Posted on by Ian O'Neill

Legendary Astronaut John Glenn Speaks Out On Shuttle Decommissioning

John Glenn watches the NASA archive footage (Larry Downing, Reuters)

On Tuesday, to help out with the 50-year anniversary of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, clips from 100 hours of restored archive footage of NASA missions were made public. At the screening, John Glenn, America’s first astronaut to orbit the Earth, watched the clips and had time to reminisce over the administration’s “Glory Years”. He also had a very strong message for the policy makers: Extend the Shuttle program and re-commit to a long-term investment in the International Space Station. As a former Marine, Mercury astronaut, pilot and US senator, that’s a hard message to ignore…

In 1962 John Glenn made history. He became NASA’s first astronaut to orbit the Earth, and third US astronaut to travel into space. Starting out as part of the pioneering Mercury Program, Glenn served NASA until 1964 and then entered politics. In 1974 he became a US Senator where he continued till 1999. Add these accolades to his career as a US Marine pilot through World War II and the Korean War in the 1950’s, Glenn has seen more his fair share of action in the air and in space. Not wanting to end his space-faring experiences, at age 77, Glenn was launched on board Space Shuttle Discovery and became the oldest ever person in space in 1998.

The Mercury 6 mission to send Glenn into orbit in 1962 (NASA)

On Tuesday, John Glenn attended NASA’s 50th anniversary celebrations on Capitol Hill, Washington D.C. and watched archival footage of the historic achievements of NASA. This included a 1965 clip of astronaut Ed White, taking the first American space walk outside the Gemini IV module. In the clip, White loses a space glove and it is seen floating off into space.

However, under the pride and excitement of the proceeds, there was an air of concern for NASA’s future. Glenn took this opportunity to share his views on the current funding climate for US space missions. In 2015, NASA plans to reduce its commitment to the $100 billion International Space Station, Glenn views this as a lost opportunity.

“The investment we have up there and the potential for learning new things are tremendous at a time when we’re coming under additional global competition.” The International Space Station is “the greatest, most complex laboratory ever put together.” – John Glenn

John Glenn before his historic flight on board the Shuttle at age 77 (NASA)

He was also critical of the decision to retire the Shuttle fleet in 2010, forcing the US to rely more on the Russian space program to supply the station. “The shuttles may be old, but they’re still the most complex vehicle ever put together by people, and they’re still working very well,” he added. Glenn says the benefits of supporting an extension to the Shuttle program will far outweigh the negatives, there is simply no way of knowing where the US will stand politically with Russia in the future, depending on another nation for the lifeline into space could be problematic.

“When we are completely dependent on them for our transportation back and forth, it means we are also subject to the whims they may have politically, as different things happen in the world that have nothing to do with the space program.” – Glenn

Sometimes it takes a NASA legend to highlight the issues facing the future of space flight, let’s just hope someone takes John Glenn’s words on board…

Source: USA Today

Posted on by Ian O'Neill

Send Your Name to the Moon

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter - artistic impression (NASA)

Have you ever dreamt of travelling to the Moon? Unfortunately, for the time being, this will be a privilege only for an elite few astronauts and robotic explorers. But NASA has just released news that you will have the opportunity to send your name to the Moon on board their next big Moon mission, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. So get over to the mission site and send your name that will be embedded into a computer chip, allowing a small part of you to orbit our natural satellite over 360,000 km (220 000 miles) away…

Last month I looked into how long it would take to travel to the Moon and the results were wide-ranging. From an impressive eight hour zip past the Moon by the Pluto mission, New Horizons to a slow spiral route taken by the SMART-1 lunar probe, taking over a year. The next NASA mission, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), is likely to take about four days (just a little longer than the manned Apollo 11 mission in July 1969). It is scheduled for launch on an Atlas V 401 rocket in late 2008 and the mission is expected to last for about a year.

Thank goodness we’re not travelling by car, according to the LRO mission facts page, it would take 135 days (that’s nearly 5 months!) to get there when travelling at an average speed of 70 miles per hour.

The LRO is another step toward building a Moon base (by 2020), the stepping stone toward colonizing Mars. The craft will orbit the Moon at an altitude of 50 km (31 miles), taking global data, constructing temperature maps, high-resolution colour imaging and measuring the Moon’s albedo. Of course, like all planetary missions to the Moon and Mars, the LRO will look out for water. As the Moon will likely become mankind’s first extra-terrestrial settlement, looking for the location of Moon water will be paramount when considering possible locations for colonization.

This is all exciting stuff, but what can we do apart from watch the LRO launch and begin sending back data? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could somehow get involved? Although we’re not going to be asked to help out at mission control any time soon, NASA is offering us the chance to send our names to the Moon. But how can this be done? First things first, watch the NASA trailer, and then follow these instructions:

  1. Go to “NASA’s Return to the Moon” page.
  2. Type in your first name and last name.
  3. Click “continue” and download your certificate – your name is going to the Moon!

My LRO Certificate - My name is going to the Moon!

But how will your name be taken to the Moon? It won’t be engraved into the LRO’s bodywork (although that would have been nice!); it will be held on a microchip embedded into the spaceship’s circuitry. The database of names will be taken on board the LRO and will remain with it for the entire duration of the mission. Anyone who submits their name will be exploring the Moon in their own small way. I’ve signed up (see my certificate, pictured) and you have until June 27, 2008 to do the same.

Will see you on board the LRO!

Sources: LRO mission site, Press release

Posted on by Nancy Atkinson

Report: Constellation Program Has Serious Issues

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NASA is facing some serious problems, and whether these problems are perception or truth remains to be seen. A government report presented at a congressional hearing on April 3 says NASA’s Constellation Program faces severe problems and the new spacecraft might never work as intended. The Government Accountability Office, (they call themselves the “the investigative arm of Congress”) issued the report which lists several critical issues, especially with the Ares I rocket, which is prone to violent shaking on liftoff and might not have enough power to reach orbit. NASA has requested an additional $2 billion over the next two years to boost development of the new spacecraft, but the GAO doubts whether that will be enough to overcome the design flaws and for the space agency to achieve timely success with the program.

The GAO identified several areas that could delay Constellation:
• Both vehicles have a history of weight issues;
• Excessive vibration during launch threatens system design;
• Uncertainty about how flight characteristics will be impacted by a fifth segment added to the Ares I launch vehicle;
• Ares I upper stage essentially requires development of a new engine;
• No industry capability currently exists for producing the kind of heat shields that the Orion will need for protecting the crew exploration vehicle when it reenters Earth’s atmosphere; and
• Existing test facilities are insufficient for testing Ares I’s new engine, for replicating the engine’s vibration and acoustic environment, and for testing the thermal protection system for the Orion vehicle.

In effect, the report says, NASA has a design for the Constellation project — but as yet there is no assurance that all the components will work as planned.

NASA has claimed that Constellation is on schedule, and the problems are manageable. “I’ve rarely seen more of a mountain made out of less of a molehill,” NASA Administrator Mike Griffin told the Space Transportation Association in Washington, D.C., last month.

NASA is expected to announce they have developed a strategy for dealing with Ares’ shaking problem. The Orlando Sentinel quoted special assistant to the administrator Chris Shank: “We have a mitigation strategy.”

The Sentinel also quoted a former NASA official who asked not to be named as saying the Ares rocket faces the perception problems that have dogged NASA throughout its history. Politicians and the public are skeptical the agency can complete its program on time and on budget. Without political and public support, NASA could face troubling times.

Here’s NASA’s video about the Constellation Program:

Original News Sources: Orlando Sentinel and the GAO Report

Posted on by Nancy Atkinson

Jobs Eliminated as Shuttle Program Transitions to Constellation

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As the space shuttle program winds down and NASA transitions to the new Constellation program, more than 8,000 NASA contractor jobs in the manned space program could be eliminated after 2010, the U.S. space agency said at a press briefing on April 1, 2008. A NASA report sent to Congress predicts that between 5,700 and 6,400 jobs will be lost at the Kennedy Space Center, where the shuttle processing takes place, before 2012. After that time, a few hundred jobs will be added yearly as the new moon-landing program gets started, with the first Constellation launch tentatively scheduled for 2015. Some NASA managers believe that an update to Tuesday’s report, which is due to Congress in six months, won’t be quite so bleak, but NASA said it could be more than a year before it has more dependable job forecasts.

The most dramatic job cuts will be among private contractors. Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator said that the estimates of job losses were preliminary and they do not take into account numerous factors of potential workload. “Don’t overreact to these numbers,” he said.

The report stated “Our (NASA’s) greatest challenge over the next several years will be managing this extremely talented, experienced and geographically dispersed workforce as we transition from operating the space shuttle to utilizing the International Space Station.”

Nationally, NASA said the number of full-time civil servants in its manned space program would fall to about 4,100 in 2011, a loss of about 600 jobs from this year. Including outside contractors, the number of jobs would fall to an estimated 12,500 to 13,800. About 21,000 are currently employed.

Rick Gilbrech, NASA associate administrator for exploration systems, said that many future contracts for the Constellation program to develop the new moon rockets and spacecraft to replace the shuttle fleet, could improve the local NASA jobs picture.

“There’s a lot of work that’s not folded into these numbers,” he said.

Gilbrech added that the next U.S. president and Congress might not support the Constellation program, which is President Bush’s vision for returning to the moon and going on to Mars.

“We do need stable support and long-term commitment,” he said.

KSC Director Bill Parsons said Tuesday he estimates the center’s 15,000 on payroll will drop to 10,000 people in the next few years before starting to climb slowly. He said, however, that there is hope that layoffs might be rare because up to one-third of KSC workers are eligible to retire before or around the time that the shuttle program ends in 2010. He does not expect workers to abandon their jobs for new careers before then.

“This is not a work force that panics,” he said, referring to the recovery from two shuttle accidents.

Retirement will provide a easier transition for some. However, younger workers may have to redirect their careers into the Constellation program. Those caught in the middle might have to learn new skills or relocate to avoid being laid off. There are also other ripple effects to other non-technical support jobs.

Original News Sources: Space.com, Florida Today

Posted on by Ian O'Neill

NASA to Burn Sponsor Logos into the Surface of Mars

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NOTE: This was the Universe Today’s contribution to April Fools Day (April 1st), but it isn’t all a joke… International efforts in space are being seriously hindered by budget cuts, forcing agencies to think up alternative methods to raise money. The following article could be a possibility…

In an effort to raise additional funds, NASA has announced new partnerships with corporate sponsors. It is becoming increasingly difficult for government-backed space agencies to support the vast range of missions currently exploring the solar system, so urgent measures are being taken. Planetary missions in particular, such as the Mars Exploration Rover project, have fallen on tough times. As already demonstrated by research groups in the UK, funds from private companies are essential for survival and some weird and wonderful methods to capture public interest have already been exploited.

Now it is the perfect time for the biggest marketing stunt yet: tattoo Mars with corporate logos for orbiting spacecraft and ground-based telescopes to observe…

With millions of dollars being injected into the commercial space market, companies such as Virgin Galactic, Astrium and XCOR are all beginning to dominate the fledgling space flight industry. Where government space agencies such as NASA and ESA have spearheaded technological advancement, the void left behind is slowly being filled by space tourism companies all competing for short trips into space and, eventually, tours to the Moon with the prospect of Mars in a few decades time.

But what about all the robotic missions exploring the solar system now? Who pays for them? Well, that is up to government funding and initiatives. As recently highlighted by the UK’s £80 million ($160 million) research budget shortfall, and the attempt to cut $4 million from the NASA Mars rovers, there appears to be international pressure on government-funded groups to think “out of the box” where money is concerned. After all, scientific research (on the whole) is not political, but scientific funding is.

The Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank (credit: Jodrell Bank)

So, in an unprecedented move, UK astronomers carried out an unorthodox measure and transmitted Doritos ads into space to help fund the beleaguered Jodrell Bank Telescope in Cheshire currently under threat from closure due to funding cuts. This might sound silly, but the undisclosed advertising revenue was much needed.

Although there is a slim-to-no-chance of aliens picking up the interstellar ad, NASA was obviously paying attention. Today, the space agency has announced an offbeat plan of their own: to burn sponsor logos into the surface of Mars. It’s not quite as reckless as it sounds, but existing technology on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) will be used to etch sponsor logos into the top layers of the Martian regolith. The stunt is expected to have minimal effect on the planet, as winds and dust storms will erase the ads within a couple of sols (Martian days).

“Just think, 3 years ago, we wouldn’t have the optical capabilities to spot an advertisement from orbit. But now, with the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and its ability to resolve objects as small as half a meter, we’ll be able to see our sponsors ads clearly etched into the Martian surface.” – Dr. Francis Rae, NASA Outreach Spokeswoman.

The MRO has a laser-ranging instrument on board that usually takes highly accurate measurements of landscape features. Scientists have modified the laser to emit a higher powered beam so small areas of Martian regolith can be fused together. It is expected to use the surplus power available from the ultra-efficient solar panels on the satellite. After a few orbits, corporate logos and other ads may be constructed, creating logos spanning small 5×5 meter areas of Mars plains and crater bottoms. Of course, the logos created will be crude, and will only be available in shades of red, but the marketing and psychological impact will be huge. It is hoped the advertising revenue will follow suit.

An artists impression of what a large-scale logo may look like from space (credit: NASA)

This is only for starters. If all goes well, huge areas of the surface may be used, possibly allowing Earth-observable logos. Doritos, famed with the UK’s ad transmission into space, has already backed NASA’s plans and fully intends to support any marketing campaign carried out by the robotic explorers. An excerpt from a Pepsi Co, Inc. statement reads, “…the Doritos snack division of our corporation is always looking for new and novel ways to promote our products, branding an alien planet with our logo will not only be historic, it will revolutionize product marketing.” They add at the bottom of the press release, “Besides, it will be very cool.” An artists impression of a huge Doritos logo next to a crater observed by the MRO (HiRISE instrument) has also been released (pictured).

Other Mars missions are now being evaluated for their potential marketing skills, and an obvious mission that comes to mind are the Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. Easier than tattooing the planet from orbit, the rovers could quickly create tire tracks into shapes that can be observed from space.

Tracks from Opportunity are clearly seen from orbit by the HiRISE camera (credit: NASA)

When asked whether the Phoenix lander had any such capability, Rae commented, “I really wish we’d thought that through better.” The lander will only be able to dig crude shapes into the regolith should it be called into fund-raising action. It seems doubtful that sponsors would be interested in this mission which is arriving at the Red Planet in May.

This leads to the question: Will a NASA mission be measured more for its revenue building ability, or for its scientific merit? “I doubt it will come to that, we’re not a private enterprise, science is our priority,” Rae added.

Other marketing tools are at mission planners’ fingertips. Some fun options include:

  • Physically moving rocks around the Martian landscape by future advanced rovers to assemble messages, take photos and send them back to Earth – the ultimate personal postcard message!
  • The future of terraforming the planet could include growing lichen in the shape of sponsor logos (imagine how much Pizza Hut would pay to have the very first life on Mars growing in the shape of their hut logo!)
  • Send a personal item on a Mars-bound mission and get the lander to place it on the planet, take a photo and pay for the pleasure of seeing something you own in the Martian dirt! Just don’t expect it back… (An orbital version has already been done by Bigalow Aerospace…)

Source: NASA Press Release

Posted on by Nancy Atkinson

Alan Stern Resigns From NASA

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Alan Stern has stepped down as NASA’s Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate. No word on Stern’s reasons for leaving, or why such an abrupt departure, but the timing suggests it could be related to the erroneous announcement that funding for the Mars Rovers would be cut. Stern is seemingly highly respected and very popular among mission scientists and designers, and Stern had pledged to toe the line about mission spending and cost overruns. There are conflicting reports whether Stern will continue as Principal Investigator for the New Horizons mission to Pluto, but it would be very surprising to see him leave the mission to which he has devoted most of his career.

Stern had only been with the Science Mission Directorate for about a year but during that year Time Magazine named Stern as one of the 100 Most Influential People in 2007.

Continue reading “Alan Stern Resigns From NASA”

Posted on by Ian O'Neill

Spirit Rover is Switched Off to Save NASA Money (Update)

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To save the Mars Expedition Rover (MER) program some cash, controllers will be forced to switch one of the four-year old rovers into “hibernation mode”. NASA wants to cut $4 million from the MER budget, so extreme measures are needed. Sadly, operations will need to be limited and it has been announced today that activities will be stopped on Spirit for the coming weeks. Mission scientists are obviously demoralized.

[UPDATE (03/25/08): NASA has now announced that it has “absolutely no plans” to turn off the Mars rovers, only hours after mission scientists announced they had new directives from the organization to cut $4 million from budget cuts. When more news is forthcoming I will post an article as to what is going on… ]

This appears to be the case of a mission being too successful for its own good.

The MER project was only intended to last for a few months, but the two rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, have surpassed all expectations and continued to explore the planet for four whole years. They are so efficient, that they have braved the worst dust storms, battled through technical issues and even freed themselves from quicksand, there seems to be nothing standing in their way of these super robotic troopers…

Except NASA budget cuts.

When the money runs out, the rovers have to be shut down and this is exactly what is going to happen to Spirit, currently located on a sunny slope at Gusev Crater. Even though the rovers are in the middle of an extensive exploratory phase of the Martian landscape, a NASA directive must be enforced to save $4 million from the project’s $20 million annual budget.

Shutting down Spirit isn’t the only budget-saving measure to be taken. Opportunity’s tasks will now be severely cut; limiting commands to be sent from controllers to every other day, rather than daily.

MER controllers are said to be very demoralized by these measures. Although budget cuts can never come at a “good time”, the timing of this announcement is terrible as both rovers are operating at full strength and still have vast amounts of potential.

The problem is that NASA is currently being stretched to accommodate other Mars missions currently in operation. But when should a highly successful mission like the MER project end? Up till now, most Mars surface missions are good until they break down. In the case of Spirit and Opportunity, neither is showing many signs of breaking. So for now, controllers will have to hover by the “off” switch while budget requirements are met.

Source: PhysOrg.com

Posted on by Nancy Atkinson

Space Program At Risk, Panel Says

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A panel of 50 space experts met recently to discuss NASA’s current direction with its Vision for Space Exploration. While the conference, “Examining the Vision: Balancing Science and Exploration” was seemingly billed as forum for discussing alternatives to the moon/Mars vision, attendees endorsed NASA’s current direction and then concluded what anyone with an eye on NASA already knew: NASA isn’t receiving adequate funds in line with the grand goal of sending humans to Mars.

The panel of scientists, engineers, and former astronauts and NASA administrators concluded that NASA is on the right path with its objectives of going to the moon as a stepping stone to reach Mars, but those goals are in danger because of chronic underfunding to the US space program.

“The nation’s space program is in peril,” said Stanford Professor Scott Hubbard, former director of NASA’s Ames Research Center, and an organizer of the conference. “You simply cannot continue doing more with less and meet these goals. That is a fact. This workshop achieved a consensus that NASA’s resources have not been commensurate with its mandated missions of exploration and science.”

The panel did say, however, that NASA should focus more on sending humans to Mars instead of building large bases on the moon. But also, former astronaut Kathryn Thornton said before the meeting, she felt the best way to get to Mars was going there directly. But the meeting changed her mind, she said, and she now believes there are benefits to using the moon as a way station, such as scientific research and testing rocket hardware and infrastructure.

Alternatives such as going to asteroids was discussed, but not endorsed by the panel. Also of interest is that the panel said science is not the major motivation for human spaceflight.

But the panel concluded that any human ventures out of low earth orbit should be international in nature. “The next administration should make the human spaceflight goal an international venture focused on Mars–both to bring in more public support and to sustain the program politically,” said Louis Friedman, Executive Director of The Planetary Society.

In particular the attendees agreed to the following statements:

  • It is time to go beyond LEO with people as explorers. The purpose of sustained human exploration is to go to Mars and beyond. The significance of the Moon and other intermediate destinations is to serve as steppingstones on the path to that goal.
  •  Bringing together scientists, astronauts, engineers, policy analysts, and industry executives in a single conversation created an environment where insights across traditional boundaries occurred.
  •  Human space exploration is undertaken to serve national and international interests. It provides important opportunities to advance science, but science is not the primary motivation.
  • Sustained human exploration requires enhanced international collaboration and offers the United States an opportunity for global leadership.
  •  NASA has not received the budget increases to support the mandated human exploration program as well as other vital parts of the NASA portfolio, including space science, aeronautics, technology requirements, and especially Earth observations, given the urgency of global climate change.

The panel gathered privately on Feb. 12-13, 2008 to discuss space policy options facing the new US administration that will take office in January 2009, and may offer more recommendations in the future.

Original News Sources: New Scientist, Planetary Society Press Release

Posted on by Fraser Cain

Spies Caught Selling Shuttle Secrets to the Chinese

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You wouldn’t think espionage would have much of a place here in Universe Today, but you’d be wrong. Four people in the US were arrested recently, accused of selling selling secrets to the Chinese. And what were they selling? Details about the space shuttle and other US aerospace programs.

The space shuttle? Really? Didn’t anyone tell them the program would be shelved in just a few years. And they’re not exactly the safest way to get into and back from space.

Anyway, here’s what happened.

The US justice department charged Chinese-born Dongfan Chung with 8 counts of economic espionage, conspiracy, and making false statements to FBI investigators.

The 72-year-old engineer had been working in the aerospace industry for the last 30 years, mostly at Rockwell and Boeing. He retired back in 2002, but he’d been still working as a contractor for Boeing as recently as 2006.

Apparently he sent trade secrets to China, including information on the C-17 military transport aircraft, Delta IV rocket and the B-1 bomber; in addition to information about the space shuttle.

And he’d been a spy for a long time, receiving instructions from Chinese officials as far back as 1979. In one letter sent back to China, Chung expressed a desire to contribute to the Motherland.

If convicted, Chung is looking at 100 years in prison.

So that’s one person, what about the other 3?

They’re Tai Shen Kuo, 58; Yu Xin Kang, 33; and Gregg William Bergersen, 51. Bergersen is a US weapons system policy analyst with the defense department, and was charged with conspiracy to disclose national defense information to a foreign government. Kuo cultivated a relationship with Bergersen to get the information, and Kang was ferrying it to Chinese officials.

Kuo and Kang are looking and life in prison, and Bergersen will face at least 10 years.

Original Source: Department of Justice News Release

Posted on by Ian O'Neill

Are we sending a bit too much information into the cosmos?

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On Monday (February 4, 7 pm EST) NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN) sent a transmission toward the North Star, Polaris. The transmission sent was the song “Across the Universe” by the Beatles intended for any sufficiently advanced extra terrestrial life to listen to. Although this is a nice gesture and may nurture Beatles fans beyond our solar system, some scientists have expressed concerns for advertising our planet’s location to the universe, just in case the aliens listening in aren’t that friendly after all…

Scientists attending the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) “Sound of Silence” meeting at Arizona State University in Tempe this week are worried. Their concern focuses on some aspects of the scientific community who want to advertise and educate sufficiently advanced lifeforms beyond Earth about our presence and location in the cosmos. Previous efforts have included information about our biology on the Voyager and Pioneer probes, and a broadcast by the Arecibo observatory in 1974. These attempts at communication plus accidental “leakage” of TV and radio signals can all travel vast distances through space and perhaps be received by aliens.

The main argument against trying to communicate with other civilizations is the possibility that if there are aliens out there listening in, then perhaps they might not be friendly. By giving away our location, critical facts about our society, biology and intelligence, we have already given possible alien aggressors a strategic advantage. This threat is obviously very far-fetched, but sending information about our current state of humanity will be inaccurate when signals are received in hundreds, thousands or millions of year’s time, perhaps putting our future generations in a negative light.

“Before sending out even symbolic messages, we need an open discussion about the potential risks […] It’s very charitable to send out our encyclopedia, but that may short-change future generations.” – Douglas Vakoch of the SETI Institute, Mountain View, California.

Vakoch is not concerned that we are risking an alien invasion any time soon, but does highlight the need to discuss the implications of attempted extra-terrestrial communication in an open scientific forum before acting.

If there are any advanced alien beings out there however, they are keeping very quiet. The purpose of the “Sound of Silence” meeting is to discuss why the SETI project has, thus far, not found anything compelling to suggest there are any life forms transmitting their presence to the universe.

“Have we been looking in the wrong place, at the wrong time, in the wrong way?” asks Prof Paul Davies of Arizona State University. “The purpose of this meeting is to brainstorm some radically new thinking on the subject.“

Source: Telegraph.co.uk