Official Countdown Underway

Sun, 31 Oct 2010 14:30:01 -0500


The official countdown clock began ticking backward at 2 p.m. EDT Sunday. Launch is targeted for Wednesday, Nov. 3 at 3:52 p.m. NASA Test Director Steve Payne said this morning that the work to repair the leaks is complete, the system is repressurized and work is on schedule for Discovery’s launch.

The Mission Management Team plan to meet Monday morning with a Pre-launch News Conference scheduled to follow at 11 a.m. The new conference will be carried live on NASA Television and at www.nasa.gov/ntv.

The weather forecast remains at 70 percent chance of favorable conditions at launch time.

Countdown to Start Today for a Targeted Wednesday Launch

Sun, 31 Oct 2010 08:08:23 -0500


Overnight, work continued to prepare space shuttle Discovery for its targeted launch at 3:52 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, Nov. 3, and the launch countdown is scheduled to begin today at 2 p.m. The latest weather forecast remains 70 percent “go” for Discovery’s launch.

NASA Television will air a status briefing at 10 a.m. EDT with NASA Test Director Steve Payne and Shuttle Weather Officer Kathy Winters. To view the briefing online go to

www.nasa.gov/ntv.

NASA STS-132 Embroidered Space Shuttle Mission Patch

The STS-132 mission will be the 32nd flight of the space shuttle Atlantis. The primary STS-132 mission objective is to deliver the Russian-made MRM-1 (Mini Research Module) to the International Space Station (ISS). Atlantis will also deliver a new communications antenna and a new set of batteries for one of the ISS solar arrays. The STS-132 mission patch features Atlantis flying off into the sunset as the end of the Space Shuttle Program approaches. However the sun is also heralding the promise of a new day as it rises for the first time on a new ISS module, the MRM-1, which is also named “Rassvet,” the Russian word for dawn.

NASA STS-133 Space Shuttle Mission Insignia

The STS-133 mission patch is based upon sketches from the late artist Robert McCall; they were the final creations of his long and prodigious career. In the foreground, a solitary orbiter ascends into a dark blue sky above a roiling fiery plume. A spray of stars surrounds the orbiter and a top lit crescent forms the background behind the ascent. The mission number, STS-133, is emblazoned on the patch center, and crewmembers' names are listed on a sky-blue border around the scene. The Shuttle Discovery is depicted ascending on a plume of flame as if it is just beginning a mission. However it is just the orbiter, without boosters or an external tank, as it would be at mission's end. This is to signify Discovery's completion of its operational life and the beginning of its new role as a symbol of NASA's and the nation's proud legacy in human spaceflight.

STS-134 Mission Patch Insignia

The design of the STS-134 crew patch highlights research on the International Space Station (ISS) focusing on the fundamental physics of the universe. On this mission, the crew of Space Shuttle Endeavour will install the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) experiment - a cosmic particle detector that utilizes the first ever superconducting magnet to be flown in space. By studying sub-atomic particles in the background cosmic radiation, and searching for anti-matter and dark-matter, it will help scientists better understand the evolution and properties of our universe. The shape of the patch is inspired by the international atomic symbol, and represents the atom with orbiting electrons around the nucleus. The burst near the center refers to the big-bang theory and the origin of the universe. The Space Shuttle Endeavour and ISS fly together into the sunrise over the limb of Earth, representing the dawn of a new age, understanding the nature of the universe.

Preparing for Flight STS-133

Attired in training versions of their shuttle launch and entry suits, STS-133 commander Steve Lindsey, pilot Eric Boe (background), and mission specialists Tim Kopra (right foreground) and Alvin Drew participate in a simulation exercise in the motion-base shuttle mission simulator in the Jake Garn Simulation and Training Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

Image Credit: NASA/JSC James Blair

Launch Team Evaluating Discovery Leaks

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 07:58:54 -0500

Managers, engineers and technicians are evaluating helium and nitrogen leaks in the pressurization portion of space shuttle Discovery’s right-hand Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) pod.

The leaks must be fixed before launch and the decision was made to delay picking up the launch countdown by at least a day. The countdown, which had been scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. EDT today, would begin at 2 p.m. Saturday. The next possible launch opportunity would be Tuesday, Nov. 2, at 4:17 p.m.

These leaking helium and nitrogen seals are unrelated to the fuel leak that was repaired last week, also related to Discovery’s right OMS pod.

NASA Test Director Jeff Spaulding will provide details at a 10 a.m. Precountdown Status Briefing on NASA Television.

STS-133 Astronauts to Come to Kennedy Today

Astronaut Steve Lindsey and his crew will fly to NASA's Kennedy Space Center this afternoon as the preparations for Monday's launch reach the home stretch. Flying from their training base at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the crew will land on the three-mile-long runway at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility. In medical quarantine to prevent getting sick right before the mission, the astronauts will spend the next several days going over mission details, enjoying some free time and keeping their skills sharp. For instance, Commander Lindsey and Pilot Eric Boe will make several simulated shuttle landings in the shuttle training aircraft, or STA.

The countdown for Monday's launch of space shuttle Discovery begins tomorrow at 3 p.m. EDT. Technicians will spend the weekend putting the finishing touches on Discovery. Liftoff is scheduled for 4:40 p.m. EDT, the precise time that the shuttle's launch pad will be in the same plane as the International Space Station it will chase and dock with during the flight.

Space Shuttle Commemorative Embroidered Patch 1981-2011

To celebrate the upcoming 30th anniversary and retirement of the Space Shuttle Program, the design of this patch aims to capture the visual essence and spirit of the program in an iconic and triumphant manner. As the Space Shuttle Program has been an innovative, iconic gem in the history of American spaceflight, the overall shape of the patch and its faceted panels are reminiscent of a diamond or other fine jewel. The shape of the patch fans out from a fine point at the bottom to a wide array across the top, to evoke the vastness of space and our aim to explore it, as the Shuttle has done successfully for decades. The outlined blue circle represents the Shuttle's exploration within low Earth orbit, but also creates a dynamic fluidity from the bottom right around to the top left to allude to the smoothness of the Shuttle orbiting the earth. The diagonal lines cascading down into the top right corner of the design form the American Flag as the Shuttle has been one of the most recognizable icons in American history over the last three decades. In the top left and right panels of the design, there are seven prominent stars on each side which represent the 14 crew members that were lost on shuttles Challenger and Columbia. Inside of the middle panel to the right of the Shuttle, there are five larger, more prominent stars that signify the five Space Shuttle vehicles NASA has had in its fleet throughout the program. Most importantly though, this patch is as an overall celebration of the much-beloved program and vehicle that so many people have dedicated themselves to in so many capacities over the years with a sense of vibrancy and mysticism that the Space Shuttle Program will always be remembered by. This patch was designed by Aerospace Engineer Blake Dumesnil, who has supported the Space Shuttle Program with his work in the Avionics and Energy Systems Divisions of the NASA Johnson Space Center Engineering Directorate. It is the winning entry in a commemorative patch design contest sponsored by the Space Shuttle Program. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Souvenir embroidered space shuttle commemorative patch from the official NASA contractor 

Ultraviolet Andromeda Galaxy

This mosaic of M31 merges 330 individual images taken by the Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope aboard NASA's Swift spacecraft. It is the highest-resolution image of the galaxy ever recorded in the ultraviolet. Also known as the Andromeda Galaxy, M31 is more than 220,000 light-years across and lies 2.5 million light-years away. On a clear, dark night, the galaxy is faintly visible as a misty patch to the naked eye.

The irregular shape of the image results when the more than 300 images were assembled to make the final image.

Image Credit: NASA/Swift/Stefan Immler (GSFC) and Erin Grand (UMCP)

Spacewalking Suits Loaded on Discovery

Workers packed the special suits aboard Discovery at Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida as part of the continuing preparations for Monday's liftoff. The spacewalking suits are the familiar white versions that carry their own power and life support systems. In that sense, each spacesuit is basically a small spacecraft for an astronaut when he is outside the safety of the shuttle or the International Space Station. Mission specialists Alvin Drew and Tim Kopra will don the suits for two spacewalks on the outside of the station. Spacewalking suits are considerably stronger than the orange partial pressure suits the whole crew wears for launch and landing.

Technicians are also continuing closeout work today on the Discovery's aft compartment and preparations are under way to pressurize the main propulsion systems.

The STS-133 crew meets with its lead flight directors today and will conduct a conference with the Expedition 25 crew on board the space station. Discovery's six-person crew will fly to Kennedy on Thursday afternoon for the countdown and launch Monday at 4:40 pm. EDT.‪

NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy

Wispy clouds are illuminated by a bright quarter moon behind the tail of NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, flying observatory during telescope characterization testing in 2008. SOFIA will complement the Hubble, Spitzer, Herschel and James Webb space telescopes and major Earth-based telescopes. The mission, a joint program by NASA and DLR Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt (German Aerospace Center), features a German-built 100-inch (2.5 meter) diameter far-infrared telescope weighing 20 tons mounted in the rear fuselage of a highly modified Boeing 747SP aircraft.

Image Credit: NASA/Tom Tschida

NASA'S Kepler Spacecraft Takes Pulse Of Distant Stars

WASHINGTON -- An international cadre of scientists that used data from NASA's Kepler spacecraft announced Tuesday the detection of stellar oscillations, or "starquakes," that yield new insights about the size, age and evolution of stars.


The results were presented at a news conference at Aarhus University in Denmark by scientists representing the Kepler Asteroseismic Science Consortium (KASC). The team studied thousands of stars observed by Kepler, releasing what amounts to a roster of some of humanity's most well-characterized stars.

Analysis of stellar oscillations is similar to how seismologists study earthquakes to probe the Earth's interior. This branch of science, called astroseismology, produces measurements of stars the Kepler science team is anxious to have.

"Using the unparalleled data provided by Kepler, KASC scientists are quite literally revolutionizing our understanding of stars and their structures," said Douglas Hudgins, Kepler Program Scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "What's more, they are doing so at no cost to the American taxpayer. All the KASC scientists are supported by research funding from their home countries. It is a perfect illustration of the tremendous value that our international partners bring to NASA missions."

In the results presented Tuesday, one oscillating star took center stage: KIC 11026764 has the most accurately known properties of any star in the Kepler field. In fact, few stars in the universe are known to similar accuracy. At an age of 5.94 billion years, it has grown to a little over twice the diameter of the sun and will continue to do so as it transforms into a red giant. The oscillations reveal that this star is powered by hydrogen fusion in a thin shell around a helium-rich core.

"We are just about to enter a new area in stellar astrophysics," said Thomas Kallinger, lead author on a study of red giant stars and postdoctoral fellow at the Universities of British Columbia and Vienna. "Kepler provides us with data of such good quality that they will change our view of how stars work in detail."

KASC scientists also reported on the star RR Lyrae. It has been studied for more than 100 years as the first member of an important class of stars used to measure cosmological distances. The brightness, or light wave amplitude, of the star oscillates within a well-known period of about 13.5 hours. Yet during that period, other small cyclic changes in amplitude occur -- behavior known as the Blazhko effect.

The effect has puzzled astronomers for decades, but thanks to Kepler data, scientists may have a clue as to its origin. Kepler observations revealed an additional oscillation period that had never been previously detected. The oscillation occurs with a time scale twice as long as the 13.5-hour period. The Kepler data indicates the doubling is linked to the Blazhko effect.

"Kepler data ultimately will give us a better understanding of the future of our sun and the evolution of our galaxy as a whole," said Daniel Huber, lead author on one of the KASC studies.

Launched in March 2009, Kepler was designed to discover Earth-size planets orbiting other stars. The spacecraft uses a huge digital camera, known as a photometer, to continuously monitor the brightness of more than 150,000 stars in its field of view as it orbits around the sun. Kepler searches for distant worlds by looking for "transits," when a planet passes in front of a star, briefly causing it to dim. The amount of dimming reveals the size of the planet compared to the size of the star.

For more information about the findings by the KASC scientists, visit:

http://astro.phys.au.dk/KASC/

Suited and Booted NASA Mission Specialist Alvin Drew Portrait

NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected as a mission specialist by NASA in July 2000, Drew reported for training in August 2000. Following the completion of two years of training and evaluation, he was initially assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Station Operations Branch. From January-November 2009 he served as Director of Operations at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia. He has logged over 305 hours in space having completed his first space flight on STS-118 in 2007. Drew is currently assigned as a crewmember for STS-133.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-118 (August 8 -21, 2007) was the 119th space shuttle flight, the 22nd flight to the station, and the 20th flight for Endeavour. During the mission Endeavour's crew successfully added another truss segment, a new gyroscope and external spare parts platform to the International Space Station. A new system that enables docked shuttles to draw electrical power from the station to extend visits to the outpost was activated successfully. A total of four spacewalks (EVAs) were performed by three crew members. Endeavour carried some 5,000 pounds of equipment and supplies to the station and returned to Earth with some 4,000 pounds of hardware and no longer needed equipment. Traveling 5.3 million miles in space, the STS-118 mission was completed in 12 days, 17 hours, 55 minutes and 34 seconds.

Mission Specialist for Discovery STS-133 Scheduled for a November 1st launch.

OCTOBER 2010

International Space Station Water System Successfully Activated

WASHINGTON -- NASA has announced the successful activation of new hardware that will support water production services aboard the International Space Station.


The Sabatier system can create up to 530 gallons of water per year from byproducts of the station's Oxygen Generation System and Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly. The process is named for Paul Sabatier, a 1912 Nobel Prize winner in chemistry.

"This is an important step forward in NASA's commercialization endeavors and shows how successful private industry can be at providing solutions on its own," said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for Space Operations at the agency's Headquarters in Washington. "The ability to produce this water will be important for sustaining space station operations once the shuttle is retired."

The system was integrated into the space station's Water Recovery System during the week of Oct. 11. Activation, checkout and first use of the system were completed Oct. 22, running for over eight hours.

The Sabatier process uses a nickel catalyst to interact with hydrogen and carbon dioxide at elevated temperatures and pressures to produce water and methane. The water is retained for recycling processes, and the methane is vented outside of the space station.

Prior to adding the Sabatier system, hydrogen produced while generating station oxygen was considered waste gas and vented overboard. Carbon dioxide generated by crew metabolism also was vented overboard. With the Sabatier system, these two former waste gases will generate a valuable product for the space station: water.

Under contract to NASA, Hamilton Sundstrand supplied the flight hardware and operational support for a Sabatier-reaction-based system that operates as part of the station's Environmental Control and Life Support System. This contract is unique because NASA did not participate in design reviews or impose any specifications on the design, except for those defined in the safety, interface and acceptance requirements met by Hamilton Sundstrand.

The company developed, procured, and built the flight hardware and support equipment needed for operations and training. The in-orbit operational portion of the contract runs until Sept. 30, 2014.

For information about the International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

For INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION Souvenirs please visit our store.

Preparations Ongoing for STS-133 Discovery

Less than a week before launch, technicians at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida continue careful preparations on space shuttle Discovery for the STS-133 mission. Workers are close to wrapping up the installation and connection of ordnance on the shuttle stack and will begin closing out the solid rocket booster forward skirt tonight.


The STS-133 crew, commanded by veteran astronaut Steve Lindsey, will conduct its final ascent simulation at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston today and review procedures with digital cameras.‪

Deep Inside the Milky Way Galaxy

This artist's impression shows how the Arches star cluster appears from deep inside the hub of our Milky Way Galaxy. Hidden from our direct view, the massive cluster lies 25,000 light-years away and is the densest known gathering of young stars in our galaxy. The illustration is based on infrared observations from Hubble and with ground-based telescopes, which pierced our galaxy's dusty core and snapped images of the luminous cluster of about 2,000 stars.

Image Credit: Artist's Concept/NASA/ESA/STScI

NASA Sets Launch Date For Space Shuttle Discovery Mission

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to begin an 11-day mission to the International Space Station with a launch at 4:40 p.m. EDT on Monday, Nov. 1, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The STS-133 mission is Discovery's final scheduled flight.

Discovery's launch date was announced Monday 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 and station's equipment, support systems and personnel are ready.

The six astronauts for the mission will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) to the station. The PMM was converted from the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo and will provide additional storage for the station crew. Experiments in such fields as fluid physics, materials science, biology and biotechnology may be conducted inside the module. The PMM also carries Robonaut 2, the first human-like robot in space, which will become a permanent resident of the station. In addition, the flight will deliver critical spare parts and the Express Logistics Carrier 4, an external platform that holds large equipment.

STS-133 Commander Steve Lindsey and his crew are scheduled to arrive at Kennedy on Thursday, Oct. 28, for final launch preparations. Joining Lindsey are Pilot Eric Boe and Mission Specialists Alvin Drew, Tim Kopra, Michael Barratt and Nicole Stott. Drew and Kopra will conduct two spacewalks to install new components and do some maintenance work.

STS-133 is the fourth and final shuttle mission planned for 2010. It is Discovery's 39th flight and 35th shuttle mission to the station.

NASA Seeks More Proposals On Commercial Crew Development

NASA Seeks More Proposals On Commercial Crew Development

WASHINGTON -- NASA has issued an announcement seeking proposals from U. S. industry to further advance commercial crew space transportation concepts and mature the design and development of system elements, such as launch vehicles and spacecraft. Awards will result in funded Space Act Agreements.


Multiple awards are expected to be announced by March 2011 for terms of up to 14 months. Approximately $200 million total is expected to be available for awards under this announcement, but funding is dependent on the 2011 fiscal year appropriations from Congress. The deadline for submitting proposals is Dec. 13.

The agreements are expected to generate significant progress toward maturing the design and development of commercial crew systems elements that also ensure crew and passenger safety. The overall objective is to accelerate the availability of U.S. commercial crew transportation capabilities and reduce the gap in U.S. human spaceflight capability. Through this activity, NASA also may be able to spur economic growth as potential new space markets are created. Once developed, crew transportation capabilities could become available to commercial and government customers.

For more information about the announcement, visit:

http://procurement.jsc.nasa.gov/ccdev2/

Launch Director: "We're in Great Shape Out at the Pad"

Space Shuttle Program managers cleared space shuttle Discovery for launch Nov. 1 following an extensive review of the spacecraft and its payload. Speaking to reporters after the executive-level Flight Readiness Review at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, officials said Discovery is prepared for its mission, STS-133. That is the last scheduled flight for the agency's oldest active shuttle.


"We're in great shape out at the pad," Launch Director Mike Leinbach said.

The countdown is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. Friday, about a day after the six astronauts of Discovery arrive at Kennedy. A set of seals was replaced over the weekend in extensive work that was completed before it could threaten the scheduled launch date.

"It's a huge testament to the team doing the work," said Mission Management Team Chairman Mike Moses.

STS-133 Flight Readiness Review Concluded

After a day-long flight readiness review (FRR) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA and contractor managers voted unanimously to set space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 launch date for Nov. 1 at 4:40 p.m. EDT.

A post-FRR news conference will be aired on NASA TV (www.nasa.gov/ntv) at 4 p.m. to discuss the meeting and preparations for Discovery's mission to the International Space Station. Participants include Bill Gerstenmaier, assistant administrator for Space Operations, Mike Moses, Space Shuttle Program launch integration manager and Mike Leinbach, shuttle launch director.

Propellant Tanks Refilled as Discovery's Review Begins

Technicians at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, finished refilling shuttle Discovery’s four orbital maneuvering and reaction control systems tanks with propellants. The tanks had to be refilled after crews replaced two seals where there previously was a small hypergolic fuel leak at Discovery’s right-hand crossfeed line flange. Technicians now are preparing the spacecraft for its upcoming launch.

NASA managers are at Kennedy today for the STS-133 Flight Readiness Review, where they will discuss the readiness of the shuttle, crews, payload and International Space Station and set the official launch date. A news conference will be held live on NASA TV at the conclusion of the meeting.

The STS-133 astronauts will enter quarantine at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston this afternoon in preparation for the mission.

Seal Replacement Work Completed, Refueling Under Way

Sun, 24 Oct 2010 06:53:03 -0500

Overnight, technicians completed replacing two seals where there previously was a small hypergolic fuel leak at Discovery’s right-hand crossfeed line flange.

The four orbital maneuvering and reaction control system tanks now are being refilled with propellants.

The work should not impact the targeted launch date on Nov. 1.‬‪‬‪

 

STS-133 Souvenirs

Propellants Removed from OMS, RCS tanks.

Technicians finished pumping propellants out of the tanks in the orbital maneuvering and reaction control systems of space shuttle Discovery so they can replace two seals in a fuel line that had been leaking. The leak occurred at a flange where two propellant lines meet in the shuttle's aft compartment. The line serves the orbital maneuvering system engines. The work is being done as Discovery stands at Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.


Work to replace the seals and reload propellants into the systems should be completed on Oct. 25 and is expected to still support Discovery’s targeted Nov. 1 launch date. NASA managers will meet Monday at Kennedy for the STS-133 Flight Readiness Review and are expected to set the official launch date.

The crew undergoes its L-10 day physicals today and a final bench review of its tools and flight equipment.‪

Watch Construction Of NASA's New Mars Rover Live On The Web

PASADENA, Calif. -- A newly installed webcam is giving the public an opportunity to watch technicians assemble and test the next NASA Mars rover, one of the most technologically challenging interplanetary missions ever designed.


NASA's Mars Science Laboratory, also known as the Curiosity rover, is in a clean room at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. The webcam, affectionately called "Curiosity Cam," provides the video feed, without audio, from a viewing gallery above the clean room floor. The video will be supplemented periodically by live Web chats featuring Curiosity team members answering questions about the rover. Currently, work in the clean room begins at 8 a.m. PDT Monday through Friday.

Clean room technicians have been busy adding new avionics and instruments to the rover. Beginning Friday, viewers will see technicians carefully add the rover's suspension system and its six wheels. On Monday, Oct. 25, the rover's 7-foot-long robotic arm will be carefully lifted and attached to the front of the rover.

The camera shows a portion of the clean room that is typically active; but the rover, spacecraft components and technicians may move out of view as work shifts to other areas of the room. When activity takes place in other testing facilities around JPL, the clean room may be empty. The camera also may be turned off periodically for maintenance or due to technical issues.

Months of assembly and testing remain before the car-sized rover is ready for launch from Cape Canaveral, Fla. The rover and spacecraft components will ship to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida next spring. The launch will occur between Nov. 25 and Dec. 18, 2011. Curiosity will arrive on Mars in August 2012.

Curiosity is engineered to drive longer distances over rougher terrain than previous rovers with a science payload 10 times the mass of instruments on NASA's Spirit and Opportunity.

The new, large rover will investigate whether the landing region has had environments favorable for supporting microbial life and for preserving evidence about whether life existed on the Red Planet.

Continuous live video of rover construction is available at:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasajpl

and http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/building_curiosity.html

NASA Missions Uncover The Moon's Buried Treasures

WASHINGTON --

Nearly a year after announcing the discovery of water molecules on the moon, scientists Thursday revealed new data uncovered by NASA's Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO.

The missions found evidence that the lunar soil within shadowy craters is rich in useful materials, and the moon is chemically active and has a water cycle. Scientists also confirmed the water was in the form of mostly pure ice crystals in some places. The results are featured in six papers published in the Oct. 22 issue of Science.

"NASA has convincingly confirmed the presence of water ice and characterized its patchy distribution in permanently shadowed regions of the moon," said Michael Wargo, chief lunar scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This major undertaking is the one of many steps NASA has taken to better understand our solar system, its resources, and its origin, evolution, and future."

The twin impacts of LCROSS and a companion rocket stage in the moon's Cabeus crater on Oct. 9, 2009, lifted a plume of material that might not have seen direct sunlight for billions of years. As the plume traveled nearly 10 miles above the rim of Cabeus, instruments aboard LCROSS and LRO made observations of the crater and debris and vapor clouds. After the impacts, grains of mostly pure water ice were lofted into the sunlight in the vacuum of space.

"Seeing mostly pure water ice grains in the plume means water ice was somehow delivered to the moon in the past, or chemical processes have been causing ice to accumulate in large quantities," said Anthony Colaprete, LCROSS project scientist and principal investigator at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. "Also, the diversity and abundance of certain materials called volatiles in the plume, suggest a variety of sources, like comets and asteroids, and an active water cycle within the lunar shadows."

Volatiles are compounds that freeze and are trapped in the cold lunar craters and vaporize when warmed by the sun. The suite of LCROSS and LRO instruments determined as much as 20 percent of the material kicked up by the LCROSS impact was volatiles, including methane, ammonia, hydrogen gas, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.

The instruments also discovered relatively large amounts of light metals such as sodium, mercury and possibly even silver.

Scientists believe the water and mix of volatiles that LCROSS and LRO detected could be the remnants of a comet impact. According to scientists, these volatile chemical by-products are also evidence of a cycle through which water ice reacts with lunar soil grains.

LRO's Diviner instrument gathered data on water concentration and temperature measurements, and LRO's Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector mapped the distribution of hydrogen. This combined data led the science team to conclude the water is not uniformly distributed within the shadowed cold traps, but rather is in pockets, which may also lie outside the shadowed regions.

The proportion of volatiles to water in the lunar soil indicates a process called "cold grain chemistry" is taking place. Scientists also theorize this process could take as long as hundreds of thousands of years and may occur on other frigid, airless bodies, such as asteroids; the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, including Europa and Enceladus; Mars' moons; interstellar dust grains floating around other stars and the polar regions of Mercury.

"The observations by the suite of LRO and LCROSS instruments demonstrate the moon has a complex environment that experiences intriguing chemical processes," said Richard Vondrak, LRO project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "This knowledge can open doors to new areas of research and exploration."

By understanding the processes and environments that determine where water ice will be, how water was delivered to the moon and its active water cycle, future mission planners might be better able to determine which locations will have easily-accessible water. The existence of mostly pure water ice could mean future human explorers won't have to retrieve the water out of the soil in order to use it for valuable life support resources. In addition, an abundant presence of hydrogen gas, ammonia and methane could be exploited to produce fuel.

LCROSS launched with LRO aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on June 18, 2009, and used the Centaur upper stage rocket to create the debris plume. The research was funded by NASA's Exploration Systems Missions Directorate at the agency's headquarters. LCROSS was managed by Ames and built by Northrop Grumman in Redondo Beach, Calif. LRO was built and is managed by Goddard.

For more information about LCROSS, a complete list of the papers and their authors, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/lcross

For more information about the LRO mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/lro

Visit the Spaceboosters Online Store NASA Space Collectables

Crackling with Solar Flares

Image Credit: NASA

Fast-growing sunspot 1112 is crackling with solar flares. So far, none of the blasts has hurled a substantial CME, or coronal mass ejection, toward Earth. In addition, a vast filament of magnetism is cutting across the sun's southern hemisphere. This filament is so large it spans a distance greater than the separation of Earth and the moon. A bright 'hot spot' just north of the filament's midpoint is UV radiation from sunspot 1112. The proximity is no coincidence; the filament appears to be rooted in the sunspot below. If the sunspot flares, it could cause the entire structure to erupt. Thus far, none of the flares has destabilized the filament.

Pad Preps Under Way for Discovery's Seal Replacement

Technicians at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida will begin pumping propellants out of tanks in the orbital maneuvering and reaction control systems today in order to replace two seals for a fuel line, which had been leaking, for shuttle Discovery’s orbital maneuvering system engines. Approximately 1,500 gallons of propellant will be offloaded.

Crews will replace the primary and secondary seals at a flange located at the interface where two propellant lines meet in the shuttle’s aft compartment. Work to replace the seals and reload propellants into the systems should be completed on Oct. 25 and is expected to still support Discovery’s targeted Nov. 1 launch date.

At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the STS-133 crew will conduct its final integrated entry simulation today.‬‪‬‪

Astronaut Piers Sellers on a Visit to the U.K

Piers Sellers is visiting the U.K in December 2010 and giving a free public lecture in London on December 9th see details below.

99th WILBUR & ORVILLE WRIGHT LECTURE

Flying in Space

Dr Piers Sellers, NASA Astronaut

Thursday 9 December 2010

No.4 Hamilton Place, London W1J 7BQ, UK

Click here for the 99th Wilbur & Orville Wright lecture flyer

Piers Sellers Official Portrait

NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in April 1996, Piers Sellers reported to the NASA Johnson Space Center in August 1996. He completed two years of training and evaluation and was initially assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Computer Support Branch, followed by service in the Astronaut Office Space Station Branch. During that time, Piers worked part time in Moscow as a technical liaison on ISS computer software. Since then, Piers has served as branch chief for the ISS Operations Branch of the Astronaut Office, among other duties. A veteran of three space flights, Piers has logged a total of 34 days, 23 hours, 03 minutes and 56 seconds in space, including almost 41 EVA hours in 6 spacewalks.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-112 Atlantis (October 7-18, 2002) was an International Space Station assembly mission during which the crew conducted joint operations with the Expedition-5 in delivering and installing the S-One Truss (the third piece of the station's 11-piece Integrated Truss Structure). To outfit and activate the new component Sellers performed three spacewalks and logged a total of 19 hours and 41 minutes of EVA. The crew also transferred cargo between the two vehicles and used the shuttle's thruster jets during two maneuvers to raise the station's orbit. STS-112 was the first shuttle mission to use a camera on the External Tank, providing a live view of the launch to flight controllers and NASA TV viewers. The mission was accomplished in 170 orbits, traveling 4.5 million miles in 10 days, 19 hours, and 58 minutes.

STS-121 (July 4-17, 2006), was a return-to-flight test mission and assembly flight to the International Space Station. During the 13-day flight the crew of Space Shuttle Discovery tested new equipment and procedures that increase the safety of space shuttles, and produced never-before-seen, high-resolution images of the Shuttle during and after its July 4th launch. The crew also performed maintenance on the space station and delivered and transferred more than 28,000 pounds of supplies and equipment, and a new Expedition 13 crew member to the station. Piers Sellers and Mike Fossum performed 3 EVAs to test the 50-ft robotic arm boom extension as a work platform. They removed and replaced a cable that provides power, command and data and video connections to the station’s mobile transporter rail car. They also tested techniques for inspecting and repairing the reinforced carbon-carbon segments that protect the shuttle’s nose cone and leading edge of the wings. The STS-121 mission was accomplished in 12 days, 18 hours, 37 minutes and 54 seconds.

STS-132 Atlantis (May 14-26, 2010) was the 132nd Space Shuttle flight, and the 32nd Shuttle flight to the International Space Station. STS-132 was launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, and docked with the International Space Station on May 16 to deliver an Integrated Cargo Carrier and a Russian-build Mini Research Module to the International Space Station. STS-132 Shuttle astronauts performed three spacewalks in order to install a spare antenna and a stowage platform, to replace batteries on the P6 Truss that store solar energy, and to retrieve a power data grapple fixture for installation at a later date. The crew used the station’s robotic arm, Canadarm2, to remove Rassvet, the Russian-built mini Research Module from the Shuttle’s payload bay and install it on the Zarya module. Piers Sellers served as Robotics officer, and as MS-1 during Entry. The STS-132 mission was completed in 186 orbits, traveling 4,879,978 miles in 11 days, 18 hours, 28 minutes and 2 seconds.

JUNE 2010

Seal Replacement Work Begins on Discovery

Technicians at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida have begun preparations to replace two seals for a fuel line, which had been leaking, for shuttle Discovery’s orbital maneuvering system engines. Crews will pump out propellants already inside the tanks and will replace the primary and secondary seals at a flange located at the interface where two propellant lines meet in the shuttle’s aft compartment.

Replacing the seals allows NASA managers to have the highest confidence in the system and will allow the seals and flange to be inspected.

Work to replace the seals and reload propellants into the orbital maneuvering and reaction control systems should be completed on Oct. 25 and is expected to still support Discovery’s targeted Nov. 1 launch date

Technicians completed a checkout of the Extra-vehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) for the STS-133 mission yesterday. Preparations for the upcoming launch countdown are under way.

The STS-133 astronauts will practice procedures for the mission's first spacewalk in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory.

STS-133: Training for Launch

› View Now 


NASA Commentator George Diller: As launch day approaches for space shuttle Discovery's final flight to the International Space Station, the STS-133 crew members prepare for liftoff by participating in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The six crew members flew in T-38 jets to Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility Tuesday, Oct. 12.

They were greeted by Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach, astronaut Jerry Ross and media gathered for the crew's arrival. Veteran astronaut Steve Lindsey commands Discovery's flight, assisted by Pilot Eric Boe, Mission Specialists Nicole Stott, Tim Kopra, Alvin Drew and Michael Barratt.

During the three days of training, Lindsey and Boe made several take-offs and landings in the Shuttle Training Aircraft, a modified Gulfstream jet designed to simulate the shuttle gliding unpowered onto the 3-mile-long runway.

As part of safety training on Launch Pad 39A, the astronauts were briefed on the pad's slidewire baskets and on the ground at the safety bunker, part of the emergency exit system located 1,200 feet west of the pad.

STS-133 Commander Steve Lindsey: It's great to be here for TCDT and go through that again. The vehicle is looking great. All of our activities are going great. We are basically trained and ready to fly -- just a few more weeks of activities we need to go through and then we'll be hopefully back here for an on-time launch on November. 1

NASA Commentator George Diller: The astronauts also were instructed on how to drive the M-113 armored personnel carriers out in the field.

M-113 training was developed to transport the flight and pad crew to safety in the unlikely event of a contingency on the pad before launch.

On the final day at Kennedy, the astronauts suited up in their custom-fitted orange launch and entry suits and helmets in preparation for a full launch dress rehearsal.

After traveling in NASA's silver Astrovan, they arrived at the pad's White Room on the 195-foot level and climbed aboard Discovery, aided by the Closeout Crew.

As realistic as launch day itself, the flight crew took part in a simulated launch countdown that included operations and communication checks of a real liftoff -- right down to a mock engine start.

The final exercise included emergency pad evacuation procedures and jumping into the slidewire baskets.

After wrapping up TCDT training, the astronauts climbed back into their T-38's and returned home to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Discovery's STS-133 mission is targeted for a Nov. 1 liftoff to the International Space Station.

› View Now

STS-133 Update -Flange Pressure Check on Tap Today for Discovery

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 09:57:55 -0500


Technician's on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, are working to stop a small leak found in a propellant line for shuttle Discovery’s orbital maneuvering system engines. Last night, crews confirmed the six bolts around the suspect flange were completely tightened. During the process, the leak stopped.‪

Crews will perform a pressure check today to ensure there is no further leaking. Engineers are meeting to assess the issue‪.

The leak was found at a flange located at the interface where two propellant lines meet in the shuttle's aft compartment. The line carries a propellant called monomethyl hydrazine, one of two chemicals used to ignite the 6,000-pound thrust engines seen on either side of the shuttle's tail above the three main engines.

Ouachita Mountains

The Ouachita Mountains in southeastern Oklahoma are part of the only major mountain region between the Rockies and the Appalachians. The Ouachitas are fold mountains, formed about 300 million years ago when the South American Plate drifted northward, colliding with the North American Plate. The first recorded exploration by Europeans was in 1521 by Hernando de Soto. Forming part of the Louisiana Purchase, President Jefferson sent William Dunbar and Dr. George Hunter to explore the area. The image was acquired Nov. 13, 2002, by ASTER, one of five Earth-observing instruments launched aboard NASA's Terra satellite on Dec. 18, 1999.

Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team

Where Stars Are Born

Found among the Small Magellanic Cloud's clusters and nebulae NGC 346 is a star-forming region about 200 light-years across, pictured above by the Hubble Space Telescope. A satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is a wonder of the southern sky, a mere 210,000 light-years distant in the constellation of the Toucan. Exploring NGC 346, astronomers have identified a population of embryonic stars strung along the dark, intersecting dust lanes visible here on the right. Still collapsing within their natal clouds, the stellar infants' light is reddened by the intervening dust. A small, irregular galaxy, the SMC represents a type of galaxy more common in the early Universe. But these small galaxies are thought to be a building blocks for the larger galaxies present today. Within the SMC, stellar nurseries like NGC 346 also are thought to be similar to those found in the early universe.

This image, like many Hubble images, has a curious stair-step shape. These images come from a scientific instrument called the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2, or WFPC2 -- which was removed from the telescope in mid-2009. It is WFPC2’s unique design that underlies the oddly-shaped images in Hubble’s portfolio.

For more information on how the WFPC2 constructed images, visit the Hubble site.

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, A. Nota (ESA/STScI) et al.

Discovery technicians work to resolve small leak

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:27:09 -0500


A small leak was discovered in a propellant line for space shuttle Discovery's orbital maneuvering system engines. The leak was found at a flange located at the interface where two propellant lines meet in the shuttle's aft compartment. The line carries a propellant called monomethyl hydrazine, one of two chemicals used to ignite the 6,000-pound thrust engines seen on either side of the shuttle's tail above the three main engines. Engineers and technicians working on Discovery at Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida will tighten the six bolts around the suspect flange and re-evaluate for leaks. If that doesn't work, the propellants already inside the tanks will be pumped out and technicians will replace its primary and secondary seals. The processing schedule could allow the two seals to be replaced without delaying Discovery's targeted launch on Nov. 1. Space Shuttle Program managers, however, are careful about making sure any potential fixes are indeed successful before pressing ahead with a countdown.

Payload Secured Inside Discovery STS-133

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 07:35:17 -0500


With two weeks to go before its targeted launch date to the International Space Station, space shuttle Discovery continues its preparations at Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Technicians completed installation of the Permanent Multipurpose Module and Express rack that will taken to the station. Discovery's final ordnance installation is scheduled for tonight.

Back at NASA's Johnson Space Center following last week’s countdown dress rehearsal at Kennedy, Discovery's crew will conduct administrative work and review rendezvous procedures today.‪‪

TCDT Concludes, Crew Flies back to Houston

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 15:28:44 -0500

The crew of STS-133 wrapped up a successful countdown dress rehearsal today at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to conclude a week of on-site training for the upcoming mission. The practice session gave the astronauts and the control teams a chance to practice all the launch day steps before they have to do it for real in a few weeks. Liftoff is targeted for Nov. 1 at 4:40 p.m. EDT. After flying back to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the astronauts will continue training for Discovery's mission to the International Space Station. They will return to Kennedy a few days before Discovery is to lift off on its final mission.

Countdown Dress Rehearsal Under Way at Kennedy

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 06:57:28 -0500

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Commander Steve Lindsey and his crew will climb aboard space shuttle Discovery on Launch Pad 39A today to mimic the final hours of the countdown. They are practicing for the liftoff of the STS-133 mission, targeted for 4:40 pm Eastern time on Nov. 1. The crew flies back to NASA's Johnson Space Center later today after the dress rehearsal activities are completed.

Chandra: What Lies Beneath? Magnetar Enigma Deepens

An artist's rendering of SGR 0418+5729, a slowly rotating neutron star with a very weak magnetic field at its surface. Observations from several telescopes, including NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, have revealed that the star is giving off bursts of X-rays and gamma rays. This discovery may indicate the presence of an internal magnetic field much more intense than the surface magnetic field, with implications for how the most powerful magnets in the cosmos evolve.

Credits: CXC/M. Weiss

Discovery Commander Lindsey: "Ready to Fly"

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 08:15:14 -0500

Space shuttle Discovery's crew talked this morning about their upcoming mission to the International Space Station, which is also the last flight of NASA's oldest active shuttle. The crew met with news media at Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center where Discovery stands with its solid rocket boosters and external fuel tank.

 

"We are basically trained and ready to fly, just a few more weeks of activities to go through and then we'll hopefully be back here for an on-time launch Nov. 1," Commander Steve Lindsey said. This will be Lindsey's fifth time in space and the third time aboard Discovery. "It's a privilege for us to be able to fly Discovery's last flight," he said.

The astronauts are at Kennedy this week for the Terminal Countdown Demonstration test, or TCDT, which is a week of training that concludes with a full launch day dress rehearsal minus the liftoff. That practice session will come tomorrow and the crew will fly back to their training base at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston in the afternoon.

STS-133 Crew Begins Dress Rehearsal

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-133 Commander Steve Lindsey speaks to the media gathered at the Shuttle Landing Facility.

From left are Nicole Stott, Michael Barratt, Eric Boe, Tim Kopra and Alvin Drew. The crew is gathered for a practice launch dress rehearsal called the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) in preparation for the upcoming mission. TCDT provides each shuttle crew and launch team with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency training. Space shuttle Discovery and its STS-133 crew will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for Nov. 1 at 4:40 p.m.

Image Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

NASA Selects Astronaut Leland D. Melvin to Lead Office of Education

WASHINGTON -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced Tuesday the selection of Leland D. Melvin as the agency's new associate administrator for education, effective immediately. He succeeds James L. Stofan, who had served in an acting capacity since the spring.

Since April 2010, Melvin has been assigned to the Office of Education at Headquarters leading the Education Design Team. His job was to develop a strategy to improve NASA's education offerings and to assist the agency in establishing goals, structures, processes and evaluation techniques to implement a sustainable and innovative science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education program. He also served as the partnership development manager for the agency's new Summer of Innovation education initiative, aimed at engaging middle school students in STEM activities during the summer break.

"I am delighted to have Leland lead the Office of Education at a time when engaging more students in STEM-related studies and careers is so critical -- not only to NASA but to our nation," Bolden said. "With his dedication and passion, I know we will have a bright future in education under his leadership."

"I also want to thank Jim Stofan for the outstanding job he has done leading the Office of Education since April," Bolden added. "He launched several key new education programs during his tenure and will continue to be a valued asset as he resumes his previous role as deputy associate administrator."

As associate administrator, Melvin will be responsible for the development and implementation of the agency's education programs that strengthen student involvement and public awareness about NASA's scientific goals and missions.

"My passion for education was inspired by my parents, who were both middle school teachers," Melvin said. "I witnessed the direct impact that educators can have in a community and on an individual's destiny. NASA's people, programs and resources are unparalleled. Our unique assets are poised to engage students, to captivate their imagination and to encourage their pursuit of STEM-related studies that are so vital to their future. This is an exciting challenge and I am ready to work with Administrator Bolden, my colleagues at NASA, our partners, and students across the country to usher in a new era of opportunity to inspire that next generation of explorers."

Melvin joined NASA in 1989 as an aerospace research engineer at the agency's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. He joined the astronaut corps in 1998 and has served as a mission specialist on two space shuttle missions: STS-122 in 2008 and STS-129 in 2009. He has logged more than 565 hours in space. In 2003, Melvin co-managed the former Educator Astronaut Program, which recruited teachers to become fully-trained astronauts in an effort to connect space exploration with students across the country.

Melvin earned a bachelor of science in chemistry from the University of Richmond and a master's degree in materials science engineering from the University of Virginia.

For more information about NASA and agency education programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/education

Crew at Kennedy for Launch Training

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 07:21:58 -0500

Space shuttle Discovery's crew arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida yesterday to begin a week of training for their upcoming STS-133 mission. The six astronauts began the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test or TCDT, and related training last night. Commander Steve Lindsey and Pilot Eric Boe practiced landings in the shuttle training aircraft, a modified Gulfstream II business jet that mimics the shuttle's handling during the final phase of landing. Training this week will include emergency exit training from Launch Pad 39A and will conclude Friday with a dress rehearsal of launch procedures.

Toxic Sludge in Hungary NASA Image

On Oct. 4, 2010, an accident occurred at the Ajkai Timföldgyar alumina (aluminum oxide) plant in western Hungary, when a corner wall of a waste-retaining pond broke, releasing a torrent of toxic red sludge down a local stream. Several nearby towns were inundated, including Kolontar and Devecser, where the sludge was up to 6.5 feet deep in places. Four people were killed immediately, several more were missing and dozens of residents were hospitalized for chemical burns.

On Oct. 9, 2010, the Advanced Land Imager on NASA’s Earth Observing-1 satellite captured this natural-color image of the area.

Image Credit: NASA

STS-133 Crew arrive for TCDT

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 15:46:18 -0500


STS-133 Commander Steve Lindsey and his crew of five astronauts are at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for their Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT and related training. Several days of in-depth training will be capped off with a full launch day run-through aboard space shuttle Discovery on Friday morning.



Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe and mission specialists Michael Barratt, Nicole Stott, Alvin Drew and Tim Kopra flew to Kennedy from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston Tuesday afternoon. They landed at Kennedy’s Shuttle Landing Facility aboard NASA T-38 jets, the sleek, white supersonic aircraft astronauts use to keep their aerial skills up between missions.



While at Kennedy this week, the astronauts will go through several training sessions, talk with the news media and conduct the practice launch countdown. The astronauts will return to Houston Friday afternoon.

Exciting Hubble Images

Hubble's Lagoon

Like brush strokes on a canvas, ridges of color seem to flow across the Lagoon Nebula, a canvas nearly 3 light-years wide. The colors map emission from ionized gas in the nebula were recorded by the Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys. Also known as M8, the nebula is a star-forming region in the constellation Sagittarius. Hubble's remarkably sharp, close-up view reveals undulating shapes sculpted by the energetic light and winds from the region's new born stars. Of course, the Lagoon Nebula is a popular target for earthbound skygazers, too.

 

Image Credit: NASA

Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) STS-133

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 08:38:19 -0500


NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is this week preparing to host the six astronauts of STS-133 through more in-depth training concluding with a full countdown dress rehearsal known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test or TCDT. The astronauts, led by veteran Commander Steve Lindsey, will fly to Kennedy on Tuesday to begin the standard training cycle leading up to launch. At the end of the week, the crew will board space shuttle Discovery just as they will on launch day, with the launch and flight controllers in Florida and Houston watching over the systems and preparations. The countdown will end just before main engine start, giving the astronauts a chance to practice for an unlikely emergency.

After the rehearsal, the astronauts will return to their training home at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Discovery and its crew are targeted to lift off on the real STS-133 on Nov. 1 at 4:40 p.m. EDT.

NASA Mission To Asteroid Gets Help From Hubble Space Telescope

WASHINGTON -- NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured images of the large asteroid Vesta that will help scientists refine plans for the Dawn spacecraft's rendezvous with Vesta in July 2011.


Scientists have constructed a video from the images that will help improve pointing instructions for Dawn as it is placed in a polar orbit around Vesta. Analyses of Hubble images revealed a pole orientation, or tilt, of approximately four degrees more to the asteroid's east than scientists previously thought.

This means the change of seasons between the southern and northern hemispheres of Vesta may take place about a month later than previously expected while Dawn is orbiting the asteroid. The result is a change in the pattern of sunlight expected to illuminate the asteroid. Dawn needs solar illumination for imaging and some mapping activities.

"While Vesta is the brightest asteroid in the sky, its small size makes it difficult to image from Earth," said Jian-Yang Li, a scientist participating in the Dawn mission from the University of Maryland in College Park. "The new Hubble images give Dawn scientists a better sense of how Vesta is spinning because our new views are 90 degrees different from our previous images. It's like having a street-level view and adding a view from an airplane overhead."

The recent images were obtained by Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 in February. The images complemented previous ones of Vesta taken from ground-based telescopes and Hubble's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 between 1983 and 2007. Li and his colleagues looked at 216 new images -- and a total of 446 Hubble images overall -- to clarify how Vesta was spinning. The journal Icarus recently published the report online.

"The new results give us food for thought as we make our way toward Vesta," said Christopher Russell, Dawn's principal investigator at the University of California, Los Angeles. "Because our goal is to take pictures of the entire surface and measure the elevation of features over most of the surface to an accuracy of about 33 feet, or the height of a three-story building, we need to pay close attention to the solar illumination. It looks as if Vesta is going to have a late northern spring next year, or at least later than we planned."

Launched in September 2007, Dawn will leave Vesta to encounter the dwarf planet Ceres in 2015. Vesta and Ceres are the most massive objects in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Scientists study these celestial bodies as examples of the building blocks of terrestrial planets like Earth. Dawn is approximately 134 million miles away from Vesta. Next summer, the spacecraft will make its own measurements of Vesta's rotating surface and allow mission managers to pin down its axis of spin.

"Vesta was discovered just over 200 years ago, and we are excited now to be on the threshold of exploring it from orbit," said Bob Mase, Dawn's project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif. "We planned this mission to accommodate our imprecise knowledge of Vesta. Ours is a journey of discovery and, with our ability to adapt, we are looking forward to collecting excellent science data at our target."

The Dawn mission is managed by JPL for NASA's Science Mission Directorate at the agency's headquarters in Washington. Orbital Sciences Corporation of Dulles, Va., designed and built the spacecraft. Several international space organizations are part of the mission team.

To see the Vesta images and video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/dawn/multimedia/vestavid20101008.html

To learn more about Dawn and its mission to the asteroid belt, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/dawn

For Hubble patches and pins visit the spaceboosters online store

New Crew Heads for the International Space Station

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonauts Alexander Kaleri and Oleg Skripochka launched to the International Space Station aboard their Soyuz TMA-01M spacecraft at 6:10 p.m. CDT, Thursday, (5:10 a.m. Friday local time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, Expedition 25 flight engineer and Expedition 26 commander, attired in a Russian Sokol launch and entry suit, takes a break from training in Star City, Russia to pose for a portrait. Photo credit: Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.

Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka, Expedition 25/26 flight engineer, attired in a Russian Sokol launch and entry suit, takes a break from training in Star City, Russia to pose for a portrait. Photo credit: Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center

Russian cosmonaut Alexander Kaleri, Expedition 25/26 flight engineer, attired in a Russian Sokol launch and entry suit, takes a break from training in Star City, Russia to pose for a portrait. Photo credit: Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center