• 2010 nasa special
    a total eclipse of the Sun is visible from within a narrow corridor that traverses Earth's southern Hemisphere. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow crosses the South Pacific Ocean where it makes no landfall except for Mangaia (Cook Islands) and Easter Island (Isla de Pascua).

How to Receive NASA Television's Occasional HD Programming

NASA TV Downlink Parameters:
Uplink provider = Americom
Satellite = AMC 3
Transponder = 15C
Orbital Position= 87 Degrees West
Transmission Format= DVB-S, 4:2:0
Downlink Frequency= 4000 MHz
Downlink Polarity= Horizontal
FEC= 3/4
Data Rate= 38.860 Mbps
Symbol Rate = 28.1115

NASA TV HD Programming:
HD Program = 105
Video PID = 82
AC-3 Audio PID = 238
MPEG-1 Layer II Audio PID =83



Getting NASA Television via Satellite:
In the United States, NASA Television's Public, Education and Media channels are MPEG-2 digital C-band signals carried by QPSK/DVB-S modulation on satellite AMC-3, transponder 15C, at 87 degrees west longitude. Downlink frequency is 4000 MHz, horizontal polarization, with a data rate of 38.86 Mhz, symbol rate of 28.1115 Ms/s, and ¾ FEC. A Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) compliant Integrated Receiver Decoder (IRD) is needed for reception.

NASA Updates Media About Space Shuttle Launch Status

Space Shuttle managers will brief reporters this afternoon about NASA's Space Shuttle Return to Flight mission (STS-114). The news conference starts no earlier than 5:30 p.m. EDT, and it will be carried live on NASA TV from the Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

Managers and engineers are meeting today to review data and possible troubleshooting plans for a liquid hydrogen low-level fuel sensor inside the External Tank. The sensor failed a routine pre-launch check during the launch countdown Wednesday, causing mission managers to postpone Discovery’s first launch attempt.

A new official launch date will be scheduled when a troubleshooting plan is complete and engineers are working on a solution.

NASA TV is carried by MPEG-2 digital signal accessed via satellite AMC-6, at 72 degrees west longitude, transponder 17C, 4040 MHz, vertical polarization. In Alaska and Hawaii, it's available in analog through Return to Flight on AMC-7, at 137 degrees west longitude, Transponder 18, at 4060 MHz, vertical polarization, audio at 6.8 MHz. Today’s news conference is available on the Internet at:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv



For the latest information about the STS-114 mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight

- end -


text-only version of this release

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Iridium Selects SpaceX to Launch Next-Generation Satellites

selected Space Exploration Technologies Corp. to launch its next-generation satellites into space during the middle of the decade, as the world's largest satellite-communication provider updates its current constellation.

Under the contract, which is valued at $492 million, SpaceX will provide launch services to send Iridium new-generation satellites into a low-earth orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California between 2015 and 2017. The deal is so far the largest single commercial launch deal ever signed, the companies said in a statement.

SpaceX will use its new launch-vehicle Falcon 9 for the task.

The company earlier this month made history with the successful launch of Falcon 9, the first privately funded spaceship capable to putting people into space. It opened what is likely to become a new chapter in manned space exploration as the Obama administration wants NASA to outsource cargo and astronaut transportation to the international space station for at least a decade.

Iridium, which said Wednesday it is also in talks with at least one other launch-service provider, last month reported it swung to a first-quarter loss on higher costs while revenue increased 8%.

Iridium Selects SpaceX to Launch Next-Generation Satellites

selected Space Exploration Technologies Corp. to launch its next-generation satellites into space during the middle of the decade, as the world's largest satellite-communication provider updates its current constellation.

Under the contract, which is valued at $492 million, SpaceX will provide launch services to send Iridium new-generation satellites into a low-earth orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California between 2015 and 2017. The deal is so far the largest single commercial launch deal ever signed, the companies said in a statement.

SpaceX will use its new launch-vehicle Falcon 9 for the task.

The company earlier this month made history with the successful launch of Falcon 9, the first privately funded spaceship capable to putting people into space. It opened what is likely to become a new chapter in manned space exploration as the Obama administration wants NASA to outsource cargo and astronaut transportation to the international space station for at least a decade.

Iridium, which said Wednesday it is also in talks with at least one other launch-service provider, last month reported it swung to a first-quarter loss on higher costs while revenue increased 8%.

Soyuz rocket blasts off on two-day flight to station

Lighting up the predawn Kazakhstan sky, a Russian Soyuz rocket carrying a veteran Russian cosmonaut and two NASA astronauts roared to life and vaulted into orbit Tuesday, kicking off a two-day flight to the International Space Station.

Station veteran Fyodor Yurchikhin and NASA astronauts Douglas Wheelock, a shuttle veteran, and rookie flight engineer Shannon Walker lifted off aboard the Soyuz TMA-19 spacecraft at 2:35:19 p.m. PDT Tuesday (3:35:19 a.m. Wednesday local time) from Yuri Gagarin's launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The Soyuz TMA-19 spacecraft lifts off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

(Credit: NASA TV)

Riding atop a torrent of fiery exhaust from its multiple first-stage rocket engines, the Soyuz quickly climbed away from the launch pad and arced away to the east through a clear, dark sky.

There were no apparent problems during the climb to space. Shutdown and separation of the first-stage strap-on boosters was clearly visible on NASA television, and all three crew members appeared relaxed and in good spirits, as the rocket accelerated.

Eight-and-a-half minutes after launch, the spacecraft slipped into its planned preliminary orbit with a high point of 161 miles and a low point of 134 miles. A few moments later, its solar arrays and antennas deployed, as planned, to complete the ascent.

"OK, guys, all the best to you," a Russian flight controller radioed in an interpreted feed. "That's it."

Including manned space shuttles and Soyuz capsules, along with unmanned Russian, European, and Japanese cargo ships, this was the 100th launch supporting space station operations since assembly began in 1998.

Walker, a private pilot and wife of shuttle astronaut Andrew Thomas, was trained to serve as Soyuz flight engineer, assisting Yurchikhin in critical phases of flight.

Soyuz commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, left, and flight engineer Shannon Walker, right, moments after reaching orbit.

(Credit: NASA TV)

"Only a handful of us have been trained as the co-pilots on the Soyuz, and it's quite an extensive training process," Walker said in a NASA interview. "I've spent the better part of the last three years over in Russia, working with my Russian colleagues and my Russian instructors to learn how to be the co-pilot, so it's quite an endeavor."

A member of the Ninety-Nines International Organization of Women Pilots, Walker carried a watch into space that was worn by Amelia Earhart during a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. In a NASA news release, Walker said she hoped that by honoring the legendary flier, "people will become interested in the continuing story of women in aviation, and perhaps draw some new pilots to the field."

If all goes well, Yurchikhin and Walker will oversee an automated approach to the International Space Station, docking at the Zvezda command module's aft port around 3:25 p.m. Thursday.

After leak checks, hatches will be opened, and Yurchikhin, Walker, and Wheelock will be welcomed aboard by Expedition 24 commander Alexander Skvortsov, Mikhail Kornienko, and Tracy Caldwell Dyson, who were launched to the station April 2. This will be the first time a long-duration station crew has included two women.

Yurchikhin, Walker, and Wheelock, who plan to spend 164 days in space, are replacing Expedition 23 commander Oleg Kotov, Timothy Creamer, and Soichi Noguchi, who returned to Earth two weeks ago aboard the Soyuz TMA-17 spacecraft after five-and-a-half months in space.

The new additions, in turn, will form the core of the Expedition 25 crew when Skvortsov, Kornienko, and Caldwell Dyson depart in late September.

Space station flight engineer Mikhail Kornienko, left, commander Alexander Skvortsov, center, and NASA flight engineer Tracy Caldwell Dyson, right, monitor the launch of the Soyuz TMA-19 spacecraft in a video feed from Houston.

(Credit: NASA TV)

"Our increment is going to be pretty busy," said Wheelock, who will command Expedition 25. "We'll see a fairly long gap for the next shuttle flight to arrive, and so we have a fair amount of EVAs, or spacewalks, we'll be doing as well. We have three Russian EVAs. Fyodor and our Russian colleagues will go outside and be doing some configuration on the outside of the Russian segment, and we'll also have two U.S. EVAs in August to do the very same thing, to outfit the station to be a little more independent of the heavy lift capability that the shuttle was bringing to the station."

Only two more shuttle flights currently are planned, one with Discovery and one with Endeavour. Discovery is officially targeted for launch September 16, but the flight is expected to slip to around October 29 because of payload issues. Endeavour currently is targeted for launch in late November, but that flight is expected to slip to February because of payload and launch conflict issues.

NASA managers are lobbying the Obama administration for permission to fly one additional shuttle mission next June to deliver critical equipment and supplies. A decision is expected around the end of the month.

"It's actually bittersweet to see the shuttle go," Wheelock said. "But it's really an exciting time as well, because we're also going to be the first increment to really go to full utilization of the space station as an orbiting laboratory.

"All of our international partners--we've pulled together and done things in the engineering world that only 10 years ago seemed to be impossible. Did we think we'd get to this point sooner? Yes. Did we think we'd get to this point cheaper? Yes...We had big dreams and visions. I think that now we're just getting to that point where we're going to begin to really see the return on investment for us."

Looking beyond the space station, Bill Gerstenmaier, director of space operations for NASA, told the crew to give some thought to how the station might be used to help pave the way for future missions into deep space.

"I'd like to congratulate the crew on being ready and completing their training," Gerstenmaier told the astronauts in a preflight meeting. "That's a tremendous accomplishment. The teams in Houston, Canada, and Japan are all ready to support your efforts. Have a good time on station, we look forward to your activities and work...And I have a special request for you: ...in addition to your normal tasks and things [for] which you were trained, think about how [the] station can be used for the future and as a stepping stone to new and bigger things."

Atlantis' Crew Celebrates Charitable Strides with Commemorative Cargo

› Listen to Podcast

› Read Story About Commemorative Beads on STS-132

There are lots of ways for an everyday item to take on a special significance, but few work better than carrying that item into space.

The crew of STS-132 aims to make scores of objects already precious in their meaning more inspirational by taking them on this mission to the International Space Station.

A lapel pin from the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s “Race for a Cure,” for example, will be tucked inside an Atlantis locker. A green and black rubber wristband from Eli’s Army Cancer Survivors also is making the trip, along with a wristband from Team G Force Cancer Survivors.

There also are mementos from several other organizations inside Atlantis. A teddy bear from the Cleft Palate Foundation of Chapel Hill, N.C., a lapel pin from the Alzheimer’s Association of Chicago, and flags from the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International and Make-A-Wish Foundation will be flown into orbit.

Lapel pins and similar-sized commemoratives often are carried because they are small and lightweight, but their symbolism can be immense. The crew tucked a pin from the "Imagine There's No Hunger" campaign, for example, into the flight kit.

There also is room for bulkier items including banners, shirts and jerseys. For instance, Atlantis astronauts are taking a red T-shirt from the charity organization Save the Children.

The astronauts also are carrying several other lighthearted personal items, such as a 4 by 6-inch photo of Peter Pizza in Brooklyn, a piece for a Lego space shuttle and a DVD from the 2009 induction ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A red squeeze ball from the business network CNBC also is along for the ride.

Such commemorative items typically reflect a personal interest or achievement by a crew member and NASA makes room for them. The expectation is that, back on Earth, many of the objects will inspire future explorers and achievements.

Atlantis and the other shuttles typically carry a host of things, such as patches, flags and other objects intended as special rewards to groups or individuals or goodwill items.

Two large boxes, outfitted for space duty, have been bolted between the braces on Atlantis’ airlock in the payload bay. The triangular containers have been packed with 3 1/2-inch American flags, some 755 small international flags and 1,200 Space Shuttle Program flags. There also are six packages of the red, white and blue flags designed for the individual orbiters.

Shuttles have carried such mementos for more than 30 years. Space shuttle Enterprise, for example, was loaded with patches and flags when it was released from a 747 on several test flights in 1977. Columbia carried a similar assortment on STS-1 and each mission thereafter has included a host of similar items.

Astronaut Gus Grissom is credited with carrying the first mementos into space when he took rolls of dimes on his Mercury flight in 1961.

Almost 50 years later, the goal and effect remain the same: to celebrate and inspire exploration.

Steven Siceloff
NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center

Space Shuttle Mission: STS-133

    Discovery Preparations for September Launch Under Way

    STS-133 astronauts rehearse launch in simulator. Image above: Astronaut Tim Kopra sits in the flight engineer's position during a simulation earlier this year for the STS-133 mission. Commander Steve Lindsey is sitting in the left-hand seat in the front of the flight deck mockup as Pilot Eric Boe works in the right seat. Mission Specialist Alvin Drew is sitting beside Kopra. Image Credit: NASA

    During space shuttle Discovery's final spaceflight, the STS-133 crew members will take important spares to the International Space Station along with the Express Logistics Carrier 4. Discovery is being readied for flight inside Kennedy's orbiter processing facility while its solid rocket boosters are stacked inside the nearby Vehicle Assembly Building. STS-133 is slated to launch in September.

    Orbiter Status
    › About the Orbiters

Feds seek input on small-business contracting

Federal officials want to hear about small-business contracting issues as they look for ways to get more small businesses into federal marketplace.

They are interested in comments on:

  • Removing barriers to small-business participation
  • Using innovative strategies and technologies to increase opportunities for small business contractors and
  • Identifying successful agency and private-sector outreach practices for matching small businesses with contracting and subcontracting opportunities.

President Barack Obama formed two interagency working groups that will look for ways to award more federal contracts to small businesses. Obama signed an executive order April 26 that established an interagency task force that will seek to develop opportunities for veteran-owned small businesses. He also signed a memo that established an interagency task force to help small businesses win more federal contracts.

In a June 14 Federal Register notice, officials posed this list of questions:

  • How can the government improve subcontracting practices, such as tracking and evaluating subcontracting plans?
  • How can prime contractors be more effectively held responsible for their subcontracting plans?
  • What aspects, if any, of the rules governing set-asides should be changed?
  • What strategies best mitigate the effects of contract bundling?
  • Are there specific examples that might be shared as success stories or models for agencies to follow in mitigating contract bundling?
  • What types of training would improve small businesses’ ability to participate in the federal marketplace and what are the best ways to deliver this training to the small-business community?
  • What federal organizations do the best job in their small business outreach strategies? What specific practices do they employ that are most helpful?
  • What technology systems and applications are most helpful to small businesses in finding contracting opportunities?
  • What improvements can be made to existing technologies and what new applications might be considered to make doing business with the federal government easier and more attractive?
  • What is the best way to train people in the procurement process?

Federal officials are willing to take comments via e-mail messages at SB_TaskForce_Comment@sba.gov. They are also planning a public meeting on June 28 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Commerce Department, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW in Washington. A meeting agenda is forthcoming, and will be available at the Small Business Administration Web site.

We'll also take your comments below, if you want to share them.

General Dynamics Awarded $642.2 Million to Modernize NASA Satellite System Ground Segment

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., June 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- General Dynamics C4 Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has been awarded a seven-year contract by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center for the Space Network Ground Segment Sustainment (SGSS) project. The company will modernize the ground system and network for NASA's Tracking Data and Relay Satellite (TDRS) constellation. The indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract has a total potential value of approximately $642.2 million, including options. The period of performance is from June 21, 2010, through June 20, 2017.

As prime system integrator for the project, General Dynamics will implement a new ground-system architecture that ensures the space network will continue to provide global space-to-ground telecommunications and tracking coverage for low-Earth orbit and near-Earth space flight missions. Particular focus will be given to project integration, testing and operational transition so the new system is implemented without interruption to ongoing operations of the space network, which supports all NASA scientific and human space flight missions, including the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station.

Commenting on General Dynamics' 30-year commitment to supporting U.S. space programs, including ongoing involvement with the constellation and ground system, John Weidman, vice president of National Systems for General Dynamics C4 Systems, said, "As we modernize this critical national asset, the focus of our team's efforts is ensuring the NASA Space Network continues the highly-reliable service it has delivered for nearly three decades."

Operating out of the White Sands Complex in New Mexico and the TDRSS Terminal in Guam, the new flexible, extensible and scalable system will also expand the capabilities needed for future space missions by accommodating larger quantities of data with expanded coverage at greater distances.

General Dynamics will staff the SGSS project from its headquarters in Scottsdale, Ariz., and at its SpacePlex facility at New Mexico State University's Arrowhead Research Park in Las Cruces, N.M.

General Dynamics is collaborating on the contract with a team of small and large businesses which has rich NASA experience, including Harris Corporation of Melbourne, Fla.; GMV Space Systems of Rockville, Md.; Rincon Research Corporation of Tucson, Ariz.; a.i. Solutions of Lanham, Md.; RT Logic of Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Qwaltec of Tempe, Ariz.

General Dynamics C4 Systems is a leading integrator of secure communication and information systems and technology. With approximately 11,000 employees worldwide, the company specializes in command and control, communications networking, computing and information assurance for defense, government and select commercial customers in the United States and abroad.

  1. General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., employs approximately 91,200 people worldwide. The company is a market leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies. More information about General Dynamics

About Astronauts

Astronaut Information on the NASA Web

Biographical Data

Public Appearances

Information About Becoming an Astronaut

Living and Working in Space

NASA Human Spaceflight Program Resources

See also the Astronautics History page.

Can't find what you're looking for? Please try the main NASA Search Page or the FirstGov search.

Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous

Communications with the NEAR spacecraft on the surface of Eros have ended, the last reception of signal was at 7:00 p.m. EST on 28 February. See the NASA press release for more details. A graph of the measurements of the gamma-ray spectrometer on the surface of Eros is available.

NEAR Shoemaker touched down on the surface of Eros at 3:01:52 p.m. EST (20:01:52 UT) Monday, 12 February and contact has been maintained. The spacecraft apparently came to rest with the camera and gamma-ray spectrometer pointing towards the ground and the solar panels and low gain antenna pointing generally towards the Earth and Sun. Ample power is available and data can be transmitted at about 10 bits/sec.

The spacecraft impacted at a velocity of about 1.5 to 1.8 meters/second (3.4 to 4.0 mph). The spacecraft obtained 69 high-resolution images before touchdown, the final image showing an area 6 meters across. NEAR was not designed as a lander, but survived the low-velocity, low-gravity impact, a signal continued after the "landing" using the omni-directional low-gain antenna as a beacon. The NEAR team will not be attempting to lift off from the asteroid again. For more, see the NASA Press Release

For details of the plans for the landing, see the 31 January NASA Press Release


Launch Date: 17 February 1996 - 20:43 UT (3:43 PM EST)
Launch Vehicle: Delta II
Planned on-orbit mass: 805 kg (includes 318 kg propellant)
Power System: Solar panels of 1800 W

The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission is the first of NASA's Discovery missions and the first mission ever to go into orbit around an asteroid. The spacecraft is equipped with an X-ray/gamma ray spectrometer, a near-infrared imaging spectrograph, a multispectral camera fitted with a CCD imaging detector, a laser altimeter, and a magnetometer. A radio science experiment will also be performed using the NEAR tracking system to estimate the gravity field of the asteroid. The ultimate goal of the mission was to rendezvous with and achieve orbit around the near Earth asteroid 433 Eros in January, 1999, and study the asteroid for approximately one year. A problem caused an abort of the first encounter burn and the mission had to be rescoped for a 23 December 1998 flyby of Eros and a later encounter and orbit on 14 February 2000. Eros is an S-class asteroid about 13 x 13 x 33 km in size. Studies will be made of the asteroid's size, shape, mass, magnetic field, composition, and surface and internal structure. Periapsis of the orbit will be as low as 24 km above the surface of the asteroid. Prior to its encounter with Eros NEAR flew within 1200 km of the C-class asteroid 253 Mathilde on 27 June 1997. It then flew by the Earth on 23 January 1998. The spacecraft has the shape of an octagonal prism, approximately 1.7 m on a side, with four solar panels and a fixed 1.5 m X-band high-gain radio antenna.

Kennedy Space Center's Science, Technology

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Welcome to Kennedy Space Center's Science, Technology and Engineering Homepage. For the latest technology across NASA

Launch Countdown from Delta-IV Launch Complex 37 with GPS IIF-1
Landed 5/26/10 8:49:18am EDT of Shuttle Atlantis at KSC Runway 33
Launched 5/14/10 2:20pm EDT Shuttle Atlantis with STS-132/MRM1/ICC-VLD
Landing 4/20/10 at 9:08:35 am EDT of Shuttle Discovery on SLF Runway 33 at KSC
Live NASA webcast of FIRST Robotics 2010 championships in Atlanta 4/15/10 - 4/17/10
Launch 4/5/10 at 6:21 am EDT of Shuttle Discovery with STS-131/MPLM
Water Forum 3/16/10-3/18/10 at NASA/KSC - (Press Release 10-061)
FIRST Robotics Regional Competition Webcasts
Launched 3/4/10 6:57pm EST from Delta-IV Launch Complex 37 with GOES-P
Launched 2/11/10 10:23am from Atlas-5 Launch Complex 41 with SDO
Launch 2/8/10 at 4:14am EST of Shuttle Endeavour with STS-130/ISS Node 3
Live NASA webcast of FIRST Robotics 2010 Kickoff on 10am EST 1/9/2010
VAFB SLC-2W/DELTA-II Launch Countdown 12/14/09 14:09 GMT with WISE
Space Shuttle Atlantis STS-129 Launched 11/16/09 14:28 EST from LC-39A
Rollout to LC-39B 10/19/09 and Launch Countdown of ARES-1X 10/27/09
LCROSS impact on the Moon 10/9/09A Live on NASA Web and NASA/TV
VAFB Complex 2/Delta 2 Launched 10/8/09 with DigitalGlobe WorldView-2
CCAFS Complex 17B/Delta 2 7920-10C Launch 9/23/09 with STSS/DEMO
LC-39A Launch 8/28/09 of Discovery with STS-128/Leonardo
CCAFS Complex 17A/Delta 2 Launch 8/17/09 with GPS 2R-21
Experience Live WebCams from KSC (NASA-TV, Schedule)
Live Camera views of Space Station processing in the SSPF

NASA Images Contaminated Louisiana Coastlines

The American space agency NASA has just published new satellite images of the disaster currently taking place in the Gulf of Mexico. The photographs were collected on May 24 by the Terra Earth-observation satellite, which used its Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument for the job. The datasets reveal the extent of the contamination that the Deepwater Horizon oil slick caused on the coasts of Louisiana. The accident took place about 50 miles from the state shores, which helps explain why the area was so severely affected. The grip the crude slick has on the wildlife habitats in Louisiana is also apparent in the new images, ScienceDaily reports.

This particular photo covers an area of 110 by 119 kilometers (68 by 74 miles), with the source of the spill, the site where the semi-submersible drilling ring sunk, located in the bottom right corner. The oil can be clearly seen encroaching towards the eastern sections of the Mississippi River delta, which is an extremely sensitive area. Numerous species have made a home in this ecosystem, which provides unique breeding and nesting conditions for numerous species of endangered fish and birds. The true extent of the oil contamination will most likely not be visible now, but in the long-run, experts fear.

The Deepwater Horizon semi-submersible drilling rig, which operated south of the coasts of Louisiana, suffered a large explosion on April 20. Eleven crew members are assumed dead, and all rescue efforts aimed at finding them have long since been called off. On April 22, the rig sunk into the waters of the Gulf, in spite of the fact that emergency response ships were on-site, evacuating workers, and pouring water on the platform. With the collapse of the Horizon, the pipes that carried the oil from a depth of 5,000 feet (1,500 meters), broke.

The valves designed to stop the oil flow in such an instance malfunctioned, and between 12,000 and 19,000 barrels of crude have been spilling in the water daily ever since. Actual amount may be a lot larger than this, experts warn, which means that the damage may be considerably larger than initially estimated. Given the size of the slick, some hypothesize that the oil may have moved from the site in underwater plumes, which are extremely difficult to detect, even with sensitive Earth-observing satellites. NOAA has closed tens of thousands of square miles of Gulf water to fishing already, and is working with the FDA to assess the situation.

Falcon 9 rocket makes landmark flight


Rocket
A rocket, developed by Hawthorne-based Space Exploration Technologies Corp., made its maiden flight Friday, boosting prospects for privately funded space vehicles to one day take astronauts and cargo into orbit.

The nine-engine Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 11:45 a.m. PDT after several earlier attempts were aborted because of technical anomalies.

The booster is a major contender to assume NASA's responsibilities in hauling astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station in the wake of President Obama's budget proposal to outsource space travel to private businesses.

NASA has invested more than $200 million in seed money to help the company develop and build the rocket, and has an additional $1.6 billion on the table with a contract for 12 flights to transport cargo in the coming years.

Elon Musk, who founded SpaceX after making a fortune in Silicon Valley, had said in a pre-launch teleconference Thursday that he estimated the chances at 70% to 80%. SpaceX's first rocket -- the smaller, single-engine Falcon 1 -- failed three times before it carried a satellite into space."This is very much a test flight of the Falcon 9," Musk said. "It's analogous to sort of the beta testing of some new technology.”

-- W.J. Hennigan

Photo: The SpaceX Falcon 9 test rocket lifts off of pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Credit: Matt Stroshane / Getty Images

NASA Photo - Oil continues to stream from Gulf of Mexico oil spill

The oil spill that is not exactly a oil spill continues to stream out of the hole in the ocean floor. According to the last information we have the oil spill should stream out until August as they cant stop it before then.

This NASA image shows the latest view of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill from space and can also be seen in Google Earth if you have file we wrote about earlier.

Beneath scattered clouds, streaks and ribbons of oil brightened the reflection of the Sun off the Gulf of Mexico in this photo-like satellite image from May 31, 2010. Oil is visible 355 kilometers (221 miles) southwest of the site of the damaged, leaking Deepwater Horizon well. (For perspective, this distance would be like an oil leak in New York City that spread southwest as far as Washington, D.C., or a leak in Las Vegas that spread to Los Angeles.) The streaks of oil in the southwest corner of the image are on the order of 2 kilometers (1 mile) wide.

Photo-like satellite images are not a perfect tool for detecting oil on the surface of water. Outside of the sunglint area (the part of the satellite image where the mirror-like reflection of the Sun is blurred into a wide, washed out strip by waves), the oil may be imperceptible against the dark background of the water. Scientists and disaster responders in the Gulf are combining photo-like satellite images and aircraft and shipboard observations with weather and ocean current models to predict the spread of oil.

This image of the Gulf of Mexico was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite on May 31, 2010.

NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team. Caption by Rebecca Lindsey.

Kennedy Education Spaceflight Up Close


MIT students peer into a Michelin tire used on a space shuttle flight.

Image above: Eight aerospace engineering students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology peer into a Michelin tire used on a space shuttle flight during a recent tour of Kennedy Space Center's Logistics Facility. Image credit: NASA/Troy Cryder


› View larger image

Eight aerospace engineering students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT, recently visited NASA's Kennedy Space Center . . . and not just to enjoy the Florida weather. In fact, they prepped for months during the fall semester for their three-week visit to the Sunshine State.

Charlie De Vivero, Kwami Williams, Jillian James, Carla Perez-Martinez, Ezekiel Willett, Natasha Bosanac, Andrew Wang and Wendy Pino were introduced to the operational aspects of spaceflight and learned about the relationship between design and operations.

Called the January Operational Internship Experience, the program allows the students to spend time at Kennedy, learning how design decisions made years ago influence maintenance requirements today. They also will understand how the relationship between design and operations is extremely difficult to learn in the classroom, but critical for the successful practice of engineering.

"Kennedy gives us a definite insight into our future . . . to what we can do. It's the best preparation we can receive," Vivero said.

Enabling students to gain an operational perspective in the exciting atmosphere of Kennedy could lead to summer employment and eventually new hires by NASA and Kennedy aerospace contractors, thus contributing to NASA's future work force needs.

This program also offers NASA the opportunity to make a unique experience available to students without burdening Kennedy resources during the summer, when the center already is hosting a number of student programs.

Sponsored in part by Kennedy's Education Office and the Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium, the program began as a discussion with then-NASA Deputy Administrator Fred Gregory during his visit to MIT in mid-November 2002. In January 2003, 12 students made the inaugural visit. Since then, more than 50 students have been involved in the program.

Once in Florida, students receive introductory briefings and tours of Kennedy and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, as well as contractor operations, to get an overview of space shuttle, International Space Station, payload and expendable launch vehicle processing.

Then, the students divide into teams to gain a more intimate familiarity with the Constellation, Engineering and Launch Vehicle Processing directorates. Students will have the opportunity to interview senior engineers about the history of the programs they are working on and how daily activities are influenced by the initial design.

"Every day we see a different aspect of Kennedy Space Center and I'm just blown away from everything . . . the beauty of the center is its uniqueness," Williams said.

Formal papers describing their experience and what they learned were required from all students after their visit. In the future, Kennedy and the Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium hope to expand this program to students across the United States.

Frank Ochoa-Gonzaless
NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center

Kennedy Education Spaceflight Up Close


MIT students peer into a Michelin tire used on a space shuttle flight.

Image above: Eight aerospace engineering students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology peer into a Michelin tire used on a space shuttle flight during a recent tour of Kennedy Space Center's Logistics Facility. Image credit: NASA/Troy Cryder


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Eight aerospace engineering students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT, recently visited NASA's Kennedy Space Center . . . and not just to enjoy the Florida weather. In fact, they prepped for months during the fall semester for their three-week visit to the Sunshine State.

Charlie De Vivero, Kwami Williams, Jillian James, Carla Perez-Martinez, Ezekiel Willett, Natasha Bosanac, Andrew Wang and Wendy Pino were introduced to the operational aspects of spaceflight and learned about the relationship between design and operations.

Called the January Operational Internship Experience, the program allows the students to spend time at Kennedy, learning how design decisions made years ago influence maintenance requirements today. They also will understand how the relationship between design and operations is extremely difficult to learn in the classroom, but critical for the successful practice of engineering.

"Kennedy gives us a definite insight into our future . . . to what we can do. It's the best preparation we can receive," Vivero said.

Enabling students to gain an operational perspective in the exciting atmosphere of Kennedy could lead to summer employment and eventually new hires by NASA and Kennedy aerospace contractors, thus contributing to NASA's future work force needs.

This program also offers NASA the opportunity to make a unique experience available to students without burdening Kennedy resources during the summer, when the center already is hosting a number of student programs.

Sponsored in part by Kennedy's Education Office and the Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium, the program began as a discussion with then-NASA Deputy Administrator Fred Gregory during his visit to MIT in mid-November 2002. In January 2003, 12 students made the inaugural visit. Since then, more than 50 students have been involved in the program.

Once in Florida, students receive introductory briefings and tours of Kennedy and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, as well as contractor operations, to get an overview of space shuttle, International Space Station, payload and expendable launch vehicle processing.

Then, the students divide into teams to gain a more intimate familiarity with the Constellation, Engineering and Launch Vehicle Processing directorates. Students will have the opportunity to interview senior engineers about the history of the programs they are working on and how daily activities are influenced by the initial design.

"Every day we see a different aspect of Kennedy Space Center and I'm just blown away from everything . . . the beauty of the center is its uniqueness," Williams said.

Formal papers describing their experience and what they learned were required from all students after their visit. In the future, Kennedy and the Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium hope to expand this program to students across the United States.

Frank Ochoa-Gonzaless
NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center

Space Shuttle Overview: Endeavour (OV-105)

Authorized by Congress in August 1987 as a replacement for the Space Shuttle orbiter Challenger, Endeavour (OV-105) arrived at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility on May 7, 1991, piggy-backed on top of NASA's new Space Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.

Space Shuttle Endeavour launch at Kennedy Space Center For the first time, an orbiter was named through a national competition involving students in elementary and secondary schools. They were asked to select a name based upon an exploratory or research sea vessel. In May 1989, President George Bush announced the winning name.

Image left: Space Shuttle Endeavour blazes into the night sky on mission STS-113, the 19th for Endeavour, and the 112th flight in the Shuttle program. Image credit: NASA

Endeavour was named after a ship chartered to traverse the South Pacific in 1768 and captained by 18th century British explorer James Cook, an experienced seaman, navigator and amateur astronomer. He commanded a crew of 93 men, including 11 scientists and artists.

Cook's main objective, tasked by the British Admiralty and the Royal Society, was to observe the Transit of Venus at Tahiti. This reading enabled astronomers to find the distance of the Sun from the Earth, which then could be used as a unit of measurement in calculating the parameters of the universe.

Cook's achievements on Endeavour were numerous, including the accurate charting of New Zealand and Australia and successfully navigating the Great Barrier Reef. Thousands of new plant specimens and animal species were observed and illustrated on this maiden voyage. Cook also established the usefulness of including scientists on voyages of exploration.

Space Shuttle Endeavour embodies similar experiences. Its first launch, the STS-49 mission, began with a flawless liftoff on May 7, 1992, beginning a journey filled with excitement, anticipation and many firsts.

One of Endeavour's primary assignments was to capture INTELSAT VI, an orbiting, but not functioning, communications satellite, and replace its rocket motor. Unfortunately, the Space Shuttle wasn't designed to retrieve the satellite, which created many repair challenges.

The project sparked public interest in the mission and NASA received a deluge of suggestions on possible ways for the crew to grab onto the satellite. It took three attempts to capture the satellite for repairs to be made. An unprecedented three-person spacewalk took place after the procedure was evaluated by the astronauts and ground team.

Between rescue attempts, the STS-49 crew was busy with a variety of activities. They conducted medical tests assessing the human body's performance in microgravity, and recorded footage for an educational video comparing Cook's first voyage on Endeavour with the Space Shuttle orbiter's maiden voyage.

Once the new motor was attached, it propelled the satellite into the correct orbit, providing a relay link for the equivalent of 120,000 two-way simultaneous telephone calls and three television channels.

This was the first time four spacewalks were conducted on a Space Shuttle mission and one of them was the longest in space history, lasting more than eight hours.

The crew also took part in the Commercial Protein Crystal Growth experiment. The research tested the production of protein crystals grown in microgravity.

Space Shuttle Endeavour landing at Kennedy Space Center Because of Endeavour's excellent performance, NASA decided to extend the flight two days to complete more mission objectives and allow the crew enough time to prepare for landing.

Image right: Space Shuttle Endeavour is moments away from touchdown at the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, bringing to a close the STS-113 mission to the International Space Station. Image credit: NASA

OV-105 became the first Space Shuttle orbiter to use a drag chute during a landing -- only one of many technical improvements made to Endeavour.

Just as James Cook set the standard with his seafaring Endeavour voyage, the Space Shuttle Endeavour missions have continued to uphold and surpass the standards set by its namesake, more than 200 years later.

Construction Milestones

February 15, 1982 Start structural assembly of Crew Module
July 31, 1987 Contract Award
September 28, 1987 Start structural assembly of aft-fuselage
December 22, 1987 Wings arrive at Palmdale, Calif. from Grumman
August 1, 1987 Start of Final Assembly
July 6, 1990 Completed final assembly
April 25, 1991 Rollout from Palmdale
May 7, 1991 Delivery to Kennedy Space Center
April 6, 1992 Flight Readiness Firing
May 7, 1992 First Flight (STS-49)

Upgrades and Features

Spare parts from the construction of Discovery (OV-103) and Atlantis (OV-104), manufactured to facilitate the repair of an orbiter if needed, were eventually used to build OV-105.

Endeavour also featured new hardware, designed to improve and expand orbiter capabilities. Most of this equipment was later incorporated into the other three orbiters during out-of-service major inspection and modification programs.

Endeavour's upgrades include:
  • A 40-foot-diameter drag chute that reduces the orbiter's rollout distance by 1,000 to 2,000 feet.
  • An updated avionics system that include advanced general purpose computers, improved inertial measurement units and tactical air navigation systems, enhanced master events controllers and multiplexer-demultiplexers, a solid-state star tracker.
  • Improved nose wheel steering mechanisms.
  • An improved version of the Auxiliary Power Units that provide power to operate the Space Shuttle's hydraulic systems.
  • Installation of an external airlock, making Endeavour capable of docking with the International Space Station.
  • Originally equipped as the first extended duration orbiter, later removed during OMDP to save weight for ISS missions.
  • Installation of a ground cooling hookup to allow payload bay to cool the mini-pressurized logistics module (MPLM).
  • General weight-reduction program to maximize the payload capability to the ISS.
  • Doublers added to several wing spars to allow heavier payloads and two wing glove truss tubes were replaced with units having increased wall thickness.
  • Approximately 100 modifications made to Endeavour during its first Orbiter Major Modification period (OMDP).
Space Shuttle Endeavour's OMDP began in December 2003. Engineers and technicians spent 900,000 hours performing 124 modifications to the vehicle. These included recommended return to flight safety modifications, bonding more than 1,000 thermal protection system tiles and inspecting more than 150 miles of wiring. Eighty five of the modifications are complete and 39 are still underway.

Two of the more extensive modifications included the addition of the multi-functional electronic display system (glass cockpit), and the three-string global positioning system.

The glass cockpit is a new, full-color, flat-panel display system that improves interaction between the crew and orbiter. It provides easy-to-read graphics portraying key flight indicators like attitude display and mach speed. Endeavour was the last vehicle in the fleet to receive this system.

The three-string global positioning system will improve the shuttle's landing capability. It will allow Endeavour to make a landing at any runway long enough to handle the shuttle. The previous system only allowed for landings at military bases. Shuttle major modification periods are scheduled at regular intervals to enhance safety and performance, infuse new technology and allow thorough inspections of the airframe and wiring. This was the second of modification period performed entirely at Kennedy. Endeavour's previous modification was completed in March 1997.

Endeavour has undergone extensive modifications, including the addition of all of the return-to-flight safety upgrades added to both Discovery and Atlantis.

Endeavour's flight on mission STS-118 was the first launch for the orbiter in more than four years.

For additional information, visit:
+ Space Shuttle Facts and Statistics

Expedition 26

    JSC2009-E-215236: Catherine Coleman participates in training session Image above: NASA astronaut Catherine Coleman, Expedition 26 flight engineer, participates in a training session in the Cupola module mock-up in the Multi-use Remote Manipulator Development Facility in the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Image credit: NASA

Crew Profiles

  • Scott Kelly

    Commander Scott J. Kelly

    U.S. Navy Captain Scott Kelly will fly to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz TMA-20 spacecraft to serve as an Expedition 25 flight engineer and commander of Expedition 26. A veteran of two space shuttle missions, Kelly last visited the orbiting complex in August 2007 as commander of the STS-118 mission aboard Endeavour.

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  • Alexander Kaleri

    Flight Engineer Alexander Kaleri

    Cosmonaut Alexander Kaleri will serve as the Soyuz TMA-20 commander and flight engineer for Expeditions 25 and 26. A veteran of four previous spaceflights, Kaleri last stayed aboard the International Space Station as an Expedition 8 crew member from October 2003 to April 2004.

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  • Oleg Skripochka

    Flight Engineer Oleg Skripochka

    Cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka will fly aboard the Soyuz TMA-20 spacecraft to the International Space Station to serve as a flight engineer for Expeditions 25 and 26. This is his first spaceflight.

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  • Catherine Coleman

    Flight Engineer Catherine Coleman

    Air Force Colonel Catherine Coleman will fly aboard the Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft to serve as a flight engineer for Expeditions 26 and 27. A veteran of two shuttle missions, Coleman's last spaceflight was in July 1999 as the lead mission specialist for STS-93 aboard Columbia.

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  • Dmitri Kondratyev

    Flight Engineer Dmitri Kondratyev

    As commander of Soyuz TMA-21, cosmonaut Dmitri Kondratyev will travel to the International Space Station to serve as an Expedition 26 flight engineer and Expedition 27 commander. A colonel in the Russian air force, Kondratyev qualified as a test-cosmonaut in 2000.

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  • Paolo Nespoli

    Flight Engineer Paolo Nespoli

    European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli will travel to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft and serve as a flight engineer for Expeditions 26 and 27. In 2007, Nespoli visited the station as a member of the STS-120 crew aboard space shuttle Discovery to deliver the Italian-built Harmony node.

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