Remembering

Apollo, Challenger, Columbia: Thinking Back - Looking Ahead, New Moon Rising

"At the end of the event, Rona Ramon, Ilan's widow, spoke last. Steeling her emotions with grace and clarity, she spoke elegantly and briefly. She thanked all for coming. And then she talked of her husband, and the flight of the lost shuttle. "Our mission in space is not over, "she told the hushed audience. "He was the first Israeli in space that means there will be more."

Israel to NASA: Ready to provide first astronaut since Columbia disaster, Hareetz.com

"Israel would like to send another astronaut to participate in an expedition by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Benny Elon, chairman of the Knesset Science and Technology Committee, told members of a NASA delegation visiting Israel."

Editor's note: Of course, the answer to Israel should be an emphatic "yes".

NASA to mark 5 years since Ramon's death, Jerusalem Post

"Five years after the Columbia space shuttle broke up over Texas, a delegation of NASA astronauts and a scientist will attend a memorial conference for Israeli astronaut Col. Ilan Ramon and the six other crew members who died."

Challenger disaster 22 years ago Monday, Boston Herald

"On Monday, Rep. Paul Hodes, D-N.H., introduced legislation to honor the shuttle crew. "The crew of the Challenger embodied the goals of the United States space program: a commitment to knowledge of our universe and inspiring a new generation of scientific pioneers," Hodes said."

Distant Memorials

Constructing the Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial Inukshuk on Devon Island

"On Wednesday, 18 July 2007, Leroy Chiao, Matt Reyes, myself and a group of Inuit students constructed a memorial inukshuk on Devon Island to honor the crew of Space Shuttle Challenger."

Arctic Memorials and Starship Yearnings

"Our task was a somewhat solemn one. We were here to erect a memorial to Columbia astronaut Michael Anderson. Two memorials have already been erected by members of the HMP Team. The memorials take the form of an inukshuk, a stone sculpture in rough human form used by the Inuit to mark territory. These stone structures serve as reference points for those who traverse this desolate place."

Columbia Crew Remembrance Service

NASA TV to Air Columbia Crew Remembrance Service

"NASA Television will provide live coverage of the Astronauts Memorial Foundation's remembrance service honoring space shuttle Columbia's STS-107 crew. The ceremony will be held at the Space Mirror Memorial on the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex at 10 a.m. EST on Feb. 1, the fifth anniversary of the Columbia accident."

An Enduring Memorial

Planetarium to Honor Life of Fallen Arlington Son - Captain David M. Brown

"The Arlington School Board unanimously approved a recommendation to name the Planetarium in honor of Captain David M. Brown. Captain Brown, a Yorktown High School graduate, died while serving as a mission specialist on the NASA Space Shuttle Columbia mission on February 1, 2003. In November 2007, Arlington Public Schools received a letter from Arlington resident George Wysor, a childhood friend and classmate of Brown's and an APS alumnus, requesting that the APS planetarium be renamed in memory of Captain Brown."

Remembering

Letter From President Bush Regarding The Fifth Anniversary of The Columbia Accident

"They assumed great risk so we could understand what lies beyond. the heavens. Americans are grateful for their service, and they will always be cherished."

Message from the NASA Administrator: Day of Remembrance

"The last week of January brings, every year, a confluence of sobering anniversaries that we honor this Thursday with our Day of Remembrance. On Jan. 27, we marked 41 years since the loss of the crew of Apollo 1, and with it NASA's loss of innocence. The Apollo fire made it clear that we bring to spaceflight the same human flaws as our forebears who first sailed the ocean or went aloft in stick-and-wire contraptions. Successive generations have known the same harsh truth; the crew of Challenger was lost to us on Jan. 28, 22 years ago, and on Feb. 1 we mark five years since the loss of Columbia."

Election 2008 Update

Getting Up to Speed on Space, Science (subscription)

"Blogs such as Space Politics and NASA Watch, and organizations such as the Mars Society, keep a close eye on every utterance by a candidate on space policy. They instruct their audience how to contact the campaigns and even coach readers on how to get a space question inserted into a presidential debate. And they are being heard. "It's a small but vocal group, and they've reached out from the beginning," says the Obama staffer. "I'm impressed with the grassroots effort," adds Lori Garver, a Washington, D.C., space consultant and former NASA official who advises Obama's chief rival, Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY). "They've done more than all the sophisticated lobbyists."

Alt.VSE Update

Scientists Hope to Adjust the President's Vision for Space, Science (subscription)

"When U.S. President George W. Bush laid out his plan for a revamped civilian space program in January 2004, he said it would provide "a great and unifying mission for NASA." That expansive vision included a launcher to replace the shuttle, a lunar base, and a slew of robotic missions to the moon and Mars that would put smiles on the faces of even the most skeptical planetary scientists. But 4 years later, that vision has instead triggered a civil war among competing interests within the space community. Some space researchers want to delay the launcher and a lunar base to protect the stalled science budget, whereas industry lobbyists are pressing hard to speed up those schedules."

Kistler Loses GAO Protest

B-310741, Rocketplane Kistler, January 28, 2008, GAO

"The National Aeronautics and Space Administration could use a Space Act agreement under that agency's "other transactions" authority, and was not required to use a procurement contract, for the development and demonstration of a space transportation system, where the principal purpose of the announcement was not to acquire goods or services for the direct benefit of the agency, but to stimulate a public purpose authorized by law.

The protest is denied."

50 Years Ago Today

First U.S. Satellite a Triumph of American Ability and Vision, AIA

NASA JPL Explorer 1 website

Explorer I Resolution Introduced to Commemorate 50th Anniversary of the Birth of the U.S. Space Program

"January 31, 2008 marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of the first U.S. satellite - Explorer I - and the dawn of the U.S. space program. Leaders of the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology marked that anniversary with the introduction of a U.S. House Resolution late yesterday remembering the landmark day and the remarkable advances the U.S. space program has yielded."

The following 4 videos offer different views of the launch and mission of Explorer 1. In the first video, MSgt. Stuart Queen talks about the Explorer 1 launch: "as a giant rocket was catapaulted into outer space".

Another video

NASA: Explorer 1 -- JPL and the Beginnings of the Space Age

First U.S. Satellite launched - newsreel

Incoming NRO Satellite Update

Columbia Data Aids Sat Re-entry Planning, Aviation Week & Space Technology

"Re-entry debris data and analysis derived from the space shuttle Columbia accident is being applied to Pentagon studies of how much of the failed National Reconnaissance Office NROL-21 spacecraft will survive re-entry heating and strike Earth in late February or early March. Several hundred pounds of spacecraft debris could land anywhere between 58.5 deg. north and south latitude. The orbit overflies all of the world's most populated areas. But statistically, the debris is far more likely to land harmlessly in an ocean, since water underlies more than 90 percent of the ground track."

USAF/NASA Red Tape Cancels Launch of Model Rockets

Reader note: "The planned launch of 50 Juno I model rockets from Cape Canaveral to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Explorer I launch has now been cancelled by the station's wing commander. Although the CCAFS has no quams about launching Deltas, Atlas and other massive rockets, they go into a complete tither when it comes down to launching a 12 inch long model rocket made of balsa wood and paper weighing just under 2 oz.

The intended launching was to be used as a fund raiser for the CCAFS Museum with each of the rockets being armed with the smallest engine they can carry, an A8-3. This engine would have propelled each of these 2 oz. Juno I replicas the a computer calculated altitude and or range of only 239 feet and each is recovered with a 12 inch parachute.

The Air Force, however, upon discovery of the planned flights felt that these rockets could pose a hazard to the nearby Delta pads- which are made of concrete and steel and are more than 10 times farther from the model's launch site than the rockets can fly. With that as their reason, the Air Force started the red tape machine. Soon the USAF Jags got involved and wanted a held harmless form signed by everyone near the launch site.

Next, a USAF person of non-importance decided to contact NASA and tell them that the rockets would be firing from the actual Explorer I launch site, which was on their property. Now enters the NASA red tape machine, which demanded a full safety review (keep in mind that kids have been flying such rockets since before NASA was even created). With this red tape storm in full swing, the CCAFS wing commander's office had heard enough and scrubbed all 50 launches.

Thus, all over America on January 31, 2008 school kids and adults will celebrate the the day that the US Army launched Explorer I into space by launching model rockets. In spite of the winter conditions, the launches will take place in parks and school yards and back yards all over the United States- every place EXCEPT for Cape Canaveral.

In 1958, the US Army restored the nation's pride following Sputnik, but it seems that in 2008, the Air Force and NASA cannot even get out of their own red taped way to launch a simple rocket made of balsa wood and paper.

NASA Budget Briefings

NASA Announces FY 09 Budget Briefings for Press

"NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale will brief the news media about the agency's Fiscal Year 2009 budget at 2:30 p.m. EST, Monday, Feb. 4. The press conference will take place in NASA Headquarters' James E. Webb Memorial Auditorium located at 300 E St., S.W., in Washington."

The Stars Like Dust

The Growing-up of a Star, ESO

"The astronomers had a close look at the object known as MWC 147, lying about 2,600 light years away towards the constellation of Monoceros ('the Unicorn'). MWC 147 belongs to the family of Herbig Ae/Be objects. These have a few times the mass of our Sun and are still forming, increasing in mass by swallowing material present in a surrounding disc."

Editor's note: I see a lot of stunning images every day as I prepare and post items on SpaceRef.com. Yesterday, one image passed through my gaze and caused me to take notice.

This image reminded me of one I first saw 30 years ago - in a (pre-Hubble) book called "Colours of the Stars" - an image of a star field so dense that you could see thousands of them in a glance with no effort. Almost like stepping stones across a brook. This new image from ESO, titled "Around MWC 147", shows a similar distribution of stars. In some places, at full resolution, it seems that the stars are bumping into each other - almost like couscous or grits in a pot of hot water.

Of course, they are not bumping into each other - we are looking at a 2D image of a vast 3D structure. That said, the clustering of so many stars gives them a commonality - almost Saganesque i.e. like the proverbial grains of sand often used to describe how many stars there are.

As always, there are artifacts in electronic images - places where images have been pasted together or portions where data collection was less than perfect. Stars that are a bit less than a pixel in size do not fully appear. Kind of like watching digital cable TV when the bandwidth drops and things start to break down to isolated clusters of pixels.

In looking at the hi-res version of this image I noticed some of these artifacts - seams in the image. Given the sheer density of the stars in this image, I could not help but think that the home star of a sentient civilization could have inadvertently been omitted due to someone's Photoshop skills or the sensitivity of a CCD. A few pixels and someone's history is omitted.

Just recall the scene from the film "Apollo 13" where Tom Hanks (as Jim Lovell) holds his thumb up to obscure Earth - and his reaction to be being able to do so.

Zooming back out a bit, I get this impression that stars are not rare things. Indeed, they are common. And even if the conditions for life require a rather rare confluence of conditions, ample opportunities for life exist due to the sheer number of stars.

As I look at this image, I cannot help but think of the title of an Isaac Asimov novel "The Stars Like Dust" - for that is exactly what I am seeing.

So, take that, those of you out there who think we can learn nothing from exploring space - and ourselves - virtually and in person.

Coalition for Space Exploration Drops The Ball

Editor's note: I got this email today:

"Dear Space Advocate, This week, the presidential candidates will be at the podium again discussing the significant topics of our nation, and YOU have a chance to ask about what's important. As a supporter of space, this is your opportunity to get questions about Space Exploration at the forefront of the debate. Please check out the following link: http://capwiz.com/spaceadvocate/utr/1/OSTZIARNGS/ATHLIARRAS/1699563546, and vote for your favorite question, or submit one of your own. Questions about candidates' views on Space Exploration have been in the top 10 for over a week. Let's keep these on the radar. Be sure to check out the "most popular" area in both the Democratic and Republican section to see the specific question and submit your vote. SpaceAdvocate.com is current undergoing maintenance at this time. However, you CAN make a difference by making your voice heard this week. Cast your vote or submit a question.... TODAY!

Sincerely, SpaceAdvocate.com and the Coalition for Space Exploration"

There is one small problem with this. If you go to SpaceAdvocate.com you will see that it is obviously no longer being operated by the Coalition for Space Exploration. Rather, a check of domain records shows that it is owned by some guy in Ankara, Turkey. I'm not certain how the Coalition folks could call this goof-up "maintenance" when they apparently have lost control of one of their prime websites.

Election 2008 Update

Young Engineer Leads Effort To Make Space a Topic of Presidential Debate, Space.com

"[John] Benac's call-to-arms read in part: "[W]e have a tremendous opportunity to put Mars on the political map for the presidential candidates. I have submitted a question for the Republican and Democratic debates that are happening in Los Angeles on January 30th. The way that this debate works is that people submit and vote for the questions that they like online, and the candidates are asked the ones with the most votes. Please tell everyone you think would act on this." Benac's plea to "put Mars on the political map" was quickly picked up and reposted by the Mars Society and the Web site NASAWatch.com, driving more traffic to the CNN/Politico.com Web site, resulting in the posting of new questions and votes for favorites."

NASA Watch on TV

Editor's note: I did an interview earlier today with CNN about the reentering NRO satellite that aired on CNN Moneyline this evening. I am taping an interview with Fox News tomorrow about space and the 2008 election.

Ares 1 Problems

Thrust Oscillation Issue Threatens Ares I Design, Aviation Week

"Modifications to correct a potentially deadly vibration from the solid-fuel first-stage of the Ares I crew launch vehicle could range from tweaking the geometry of the propellant inside the rocket motor to unlocking seat shock absorbers in the Orion capsule so they protect astronauts on launch as well as landing."

Space Imagery as Art

Editor's note: I was doing my regular walk through raw images sent back from Saturn by Cassini. The images are organized on the webpage as thumbnails, 12 at a time. This time, something emergent appeared in my mind as I looked at several pages of thumbnails. The first thing that came to mind - instantly - was "Frank Stella".

Now, some of you may get this instantly. Most of you will not. You see, I served time as an art major in the 70s and my brother-in-law runs a modern art museum in The Netherlands. My point? Pictures from space can be pretty and often inspirational in their own right as individual works of art. However, they can evoke unexpected responses when seen in groupings. Perhaps someone at NASA should be thinking of a travelling exhibit - an art exhibit in a large format - of images from space.

There is a precedent: NASA just took the transcendent step of producing a tactile art book of images taken by spacecraft for the blind.

Editor's note: Several readers brought these art activities to my attention today:

From Earth to the Universe - an exhibit of astronomical images, International Year of Astronomy

"IYA2009 is an unprecedented opportunity to present astronomy to the global community in a way that has never been done before. The "From Earth to the Universe" project is an exhibition arranged by the IYA2009 that will bring these images to a wider audience in non-traditional venues such as public parks and gardens, art museums, shopping malls and metro stations."

Universal art - Photos from the Hubble Space Telescope show that science and beauty go hand in hand, Baltimore Sun

"Mapping the Cosmos: Images from the Hubble Space Telescope presents a vision of the universe that normally is invisible to us, in part because of the great distances involved and the obscuring effects of our atmosphere, and in part because Hubble's unblinking eye, orbiting 350 miles above Earth's surface, detects wavelengths of light that our eyes can't see."

Reader note: This book, "Touch the Invisible Sky," is actually just the latest in a series of books for the visually impaired (including Touch the Stars, Touch the Sun, and Touch the Universe). The author's website has more information: http://youcandoastronomy.com. The prototype for the next book in the series, Touch the Solar System, is under development.

O'Keefe Endorses McCain

Former NASA Chief Sean O'Keefe Endorses John McCain for President

"John McCain has been my friend for over 25 years -- and over that span of time in the varied leadership roles I have held, I have witnessed John's passion for doing the right thing on behalf of and as a friend to all Americans. I am proud to support him for president," said Chancellor O'Keefe. "John McCain personifies the depth of character and integrity we need in our next president. His candor, service and sacrifice, and leadership experience in every crucial debate over the last 20 years will serve to inspire the next generation of leaders to serve causes greater than their own self interest."

Stand and Be Counted: Only A Few Days Left!

Editor's note: Don't forget about the 30/31 January Democratic/Republican debates. They are now just days away. These are the last major televised debates before Super Tuesday. You still need to go to this link at Politico.com to submit/vote on space questions.

The frequency of space questions has dropped off and space questions are starting to slip in rankings. I have no idea when they will shut this off. Waste no time: add new questions, go to "most popular" for each party and make sure you have voted for the topic questions. Get your friends and family members to vote. And, if you are so inclined, you might want to vote at work, at home, at Starbucks, from your cellphone ... tell your spouse and kids to vote ... we need to use the same tricks that other "interests" use i.e. vote early - and often - and do so strategically.

You need to keep at this folks. Other "interests" have discovered this web page and are having an effect. This is a chance to make certain that the topic - and the veracity of its supporters - is known. These last few days are crucial. You have done a stellar job thus far - we can't let this opportunity slip as we head toward the home stretch.

As of 12:29 AM EST we are # 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 25 on the Democratic side - yet we are only #5, 8, 13, 15, 19, 20, 22, 23 on the Republican side.

WE ONCE WERE #1 ON BOTH SIDES.
WE NEED TO DO THAT AGAIN.
WE NEED TO TAKE OVER THE DISCUSSION.

THE TIME IS NOW
BE HEARD.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Otherwise, just sit down and shut up. You had your chance.

Taking Space Exploration to the Broader Exploration Community

Scott Parazynski at the Explorers Club: The Story of the International Space Station and the Mother of all Roadside Service Calls

"Tonight, The Explorers Club invites you to join Dr. Parazynski as he takes you along on one of the most dangerous spacewalks in NASA's history: enduring seven hours and 19 minutes of time working in the vacuum of space while risking potential electrical shock, sharp objects that could puncture his spacesuit and a long journey back to the safety of the station."

McCain Space Policy Statement

John McCain On the Issues: America's Space Program

"John McCain believes curiosity and a drive to explore have always been quintessential American traits. This has been most evident in the space program, for which he will continue his strong support."

Sen. McCain's comments on S. 2541 NASA Reauthorization Act

"Curiosity and a drive to explore have always been quintessential American traits. This has been most evident in the space program, which continues to show great advances in human knowledge. However, we are fully aware of the inherent risks and costs of space exploration, and the need to mitigate them wherever possible. Based on this knowledge, let us now embark upon this great journey into the stars to find whatever may await us."

Election 2008 Update

Candidates make room for space, Huntsville Times

"A month ago, I wouldn't have thought this the case, but (space exploration) is sort of in the candidates' face right now," said Keith Cowing, a former NASA astrobiologist who runs the Web site NASAwatch.com. "It seems as if something is happening (with space) and that hasn't been the case in years."Much of the political discussion centers on space exploration as a technology and education issue, Cowing said. "If you read some of the position papers carefully, then you see space and exploration as topics that are also linked to other aspects of technology development, balance of trade and education," Cowing said."

Editor's note: Check out the front page of today's (27 Jan) Sunday Huntsville Times. Also, the last line in this story, although attributed to me, was not something that I said. This error is being fixed by the Times.

Election 2008: Planetary Society Alert

Action Update: Submit Space Questions to the U.S. Presidential Debates, Planetary Society

"The U.S. Presidential primaries season is now in full swing, and debates among the candidates are taking place regularly before millions of viewers. It is a unique opportunity to push space topics onto the national political agenda. And you can help. Here's how: The sponsors of the debates are inviting the public to submit questions to the candidates online http://dyn.politico.com/debate/."

Look - Why Its a Big ....

Defunct Spy Satellite Falling From Orbit, AP

"A large U.S. spy satellite has lost power and propulsion and could hit the Earth in late February or March, government officials said Saturday. The satellite, which no longer be controlled, could contain hazardous materials, and it is unknown where on the planet it might come down, they said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is classified as secret. "Appropriate government agencies are monitoring the situation," said Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the National Security Council."

Election 2008 Update

Guiliani's Gamble, Hartford Courant

"He told them a Giuliani presidency will return America to the dominance it has lost in space. "The U.S. will be the first nation that puts somebody on Mars," he said. "We're not a limited people. We're not a people who think small," he told them. "We're here because we came from people who had grand visions."

Republicans, Lost in Space, NY Times

"Campaigning in his make-or-break state of Florida last week, Mr. Giuliani released a statement promising to "make space a priority." Apparently, America is facing a crisis far greater than health care or education reform: when the current fleet of space shuttles is retired in 2010, it's going to take as much as five years--five years, people!--before we can send another guy into orbit."

Mapping Half a New World

Counting Mercury's Craters

"On January 14, 2008, MESSENGER flew by Mercury and snapped images of a large portion of the surface that had not been previously seen by spacecraft. Ever since the first images were received back on Earth one day later, January 15, MESSENGER team members have been closely examining and studying this "new" terrain with great interest and excitement."

NASA Hits The Road

NASA Celebrates 50th Anniversary at Seattle Future Forum

"Mayor Gregory J. Nickels has signed a proclamation recognizing NASA for its contribution to the space-related economy in the Seattle region, as well as its role in exploration, scientific discovery and research. The day of recognition coincides with a NASA Future Forum at the Museum of Flight in Seattle on Jan. 25, the first in a yearlong series of events across the country to mark the agency's 50th anniversary. NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale is the keynote speaker at the forum."

Comets and Asteroids: Not So Different?

Stardust comet dust resembles asteroid materials

"Contrary to expectations for a small icy body, much of the comet dust returned by the Stardust mission formed very close to the young sun and was altered from the solar system's early materials. When the Stardust mission returned to Earth with samples from the comet Wild 2 in 2006, scientists knew the material would provide new clues about the formation of our solar system, but they didn't know exactly how."

Big Rock Set To Buzz Earth

Asteroid to Make Rare Close Flyby of Earth January 29

"Scientists are monitoring the orbit of asteroid 2007 TU24. The asteroid, believed to be between 150 meters (500 feet) and 610 meters (2,000 feet) in size, is expected to fly past Earth on Jan. 29, with its closest distance being about 537,500 kilometers (334,000 miles) at 12:33 a.m. Pacific time (3:33 a.m. Eastern time). It should be observable that night by amateur astronomers with modest-sized telescopes."

The Email NASA Is Saving May Be Yours

Message from the NASA Chief Information Officer NASA Records Management and E-mail

"The purpose of this memo is to bring to your attention NASA's policies regarding e-mail records management. In order to comply with the Federal Records Act, NASA is legally obligated to preserve records that document the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, and essential transactions of the agency."

Ares Design Issue Update

Ares "delay" puts NASA on the back foot, Nature

"Later, NasaWatch got hold of a NASA memo that seemed to show that the Ares launch had been delayed by 12 months (blog post, memo). However Griffin has denied this. His slightly tetchy denial is rather convoluted but he says this is not a delay but a "re-phasing" of milestones (NasaWatch blog post). Clear on that?"

Election 2008 Update

Tell McCain and Romney in Your Own Voice, ActionForSpace

"Tomorrow, January 24, all space supporters in Florida: at 6:45 p.m, Governor Romney attends a pre-debate rally at Bogart's Bar & Grille: Muvico Palace 20, 3200 Airport Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431 Go get yourself a burger, sidle up to good 'ole Mitt, and tell him why he needs to give NASA a couple billion more dollars. Tell him what effect if will have on your vote. He seems like a nice enough guy to talk to."

Revising the VSE: Keeping Our Eyes On The Prize

Editor's note: An effort to examine alternate approaches to NASA's current Vision for Space Exploration has been in the news of late. For every one of these efforts that makes the news, several others - also involving people of equal stature within the space community - are also underway albeit without nearly as much fanfare.

NASA will have a hard time arguing with some of the logic that enters into and emerges out of these activities. Some alternate architectures will be mostly science-driven whereas the VSE is destination/Presidential decree-driven. Some will be a hybrid - with commerical goals included.

All approaches will have merits. All will have weaknesses.

To be honest, I am a bit agnostic about the specific destinations so long as the policy is inherently logical, linked to a firm budget, politically realistic, linked to commercial opportunities, and harnessed to engineering reality - so long as the endpoint is expansion away from Earth in a self-perpetuating and sustaining fashion. If done properly, we'll eventually get to visit everything.

If we reset the VSE every election cycle I am a bit afraid that each reiteration will be weaker than the previous one - and that NASA will be (rightly) accused of having attention deficit disorder.

However, forces are aligning that seek to refine/replace George Bush's VSE - and there is not much NASA can do about this if the notion catches on - especially if this effort has the support of one or more of Bush's prospective successors.

The legacy we all should be thinking about leaving behind as we dabble in alternate visions must be how vibrant the notion of a "vision" for space exploration is. And in so doing, we must assure that whatever vision emerges and moves forth to become our nation's next iteration of space exploration quidance is able to morph and adapt to changing circumstances - such that the core notion of exploration and moving forward - and outward - is always retained.

Moon Stuck, Aviation Week

Letter to the Editor Regarding Aviation Week Article "Moon Stuck"

Examining the Vision - Balancing Science and Exploration (Draft agenda, speakers)

"10:00 - 11:30 Panel: Space Science as Exploration Moderator: Len Fisk Panelists: Wes Huntress, John Klineberg, Doc Horowitz, Owen Garriott"

Virgin's Green Spaceship

Richard Branson's Remarks at the Unveiling of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo

"If our new system could carry only people into space, that would be enough for me, because of the transforming effect it will have on the thousands who will travel with us. It is quite clear from every astronaut that I've ever spoken to -- including Brian Binnie and Mike Melvill -- that seeing the planet from out there, surrounded by the incredibly thin protective layer of atmosphere, helps one to wake up to the fragility of the small portion of the planet's mass that we inhabit, and to the importance of protecting the Earth."

Virgin Galactic Unveils Spaceship Designs

"Virgin Galactic today unveiled the design of its new, environmentally benign, space launch system based on the X Prize winning technology of SpaceShipOne, which successfully flew into space for the third time in October 2004 and won the $10m Ansari X Prize. The construction of the White Knight Two (WK2) mothership, or carrier aircraft, is now very close to completion at Scaled Composites in Mojave, CA and is expected to begin flight testing in the summer of 2008. It is the world's largest, all carbon composite aircraft; it has a unique high altitude lift capacity, capable of launching SpaceShipTwo and its eight astronauts into sub-orbital space flight."

Hawleys Departing NASA?

Editor's note: Word has it that Steve Halwey and Eileen Hawley will be leaving NASA soon. NASA sources report that Steve Hawley has accepted a position at the University of Kansas.

Astronaut Health Survey Released

NASA Johnson Space Center Astronaut and Flight Surgeon Survey Report

"In response to findings of both the internal JSC review and NASA Astronaut Health Care Committee, JSC decided to gather additional data. JSC collected information directly from astronauts and flight surgeons through an anonymous survey, to understand if changes in current policies or procedures are needed."

This Is Why Brits Think That Dr. Who Is Real

Mystery image of 'life on Mars', BBC

"An image of a mysterious shape on the surface of Mars, taken by Nasa spacecraft Spirit, has reignited the debate about life on the Red Planet. While some bloggers have dismissed the image as a trick of light, others say it is evidence of an alien presence. The image is a recent Nasa posting of the Spirit's landing in 2004."

Alt.VSE Update

Dissent Grows as Scientists Oppose NASA's New Moon Mission, Popular Mechanics

"NASA's current plan for manned space exploration focuses on establishing a base on the moon, as a vital stepping stone for a visit to Mars. The initiative has been trumpeted by the Bush administration, which wants the first mission to launch by 2020. But trouble is brewing as a growing group of former mission managers, planetary scientists and astronauts argues against any manned moon mission at all. One alternative, they say: Send astronauts to an asteroid as a better preparation for a Martian landing."

Election 2008 Update

Space becomes primary frontier as candidates court voters in Fla., ATlanta Journal Constitution

"For the first time in decades, space policy is emerging as a presidential campaign issue and, political strategists say, could become a decisive factor in the race to the White House. In the run-up to Florida's Jan. 29 primary, candidates have begun to talk about their views on the future of human space exploration. On Friday, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani stopped at Kennedy Space Center to pledge he would give NASA the money it needs to return Americans to the moon and go to Mars. On Monday, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney followed suit."

Time to put the Heat Onto Barack, Political Action For Space

"Barack Obama is opening up a campign office in Huntsville in a few hours! Go there and tell him (or his campaign people) that his space policy needs to be revised!"

ESAS 101 For Dummies

NASA Administrator Mike Griffin's Remarks to the Space Transportation Association (with audio)

"Today's topic is motivated by the inquiries I've had lately, in one forum or another, concerning various aspects of NASA's post-Shuttle spaceflight architecture. None of the questions is new, and all of them were elucidated during our Exploration Systems Architecture Study (ESAS)... But more than two years have gone by, and the logic behind the choices we made has receded into the background. People come and go, new questioners lacking subject matter background appear, and the old questions must be answered again if there is to be general accord that NASA managers are allocating public funds in a responsible fashion."

Griffin Gets Snarky at DC Breakfast

Editor's note: I just find it curious that Mike Griffin can get so thin skined as to refer to my question's tone as being "pejorative" and then be snide and insulting in response when I declined to "remove that tone" - and then turn around and say - using a pejorative term - that his employee "screwed up" a moment later. Gee Mike, I know I'm not a pleasant person to interact with, but isn't there a more professional way you could have characterized Jeff Hanley's actions?

Mike Griffin speaks and takes questions at the Space Transportation Association Breakfast, 22 January 2008, Washington DC

Cowing: Last week I asked a question of ESMD Public Affairs about whether the Ares 1-Y flight had been delayed. They replied "NASA has not announced a 12 month postponement of any Ares or Orion test flights and has no plans to do so". Yet several days before that. Jeff Hanley, the Constellation program manager, wrote a memo that said exactly that - that he had internal plans and changes and that the Ares 1-Y had been shifted by one year. Now, are you going to be shifting the launch of Ares 1-Y and if not, why is your Constellation Program Manager announcing this to more than 80 people within the agency?

Griffin: Well, if you could take the pejorative tone out of your voice I'll actually try and answer your question.

Cowing: No ... I'm not going to remove it.

Griffin: You're not going to remove the pejorative tone from your voice?

Cowing: No sir.

Griffin: I guess you're not capable of it. Um .. I'll answer your question.

Um, actually, Jeff screwed up.

We normally like our program managers, when they are ready to announce a delay or a re-phasing of the program (because it is not actually a delay), to coordinate all that with everybody that needs to know. And, uh, Jeff was in a bit of a hurry, because we have contract negotiations with Lockheed - and we have budget posture hearings for - moi - coming up in a couple of weeks and we did not want to be announcing any re-phasing of our test program the day after our budget posture hearing as opposed to the week before.

So, what we like to do in keeping with the spirit of openness that I was just talking about earlier, is there are certain times in the year when everybody who is in this business knows that it is really a good idea to get your cards out on the table. And right before I do a budget posture hearing is one of them.

So, Jeff and the guys have been doing what a great program manager does. He is taking his budget and he is trying to figure out how to rephrase his intermediate milestones in order to deal with his budget and to preserve our end goal with the greatest possible efficacy.

So what's our end goal? Our end goal is to produce a CEV - Ares - Orion combination which can service space station at the earliest possible date.

I don't actually care - Jeff doesn't actually care - Rick Gilbrech doesn't actually care what the intermediate milestone dates are. They serve the end goal - they don't drive it, So, Jeff has been looking for quite some months - and everyone inside the program has known this - it was a topic of discussion at our review in November - inside the program Jeff has been looking at how he can best re-phase his internal milestones such that we preserve with maximum confidence the desired end state. The outcome is more important than the process - by a whole lot. And so I think that's been done magnificently.

The only issue is that Headquarters got notified of it by the same email that the rest of the folks did!

And so, for that, you know, if one of our program managers is going to make a mistake, or if I am going to, this is the kind of mistake I'd rather make than something more serious. So, we looked at it and said well, you know, maybe we want to think about all that before we slip intermediate milestones and make sure we're all on board with how that's being done and its kind of hard to reverse that process.You know once you announce those kinds of intermediate milestone dates then vendors, suppliers, ground systems folks, all begin re-phasing their internal planning to new dates and we don't want to back them up and have them start over. I mean, just the most logical kind of stuff.

So, I would not want anybody to think that there's anything - I just wouldn't want anyone to think that here is anything serious here.

Now, you can think that I am trying to game you. Although I think by this time - whatever tools I have in my quiver - arrows I have in my quiver - gaming people isn't one of them. So I am telling you the straight truth. We, you know, its just a process ... we need to look at it. We probably will be making changes in our intermediate milestones in order to best preserve - with maximum confidence - the end state for the availability of the Ares- Orion But that's the goal.

NASA's Internally Announced Plan To Delay Ares 1-Y

"Pursuant to recent analysis of program resource execution plans, the Program is adjusting the internal launch dates for the CxP Flight Manifest as follows:

1. Ares 1-Y shifted 12 months from September 2012 to September 2013
2. Orion 1 shifted 9 months from March 2013 to December 2013
3. Orion 2 shifted 6 months from September 2013 to March 2014
4. Orion 3 shifted 3 months from March 2014 to June 2014
5. Orion 4 is not shifted and remains on September 2014"

- Original 16 January Hanley memo, PDF
- Original 18 January Hanley memo rescinding 16 January memo, PDF

Talk Of Ares Launch Delays, earlier post

NASA ESMD PAO: "NASA has not announced a 12-month postponement of any Ares or Orion test flights and has no plans to do so."

Editor's note: A memo sent out under signature across the entire agency to its senior leadership (check the 80+ cc: list) announcing: "Ares 1-Y shifted 12 months from September 2012 to September 2013" sure sounds like it was "announced" and that this was part of a "plan" i.e. a "recent analysis of program resource execution plans". Until someone put a halt to this, it would seem. I wonder who? We'll find out Tuesday morning at the STA breakfast - Mike Griffin was supposed to be the sole guest. Now Jeff Hanley and Steve Cook will be joining him to answer questions.

I just love it when ESMD is accurate in their responses to my questions.

ESMD Responds to Ares and Orion Questions, earlier post

Comments? Send them to nasawatch@reston.com

Star Trek Movie Trailer Online

Editor's note: The HiRes version of the new Star Trek trailer is online. Turn up the volume and watch it on a big monitor. If you go to this official website there are "webcams" that will show you the Enterprise under construction (so to speak). There are little sliders (the green bar) under each webcam feed that allow you to fine tune the webcam image so as to make it nice and crisp. The trailer is also on YouTube (below):

Stand and Be Counted: Space and Election 2008 - Update

Wolf Blitzer: What would you ask the Democrats in South Carolina?, CNN Politics.com

"I am going to be hosting a Democratic presidential debate on Monday, January 21, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina"

Editor's 20 Jan note: Wolf Blitzer just (11:44 am EST) read a space-oriented question on the air at CNN selected from those that have been submitted to this web page. Lets see if you can give him some more!

And don't forget about the 30/31 January Democratic/Republican debates. Go to this link at Politico.com to submit/vote on space questions. The frequency of space questions has dropped off and space questions are starting to slip in rankings.

You need to keep at this folks.

Editor's 20 Jan note: Rudy Giuliani was on CNN (12:23 pm EST) with Wolf Blitzer and made a fleeting mention of "having access to our space shuttle" as he talked about being in Florida.

Star Trek Immortality

Inspirational Professor Given Part In Star Trek, Trekmovie.com

"Dr. Randy Pausch is a highly respected and honored professor of Computer Science and co-founder of the Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. He is also a Trek fan. In November Dr. Pausch was offered a role to be in the new Star Trek movie, and it all started with a very special lecture he gave two months earlier."

"In September Dr. Pausch gave a lecture titled "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams," which was part of what is called "The Last Lecture" series. The series is designed for top lecturers around the country to impart what they feel are their most important life lessons, as if it were their last. What made Dr. Paush's lecture special was that it really was his last. A year before his lecture Dr. Paush was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. But to see Professor Pausch's humor-filled talk one would never know that he has been told that he only has months to live..."

HSPD-12 Update

Was the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit too liberal in stopping NASA background checks? You decide, ComputerWorld

JPL scientists resist NASA's bargain-basement inquisition, LA Times via SJ Mercury News

"For the last four years, two robot rovers operated from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory have been moving across the surface of Mars, taking photographs and collecting information. It's an epic event in the history of exploration, one of many for which JPL's 7,000 civilian scientists and engineers are responsible - when they're not fending off the U.S. government's attempts to conduct an intimidating and probably illegal inquisition into the intimate details of their lives."

Election 2008 Update

Time to put the Heat onto Romney, Political Action For Space

"Mitt Romney won the Nevada primary this morning. He also accepted the same invitation the Giuliani had acted on yesterday to meet with the Economic Development Council of Florida’s Space Coast."

Giuliani pledges to send astronauts to the moon and Mars, Political Action For Space

"Giuliani stated boldly and unequivocally today his commintment to send humans to the Moon and Mars, among other things."

Rudy at KSC today; Mitt coming Monday, Orlando Sentinel

"Next up is Mitt Romney. The former Massachusetts governor plans to visit KSC on Monday for a closed tour and then meet with the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast, which also lobbied Giuliani."

Inflatable Hab Up and Running in Antarctica

Blog; NASA/NSF/ILC Dover Antarctica 2008

"11 Jan Today started with the Inflatable Hab fully inflated on the site. Most of the morning was spent making sure the anchors were in place properly and outfitting the interior. Work continued on the preparation of the sensors and the "weather station" was installed. This will help folks back at JSC monitor the actually conditions at the structure's site after we leave and during it's one year deployment. The floor was also installed."

Using a Planetary Analog To Test a Prototype Inflated Habitat for NASA, SpaceRef

"I had a chance to visit the manufacturing facilities at ILC Dover in Frederica, Delaware last week to see the new inflatable habitat that they have developed. Together, NASA, ILC Dover, and NSF will put this habitat through a one-year test at McMurdo Station in Antarctica starting in January 2008."

Alt.VSE: Reinventing Bush's Vision for Space Exploration

Moon Stuck, Aviation Week & Space Technology

"Some of the most influential leaders of the space community are quietly working to offer the next U.S. president an alternative to President Bush's "vision for space exploration"--one that would delete a lunar base and move instead toward manned missions to asteroids along with a renewed emphasis on Earth environmental spacecraft. Top U.S. planetary scientists, several astronauts and former NASA division directors will meet privately at Stanford University on Feb. 12-13 to define these sweeping changes to the NASA/Bush administration Vision for Space Exploration (VSE)."

Talk Of Ares Launch Delays

Editor's note: NASA sources report that Jeff Hanley recently issued a memo wherein the need to delay the first Ares missions was discussed - and recommended. NASA sources also report that Mike Griffin did not agree with this recommendation and that he has countermanded the recommendations that Hanley made. When I asked NASA ESMD PAO about this issue today they replied:

"NASA has not announced a 12-month postponement of any Ares or Orion test flights and has no plans to do so.

This is federal budget season. As a routine part of NASA's annual budget preparation process, the Constellation Program is looking at schedule options for all program elements including Ares I-Y and the first three Orion test flights. This analysis of internal schedules will not affect NASA's public commitment to a 2015 date for the initial operating capability of Orion and Ares.

Evaluating schedule scenarios is a standard part of the program management process. Program managers constantly weigh schedules against available resources and make adjustments, as necessary, in order to achieve established program milestones.

A discussion of potential adjustments to internal planning dates for the launches of Ares I-Y and Orion 1, Orion 2, and Orion 3 should not be construed as a program delay. NASA has a formal approval process for schedule changes, and no schedule changes have been proposed formally or approved.

The scenarios being considered for Ares I-Y and the first three Orion test flights are not commitments and are in no way related to technical issues.

NASA remains committed to conduct the first launch of Orion and Ares I with astronauts aboard in March 2015."

ESMD Responds To Ares and Orion Questions

NASA Moon Rocket May Shake Too Much, AP

"Senior managers were told of the findings last fall, but NASA did not talk about them publicly until the AP filed a Freedom of Information Act request earlier this month and the watchdog Web site Nasawatch.com submitted detailed engineering-oriented questions. The response to those questions, given to both Nasawatch and AP, were shared with outside experts, who judged it a serious problem. NASA engineers characterized the shaking as being in what the agency considers the "red zone" of risk, ranking a five on a 1-to-5 scale of severity."

Severe vibration problem plagues moon rocket design, Houston Chronicle

"The vibration problem was disclosed today by NASA Watch, an Internet Web site focused on space agency issues. The space agency declined requests for interviews today but provided a lengthy written response in which it identified the problem as "thrust oscillation," an issue that surfaced in October during a design review. It characterized the problem as a pulsing of the thrust late in the burn of the Ares I first stage rocket."

NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate Responds to Ares 1 and Orion Questions

Editor's note: Earlier this month I submitted a series of questions to NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) regarding the Ares 1 and Orion projects. The following was provided to me by ESMD PAO on Thursday: ...

Werner Dahm Has Died

Huntsville has lost another one of the original team of German rocket scientists, Huntsville Times

"Werner K. Dahm, an internationally recognized rocket pioneer whose work in Germany and the United States made important contributions to the nation's ballistic missile programs and its manned and unmanned rocket programs, died late Thursday afternoon in Huntsville at an assisted living center. He was 90 years old."

Someone at NASA HQ Finally Understands How The World Will Soon Work (i.e. Already Does)

NASA IPP Solicitation: Development of a NASA-Based Massively Multiplayer Online Learning Game

"The NASA LT Project Office is requesting information to support the development of a NASA-based STEM educational MMO. A high quality synthetic gaming environment is a vital element of NASA's educational cyberstructure. This new synthetic world would be a collaborative work and meeting space as well as a game space of a kind familiar to increasing numbers of American students. Games and challenges in the MMO would engage students in a way that is both familiar and comfortable for them. In turn, participation in the MMO would build increased student awareness of STEM fields and lead more students to pursue STEM courses of study. The MMO will foster career exploration opportunities in a much deeper way than reading alone would permit and at a fraction of the time and cost of an internship program."

Editor's note: Wow. Looks like this got a lot of attention overnight:

Nasa investigates virtual space, BBC
Information Requested for NASA-Based MMORPG, Slashdot
World of NASAcraft?, NextGeneration
NASA Planning Educational MMO, Gaming Today
NASA To Recruit Via Online Gaming, Web Pro News
Space agency seeks gaming expertise for massively multiplayer game, GameDaily

Googling NASA

Google's Schmidt to NASA: Be more 'open', CNet

"Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt on Thursday suggested NASA could learn a few things from his company. Speaking at a luncheon series to commemorate the agency's 50th anniversary this year, Schmidt urged the space agency to take after what Google attempts to accomplish with its products: Build open, collaborative systems, not closed ones--a reference to NASA's legacy of creating mission-specific vehicles. Create simple platforms upon which others can build. And while you're at it, why not let spacecraft talk to each other?"

A Googleplex grows in D.C., CNet

"Last month, Google's 20 or so Washington employees moved a few blocks, to a 27,000-square-foot space that occupies one floor of a glassy building at 1101 New York Ave. (entrance shown here) in the heart of downtown, not far from K Street and its abundant lobby shops."

Google CEO and Chairman Speaks at NASA 50th Anniversary Event

"On Thursday, Jan. 17, the chairman and chief executive officer of Google, Eric Schmidt, will be the featured speaker for part of a lecture series honoring NASA's 50th anniversary."

Stand and Be Counted - It Seems To Be Working

Editor's 14 Jan note: If you are wondering why the presidential candidates don't spend more time talking about space exploration, here's your chance to try and change that situation and toss questions at them. Go to this link at Politico.com and submit a question to the Democratic and Republican candidates for the CNN/Politico/LA Times debates at the end of the month. Imagine what would happen if they had a thousand questions from NASA Watch readers submitted ... its time for y'all to put up or shut up. Send in a question. Send in more than one question.

Space Supporters Hit the CNN Presidential Debate Website Hard, Wired

"This is clearly not random chance. NASA Watch, a private website, ran a note about the website two days ago and it appears the readers (and likely the reader's friends, families, and associates) took this idea and ran with it."

Editor's 17 Jan a.m. update: Space questions continue to do well. There are still 2 weeks until the actual debates- so the trick now is to keep the momentum going. Vote for space questions, keep submitting your own, and try and focus on a single, clear question and avoid long speeches on one narrow topic, etc.

Meanwhile there is another debate where CNN is looking for your input:

Editor's 18 Jan a.m. update: It looks like activity has slacked off. The number of space-oriented questions has fallen from the top portion of the list - most notably on the Republican side. Things are better on the Democratic side but there has been erosion there as well. As best I can figure it there needs to be a constant influx of new questions while people vote for the older ones. The easiest way to do this is to check the "most recent" link several times a day and go down and click on all of the space questions you like. This way you don't miss any. In addition, going to the "most popular" page usually only works for new visitors (or for those of you using another computer). In essence: perseverance, new questions, and new people are required to keep this up. You have done a great job thus far - keep at it!

Space: The Final Electoral Frontier?, Orlando Sentinel

"The surge followed an appeal from NASA Watch, a private website, encouraging space supporters to flood the debate website with questions about space.  The request appears to have struck a nerve as NASA Watch aficionados and other space fans came out of the woodwork, inundating the website with inquires about the candidates' views on missions to the moon and mars, robotic exploration and climate change."

Submit Your Space Questions to the Debates, Planetary Society

"When you go to the site, you will see that numerous space-related questions already have been submitted, in large part thanks to the efforts of Keith Cowing, editor of the website NASAWATCH."

Earlier posts:

Wolf Blitzer: What would you ask the Democrats in South Carolina?, CNN Politics.com

"I am going to be hosting a Democratic presidential debate on Monday, January 21, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina"

Editor's 15 Jan a.m. update: You've been busy! Lots of space questions have been submitted and are now up for voting. Several questions seem to be heading to the top of the pack. New ones appear all the time. Look at what you have done already - imagine what will happen if you all keep at this every day and get others to vote until the debates on 30 and 31 January!

Editor's 15 Jan p.m. update: Well something is certainly in the wind. As of Tuesday evening, space-themed questions appeared 3 or 4 times in the most popular questions for both parties. A space question was #1 among the Democratic questions and #2 for the Republican questions. See screen grab. The best I can tell, based on how this website works, the smartest thing to do is to submit a good, general - but to the point - question and then vote for these questions multiple times a day (you get one vote per question per IP address) every time you see a new one. Keep at it folks!

LSU Is Looking For A New Chancellor

Chancellor Sean O'Keefe Announces Resignation, LSU

"The university system leadership clearly has the authority and deserves the prerogative to empower those who can take the university to the next level and I wish them every success in that quest. It is evident to me that LSU needs a campus leader who enjoys the full confidence of the board and the president. I have no doubt they will be successful in that endeavor."

Editor's note: No folks, contrary to idle speculation, he most certainly was not fired.

How To Heat Up Right Wing Talk Radio With One Sentence

2007 Was Tied as Earth's Second Warmest Year, NASA GISS

"As we predicted last year, 2007 was warmer than 2006, continuing the strong warming trend of the past 30 years that has been confidently attributed to the effect of increasing human-made greenhouse gases," said James Hansen, director of NASA GISS."

HSPD-12 Update

Inquisition at JPL, opinion, LA Times

"NASA Administrator Michael Griffin, however, is one of the Bush administration's true believers, and his first reflex always is a crisp salute. He directed Caltech, which has a contract to run JPL for NASA, to make sure all of the lab's employees complied. The university initially resisted, then caved when NASA threatened to withdraw its contract. Worse, the government demanded that the scientists, in order to get the badges, fill out questionnaires on their personal lives and waive the privacy of their financial, medical and psychiatric records. The government also wanted permission to gather information about them by interviewing third parties."

No Longer Undiscovered Country

NASA MESSENGER's First Look at Mercury's Previously Unseen Side

"When Mariner 10 flew past Mercury three times in 1974 and 1975, the same hemisphere was in sunlight during each encounter. As a consequence, Mariner 10 was able to image less than half the planet. Planetary scientists have wondered for more than 30 years about what spacecraft images might reveal about the hemisphere of Mercury that Mariner 10 never viewed."

Americans, Science, Technology - And Space

National Science Board Science and Engineering Indicators 2008, NSF

"Science and Engineering Indicators, published by the National Science Board, provides a broad base of quantitative information on the U.S. and international science and engineering enterprise."

NSB Science and Engineering Indicators 2008: Science and Technology: Public Attitudes and Understanding: Highlights

page 7-13: "Relative to other topics, including S&T-related topics, interest in space exploration has consistently ranked low both in the United States and around the world. Surveys in Europe, Russia, China, and Japan document this general pattern."

page 7-26/27: "Although support for federal research investment is at historically high levels, other kinds of federal spending generate even stronger public support (appendix table 7-18). Support for increased spending is greater in numerous program areas, including education (73%), health care (72%), assistance to the poor (68%), environmental protection (67%), and Social Security (61%). Scientific research ranks about on a par with mass transit (38%) and well ahead of Science and Engineering Indicators 2008 7-27 space exploration (14%) and assistance to foreign countries (10%) in the proportion of the U.S. population favoring increased spending."

ESMD - Unable or Unwilling To Answer Routine Questions

Editor's 15 Jan update: ESMD PAO just sent me a note: "We're converging on a final answer for your many questions, and my clients in ESMD have asked me to tell you that we expect to have the answer to you within 48 hours."

Editor's 14 Jan note: A week ago I submitted a series of questions regarding Ares 1 development to ESMD PAO. With the exception of a short email from someone at ESMD PAO last Monday ago telling me that they'd "update me tomorrow" I have heard absolutely nothing. Senior ESMD management was cc:ed on the original email. They know that these questions have been asked. What are they afraid of? Why won't they answer? Stay tuned.

Editor's 15 Jan update: Here are the specific questions I asked ESMD PAO - questions that they are either unwilling or unable to answer:

Do launch vibroacoustics, oscillations, etc. generated by the current Ares 1 design exceed acceptable baselined limits for the Orion spacecraft? Do these oscillations exceed limits and/or pose a risk to the crew inside the Orion spacecraft? If so, to what extent to they exceed acceptable limits?

Using a standard NASA 5x5 risk management matrix, what is the current risk rating of Ares 1 vibroacoustics and oscillations issue by the Constellation and Ares programs?

Have any presentations given by ATK, NASA or other contractor personnel in November or December 2007 - or at any other time - characterized the risk (using a standard NASA 5x5 risk management matrix) to Ares 1 first stage development as being 4x5 due to incomplete requirements and/or insufficient performance from the DAC-1 Ares 1 Design?

Are studies underway at NASA to reduce the weight of Orion and associated hardware so as to allow additional weight to be added to the Ares 1 to alleviate oscillation issues and/or conform to lower performance (payload capacity) by the Ares 1?

Is NASA looking at stiffening the Ares 1 structure so as to pass vibrations on to the Ares 1 upperstage and payloads i.e. Orion? If so what loads will be transferred to upper stages and/or payloads (Orion)?

Is NASA looking to use a dampening system to handle these vibroacoustic or oscillation loads? If so, what is the weight of such this system? How much would the weight of such a system affect Ares 1 payload capacity? What would be the added cost of such a dampening system?

Is a tiger team or working group working to report back to Ares and/or Constellation program managers on these Ares 1 vibration and oscillation issues? Is this tiger team due to report its findings in March 2008? If not March 2008, when are these results due to be reported and to whom will these results be reported?

Is any portion of the current tiger team's deliberations or proposed solutions considered to be restricted information due to ITAR concerns?

Was NASA Administrator Griffin made aware of these Ares 1 vibration issues in 2007? If so, when was he made aware of these issues? Who told him about these issues? What specifically was Griffin told about these issues? What was Griffin's response to these issues?

Is NASA currently working on any plans for alternate ways to launch the Orion spacecraft? Do these alternate approaches involve the use of EELVs? Do they involve other commercially available launch vehicles? Do they involve use of shuttle-derived launch systems? Do they involve the use of any launch vehicle design or concept with the working name of "Jupiter" or "Direct"?

If Administrator Griffin was ware of these design issues in 2007 did he inform Congress of these issues? If so, when? Has information on these design issues been presented to members of Congress or to Congressional staff by anyone at NASA?

Has any information on these Ares 1 design issues been presented to the Government Accountability Office? If so, when?

Another Chance to Get a Space Question To The Candidates

Your chance to ask the candidates a question, MSNBC

"Watch the Jan. 15th 2008 Democratic Presidential Candidates' Debate — the first debate since the New Hampshire primaries — on MSNBC TV and MSNBC.com to see if your question is asked."

JPL's SIM Prepares to Eat SMD's Lunch

Editor's note: Looks like the Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) is not only back, but it is going to eat SMD's lunch for the remainder of this decade and part of the next. The Omnibus Appropriations bill signed into law in December 2007 brings SIM back to life and puts it on a path toward launch.

If you look at this document, page 108, you will see wording for SIM inserted into legislation at the insistence of JPL via its congressional supporters:

"A total of $60,000,000, an increase of $38,400,000 above the budget request, has been provided for the Space Interferometry Mission (SIM). The Appropriations Committees disagree with the Administration's budget request of refocusing the Navigator Program to fund only core interferometry and related planet-finding science and reducing SIM to a development program. It should be noted that this mission was recommended by the National Academies Decadal Astrophysics report in 1990 and 2000 and should be considered a priority. With the funds proposed, NASA is to begin the development phase of the program in order to capitalize on more than $300,000,000 already invested by the agency. The SIM program has successfully passed all its technological milestones and is thus ready for development."

This means that Congress is pushing to actually do this mission i.e. it is pushing it from "studies" and "risk reduction" into an overt development phase. Of course, SIM development was not in SMD's budget. In so doing, JPL and its Congressional friends are putting NASA on a clear path toward needing more than $1 billion to make this mission happen over the coming years - money that will simply get carved out of the top line for SMD's budget for years to come. Of course, this is a budget that has no prospects for growth to counter this unplanned for addition - a budget many complain has already suffered too much at the hands of the White House and Congress. Stay tuned - the planetary science community is not exactly happy about this. Let's see if the Planetary Society gets hot and bothered by this Pasadena-centric issue.

Address By Mike Griffin Before the American Astronomical Society

"But let me be clear. As it stands now, my recommendations have not been adopted. The Fiscal Year 2008 Congressional direction for NASA "to begin the development phase" of SIM is quite clear. It disregards the community-based recommendations of the NRC and NASA's other advisory committees for maintaining a balanced portfolio of large and small missions, along with basic research and technology investments. The Congress does not dream up such direction on its own; clearly, external advocacy for SIM has been successful. If it stands, then the mission will be executed, and the remainder of the astrophysics portfolio will suffer. I hope this is what you want, because it appears likely to be what you will get."

Editor's update: Now, according to Nature, the name of the lobbying firm, the organization who paid it to lobby, they target of the lobbying is clear:

Funding edict for mission has NASA over a barrel, Nature

"Such advocacy is not a secret; nearly all major research institutions have a presence on Capitol Hill. SIM is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, which, as a NASA research centre, is forbidden from directly lobbying Congress. But the lab's operator, the California Institute of Technology, also in Pasadena, can. It has previously employed Washington-based Lewis-Burke Associates to lobby for it. Certainly, someone was able to bend the ear of Adam Schiff, a Democrat who represents Pasadena in the House of Representatives. Schiff is on the subcommittee responsible for funding NASA, and he was instrumental in pushing through the language specifying $60 million for SIM, saying the project is too important scientifically for NASA to kill it. "Congress is not willing to take a back seat on this," Schiff says."

Lewis-Burke Associates - note their clients

IFPTE on NAOMS

Letter From IFPTE To Congress Regarding NASA Handling of NAOMS Data Release, IFPTE

"On December 31st 2007, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin released redacted NAOMS data to the public. That moment should have been the beginning of a redemptive process in which NASA could move past this embarrassing episode. Alas, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin decided not only to repeat the inaccurate derogatory claims made at the October 31st House Science Committee hearing, but also to add a number of new inaccuracies to the mix (see a summary of ongoing disinformation below). His words, actions, and bellicose public behavior have seriously damaged NASA's credibility"

"False Statement #4: NASA's standard format for data release is PDF (portable document format)
At the press conference, the Administrator stated that "our standard format for data release is PDF format. ... I am sure that you know that the reason why we use PDF format is that the data cannot then be altered by others without our knowledge and still claim that it is NASA data." NASA however has no such policy. In response to a union query, NASA HQ responded that "First, the data to which Dr. Griffin refers pertains to data/information released by NASA Public Affairs (e.g., press releases), not scientific and technical information. Second, the use of the PDF format is a standard practice (not a policy) to protect the integrity of this data/information when released to the public."

Editor's note: This one takes the prize and clearly demonstrates blatant ignorance on the part of Mike Griffin and/or whatever staffer told him this. Mike, you can copy material out of these PDF files easily and import it to other software programs. Try it some time - you'll see.

Griffin Offers Official Excuses for NAOMS Release Process

Message from the NASA Administrator: 2008 National Aviation Operations Monitoring Service (NAOMS)

"Some have said that the initial release date of 31 December was chosen because it was a "slow news day". That is not the case. It was the earliest date we could achieve."

Editor's note: Perhaps if you had not dragged your feet for a month you could have issued this information earlier.

"Finally, we have been criticized for releasing the data in PDF. This is the standard form in which we release data publicly when no particular format has been specified or requested. However, it is true that the sheer volume of NAOMS survey data makes the use of PDF data somewhat cumbersome. Accordingly, I have made an exception to our standard practice in this case, and both the initially redacted data, and all subsequent data, will be published on our website in Excel format."

Editor's note: When is the last time NASA issued 16,000 pages of data in PDF format? You may be a super brain, Mike, but the rest of us can't just ingest all of that data and analyze it in the format it was provided in.

Air Safety Report Update

NASA Updates Aviation Safety Data Website

"NASA updated its National Aviation Operations Monitoring Service (NAOMS) website Monday to add a Microsoft Office Excel formatted version of previously posted files containing pilot survey responses."

Lawmakers hit NASA air safety report, Huntsville Times

"U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Tuscaloosa, wants the full report released to the public and he chided NASA officials for not releasing it in a way people could understand. "It took three years to compile the data and then another three years to publicly release it - in the form of a cumbersome and heavily redacted report." Shelby said in a statement to The Times. "If the NASA report was worth spending millions of dollars on, don't the taxpayers who paid for it deserve to see the results?"

Earlier NASA Watch posts

Countdown to Mercury Flyby

Today MESSENGER Flies by Mercury!

"Today, at 19:04:39 UTC (2:04:39 pm EST), MESSENGER will fly 200 kilometers (124 miles) above Mercury’s surface. As the spacecraft continues to speed toward the planet, the Narrow Angle Camera, part of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) instrument, acquired this crescent view of Mercury. The image was taken on January 13, when the spacecraft was about 760,000 kilometers (470,000 miles) from Mercury. Mercury is about 4,880 kilometers (about 3,030 miles) in diameter, and the smallest feature visible in this image is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) across."

MercuryToday.com
MercuryToday (Twitter)

The Astronaut Who Lives Next Door

21st-century pioneer, USA Weekend

"Leroy Chiao's preoccupation with the heavens has led to his becoming a leading member of two of the most elite and exclusive groups on Earth: NASA astronauts and, now, one of many pioneers in the frontier of commercial space flight. If he has his way, flying to the moon will be as common for our kids as hopping a flight to Grandma's."

An Icon of Exploration Has Died

Sir Edmund Hillary, a Pioneering Conquerer of Everest, Dies at 88, NY Times

"Sir Edmund Hillary, the lanky New Zealand mountaineer and explorer who with Tenzing Norgay, his Sherpa guide, won worldwide acclaim in 1953 by becoming the first to scale the 29,035-foot summit of Mount Everest, the world’s tallest peak, has died, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark announced Friday in Wellington. He was 88."

Sir Edmund Hillary, Honorary Chair, Explorers Club

"In 1985, Hillary accompanied Neil Armstrong in a small, twin-engine ski plane over the Arctic Ocean and landed at the North Pole. He thus became the first man to stand at both poles as well as the summit of Everest."

current webcam current images - a tribute to Edmund Hillary, Hillary Field Centre briefing room, Scott Base, Antarctica

An Antarctic Photo Album, Dale Andersen, Astrobiology.com: "During a recent visit with our New Zealand colleagues, we had the opportunity to meet briefly with the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Rt. Hon. Jim Bolger and others in his party including Sir Edmund Hillary."

Editor's note: Perhaps NASA can name a new, large feature on Mercury which will soon be discovered by MESSENGER after Edmund Hillary - and one for Tenzing Norgay as well.

Sir Edmund Hillary - The Man and His Mountain (1992), Joel Achenbach, Washington Post

"Sir Edmund Hillary and Neil Armstrong were on their way to the North Pole -- sounds like the set-up for a joke. But it happened six years ago, they were celebrity guests on some private polar expedition, and two famous explorers found themselves bunking down together in a hut above a frozen lake on an island in the Arctic Ocean. Two aging guys who long ago went somewhere far away and came back changed."

HSPD-12 Update: Court Rules in Favor of JPL Employees

Federal court of appeals rules in favor of JPL employees in suit against Caltech and NASA over intrusive background investigations, HSPD-12.org

"Today, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion in favor of the JPL employees who sued Caltech and NASA over intrusive background investigations. A lower court had dismissed the employee's claims and the employees won a temporary injunction from the ninth circuit court of appeals. Yesterday' the same lower court dismissed Caltech as a defendant in the case. Today's action by the court of appeals overules the lower court."

S.F. appeals court bars government's probes of NASA scientists, SF Chronicle

"After a hearing later Friday at which a federal judge in Los Angeles formally issued the injunction, Stormer said NASA had announced it would refrain from conducting the investigations of similar employees at any of its installations nationwide. NASA representatives were unavailable for comment."

Court Allows Scientists to Work at NASA Until Trial Over Background Checks, NY Times

"Michael Cabbage, a spokesman for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, said, "NASA will, of course, comply with any rulings from the court of appeals."

Space Exploration: More Than Just Dollars

Is Space Exploration Worth the Cost? A Freakonomics Quorum, NY Times

"Keith Cowing, founder and editor of NASAWatch.com and former NASA space biologist. ... Right now, all of America's human space flight programs cost around $7 billion a year. That's pennies per person per day. In 2006, according to the USDA, Americans spent more than $154 billion on alcohol. We spend around $10 billion a month in Iraq. And so on. Are these things more important than human spaceflight because we spend more money on them? Is space exploration less important? Money alone is not a