Space Food

I was watching Modern Marvels on TV about potatoes.  In one of sequences they showed growing mini potatoes in air without any dirt.  The mini potatoes grew faster than potatoes grown in dirt.  This reminded me about space food and thought I would see what might be of interest.  As for potatoes here are some links.

Space Spuds to the Rescue
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/everydaylife/spacespuds.html
Quantum Tubers™
http://www.quantumtubers.com/
http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/spinoff2000/er5.htm

Potatoes will be important for the space traveler but there needs to be more than french fries and what is good in space may well be good here on Earth as well.
- LRK -

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http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/presskits/spacefood/factsheets.html
Space Food Fact Sheets

Space Food
Many people are curious about what astronauts eat in space. NASA nutritionists make sure they have plenty of healthy, appetizing food while they're living in orbit.
+ Read the Fact Sheet (PDF 98 Kb)
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/71426main_FS-2002-10-079-JSC.pdf

Incredible Edibles from Space
Space food technology spinoffs benefit dining rooms throughout the world. NASA licenses dozens of space-age technologies and connects with the private sector for the creation of products that improve lives here on Earth.
+ Read the Fact Sheet (PDF 2.5 Mb)
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/71427main_Space_Food_Spinoff_FS-2004-08-007-JSC.pdf

Cosmic Cuisine
NASA space food scientists are developing an Advanced Food System that will provide future crews traveling to the moon and Mars with safe, nutritious and appetizing food while minimizing volume, mass and waste.
+ Read the Fact Sheet (PDF 59 Kb)
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/137398main_FS-2005-10-055%20Cuisine_1.pdf

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Some other information to test your taste buds.
- LRK -

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http://science.howstuffworks.com/space-food.htm
How Space Food Works

By the 1960s, NASA achieved an extraordinary technological feat by sending men into space. Yet one deceptively simple aspect of space travel took several more years to perfect: the food. Today most space food looks a lot like food here on the ground. What started out as tasteless paste squeezed out of a toothpastelike tube has come a long way from space exploration's early days. Astronauts are even getting treated to gourmet meals designed by celebrity chefs.

But what is space food? A typical space menu is made up of a lot of the same items found in homes and restaurants here on Earth. It might include foods such as:
   * Beef stroganoff
   * Brownies
   * Crispy rice cereal
   * Chicken stew
   * Scrambled eggs
   * Pineapple
   * Granola bars
   * Macaroni and cheese
   * Chocolate pudding

The biggest differences between space food and regular food are in the packaging and design. Space food must be carefully contained so it doesn't float around in the low-gravity (microgravity) environment. Even something as simple as a few crumbs can become deadly in low gravity. Loose pieces of food can become lodged in shuttle  vents or can waft into an astronaut's nose or mouth and pose a choking or breathing hazard. Liquids can float away as well, so drinks like coffee, orange juice, apple cider and tea are packaged as powders. Astronauts add water to the contained drinks to rehydrate them.

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When we look up and think about space travel it excites the imagination. Give some students the challenge to figure out what is needed to survive and see what they find.
http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/01581/SpaceTravelEnglish/lifesupport/food.html
- LRK -

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http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/01581/SpaceTravelEnglish/lifesupport/food.html
Space Travel 101
Food

Eating aboard a spacecraft is more than just grabbing some fast-food. Biological, operational, and engineering factors all play a part in the types of food that are available in a spacecraft. These factors involve the effect of the food on the astronaut, the structure of the food's container, and how manageable the food and container is, respectively. The following table lists factors that determine good space food.

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Some history about Space food.
- LRK -

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_food
Space food

Space food is food products, specially created and processed for consumption by astronauts in outer space. The food has specific requirements of providing balanced nutrition for the health of individuals working in space, while being easy and safe to store, prepare and consume in the machinery filled low gravity environments of contemporary manned spacecrafts. In recent years, space food have been used by various nations engaging on space programs as a way to share and show off their cultural identity and facilitate intercultural communication.

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Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -
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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK

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H.R. 5781 - Title: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010

It is Friday, 7/30/10, and I started watching C-SPAN - H.S. House of Representatives which includes floor debates.  I thought that H.R. 5781 would be on the agenda as I got an e-mail reiterating Elon Musk concern that the bill might pass and limit the amount of money Space X would get and that it would provide for more 'Pork' for other NASA and Russian funded support.

Excerpt from what I received:
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NASA’s Authorization bill (H.R. 5781) will be debated on the floor of the US House of Representatives tomorrow. Despite the imminent retirement of the Space Shuttle, H.R. 5781 authorizes over five times as many taxpayer dollars to fly NASA astronauts on the Russian Soyuz than it invests in developing an American commercial alternative, moreover at a time when jobs are sorely needed in the United States. Quite simply, this bill represents the sort of senseless pork politics that has driven our national debt to the point where our economy can barely service it.
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Granted, one might not like to spend money for the Russians to fly our astronauts to the ISS but if you don't have any other way at the moment to get them their I would think you would need to pay the taxi driver.  If you would like to take a different taxi well it would be nice if they were to come along before you miss your appointment.  If you want to help someone else build their taxi, I guess you can do that too.   If you have both the money for the ride now and some change to help your local friend that would be nice too.   Not enough money to do both, well maybe spend less on Black Ops, just a thought.
- LRK -

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http://www.spacenews.com/policy/10072-rally-stall-nasa-authorization-bill.html
Thu, 29 July, 2010
Commercial Space Advocates Rally To Stall NASA Authorization Bill
By Amy Klamper

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Commercial space advocates are working to kill the bill. For example, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), the Hawthorne, Calif.-based company eager to fly NASA astronauts to the international space station aboard its Falcon 9-launched Dragon capsule, is e-mailing supporters to urge their lawmakers to vote no on H.R. 5781.

“If you care about the future of American space exploration, your urgent help is needed,” SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk wrote in the e-mail. “The only hope for the average citizen to one day travel to space is in danger due to the actions of certain members of Congress.”

Lawmakers are running out of time to move measures to a vote before the U.S. government’s new fiscal year begins Oct. 1. 

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Watching the House of Representatives on C-SPAN is making me tired. You see the BP Oil Spill is taking up a lot of time with discussionsabout new legislation to see that it doesn't happen again and to make them pay.  A minute for you to talk, two minuets for you over there torebut, and why won't you tell me what the next bill is on the agenda. Ow, my head hurts.  No talking about H.R. 5781 as it seems there were some late night hall discussions and maybe now is not the time tobring to the floor.
- LRK -

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http://www.spacenews.com/policy/100730-vote-nasa-bill-unlikely.html
Fri, 30 July, 2010
Vote on NASA Bill Appears Unlikely Before September
By Amy Klamper

WASHINGTON — A controversial House NASA authorization bill that appeared headed for a floor vote July 30 has stalled, and it appearsunlikely the measure will be taken up before lawmakers leave town for a six-week summer break that begins Aug. 2.

House leadership aides said just before midnight July 29 that the bill, a three-year authorization that recommends funding the U.S.space agency at roughly $19 billion a year through 2013, would not be taken up July 30, and that it is very unlikely the measure will cometo a vote before lawmakers head home to campaign in their districts.  Although the bill, H.R. 5781, would not actually fund NASA, it would set guidelines for how much Congress can spend on the agency’s programs. In June House appropriators approved a $19 billion budget for NASA next year, but fenced off most of the agency’s $4.2 billion human space exploration budget pending enactment of an authorization bill.

The House Science and Technology Committee approved H.R. 5781 with strong bipartisan support July 22, sending forward a bill that authorizes only a small fraction of the $3.3 billion NASA sought to invest in a commercial crew transportation system over the next three years. The bill authorized $150 million through 2013 for commercial crew and another $300 million in the form of government-backed loans or loan guarantees. The measure also would continue much of the work being done under NASA’s Constellation program, a 5-year-old effort to build new rockets and spacecraft optimized for lunar missions that President Barack Obama targeted for termination in his 2011 spending proposal delivered to Congress in February.

With little time remaining in the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30, House Science and Technology Committee Chairman Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.) sought to bring the measure to the House floor under suspension of the rules — a move that prevents amendments to a bill and requires a two-thirds majority vote to pass. But Gordon encountered resistance from House members hoping to weigh in on the measure during floor debate. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and other House Democrats met with Gordon early July 29 to address concerns with key elements of the legislation.

“We had a good conversation about the difficult choices facing the agency and promised to continue to work together to reach consensus on the bill,” Schiff said of the meeting through a spokesperson July 29.

Schiff was one of 13 Democratic members of the California delegation who urged Gordon’s committee to restore funding for commercial crew and cargo initiatives and exploration technology programs requested in NASA’s 2011 spending plan.

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If you thought you were going to get some gold coins thrown your way and now looks like you are only going to get copper pieces, I guess you are saying "Not Fair",   Why didn't you bring a bigger bag of coins, and forget all those other hands that are outstretched.  Get back, get back, see me, see me.
- LRK -

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http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/07/29/4779210-showdown-over-space-policy
Showdown over space policy

Alan Boyle writes: Rocketeers ranging from SpaceX's millionaire founder to the maverick engineers behind the DIRECT heavy-lift design effort are sounding the alarm over a space spending bill due for consideration by the House on Friday. Their bottom line: Support the Senate version of the bill instead.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38267623/ns/technology_and_science-space

H.R. 5781 , the House's version of the $19 billion NASA authorization bill for fiscal 2011, lops off most of $6 billion being sought by the Obama administration for boosting the development of commercial spaceships capable of bringing astronauts to the International Space Station over the next five years. Instead, it would put more money into the internal NASA rocket development program - although not as much as previously budgeted under a plan that an independent panel said was "not viable."

For a detailed analysis of the various plans, check out this comparison from the Space Foundation, and this Popular Mechanics commentary by Rand Simberg.

Many folks on the entrepreneurial space frontier say the House spending plan is so deficient that the Senate version must prevail, even though it also short-changes commercial space development. They say the alternative could be an extended period of dependence on the Russians for crew transport.

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So the legislative process goes on, inside and outside and in the halls.   It doesn't seem to be a done deal and if there isn't any money to fund then it will just be words on paper.  Keith Cowling adds a few words at NASA WATCH.
- LRK -

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http://www.nasawatch.com/archives/2010/07/showdown-ahead.html
Showdown Ahead For H.R. 5781?
By Keith Cowing on July 29, 2010 7:26 P

Commercial Space Advocates Rally To Stall NASA Authorization Bill, SpaceNews
http://www.spacenews.com/policy/10072-rally-stall-nasa-authorization-bill.html

"House sources said July 28 that a floor vote on the NASA authorization could come as early as July 29, but opponents of the bill -- primarily commercial space advocates -- were successful in stalling the measure, which now is unlikely to be considered before July 30, sources said. Gordon is seeking to bring the measure  to the House floor under suspension of the rules, a procedural tactic that prevents amendments to a bill during limited floor debate and which requires a two-thirds majority vote to pass."

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To schedule or not to schedule, that is the question?
Then there is, to vote for or not to vote for, and who will think me bad if I do or don't.
Will I need the other representatives support on MY BILL when I present?
My, my, decisions, decisions.
- LRK -

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http://www.spacepolitics.com/2010/07/30/hr-5781-schedule-and-supporting-the-home-team/
HR 5781 schedule, and supporting the home team
July 30, 2010 at 6:17 am · Filed under Congress, NASA

It’s not a guarantee that action on the bill is delayed, but HR 5781, the NASA authorization bill, does not appear on the House floor schedule for Friday as distributed by the office of the House Majority Leader. Several bills are up for consideration under suspension of the rules, some of which were postponed from yesterday, but the NASA bill is not among them. Schedules, as always, are subject to change.
http://majorityleader.gov/links_and_resources/whip_resources/dailyleader.cfm?pressReleaseID=4417

Meanwhile, in a meeting with the editorial board of Florida Today, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk elaborated on his comments in the call-to-action email the company sent out yesterday morning. “It seems like just a basic rule of thumb — maybe you want to spend as much on the American team as you do on the Russians,” Musk told the paper, noting that the bill authorizes several times as much money for buying seats on Russian Soyuz spacecraft as it does for commercial crew development. “It just seems like a crazy time to be doing that sort of thing.”

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Okay, I passed some folks links to H.R. 5781 at Thomas.loc and the search links had expired.
If that is the case with you, then just go to the thomas.loc home page and do your own search.
Knowing how may come in handy later when you have something else you would like to check on.
- LRK -

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http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.html
THOMAS
In the spirit of Thomas Jefferson, legislative information from the
Library of Congress

[Note:  In Search Bill Summary & Status  - use 'Bill Number' search
option, enter H.R. 5781]
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I think politics is messy and not the most efficient way to run a government.  Then again, it is very nice to be able to stand up and say what you want done. In some places one would just be told what to do, or else.
- LRK -

Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -
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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK

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Food for Mars - It’s a daunting challenge, NASA says

Eric had a comment, [On the ultimate: "I'll take that to go..." > In further support for a Lunar Base (which would be better at restocking and supplying those traveling further away), you may want to point out a current problem that NASA has with a trip to Mars right now, astronauts eating healthy.  Just take a look at them  apples!  Imagine, on top of being cooped up in a small space craft for months, and this is what there is to eat?  Yuck!]

It has been awhile since I had thought about what astronauts had to eat and how that might change for long stays away from home, like at a lunar base or a long trip to Mars.  It is one thing to pack for a trip up the coast by car.  It is even more interesting packing a submarine for 90 days under water, but what do you do when you are in a spaceship for six months or more when you consider the return trip time and any time at a landing site?

Before I left NASA Ames they were working on how to grow your vegetables in space.  I don't know what is happening now.  The shuttle is going away, the ISS may stay up awhile longer but isn't self sufficient, and we aren't talking about humans to the Moon, so I wonder if there will be the political will to continue planing on how to feed astronauts for long duration flights.

Much food for thought and a number of links within the article.  :-)
- LRK -

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http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/61399/title/Science_%2B_the_Public__Food_for_Mars
Food for Mars - It’s a daunting challenge, NASA says

 By Janet Raloff
Web edition : Monday, July 26th, 2010

CHICAGO — Most people find the palatability of in-flight entrees an oxymoron. But even frequent fliers seldom encounter more than a few such meals per week. Astronauts, in contrast, may have to survive months in orbit dining on a really limited menu of processed foods and reconstituted beverages served from oh-so- lamorous plastic pouches.  Luckily, even the International Space Station can restock its pantry several times a year because these foods are relatively perishable.  Which explains the problem NASA faces in planning for really long missions — like a trip to Mars.

Astronaut foods may appear indestructible, but many crew favorites don’t retain their nutrition or palatability for even a year, notes Michele Perchonok.

She should know. Perchonok manages not only NASA’s advanced food technology program, but also the development and preparation of foods for shuttle astronauts. At the Institute of Food Technology annual meeting, on July 20, she described NASA’s limited larder.

Foods destined for space shuttle missions must have a shelf life of a year, and 18 months if they’ll be deployed on the International Space Station. Of the roughly 65 foods currently available for stocking spacecraft and deemed really palatable by NASA taste panels, 10 will lose their appeal within a year —  turning off-color, mushy or tasteless, she reported. By the end of five years, Perchonok says, “we’re down to seven items.”

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Well this sounds like packing a submarine with everything you want to eat.  Try packing for a round trip to Mars.  Where do you throw the wrappers?  And how long will this link remain if we aren't going to send humans to the Moon.
- LRK -

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http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/stseducation/stories/Michele_Perchonok_Profile.html
Michele Perchonok, Shuttle Food System Manager

Food is very important to today's astronauts. It provides them with both nutrition and a comfort from home. It's also important to Michele Perchonok. As the shuttle food system manager, Perchonok is responsible for making space food taste good and be good for the crews.

Seven months prior to spaceflight, Perchonok works with NASA astronauts to develop personalized food menus. She conducts taste-tests with shuttle crews in the Space Food Systems Laboratory. The laboratory, located at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, is responsible for preparing astronauts' meals to fly in space. The lab also researches and develops new foods and packaging that can be flown on future missions.

In addition to working with shuttle missions, Perchonok is the Advanced Food Technology team lead. Advanced Food Technology scientists are researching food for long-duration missions to the moon and Mars. Specifically, food researchers are looking at increasing the shelf life of food by improving packaging. They are also studying the possibility of growing plants on lunar and planetary surfaces.

"Food by definition needs packaging to protect it and keep it safe, and packaging ends up being quite a contributor to trash at the end," Perchonok said. "So we're looking at food packaging that would provide us with a long shelf life, because once you go to Mars you need a five-year shelf life on food. But, at the same time, you need to try to minimize the massive volume of the packaging."

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Astronauts living on lunar or planetary surfaces will need more than the current food warmer and re-hydration station to prepare fresh foods. Perchonok hopes to provide future astronauts with juicers, food processors and bread- or pasta-makers. Plants like wheat and soybeans can be processed and milled into flour and then used in the galley as food ingredients. "Then we can use the flour to make pasta, bread, cookies or breakfast cereals," she said. The new food preparation equipment must be small, light-weight and multipurpose. One tool currently being developed will be able to do the work of three.
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NASA continues its tradition of investing in the nation's future by emphasizing three major education goals -- attracting and retaining students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines; strengthening NASA and the nation's future workforce; and engaging Americans in NASA's mission. To compete effectively for the minds, imaginations and career ambitions of America's young people, NASA is focused on supporting formal and informal educators to engage and retain students in education efforts that encourage their pursuit of disciplines needed to achieve the Vision for Space Exploration.
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Hmmm, . . . .to achieve the Vision for Space Exploration.  ?????

Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -

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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK

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Small Solar Power Sail Demonstrator 'IKAROS' Successful Attitude Control by Liquid Crystal Device

When I saw this I thought of the  Crookes radiometer with its four black and white vanes spinning inside a glass bulb when it sat in the Sun light.


I was wrong. IKAROS is in a true vacuum and uses sunlight pressure, while the Crookes radiometer is using the movement of air molecules around the paddles in a partial vacuum.   Learn something new everyday.
- LRK -

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http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2010/07/20100723_ikaros_e.html
 Small Solar Power Sail Demonstrator 'IKAROS' Successful Attitude Control by Liquid Crystal Device

                                                 July 23, 2010 (JST)
                           Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) performed an attitude control experiment (*1) of the solar sail of the Small Solar Power Sail Demonstrator "IKAROS," after its deployment, using an attitude control device, or the liquid crystal device, on July 13, 2010 (Japan Standard Time, the following dates and time are  JST, unless otherwise noted. ) We have since confirmed that the attitude control performance was successfully accomplished as planned through post-experiment data verification and analysis. The IKAROS  was launched from the Tanegahima Space Center on May 21, 2010.


The liquid crystal device is a thin-film instrument to change the surface reflection characteristics of sunlight by turning on and off the power of the device. It is an engineering test device to control attitude using only sunlight pressure without any additional propellant.

Two kinds of technologies are extremely important for a spin solar sail, like the IKAROS's sail: one is technology to generate small attitude control torque (*2) constantly without causing oscillation on the large flexible sail, and the other is technology to control the direction (attitude) of large angular momentum generated by the spinning membrane without consuming propellant. The attitude control method using sunlight pressure is one of the most feasible methods for satisfying the above two technological requirements, and JAXA has been a global leader in developing this original method.

JAXA will continue the attitude control experiment by the IKAROS to evaluate the details of the attitude control performance while continuing to conduct research on attitude control technology using sunlight pressure as a technology that enables navigation for longer in time and further in distance by a solar sail.

*1 The IKAROS usually uses its onboard thrusters attached to its main body, not the liquid crystal device, for attitude control during normal operations.

*2 Torque is a moment of force to rotate an object about an axis or pivot. For the attitude control experiment using the liquid crystal device this time, the attitude control torque was minimal as sunlight pressure was used for attitude control, thus, by generating torque constantly, it was possible to control attitude without causing vibration on the membrane.

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http://www.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/ikaros/index_e.html
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Some on the Crookes radiometer.
- LRK -

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crookes_radiometer

The Crookes radiometer, also known as the light mill, consists of an airtight glass bulb, containing a partial vacuum. Inside are a set of vanes which are mounted on a spindle. The vanes rotate when exposed to light, with faster rotation for more intense light, providing a quantitative measurement of electromagnetic radiation intensity. The reason for the rotation has historically been a cause of much scientific debate.[1][2]

It was invented in 1873 by the chemist Sir William Crookes as the by-product of some chemical research. In the course of very accurate quantitative chemical work, he was weighing samples in a partially evacuated chamber to reduce the effect of air currents, and noticed the weighings were disturbed when sunlight shone on the balance.  Investigating this effect, he created the device named after him. It is still manufactured and sold as a novelty item.
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http://www.howstuffworks.com/question239.htm
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Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -
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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK

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Is the Moon Really a 'Been There Done That' World?

I have been up in Washington State this last week for my mother's 100th birthday and had limited access to the Internet.  [Did have a cup of coffee at Starbucks and use their 'attwifi' free service a couple of times.
http://www.starbucks.com/coffeehouse/wi-fi-connect]

I would have liked to have gone over a couple of hills from our home in California to attend the NASA Lunar Science Institute's annual Lunar Forum at Ames Research Center.
http://lunarscience2010.arc.nasa.gov/

Jeff sent me the link below which I will pass to you if you did not follow the event.
- LRK -

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http://www.universetoday.com/2010/07/26/is-the-moon-really-a-been-there-done-that-world/
Is the Moon Really a 'Been There Done That' World?
via Universe Today by Nancy Atkinson on 7/26/10

If there's only one thing we've learned from all the highly successful recent Moon missions – the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, LCROSS, Chandrayaan-1 and Kaguya — it's that the Moon is perplexingly different from our perceptions of the past  40 years. The discovery of water and volatiles across the surface and in the permanently shadowed regions at the poles changes so many of the notions we've had about Earth's constant companion. Basically, just within the past year we've realized the Moon is not a dry, barren, boring place, but a wetter, richer and more interesting destination  than we ever imagined. And so, the proposal for NASA to effectively turn away from any human missions to the Moon, as well as Administrator Charlie Bolden's 'been there, done that' comments is quite perplexing – especially for the lunar scientists who have been making these discoveries.

"It's been quite a year for the Moon," said Clive Neal, a lunar geologist from Notre Dame, speaking last week at the NASA Lunar Science Institute's  annual Lunar Forum at Ames Research Center. "And things got quite depressing around February 2010."

That's when President Obama proposed a new budget that effectively would end the Constellation program and a return to the Moon.

At the Forum, lunar scientists shared their most recent findings – as well as their attempts to model and comprehend all the data that is not yet understood. But they saved any discussion of NASA's future until the final presentation of the meeting.

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More info on the Lunar Science Institute.
- LRK -

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http://lunarscience.nasa.gov/
NASA Lunar Science Institute

The NLSI brings together leading lunar scientists from around the world to further NASA lunar science and exploration Events

   * 2010 Jul 19: 22nd Annual Planetary Science Summer School
   * 2010 Aug 10: NLSI Executive Council Meeting
   * 2010 Sep 14: LEAG meeting (abstracts due June 30th!)
   * 2010 Sep 19: European Planetary Science Conference
   * 2010 Oct 5: Robotic Science From the Moon

News

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There seems to be some interest in our Moon judging from the long list of presentations.
Maybe you were there and would like me to pass on some impressions.
- LRK -

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http://lunarscience2010.arc.nasa.gov/agenda
Agenda 2010 and Presentations

Printer Friendly version
http://lunarscience2010.arc.nasa.gov/print/agenda
Agenda 2010 and Presentations

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Earlier Bob sent me this link but I was limited to cellphone access much of the time.

Where we go (or not) in space is still being negotiated by legislative actions.  What gets funded will be the real proof of what happens in the near term.  Where we go in the future will be up to you and your representatives if in the USA.  Now if you are in some other country, well you may have your own plans for exploring the Moon and making it a profitable concern.  We could probably use some competition.  :-)
- LRK -

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http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/7117177.html
Compromise preserves JSC role in spaceflight
By JEFF MOSELEY
GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP
July 20, 2010, 9:49PM

Louis L’Amour, the great writer known for his novels about America’s frontier, once wrote, “Victory is won not in miles but in inches. Win a little now, hold your ground, and later, win a little more.”
That bit of wisdom is apropos in assessing the news about the NASA Authorization Act of 2010, a legislative compromise passed out of the Senate’s Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation last week.  This bipartisan compromise strikes the right balance between the Obama administration’s commercial initiatives while maintaining U.S. space leadership.

The legislation, co-sponsored by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, was a hard-won compromise that maintains the Johnson Space Center’s important role in human space exploration and serves as a blueprint for NASA’s future. Equally important, the legislation, if passed into law, would also prevent the loss of as many as 7,000 jobs in the Houston region.

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Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -

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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK

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Apollo–Soyuz Test Project - ASTP July 15-24, 1975

The folks on FPSPACE have been reliving the Apollo Soyuz Test Project which started 35 years ago and went from July 15-24, 1975.
http://www.friends-partners.org/mailman/listinfo/fpspace

I should have said something but have been busy installing Windows 7 on my laptop and of course putting up with all the changes and upgrades and computer stalls.
- LRK -

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Apollo–Soyuz Test Project
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo%E2%80%93Soyuz_Test_Project

The Apollo–Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) (Russian: Экспериментальный полёт «Союз» — «Аполлон») (Eksperimantalniy polyot Soyuz-Apollon) flew in July 1975. It was the last Apollo mission, the first joint U.S./Soviet  space flight, and the last manned US space mission until the first Space Shuttle flight in April 1981.

Though the mission included both joint and separate scientific experiments (including an engineered eclipse of the Sun by Apollo for Soyuz to take photographs of the solar corona) and provided useful engineering experience for future joint US/Russian space flights such as the Shuttle-Mir Program and the International Space Station, its primary purpose was symbolic. ASTP was a symbol of détente that the two superpowers were pursuing at the time, and it ended the tension of the Space Race.

This was astronaut Deke Slayton's only flight. He was chosen as one of the original Mercury Seven in April 1959 but had been grounded until 1972 for medical reasons.
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Another view of on-line information.
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http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/history/astp/astp.html
The Apollo Soyuz Test Project
Program Overview

Apollo Soyuz Goals
Apollo Soyuz was the first international manned spaceflight. It was designed to test the compatibility of rendezvous and docking systems for American and Soviet spacecraft, to open the way for international space rescue as well as future joint manned flights.

Apollo Soyuz Spacecraft
The existing American   Apollo and Soviet   Soyuz spacecraft were used. The Apollo spacecraft was nearly identical to the one that orbited the Moon and later carried astronauts to Skylab. The Soyuz craft was the primary Soviet spacecraft used for manned flight since its introduction in 1967. A docking module was designed and constructed by NASA to serve as an airlock and transfer corridor between the two craft.

Apollo Soyuz Flight Summary
The Flight of the Apollo Soyuz Test Project

July 15-24, 1975

Apollo Crew : Thomas P. Stafford, Vance D. Brand, Donald K. Slayton

Soyuz Crew: Valeriy Nikolayevich Kubasov, Alexei Arhipovich Leonov

09 days, 07 hours, 28 minutes

The Soyuz was launched just over seven hours prior to the launch of the Apollo CSM. Apollo then maneuvered to rendezvous and docking 52 hours after the Soyuz launch. The Apollo and Soyuz crews conducted a variety of experiments over a two-day period. After separation, Apollo remained in space an additional 06 days. Soyuz returned to Earth approximately 43 hours after separation.

Spacelink: Apollo Soyuz
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/Redirect_Spacelink.html
[link moved - LRK -]

The Partnership: History of the Apollo Soyuz Test Project
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-4209/cover.htm

JSC Apollo Soyuz Press Release Images
http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/search/search.cgi?selections=ASTP&browsepage=Go&query=ASTP&field=missionid&startat=0&maxresults=5

Return to the History of Manned Spaceflight
[Not found]
Try this http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/history/spacehistory_toc.html

First 100 Manned Space Flights
[Not found]
Try this http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/100th.html

[Some links stale as last revised 04/23/2003 - LRK-]
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Tiny URL for a Google search link for ASTP images.
http://tinyurl.com/3x8td2b
- LRK -

Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -

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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK

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Total Solar eclipse of July 11, 2010

Larry Klaes passed this information about viewing the upcoming Solar eclipse on July 11.
- LRK -

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Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

-----Original Message-----
From: Thilina Heenatigala <thilina_atn@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2010 15:47:58
To: <thilina.heenatigala@yahoo.com>
Subject: [Faces from Earth] Watch Live - Total Solar Eclipse of July 11,  2010

Greetings,

A spectacular total solar eclipse will occur on July 11, 2010 over the ancient statues of Easter Island, where those lucky enough to have made it to the Pacific will witness the last total eclipse to occur until November 2012.

But some of the Eclipse Chasers/Groups are taking the extra effort to web-stream the Eclipse online for the rest of the world to watch!

I have compiled a list of live web-streams, please share it with your friends and other groups. It's an opportunity not to be missed.

http://bit.ly/livesolareclipse

Cheers!

Thilina Heenatigala

General Secretary
Sri Lanka Astronomical Association
--
http://www.faces-from-earth.net/

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Sky and Telescope has an informtive article about the July 11, 2010 Solar Eclipse.
Go to the website to see a global image of the track.
- LRK -

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http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/83500827.html

An Exotic Solar Eclipse
February 3, 2010
by Fred Espenak and Jay Anderson

The third total eclipse of the Sun in three years is coming up on July 11th, when the long, thin finger of the Moon’s shadow will again draw its tip across Earth’s surface.

But unlike the spectacles in 2007 and 2008, which offered many possibilities for land-based viewing, the 6,800-mile (11,000-km) path of this eclipse is confined almost exclusively to the South Pacific Ocean. When greatest eclipse occurs, at 19:33:31 Universal Time (3:33:31 p.m. EDT), the duration on the central line is 5 minutes 20 seconds — but at a point hundreds of miles from any land.

Totality begins at sunrise almost 1,200 miles (2,000 km) northeast of New Zealand, at 18:15 UT. Five minutes later the Moon’s shadow makes the first of its very few appearances on terra firma. The island of Mangaia is a mountainous volcanic remnant in the Cook Islands just south of the eclipse path’s central line. The duration of totality here is 3 minutes 18 seconds, with the Sun 14° above the horizon.

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Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -

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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK

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Where is Rosetta, and PRISMA? Want to build a Lunar Rover or play ‘Moonbase Alpha’?

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http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00002571/
The Planetary Society Blog
By Emily Lakdawalla

Three days to Lutetia for Rosetta!
Jul. 7, 2010 | 06:34 PDT | 13:34 UTC

On July 10, 2010, at 15:44:56 UTC, the Rosetta spacecraft will fly within 3,162 kilometers of the largest asteroid yet visited by a spacecraft. Named (21) Lutetia, the 132-by-101-by-76-kilometer-diameter body is a puzzle to astronomers, who have been unable to determine its composition. Both the Rosetta orbiter and its still-attached Philae lander have a full slate of science observations planned for the encounter, which will serve both as a test of its instruments and procedures to prepare for its eventual cometary mission and as an opportunity to observe a unique solar system body.

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http://www.esa.int/esaMI/Rosetta/index.html
Call for Media: Rosetta flyby of asteroid Lutetia on 10 July

30 June 2010   ESA PR-14 2010: The media are invited to ESA's Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, to follow Rosetta's encounter with asteroid Lutetia on 10 July, 18:00–23:00 CEST. The first images of the asteroid will be released before midnight, with experts available for interview.
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Latest Rosetta navigation camera image of Lutetia is now live in the Rosetta blog
http://webservices.esa.int/blog/blog/5/
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Closer to home a bit of Collision Avoidance called for.
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http://www.prismasatellites.se/?id=17038
Collision Avoidance Manoeuvre!
Camille Chasset

No no, TANGO is not yet separated, and we are not talking here about a possible collision between MANGO and TANGO, but between PRISMA and an object called “COSMOS 2251 DEB”, one of the numerous debris resulting from the collision between an Iridium satellite and the COSMOS satellite last year.

All of you who believed that the PRISMA satellite would nicely stay in “asleep” state for a few weeks were wrong, and the last 24 hours have been pretty exiting. Yesterday, we indeed received the following “Close Approach Message” from the Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC) in California:

“Sir/Ma'am,

The United States Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC) has identified a predicted conjunction between PRISMA (SCC# 36599) and SCC# 34544.

Primary Object: PRISMA (SCC# 36599)
Secondary Object: SCC# 34544
Time of Closest Approach: 06 JUL 2010 22:59 UTC

Overall miss distance: 144 meters
Radial (dU) miss distance: 76 meters
In-Track (dV) miss distance: -83 meters
Cross-track (dW) miss distance: -91 meters”

“Oj oj oj!” would say my Swedish colleagues! In short this was a warning informing us that tonight, 6th of July, at 22:59 UTC our satellite will get as close as 144m from the other object. It is difficult to get an idea of how “close” this is, but I can tell you that, compared to the immensity of Space, this is VERY close. Scary news!!!

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Thank you Canadian Space Agency
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http://tinyurl.com/2dv2qxz
Canadian Space Agency Issues RFP for Moon Rover Prototypes

   * By Marc Boucher
   * Posted July 7, 2010 7:07 AM

The Canadian Space Agency today issued a call for proposals to build two Lunar Exploration Light Rover (LELR) prototypes at maximum cost of $11 million per rover. Up to two contracts will be awarded with each contract requiring a prototype to be built. Only one contract will be awarded per bidder. Proposals are due by August 17th.

The winning bid(s) will have until December 31, 2012 to complete the contract. The winning contractor will design, development, produce, assemble and test the prototype, integrate payloads on the rover and conduct a field deployment.

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Well at least we will be allowed to imagine what it would be like to go to the Moon.
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http://www.moonbasealphagame.com/
Do you have what it takes ...

In ‘Moonbase Alpha’, players will step into the role of an exploration team member and will be immersed in a futuristic 3D lunar settlement. Their mission is to restore critical systems and oxygen flow after a nearby meteor strike cripples a solar array and life support equipment. Available resources include an interactive command center, a lunar rover, mobile robotic repair units and a fully stocked equipment shed.

This 'First Person Explorer' serious game includes both a single player capability and LAN or internet multiplayer gameplay for up to six active players on a team. Selectable maps will be available for specific player numbers (e.g., 2 player map, 4 player map, etc.).  Each of these maps is represented and tracked individually within the game’s leader boards.

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http://www.massively.com/2010/07/06/moonbase-alpha-takes-one-small-step-goes-live/
Moonbase Alpha takes one small step, goes live
by Jef Reahard Jul 6th 2010 at 6:30PM

Ready for the federal government's first MMORPG? We're not either, but we're getting a taste of one possible future with today's release of Moonbase Alpha, a multiplayer simulation co-developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Virtual Heroes.

While the game is not technically an MMO as of yet, it will eventually feature a massively multiplayer version, in much the same way that the forthcoming Torchlight MMO started life as a smaller dungeon-crawler. Moonbase Alpha looks to immerse players in a "futuristic 3D lunar settlement. Their mission is to restore critical systems and oxygen flow after a nearby meteor strike cripples a solar array and life support equipment. Available resources include an interactive command center, a lunar rover, mobile robotic repair units and a fully stocked equipment shed," according to the game's website.

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Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -

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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK

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Ten Cool Things Seen in the First Year of LRO

We waited a long time for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) to be launched to the Moon and now a year has gone by in orbit.  Back then we thought humans were going back to the Moon also.  Hopefully folks will use the LRO data to find interesting things about the Moon and be useful for planning other robotic missions that might take place on the surface of the Moon.

By the time it is alright to mention humans and the Moon in the same sentence we will have sufficient justification to profitable to develop the Lunar resources.
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http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/first-year.html
Ten Cool Things Seen in the First Year of LRO
06.23.10

Having officially reached lunar orbit on June 23rd, 2009, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has now marked one full year on its mission to scout the moon. Maps and datasets collected by LRO’s state-of-the-art instruments will form the foundation for all future lunar exploration plans, as well as be critical to scientists working to better understand the moon and its environment. In only the first year of the mission, LRO has gathered more digital information than any previous planetary mission in history. To celebrate one year in orbit, here are ten cool things already observed by LRO. Note that the stories here are just a small sample of what the LRO team has released and barely touch on the major scientific accomplishments of the mission. If you like these, visit the official LRO web site at www.nasa.gov/LRO to find out even more!

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And you saw it mentioned here.
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http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/overview/index.html
LRO Overview

On the moon we will develop technologies to survive in the infinite frontier of space, because the moon presents the same challenges we will encounter throughout the universe: harmful radiation, electrified dust, and extreme temperatures.

Just as a scout finds the safest way for expeditions on Earth, NASA will first send a robotic scout, called the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), to gather crucial data on the lunar environment that will help astronauts prepare for long-duration lunar expeditions.

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Images

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http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/multimedia/index.html
Moon Images from LRO

LRO Photographs

Images of the Moon

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Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -
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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK

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