NASA Gives Go for Space Shuttle Atlantis Launch on Nov. 16
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's space shuttle Atlantis is targeted to begin an 11-day flight to the International Space Station with a Nov. 16 launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff is scheduled for 2:28 p.m. EST.
Atlantis' launch date was announced Thursday at the conclusion of a flight readiness review at Kennedy. During the meeting, senior NASA and contractor managers assessed the risks associated with the mission and determined the shuttle's equipment, support systems and procedures are ready.
The Nov. 16 target date depends on the planned Nov. 14 launch of an Atlas V rocket from nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The Atlas has reserved the Eastern Range on Nov. 14 and 15. If the Atlas launch is delayed to Nov. 15, the shuttle’s liftoff will move to no earlier than 2:02 p.m. on Nov. 17.
The STS-129 mission will focus on storing spare hardware on the exterior of the space station. The flight will include three spacewalks and install two platforms on the station's truss, or backbone. The platforms will hold spare parts to sustain station operations after the shuttle fleet is retired.
Commander Charlie Hobaugh and his crew of five astronauts are scheduled to arrive at Kennedy at approximately 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12, for final launch preparations. Joining Hobaugh on STS-129 will be Pilot Barry Wilmore and Mission Specialists Leland Melvin, Randy Bresnik, Mike Foreman and Bobby Satcher. Nicole Stott, an astronaut who currently resides on the station, will return home with the Atlantis crew after living in space for more than two months. Her return on the shuttle is slated to be the final time it is used to rotate space station crew members.
STS-129 will be Atlantis' 31st mission and the 31st shuttle flight dedicated to station assembly and maintenance. For more information about STS-129, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
Friday 30 October 2009
Atlantis Launch Officially Set
Atlantis Launch Officially Set
Space shuttle Atlantis, its crew and payload have been given the green light to launch to the International Space Station on Nov. 16 at 2:28 p.m. EST.
At the post-FRR press briefing held at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations congratulated the Ares I-X launch team for a successful flight test. He then talked about the extremely thorough review of vast amounts of data that led to announcing that Atlantis is certified to launch.
"We accomplished what we wanted to to get ready to move to the next activity … with just a little bit of open work left to do," said Gerstenmaier.
Mike Moses, space shuttle launch integration manager thanked the teams across the country for their hard work getting Atlantis into good shape for the launch. He highlighted the Kennedy teams, complimenting them for working on preparations for both the Atlantis and Ares I-X launches at the same time.
"I'm really pleased -- this is going to be a challenging 11-day mission with three EVAs; the cargo resupply to the station is going to set them up for the future," said Moses.
Mike Leinbach, space shuttle launch director said Atlantis' payload for the STS-129 mission will be transported to Launch Pad 39A by Friday morning. The pad's rotating service structure, or RSS, which protects the shuttle against inclement weather and also provides access to the vehicle's payload bay, is being rolled away. This will allow techs to lift Atlantis' payload up to the pad for installation into the shuttle's cargo bay.
"It's a standard path flow for us and we have little bit of contingency hidden in the flow, so no problems there, said Leinbach. "We should be able to get to our T-0 on the 16th with no issues at all."
The Nov. 16 target date will depend on the planned Nov. 14 launch of an Atlas V rocket from nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The Atlas has reserved the Eastern Range on Nov. 14 and 15. But if the Atlas launch is delayed to Nov. 15, the shuttle's liftoff will move to no earlier than 2:02 p.m. on Nov. 17.
Space shuttle Atlantis, its crew and payload have been given the green light to launch to the International Space Station on Nov. 16 at 2:28 p.m. EST.
At the post-FRR press briefing held at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations congratulated the Ares I-X launch team for a successful flight test. He then talked about the extremely thorough review of vast amounts of data that led to announcing that Atlantis is certified to launch.
"We accomplished what we wanted to to get ready to move to the next activity … with just a little bit of open work left to do," said Gerstenmaier.
Mike Moses, space shuttle launch integration manager thanked the teams across the country for their hard work getting Atlantis into good shape for the launch. He highlighted the Kennedy teams, complimenting them for working on preparations for both the Atlantis and Ares I-X launches at the same time.
"I'm really pleased -- this is going to be a challenging 11-day mission with three EVAs; the cargo resupply to the station is going to set them up for the future," said Moses.
Mike Leinbach, space shuttle launch director said Atlantis' payload for the STS-129 mission will be transported to Launch Pad 39A by Friday morning. The pad's rotating service structure, or RSS, which protects the shuttle against inclement weather and also provides access to the vehicle's payload bay, is being rolled away. This will allow techs to lift Atlantis' payload up to the pad for installation into the shuttle's cargo bay.
"It's a standard path flow for us and we have little bit of contingency hidden in the flow, so no problems there, said Leinbach. "We should be able to get to our T-0 on the 16th with no issues at all."
The Nov. 16 target date will depend on the planned Nov. 14 launch of an Atlas V rocket from nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The Atlas has reserved the Eastern Range on Nov. 14 and 15. But if the Atlas launch is delayed to Nov. 15, the shuttle's liftoff will move to no earlier than 2:02 p.m. on Nov. 17.
NASA Managers Give Atlantis "Go" for Launch
NASA Managers Give Atlantis "Go" for Launch
Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:20:46 -0500
NASA managers have concluded today's Flight Readiness Review, or FRR, meeting at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and have set Nov. 16 at 2:28 p.m. EST as the official launch date for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-129 mission to the International Space Station.
A post-FRR news conference will be broadcast on NASA TV which is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. EDT.
Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:20:46 -0500
NASA managers have concluded today's Flight Readiness Review, or FRR, meeting at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and have set Nov. 16 at 2:28 p.m. EST as the official launch date for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-129 mission to the International Space Station.
A post-FRR news conference will be broadcast on NASA TV which is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. EDT.
NASA's Ares I-X Rocket Completes Successful Flight Test
NASA's Ares I-X Rocket Completes Successful Flight Test CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Ares I-X test rocket lifted off at 11:30 a.m. EDT Wednesday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a two-minute powered flight. The test flight lasted about six minutes from its launch from the newly-modified Launch Complex 39B until splash down of the rocket's booster stage nearly 150 miles down range.
"This is a huge step forward for NASA's exploration goals," said Doug Cooke, associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "Ares I-X provides NASA with an enormous amount of data that will be used to improve the design and safety of the next generation of American spaceflight vehicles -- vehicles that could again take humans beyond low Earth orbit."
The 327-foot tall Ares I-X test vehicle produced 2.6 million pounds of thrust to accelerate the rocket to nearly 3 g's and Mach 4.76, just shy of hypersonic speed. It capped its easterly flight at a sub-orbital altitude of 150,000 feet after the separation of its first stage, a four-segment solid rocket booster.
Parachutes deployed for recovery of the booster and the solid rocket motor will be recovered at sea for later inspection. The simulated upper stage, Orion crew module, and launch abort system will not be recovered.
"The most valuable learning is through experience and observation," said Bob Ess, Ares I-X mission manager. "Tests such as this -- from paper to flight -- are vital in gaining a deeper understanding of the vehicle, from design to development."
Wednesday's flight offered an early opportunity to test and prove hardware, facilities, and ground operations - important data for future space vehicles. During the flight, a range of performance data was relayed to the ground and also stored in the onboard flight data recorder. The 700 sensors mounted on the vehicle provide flight test engineering data to correlate with computer models and analysis. The rocket's sensors gathered information in several areas, including assembly and launch operations, separation of the vehicle's first and second stages, controllability and aerodynamics, the re-entry and recovery of the first stage and new vehicle design techniques.
The Ares I-X efforts are led by the Ares I-X mission management office of the Constellation Program, based at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, and NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate in Washington. NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland designed and built the vehicle's upper stage mass simulator. NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., provided aerodynamic characterization, flight test vehicle integration and the crew module/launch abort system mass simulator. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., with contractor support, provided management for the development of Ares I-X avionics, roll control, and first stage systems. The Kennedy Space Center provided operations and associated ground activities and launch operations.
Contractors for Ares I-X include Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, of Salt Lake City for the first stage solid rocket booster and Teledyne Brown Engineering of Huntsville for the roll control system. Jacobs Engineering of Tullahoma, Tenn., supported by Lockheed Martin of Denver, provided the avionics systems. United Space Alliance of Houston and ATK Launch Systems support the ground systems and launch operations.
For information about Ares I-X, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/aresIX
For Ares Embroidered Patches visit: SPACEBOOSTERS Online Store
"This is a huge step forward for NASA's exploration goals," said Doug Cooke, associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "Ares I-X provides NASA with an enormous amount of data that will be used to improve the design and safety of the next generation of American spaceflight vehicles -- vehicles that could again take humans beyond low Earth orbit."
The 327-foot tall Ares I-X test vehicle produced 2.6 million pounds of thrust to accelerate the rocket to nearly 3 g's and Mach 4.76, just shy of hypersonic speed. It capped its easterly flight at a sub-orbital altitude of 150,000 feet after the separation of its first stage, a four-segment solid rocket booster.
Parachutes deployed for recovery of the booster and the solid rocket motor will be recovered at sea for later inspection. The simulated upper stage, Orion crew module, and launch abort system will not be recovered.
"The most valuable learning is through experience and observation," said Bob Ess, Ares I-X mission manager. "Tests such as this -- from paper to flight -- are vital in gaining a deeper understanding of the vehicle, from design to development."
Wednesday's flight offered an early opportunity to test and prove hardware, facilities, and ground operations - important data for future space vehicles. During the flight, a range of performance data was relayed to the ground and also stored in the onboard flight data recorder. The 700 sensors mounted on the vehicle provide flight test engineering data to correlate with computer models and analysis. The rocket's sensors gathered information in several areas, including assembly and launch operations, separation of the vehicle's first and second stages, controllability and aerodynamics, the re-entry and recovery of the first stage and new vehicle design techniques.
The Ares I-X efforts are led by the Ares I-X mission management office of the Constellation Program, based at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, and NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate in Washington. NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland designed and built the vehicle's upper stage mass simulator. NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., provided aerodynamic characterization, flight test vehicle integration and the crew module/launch abort system mass simulator. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., with contractor support, provided management for the development of Ares I-X avionics, roll control, and first stage systems. The Kennedy Space Center provided operations and associated ground activities and launch operations.
Contractors for Ares I-X include Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, of Salt Lake City for the first stage solid rocket booster and Teledyne Brown Engineering of Huntsville for the roll control system. Jacobs Engineering of Tullahoma, Tenn., supported by Lockheed Martin of Denver, provided the avionics systems. United Space Alliance of Houston and ATK Launch Systems support the ground systems and launch operations.
For information about Ares I-X, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/aresIX
For Ares Embroidered Patches visit: SPACEBOOSTERS Online Store
Wednesday 28 October 2009
Ares I-X Lifts Off on Flight Test
Ares I-X Lifts Off on Flight Test
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George Diller/Ares I-X Commentator: T-10... nine... eight... seven... six... five... four... three... two... one. Ignition and liftoff of Ares I-X, testing concepts for the future of new rocket design.
Marc Lavigne/Ares I-X Telemetry Engineer: Altitude now 2 miles. Chamber pressure now tapering off, as designed. Vehicle is aligning itself with the planned trajectory.
We've passed Mach 1 and we're now passing max Q. We have our max Q system ID maneuver PTI engaged.
Now passing Mach 2. Vehicle now 10 miles altitude, downrange distance 8 miles, and velocity of 1,540 mph.
Plus 80 seconds, we've started our supersonic large aptitude ID maneuver PTI. We see the response. And we've started the last PTI maneuver, structural mode ID.
And we've passed T+ 105 seconds. Vehicle's now traveling Mach 4, 20 miles altitude, downrange distance 32 miles.
The SRM tailoff is observed. Burnout. Our APUs have shut down.
CRDs have shut down. Medium fire. And sep, we show a sep and a tumble motor ignition. And we can also confirm on video we see both parts of the vehicle tumbling. The first stage as well as the upper stage -- successful separation.
Good, clean signal all the way.
T+150 seconds.
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George Diller/Ares I-X Commentator: T-10... nine... eight... seven... six... five... four... three... two... one. Ignition and liftoff of Ares I-X, testing concepts for the future of new rocket design.
Marc Lavigne/Ares I-X Telemetry Engineer: Altitude now 2 miles. Chamber pressure now tapering off, as designed. Vehicle is aligning itself with the planned trajectory.
We've passed Mach 1 and we're now passing max Q. We have our max Q system ID maneuver PTI engaged.
Now passing Mach 2. Vehicle now 10 miles altitude, downrange distance 8 miles, and velocity of 1,540 mph.
Plus 80 seconds, we've started our supersonic large aptitude ID maneuver PTI. We see the response. And we've started the last PTI maneuver, structural mode ID.
And we've passed T+ 105 seconds. Vehicle's now traveling Mach 4, 20 miles altitude, downrange distance 32 miles.
The SRM tailoff is observed. Burnout. Our APUs have shut down.
CRDs have shut down. Medium fire. And sep, we show a sep and a tumble motor ignition. And we can also confirm on video we see both parts of the vehicle tumbling. The first stage as well as the upper stage -- successful separation.
Good, clean signal all the way.
T+150 seconds.
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Tuesday 27 October 2009
Atlantis Preps on Hold for Ares Launch
Atlantis Preps on Hold for Ares
At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis was secured last night at Launch Pad 39A in anticipation of the launch of the Constellation Program's Ares I-X flight test. The flight test is lifting off from Launch Pad 39B -- only about a mile north of the shuttle launch pad.
After the Ares I-X launch, technicians will be allowed to return to pad A to continue making final system checks in the aft, or back, section of Atlantis. The waste collection system also will be tested later today.
Meanwhile, STS-129 Commander Charles O. Hobaugh and Pilot Barry E. Wilmore are completing their payload-related tasks at Kennedy, and will fly their T-38 jets to Edwards Air Force Base in California for additional mission training.
The agency's Flight Readiness Review, or FRR, for Atlantis' flight to the International Space Station is set for Oct. 29 at Kennedy. NASA managers will announce an official launch date at a post-meeting briefing, which will be broadcast on NASA TV.
Space shuttle Atlantis' launch currently is targeted for 2:28 p.m. EST Nov. 16.
At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis was secured last night at Launch Pad 39A in anticipation of the launch of the Constellation Program's Ares I-X flight test. The flight test is lifting off from Launch Pad 39B -- only about a mile north of the shuttle launch pad.
After the Ares I-X launch, technicians will be allowed to return to pad A to continue making final system checks in the aft, or back, section of Atlantis. The waste collection system also will be tested later today.
Meanwhile, STS-129 Commander Charles O. Hobaugh and Pilot Barry E. Wilmore are completing their payload-related tasks at Kennedy, and will fly their T-38 jets to Edwards Air Force Base in California for additional mission training.
The agency's Flight Readiness Review, or FRR, for Atlantis' flight to the International Space Station is set for Oct. 29 at Kennedy. NASA managers will announce an official launch date at a post-meeting briefing, which will be broadcast on NASA TV.
Space shuttle Atlantis' launch currently is targeted for 2:28 p.m. EST Nov. 16.
NASA's Ares I-X Launch Rescheduled for Wednesday
NASA's Ares I-X Launch Rescheduled for Wednesday
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA mission managers canceled Tuesday's scheduled launch of the Ares I-X flight test because of weather concerns at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Another launch attempt is targeted for Wednesday. A four-hour launch window opens at 8 a.m. EDT. The launch was delayed for 24 hours because of winds at the launch pad that exceeded the 20-knot limit and concerns about clouds with moisture that could have caused static build-up on the rocket and led to communication issues. Forecasters predict a 60 percent chance of favorable weather Wednesday. The Ares I-X is part of a larger flight test program that will provide data for future launch vehicles and give NASA an opportunity to test and prove hardware, facilities and ground operations.
For information about Ares I-X, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/aresIX
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA mission managers canceled Tuesday's scheduled launch of the Ares I-X flight test because of weather concerns at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Another launch attempt is targeted for Wednesday. A four-hour launch window opens at 8 a.m. EDT. The launch was delayed for 24 hours because of winds at the launch pad that exceeded the 20-knot limit and concerns about clouds with moisture that could have caused static build-up on the rocket and led to communication issues. Forecasters predict a 60 percent chance of favorable weather Wednesday. The Ares I-X is part of a larger flight test program that will provide data for future launch vehicles and give NASA an opportunity to test and prove hardware, facilities and ground operations.
For information about Ares I-X, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/aresIX
Ares I-X rocket is seen on Launch Pad 39B
Ares I-X at the Launch Pad
NASA's Ares I-X rocket is seen on Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Monday, Oct. 26, 2009. The flight test of Ares I-X, scheduled for today, Oct. 27, 2009, will provide NASA with an early opportunity to test and prove flight characteristics, hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I. Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
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Saturday 24 October 2009
Shuttle Preps Continue; Crew Review Spacewalk Techniques
Shuttle Preps Continue; Crew Review Spacewalk Techniques
At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians at Launch Pad 39A are progressing with hypergolic loading of various systems in space shuttle Atlantis. They finished filling storage tanks in the orbital maneuvering system, which are the steering jets on the shuttle and the reaction control system. Today, loading of the auxiliary power units will take place.
During the weekend, pad techs will perform hypergolic load cleaning before starting final checks of Atlantis' aft, or back, section planned for next week.
Today, the six STS-129 crew members will review spacewalking procedures and timelines at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The agency's Flight Readiness Review, or FRR, for the STS-129 mission is set for Oct. 29 at Kennedy. Afterward, NASA will announce an official launch date and broadcast a post-meeting briefing on NASA TV.
At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians at Launch Pad 39A are progressing with hypergolic loading of various systems in space shuttle Atlantis. They finished filling storage tanks in the orbital maneuvering system, which are the steering jets on the shuttle and the reaction control system. Today, loading of the auxiliary power units will take place.
During the weekend, pad techs will perform hypergolic load cleaning before starting final checks of Atlantis' aft, or back, section planned for next week.
Today, the six STS-129 crew members will review spacewalking procedures and timelines at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The agency's Flight Readiness Review, or FRR, for the STS-129 mission is set for Oct. 29 at Kennedy. Afterward, NASA will announce an official launch date and broadcast a post-meeting briefing on NASA TV.
NASA Sets Ares I-X Prelaunch Events and Countdown Details
NASA Sets Ares I-X Prelaunch Events and Countdown Details
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- News conferences, events and operating hours for the news center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida are set for the upcoming Ares I-X flight test. The rocket is targeted to lift off at 8 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, Oct. 27. The launch will be carried live on NASA Television and streamed on the agency's Web site. A launch day blog will update the countdown beginning at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
Originating from Kennedy, the blog is the definitive Internet source for information leading up to launch. To follow the blog, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/aresIX
ARES I-X BRIEFING AND EVENTS SCHEDULE (All times EDT. All briefings will be held inside the Kennedy press site auditorium and carried live on NASA Television and the agency's Web site, unless otherwise noted.)
L-4 Days - Friday, Oct. 23 5 p.m. (time approximate): Flight Test Readiness Review news conference L-2 Days - Sunday, Oct. 25 10 a.m. - Launch Status Briefing - Jeff Spaulding, NASA test director, Kennedy - Kathy Winters, weather officer 12 p.m. - Media Briefing (not televised) - Bob Ess, Ares I-X mission manager - Ed Mango, Ares I-X launch director 1 p.m. - Ares I-X 101 Briefing (not televised) - Steve Davis, Ares I-X deputy mission manager
L-1 Day - Monday, Oct. 26 10 a.m. (approximately) - Ares I-X Launch Readiness news conference - Jeff Hanley, Constellation Program manager - Bob Ess, Ares I-X mission manager - Ed Mango, Ares I-X launch director - Kathy Winters, weather officer 9 p.m. - Ares I-X rocket photo opportunity (not televised)
Launch Day - Tuesday, Oct. 27 1 a.m. - Launch countdown officially begins (not televised) 5 a.m. - Live launch commentary begins on NASA TV 8 a.m. - Launch Launch + 2 hours - Post-launch news conference - Doug Cooke, associate administrator, Exploration Systems Mission Directorate - Jeff Hanley, Constellation Program manager - Bob Ess, Ares I-X mission manager - Ed Mango, Ares I-X launch director Countdown Highlights
T-7 hours - First weather balloon is launched to collect atmospheric thermal properties
T-4 hours, 30 minutes - Technicians remove the external environmental control systems that provide cool airflow to the vehicle - Onboard navigation unit begins system alignment - Additional subsystems complete testing and remain powered on First stage avionics module access platform is retracted
T-3 hours, 30 minutes - Six additional weather balloons begin to launch to evaluate if the conditions are suitable for flight
T-3 hours - Fault tolerant inertial navigation unit completes alignment and begins navigation testing
T-2 hours, 30 minutes - C-band beacon transponder is powered up and tested with the range - Range safety system verification walk down is completed - Auxiliary power unit is verified for system health
T-2 hours - Vehicle stabilization system is retracted and secured - Ground control station system begins monitoring for commands from the Launch Control Center - Sound suppression water control is transferred to the ground control station - Video, operational flight instrumentation and developmental flight instrumentation are checked
T-1 hour, 45 minutes - Safety personnel begin the process of securing launch pad
T-1 hour, 15 minutes - Ground command, control and communication initiates launch commit criteria monitoring - Developmental flight instrumentation covers are removed - Fault tolerant inertial navigation unit executes final alignment after the vehicle stabilization system is retracted
T-1 hour - All personnel depart Launch Pad 39B for the safe haven - Range verifies all "go/no-go" interfaces T-43 minutes - Flight termination system is activated and set to safe
T-30 minutes - Developmental flight instrumentation, with the exception of cameras, are powered on and recording
T-4 minutes, built-in hold - Enter 10-minute built-in hold (vehicle can remain in this hold status for up to four hours) - Six video cameras and low power transmitters are powered up - Telemetry is verified, and readiness for launch is established - Range safety issues cleared for launch - Countdown clock initiates automated count
T-3 minutes, 55 seconds and counting - Sound suppression system is verified for pressure, water tank level and power - Flight termination system and solid rocket motor ignition are set to arm - Power to avionics cooling fans is terminated - Onboard data recorder begins taking data
T-1 minute, 40 seconds - Flight control system is enabled and prepared for flight - Inertial measurement subsystem executes final alignment
T-1 minute, 20 seconds - Flight control system receives the start count - Signal is sent to the operational flight instrumentation and developmental flight instrumentation data streams to synchronize
T-35 seconds - Flight control system transfers from alignment to navigation mode - Inertial and navigation data are verified for accuracy - Auxiliary power unit start sequence is initiated
T-21 seconds - Reusable solid rocket motor thrust vector control gimbal test performed by rocking and tilting each axis approximately 1.5 degrees
T-16 seconds - Ground control station issues commands for sound suppression, opening the valves to flood the mobile launch platform with water (At its peak, water will flow at a rate of 900,000 gallons per minute.)
T-0, liftoff - Reusable solid rocket motors ignite, and hold-down bolts fire Kennedy News Center office hours for Ares I-X Times may be adjusted depending on events Friday, Oct. 23 --- (Launch minus 4 days) --- 8 a.m. until one hour after Flight Test Readiness Review news conference Saturday, Oct. 24 --- (Launch minus 3 days) --- closed Sunday, Oct. 25 --- (Launch minus 2 days) --- 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26 --- (Launch minus 1 day) --- 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27 --- (Launch) --- 4 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- News conferences, events and operating hours for the news center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida are set for the upcoming Ares I-X flight test. The rocket is targeted to lift off at 8 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, Oct. 27. The launch will be carried live on NASA Television and streamed on the agency's Web site. A launch day blog will update the countdown beginning at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
Originating from Kennedy, the blog is the definitive Internet source for information leading up to launch. To follow the blog, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/aresIX
ARES I-X BRIEFING AND EVENTS SCHEDULE (All times EDT. All briefings will be held inside the Kennedy press site auditorium and carried live on NASA Television and the agency's Web site, unless otherwise noted.)
L-4 Days - Friday, Oct. 23 5 p.m. (time approximate): Flight Test Readiness Review news conference L-2 Days - Sunday, Oct. 25 10 a.m. - Launch Status Briefing - Jeff Spaulding, NASA test director, Kennedy - Kathy Winters, weather officer 12 p.m. - Media Briefing (not televised) - Bob Ess, Ares I-X mission manager - Ed Mango, Ares I-X launch director 1 p.m. - Ares I-X 101 Briefing (not televised) - Steve Davis, Ares I-X deputy mission manager
L-1 Day - Monday, Oct. 26 10 a.m. (approximately) - Ares I-X Launch Readiness news conference - Jeff Hanley, Constellation Program manager - Bob Ess, Ares I-X mission manager - Ed Mango, Ares I-X launch director - Kathy Winters, weather officer 9 p.m. - Ares I-X rocket photo opportunity (not televised)
Launch Day - Tuesday, Oct. 27 1 a.m. - Launch countdown officially begins (not televised) 5 a.m. - Live launch commentary begins on NASA TV 8 a.m. - Launch Launch + 2 hours - Post-launch news conference - Doug Cooke, associate administrator, Exploration Systems Mission Directorate - Jeff Hanley, Constellation Program manager - Bob Ess, Ares I-X mission manager - Ed Mango, Ares I-X launch director Countdown Highlights
T-7 hours - First weather balloon is launched to collect atmospheric thermal properties
T-4 hours, 30 minutes - Technicians remove the external environmental control systems that provide cool airflow to the vehicle - Onboard navigation unit begins system alignment - Additional subsystems complete testing and remain powered on First stage avionics module access platform is retracted
T-3 hours, 30 minutes - Six additional weather balloons begin to launch to evaluate if the conditions are suitable for flight
T-3 hours - Fault tolerant inertial navigation unit completes alignment and begins navigation testing
T-2 hours, 30 minutes - C-band beacon transponder is powered up and tested with the range - Range safety system verification walk down is completed - Auxiliary power unit is verified for system health
T-2 hours - Vehicle stabilization system is retracted and secured - Ground control station system begins monitoring for commands from the Launch Control Center - Sound suppression water control is transferred to the ground control station - Video, operational flight instrumentation and developmental flight instrumentation are checked
T-1 hour, 45 minutes - Safety personnel begin the process of securing launch pad
T-1 hour, 15 minutes - Ground command, control and communication initiates launch commit criteria monitoring - Developmental flight instrumentation covers are removed - Fault tolerant inertial navigation unit executes final alignment after the vehicle stabilization system is retracted
T-1 hour - All personnel depart Launch Pad 39B for the safe haven - Range verifies all "go/no-go" interfaces T-43 minutes - Flight termination system is activated and set to safe
T-30 minutes - Developmental flight instrumentation, with the exception of cameras, are powered on and recording
T-4 minutes, built-in hold - Enter 10-minute built-in hold (vehicle can remain in this hold status for up to four hours) - Six video cameras and low power transmitters are powered up - Telemetry is verified, and readiness for launch is established - Range safety issues cleared for launch - Countdown clock initiates automated count
T-3 minutes, 55 seconds and counting - Sound suppression system is verified for pressure, water tank level and power - Flight termination system and solid rocket motor ignition are set to arm - Power to avionics cooling fans is terminated - Onboard data recorder begins taking data
T-1 minute, 40 seconds - Flight control system is enabled and prepared for flight - Inertial measurement subsystem executes final alignment
T-1 minute, 20 seconds - Flight control system receives the start count - Signal is sent to the operational flight instrumentation and developmental flight instrumentation data streams to synchronize
T-35 seconds - Flight control system transfers from alignment to navigation mode - Inertial and navigation data are verified for accuracy - Auxiliary power unit start sequence is initiated
T-21 seconds - Reusable solid rocket motor thrust vector control gimbal test performed by rocking and tilting each axis approximately 1.5 degrees
T-16 seconds - Ground control station issues commands for sound suppression, opening the valves to flood the mobile launch platform with water (At its peak, water will flow at a rate of 900,000 gallons per minute.)
T-0, liftoff - Reusable solid rocket motors ignite, and hold-down bolts fire Kennedy News Center office hours for Ares I-X Times may be adjusted depending on events Friday, Oct. 23 --- (Launch minus 4 days) --- 8 a.m. until one hour after Flight Test Readiness Review news conference Saturday, Oct. 24 --- (Launch minus 3 days) --- closed Sunday, Oct. 25 --- (Launch minus 2 days) --- 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26 --- (Launch minus 1 day) --- 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27 --- (Launch) --- 4 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Ares I-X: Test Vehicle
Ares I-X: Test Vehicle Moves to Launch Pad
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From NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, I'm George Diller.The doors of the Vehicle Assembly Building opened for a new rocket design for the first time in almost 30 years as NASA debuted the Ares I-X flight test rocket on Oct. 20. Riding atop one of the crawler-transporters that carried Saturn V rockets and space shuttles to their launch pads, the tall, thin flight test vehicle began a 4.2-mile journey to Launch Pad 39B at 1:39 a.m. About 7 1/2 hours later, at 9:17 a.m., the mobile launcher platform was secured on a pedestal at the launch pad.The pad, which has hosted dozens of shuttle launches, was modified recently to handle the I-X. At 327 feet, the new rocket is significantly taller than a shuttle stack, which measures 184 feet when standing for liftoff.The Ares I-X is a one-of-a-kind craft designed to test the first stage of NASA's new rocket. It carries a simulated upper stage and spacecraft, along with hundreds of sensors. The flight test is expected to return enough data to tell engineers how the rocket behaves during the first minutes of flight.That data will be used to help design rockets for future exploration.From Kennedy Space Center, I'm George Diller.
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For Ares souvenirs visit the Spaceboosters Online Store!
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From NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, I'm George Diller.The doors of the Vehicle Assembly Building opened for a new rocket design for the first time in almost 30 years as NASA debuted the Ares I-X flight test rocket on Oct. 20. Riding atop one of the crawler-transporters that carried Saturn V rockets and space shuttles to their launch pads, the tall, thin flight test vehicle began a 4.2-mile journey to Launch Pad 39B at 1:39 a.m. About 7 1/2 hours later, at 9:17 a.m., the mobile launcher platform was secured on a pedestal at the launch pad.The pad, which has hosted dozens of shuttle launches, was modified recently to handle the I-X. At 327 feet, the new rocket is significantly taller than a shuttle stack, which measures 184 feet when standing for liftoff.The Ares I-X is a one-of-a-kind craft designed to test the first stage of NASA's new rocket. It carries a simulated upper stage and spacecraft, along with hundreds of sensors. The flight test is expected to return enough data to tell engineers how the rocket behaves during the first minutes of flight.That data will be used to help design rockets for future exploration.From Kennedy Space Center, I'm George Diller.
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For Ares souvenirs visit the Spaceboosters Online Store!
Friday 23 October 2009
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit
Spirit's Robotic Stretch
Photo Credit : NASANASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit recorded this forward view of its arm and surroundings during the rover's 2,052nd Martian day, or sol, on Oct. 11, 2009. Bright soil in the left half of the image is loose, fluffy material churned by the rover's left-front wheel as Spirit, driving backwards, approached its current position in April 2009 and the wheel broke through a darker, crusty surface.Spirit used its front hazard-avoidance camera to take this image. The turret of tools at the end of the rover's robotic arm is positioned with the Moessbauer spectrometer up and the rock abrasion tool extending toward the right. Spirit's right-front wheel, visible in this image, has not worked since 2006. It is the least-embedded of the rover's six wheels at the current location, called "Troy."Spirit and its twin, Opportunity, have been working on Mars for more than 58 months in what were originally planned as 3-month missions on Mars.
Hypergolics Loading Scheduled
Hypergolics Loading Scheduled
Launch Pad 39A has been cleared of personnel today so oxidizers can be loaded into the orbital maneuvering system and reaction control system tanks on space shuttle Atlantis. The OMS and RCS are thruster systems used predominantly to steer the shuttle in space. The OMS engines are used to slow the shuttle down before it enters the atmosphere for landing. Both of the units use hypergolic propellants, which are chemicals that burn on their own when they come in contact with each other. That is different from the oxygen and hydrogen mixture that fuels the shuttle's three main engines at launch. Atlantis is being prepared for a launch targeted for Nov. 16 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The astronauts continue practicing their launch routine, as well. They are rehearsing ascent procedures during part of the day in the motion base simulator at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
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Launch Pad 39A has been cleared of personnel today so oxidizers can be loaded into the orbital maneuvering system and reaction control system tanks on space shuttle Atlantis. The OMS and RCS are thruster systems used predominantly to steer the shuttle in space. The OMS engines are used to slow the shuttle down before it enters the atmosphere for landing. Both of the units use hypergolic propellants, which are chemicals that burn on their own when they come in contact with each other. That is different from the oxygen and hydrogen mixture that fuels the shuttle's three main engines at launch. Atlantis is being prepared for a launch targeted for Nov. 16 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The astronauts continue practicing their launch routine, as well. They are rehearsing ascent procedures during part of the day in the motion base simulator at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
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Wednesday 21 October 2009
STS-129 Crew Returns to JSC
STS-129 Crew Returns to JSC
Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:29:31 -0500
After two days of prelaunch mission practice at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the six STS-129 mission astronauts returned to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. There, they will continue their training and perform customary housekeeping projects for Atlantis' upcoming flight to the International Space Station.
The crew members are scheduled to return to Kennedy to complete the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, on Nov. 2 and 3. At that time, they will participate in a full launch countdown exercise, safety briefings and payload bay walkdown.
Meanwhile at Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A, technicians continue to check systems to verify there was no damage to the space shuttle from a lightning strike at the pad last week. So far no damage has been found.
Also at the pad today, workers are testing the solid rocket booster hydraulic system and completing the shuttle interface test -- which means confirming the various components and connections are "talking" to each other.
The agency's Flight Readiness Review, or FRR, for the STS-129 mission is set for Oct. 29 at Kennedy. Afterward, NASA will announce an official launch date and broadcast a post-meeting briefing on NASA TV.
Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:29:31 -0500
After two days of prelaunch mission practice at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the six STS-129 mission astronauts returned to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. There, they will continue their training and perform customary housekeeping projects for Atlantis' upcoming flight to the International Space Station.
The crew members are scheduled to return to Kennedy to complete the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, on Nov. 2 and 3. At that time, they will participate in a full launch countdown exercise, safety briefings and payload bay walkdown.
Meanwhile at Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A, technicians continue to check systems to verify there was no damage to the space shuttle from a lightning strike at the pad last week. So far no damage has been found.
Also at the pad today, workers are testing the solid rocket booster hydraulic system and completing the shuttle interface test -- which means confirming the various components and connections are "talking" to each other.
The agency's Flight Readiness Review, or FRR, for the STS-129 mission is set for Oct. 29 at Kennedy. Afterward, NASA will announce an official launch date and broadcast a post-meeting briefing on NASA TV.
Tuesday 20 October 2009
STS-129
NASA Updates Shuttle Atlantis Target Launch Date, Crew Rehearsal
WASHINGTON -- NASA is targeting Nov. 16 for the launch of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-129 mission from the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Managers for NASA's Space Operations Mission Directorate and Exploration Systems Mission Directorate met Monday and decided to adjust Atlantis' target launch date to optimize the agency's ability to launch both Ares I-X and Atlantis before the end of the year.
The same launch team at Kennedy is supporting both the shuttle and the flight test of the Ares I-X rocket, which is targeted to lift off on Oct. 27. Ares I-X is scheduled to roll out to its launch pad at 12:01 a.m. EDT Tuesday. Atlantis' new target launch date will give Ares I-X launch opportunities Oct. 27, 28 and 29.
NASA has yet to schedule Atlantis' new target liftoff date on the Eastern Range. The change to Atlantis' targeted launch will affect the launch countdown dress rehearsal for the shuttle's six astronauts. The astronauts arrived at Kennedy on Monday for the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test and related training. The simulated countdown has been rescheduled to Nov. 3. The astronauts will practice emergency escape and other related training while they are at Kennedy this week and return there Nov. 2 to conclude their rehearsal work.
The agency's Flight Readiness Review meeting for STS-129 is set for Oct. 29. NASA will schedule an official launch date for Atlantis following that meeting.
For more information about the STS-129 mission and its crew, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
For STS-129 Souvenirs please visit the Spaceboosters Online Store
WASHINGTON -- NASA is targeting Nov. 16 for the launch of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-129 mission from the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Managers for NASA's Space Operations Mission Directorate and Exploration Systems Mission Directorate met Monday and decided to adjust Atlantis' target launch date to optimize the agency's ability to launch both Ares I-X and Atlantis before the end of the year.
The same launch team at Kennedy is supporting both the shuttle and the flight test of the Ares I-X rocket, which is targeted to lift off on Oct. 27. Ares I-X is scheduled to roll out to its launch pad at 12:01 a.m. EDT Tuesday. Atlantis' new target launch date will give Ares I-X launch opportunities Oct. 27, 28 and 29.
NASA has yet to schedule Atlantis' new target liftoff date on the Eastern Range. The change to Atlantis' targeted launch will affect the launch countdown dress rehearsal for the shuttle's six astronauts. The astronauts arrived at Kennedy on Monday for the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test and related training. The simulated countdown has been rescheduled to Nov. 3. The astronauts will practice emergency escape and other related training while they are at Kennedy this week and return there Nov. 2 to conclude their rehearsal work.
The agency's Flight Readiness Review meeting for STS-129 is set for Oct. 29. NASA will schedule an official launch date for Atlantis following that meeting.
For more information about the STS-129 mission and its crew, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
For STS-129 Souvenirs please visit the Spaceboosters Online Store
NASA - Ares 1 Launch Vehicle News
NASA Sets Briefing about Ares I-X Readiness to Launch
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA will hold a news conference on Friday, Oct. 23, at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to discuss the status of the Ares I-X rocket launch. The briefing will begin at approximately 5 p.m. EDT, after the conclusion of the Flight Test Readiness Review, a meeting to assess preparations for the flight test. The review is expected to include the selection of an official launch date. Ares I-X currently is targeted to launch at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27. The briefing participants are: - Bob Ess, Ares I-X mission manager - Ed Mango, Ares I-X launch director NASA Television and the agency's Web site will broadcast the news briefing live. Journalists may ask questions from participating NASA locations. Reporters should contact their preferred NASA center to confirm its participation.
For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
Ares 1-X Souvenirs
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA will hold a news conference on Friday, Oct. 23, at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to discuss the status of the Ares I-X rocket launch. The briefing will begin at approximately 5 p.m. EDT, after the conclusion of the Flight Test Readiness Review, a meeting to assess preparations for the flight test. The review is expected to include the selection of an official launch date. Ares I-X currently is targeted to launch at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27. The briefing participants are: - Bob Ess, Ares I-X mission manager - Ed Mango, Ares I-X launch director NASA Television and the agency's Web site will broadcast the news briefing live. Journalists may ask questions from participating NASA locations. Reporters should contact their preferred NASA center to confirm its participation.
For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
Ares 1-X Souvenirs
Kennedy Camera Spots ISS
Kennedy Camera Spots Space Station
10.20.09
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On Oct. 9, 2009 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, one of three shuttle tracking cameras trained on the LCROSS lunar impacts captured the International Space Station as it passed over the center.Video only. No audio.
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10.20.09
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On Oct. 9, 2009 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, one of three shuttle tracking cameras trained on the LCROSS lunar impacts captured the International Space Station as it passed over the center.Video only. No audio.
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Ares 1-X Arrives
NASA's Ares I-X Rocket Arrives at Launch Pad in Florida
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- For the first time in more than a quarter century, a new vehicle is sitting at Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Ares I-X flight test vehicle arrived at the pad atop of a giant crawler-transporter at approximately 7:45 a.m. EDT Tuesday. The crawler-transporter left Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building at 1:39 a.m., traveling less than 1 mph during the 4.2-mile journey. The rocket was secured on the launch pad at 9:17 a.m. The vehicle is scheduled to launch at 8 a.m. on Oct. 27.
This test flight of the Ares I-X rocket will provide NASA an early opportunity to test and prove hardware, models, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I launch vehicle. The Ares I rocket is being designed to carry astronauts to space in the Orion crew exploration vehicle. The Ares I-X test flight also will allow NASA to gather critical data during ascent of the vehicle's integrated stack, which includes the Ares I with a simulated upper stage, Orion and launch abort system. Data collected from more than 700 sensors throughout the rocket will begin to confirm the vehicle as a whole is safe and stable in flight before astronauts begin traveling into orbit. "With the arrival of Ares I-X at the pad, this milestone demonstrates NASA's world-class ability to conceptually design, build and process a new launch vehicle in just under four years," said Bob Ess, mission manager for Ares I-X at Kennedy. "Nearly 2,000 NASA and contractor employees located throughout the United States worked together in an unprecedented fashion, resulting in the new vehicle ready for flight."
During the week before launch, technicians at the pad will perform a variety of electrical and mechanical checks to ready the vehicle for flight, including hydraulic power unit hot fire, steering tests and internal power verifications using flight batteries. United Space Alliance of Houston is NASA's prime contractor for the ground processing of the Ares I-X rocket. "Processing for the Ares I-X test flight in parallel with space shuttle operations has been a true challenge involving people and hardware from across the country, and we're very proud of what the team has accomplished," said Mark Nappi, vice president of Launch and Recovery Systems for United Space Alliance. ATK Space Systems of Magna, Utah, is NASA's prime contractor for the first stage of the rocket. "The NASA and contractor teamwork displayed over the last four years has been the catalyst that brought us to this important milestone today," said Bob Herman, ATK's vice president of Exploration Systems for Kennedy Space Center Operations. "As the Ares I first stage provider, we are looking forward to receiving invaluable data during the flight test."
At the Flight Test Readiness Review on Oct. 23, mission managers will finalize the launch date and provide the team with a final "go" or "no go" for launch. Ares I-X is an un-crewed, sub-orbital development test in a modified Ares I configuration. Ares I-X is the first developmental flight test of the Constellation Program, which includes the Ares I and V rockets, Orion and the Altair lunar lander.
For information about Ares I-X, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/aresIX
For Ares Souvenirs visit the Spaceboosters Online Store
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- For the first time in more than a quarter century, a new vehicle is sitting at Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Ares I-X flight test vehicle arrived at the pad atop of a giant crawler-transporter at approximately 7:45 a.m. EDT Tuesday. The crawler-transporter left Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building at 1:39 a.m., traveling less than 1 mph during the 4.2-mile journey. The rocket was secured on the launch pad at 9:17 a.m. The vehicle is scheduled to launch at 8 a.m. on Oct. 27.
This test flight of the Ares I-X rocket will provide NASA an early opportunity to test and prove hardware, models, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I launch vehicle. The Ares I rocket is being designed to carry astronauts to space in the Orion crew exploration vehicle. The Ares I-X test flight also will allow NASA to gather critical data during ascent of the vehicle's integrated stack, which includes the Ares I with a simulated upper stage, Orion and launch abort system. Data collected from more than 700 sensors throughout the rocket will begin to confirm the vehicle as a whole is safe and stable in flight before astronauts begin traveling into orbit. "With the arrival of Ares I-X at the pad, this milestone demonstrates NASA's world-class ability to conceptually design, build and process a new launch vehicle in just under four years," said Bob Ess, mission manager for Ares I-X at Kennedy. "Nearly 2,000 NASA and contractor employees located throughout the United States worked together in an unprecedented fashion, resulting in the new vehicle ready for flight."
During the week before launch, technicians at the pad will perform a variety of electrical and mechanical checks to ready the vehicle for flight, including hydraulic power unit hot fire, steering tests and internal power verifications using flight batteries. United Space Alliance of Houston is NASA's prime contractor for the ground processing of the Ares I-X rocket. "Processing for the Ares I-X test flight in parallel with space shuttle operations has been a true challenge involving people and hardware from across the country, and we're very proud of what the team has accomplished," said Mark Nappi, vice president of Launch and Recovery Systems for United Space Alliance. ATK Space Systems of Magna, Utah, is NASA's prime contractor for the first stage of the rocket. "The NASA and contractor teamwork displayed over the last four years has been the catalyst that brought us to this important milestone today," said Bob Herman, ATK's vice president of Exploration Systems for Kennedy Space Center Operations. "As the Ares I first stage provider, we are looking forward to receiving invaluable data during the flight test."
At the Flight Test Readiness Review on Oct. 23, mission managers will finalize the launch date and provide the team with a final "go" or "no go" for launch. Ares I-X is an un-crewed, sub-orbital development test in a modified Ares I configuration. Ares I-X is the first developmental flight test of the Constellation Program, which includes the Ares I and V rockets, Orion and the Altair lunar lander.
For information about Ares I-X, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/aresIX
For Ares Souvenirs visit the Spaceboosters Online Store
Thursday 15 October 2009
Kepler and the Search for Life in Our Galaxy
There are so many stars in our galaxy that even if planets with complex life (animals and plants) are rare – say one for every billion stars – there could still be dozens here in the Milky Way. But we are just beginning to learn about worlds beyond our solar system, called exoplanets, so we really don't have a good idea of what the chances are for advanced life. That's where NASA's Kepler mission comes in.
There are so many stars in our galaxy that even if planets with complex life (animals and plants) are rare – say one for every billion stars – there could still be dozens here in the Milky Way. But we are just beginning to learn about worlds beyond our solar system, called exoplanets, so we really don't have a good idea of what the chances are for advanced life. That's where NASA's Kepler mission comes in.
Currently, we have only one example of complex life –- our own. So we have to use conditions that give rise to this kind of life when we go looking for it elsewhere in the Universe. Essential ingredients in the recipe for life as we know it include liquid water; an energy source, such as sunlight or chemicals from volcanic activity; and a supply of raw materials in the form of critical elements like carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen, to name just a few. The most likely places where all the ingredients will be present are rocky planets, like Earth, that are within the habitable zone of their parent stars.
This is an artist's impression of a Jupiter-sized planet passing in front of its parent star. Such events are called transits. When the planet transits the star, the star's apparent brightness drops slightly for a short period. Through this technique, astronomers can use Kepler to search for planets across the galaxy by measuring periodic changes in a star's luminosity. Credit: NASA/ESA/G. Bacon (STScI)
The habitable zone is where the temperature is just right for liquid water to exist on the surface of an exoplanet. If the planet is too close to its star, it will be too hot, and you'll end up with a world like Venus, where the oceans have boiled away. Too far away, however, and you get something like Mars, where most, if not all, of the water on the surface is frozen.
The Kepler mission seeks to detect Earth-like, i.e., rocky planets in our galaxy within the habitable zone of their parent stars, by looking for planetary transit events. These are situations where the planet passes in front of its star as seen from our point of view, slightly dimming the star's brightness. Since planetary transit events are fleeting, and it is unknown how common they may be, Kepler will continuously observe some 100,000 sun-like stars (in about 100 square degrees of the sky in the Cygnus region) for four years.
Observing planetary transits is challenging, because the brightness changes are exceedingly small. For example, Earth is about one-hundredth the diameter of the sun, so from an alien point of view, when Earth passes in front of the sun, it obscures only a tiny area on the solar disk -- just one ten-thousandth. An alien watching Earth transit the sun would see our star's brightness drop by just one part in ten thousand. We expect similar faint eclipses when searching for Earth-like planets around sun-like stars. To detect such tiny changes in brightness, Kepler will be able to observe a brightness change as small as one part in one hundred thousand.
Other challenges for Kepler are brightness changes that arise from a natural variation within the star itself, rather than from a transiting planet. If a brightness change repeats at regular intervals, it's more likely to be from an exoplanet, since its orbit will make it transit at the same periods. Scientists with the mission will need to see the same change at least twice before it's considered a possible exoplanet. Since the mission has a limited time to make its observations, if a transit takes more than a year to repeat, it will be difficult to confirm as an exoplanet.
NASA's TRACE satellite captured this image of Venus (black disk) crossing the face of the Sun in 2004 as seen from Earth orbit. Before that, the last event occurred in 1882. The next Venus transit will be visible in 2012. Credit: NASA
We can analyze a planetary transit event to discover basic characteristics of the planet. A large planet will block more starlight than a small one, so the size of the planet can be estimated by how much the star dims during the transit. A planet close to its star zips around it faster than one farther away, so the time between transits will give us an approximate distance of the planet from its star.
The planet will also tug at the star with its gravity. Much as the siren of a speeding ambulance changes pitch as it passes by – higher when it's moving closer, and lower when it's moving away -- this gravitational pull will cause the colors (spectrum) of the star's light to shift slightly – more blue if the star is moving toward us, more red if the star is moving away. Astronomers can observe this color shift with instruments that separate the star's light into its component colors, called its spectrum. By observing the amount of color shift in the star's spectrum, astronomers can get the mass of the planet relative to its parent star – more massive planets have a greater pull and will cause a larger color shift.
Most exoplanet detections so far have been made using this spectral shift. Such detections, however, tend to favor massive planets (about Jupiter’s size or larger). With current technology, it's extremely difficult to detect Earth-sized planets using this technique.
Kepler will also be used to make discoveries about the stars themselves. There are many stars that are binaries (double stars). These binaries may exhibit eclipses.
The Kepler mission data analysis program has a pipeline data processing that can discriminate the eclipsing binaries among the stars observed and will be analyzed accordingly. Binary stars, including cataclysmic variables (e.g., exploding stars such as novae) and intrinsic variable stars, including pulsating variables, that are observed with the Kepler satellite will present unprecedented opportunities to further astrophysical research.
The Kepler observatory was placed in an Earth-following orbit March 6, 2009. This mission has been conceived by William Borucki and Dave Koch of NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., and developed at NASA Ames. Kepler is a NASA Discovery mission. NASA Ames is the home organization of the science principal investigator, and is responsible for the ground system development, mission operations and science data analysis. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. manages the Kepler mission development. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colo., is responsible for developing the Kepler flight system and supporting mission operations.
Yoji Kondo, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Co-Investigator on the Kepler mission and Bill Steigerwald, NASA Goddard
Yoji Kondo, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Co-Investigator on the Kepler mission and Bill Steigerwald, NASA Goddard
Atlantis secured on Pad 39A
Atlantis is Secured at the Pad
At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis is firmly secured to the fixed service structure pedestals at Launch Pad 39A. The 3.4-mile journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the launch pad began at 6:38 a.m. EDT and was completed at 1:31 p.m.
The pad's protective rotating service structure will be closed around the shuttle tonight, and launch pad teams will begin preparations to support Atlantis' targeted Nov. 12 launch at 4:04 p.m. EST.
The STS-129 astronauts are scheduled to fly to Kennedy on Oct. 19 to participate in the three-day Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT. This training gives the crew an opportunity to check the fit of their spacesuits, practice emergency evacuation procedures at the launch pad, review firefighting methods and participate in a simulated launch countdown.
For space souvenirs visit the SPACEBOOSTERS online store!
At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis is firmly secured to the fixed service structure pedestals at Launch Pad 39A. The 3.4-mile journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the launch pad began at 6:38 a.m. EDT and was completed at 1:31 p.m.
The pad's protective rotating service structure will be closed around the shuttle tonight, and launch pad teams will begin preparations to support Atlantis' targeted Nov. 12 launch at 4:04 p.m. EST.
The STS-129 astronauts are scheduled to fly to Kennedy on Oct. 19 to participate in the three-day Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT. This training gives the crew an opportunity to check the fit of their spacesuits, practice emergency evacuation procedures at the launch pad, review firefighting methods and participate in a simulated launch countdown.
For space souvenirs visit the SPACEBOOSTERS online store!
Wednesday 14 October 2009
Cargo Ship Arrival at Space Station
NASA Television to Broadcast Cargo Ship Arrival at Space Station
HOUSTON -- The residents of the International Space Station will receive a new shipment of food, fuel and supplies at 8:41 p.m. CDT on Saturday, Oct. 17. NASA Television's coverage of the ship's arrival at the station will begin at 8:15 p.m. The Russian ISS Progress 35 cargo ship, filled with more than two tons of supplies for the station, is set to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 8:14 p.m. There will be no television coverage of the launch. Expedition 21 Commander Frank De Winne and Flight Engineers Jeff Williams, Nicole Stott, Roman Romanenko, Max Suraev and Bob Thirsk will observe the event from aboard the station as the unpiloted craft automatically docks to the station's Pirs Docking Compartment. For NASA Television streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more about the International Space Station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station
For SpaceStation Souvenirs visit the SPACEBOOSTERS Online Store
HOUSTON -- The residents of the International Space Station will receive a new shipment of food, fuel and supplies at 8:41 p.m. CDT on Saturday, Oct. 17. NASA Television's coverage of the ship's arrival at the station will begin at 8:15 p.m. The Russian ISS Progress 35 cargo ship, filled with more than two tons of supplies for the station, is set to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 8:14 p.m. There will be no television coverage of the launch. Expedition 21 Commander Frank De Winne and Flight Engineers Jeff Williams, Nicole Stott, Roman Romanenko, Max Suraev and Bob Thirsk will observe the event from aboard the station as the unpiloted craft automatically docks to the station's Pirs Docking Compartment. For NASA Television streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more about the International Space Station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station
For SpaceStation Souvenirs visit the SPACEBOOSTERS Online Store
Andromeda Galaxy
Andromeda in Ultraviolet
In a break from its usual task of searching for distant cosmic explosions, NASA's Swift satellite acquired the highest-resolution view of a neighboring spiral galaxy ever attained in the ultraviolet. The galaxy, known as M31 in the constellation Andromeda, is the largest and closest spiral galaxy to our own. This mosaic of M31 merges 330 individual images taken by Swift's Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope. The image shows a region 200,000 light-years wide and 100,000 light-years high (100 arcminutes by 50 arcminutes).
Image Credit: NASA/Swift/Stefan Immler (GSFC) and Erin Grand (UMCP)
Atlantis On the Move
Atlantis is on the MoveWed, 14 Oct 2009 08:07:51 -0500
Space shuttle Atlantis began its move from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:38 a.m. EDT. The 3.4-mile journey of the crawler-transporter with the shuttle stacked on top is expected to take about six hours.
At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the STS-129 astronauts are rehearsing orbit maneuvers today in the fixed base simulator.
The simulator mimics the dials and controls of the shuttle along with monitors that animate a view from outside the shuttle's window. Johnson technicians program the simulator's software to throw various problem situations at the crew to make sure they can cope with anything while in flight.
Meanwhile, the Space Shuttle Program's Flight Readiness Review, or FRR, is scheduled for Oct. 20 and 21. The executive-level FRR with NASA managers to set an official launch date is planned for Oct. 29 and will be held at Kennedy.
Space shuttle Atlantis began its move from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:38 a.m. EDT. The 3.4-mile journey of the crawler-transporter with the shuttle stacked on top is expected to take about six hours.
At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the STS-129 astronauts are rehearsing orbit maneuvers today in the fixed base simulator.
The simulator mimics the dials and controls of the shuttle along with monitors that animate a view from outside the shuttle's window. Johnson technicians program the simulator's software to throw various problem situations at the crew to make sure they can cope with anything while in flight.
Meanwhile, the Space Shuttle Program's Flight Readiness Review, or FRR, is scheduled for Oct. 20 and 21. The executive-level FRR with NASA managers to set an official launch date is planned for Oct. 29 and will be held at Kennedy.
Monday 12 October 2009
Chandra - New Vista of Milky Way Center Unveiled
A dramatic new vista of the center of the Milky Way galaxy from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory exposes new levels of the complexity and intrigue in the Galactic center. The mosaic of 88 Chandra pointings represents a freeze-frame of the spectacle of stellar evolution, from bright young stars to black holes, in a crowded, hostile environment dominated by a central, supermassive black hole. Permeating the region is a diffuse haze of X-ray light from gas that has been heated to millions of degrees by winds from massive young stars -- which appear to form more frequently here than elsewhere in the Galaxy -- explosions of dying stars, and outflows powered by the supermassive black hole -- known as Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*).
Data from Chandra and other X-ray telescopes suggest that giant X-ray flares from this black hole occurred about 50 and about 300 years earlier. The area around Sgr A* also contains several mysterious X-ray filaments. Some of these likely represent huge magnetic structures interacting with streams of very energetic electrons produced by rapidly spinning neutron stars or perhaps by a gigantic analog of a solar flare. Scattered throughout the region are thousands of point-like X-ray sources. These are produced by normal stars feeding material onto the compact, dense remains of stars that have reached the end of their evolutionary trail – white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes. Because X-rays penetrate the gas and dust that blocks optical light coming from the center of the galaxy, Chandra is a powerful tool for studying the Galactic Center. This image combines low energy X-rays (colored red), intermediate energy X-rays (green) and high energy X- rays (blue).
The image is being released at the beginning of the "Chandra's First Decade of Discovery" symposium being held in Boston, Mass. This four-day conference will celebrate the great science Chandra has uncovered in its first ten years of operations.
To help commemorate this event, several of the astronauts who were onboard the Space Shuttle Columbia -- including Commander Eileen Collins -- that launched Chandra on July 23, 1999, will be in attendance. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., manages the Chandra program for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls Chandra's science and flight operations from Cambridge, Mass. More information, including images and other multimedia, can be found at:
and
NASA Astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman
NASA Astronaut Dr. Jeffrey Hoffman British Interplanetary Society Lecture
If you are not already a member here is another reason to join the British Interplanetary Society.
Christmas Get-Together at the Society’s HQ
2 December 2008 6.30 - 8.30 pm
The Hubble Space Telescope: Window to a New Universe
Jeffrey Hoffman
Photo Credit: NASAFive-time Space Shuttle astronaut Dr Jeffrey Hoffman, who made three spacewalks during the initial Hubble rescue/repair mission, will discuss the history of Hubble, share his spaceflight experiences, and offer a retrospective of Hubble’s greatest discoveries. The presentation will include a video of Hubble repair operations.
Apply for tickets, price £15, including refreshments, to the Executive Secretary, The British Interplanetary Society, 27/29 South Lambeth Road, London, SW8 1SZ, enclosing sae. Each member may obtain a ticket for one guest.
This is a Members Only event, although each member may obtain a ticket for one guest.
Jeff Hoffman Mission Patches and lots of other collectables available from the Spaceboosters Online Store:
Ed Mitchell in the U.K.
Former NASA Astronaut and Apollo Moonwalker Ed Mitchell in the U.K.
PHOTO Credit: NASAPlease contact Ken Willoughby the event organiser for details:
Ken Willoughby and Carleton Community High School present a lecture with Apollo 14 moonwalker Dr. Edgar Mitchell on Friday, April 9, 2010 at St. Wilfrid's Catholic High School in Featherstone, West Yorkshire, UK.
Tickets £30 each. E-mail: ken.willoughby@btinternet.com
Always confirm details before an event prior to making final travel/accommodation arrangements.
Apollo Embroidered Patches
Larger Saturnian Ring Discovered
NASA Space Telescope Discovers Largest Ring Around Saturn
PASADENA, Calif. -- NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has discovered an enormous ring around Saturn -- by far the largest of the giant planet's many rings. The new belt lies at the far reaches of the Saturnian system, with an orbit tilted 27 degrees from the main ring plane. The bulk of its material starts about six million kilometers (3.7 million miles) away from the planet and extends outward roughly another 12 million kilometers (7.4 million miles).
One of Saturn's farthest moons, Phoebe, circles within the newfound ring, and is likely the source of its material. Saturn's newest halo is thick, too -- its vertical height is about 20 times the diameter of the planet. It would take about one billion Earths stacked together to fill the ring. "This is one supersized ring," said Anne Verbiscer, an astronomer at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. "If you could see the ring, it would span the width of two full moons' worth of sky, one on either side of Saturn." Verbiscer; Douglas Hamilton of the University of Maryland, College Park; and Michael Skrutskie, of the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, are authors of a paper about the discovery to be published online tomorrow by the journal Nature. An artist's concept of the newfound ring is online at
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/spitzer/multimedia/spitzer-20091007a.html
The ring itself is tenuous, made up of a thin array of ice and dust particles. Spitzer's infrared eyes were able to spot the glow of the band's cool dust. The telescope, launched in 2003, is currently 107 million kilometers (66 million miles) from Earth in orbit around the sun. The discovery may help solve an age-old riddle of one of Saturn's moons. Iapetus has a strange appearance -- one side is bright and the other is really dark, in a pattern that resembles the yin-yang symbol. The astronomer Giovanni Cassini first spotted the moon in 1671, and years later figured out it has a dark side, now named Cassini Regio in his honor. A stunning picture of Iapetus taken by NASA's Cassini spacecraft is online at
http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA08384
Saturn's newest addition could explain how Cassini Regio came to be. The ring is circling in the same direction as Phoebe, while Iapetus, the other rings and most of Saturn's moons are all going the opposite way. According to the scientists, some of the dark and dusty material from the outer ring moves inward toward Iapetus, slamming the icy moon like bugs on a windshield. "Astronomers have long suspected that there is a connection between Saturn's outer moon Phoebe and the dark material on Iapetus," said Hamilton. "This new ring provides convincing evidence of that relationship." Verbiscer and her colleagues used Spitzer's longer-wavelength infrared camera, called the multiband imaging photometer, to scan through a patch of sky far from Saturn and a bit inside Phoebe's orbit. The astronomers had a hunch that Phoebe might be circling around in a belt of dust kicked up from its minor collisions with comets -- a process similar to that around stars with dusty disks of planetary debris.
Sure enough, when the scientists took a first look at their Spitzer data, a band of dust jumped out. The ring would be difficult to see with visible-light telescopes. Its particles are diffuse and may even extend beyond the bulk of the ring material all the way in to Saturn and all the way out to interplanetary space. The relatively small numbers of particles in the ring wouldn't reflect much visible light, especially out at Saturn where sunlight is weak. "The particles are so far apart that if you were to stand in the ring, you wouldn't even know it," said Verbiscer. Spitzer was able to sense the glow of the cool dust, which is only about 80 Kelvin (minus 316 degrees Fahrenheit). Cool objects shine with infrared, or thermal radiation; for example, even a cup of ice cream is blazing with infrared light. "By focusing on the glow of the ring's cool dust, Spitzer made it easy to find," said Verbiscer. These observations were made before Spitzer ran out of coolant in May and began its "warm" mission. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the Spitzer Space Telescope mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Science operations are conducted at the Spitzer Science Center at the California Institute of Technology, also in Pasadena. Caltech manages JPL for NASA. The multiband imaging photometer for Spitzer was built by Ball Aerospace Corporation, Boulder, Colo., and the University of Arizona, Tucson. Its principal investigator is George Rieke of the University of Arizona. For additional images relating to the ring discovery and more information about Spitzer, visit
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/
PASADENA, Calif. -- NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has discovered an enormous ring around Saturn -- by far the largest of the giant planet's many rings. The new belt lies at the far reaches of the Saturnian system, with an orbit tilted 27 degrees from the main ring plane. The bulk of its material starts about six million kilometers (3.7 million miles) away from the planet and extends outward roughly another 12 million kilometers (7.4 million miles).
One of Saturn's farthest moons, Phoebe, circles within the newfound ring, and is likely the source of its material. Saturn's newest halo is thick, too -- its vertical height is about 20 times the diameter of the planet. It would take about one billion Earths stacked together to fill the ring. "This is one supersized ring," said Anne Verbiscer, an astronomer at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. "If you could see the ring, it would span the width of two full moons' worth of sky, one on either side of Saturn." Verbiscer; Douglas Hamilton of the University of Maryland, College Park; and Michael Skrutskie, of the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, are authors of a paper about the discovery to be published online tomorrow by the journal Nature. An artist's concept of the newfound ring is online at
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/spitzer/multimedia/spitzer-20091007a.html
The ring itself is tenuous, made up of a thin array of ice and dust particles. Spitzer's infrared eyes were able to spot the glow of the band's cool dust. The telescope, launched in 2003, is currently 107 million kilometers (66 million miles) from Earth in orbit around the sun. The discovery may help solve an age-old riddle of one of Saturn's moons. Iapetus has a strange appearance -- one side is bright and the other is really dark, in a pattern that resembles the yin-yang symbol. The astronomer Giovanni Cassini first spotted the moon in 1671, and years later figured out it has a dark side, now named Cassini Regio in his honor. A stunning picture of Iapetus taken by NASA's Cassini spacecraft is online at
http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA08384
Saturn's newest addition could explain how Cassini Regio came to be. The ring is circling in the same direction as Phoebe, while Iapetus, the other rings and most of Saturn's moons are all going the opposite way. According to the scientists, some of the dark and dusty material from the outer ring moves inward toward Iapetus, slamming the icy moon like bugs on a windshield. "Astronomers have long suspected that there is a connection between Saturn's outer moon Phoebe and the dark material on Iapetus," said Hamilton. "This new ring provides convincing evidence of that relationship." Verbiscer and her colleagues used Spitzer's longer-wavelength infrared camera, called the multiband imaging photometer, to scan through a patch of sky far from Saturn and a bit inside Phoebe's orbit. The astronomers had a hunch that Phoebe might be circling around in a belt of dust kicked up from its minor collisions with comets -- a process similar to that around stars with dusty disks of planetary debris.
Sure enough, when the scientists took a first look at their Spitzer data, a band of dust jumped out. The ring would be difficult to see with visible-light telescopes. Its particles are diffuse and may even extend beyond the bulk of the ring material all the way in to Saturn and all the way out to interplanetary space. The relatively small numbers of particles in the ring wouldn't reflect much visible light, especially out at Saturn where sunlight is weak. "The particles are so far apart that if you were to stand in the ring, you wouldn't even know it," said Verbiscer. Spitzer was able to sense the glow of the cool dust, which is only about 80 Kelvin (minus 316 degrees Fahrenheit). Cool objects shine with infrared, or thermal radiation; for example, even a cup of ice cream is blazing with infrared light. "By focusing on the glow of the ring's cool dust, Spitzer made it easy to find," said Verbiscer. These observations were made before Spitzer ran out of coolant in May and began its "warm" mission. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the Spitzer Space Telescope mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Science operations are conducted at the Spitzer Science Center at the California Institute of Technology, also in Pasadena. Caltech manages JPL for NASA. The multiband imaging photometer for Spitzer was built by Ball Aerospace Corporation, Boulder, Colo., and the University of Arizona, Tucson. Its principal investigator is George Rieke of the University of Arizona. For additional images relating to the ring discovery and more information about Spitzer, visit
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/
Soyuz TMA-16 Mission Patch - Now Available!
The Soyuz TMA-16 patch was based on artwork provided by 14-year old Anastasia Mestyashova from the Orenburg region in Russia. Central elements are a cosmonaut figure and three large stars, one for each launching crewmember: American astronaut Jeff Williams (dark blue star), Space Adventures participant Guy Laliberte (light blue star) and their Russian spacecraft commander Maxim Surayev (red star). The flags of the cosmonauts' home countries - Russia, the United States and Canada - are shown at the top of the shield. In the upper left corner, simple shapes symbolize the building blocks of the universe and life on Earh. The 'cradle of mankind', from which the mission originates, is depicted by a growing plant, gradually transforming into a fiery rocket trail and a spacecraft, bound for the International Space Station.
The ISS is drawn like a gold star, with 9 rays for each crewmember present when the Soyuz TMA-16 has arrived. The colors of the 6 stars and 3 shapes in the upper left corner, also represent the crew make up. Red for the three Russians, dark blue for the three Americans, light blue for the two Canadians and gold for soon-to-be ISS commander De Winne from Belgium.
The plant and rocket trail together form a '16', the Soyuz TMA mission number. The Earth in the background has the typical grid pattern seen in earlier Soviet and Russian space logo's, heralding all heroes of the Vostok, Woshkod and Soyuz flights of the past. The surnames of Williams and Laliberte are companied by the NASA and One Drop Foundation logo's respectively.
In the same area, a small red star and small blue star are included for the future, safe return of Surayev and Williams, who together will land in the Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft in March 2010.
Padalka, Barratt and Laliberte have returned from the ISS - see previous post.
Expedition 20 Returns to Earth
Expedition 20 Comes Home
Surrounded by medical personnel, seated from left to right are spaceflight participant Guy Laliberte, Expedition 20 Commander Gennady Padalka and Expedition 20 Flight Engineer Michael Barratt.They had landed minutes before at 12:32 a.m. EDT aboard the Soyuz capsule near the town of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009. Padalka and Barratt are returning from six months onboard the International Space Station, along with Laliberte who arrived at the station on Oct. 2 with Expedition 21 Flight Engineers Jeff Williams and Maxim Suraev aboard the Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft.
Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
STS-129 Rollout Preps
Final Rollout Preps in Store for Atlantis
Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:45:33 -0500
Technicians are conducting tests and working on final preparations for space shuttle Atlantis' move, or rollout, to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. First motion out of the Vehicle Assembly Building is scheduled for 12:01 a.m. EDT Wednesday.
At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the six STS-129 mission astronauts have the Columbus Day holiday off and will resume training on Tuesday morning.
The crew is scheduled to fly to Kennedy on Oct. 19 to participate in the three-day Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT. Typically held prior to launch, TCDT gives the crew an opportunity to check the fit of their spacesuits, practice emergency evacuation procedures at the launch pad, review firefighting methods, and participate in briefings on security and range safety.
Atlantis is targeted to launch to the International Space Station at 4:04 p.m. EST Nov. 12 on an 11-day mission.
STS-129 Crew Photo
STS-129 Mission Patch
Mission Pin Available shortly!
Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:45:33 -0500
Technicians are conducting tests and working on final preparations for space shuttle Atlantis' move, or rollout, to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. First motion out of the Vehicle Assembly Building is scheduled for 12:01 a.m. EDT Wednesday.
At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the six STS-129 mission astronauts have the Columbus Day holiday off and will resume training on Tuesday morning.
The crew is scheduled to fly to Kennedy on Oct. 19 to participate in the three-day Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT. Typically held prior to launch, TCDT gives the crew an opportunity to check the fit of their spacesuits, practice emergency evacuation procedures at the launch pad, review firefighting methods, and participate in briefings on security and range safety.
Atlantis is targeted to launch to the International Space Station at 4:04 p.m. EST Nov. 12 on an 11-day mission.
STS-129 Crew Photo
STS-129 Mission Patch
Mission Pin Available shortly!
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