Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Fwd: NASA News and JSC Today - Tuesday, March 17, 2015



Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Date: March 17, 2015 at 8:16:30 AM CDT
To: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Subject: FW: NASA News and JSC Today - Tuesday, March 17, 2015

JSC Today - Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all.   That was way too much fun last night and into the morning without much prior warning from us.   My apologies.  

 

If you somehow missed the email or accidentally deleted it inviting you to subscribe to our new Distribution List…..below are Stacey's "can't fail instructions" on how to subscribe to this distribution list on the Cloud!!!

 

I have gotten hundreds of emails in response---all good.  I cannot say when we will go live with this new DL  but sometime soon after Stacey and I get synched up on the latest additions to the list.

 

Larry O' Moon   and Stacey O'Nakamura

 

Here is a shortcut from Stacey Nakamura on how to subscribe to the daily NASA News and  JSC Today

Please subscribe to our list by sending an email to
nasa-ret-jsc-request@freelists.org

with 'subscribe' in the Subject field

 

LEADING THE NEWS

• Grunsfeld "Absolutely Compelled" To Send Humans To Mars.

NASA NEWS

• Colorado Aerospace And Defense Caucus Meets At State Capitol.

• NASA Cloud Migration Praised For Speed, Savings, And Security.

• Musical Group Records "Race For Space" Album.

• Aldrin Speaks To Students In Cambridge.

HUMAN EXPLORATION AND OPERATIONS

• NPR Has "Reality Check" On Manned Mars Missions.

• Despite Uncertain Usage, SLS Development "Going Well."

• Jones Edmunds Will Help Prepare KSC's Roadway For SLS.

• Virts: Commercial Spacecraft, SLS/Orion Are NASA's "Way Forward."

• SpaceX Expects Certification To End This Year.

• Kelly's Trip Provides "Unique Opportunity" For Genetic Research.

• Garan Wants ISS Collaboration, Technology To Be Applied On Earth.

• Ingalls Takes "Amazing" Photos Of Astronauts' Return.

• NASA, Roscosmos To Sign Contract For 2018 Soyuz Launches To ISS.

• Science Philanthropy Alliance Seeks Private Donations To Support Basic Research.

• CineSpace Competition Aims To Showcase NASA's "Wonderful Archive."

• Newell-Fonda Graduate Profiled.

• Phoenix Students Receive Real-Life Astronaut Training.

Grunsfeld "Absolutely Compelled" To Send Humans To Mars.

Re/code (3/16, Wagner) writes about his interview with John Grunsfeld, NASA Associate Administrator for the Science Directorate, at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival about a manned mission to Mars and the technology improvements necessary for that to happen. Grunsfeld said that he is "absolutely compelled" to get humans to Mars, especially because current robots are "primitive to what a geologist in graduate school would do on Earth here today. Getting a team of scientists on Mars could be transformative." When asked about the public's apparent disinterest in space, especially compared to the Apollo program, Grunsfeld said, "I think there's actually much more interest today. When we look back at Apollo, we think of the high points. ... People] watched the big events, but overall there was probably less public interest in space than there is now. We literally had hundreds of millions of people watching around the world as we arrived at Mars [with the Curiosity rover]. It was because of social networking." Still, Grunsfeld thinks that it will take "nuclear propulsion of some kind" before people can effectively explore the solar system.

        Launch Health Space Innovation Challenge Announced At SXSW. The Houston Business Journal (3/16, Martin, Subscription Publication, 65K) "Houston BizBlog" reports that on Monday at the SXSW, Ellen Ochoa, director for the Johnson Space Center, announced the creation of the Launch Health Space Innovation Challenge "to solve health care problems faced by both astronauts and earthlings." At the SpaceCom Conference in November, participants will work on areas such as "health care, aerospace, energy, transportation and communication." Steven Gonzalez, NASA's deputy for strategic opportunities and partnership development, said that the official details should be finalized this summer, noting, "This is to encourage entrepreneurs to look for solutions at the intersections that have potential benefits for life on earth and in space."

        NASA, Planetary Resources Releases Asteroid Data Hunter Program. Popular Mechanics (3/16, Wenz, 8.21M) reports that NASA and Planetary Resources has released the Asteroid Data Hunter computer program, which allows "the public to sift through a trove of astronomical data from various telescopes" to search for potential near-Earth objects. By enlisting "the power of the crowd," NASA could find objects with the potential to hit the Earth and possible targets for its Asteroid Redirect Mission, according to the article. Planetary Resources would use the information "to find suitable asteroids to mine."

Colorado Aerospace And Defense Caucus Meets At State Capitol.

The Denver Post (3/17, Keeney, 804K) reports on the first meeting of the Colorado Aerospace and Defense Caucus at the Colorado State Capitol on Monday. Jay Lindell of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade said that the aerospace industry in the state is thriving with 10% of NASA's budget spent there, although there is competition from other states around the country. State Rep. Paul Rosenthal said that there are no set benchmarks for the caucus as of yet. However, Rosenthal did say that the group will have a focus on educating the public and lawmakers, as well as supporting businesses in Colorado.

NASA Cloud Migration Praised For Speed, Savings, And Security.

The Federal Times (3/16, Boyd, 119K) reports on "NASA's move to a public cloud infrastructure," which it says "has become a use case for speed, cost savings and increased security." NASA web services executive Roopangi "Kadakia said she [had] expected the migration of the .gov domain to take as long as 10 months," but according to the Federal Times, "NASA and integrators at InfoZen were able to do it in 13 weeks." Kadakia said the migration brought a significant reduction in operations and maintenance costs. And while some agencies were concerned about "using non-dedicated infrastructure to host federal data," InfoZen CTO Chet Hayes said "we actually provide continuous monitoring security-as-a-service as part of our offering for NASA."

Musical Group Records "Race For Space" Album.

The Moscow (RUS) Times (3/16, Foroudi, 108K) covers the London-based musical duo Public Service Broadcasting and their new album, "The Race for Space," which aims to highlight Soviet and Russian achievements in space exploration. It features songs paying tribute to Soviet cosmonauts Yury Gagarin, Alexei Leonov, and Valentina Tereshkova and "opens with U.S. President John F. Kennedy's speech from 1962 wherein he uttered the immortal words, 'We choose to go to the moon.'" The Moscow Times reports that the duo used "samples from American public domain sources, NASA and the archives of the British Film Institute" to record the album.

Aldrin Speaks To Students In Cambridge.

The Cambridge (UK) News (3/16) reported that Buzz Aldrin spoke to students at the Cambridge Union last week about "the space race, his relationship with Neil Armstrong, and his hopes for Mars exploration." Aldrin said that more "political commitment" was needed to increase the public's interest in spaceflight.

        Blog Coverage. Kristina Webb at the Palm Beach (FL) Post (3/16, 397K) "Super Fun" blog wrote that Aldrin was "awesome" when he tweeted an image of himself at Stonehenge showing his T-shirt with "the logo for his Mars movement."

NPR Has "Reality Check" On Manned Mars Missions.

NPR (3/17, 1.58M) issues a "reality check" about the possibility of sending people to Mars soon. Aerospace consultant Mary Lynne said that there are "enormous challenges" to overcome. The article notes that some experts "seriously doubt" Mars One will ever be able to get people to Mars, while others take issue with NASA's plans. Robert Zubrin, president of the Mars Society, said NASA's program is "all sizzle and no steak," with none of the necessary components like habitation needed. Zubrin thinks that SpaceX currently has "the strongest initiative going."

        "Journey To Space" Now Playing At Museums And Visitor Centers. collectSPACE (3/17) reports "Journey To Space, narrated by actor Patrick Stewart, is now playing at NASA visitor centers, space museums and science centers across the U.S., with more venues being added weekly." The movie is "co-produced by K2 and Giant Screen Films," and "showcases NASA's plans for the future of spaceflight, including landing astronauts on Mars."

        Mars One Finalist Speaks Out Against The Project. In an article for Medium (3/16, 207K), Elmo Keep discusses how Joseph Roche, assistant professor at Trinity College's School of Education, one of the 100 people on Mars One's shortlist for one-way trips to Mars, felt the need to speak out against the venture because of the "uncritical news coverage." Roche claims that Mars One is set up so that some of the "high-profile prospects" are just those who have bought the most merchandise or donated the most money their proceeds from press engagements to the organization. Keep notes that the selection process for candidates is "hopelessly, and dangerously, flawed," with methods that "fall well short of NASA's stringent astronaut corps requirements." Roche also said that he has only had "a 10-minute Skype interview" with mars One representatives, which is "not enough" for any decision.

        The Daily Mail (UK) (3/16, Zolfagharifard, O'Callaghan, 4.78M) also covers Roche's comments to Medium.

Despite Uncertain Usage, SLS Development "Going Well."

NASA Space Flight (3/16, Bergin, 305) reports that officials have set the dates and milestones for the Space Launch System's (SLS) "key" Critical Design Review (CDR). According to the article, development of the rocket is "going well," despite the fact of its "uncertain" use once developed. Even with its current "political support," the rocket's launches past the first few are "notional and unfunded."

        Blog Coverage. Jason Rhian at Spaceflight Insider (3/16) notes the recent development achievements of the SLS and Orion, noting that it comes "during a time of increased activity for NASA's efforts to return to the business of space exploration."

Jones Edmunds Will Help Prepare KSC's Roadway For SLS.

The Gainesville (FL) Sun (3/16, Stone, 105K) continued coverage of NASA's recent contract with Jones Edmunds to prepare Kennedy Space Center's "4-mile gravel roadway" to handle the weight of the Space Launch System (SLS) when it is being carried by the crawler transporter. The company will undertake this work by examining "test loads to compact the soil for the expected weight and analyzing the friction created."

Virts: Commercial Spacecraft, SLS/Orion Are NASA's "Way Forward."

EuroNews (3/16, 23K) interviews ISS commander Terry Virts and astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti about their experience aboard the ISS, the experiments being conducted, and the involvement of private spacecraft at the ISS. Virts said, "It has been a big part of the mission so far, both doing spacewalk and doing work inside, to get ready for the future vehicles that will be coming to the Space Station. And it is very important for Nasa, our way forward, the way we are going to launch astronauts from Florida once again to the Space Station." When asked what comes after the ISS, Virts noted that the Space Launch System and Orion are "going allow us to go beyond and hopefully take humans into the solar system to explore, so the Moon, Mars, asteroids, there are a lot of destinations that we could go to and we're building these building block components in order to allow us to do that eventually."

SpaceX Expects Certification To End This Year.

Space News (3/16, de Selding, Subscription Publication, 481) reports that at the Satellite 2015 conference, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said that the company expects to receive NASA and US Air Force certification for its Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket by the middle of this year. Furthermore, according to the article, Shotwell expects that a new certification process will not be needed when "a more-powerful Falcon 9" rocket is released this year because the review is focused on construction "and not to any specific rocket design." Shotwell said that because of SpaceX's "iterative" approach, any future certification should be "quicker and quicker."

        Shotwell: SpaceX Can Achieve Its Launch Manifest This Year. Reuters (3/16, Shalal, Klotz) reports that according to Shotwell, SpaceX can meet its predictions of 13 launches and two test flights this year because of the increase in engine production at its plants. Shotwell reportedly blamed a number of issues for not meeting targets last year, but Reuters did not list what those were. The article notes that the company is preparing for its fourth launch of the year this month, followed by a NASA cargo mission in April.

        SpaceX, ULA's "Acrimony" Could Come Out At House Hearing. The Washington Post (3/16, Davenport, 5.17M) reports that the "heightened acrimony" between SpaceX and the United Launch Alliance's (ULA) could be readily apparent at today's hearing before the House Armed Services Committee. According to the article, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell believes that ULA is "dependent on government handouts and resistant to change," arguing that its "space launch capabilities" contract with the Defense Department should be ended now. Shotwell also claimed that SpaceX can provide cheaper launch services even without that contract.

Kelly's Trip Provides "Unique Opportunity" For Genetic Research.

The Scientific American (3/17, Nordrum, 2.83M) reports that astronaut Scott Kelly's year-long trip to the ISS will provide the "unique opportunity" to study how spaceflight can result in "changes in genetic expression" because his genes can be compared to the "quasi-control case" of his twin brother, astronaut Mark Kelly.

Garan Wants ISS Collaboration, Technology To Be Applied On Earth.

The ABC News (3/16, Kerley, Coolidge, and Phelps, 3.41M) website reports on how astronaut Ron Garan had such a "profound" experience aboard the ISS that he developed "a new perspective on life on Earth," which led to his new book, "The Orbital Perspective." Garan said that he would like the public to take "the collaboration that built and sustains the International Space Station and put it in the context of our rapidly developing, hyper-interconnected global society." He also thought, according to the article, that the ISS' technology can be used today "to improve quality of life in the developing world." Garan added that living at the ISS was "absolutely wonderful."

Ingalls Takes "Amazing" Photos Of Astronauts' Return.

SPACE (3/16, Howell, 236K) continues coverage of the "amazing photos" NASA took of three astronauts returning from the ISS last week. The article took time to credit NASA's Bill Ingalls, "who regularly journeys to Kazakhstan" for these events.

        Blog Coverage. Attila Nagy at Gizmodo (3/16, 1.04M) wrote that an image of cosmonaut Elena Serova Ingalls took last week was a "wonderful example" of the phenomena known as "Accidental Renaissance," which entails a press photo that has the "feel" of a Renaissance painting. Nagy thought that Serova has the appearance of "Saint Mary, who's often depicted as a beautiful young woman wearing a similar blue robe and head-kerchief."

NASA, Roscosmos To Sign Contract For 2018 Soyuz Launches To ISS.

ITAR-TASS News Agency (3/16, 5K) reports that NASA and Roscosmos will sign a new contract for astronaut launches to the ISS aboard Soyuz spacecraft this summer. According to Roscosmos' press service, the contract will be for services in 2018 and will be "similar" to one signed for 2017.

        Sputnik News (3/17) also covers the story.

Science Philanthropy Alliance Seeks Private Donations To Support Basic Research.

The International Business Times (3/17, Nordrum, 1.19M) reports that "a coalition of science-minded foundations called the Science Philanthropy Alliance" (SPA) is seeking to raise "a billion dollars of private donor money" to support "basic research programs of 16 leading universities within five years." The article contrasts the focus of the research funded by the SPA to other groups, which generally have "a clear and narrow focus – such as eradicating a disease or sending paying customers to the International Space Station."

CineSpace Competition Aims To Showcase NASA's "Wonderful Archive."

Houston Public Media (3/16, Johnson) continued coverage of the CineSpace competition, a joint project between NASA and the Houston Cinema Arts Society. Under the rule of the contest, creators must develop a short film with "at least 10 percent" coming from NASA footage. Trish Rigdon, executive director of the Houston Cinema Arts Society, said that NASA hopes that the contest will show that NASA has "this wonderful archive" of space images available. Rigdon noted that the submissions can be based on any genre or style, with "your imagination" the only limit.

Newell-Fonda Graduate Profiled.

The Storm Lake (IA) Pilot-Tribune (3/17, Mosser, 9K) profiles Michael Duitsman, "a Newell-Fonda graduate" who "teaches international students about programming and robotics." Duitsman discusses his participation in the Space Settlement Design Competition at the Johnson Space Center. The competition "is something that has done more in preparing me for the real world than any high-school or even college course could ever do," Duitsman says, noting that "almost everything that is done in" the "competition follows suit with what is done in the real world."

Phoenix Students Receive Real-Life Astronaut Training.

The Arizona Republic (3/16, Ahmed, 1.14M) reports "Valley high school students had an experience of a lifetime when they visited the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntington, Alabama." The trip allowed 27 students "to get real-life astronaut training, equivalent to what NASA astronauts receive."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Headlines

  1. Section 508 Proposed Changes – Have Your Say

The Access Board has released for public comment a proposed rule updating accessibility requirements for information and communication technology (ICT) in the federal sector covered by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

These proposed revisions and updates are intended to ensure that ICT covered by the respective statutes is accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. This "at-a-glance" accessible PDF gives an overview of the proposed rule.

Let your voice be heard by contributing your written comments here for JSC. Click "Add new item," complete the information and click save.

JSC comments are due by March 31.

If you have problems accessing or using this SharePoint site, please forward your comments directly to the Herb Babineaux, JSC Section 508 coordinator.

JSC IRD Outreach x34263 https://projects.jsc.nasa.gov/I3P/IRDDataCall/SiteAssets/RFC%20Section%2...

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  1. Update: Building 8 Power Outage – March 20

The JSC Building 8 power outage, which was scheduled for March 13 was postponed to March 20. Imagery and television network services will be unavailable 5:00 p.m. Friday, March 20 through 8:00 a.m. Monday, March 23. The outage includes shutting down the JSC cable television system and all other television networks sourced out of Building 8.

During the outage, electric power feeder cables serving the building will be replaced. Personnel not working on the feeder cable replacement activities will not be allowed into Building 8 during this period.

The Imagery Online website and the Multimedia File Transfer (MFT) tool are not affected by this outage. The Clinic and medical operations inside Building 8 will resume normal operations 8:00 a.m. Monday, March 23.

For more information contact Patrick J. Chimes at (281)483-2397.

JSC IRD Outreach x32397

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  1. ESTA Pyrotechnic Testing This Week

Please be aware that the Energy Systems Test Area (ESTA) will be conducting pyrotechnic testing in Building 352 this week, which may be audible in some areas of JSC.

Scott Hacker x36132

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   Organizations/Social

  1. No Boundaries ERG Seeking New Members

The newly established and approved No Boundaries Employee Resource Group (NoBo ERG) is launching a membership drive. The NoBo ERG "promotes the development, inclusion and innovation of JSC's workforce, with a focus on employees with disabilities."

We seek interested employees at JSC (civil servants and contractors) who will help further "facilitate a working environment accessible and inclusive of all abilities, which in turn makes the center a safer and better place to work for the entire JSC workforce."

You do not need to self-identify any disabilities, but knowing more about what would assist you, a family member or friend will help us target our efforts more closely to actual needs.

Please sign up in person at today's membership meeting. Meetings can then be attended in person or by conference call-in.

Event Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2015   Event Start Time:11:30 AM   Event End Time:12:30 PM
Event Location: Bldg 16 Room 2152A

Add to Calendar

Steve Candler x37152

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  1. Volunteers Needed

Starport will be hosting a community Spring Festival on April 4. Activities start at 8:30 a.m. with the Aliens vs Astronauts Costume Contest followed by the 5.05k Race, Craft Fair and Flea Market. The Children's Party will begin at 10:00 a.m. with the Egg Hunt, Bounce House, Face Painting, Petting Zoo and lots of games. Volunteers will be performing a variety of duties including monitoring kids' activities, timing racers, working registration tables and ticket sales as well as parking attendant and set up and tear down duties. Alien and Astronaut costumes welcome! Must be 16 years or older. Proceeds benefit the Starport Scholarship Program. Thank you for your support.

Register online at

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1iHP9YFIDX_LkzUhIH4PpwmOZgoxUTVOyKaqrpUFIK-Y/...

Cyndi Kibby x35352

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  1. JSC Annual Picnic Buy Tickets for Family & Friends

The 2015 JSC Annual Picnic will be held at Splashtown Water Park on Sunday, Apr. 26 from noon - 6 p.m. Bring your family and friends and come on out and enjoy some food, drinks, music and fun for all ages! Advance purchase is required - tickets will not be available at the gate. Tickets are available at the Shop NASA Gift Shops, Building 3, 11 and the Gilruth for JSC and contractor employees, retirees, friends and family. All you can eat BBQ dinner, ice cream novelties, adult beverages, music by DJ, unlimited access to park's rides and attractions, horseshoes, sand volleyball, basketball, dunking booth, bingo, bounce house, face painting, kid games, half-price return ticket option and more! Early bird price is just $35 until Apr. 10. $40 from Apr. 11 - 17. Season pass upgrades available at Splashtown for just $ 44.99 with JSC Picnic ticket. Buy early and save!

Cyndi Kibby x35352

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   Jobs and Training

  1. Tomorrow: Webcast on 'Rare' Events

Join us for a live webcast tomorrow on "Rare Events – That Happen All the Time."

Date/Time: March 18 at 1 p.m. CDT (lasts approximately one hour)

There have been several books published recently related to understanding the probabilities of everyday and rare events. Dr. Cynthia H. Null will provide a variety of examples of events that are misperceived as having a low probability or being surprising. She will discuss some reasons for these misperceptions and the implications for engineering.

To RSVP to attend the live webcast, click here.

Learn more!

Event Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2015   Event Start Time:1:00 PM   Event End Time:2:00 PM
Event Location: Webcast

Add to Calendar

Cornelius Dennehy 301-286-5696

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  1. General Industry Safety & Health ViTS - May 1

This three-hour course is based on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) CFR 1910 course, Requirements for General Safety and Health Provisions. It will provide a general overview of OSHA 1910 safety requirements. During the course, the student will receive an overview of topics needed to work safely in general industry. 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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  1. CGE Travel System Live Lab - March 18

Do you need some hands-on, personal help with the Concur Government Edition (CGE) Travel System? Join the Business Systems and Process Improvement Office for a CGE Travel System Live Lab tomorrow, March 18, any time between 9 a.m. and noon in Building 12, Room 142. Our help desk representatives will be available to help you work through your travel processes and learn more about using the CGE Travel System during this informal workshop. Please feel free to bring any travel documents to be worked. This is real-time help, not a training class. Please click on the direct SATERN link below to register and receive SATERN credit. For additional information, please contact Judy Seier at x32771.

SATERN direct registration link: https://satern.nasa.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=SCHEDULED_...

Gina Clenney x39851

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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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