[Spacetalk] https://www.nasa.gov/index.html

Fri Feb 5 06:42:45 CST 2016

Good morning all,
 I hope you had a wonderful week and I am sure looking forward to the weekend….I think weekends are important because they allow us to do the things we enjoy most and a break from the daily issues that we can’t control…still we have to remember each day as we pass through it is the most important day of our lives...we should always do our best and enjoy whatever we do, no matter day of the week or what we do….Monday was so much fun as i met with a group of students from Denmark to do a presentation for them in Orlando... A couple of weeks ago a young friend, Kristian, who I met in Denmark last year at Alminde-Viuf Fællesskole wrote me to say he now goes to a school in Nordborg called Nordborg Slots Efterskole. He and some of his classmates were visiting Florida and could I do a presentation for them…I think it is great that Kristian remembered the presentation and thought enough about it to ask me to share it with his new school…although some major logistics involved, we managed to meet, it went great. I also want to thank my buddy Josh because without his help, we could not have done this...as well as a big thanks to Kristian, his fellow classmates and the teachers. It was disappointing for them as they scheduled the visit to coincide with a launch, and VIP passes to KSC to see the launch but at the last minute the launch was delayed and they missed it…but i know with the wonderful attitude of the teachers and all the students, they still had a great time….this is not a NASA mission so it will not be seen on NASA TV but you can always go to spaceflightnow.com to view all launches...on Monday I am off to Gainesville, Ga to spend two days speaking with kids….i am sure it will be fun but i found out the weather will be 24 (-4 C) and snow….considering it was 84 (29C) here yesterday…I know it will be freezing….I will have to dress for Norway & Denmark in the winter…:-) :-) wishing everyone a wonderful day...we must always remember to do our best, enjoy everything we do, live in the present, make each day special, let those we care about most know, be thankful for the good in our lives, smile and have fun….gabe 

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Primary Mirror Fully Assembled
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Inside a massive clean room at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland the James Webb Space Telescope team used a robotic am to install the last of the telescope's 18 mirrors onto the telescope structure.
Credits: NASA/Chris Gunn
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In this rare view, the James Webb Space Telescope's 18 mirrors are seen fully installed on the James Webb Space Telescope structure at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Credits: NASA/Chris Gunn
The 18th and final primary mirror segment is installed on what will be the biggest and most powerful space telescope ever launched. The final mirror installation Wednesday at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland marks an important milestone in the assembly of the agency’s James Webb Space Telescope <https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/webb/main/index.html>. “Scientists and engineers have been working tirelessly to install these incredible, nearly perfect mirrors that will focus light from previously hidden realms of planetary atmospheres, star forming regions and the very beginnings of the Universe,” said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. “With the mirrors finally complete, we are one step closer to the audacious observations that will unravel the mysteries of the Universe.” Using a robotic arm <http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/nasa-webb-telescope-mirrors-installed-with-robotic-arm-precision> reminiscent of a claw machine, the team meticulously installed all of Webb's primary mirror segments onto the telescope structure. Each of the hexagonal-shaped mirror segments measures just over 4.2 feet (1.3 meters) across -- about the size of a coffee table -- and weighs approximately 88 pounds (40 kilograms). Once in space and fully deployed, the 18 primary mirror segments will work together as one large 21.3-foot diameter (6.5-meter) mirror. "Completing the assembly of the primary mirror is a very significant milestone and the culmination of over a decade of design, manufacturing, testing and now assembly of the primary mirror system," said Lee Feinberg, optical telescope element manager at Goddard. "There is a huge team across the country who contributed to this achievement.” While the primary mirror installation may be finished on the tennis court-sized infrared observatory, there still is much work to be done. "Now that the mirror is complete, we look forward to installing the other optics and conducting tests on all the components to make sure the telescope can withstand a rocket launch," said Bill Ochs, James Webb Space Telescope project manager. "This is a great way to start 2016!” The mirrors were built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., in Boulder, Colorado. Ball is the principal subcontractor to Northrop Grumman for the optical technology and optical system design. The installation of the mirrors onto the telescope structure is performed by Harris Corporation, a subcontractor to Northrop Grumman. Harris Corporation leads integration and testing for the telescope. “The Harris team will be installing the aft optics assembly and the secondary mirror in order to finish the actual telescope,” said Gary Matthews, director of Universe Exploration at Harris Corporation. “The heart of the telescope, the Integrated Science Instrument Module, will then be integrated into the telescope. After acoustic, vibration, and other tests at Goddard, we will ship the system down to Johnson Space Center in Houston for an intensive cryogenic optical test to ensure everything is working properly.” The James Webb Space Telescope is the scientific successor to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. It will be the most powerful space telescope ever built. Webb will study many phases in the history of our universe, including the formation of solar systems capable of supporting life on planets similar to Earth, as well as the evolution of our own solar system. It’s targeted to launch from French Guiana aboard an Ariane 5 rocket in 2018. Webb is an international project led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency. To watch the Webb telescope being built at Goddard, visit the "Webb-cam" page at: http://www.jwst.nasa.gov/webcam.html <http://www.jwst.nasa.gov/webcam.html>

Feb. 3, 1995, Astronaut Eileen Collins at the Pilot's Station on Shuttle Discovery
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In this Feb. 3, 1995, image taken onboard space shuttle Discovery on flight day one of the STS-63 mission <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-63.html>, astronaut Eileen M. Collins -- the first woman to pilot the shuttle -- is at the pilot's station during a "hotfiring" procedure prior to rendezvous with the Russian Mir Space Station. The successful rendezvous without docking brought Discovery to within 37 feet of the Mir; these flights through the Shuttle-Mir Program prepared the way for the International Space Station. Others onboard Discovery were astronauts James D. Wetherbee, mission commander; Bernard A. Harris, Jr., payload commander; mission specialists C. Michael Foale and Janice E. Voss, and cosmonaut Vladimir G. Titov. "As we are bringing our spaceships closer together, we are bringing our nations closer together," Wetherbee said after Discovery was at point of closest approach. "The next time we approach, we will shake your hand and together we will lead our world into the next millennium." "We are one. We are human," Mir Commander Alexander Viktorenko responded.

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Feb. 2, 2016
16-011
 <http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-space-launch-system-s-first-flight-to-send-small-sci-tech-satellites-into-space/#> <http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-space-launch-system-s-first-flight-to-send-small-sci-tech-satellites-into-space/#> <http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-space-launch-system-s-first-flight-to-send-small-sci-tech-satellites-into-space/#> <http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-space-launch-system-s-first-flight-to-send-small-sci-tech-satellites-into-space/#> <http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-space-launch-system-s-first-flight-to-send-small-sci-tech-satellites-into-space/#>
NASA Space Launch System’s First Flight to Send Small Sci-Tech Satellites Into Space
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The Lunar Flashlight, flying as secondary payload on the first flight of NASA’s Space Launch System, will examine the moon’s surface for ice deposits and identify locations where resources may be extracted.
Credits: NASA
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The first flight of NASA’s new rocket, the Space Launch System <http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls> (SLS), will carry 13 CubeSats to test innovative ideas along with an uncrewed Orion spacecraft in 2018. These small satellite secondary payloads will carry science and technology investigations to help pave the way for future human exploration in deep space, including the journey to Mars. SLS’ first flight, referred to as Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), provides the rare opportunity for these small experiments to reach deep space destinations, as most launch opportunities for CubeSats are limited to low-Earth orbit “The 13 CubeSats that will fly to deep space as secondary payloads aboard SLS on EM-1 showcase the intersection of science and technology, and advance our journey to Mars,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Dava Newman.  The secondary payloads were selected through a series of announcements of flight opportunities, a NASA challenge and negotiations with NASA’s international partners. “The SLS is providing an incredible opportunity to conduct science missions and test key technologies beyond low-Earth orbit," said Bill Hill, deputy associate administrator for Exploration Systems Development at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “This rocket has the unprecedented power to send Orion to deep space plus room to carry 13 small satellites – payloads that will advance our knowledge about deep space with minimal cost.” NASA selected two payloads through the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP <http://www.nasa.gov/feature/next-space-technologies-for-exploration-partnerships-nextstep-projects>) Broad Agency Announcement:

Skyfire  <http://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-selects-lockheed-martin-s-skyfire-cubesat-for-em-1-secondary-payload>- Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Denver, Colorado, will develop a CubeSat to perform a lunar flyby of the moon, taking sensor data during the flyby to enhance our knowledge of the lunar surface
Lunar IceCube <http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/lunar-icecube-to-take-on-big-mission-from-small-package> - Morehead State University, Kentucky, will build a CubeSat to search for water ice and other resources at a low orbit of only 62 miles above the surface of the moon
Three payloads were selected by NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate:
Near-Earth Asteroid Scout, or NEA Scout <http://www.nasa.gov/content/nea-scout> will perform reconnaissance of an asteroid, take pictures and observe its position in space
BioSentinel  <http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/engineering/projects/biosentinel.html>will use yeast to detect, measure and compare the impact of deep space radiation on living organisms over long durations in deep space
Lunar Flashlight <http://www.nasa.gov/feature/lunar-flashlight-selected-to-fly-as-secondary-payload-on-exploration-mission-1> will look for ice deposits and identify locations where resources may be extracted from the lunar surface
Two payloads were selected by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate:
CuSP  <http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/heliophysics-cubesat-to-launch-on-nasa-s-sls>– a “space weather station” to measure particles and magnetic fields in space, testing practicality for a network of stations to monitor space weather
LunaH-Map <http://www.nasa.gov/feature/lunah-map-university-built-cubesat-to-map-water-ice-on-the-moon> will map hydrogen within craters and other permanently shadowed regions throughout the moon’s south pole
Three additional payloads will be determined through NASA’s Cube Quest Challenge <http://www.nasa.gov/cubequest> – sponsored by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and designed to foster innovations in small spacecraft propulsion and communications techniques. CubeSat builders will vie for a launch opportunity on SLS’ first flight through a competition that has four rounds, referred to as ground tournaments, leading to the selection in 2017 of the payloads to fly on the mission. NASA has also reserved three slots for payloads from international partners. Discussions to fly those three payloads are ongoing, and they will be announced at a later time. On this first flight, SLS will launch the Orion spacecraft to a stable orbit beyond the moon to demonstrate the integrated system performance of Orion and the SLS rocket prior to the first crewed flight. The first configuration <http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/multimedia/gallery/SLS_Concepts.html?id=372149> of SLS that will fly on EM-1 is referred to as Block I and will have a minimum 70-metric-ton (77-ton) lift capability and be powered by twin boosters and four RS-25 engines. The CubeSats will be deployed following Orion separation from the upper stage and once Orion is a safe distance away. Each payload will be ejected with a spring mechanism from dispensers on the Orion stage adapter. Following deployment, the transmitters on the CubeSats will turn on, and ground stations will listen for their beacons to determine the functionality of these small satellites. For more information about the science missions and technology demonstrations to fly on EM-1, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/launching-science-and-technology.html  <http://www.nasa.gov/launching-science-and-technology.html> For more information about NASA’s Journey to Mars, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/journeytomars <http://www.nasa.gov/journeytomars>

Successful Deployment of University Satellites From Space Station
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Expedition 46 flight engineer Tim Peake of ESA captured this photo on Jan. 29, 2016 from the International Space Station, as the robotic arm in Japan's Kibo laboratory successfully deployed two combined satellites from Texas universities. The pair of satellites -- AggieSat4 built by Texas A&M University students, and BEVO-2 built by University of Texas students -- together form the Low Earth Orbiting Navigation Experiment for Spacecraft Testing Autonomous Rendezvous and Docking (LONESTAR) investigation <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/unlikely-pair-of-satellites.html>.

The satellites will demonstrate communication protocols between them and with ground stations, as well as systems that allow the satellites to navigate through space and relative to each other and to orient themselves in three dimensions. Flight demonstration of these abilities, necessary for unmanned craft to be able to rendezvous and dock in space without direct human intervention, will contribute to future satellite missions as well.

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