NASA
NASA NAMES PARSONS NEW KENNEDY SPACE CENTER DIRECTOR
NASA Administrator Michael Griffin today named William (Bill) W. Parsons the new director of the agency's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., effective in January 2007. Parsons succeeds James W. Kennedy, who is retiring.
Parsons currently serves as deputy director of NASA Kennedy Space Center, a position he has held since February.
As space shuttle program manager, Parsons led the return-to-flight activities for the agency and played a major role in the success of the Discovery STS-114 mission. His first stint as NASA's Stennis
Space Center director, Stennis, Miss., came in August 2002. He was
first assigned to Stennis in 1997 as the chief of operations of the
Propulsion Test Directorate. Parsons relocated to NASA's Johnson
Space Center in Houston to become the director of the Center
Operations Directorate. He later served as the deputy director of
Johnson. He returned to Stennis in 2001 and served as director of the
Center Operations and Support Directorate.
In 1990, Parsons joined the NASA team at Kennedy Space Center as a
launch site support manager in the Shuttle Operations Directorate. He
also worked as an executive management intern and later as the
shuttle flow director of the Shuttle Operations Directorate at
Kennedy. In 1996, he became manager of the Space Station Hardware
Integration Office at the center.
Parsons has received numerous honors, including the Presidential Rank
Award (Meritorious Executive); NASA's Exceptional Service Medal and
Distinguished Service Medal; and the Silver Snoopy, awarded by
astronauts for outstanding performance in flight safety and mission
success.
Parsons holds a bachelor's degree in engineering from the University
of Mississippi and a master's degree in engineering management from
the University of Central Florida.
NASA SELECTS 12 RESEARCH PROPOSALS IN RADIATION BIOLOGY NASA
will fund a dozen new research proposals to better understand and reduce the risks that crews of future moon and Mars missions could face from space radiation. The total potential value of the selected proposals is approximately $14 million. The health risks of radiation during space travel may include cancer, degenerative tissue damage -- including damage to the central nervous system -- and acute radiation sickness. The new research may help in the development of effective shielding or biological countermeasures for radiation exposure. The research is part of NASA's Space Radiation Program. The goal of the program is to assure astronauts can safely live and work in the space radiation environment, anywhere, anytime. Space radiation is different from forms of radiation encountered on Earth. Radiation in space consists of high-energy protons, heavy ions and secondary byproducts created when the protons and heavy ions pass through spacecraft shielding and human tissue. Since the data available on human exposure to these radiation types are limited, the risks of exposure are derived from an understanding based on radiation physics and radiation biology. The more research data collected, the more confident NASA can be that astronauts will be protected. The 12 new research areas were selected by the Space Radiation Program from 82 proposals received in response to a NASA Research Announcement. All of the proposals were peer-reviewed by scientific and technical experts from academia, government, and industry. The selected principal investigators, their organizations, and their proposal titles are: * Edouard Azzam, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, N.J., The Role of Gap-Junction Communication and Oxidative Metabolism in the Biological Effects of Space Radiation * Susan Bailey, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo., Telomeric Proteins in the Radiation/DNA Damage Response * Richard Britten, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Va., Proteomic Aided Investigation of the Mechanistic Basis For HZE-Induced Cognitive Impairment and the Development of Diagnostic Biomarkers * David Chen, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Mechanisms of the Repair of HZE-Induced DNA Double-Strand Breaks in Human Cells * Albert Fornace, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Mouse Models Approach for Intestinal Tumorigenesis Estimates by Space Radiation * Kathryn Held, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mechanisms for Induction of Bystander Effects by High Energy Particles in Cells and Tissues * Fiorenza Ianzini, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, Role of High-LET Radiation-Induced Mitotic Catastrophe in Mutagenesis: Implication for Carcinogenesis * Amy Kronenberg, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, Calif., Comparative Analysis of Charged Particle-Induced Autosomal Mutations in Murine Tissues and Cells * Bernard Rabin, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Neurochemical and Behavioral Effects of Exposure to Heavy Particles * John Redpath, University of California Irvine, Irvine, Calif., High Energy Proton Dose-Rate and Mixed Field Effects on Neoplastic Transformation in vitro * Jerry Shay, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Risk Assessment of Space Radiation-Enhanced Colon Tumorigenesis * Betsy Sutherland, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Long Island, N.Y., DNA Damage Clusters in Human Cell Transformation Induced by Single or Multiple Space Radiation Ion Exposures
NASA POSTPONES SHUTTLE ATLANTIS LAUNCH, AIMS FOR SATURDAY
NASA has delayed Friday's launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on its STS-115 mission to the International Space Station. Lift-off now is set for 11:15 a.m. EDT Saturday.
Shuttle program managers decided to postpone Atlantis' launch at 10:52 a.m. EDT Friday due to an issue with a fuel cut-off sensor system inside the external fuel tank. This is one of several systems that protect the shuttle's main engines by triggering their shut down if fuel runs unexpectedly low. During countdown activities Friday morning a sensor inside the external tank failed a routine pre-launch
check. The engine cut-off, or ECO sensor, is one of four inside the liquid hydrogen section of the tank.
The tank's liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen will be drained Friday.
While the tank is emptied, engineers will monitor and collect data on
the liquid hydrogen sensors. NASA's launch rules have a preplanned
procedure that states if a single ECO sensor fails, engineers need to
drain the tank and verify all the sensors are working as they go dry.
If the sensors and system work as expected, Atlantis will be cleared
to launch with three of four working sensors Saturday. The reloading
of the external tank is set for 1:15 a.m. EDT Saturday.
During Atlantis' mission astronauts will deliver and install the P3/P4
truss, a girder-like structure, with solar arrays that will double
the International Space Station's power capability.
Atlantis' crew consists of Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Chris Ferguson
and mission specialists Dan Burbank, Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper, Joe
Tanner and Steve MacLean, a Canadian Space Agency astronaut.
NASA POSTPONES SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS LAUNCH
NASA has delayed Wednesday's launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on its STS-115 mission to the International Space Station. Shuttle Program managers made the decision early Wednesday morning due to a problem that occurred during the activation of one of the shuttle's three
electricity-producing fuel cells.
Teams are evaluating data on what might have caused a voltage spike in the fuel cell's coolant pump that cools the fuel cell system. Mission managers will hold a meeting at 1 p.m. EDT Wednesday to assess the issue. There will be a news conference on NASA TV at the conclusion of the meeting.
During STS-115, the astronauts will deliver and install a girder-like
structure, known as the P3/P4 truss aboard the station. The
35,000-pound piece includes a set of giant solar arrays, batteries
and associated electronics. The arrays eventually will double the
station's power capability.
Atlantis' crew, Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Chris Ferguson and mission
specialists Dan Burbank, Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper, Joe Tanner and
Steve MacLean, a Canadian Space Agency astronaut, remains at Kennedy
Space Center.
For the latest information about the STS-115 mission and its crew,
visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
NASA STARTS SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS COUNTDOWN SEPT. 3 NASA will start the launch countdown for Space Shuttle Atlantis' STS-115 mission at 8 a.m. EDT Sunday, Sept. 3, at the T-43 hour point. During this mission, Atlantis' crew will resume construction of the International Space Station, which is the goal of the remaining space shuttle flights until the spacecraft are retired in 2010. The first countdown for Atlantis' launch was stopped because of Tropical Storm Ernesto. The countdown includes 33 hours, 24 minutes of built-in hold time leading to a preferred launch time at approximately 12:29 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Sept. 6. The launch window for Wednesday extends an additional five minutes. A detailed list of launch countdown milestones and times is available at: http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2006/sep/HQ_06141_atlantis_countdown.html This mission is the 116th space shuttle flight, the 27th flight for Atlantis and the 19th U.S. flight to the International Space Station. STS-115 is scheduled to last 11 days with a landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., about 8:03 a.m. EDT Sunday, Sept. 17. Atlantis' last mission was STS-112 in October 2002. In preparation for STS-115, Atlantis was moved into Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building on July 24. Atlantis then was attached to its modified external tank and solid rocket boosters. Space Shuttle Atlantis was rolled out to Launch Pad 39B on Aug. 2. The initial launch date of Aug. 27 was scrubbed to evaluate the shuttle and its systems after a lightning strike at the launch pad. A partial rollback to the Vehicle Assembly Building took place Aug. 29 due to concerns about Tropical Depression Ernesto. The STS-115 crew is Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Chris Ferguson, and mission specialists Joe Tanner, Dan Burbank, Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper and Canadian astronaut Steve MacLean. During STS-115, Atlantis' astronauts will deliver and install the 17.5-ton, bus-sized P3/P4 integrated truss segment on the station. The girder-like truss includes a set of giant solar arrays, batteries and associated electronics. The P3/P4 truss segment will provide one-fourth of the total power-generation capability for the completed station. For information about the STS-115 crew and mission to the pace station, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
NASA TESTS TECHNOLOGY UNDER HARSH DESERT CONDITIONS Arizona's high desert is a long way from the moon and Mars, but its temperature extremes, gusty winds and dust make NASA's robots, rovers and latest space gear feel right at home. The state's famed Meteor Crater and Cinder Lake area represents a surrogate planet surface for NASA's Desert Research and Technology Studies team of scientists and engineers who test futuristic equipment. Media who would like to observe tests Sept. 12 or participate in open house activities Sept. 15, must contact the Johnson Space Center, Houston newsroom at 281-483-5111 or Glenn Research Center, Cleveland newsroom at 216-433-2901 by 6 p.m. EDT Sept. 11. This is the ninth year for the team to take on the high desert and volcanic ash beds found near Flagstaff, Ariz. The team of about 100 scientists and engineers from six NASA centers will test advanced prototype equipment and operational concepts that may support planetary exploration. During the field tests, space-suited test subjects will simulate a day in the life of a surface exploration crew on the moon or Mars, investigating the surrounding landscape, installing and testing science equipment, excavating and collecting samples. Also, a robotic vehicle called the All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer will navigate the rough terrain to establish a mock-up way station that would provide respite for a weary crew. For information about NASA and agency programs on the, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/home
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION STATUS REPORT: SS06-040 With the launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis delayed, activities for the International Space Station crew were adjusted. The crew initially expected to greet Atlantis' crew this week. But the shuttle is set to launch Sept. 6 on mission STS-115 to bring a new truss section to the station, complete with a second set of 240-foot solar wings. The mission was originally planned to launch Aug. 27. It was postponed first to check possible lightning damage and then due to Tropical Storm Ernesto. The delay gave Commander Pavel Vinogradov, Flight Engineer NASA Science Officer Jeff Williams and European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter of Germany more time to prepare for Atlantis' mission. The crew packed items that will be returned to Earth and reviewed plans for the shuttle flight's three spacewalks. They also conducted normal station maintenance, daily exercise sessions and scientific experiments. Williams spent parts of three days this week working with a cosmic radiation study called the Anomalous Long-Term Effects in Astronauts' Central Nervous Systems. The experiment tracks cosmic radiation while monitoring brain activity and recording the subject's visual perceptions. Williams spent one orbit, about 90 minutes, floating prone with sensor blocks over and beside his head. The experiment's results may help develop ways to protect future space fliers from the effects of cosmic radiation. Later in the week, Williams worked with the Capillary Flow Effects experiment, studying the dynamics of capillary flow in microgravity. Insight gained from the experiment may help in the developments of fluid transport systems for future spacecraft. Other work included testing a seal the astronauts replaced on an experiment facility called the Microgravity Science Glovebox. The glovebox, in the U.S. laboratory Destiny, provides a contained environment for experiments involving fluid, flame or fumes. During Atlantis' mission, station status will be included in twice daily shuttle mission status reports. The next station status report will be issued after the STS-115 shuttle mission. http://www.nasa.gov/station
NASA CONTINUES SPACE EXPLORATION RESEARCH WITH UNDERSEA LAB NASA's third mission this year to an undersea laboratory off the Florida coast begins when four astronauts splash down Sept. 16. Veteran space flyer astronaut Sandra H. Magnus will lead the crew on a seven-day undersea mission Sept. 16 - 22 onboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Aquarius underwater laboratory. Army Lt. Col. Timothy L. Kopra, Army Col. Timothy J. Creamer and Air Force Maj. Robert L. Behnken round out the astronaut crew. Roger Garcia and Larry Ward of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington will provide engineering support inside the habitat. All four astronauts are training for possible assignment to missions to the International Space Station. During the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) 11, astronauts will imitate moonwalks, testing concepts for mobility using various spacesuit configurations and weights to simulate lunar gravity. Techniques for communication, navigation, geological sample retrieval, construction and using remote-controlled robots on the moon's surface also will be tested. "We continue to press the limits of our imaginations as we test operational concepts that may be used when we return to the moon," said NEEMO 11 Mission Director Marc Reagan. "Building on the NEEMO 9 and 10 missions, we will explore new challenges and learn to overcome the inherent difficulties of living and working on the moon. These results will allow our designers and engineers to improve designs of habitats, robots and spacesuits." Aquarius is owned and funded by NOAA and operated by the University of North Carolina at Wilmington's Undersea Research Center. The center is part of NOAA's Undersea Research Program. Aquarius hosts teams of scientists on research missions, usually 10 days long, to study science and management issues on its surrounding coral reef ecosystems. Aquarius is a 45-foot-long, 13-foot-diameter complex three miles off Key Largo in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The laboratory rests 62 feet beneath the surface. A shore-based mission control center in Florida monitors the habitat and crew. The NEEMO 11 work will be monitored at NASA's Johnson Space Center's Exploration Planning Operations Center, Houston. This is the last NEEMO mission this year. More are planned in 2007. Magnus flew to the International Space Station on shuttle mission STS-112 in October 2002. She used the station's robotic arm to help attach a new segment to the station's truss structure. Magnus was born in Belleville, Ill. She has a bachelor's in physics and a master's in electrical engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla and a doctorate from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta. Kopra was selected as an astronaut in 2000 and is assigned to the Space Station Operations Branch of the Astronaut Office. He was born in Austin,Texas. He holds a bachelor's from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., and a master's in aerospace engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Selected as an astronaut in 1998, Creamer works in the Robotics Branch of the Astronaut Office. Creamer considers Upper Marlboro, Md., his hometown. He has a bachelor's from Loyola College and a master's from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. Behnken was selected as an astronaut in 2000. He considers St. Ann, Mo., his hometown. He has bachelor's degrees in mechanical engineering and physics from Washington University, St. Louis, and a master's and doctorate in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif. He is a graduate of the Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. For interviews with the NEEMO 11 crew call the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111. For more on NOAA, contact Fred Gorell, Silver Spring, Md., at 301-713-9444, ext. 181. Through NASA's Digital Learning Network (DLN), classrooms will be able to videoconference with Aquarius. Students will conduct experiments of their own before talking with the aquanauts. The pre-event activities are designed to complement the NEEMO 11 mission objectives. For more information about NEEMO, including mission imagery, crew journals, and links to webcams and the Digital Learning Network, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/neemo
NASA SELECTS ORION CREW EXPLORATION VEHICLE PRIME CONTRACTOR NASA selected Wednesday Lockheed Martin Corp., based in Bethesda, Md., as the prime contractor to design, develop, and build Orion, America's spacecraft for a new generation of explorers. Orion will be capable of transporting four crewmembers for lunar missions and later supporting crew transfers for Mars missions. Orion could also carry up to six crew members to and from the International Space Station. The first Orion launch with humans onboard is planned for no later than 2014, and for a human moon landing no later than 2020. Orion will form a key element of extending a sustained human presence beyond low-Earth orbit to advance commerce, science and national leadership. The contract with Lockheed Martin is the conclusion of a two-phase selection process. NASA began working with the two contractor teams, Northrop Grumman/Boeing and Lockheed Martin, in July 2005 to perform concept refinement, trade studies, analysis of requirements and preliminary design options. Lockheed Martin will be responsible for the design, development, testing, and evaluation (DDT&E) of the new spacecraft. Manufacturing and integration of the vehicle components will take place at contractor facilities across the country. Lockheed Martin will perform the majority of the Orion vehicle engineering work at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, and complete final assembly of the vehicle at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla. All 10 NASA centers will provide technical and engineering support to the Orion project. The contract is structured into separate schedules for DDT&E with options for production of additional spacecraft and sustaining engineering. During DDT&E, NASA will use an end-item cost-plus-award-fee incentive contract. This makes the award fee subject to final determination after the contractor has demonstrated that it meets the technical, cost, and schedule requirements of the contract. DDT&E work is estimated to occur from Sept. 8, 2006, through Sept. 7, 2013. The estimated value is $3.9 billion. Production and sustaining engineering activities are contract options that will allow NASA to obtain additional vehicles as needed. Delivery orders over and above those in the DDT&E portion will specify the number of spacecraft to be produced and the schedule on which they should be delivered. Post-development spacecraft delivery orders may begin as early as Sept. 8, 2009, through Sept. 7, 2019, if all options are exercised. The estimated value of these orders is negotiated based on future manifest requirements and knowledge gained through the DDT&E process and is estimated not to exceed $3.5 billion. Sustaining engineering work will be assigned through task orders. The work is expected to occur from Sept. 8, 2009, through Sept. 7, 2019, with an estimated value of $750 million, if all options are exercised. For information about Orion, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/orion
NASA STUDY SOLVES OCEAN PLANT MYSTERY A NASA-sponsored study shows that by using a new technique, scientists can determine what limits the growth of ocean algae, or phytoplankton, and how this affects Earth's climate. Phytoplankton is a microscopic ocean plant and an important part of the ocean food chain. By knowing what limits its growth scientists can better understand how ecosystems respond to climate change. The study focused on phytoplankton in the tropical Pacific Ocean. It is an area of the ocean that plays a particularly important role in regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide and the world's climate. This area of the ocean is the largest natural source of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. "We concluded that nitrogen is the primary element missing for algae growth and photosynthesis in the northern portion of the tropical Pacific, while it was iron that was most lacking everywhere else," said Michael J. Behrenfeld, an ocean plant ecologist from Oregon State University, Corvallis, Ore. Scientists determined when phytoplankton is stressed from lack of iron; it appears greener, or healthier than they really are. Normally, greener plants are growing faster than less green plants. When iron is lacking, enhanced greenness does not mean phytoplankton are growing better. They are actually under stress and unhealthy. These conclusions solved the mystery why healthy looking phytoplankton are actually not so healthy. "Because we didn't know about this effect of iron stress on the greenness of algae or phytoplankton before, we have always assumed that equally green waters were equally productive," Behrenfeld said. "We now know this is not the case, and that we have to treat areas lacking iron differently." For the tropical Pacific, correction for this "iron-effect" decreases scientists' estimates of how much carbon ocean plants photosynthesize for the region by roughly two billion tons. This figure represents a tremendous amount of carbon that remains in the atmosphere that scientists previously thought were being removed. The results about the false health of phytoplankton allow scientists using computer models to re-create the movement of carbon around the world much more accurately. Resource managers will become more knowledgeable about where carbon is going and the impact of recreational, industrial or commercial processes that use or produce carbon. Researchers better understand the Earth as an ecosystem, and can incorporate these findings in future modeling, analysis and predictions. While satellite data from NASA's Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor played an important part in the study, the real cornerstone of the discovery was ship-based measurements of fluorescence. Fluorescence occurs when plants absorb sunlight and some of that energy is given back off again as red light. Scientists looked at approximately 140,000 measurements of fluorescence made from 1994 to 2006 along 36,040 miles of ship tracks. They found that phytoplankton give off much more fluorescence when the plants do not have sufficient iron. It is this signal they used to fingerprint what parts of the ocean are iron-stressed and what parts are nitrogen-stressed. It is important that scientists understand how ocean plants behave because all plants play a critical role in maintaining a healthy planet. Plants annually take up billions of tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and use this carbon to create the food that nearly all other organisms on Earth depend on for life. Nutrients that make ocean plants thrive, such as nitrogen and phosphate, mostly come from the deep parts of the ocean, when water is mixed by the wind. Iron also can come from dust blowing in the air. Approximately half of the photosynthesis on Earth occurs in the oceans, and the remainder on land. Ocean and land plants share the same basic requirements for photosynthesis and growth. These requirements include water, light and nutrients. When these three are abundant, plants are abundant. When any one of them is missing, plants suffer. An article on this technique appears in a recent issue of Nature. For images related to this research, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2006/mystery_plants.html
NASA, NOAA DATA INDICATE OZONE LAYER IS RECOVERING A new study using NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data finds consistent evidence that Earth's ozone layer is on the mend. A team led by Eun-Su Yang of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, analyzed 25 years of independent ozone observations at different altitudes in Earth's stratosphere, which lies between six and 31 miles above the surface. The observations were gathered from balloons, ground-based instruments, NASA and NOAA satellites. The stratosphere is Earth's second lowest atmospheric layer. It contains approximately 90 percent of all atmospheric ozone. The researchers concluded the Earth's protective ozone layer outside of the polar regions stopped thinning around 1997. Ozone in these areas declined steadily from 1979 to 1997. The abundance of human-produced ozone-destroying gases such as chlorofluorocarbons peaked at about the same time (1993 in the lowest layer of the atmosphere, 1997 in the stratosphere). Such substances were phased out after the 1987 international Montreal Protocol was enacted. To measure ozone at different altitudes in the stratosphere, the team combined data from balloons and independent ground-based observing networks with monthly averaged satellite data. The satellite data came from five independent NASA and NOAA instruments. Measurements were compared with computer predictions of ozone recovery that considered actual measured variations in human-produced ozone-destroying chemicals. The calculations took into account other factors that can affect ozone levels, such as sunspot cycle behavior, seasonal changes and stratospheric wind patterns. "These results confirm the Montreal Protocol and its amendments have succeeded in stopping the loss of ozone in the stratosphere," Yang said. "At the current recovery rate, the atmospheric modeling community's best estimates predict the global ozone layer could be restored to 1980 levels — the time that scientists first noticed the harmful effects human activities were having on atmospheric ozone — some time in the middle of this century." The researchers concluded approximately one half the observed ozone change was in the region of the stratosphere above 11 miles and the rest in the lower stratosphere from six to 11 miles. The researchers attribute the ozone improvement above 11 miles almost entirely to the Montreal Protocol. "Scientists expected the Montreal Protocol to be working in the middle and upper stratosphere and it is," said co-author Mike Newchurch of the University of Alabama in Huntsville. "The real surprise of our research was the degree of ozone recovery we found at lower altitudes, below the middle stratosphere. There, ozone is improving faster than we expected, and appears to be due to changes in atmospheric wind patterns, the causes of which are not yet well understood. Until the cause of the recent ozone increase in the lowermost stratosphere is better understood, making high-accuracy predictions of how the entire ozone layer will behave in the future will remain an elusive goal. Continued careful observation and modeling are required to understand how the ozone recovery process will evolve." "Our study is unique because it measures changes in the ozone layer at all heights in the atmosphere, then compares the data with models as well as observations from other instruments that measure variations in the total amount of ozone in the atmosphere," said Ross Salawitch, a senior research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Results are published in the latest Journal of Geophysical Research. For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/home
NASA DECIDES TO MOVE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS OFF LAUNCH PAD NASA has decided to roll the Space Shuttle Atlantis off its launch pad and back inside the protection of the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The roll back is targeted to start at approximately 10:05 a.m. EDT Tuesday. The decision was made due to Tropical Storm Ernesto's track. Ernesto is expected to bring high winds as it passes Kennedy. A new launch date is not yet scheduled for Atlantis' flight, STS-115, to the International Space Station. NASA and the Russian Federal Space Agency continue to discuss the timing of Atlantis' mission and the Soyuz spacecraft, which will send the next crew to the station in September. Factors to be considered are the lighting constraints for the shuttle launch and Soyuz landing and the timing for docking and undocking the spacecraft with the station. NASA is also investigating additional launch windows later in the fall. The STS-115 crew will return to NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston. Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Chris Ferguson, and mission specialists Joe Tanner, Dan Burbank, Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper and Canadian astronaut Steve MacLean will continue training as they await a new target launch date. During STS-115, Atlantis' astronauts will deliver and install the 17.5-ton, bus-sized P3/P4 integrated truss segment on the station. The girder-like truss includes a set of giant solar arrays, batteries and associated electronics. The P3/P4 truss segment will provide one-fourth of the total power-generation capability for the completed station. For information about the STS-115 crew and mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO FORCES SHUTTLE ATLANTIS' LAUNCH DELAY Tuesday's scheduled launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on its STS-115 mission to the International Space Station is being postponed because of Tropical Storm Ernesto. A new launch date has not been set. Although no final decision has been made, shuttle managers meeting at NASA's Kennedy Space Center instructed launch teams Monday to continue preliminary preparations to roll Atlantis off its launch pad and back inside the protection of the Vehicle Assembly Building. Managers will follow developments in Tropical Storm Ernesto's track. A decision on whether to roll back is expected by midday Tuesday. Ernesto is forecast to pass near Kennedy on Wednesday afternoon. The STS-115 crew will remain in Florida until a roll back decision is made. Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Chris Ferguson, and mission specialists Joe Tanner, Dan Burbank, Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper and Canadian astronaut Steve MacLean will study flight plans and spend time with their families. During STS-115, Atlantis' astronauts will deliver and install the 17.5-ton, bus-sized P3/P4 integrated truss segment on the station. The girder-like truss includes a set of giant solar arrays, batteries and associated electronics. The P3/P4 truss segment will provide one-fourth of the total power-generation capability for the completed station. For information about the STS-115 crew and its mission to the International Space Station, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION STATUS REPORT: SS06-039 With the countdown clock ticking toward the launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-115 mission, the International Space Station crew continues to prepare for visitors. Commander Pavel Vinogradov, Flight Engineer, NASA Science Officer Jeff Williams and European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter of Germany are ready for Atlantis to deliver a new section of the station's girder-like truss. Atlantis is set for launch on Sunday, which would result in docking with the station on Tuesday. During Atlantis' mission, astronauts will attach the new P3/P4 truss, a segment that includes a huge new set of solar arrays and a giant rotary joint to allow them to track the sun. To prepare for Atlantis' visit, the station crew members packed items that will be returned to Earth on the shuttle. They also reviewed spacewalk plans, talked with the shuttle crew in a long-distance conference and trained to photograph the shuttle's heat shield as Atlantis does a backflip while approaching the station. Flight controllers tested the operation of a U.S. air scrubbing system in advance. The Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly, or CDRA, was turned on for an extended period to test its capability to remove carbon dioxide from the air. The CDRA augments the Russian air scrubber, Vozdukh, which was turned off during the test. Engineers are continuing to evaluate data from the CDRA operations. The station was raised 2.5 miles by firing the ISS Progress 21 engines Wednesday. The boost places the complex at the optimum position for Atlantis' rendezvous and docking. It also puts the station at the optimum altitude for the launch of the next station resident crew, Expedition 14, from Kazakhstan in September. Williams replaced filters in part of the station's cooling system. The used filters will be returned to Earth for engineering analysis to confirm their success at removing fine particles from water in coolant lines. Williams completed runs of the Dust and Aerosol Measurement Feasibility Test, or DAFT experiment. DAFT is testing the effectiveness of a commercial hand-held air quality monitor called P-Trak that counts ultra-fine dust particles in microgravity. The study provides data that may help in the design of fire detection systems on future spacecraft. Its data also may prove useful for fire detection hardware in extreme environments on Earth, such as submarines or underwater laboratories. The station crew continued with the set-up and check-out of the European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS) that was delivered on STS-121. This experiment system contains a centrifuge that can subject a wide range of small plant and animal experiments to partial gravity conditions. The first experiment that will be performed in EMCS is the Analysis of a Novel Sensory Mechanism in Root Phototropism, called Tropi, which seeks to identify the genes responsible for successful plant growth in microgravity. The experiment studies mustard seeds. Vinogradov and Reiter participated in European Space Agency science experiments that test the cardiovascular system's response to microgravity for long durations. The next station status report will be issued after the STS-115 shuttle mission. The status of the ISS will be included in the twice-daily shuttle mission status reports issued during STS-115. For more about the crew's activities and station sighting opportunities, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station
NASA INVITES STUDENTS TO HELP ASTRONAUT COUNT THE STARS NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) are collaborating on a new education activity that helps students become astronomers. The Star Count Project will investigate the visual quality of the night sky and help assess the extent of atmospheric light pollution. There are many factors that affect how many stars can be seen at night. NASA and the CSA are inviting U.S. and Canadian students to participate in an effort to study these factors. The project was suggested and is being supported by CSA astronaut Steve MacLean. He is a member of the crew of the Space Shuttle Atlantis on the next mission, designated STS-115, to the International Space Station. The mission is scheduled to launch Sunday, August 27. MacLean will perform the Star Count experiment during the mission. While in space he will upload star observation information into a database via the Star Count Web site. As part of the project, students will learn how to estimate the number of stars observed based on random samples of sections of the sky. Students will add to the database by entering their location, number of stars observed and information about their viewing conditions. The students will be able to compare their observations with MacLean's and other observers. Star Count is a project of the NASA Student Observation Network. The network is a collection of online inquiry-based activities that challenge students to find answers to research questions by making their own observations and interpreting them with NASA data. To participate in the Star Count Project, students should visit: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/starcount/home/index.html or http://www.space.gc.ca/asc/eng/educators/resources/stars/default.asp The Star Count Project is directly tied to NASA's major education goal of attracting students to science, technology, engineering and mathematics studies. NASA is committed to engaging and retaining students in these disciplines which are crucial to the agency's future missions. For information about NASA education programs, Star Count Project and the Student Observation Network, visit:
NASA AWARDS NOAA GOES-R INSTRUMENT CONTRACT NASA, in coordination with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES-R) Program, has selected Assurance Technology Corporation for a $101.7 million dollar contract. The contract is for the Space Environment In-Situ Suite (SEISS), which will provide data for monitoring space environments as an instrument on the next generation of GOES. The design and development of the SEISS instruments will be primarily performed at the contractor's facility in Carlisle, Mass. Once launched, the SEISS suite will be used primarily by NOAA's Space Environment Center in Boulder, Colo. The center provides real-time monitoring, forecasting and warnings of solar and geophysical events and disturbances. The contractor will provide the SEISS suite of instruments and post-delivery support for the GOES-R series of weather satellites. The suite consists of three particle sensors: a magnetospheric particle sensor; solar and galactic proton sensor; and an energetic heavy ion sensor. The sensors will provide important information to warn of high-impact space storms and operational information on the radiation environment hazardous to humans in space, high-altitude aircraft, spacecraft electronics, solar power systems and radio communications. GOES is funded, operated and managed by NOAA. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., manages the acquisition of GOES-R instruments for NOAA.
HUBBLE SEES FAINTEST STARS IN A GLOBULAR CLUSTER
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has uncovered what astronomers are reporting as the dimmest stars ever seen in any globular star cluster. Globular clusters are spherical concentrations of hundreds of thousands of stars. These clusters formed early in the 13.7-billion-year-old universe. The cluster NGC 6397 is one of the closest globular star clusters to Earth. Seeing the whole range of stars in this area will yield insights into the age, origin and evolution of the cluster. Although astronomers have conducted similar observations since Hubble was launched, a team led by Harvey Richer of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, is reporting they have at last unequivocally reached the faintest stars. Richer's team announced their findings Thursday at the 2006 International Astronomical Union General Assembly in Prague, Czech Republic and in the August 18 edition of Science. "We have run out of hydrogen-burning stars in this cluster. There are no fainter such stars waiting to be discovered. We have discovered the lowest-mass stars capable of supporting stable nuclear reactions in this cluster. Any less massive ones faded early in the cluster's history and by now are too faint to be observed," Richer said. Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys completed a census of two distinct stellar populations in NGC 6397. Hubble surveyed the faintest red dwarf stars, which fuse hydrogen in their cores like our sun, and the dimmest white dwarfs, which are the burned-out relics of normal stars. The light from these faint stars is as dim as the light produced by a birthday candle on the moon seen from Earth. NGC 6397 is 8,500 light-years away from Earth. Analyzing the burned-out remnants of stars that died long ago, Hubble showed the dimmest white dwarfs have such low temperatures they are undergoing a chemical change in their atmospheres that makes them appear bluer rather than redder as they cool. This phenomenon had been predicted, but never observed. These white dwarfs are the relics of stars up to eight times as massive as the sun, which have exhausted the fuel capable of supporting nuclear reactions in their cores. Stars that were initially even more massive died as supernovae very early in the cluster's life, leaving behind neutron stars, black holes or no debris at all. Astronomers have used white dwarfs in globular clusters as a measure of the universe's age. The universe must be at least as old as the oldest stars. White dwarfs cool down at a predictable rate. The older the dwarf, the cooler it is, making it a perfect "clock" that has been ticking for almost as long as the universe has existed. Richer and his team are using the same age-dating technique to calculate the cluster's age. NGC 6397 is estimated to be nearly 12 billion years old. A globular cluster's dimmest stars have eluded astronomers because their light is too feeble. Richer's team used Hubble's Advanced Camera to probe deep within the cluster for nearly five days to capture the faint stars. The camera's resolution is so sharp that it is capable of isolating cluster stars in this crowded cluster field, enabling cluster members to be distinguished from foreground and background stars. The cluster stars move together as the cluster orbits the Milky Way Galaxy, and Hubble was able to pinpoint which stars were moving with the cluster. The Hubble team used this technique together with archival Hubble images taken as much as a decade earlier to make sure they had a pure sample of cluster stars. For images and additional information about NGC 6397, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/hubble
NASA SATELLITES WILL IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE SUN
NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory mission will dramatically improve understanding of the powerful solar eruptions that can send more than a billion tons of the sun's outer atmosphere hurtling into space. The STEREO mission comprises two nearly identical spacecraft the size of golf carts, which are scheduled to launch on Aug. 31 aboard a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. Their observations will enable scientists to construct the first-ever three-dimensional views of the sun. These images will show the sun's stormy environment and its effect on the inner solar system. The data are vital for understanding how the sun creates space weather. During the two-year mission, the two spacecraft will explore the origin, evolution and interplanetary consequences of coronal mass ejections, some of the most violent explosions in our solar system. When directed at Earth, these billion-ton eruptions can produce spectacular aurora and disrupt satellites, radio communications and power systems. Energetic particles associated with these solar eruptions permeate the entire solar system and may be hazardous to spacecraft and astronauts. "In terms of space-weather forecasting, we're where weather forecasters were in the 1950s," said Michael Kaiser, STEREO project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "They didn't see hurricanes until the rain clouds were right above them. In our case, we can see storms leaving the sun, but we have to make guesses and use models to figure out if and when they will impact Earth." To obtain their unique stereo view of the sun, the two observatories must be placed in different orbits, where they are offset from each other and Earth. Spacecraft "A" will be in an orbit moving ahead of Earth, and "B" will lag behind, as the planet orbits the sun. Just as the slight offset between eyes provides depth perception, this placement will allow the STEREO observatories to obtain 3-D images of the sun. The arrangement also allows the spacecraft to take local particle and magnetic field measurements of the solar wind as it flows by the spacecraft. STEREO is the first NASA mission to use separate lunar swingbys to place two observatories into vastly different orbits around the sun. The observatories will fly in an orbit from a point close to Earth to one that extends just beyond the moon. Approximately two months after launch, mission operations personnel at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md., will use a close flyby of the moon to modify the orbits. The moon's gravity will be used to direct one observatory to its position trailing Earth. Approximately one month later, the second observatory will be redirected after another lunar swingby to its position ahead of Earth. These maneuvers will enable the spacecraft to take permanent orbits around the sun. Each STEREO observatory has 16 instruments. The observatories have imaging telescopes and equipment to measure solar wind particles and to perform radio astronomy. "STEREO is charting new territory for science research and the building of spacecraft. The simultaneous assembly, integration and launch of nearly identical observatories have been an extraordinary challenge," said Nick Chrissotimos, STEREO project manager at Goddard. The STEREO mission is managed by Goddard. The Applied Physics Laboratory designed and built the spacecraft. The laboratory will maintain command and control of the observatories throughout the mission, while NASA tracks and receives the data, determines the orbit of the satellites, and coordinates the science results. For more information about STEREO, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/stereo
NASA GIVES 'GO' FOR SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS' LAUNCH NASA
senior managers on Wednesday unanimously voted to launch the Space Shuttle Atlantis on Aug. 27. Commander Brent Jett and his five crewmates are scheduled to lift off at 4:30 p.m. EDT on the STS-115 mission, which restarts construction of the International Space Station. The launch date was announced after the Flight Readiness Review, a traditional meeting in which top NASA managers and engineers determine whether the shuttle's complex array of equipment, support systems and procedures are ready for flight and assess any risks associated with the mission. "It was an honor to work with this team, a thrill to see another FRR," said NASA Administrator Michael Griffin. "It was a great review, and I look forward to a great launch." "The teams have done a great job of getting us here. We still have some minor open work in front of us. We look forward to the return to assembly," said Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier, who chaired the Flight Readiness Review. Joining Commander Jett aboard shuttle Atlantis will be Pilot Chris Ferguson, mission specialists Joe Tanner, Dan Burbank, Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Steve MacLean. The crew will install the P3/P4 truss, a girder-like structure, aboard the station. The new piece will include a set of giant solar arrays, batteries and associated electronics. There will be three spacewalks to hook up the truss and prepare the arrays for operation. For STS-115 crew and mission information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
NASA SETS SIGHTS ON THE NEXT GENERATION OF EXPLORERS
NASA's Education Office has released a new framework to work with the
academic community to prepare the next generation of explorers and
innovators. The Education Strategic Coordination Framework highlights
agency content, people and facilities as the foundation for sponsored
educational opportunities, while developing new non-traditional
partnerships.
"Through this framework, NASA will support the country's educators who
play a key role in engaging and preparing today's young minds to lead
the nation's laboratories and research centers of tomorrow," said the
agency's Acting Assistant Administrator for Education, John M.
Hairston, Jr.
The framework identifies three priorities for NASA to work with
academia, industry and informal educators to foster increased studies
in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. NASA's education
priorities include strengthening the nation's workforce, attracting
and retaining students, and engaging America in NASA's missions.
Another key element of the new education framework is to involve
partners and establish strategic alliances to work with NASA to
inspire and engage the nation's youth.
The agency strives to reach students at every level in the education
pipeline. NASA remains committed to engaging and retaining
underrepresented and underserved communities of students, educators
and researchers in its education programs.
For a copy of the NASA Education Strategic Coordination Framework and
information about agency education programs, visit:
http://education.nasa.gov/about/strategy/index.html
NASA FINDS DIRECT PROOF OF DARK MATTER
Dark matter and normal matter have been wrenched apart by the tremendous collision of two large clusters of galaxies. The discovery, using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes, gives direct evidence for the existence of dark matter. "This is the most energetic cosmic event, besides the Big Bang, which we know about," said team member Maxim Markevitch of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass. These observations provide the strongest evidence yet that most of the matter in the universe is dark. Despite considerable evidence for dark matter, some scientists have proposed alternative theories for gravity where it is stronger on intergalactic scales than predicted by Newton and Einstein, removing the need for dark matter. However, such theories cannot explain the observed effects of this collision. "A universe that's dominated by dark stuff seems preposterous, so we wanted to test whether there were any basic flaws in our thinking," said Doug Clowe of the University of Arizona at Tucson, and leader of the study. "These results are direct proof that dark matter exists." In galaxy clusters, the normal matter, like the atoms that make up the stars, planets, and everything on Earth, is primarily in the form of hot gas and stars. The mass of the hot gas between the galaxies is far greater than the mass of the stars in all of the galaxies. This normal matter is bound in the cluster by the gravity of an even greater mass of dark matter. Without dark matter, which is invisible and can only be detected through its gravity, the fast-moving galaxies and the hot gas would quickly fly apart. The team was granted more than 100 hours on the Chandra telescope to observe the galaxy cluster 1E0657-56. The cluster is also known as the bullet cluster, because it contains a spectacular bullet-shaped cloud of hundred-million-degree gas. The X-ray image shows the bullet shape is due to a wind produced by the high-speed collision of a smaller cluster with a larger one. In addition to the Chandra observation, the Hubble Space Telescope, the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope and the Magellan optical telescopes were used to determine the location of the mass in the clusters. This was done by measuring the effect of gravitational lensing, where gravity from the clusters distorts light from background galaxies as predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity. The hot gas in this collision was slowed by a drag force, similar to air resistance. In contrast, the dark matter was not slowed by the impact, because it does not interact directly with itself or the gas except through gravity. This produced the separation of the dark and normal matter seen in the data. If hot gas was the most massive component in the clusters, as proposed by alternative gravity theories, such a separation would not have been seen. Instead, dark matter is required. "This is the type of result that future theories will have to take into account," said Sean Carroll, a cosmologist at the University of Chicago, who was not involved with the study. "As we move forward to understand the true nature of dark matter, this new result will be impossible to ignore." This result also gives scientists more confidence that the Newtonian gravity familiar on Earth and in the solar system also works on the huge scales of galaxy clusters. "We've closed this loophole about gravity, and we've come closer than ever to seeing this invisible matter," Clowe said. These results are being published in an upcoming issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala., manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls science and flight operations from the Chandra X-ray Center, Cambridge, Mass. For additional information and images, visit: http://chandra.nasa.gov
Dark matter and normal matter have been wrenched apart by the tremendous collision of two large clusters of galaxies. The discovery, using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes, gives direct evidence for the existence of dark matter. "This is the most energetic cosmic event, besides the Big Bang, which we know about," said team member Maxim Markevitch of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass. These observations provide the strongest evidence yet that most of the matter in the universe is dark. Despite considerable evidence for dark matter, some scientists have proposed alternative theories for gravity where it is stronger on intergalactic scales than predicted by Newton and Einstein, removing the need for dark matter. However, such theories cannot explain the observed effects of this collision. "A universe that's dominated by dark stuff seems preposterous, so we wanted to test whether there were any basic flaws in our thinking," said Doug Clowe of the University of Arizona at Tucson, and leader of the study. "These results are direct proof that dark matter exists." In galaxy clusters, the normal matter, like the atoms that make up the stars, planets, and everything on Earth, is primarily in the form of hot gas and stars. The mass of the hot gas between the galaxies is far greater than the mass of the stars in all of the galaxies. This normal matter is bound in the cluster by the gravity of an even greater mass of dark matter. Without dark matter, which is invisible and can only be detected through its gravity, the fast-moving galaxies and the hot gas would quickly fly apart. The team was granted more than 100 hours on the Chandra telescope to observe the galaxy cluster 1E0657-56. The cluster is also known as the bullet cluster, because it contains a spectacular bullet-shaped cloud of hundred-million-degree gas. The X-ray image shows the bullet shape is due to a wind produced by the high-speed collision of a smaller cluster with a larger one. In addition to the Chandra observation, the Hubble Space Telescope, the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope and the Magellan optical telescopes were used to determine the location of the mass in the clusters. This was done by measuring the effect of gravitational lensing, where gravity from the clusters distorts light from background galaxies as predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity. The hot gas in this collision was slowed by a drag force, similar to air resistance. In contrast, the dark matter was not slowed by the impact, because it does not interact directly with itself or the gas except through gravity. This produced the separation of the dark and normal matter seen in the data. If hot gas was the most massive component in the clusters, as proposed by alternative gravity theories, such a separation would not have been seen. Instead, dark matter is required. "This is the type of result that future theories will have to take into account," said Sean Carroll, a cosmologist at the University of Chicago, who was not involved with the study. "As we move forward to understand the true nature of dark matter, this new result will be impossible to ignore." This result also gives scientists more confidence that the Newtonian gravity familiar on Earth and in the solar system also works on the huge scales of galaxy clusters. "We've closed this loophole about gravity, and we've come closer than ever to seeing this invisible matter," Clowe said. These results are being published in an upcoming issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala., manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls science and flight operations from the Chandra X-ray Center, Cambridge, Mass. For additional information and images, visit:
NASA NAMES NEW CREW EXPLORATION VEHICLE ORION
NASA announced Tuesday that its new crew exploration vehicle will be named Orion. Orion is the vehicle NASA's Constellation Program is developing to carry a new generation of explorers back to the moon and later to Mars. Orion will succeed the space shuttle as NASA's primary vehicle for human space exploration. Orion's first flight with astronauts onboard is planned for no later than 2014 to the International Space Station. Its first flight to the moon is planned for no later than 2020. Orion is named for one of the brightest, most familiar and easily identifiable constellations. "Many of its stars have been used for navigation and guided explorers to new worlds for centuries," said Orion Project Manager Skip Hatfield. "Our team, and all of NASA - and, I believe, our country - grows more excited with every step forward this program takes. The future for space exploration is coming quickly." In June, NASA announced the launch vehicles under development by the Constellation Program have been named Ares, a synonym for Mars. The booster that will launch Orion will be called Ares I, and a larger heavy-lift launch vehicle will be known as Ares V. Orion will be capable of transporting cargo and up to six crew members to and from the International Space Station. It can carry four crewmembers for lunar missions. Later, it can support crew transfers for Mars missions. Orion borrows its shape from space capsules of the past, but takes advantage of the latest technology in computers, electronics, life support, propulsion and heat protection systems. The capsule's conical shape is the safest and most reliable for re-entering the Earth's atmosphere, especially at the velocities required for a direct return form the moon. Orion will be 16.5 feet in diameter and have a mass of about 25 tons. Inside, it will have more than 2.5 times the volume of an Apollo capsule. The spacecraft will return humans to the moon to stay for long periods as a testing ground for the longer journey to Mars. NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, manages the Constellation Program and the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala., manages the Exploration Launch Projects' office for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, Washington. For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/home
NASA announced Tuesday that its new crew exploration vehicle will be named Orion. Orion is the vehicle NASA's Constellation Program is developing to carry a new generation of explorers back to the moon and later to Mars. Orion will succeed the space shuttle as NASA's primary vehicle for human space exploration. Orion's first flight with astronauts onboard is planned for no later than 2014 to the International Space Station. Its first flight to the moon is planned for no later than 2020. Orion is named for one of the brightest, most familiar and easily identifiable constellations. "Many of its stars have been used for navigation and guided explorers to new worlds for centuries," said Orion Project Manager Skip Hatfield. "Our team, and all of NASA - and, I believe, our country - grows more excited with every step forward this program takes. The future for space exploration is coming quickly." In June, NASA announced the launch vehicles under development by the Constellation Program have been named Ares, a synonym for Mars. The booster that will launch Orion will be called Ares I, and a larger heavy-lift launch vehicle will be known as Ares V. Orion will be capable of transporting cargo and up to six crew members to and from the International Space Station. It can carry four crewmembers for lunar missions. Later, it can support crew transfers for Mars missions. Orion borrows its shape from space capsules of the past, but takes advantage of the latest technology in computers, electronics, life support, propulsion and heat protection systems. The capsule's conical shape is the safest and most reliable for re-entering the Earth's atmosphere, especially at the velocities required for a direct return form the moon. Orion will be 16.5 feet in diameter and have a mass of about 25 tons. Inside, it will have more than 2.5 times the volume of an Apollo capsule. The spacecraft will return humans to the moon to stay for long periods as a testing ground for the longer journey to Mars. NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, manages the Constellation Program and the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala., manages the Exploration Launch Projects' office for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, Washington. For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit: