astronauts Roger B. Chaffee, Virgil "Gus" Grissom and Edward H. White Jr. Challenger (Jan. 28, 1986): Astronauts Francis R. "Dick" Scobee, Michael J. Smith, Judith A. Resnik, Ronald E. McNair, Ellison S. Onizuka, Gregory B. Jarvis and S. Christa McAuliffe Columbia (Feb. 1, 2003): Astronauts Rick D. Husband, William C. McCool, Michael P. Anderson, David M. Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel B. Clark and Ilan Ramon Colonel William Reid Pogue, USAF Retired (Mar. 3, 2014): Pogue, came to JSC from an assignment at Edwards Air Force Base, California, where he had been an instructor at the Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School since October 1965. He gained proficiency in more than 50 types and models of American and British aircraft and was qualified as a civilian flight instructor. He logged 7,200 hours flight time - including 4,200 hours in jet aircraft and 2,017 hours in space flight. Colonel Pogue was one of the 19 astronauts selected by NASA in April 1966. He served as a member of the astronaut support crews for the Apollo 7, 11, and 14 missions. Pogue was pilot of Skylab 4 (84 days, 1 hour and 15 minutes.) He also logged 13 hours and 31 minutes in two spacewalks outside the orbital workshop. After his NASA retirement, Pogue worked as a consultant to the aerospace industry, producer of general videos on space flight and authored several nonfiction and fiction books.
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- Heard of the Space Station Research Explorer App?
Have you ever wondered about the hundreds of experiments conducted on the ISS? Then don't miss the JSC SAIC/Safety and Mission Assurance Speaker Forum featuring Sharon Goza, IGOAL Lab Manager. Learn how to install/utilize the Space Station Research Explorer App: - Access current information on ISS experiments, facilities and research results through video, photos, interactive media and in-depth descriptions
- Date/Time: Wednesday, Feb. 4, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (CST)
- Location: JSC Gilruth Alamo Ballroom
- JSC NMA and BALaNCE Presents - Natalie V. Saiz
JSC NMA Presents: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization - Natalie V. Saiz. Natalie is a collaborative leader, who is currently serving on a special assignment to building stronger teams across JSC. She has an exemplary record of service as JSC's HR Director for the past 11 years. Tribal Leaders focus on building the tribe—or upgrading the tribal culture. If they succeed, the tribe recognizes them as the leader, giving them discretionary effort, cult-like loyalty and a track record of success. Divisions and companies run by Tribal Leaders set the standard of performance in their industries, from productivity and profitability, to employee retention. RSVP- Bridget Montgomery Niese Please bring your lunch. - JLT Web Poll
Most folks would prefer a "vacation" stay onboard the ISS in the range of a week to two weeks versus a day or two or a year or two. You think Neanderthal man's first sentence was probably about burning himself in his newly discovered fire. One reader suggested "yes, dear" as an alternative answer and I thought that one was pretty good myself. This week I'd like you to think about the four new wind turbines on top of B12. Which one of my possible facts about those turbines is true? They produce lots of energy? Purely ornamental? Part of an NREL study? Coffee has long been considered the space program's most important fuel. How do you like your coffee? Black? With Sugar? Fancy schmancy? Maxwell your Folgers on over to get this week's poll. Organizations/Social - Today! Get WELL with Lauri Hansen
Join us TODAY! The Women Excelling in Life and Leadership (WELL) group presents a unique opportunity for an intimate discussion with Lauri Hansen, JSC Director of Engineering. Lauri will share her wisdom and experience as we discuss leadership, career goals and work-life fit. All are welcome. Bring your lunch. Light refreshments will be served. More information can be found on the WELL website. - AIAA Houston Dinner Meeting: Dr. Randii Wessen
Please join AIAA Houston for our Jan. dinner event, which is being co-hosted by the University of Houston Mars Rover Celebration at the University Center (Room 214) on the University of Houston main campus. Keeping with our Mars Rover theme, our speaker will be Dr. Randii Wessen, who is flying out from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory just for us! He'll be talking about his experience with the Mars rovers. You get $5 off of a meal plate if you volunteer with UH Mars Rover Celebration earlier in the day (also at the University of Houston). Directions, a link to purchase meals, and RSVP information can be found by visiting the event page. - NASA at the Movies - Screening for "Spare Parts"
Join the HERG this Saturday for a special screening of "Spare Parts". This event is open to the community and local schools have been invited to learn about NASA's robotics programs. Come network with co-workers and meet local school children. Bring your kids! See movie trailer here. "Spare Parts" is a based on a true life story about four Hispanic high school students who form a robotics club under the leadership of their school's newest teacher, Fredi. With no experience, 800 bucks, used car parts and a dream, this rag tag team goes up against the country's reigning robotics champion, MIT. On their journey, they learn not only how to build a robot - they learn to build a bond that will last a lifetime. Starring George Lopez, Jamie Lee Curtis, Carlos PenaVega, and Marisa Tomei. Tickets available online and at the ticket counter, matinee price is $6.48/person. AMC Gulf Pointe 30 11801 S. Sam Houston Pkwy E Houston, Texas 77089 - What's New With Engineers Without Borders-JSC
Come out Wednesday, Feb. 4 in Building 7, Room 141 to learn about Engineers Without Borders (EWB) and what EWB-JSC is doing in Thailand. Meet the chapter members and find out how you can get involved with this brand new project. No RSVP needed. - JSC NMA Presents: General Jeff "Beak" Howell
The JSC NMA Chapter is pleased to present a thrilling event with former JSC Director General Jeff "Beak" Howell! Special note: for one time only, this chapter luncheon event is free for non-members! Attendance is limited for this exciting event, so RSVP today. You won't want to miss this presentation! General Howell formerly served as the Director of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center for over three years. He is presently an Adjunct Professor with the Lyndon B. Johnson School for Public Affairs at UT where he teaches courses on leadership. This is a great event to get a glimpse of the benefits NMA membership has to offer. Through the Johnson Space Center chapter of the NMA, members learn how to network, communicate better, improve their managerial skills and stay competitive in an uncertain job market. Event Date: Thursday, February 19, 2015 Event Start Time:11:30 AM Event End Time:1:00 PM
Event Location: Silver Moon Cafe' at Space Center Houston
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Leslie N. Smith x46752
[top] Jobs and Training - SEPMAP Development Program Info/Prep Session
SEPMAP will help individuals develop competencies in Project Management and Systems Engineering, related behaviors and technical leadership so JSC has a talented pool of capable project managers and systems engineers ready to function effectively. SEPMAP is targeted towards JSC civil-servant employees GS-13 and above who possess a qualifying AST degree. If you are interested in SEPMAP and want more information and help in completing the application, please attend our first SEPMAP Application Prep Session. Feel free to bring your lunch! If you cannot make this session, another session is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 11. - Creating Effective Environments: Virtual Workshop
Also known as Cultivating a Culture of Team Creativity and Innovation: Learning from Jazz Improvisation, this virtual workshop is sponsored by the Agency's LASER supervisory development program. It will focus on ways leaders can help organizations experience positive transformation through creating high involvement cultures that support innovation and learning. Facilitated by Frank Barrett, Ph.D., Professor of Management and Global Public Policy at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, this workshop for first-line supervisors will provide a model for creating an organization designed for maximum learning and innovation. Using jazz improvisation as the metaphor, participants will see how jazz players do what leaders find themselves doing: inventing novel responses without a plan or without certainty of outcomes and discovering the future that their action creates as it unfolds. SATERN Registration: LMD-LASER-JAZZ (ID:77388) Event Date: Tuesday, February 3, 2015 Event Start Time:11:45 AM Event End Time:2:30 PM
Event Location: Bldg. 12, Rm 152
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Nancy Garrick x33076
[top] Community - Gregg Elementary Science Fair Mentors Needed
The AAERG Community Outreach Committee is calling on you for your support! There are 4 volunteer days left to mentor the 5th graders at Gregg Elementary on their Science Fair projects: Feb. 3; Feb. 4; Feb. 10 and Feb. 11. Please go to V-Corps to sign up today. - Yuri's Night Houston 5k - Early Bird Ends Edition
Hosted by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Houston, the 2015 event will be held Saturday, Apr. 18, along the same course that was introduced in 2013 through the streets of Nassau Bay, past former homes of many early era astronauts. Early Bird registration ends this Saturday at midnight. | |
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| JSC Today is compiled periodically as a service to JSC employees on an as-submitted basis. Any JSC organization or employee may submit articles. Disclaimer: Accuracy and content of these notes are the responsibility of the submitters. |
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