Monday, March 16, 2015

Fwd: NASA News and JSC Today - Monday, March 16, 2015



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Begin forwarded message:

From: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Date: March 16, 2015 at 8:09:19 AM CDT
To: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Subject: FW: NASA News and JSC Today - Monday, March 16, 2015

JSC Today - Monday, March 16, 2015

Happy Monday everyone   another AC day perhaps in the Houston metro area

 

NASA NEWS

• AGU Explains To Cruz The Importance Of Earth Science And NASA.

• Michelle Obama Notes Astronaut's Participation In #GimmeFive.

• ARM Decision Could Come On March 24.

• Space Frontier Foundation: Space Settlement Must Be Core Purpose For NASA.

• Bean Honored In Shamrock, Texas.

• Duke To Speak At Prayer Breakfasts.

• Tree Grown From Apollo 14 Seeds Not Doing Well At University Of Arizona.

• "Rocket Girl" Tells Life Of Woman Who May Have Helped Launch First US Satellite.

HUMAN EXPLORATION AND OPERATIONS

• NASA Interesting In BEAM's Expansion Properties.

• Pettit Explains Challenges In ISS Photography.

• Morpheus Program To Be Example For Future "Lean" Projects.

• SpaceX Will Launch Turkmenistan's First Satellite On Saturday.

• LEGO ISS Model Needs 4,500 Votes To Be Considered For Development.

• Dynetics Wins IT Support Contract Modification.

• Jones Edmunds To Provide Infrastructure Report At KSC.

• Crawler Transporter Upgrade L&H Industrial's Biggest Job To Date.

• Former NASA Astronaut Trainer Brings Space Into The Classroom.

•

AGU Explains To Cruz The Importance Of Earth Science And NASA.

The New Republic (3/13, Leber, 165K) reported that after Sen. Ted Cruz said that NASA should spend more time on space exploration than Earth science, the American Geophysical Union (AGU) sent a letter to Cruz explaining "what makes NASA special" and the importance of Earth science. AGU spokesperson McEntee said that the field is "a lot more than climate change." According to the article, NASA's research is "critical to adapting to the changing climate." Furthermore, the article contended that if Cruz really wanted to increase space exploration efforts, he needs to raise its budget from today's "historic low."

        The Hill (3/14, Hattem, 224K), also noting the AGU letter, reported that Congressional Democrats are likely to "push back" against Cruz's efforts to refocus NASA. Meanwhile, the article notes that "ironically enough," Cruz does share President Obama's vision for NASA in many ways, because both want to get US astronauts on Mars.

        More Commentary. In an op-ed for the Houston Chronicle (3/13, 2.28M), Sen. Ted Cruz wrote that it is his "first priority" to refocus NASA so that it concentrates on "hard sciences...manned space exploration and...the innovation that has been integral to NASA's mission." Cruz argued that he also finds it "unacceptable" that the US has to rely on Russian spacecraft to reach the ISS, which is why he supports both the Space Launch System and the commercial crew program. To Cruz, "a strong and robust space exploration program" will allow the Johnson Space Center to stay an "international center of excellence for space exploration."

       

Michelle Obama Notes Astronaut's Participation In #GimmeFive.

The Los Angeles Times (3/13, Saad, 3.49M) reported that First Lady Michelle Obama was on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in an episode airing today. Obama was on the show to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Let's Move campaign. As part of the anniversary, Obama challenged the public, under the #GimmeFive social media campaign, "to share five things they're doing to stay active." In a clip that appeared on YouTube last week, Obama said, "Beyonce gave me five, and Ryan Seacrest and Nick Jonas and even the astronauts on the space shuttle, the international space shuttle, got involved."

        The AP (3/13) also covered the story.

ARM Decision Could Come On March 24.

The Hampton Roads (VA) Daily Press (3/14, Dietrich, Subscription Publication, 201K) reported that after months of waiting, Dan Mazanek of the Langley Research Center said that NASA officials "maybe" could announce on March 24 which of two Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) architectures NASA will move forward. Mazanek heads one of the projects now under consideration. The article noted that there are critics of ARM, such as astronomer Phil Plait, who believes it is a "colossal" waste of resources. He also thinks the Space Launch System is similarly a "colossal waste of money" because SpaceX can do the same thing for much less. Mazanek disagrees, saying, "I think we'll look back someday on the ARM mission and just be amazed at all of the different areas that spun off from it. It's not just about the short-term goal, but also the long-term goals that that mission will provide."

Space Frontier Foundation: Space Settlement Must Be Core Purpose For NASA.

In an op-ed for Space News (3/14, Subscription Publication, 481), Aaron Oesterle, Space Frontier Foundation space policy director, and James Pura, president of the Space Frontier Foundation, wrote that there has been a "change" in the "conversation about space," as demonstrated by private companies traveling to "the crown jewel, the International Space Station," and NASA's comments that private players must be responsible for the next space station. However, the authors thought that more can be done to make space development less of a "niche issue" for the general public. The national policy must be focused on addressing "fundamental needs" that go beyond "inspiration" or "spinoffs." To address this, the Space Frontier Foundation has resumed the March Storm, with agenda items focused on the space access and settlement "a fundamental core purpose for NASA." By showing how "to get some sort of fundamental human value from space," more of the public will get involved, and space policy will help make the US "great."

Bean Honored In Shamrock, Texas.

The Amarillo (TX) Globe News (3/13, Marquez, 96K) reported that former astronaut Alan Bean was honored at a banquet in Shamrock, Texas as part of the town's annual St. Patrick's Day celebration. Bean, who was the fourth man to walk on the moon, retired from NASA in 1981 to pursue a career in art.

Duke To Speak At Prayer Breakfasts.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune (3/16, Chatelain, 621K) reports that Charles Duke, the youngest person to walk on the moon, will speak at two prayer breakfasts in April in Metairie and Mandeville, Louisiana. Duke spent over 265 hours in space while piloting the Apollo 16 lunar mission.

Tree Grown From Apollo 14 Seeds Not Doing Well At University Of Arizona.

Arizona Daily Star (3/15, Beal, 212K) reports on the how a tree gown from a seed that traveled on the Apollo 14 mission at the University of Arizona mall is currently "struggling" because of the hot and dry conditions. While the "moon tree" has special significance to some on campus, to the university groundskeepers, it reportedly is "just another sycamore on campus."

"Rocket Girl" Tells Life Of Woman Who May Have Helped Launch First US Satellite.

The Sandusky (OH) Register (3/15, Jackson, 70K) reports on the life and work of Mary Sherman Morgan, who may have played a role in launching the first US satellite into space through her development of hydyne fuel. Her son, George D. Morgan, has written a book and play about his mother, both titled "Rocket Girl." When Mary Morgan died in 2004, the Los Angeles Times refused to print the obituary submitted by her son because the paper could not verify her work on the satellite project. Mary Morgan worked for North American Aviation's Rocketdyne plant, where employee records have been difficult to research to verify Morgan's role.

NASA Interesting In BEAM's Expansion Properties.

The CNBC (3/13, Wells, 2.42M) website continued coverage of how Bigelow Aerospace is sending its Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) to the ISS for testing. Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for human exploration and operations, said, "What we'll be interested in is how it expands. ... Does it expand in a longitudinal direction? Does it expand in a circumferential direction? As it expands, does it impart any loads back into the space station? We'll be looking at that to see if those things are concerns." Astronaut George Zamka, who now works for Bigelow, said that even though part of the work will see how durable the structures are, tests showed that the BEAM is "the safest thing that mankind could be in today by far." According to the article, Zamka believes that commercial companies have an "astronomical potential" for space projects.

        Blog Coverage. Rand Simberg at Transterrestrial Musings (3/13, 1K) wrote that of last week's manned spaceflight news, which included the BEAM announcement, Lockheed Martin's "long-needed space tug," and NASA's rocket booster testing, the booster test has no "relevance to the future."

Pettit Explains Challenges In ISS Photography.

Popular Science (3/14, Kratochwill, 6.72M) reported that at the South by Southwest panel where NASA announced the CineSpace film competition, astronaut Don Pettit discussed the obstacles in taking pictures from the ISS. These challenges include taking pictures in darkness, overcoming the movement of the station, and deteriorating cameras because of cosmic rays. The article recommended that interested readers enter the CineSpace competition for "a chance to win cash prizes--and maybe even get your film screened on the ISS."

        NASA Launcher Game App Seen At The Festival. USA Today (3/15, Graham, 4.95M), meanwhile, briefly notes that at SXSW, one app featured at the festival involved "a rocket ship launcher game from NASA."

Morpheus Program To Be Example For Future "Lean" Projects.

NASA Space Flight (3/14, Bergin, 305) reported that after reviewing the Morpheus prototype lander's operations, "following the conclusion of its test program," officials gave it a "glowing review," outlining "a roadmap for future 'lean' programs within NASA." After summarizing the project's history, the article noted that Morpheus was "relatively cheap," conducted with a light amount of paperwork, and designed "without backups or redundancy." According to the article, the results are now being transitioned "into spin offs and patents."

        Blog Coverage. Mark Whittington at the Examiner (3/15, 1.01M) blog wrote that the "wildly successful" should be combined with the RESOLVE, "a prototype lunar rover and ice prospector." Whittington thought that this was a "no brainer," because it allowed for testing "in real lunar conditions." It also would be a "responsive" move to Sen. Ted Cruz's call to focus more on space exploration.

SpaceX Will Launch Turkmenistan's First Satellite On Saturday.

Florida Today (3/14, Dean, 178K) reported that if SpaceX launches "Turkmenistan's first satellite" next Saturday, it will be the third launch from Cape Canaveral "in as many weeks." SpaceX will not try a booster landing test during the launch, instead waiting for its next mission ton the ISS, which will take place "no earlier than April 10."

        SpaceX Expects To Be Certified By Air Force By June. Reuters (3/13, Shalal) reported that on Friday, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell told the publication that it expects the Air Force to certify it to compete for security launches by June, adding that relations between the two sides are at a new high following the settlement of a lawsuit in January.

        Activity Increasing Ahead Of Launchpad Construction. The Brownsville (TX) Herald (3/14, Perez-Treviño, 57K) reported that SpaceX is increasing its activity around Boca Chica ahead of the start of construction of its commercial launch complex. This included the "the near completion of its design and continuing land purchases."

LEGO ISS Model Needs 4,500 Votes To Be Considered For Development.

collectSPACE (3/13, Pearlman) reported that "a fan-designed LEGO version of the International Space Station" needs to get 4,500 votes in under two months for a chance to be created as an actual LEGO "commercial kit." If it garners the necessary 10,000 votes, and LEGO decides to produce it, it will be the first time the "complete" station will be sold to the public.

Dynetics Wins IT Support Contract Modification.

GovCon Wire (3/13, Hoffman) reported that Dynetics won a modification to its IT support contract for the Marshall Space Flight Center. The company will continue providing services through Jan. 31, 2016.

Jones Edmunds To Provide Infrastructure Report At KSC.

Florida Today (3/13, Price, 178K) reported that Jones Edmunds & Associates has won a contract "to provide civil infrastructure and facilities support at Kennedy Space Center." According to the article, Jones Edmunds has conducted "more than 250 projects for NASA."

Crawler Transporter Upgrade L&H Industrial's Biggest Job To Date.

The Gillette (WY) News Record (3/15, Stottlemyre, 19K) reported that when NASA's crawler transporter next heads to the launch pad, it will have "88 new L&H Industrial logos engraved into parts the Gillette company machined, installed and tested." The article noted that according to Bill Schroyer, L&H's project manager for the transporter rebuild, its part of the project was the company's "biggest job to date and its first government contract"

Former NASA Astronaut Trainer Brings Space Into The Classroom.

The Tennessean (3/13, 406K) profiled Mike Welham, currently a math teacher at the Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin, Tennessee. Welham served with NASA for 20 years, working as a trainer for astronauts headed to the ISS. Welham uses his experience with NASA to give real-world examples of trigonometry. He also gives presentations through the NASA Speakers Bureau.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Headlines

  1. One-Year Crew Launch Tickets for SCH - $5 Special

Experience the thrill of a big-screen launch viewing at Space Center Houston on Friday, March 27!

JSC team members, family and friends are invited to witness the launch of astronaut Scott Kelly and cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko for their historic one-year mission aboard the International Space Station. They will launch as part of the second half of Expedition 43, along with cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, on March 27 at 2:42 p.m. During this year, Kelly and Kornienko will be part of Expeditions 43-46, and Kelly will break the record for the longest stay by an American in space.

You and your family will feel like they are at the launch site when the rockets ignite in Space Center Houston's large-format theater on March 27 at 2:42 p.m.

General admission tickets for the special price of $5 per ticket are available NOW using this link to order from Space Center Houston. The $5 each price is available to the first 400 tickets sold online using the special-purchase link, and will admit the ticket holder from 2 to 5 p.m. on March 27. Tickets sold online beyond the first 400 will be priced at $10.95 each. Guests with the $5 ticket are not admitted prior to 2 p.m. March 27, and all guests 4 years and older require a ticket. Badged JSC employees are admitted free.

JSC External Relations, Office of Communications and Public Affairs x35111 http://secure4.gatewayticketing.com/spacecenter/shop/ViewItems.aspx?CG=S...

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   Organizations/Social

  1. Youth Brain Development Basics

Due to a number of emails regarding people not being able to attend this presentation on Thursday, March 19, we are moving it to Tuesday, March 31, at 11:30 a.m. in the Building 30 Auditorium.

Lorrie Bennett, Employee Assistance Program, Occupational Health Branch x36130

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   Jobs and Training

  1. Job Opportunities

Where do I find job opportunities?

Both internal Competitive Placement Plan and external JSC job announcements are posted on the Human Resources (HR) portal and USAJOBS website. Through the HR portal, civil servants can view summaries of all the agency jobs that are currently open at: https://hr.nasa.gov/portal/server.pt/community/employees_home/239/job_opportu...

To help you navigate to JSC vacancies, use the filter drop-down menu and select "JSC HR." The "Jobs" link will direct you to the USAJOBS website for the complete announcement and the ability to apply online.

Lateral reassignment and rotation opportunities have now moved to the NASA Employee Talent Search (NETS). These opportunities do not possess known promotion potential.

If you have questions about any JSC job vacancies or reassignment opportunities, please call your HR representative.

Brandy Braunsdorf x30476

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  1. Personal Protective & Life Saving Eqpt ViTS 4/28

This three-hour course is based on Occupational Safety and Health Administration CFR 1926.95 through 1926.107 of the construction industry regulations, Subpart E, Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment. During the course, the student will become familiar with the 1926.95 through 1926.107 regulations criteria for personal-protective requirements in construction, and will receive an overview of those topics needed to apply the proper personal-protection equipment. There will be a final exam associated with this course, which must be passed with a 70 percent minimum score to receive course credit. Use this direct link for registration.

https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHEDULED_...

Shirley Robinson x41284

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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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