NASA Instruments Reveal Water Molecules on Lunar Surface
WASHINGTON -- NASA scientists have discovered water molecules in the polar regions of the moon. Instruments aboard three separate spacecraft revealed water molecules in amounts that are greater than predicted, but still relatively small. Hydroxyl, a molecule consisting of one oxygen atom and one hydrogen atom, also was found in the lunar soil. The findings were published in Thursday's edition of the journal Science.
NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper, or M3, instrument reported the observations. M3 was carried into space on Oct. 22, 2008, aboard the Indian Space Research Organization's Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft. Data from the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer, or VIMS, on NASA's Cassini spacecraft and the High-Resolution Infrared Imaging Spectrometer on NASA's EPOXI spacecraft contributed to confirmation of the finding. The spacecraft imaging spectrometers made it possible to map lunar water more effectively than ever before. The confirmation of elevated water molecules and hydroxyl at these concentrations in the moon's polar regions raises new questions about its origin and effect on the mineralogy of the moon. Answers to these questions will be studied and debated for years to come. "Water ice on the moon has been something of a holy grail for lunar scientists for a very long time," said Jim Green, director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This surprising finding has come about through the ingenuity, perseverance and international cooperation between NASA and the India Space Research Organization."
From its perch in lunar orbit, M3's state-of-the-art spectrometer measured light reflecting off the moon's surface at infrared wavelengths, splitting the spectral colors of the lunar surface into small enough bits to reveal a new level of detail in surface composition. When the M3 science team analyzed data from the instrument, they found the wavelengths of light being absorbed were consistent with the absorption patterns for water molecules and hydroxyl. "For silicate bodies, such features are typically attributed to water and hydroxyl-bearing materials," said Carle Pieters, M3's principal investigator from Brown University. "When we say 'water on the moon,' we are not talking about lakes, oceans or even puddles. Water on the moon means molecules of water and hydroxyl that interact with molecules of rock and dust specifically in the top millimeters of the moon's surface. "
The M3 team found water molecules and hydroxyl at diverse areas of the sunlit region of the moon's surface, but the water signature appeared stronger at the moon's higher latitudes. Water molecules and hydroxyl previously were suspected in data from a Cassini flyby of the moon in 1999, but the findings were not published until now. "The data from Cassini's VIMS instrument and M3 closely agree," said Roger Clark, a U.S. Geological Survey scientist in Denver and member of both the VIMS and M3 teams. "We see both water and hydroxyl. While the abundances are not precisely known, as much as 1,000 water molecule parts-per-million could be in the lunar soil. To put that into perspective, if you harvested one ton of the top layer of the moon's surface, you could get as much as 32 ounces of water." For additional confirmation, scientists turned to the EPOXI mission while it was flying past the moon in June 2009 on its way to a November 2010 encounter with comet Hartley 2. The spacecraft not only confirmed the VIMS and M3 findings, but also expanded on them. "With our extended spectral range and views over the north pole, we were able to explore the distribution of both water and hydroxyl as a function of temperature, latitude, composition, and time of day," said Jessica Sunshine of the University of Maryland. Sunshine is EPOXI's deputy principal investigator and a scientist on the M3 team. "Our analysis unequivocally confirms the presence of these molecules on the moon's surface and reveals that the entire surface appears to be hydrated during at least some portion of the lunar day." NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the M3 instrument, Cassini mission and EPOXI spacecraft for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The Indian Space Research Organization built, launched and operated the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft. For additional information and images from the instruments, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/moonmars
For more information about the Chandrayaan-1 mission, visit:
http://isro.gov.in/Chandrayaan/htmls/home.htm
Thursday, 24 September 2009
Atlantis Prepared for STS-129
Atlantis Preps for STS-129 Continue
Space shuttle Atlantis remains in Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, undergoing preparations for its rollover to the Vehicle Assembly Building scheduled for Oct. 6.
STS-129 Mission Patch
Closure of the payload bay door in anticipation for the rollover is planned for Friday. Testing of the wing leading edge sensors is ongoing. The sensors help monitor the reinforced carbon carbon heat shield panels on the shuttle’s wings for possible debris impacts.
Once Atlantis is in the VAB, it will be joined with the external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters that already have been stacked on the mobile launcher platform in High Bay 2.
Rollout to Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A is scheduled for Oct. 13.
STS-129 Crew Portrait
Space shuttle Atlantis remains in Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, undergoing preparations for its rollover to the Vehicle Assembly Building scheduled for Oct. 6.
STS-129 Mission Patch
Closure of the payload bay door in anticipation for the rollover is planned for Friday. Testing of the wing leading edge sensors is ongoing. The sensors help monitor the reinforced carbon carbon heat shield panels on the shuttle’s wings for possible debris impacts.
Once Atlantis is in the VAB, it will be joined with the external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters that already have been stacked on the mobile launcher platform in High Bay 2.
Rollout to Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A is scheduled for Oct. 13.
STS-129 Crew Portrait
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Discovery Returns
Discovery Towed to its Hangar
Space shuttle Discovery was hoisted off of the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft that brought it from California and is inside Orbiter Processing Facility 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Technicians will begin servicing the shuttle from its just-completed STS-128 mission. The work includes removing the Leonardo supply module from Discovery's payload bay. The module carried new experiments and other equipment to the International Space Station and returned with some completed research items. The cargo bay also contains a depleted ammonia tank spacewalkers removed from the station, along with experiments that were mounted on the outside of the Columbus laboratory module.Preparations are also under way in the Vehicle Assembly Building for the November launch of Atlantis on the STS-129 mission. The external tank for Atlantis was connected yesterday to the twin solid rocket boosters.
Space shuttle Discovery was hoisted off of the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft that brought it from California and is inside Orbiter Processing Facility 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Technicians will begin servicing the shuttle from its just-completed STS-128 mission. The work includes removing the Leonardo supply module from Discovery's payload bay. The module carried new experiments and other equipment to the International Space Station and returned with some completed research items. The cargo bay also contains a depleted ammonia tank spacewalkers removed from the station, along with experiments that were mounted on the outside of the Columbus laboratory module.Preparations are also under way in the Vehicle Assembly Building for the November launch of Atlantis on the STS-129 mission. The external tank for Atlantis was connected yesterday to the twin solid rocket boosters.
Desert Layover - Edwards Air Force Base in California
Desert Layover
Space shuttle Discovery is parked within the Mate-Demate Device gantry at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Cener prior to beginning turnaround processing for its ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Discoloration on Discovery's reinforced carbon-carbon nose cap gives evidence of the extreme heating it encountered during re-entry into the Earth' atmosphere prior to landing on Sept. 11, 2009, at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Image Credit: NASA/Tony Landis
Friday, 18 September 2009
NASA Lunar Satellite Begins Detailed Mapping of Moon's South Pole
GREENBELT, Md. -- NASA reported Thursday that its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, has successfully completed its testing and calibration phase and entered its mapping orbit of the moon. The spacecraft already has made significant progress toward creating the most detailed atlas of the moon's south pole to date.
Scientists released preliminary images and data from LRO's seven instruments. "The LRO mission already has begun to give us new data that will lead to a vastly improved atlas of the lunar south pole and advance our capability for human exploration and scientific benefit," said Richard Vondrak, LRO project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. LRO is scheduled for a one-year exploration mission in a polar orbit of about 31 miles above the lunar surface, the closest any spacecraft has orbited the moon.
During the next year, LRO will produce a complete map of the lunar surface in unprecedented detail, search for resources and safe landing sites for human explorers, and measure lunar temperatures and radiation levels. "The LRO instruments, spacecraft, and ground systems continue to operate essentially flawlessly," said Craig Tooley, LRO project manager at Goddard "The team completed the planned commissioning and calibration activities on time and also got a significant head start collecting data even before we moved to the mission's mapping orbit."
The south pole of the moon is of great interest to explorers because potential resources such as water ice or hydrogen may exist there. Permanently shadowed polar craters that are bitterly cold at their bottoms may hold deposits of water ice or hydrogen from comet impacts or the solar wind. The deposits may have accumulated in these "cold-trap" regions over billions of years.
If enough of these resources exist to make mining practical, future long-term human missions to the moon potentially could save the considerable expense of hauling water from Earth. First results from LRO's Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector, or LEND, indicate that permanently shadowed and nearby regions may harbor water and hydrogen.
Additional observations will be needed to confirm this. LEND relies on a decrease in neutron radiation from the lunar surface to indicate the presence of water or hydrogen. "If these deposits are present, an analysis of them will help us understand the interaction of the moon with the rest of the solar system," Vondrak said. Data from LRO's Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter, or LOLA, however, indicates that exploring these areas will be challenging because the terrain is very rough. The roughness is probably a result of the lack of atmosphere and absence of erosion from wind or water, according to David Smith, LOLA principal investigator at Goddard.
LRO's other instruments also are providing data to help map the moon's terrain and resources. According to the first measurements from the Diviner instrument, large areas in the permanently shadowed craters are about minus 400 degrees Fahrenheit (33 Kelvin), more than cold enough to store water ice or hydrogen for billions of years.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera is providing high-resolution images of permanently shadowed regions while lighting conditions change as the moon's south pole enters lunar summer. LRO's Lyman Alpha Mapping Project, or LAMP, also is preparing to search for surface ice and frost in the polar regions. The instrument provides images of permanently shadowed regions illuminated only by starlight and the glow of interplanetary hydrogen emission. LAMP has provided information to confirm the instrument is working well on both the lunar night and day sides.
The Mini RF Technology Demonstration on LRO has confirmed communications capability and produced detailed radar images of potential targets for LRO's companion mission, the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, which will impact the moon's south pole on Oct. 9. Meanwhile, LRO's Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation instrument is exploring the lunar radiation environment and its potential effects on humans during record high, "worst-case" cosmic ray intensities accompanying the extreme solar minimum conditions of this solar cycle.
Goddard built and manages LRO, a NASA mission with international participation from the Institute for Space Research in Moscow. Russia provides the neutron detector aboard the spacecraft.
For more information about LRO and to view the new images, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/lro
GREENBELT, Md. -- NASA reported Thursday that its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, has successfully completed its testing and calibration phase and entered its mapping orbit of the moon. The spacecraft already has made significant progress toward creating the most detailed atlas of the moon's south pole to date.
Scientists released preliminary images and data from LRO's seven instruments. "The LRO mission already has begun to give us new data that will lead to a vastly improved atlas of the lunar south pole and advance our capability for human exploration and scientific benefit," said Richard Vondrak, LRO project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. LRO is scheduled for a one-year exploration mission in a polar orbit of about 31 miles above the lunar surface, the closest any spacecraft has orbited the moon.
During the next year, LRO will produce a complete map of the lunar surface in unprecedented detail, search for resources and safe landing sites for human explorers, and measure lunar temperatures and radiation levels. "The LRO instruments, spacecraft, and ground systems continue to operate essentially flawlessly," said Craig Tooley, LRO project manager at Goddard "The team completed the planned commissioning and calibration activities on time and also got a significant head start collecting data even before we moved to the mission's mapping orbit."
The south pole of the moon is of great interest to explorers because potential resources such as water ice or hydrogen may exist there. Permanently shadowed polar craters that are bitterly cold at their bottoms may hold deposits of water ice or hydrogen from comet impacts or the solar wind. The deposits may have accumulated in these "cold-trap" regions over billions of years.
If enough of these resources exist to make mining practical, future long-term human missions to the moon potentially could save the considerable expense of hauling water from Earth. First results from LRO's Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector, or LEND, indicate that permanently shadowed and nearby regions may harbor water and hydrogen.
Additional observations will be needed to confirm this. LEND relies on a decrease in neutron radiation from the lunar surface to indicate the presence of water or hydrogen. "If these deposits are present, an analysis of them will help us understand the interaction of the moon with the rest of the solar system," Vondrak said. Data from LRO's Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter, or LOLA, however, indicates that exploring these areas will be challenging because the terrain is very rough. The roughness is probably a result of the lack of atmosphere and absence of erosion from wind or water, according to David Smith, LOLA principal investigator at Goddard.
LRO's other instruments also are providing data to help map the moon's terrain and resources. According to the first measurements from the Diviner instrument, large areas in the permanently shadowed craters are about minus 400 degrees Fahrenheit (33 Kelvin), more than cold enough to store water ice or hydrogen for billions of years.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera is providing high-resolution images of permanently shadowed regions while lighting conditions change as the moon's south pole enters lunar summer. LRO's Lyman Alpha Mapping Project, or LAMP, also is preparing to search for surface ice and frost in the polar regions. The instrument provides images of permanently shadowed regions illuminated only by starlight and the glow of interplanetary hydrogen emission. LAMP has provided information to confirm the instrument is working well on both the lunar night and day sides.
The Mini RF Technology Demonstration on LRO has confirmed communications capability and produced detailed radar images of potential targets for LRO's companion mission, the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, which will impact the moon's south pole on Oct. 9. Meanwhile, LRO's Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation instrument is exploring the lunar radiation environment and its potential effects on humans during record high, "worst-case" cosmic ray intensities accompanying the extreme solar minimum conditions of this solar cycle.
Goddard built and manages LRO, a NASA mission with international participation from the Institute for Space Research in Moscow. Russia provides the neutron detector aboard the spacecraft.
For more information about LRO and to view the new images, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/lro
Discovery Readied for Florida Return Flight
Up and Away
Space shuttle Discovery, mounted on leveling jacks, is surrounded by work platforms while undergoing servicing and preparations at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center for its ferry flight to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Image Credit: NASA/Tony Landis
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
Discovery's Return Flight
NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery Set To Return To Florida
EDWARDS, Calif. -- After landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Sept. 11, space shuttle Discovery is about to start its cross-country journey back to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Following the successful STS-128 mission to the International Space Station, Discovery was mounted on a modified Boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft. Discovery is expected to begin its journey from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif., to Kennedy as early as Friday, Sept. 18. The exact date and time of departure have yet to be set because of changing weather conditions and the fluid nature of preparing Discovery for the flight. For recorded updates about the ferry flight, journalists should call 321-867-2525 or 661-276-2564. Live status updates will be added periodically to the NASA News Twitter feed during the flight.
To access the feed, visit:
http://www.twitter.com/nasa
NASA Television will provide live coverage of Discovery's departure and arrival. For the NASA TV downlink, the schedule of ferry flight coverage and streaming video information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
DISCOVERY DEPARTURE FROM EDWARDS
NASA will provide reporters, photographers and videographers with two opportunities to take imagery of Discovery while it is being prepared at Dryden. The first opportunity will be from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. PDT on Thursday, Sept. 17, while preparations for Discovery's ferry flight are being completed. An informal briefing may be included on the work under way at the site. There will be a second opportunity when the ferry flight takes off. Because of the short notice involved, these opportunities at Edwards are restricted to U.S. citizens representing domestic news organizations. On Thursday, reporters will be transported in an escorted convoy from the Edwards Air Force Base West Gate security station on Rosamond Blvd. to Dryden. The convoy will leave promptly at 1:15 p.m. For the ferry flight departure, journalists will be escorted in a convoy to the viewing site. Space is limited to two representatives per news organization, or a total of about 30. Preference will be given to photographers and videographers, although print journalists are welcome as space allows. Reporters who were credentialed to cover Discovery's landing at Dryden should contact Alan Brown at 661-276-2665 to confirm participation. All others should e-mail a credential request with their full name, media organization, place and date of birth, driver's license number and its issuing state, and last six digits of their social security number to DrydenPAO@nasa.gov no later than noon Wednesday for either media opportunity. Further guidance regarding arrival times and other details for the ferry flight opportunity will be provided via e-mail when the schedule is set. DISCOVERY ARRIVAL AT KENNEDY Strict flight weather restrictions may cause unexpected changes to the flight path and arrival time of Discovery in Florida. All media representatives should be at Kennedy's news center one hour and 15 minutes ahead of Discovery's announced arrival time for transportation to the Shuttle Landing Facility. STS-128 U.S. media credentials will be honored at Kennedy for Discovery's return. International media credentials are no longer valid. TV stations planning on covering the arrival live from the shuttle runway must have proper credentials. For safety, journalists must follow a dress code for the landing site: no skirts, no shorts, no sleeveless shirts, and only closed-toed, flat shoes.
For more information about Discovery's mission to the space station and NASA's Space Shuttle Program, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
EDWARDS, Calif. -- After landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Sept. 11, space shuttle Discovery is about to start its cross-country journey back to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Following the successful STS-128 mission to the International Space Station, Discovery was mounted on a modified Boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft. Discovery is expected to begin its journey from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif., to Kennedy as early as Friday, Sept. 18. The exact date and time of departure have yet to be set because of changing weather conditions and the fluid nature of preparing Discovery for the flight. For recorded updates about the ferry flight, journalists should call 321-867-2525 or 661-276-2564. Live status updates will be added periodically to the NASA News Twitter feed during the flight.
To access the feed, visit:
http://www.twitter.com/nasa
NASA Television will provide live coverage of Discovery's departure and arrival. For the NASA TV downlink, the schedule of ferry flight coverage and streaming video information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
DISCOVERY DEPARTURE FROM EDWARDS
NASA will provide reporters, photographers and videographers with two opportunities to take imagery of Discovery while it is being prepared at Dryden. The first opportunity will be from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. PDT on Thursday, Sept. 17, while preparations for Discovery's ferry flight are being completed. An informal briefing may be included on the work under way at the site. There will be a second opportunity when the ferry flight takes off. Because of the short notice involved, these opportunities at Edwards are restricted to U.S. citizens representing domestic news organizations. On Thursday, reporters will be transported in an escorted convoy from the Edwards Air Force Base West Gate security station on Rosamond Blvd. to Dryden. The convoy will leave promptly at 1:15 p.m. For the ferry flight departure, journalists will be escorted in a convoy to the viewing site. Space is limited to two representatives per news organization, or a total of about 30. Preference will be given to photographers and videographers, although print journalists are welcome as space allows. Reporters who were credentialed to cover Discovery's landing at Dryden should contact Alan Brown at 661-276-2665 to confirm participation. All others should e-mail a credential request with their full name, media organization, place and date of birth, driver's license number and its issuing state, and last six digits of their social security number to DrydenPAO@nasa.gov no later than noon Wednesday for either media opportunity. Further guidance regarding arrival times and other details for the ferry flight opportunity will be provided via e-mail when the schedule is set. DISCOVERY ARRIVAL AT KENNEDY Strict flight weather restrictions may cause unexpected changes to the flight path and arrival time of Discovery in Florida. All media representatives should be at Kennedy's news center one hour and 15 minutes ahead of Discovery's announced arrival time for transportation to the Shuttle Landing Facility. STS-128 U.S. media credentials will be honored at Kennedy for Discovery's return. International media credentials are no longer valid. TV stations planning on covering the arrival live from the shuttle runway must have proper credentials. For safety, journalists must follow a dress code for the landing site: no skirts, no shorts, no sleeveless shirts, and only closed-toed, flat shoes.
For more information about Discovery's mission to the space station and NASA's Space Shuttle Program, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
NASA Concludes Arizona Robotic Tests
NASA Concludes Robotics Tests for the Moon in Arizona
WASHINGTON -- NASA has concluded two weeks of technology development tests on two of the agency's prototype lunar rovers. The Desert RATS -- or Research and Technology Studies -- in the Arizona desert at Black Point Lava Flow allow NASA to analyze and refine technologies and procedures in extreme environments on Earth. "These tests provide us with crucial information about how our cutting edge vehicles perform in field situations approximating the moon," said Rob Ambrose, Human Robotic Systems project lead at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "We learn from them, then go back home to refine the technology and plan the next focus of our research." The annual studies featured an intensive, simulated 14-day mission. Two crew members, an astronaut and a geologist, lived for more than 300 hours inside NASA's prototype Lunar Electric Rover. The explorers scouted the area for features of geological interest, then donned spacesuits and conducted simulated moonwalks to collect samples. The crew also docked to a simulated habitat, drove the rover across difficult terrain, performed a rescue mission and made a four-day traverse across the lava. Throughout the test, the crew provided updates via Twitter and posted pictures and video online.
To see the images and videos and read about the simulated mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/analogs
Prior to the test, NASA's K10 scout robot identified areas of interest for the crew to explore. NASA's heavy-lift rover Tri-ATHLETE -- or All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer -- carried a habitat mockup to which the rover docked. The Desert RATS tests have been held for more than a decade, as engineers from NASA centers work with representatives from industry and academia to determine what will be needed for human exploration of the moon and other destinations in the solar system. This year's work built on the investigations of previous years and increased the scope and length of the tests. Eight NASA centers were involved in the project. Desert RATS participants from outside NASA include the Smithsonian Institution in Washington; the United States Geological Survey in Flagstaff, Ariz.; Arizona State University in Tempe; University of Texas at El Paso; University of Colorado at Denver; Brown University in Providence, R.I.; the Mars Institute at Moffett Field, Calif.; and the Challenger Center for Space Science Education in Alexandria, Va. For more information about NASA's exploration efforts, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration
WASHINGTON -- NASA has concluded two weeks of technology development tests on two of the agency's prototype lunar rovers. The Desert RATS -- or Research and Technology Studies -- in the Arizona desert at Black Point Lava Flow allow NASA to analyze and refine technologies and procedures in extreme environments on Earth. "These tests provide us with crucial information about how our cutting edge vehicles perform in field situations approximating the moon," said Rob Ambrose, Human Robotic Systems project lead at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "We learn from them, then go back home to refine the technology and plan the next focus of our research." The annual studies featured an intensive, simulated 14-day mission. Two crew members, an astronaut and a geologist, lived for more than 300 hours inside NASA's prototype Lunar Electric Rover. The explorers scouted the area for features of geological interest, then donned spacesuits and conducted simulated moonwalks to collect samples. The crew also docked to a simulated habitat, drove the rover across difficult terrain, performed a rescue mission and made a four-day traverse across the lava. Throughout the test, the crew provided updates via Twitter and posted pictures and video online.
To see the images and videos and read about the simulated mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/analogs
Prior to the test, NASA's K10 scout robot identified areas of interest for the crew to explore. NASA's heavy-lift rover Tri-ATHLETE -- or All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer -- carried a habitat mockup to which the rover docked. The Desert RATS tests have been held for more than a decade, as engineers from NASA centers work with representatives from industry and academia to determine what will be needed for human exploration of the moon and other destinations in the solar system. This year's work built on the investigations of previous years and increased the scope and length of the tests. Eight NASA centers were involved in the project. Desert RATS participants from outside NASA include the Smithsonian Institution in Washington; the United States Geological Survey in Flagstaff, Ariz.; Arizona State University in Tempe; University of Texas at El Paso; University of Colorado at Denver; Brown University in Providence, R.I.; the Mars Institute at Moffett Field, Calif.; and the Challenger Center for Space Science Education in Alexandria, Va. For more information about NASA's exploration efforts, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Next Soyuz Launch and Landing Events
NASA TV Provides Coverage of Next Soyuz Launch and Landing Events
HOUSTON -- NASA Television will air the launch of the next two residents of the International Space Station, a spaceflight participant and the return of two members of the current station crew. Coverage begins with a broadcast of prelaunch activities Sept. 17 and continues through the landing on Oct. 11.
Soyuz Commander Max Suraev, NASA Flight Engineer Jeff Williams and spaceflight participant Guy Laliberte are scheduled to launch aboard the Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 2:14 a.m. CDT on Wednesday, Sept. 30. Laliberte, a Canadian citizen and founder of Cirque du Soleil, will fly to the station under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency. After a two-day trip, the Soyuz will dock to the station at 3:36 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 2. Aboard the orbiting laboratory, Williams and Suraev will be greeted by Commander Gennady Padalka, NASA's Mike Barratt and Nicole Stott, the European Space Agency's Frank De Winne, Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko and the Canadian Space Agency's Bob Thirsk. After Padalka and Barratt depart the station, De Winne will become commander of the next station mission, designated Expedition 21. Padalka, Barratt and Laliberte will return to Earth at approximately 11:29 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, in the Soyuz TMA-14 spacecraft docked to the station. Padalka and Barratt have been aboard the orbiting laboratory since March 2009.
Upcoming NASA TV Soyuz launch and landing programming events (all times CDT): Sept. 17 11 a.m. - Expedition 21 and spaceflight participant video file of departure in Star City, Russia, for Baikonur, Kazakhstan Sept. 28 11 a.m. - Video file of crew activities in Baikonur, Soyuz rocket mating and rollout Sept. 29 11 a.m. - Prelaunch news conference, Russian State Commission video file feed from Baikonur Sept. 30 12:45 a.m. - Prelaunch activities and arrival at launch pad video file from Baikonur 1:30 a.m. - Launch coverage and replays from Baikonur (Launch scheduled at 2:14 a.m.) 5 a.m. - Prelaunch activities, launch and post launch interviews from Baikonur Oct. 2 3 a.m. - Coverage of Soyuz docking to station (docking scheduled at 3:36 a.m., post-docking news conference follows) 6:15 a.m. - Hatch opening, welcoming ceremony (hatch opening scheduled at 6:40 a.m.) 9 a.m. - Video file of the docking to the station, hatch opening and welcoming ceremony Oct. 6 9:10 a.m. - Joint crew news conference of Expedition 20, 21 and spaceflight participant Oct. 10 4:30 p.m. - Expedition 21, 20, spaceflight participant farewells and Soyuz TMA-14 hatch closure (scheduled at 5 p.m.) 7:45 p.m. – Coverage of Expedition 20 and spaceflight participant undocking from station (scheduled at 8:05 p.m.) 10:15 p.m. - Deorbit burn (scheduled for 10:36 p.m.) and landing coverage (scheduled for 11:29 p.m.) in Kazakhstan Oct. 11 4 a.m. - Landing video file 12 p.m. - Barratt post-landing interview, return to Star City and Kazakhstan welcoming ceremony video file For NASA Television streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more about the space station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station
For Space Station Souvenirs and Collectables Visit the Spaceboosters Online Store
HOUSTON -- NASA Television will air the launch of the next two residents of the International Space Station, a spaceflight participant and the return of two members of the current station crew. Coverage begins with a broadcast of prelaunch activities Sept. 17 and continues through the landing on Oct. 11.
Soyuz Commander Max Suraev, NASA Flight Engineer Jeff Williams and spaceflight participant Guy Laliberte are scheduled to launch aboard the Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 2:14 a.m. CDT on Wednesday, Sept. 30. Laliberte, a Canadian citizen and founder of Cirque du Soleil, will fly to the station under an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency. After a two-day trip, the Soyuz will dock to the station at 3:36 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 2. Aboard the orbiting laboratory, Williams and Suraev will be greeted by Commander Gennady Padalka, NASA's Mike Barratt and Nicole Stott, the European Space Agency's Frank De Winne, Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko and the Canadian Space Agency's Bob Thirsk. After Padalka and Barratt depart the station, De Winne will become commander of the next station mission, designated Expedition 21. Padalka, Barratt and Laliberte will return to Earth at approximately 11:29 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, in the Soyuz TMA-14 spacecraft docked to the station. Padalka and Barratt have been aboard the orbiting laboratory since March 2009.
Upcoming NASA TV Soyuz launch and landing programming events (all times CDT): Sept. 17 11 a.m. - Expedition 21 and spaceflight participant video file of departure in Star City, Russia, for Baikonur, Kazakhstan Sept. 28 11 a.m. - Video file of crew activities in Baikonur, Soyuz rocket mating and rollout Sept. 29 11 a.m. - Prelaunch news conference, Russian State Commission video file feed from Baikonur Sept. 30 12:45 a.m. - Prelaunch activities and arrival at launch pad video file from Baikonur 1:30 a.m. - Launch coverage and replays from Baikonur (Launch scheduled at 2:14 a.m.) 5 a.m. - Prelaunch activities, launch and post launch interviews from Baikonur Oct. 2 3 a.m. - Coverage of Soyuz docking to station (docking scheduled at 3:36 a.m., post-docking news conference follows) 6:15 a.m. - Hatch opening, welcoming ceremony (hatch opening scheduled at 6:40 a.m.) 9 a.m. - Video file of the docking to the station, hatch opening and welcoming ceremony Oct. 6 9:10 a.m. - Joint crew news conference of Expedition 20, 21 and spaceflight participant Oct. 10 4:30 p.m. - Expedition 21, 20, spaceflight participant farewells and Soyuz TMA-14 hatch closure (scheduled at 5 p.m.) 7:45 p.m. – Coverage of Expedition 20 and spaceflight participant undocking from station (scheduled at 8:05 p.m.) 10:15 p.m. - Deorbit burn (scheduled for 10:36 p.m.) and landing coverage (scheduled for 11:29 p.m.) in Kazakhstan Oct. 11 4 a.m. - Landing video file 12 p.m. - Barratt post-landing interview, return to Star City and Kazakhstan welcoming ceremony video file For NASA Television streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more about the space station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station
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Discovery Ferry Flight - STS-128
Prep Work for Discovery Ferry Flight Continues
Processing and preparation of the Space Shuttle Discovery for its ferry flight back to Florida are well under way at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in California. Processing managers are aiming for Discovery to be ready to begin its cross-country ferry flight on the back of a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft by Friday morning, although weather or technical issues could push that date back.
United Space Alliance technicians removed the flow control valves, repressurized and inerted the fuel cells and completed inspections of Discovery’s thermal protection tile and blankets during work Monday.
Tuesday’s primary tasks involve the all-day process of draining of residual fuels, oxidizers and other hazardous chemicals from Discovery's orbital maneuvering system, a process that requires all technicians working near or on the shuttle to wear protective suits and respiratory equipment. Installation of the aerodynamic tailcone should occur on Thursday, and mating of Discovery to the modified 747 is scheduled for Thursday night.The final schedule for Discovery’s departure from Edwards Air Force Base will be determined at a Flight Readiness Review, currently slated for Thursday afternoon. If departure occurs Friday morning, the 747-shuttle combo could arrive at the Kennedy Space Center as early as late Saturday.
STS-128 Souvenirs
Processing and preparation of the Space Shuttle Discovery for its ferry flight back to Florida are well under way at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in California. Processing managers are aiming for Discovery to be ready to begin its cross-country ferry flight on the back of a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft by Friday morning, although weather or technical issues could push that date back.
United Space Alliance technicians removed the flow control valves, repressurized and inerted the fuel cells and completed inspections of Discovery’s thermal protection tile and blankets during work Monday.
Tuesday’s primary tasks involve the all-day process of draining of residual fuels, oxidizers and other hazardous chemicals from Discovery's orbital maneuvering system, a process that requires all technicians working near or on the shuttle to wear protective suits and respiratory equipment. Installation of the aerodynamic tailcone should occur on Thursday, and mating of Discovery to the modified 747 is scheduled for Thursday night.The final schedule for Discovery’s departure from Edwards Air Force Base will be determined at a Flight Readiness Review, currently slated for Thursday afternoon. If departure occurs Friday morning, the 747-shuttle combo could arrive at the Kennedy Space Center as early as late Saturday.
STS-128 Souvenirs
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