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Keith's note: Too bad that NASA OCT does seem to know how to feature - or at least make people aware of - articles like this - and do so in real time. Articles like this on prominent blogs such as Gizmodo point to the true potential - and real spinoffs - that NASA has already created - ones that await promotion and full utilization. Gizmodo gets 5.9 million page views per day and has approximately 3 million unique visitors - daily. Funny thing, NASA ARC and JPL PAO have been helping Gizmodo with this series of articles. But no one at NASA PAO seems to talk to anyone at NASA OCT (or vice versa). Free PR, y'all.
Recently in News Category
NASA takes first ever video of dark side of the moon, Fox News
Keith's note: Of course, video has been shot from lunar orbit before and there is no "dark side" of the Moon - all portions of the surface are dark or sunlit at one point or another depending on where the Moon is in its orbit. The only exceptions are some craters in the polar regions which have areas that are always "dark". But if there actually was a "dark" side of the Moon, how would you be able to take a video of it? Alas, despite the inaccurate headline that some genius at Fox came up with, the article itself, written by Space.com's Tariq Malik is completely accurate.
To the moon? It's not that loony, MSNBC
"GOP hopeful Mitt Romney says that he'd fire anyone who suggested spending hundreds of billions of dollars to build a moon colony -- but what about tens of billions of dollars? A former NASA adviser says he and others at the space agency drew up an approach that could put astronauts on the moon for $40 billion, as a "Plan B" for future exploration. "We figured out at NASA how to do it in about 10 years for $40 billion," said Charles Miller, who recently left his position as NASA Headquarters' senior adviser for commercial space and is now president of NextGen Space. "The question is, would Mitt Romney fire me for a proposal to return to the moon for $40 billion?"
Technologies that we've lost - and the quest to find them again, io9
"I asked NASA Watch's Keith Cowing about this, and he explained that this is just an urban legend. The schematics are all still around, mostly on microfiche, and any ancient computer files just hold images of the original plans as opposed to now unreadably obsolete data. Still, while the knowledge wasn't lost, it was certainly forgotten, and worse, it was badly organized. As Cowing - himself working on the rediscovery of old NASA documents with the Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project - told me, all this archival information was basically abandoned until NASA's started working on the Constellation program last decade, and now that that project has been forgotten the information is again beginning to gather dust. If there is a point of disconnect, it's more in terms of how we understand the information and the different ways in which we approach science forty-five years on"
Why doesn't NASA want us to see the first science fiction movie shot in space?, io9
"... while he was aboard the ISS, Garriott shot an eight-minute movie called Apogee of Fear, which he says is the first science fiction movie ever shot in space. And NASA won't let us see that film. Why not? .. the light-hearted film may be too playful for NASA, Garriott surmises. Until NASA gives permission, Garriott can't release his film -- which is easily the best science fiction film ever made in space! -- to the public. Or put it in the Smithsonian, which has requested a copy due to its historical importance."
Keith's update: I have seen a portion of this film. It is funny - and harmless. I am baffled as to why NASA flies SciFi toys like Buzz LightYear in space and openly cooperates with films such as "Transformers" and "Armageddon" - but they won't allow Garriott to release "Apogee of Fear". Once again we have evidence of a lack of any cohesive communications policy or process at NASA. They just make it up as they go - and in cases such as this, it shows.
Keith's update: Apparently the problem stems from NASA JSC where the default answer from the Astronaut Office and JSC lawyers is always "no". My understanding is that there will be some discussions in the coming days to discuss how this fun little SciFi flick can be shown to people - even if NASA JSC's lawyers continue to try and stop it.
Curiously, the Astronaut Office and JSC Lawyers also look the other way when astronauts do product placement for books written by JSC employees - at no charge to the author - but totally at taxpayer's expense (see "Product Placement on the ISS").
NASA Relents: Apogee of Fear, First Sci-Fi Film Shot in Space, Will Be Released, Wired
"Now I am pleased to report that things have changed for the better. In response to a query to NASA on the subject, I received the following reply from Bob Jacobs, deputy for communications at NASA: NASA is working with Richard Garriott to facilitate the video's release. While the project was not part of his original Space Act agreement with NASA, everyone involved had the best of intentions. We hope to resolve the remaining issues expeditiously, and we appreciate Richard's cooperation and his ongoing efforts to get people excited about the future of space exploration."
Keith's 23 January update: According to a Twitter posting by Richard Garriott: Friday I received the signed authorization to release Apogee of Fear! Consulting with my crew mates now..."
Continue reading Why Is NASA Afraid of Apogee of Fear? (Update).
U.S. Removes Phobos-Grunt Data from Web, Aviation Week
"The U.S. military has removed links to Phobos-Grunt tracking data posted on a public website detailing orbital parameters of the ill-fated Russian Mars mission that Russia says reentered Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean Jan. 15. .. But the military deviated from normal practice when it removed links to the spacecraft's reentry predictions while neglecting to publish final reentry data for the defunct probe Jan. 15. Instead, the site posted a vague statement asserting Phobos-Grunt "decayed within the forecast period of 16:59-17:47" GMT."
Jim Arnold, founding chemist at UCSD, dies at age 88
"James R. Arnold, founding chairman of UC San Diego's chemistry department and first director of the California Space Institute whose contributions to science spanned the study of cosmic rays to the future of manned space flight, died Friday, Jan. 6. He was 88. A longtime consultant to NASA, Arnold helped to set science priorities for missions, including the Apollo flights to the moon. He first served on a NASA committee in 1959, just three months after the space agency was established."
Statement by Secretary Clinton: International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities
"The long-term sustainability of our space environment is at serious risk from space debris and irresponsible actors. Ensuring the stability, safety, and security of our space systems is of vital interest to the United States and the global community. These systems allow the free flow of information across platforms that open up our global markets, enhance weather forecasting and environmental monitoring, and enable global navigation and transportation."
Fact Sheet: An International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities
"The Obama Administration is committed to ensuring that an International Code enhances national security and maintains the United States' inherent right of individual and collective self-defense, a fundamental part of international law. The United States would only subscribe to such a Code of Conduct if it protects and enhances the national and economic security of the United States, our allies, and our friends. The Administration is committed to keeping the U.S. Congress informed as our consultations with the spacefaring community progress."
Keith's note: This statement and the Fact Sheet was sent to me by the State Department Press Office in separate emails - both with this same note: "This email is UNCLASSIFIED."
Duh.
Wallops Island may become premier tourist attraction, DelmarvaNow
"As we start to look at more orbital launches at Wallops, we start to see more potential for tourism," said Lisa Challenger, director of Worcester County Tourism. "I've never been to a rocket launch in Florida, but apparently, it's huge. We have the potential to attract a lot of people, so we want to be prepared for that." Tourism officials also need to prep for the inevitability that a launch could get scratched, and setting up ways to redirect visitors if that happens, Challenger added. She said rocket launches, whenever they arrive to Wallops, would be so spectacular that they would be visible along the coast from Delaware to Virginia Beach -- the thrill that's at the root of making this a tri-state effort."
Keith's update: Great idea. Imagine this: people might actually get in their car and drive a fair distance just to watch something launched into space. Alas, NASA Wallops PAO and center management are incapable of conducting even basic public engagement activities surrounding launches. Most people only learn of launches after the fact - if at all. By far, residents in Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware are blissfully unaware of the fact that things have been launched into space from Wallops for half a century and that more activity lies ahead. NASA clearly does not seem to want to step up to this task, so it is up to the surrounding communities to do so. But unless NASA Wallops provides data on launches with sufficient lead time, these external efforts are doomed from the onset.
NASA Langley gate access change hurts Poquoson businesses, Daily Press
"A change to employee access at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton is having a negative impact on Poquoson businesses, and doesn't appear to be resolved. NASA Langley's back gate on Wythe Creek Road used to be open to both incoming and outgoing traffic from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. In October incoming access was changed to 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. only because budget cuts eliminated the gate guard, said NASA Langley spokesman Rob Wyman. The new traffic pattern added an additional two-mile drive for employees to get back into work via the front gate. Since then Poquoson businesses, and particularly restaurants, have seen a drop in lunchtime business."
Cold Fusion: NASA Says Nothing Useful, Forbes
"I find it interesting and rather puzzling that the summary states that LENR is the new name for cold fusion (thereby implying that the two terms describe the same process) when many other people and organizations argue that these are quite different phenomena. I'd love to read a simple explanation of the difference between LENR and cold fusion that doesn't use explanations that themselves require further, and equally complex, explanations. Anyway, it appears that the NASA recently published something much more interesting about Low Energy Nuclear Reaction or LENR. Last Wednesday, with a minimum of fuss, NASA's Glenn Research Center released a video on their Web site that discussed the organization's LENR research."
Why is NASA Langley Wasting Time on Cold Fusion Research?, earlier post
Keith's note: It should be quite obvious that NASA Headquarters exerts little - if any - control over what its field centers do - especially when quack science is concerned. At a time when NASA is trying to justify its relevance, the continued semi-clandestine support for this goofy fringe science calls into question the process whereby NASA decides what should be funded - and why. Here's the official NASA video. And just who is advising Ray Lugo or Lesa Roe on this wacky stuff? Let's see how (or if) NASA PAO responds. If this is the big deal that some folks at NASA claim it is (see patent application below) then why is NASA Headquarters silent on this topic - especially given that Charlie Bolden is mentioned (by position) on the patent application?
Method for Producing Heavy Electrons, United States Patent Application
Zawodny; Joseph M.; (Poquoson, VA) Assignee: USA as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC
"[0032] The advantages of the present invention are numerous. Devices/systems made in accordance with the present invention control the frequency of the SPP resonance and its uniformity over large surface or volume regions. This will allow an entire device to participate in heavy electron production and ensuing energy generation. The present invention is adaptable to a variety of physical states/geometries and is scalable in size thereby making it available for energy production in a wide variety of applications (e.g., hand-held and large scale electronics, automobiles, aircraft, surface ships, electric power generation, rockets, etc.)"
US won't sign EU space treaty, The Hill
A senior State Department official said Thursday that the United States will not sign onto a European code of conduct treaty laying out rules in outer space. Ellen Tauscher, the State Department's undersecretary for arms control and international security, said the rules the EU has currently proposed were "too restrictive" for the United States to agree to.
U.S. Rejects Current Draft of EU Code of Conduct; considers another agreement, Examiner
In a surprising turn of events, it was announced that the U.S. will not be signing onto the current draft of the proposed EU Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities. Citing that the current draft as worded is too restrictive, Ellen Tauscher, undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, said during a January 12th breakfast that it was clear from the beginning that the Administration was not going along with the Code. While the current draft has not been rejected outright, according to another government official the Code could be used as a basis for another international agreement.
New space-arms control initiative draws concern, Washington Times
"The Obama administration is launching a new space arms-control initiative that critics say will lead to restrictions on U.S. military activities in space, a key U.S. strategic war-fighting advantage. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is expected to announce the initiative as early as Tuesday. The plan will be built on work contained in a European Union draft code of conduct for space that the Pentagon and State Department have criticized as too restrictive."
Keith's note: Gee, I sure hope Tyson doesn't say things like this to the young people who visit the Rose Center to learn about the wonders of space. Talk about a quick way to deflate someone's career goals. Why study for a career that focuses on helping to send humans to Mars if its going to happen in China - not the U.S.?
My Twitter response to Tyson's original tweet: ".@neiltyson WRT bit.ly/zNcZTA You think that the first human on Mars will be Chinese? No faith in the U.S.? Defeatist. EPIC FAIL"
"NASA ROCKET SUCCESFULLY LAUNCHED JANUARY 11 - WALLOPS ISLAND, VA - A flight test of a NASA Terrier-Improved Malemute suborbital sounding rocket was successfully conducted today from NASA's launch range at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Launch time was 8:25 a.m. The launch vehicle is being developed to support NASA science missions. The next rocket launch from Wallops Island is currently scheduled for no earlier than March 15. For information on NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, visit the web at: http://www.nasa.gov/wallops"
Keith's 9:16 am note: That is the entire press release. It would seem that Keith Koehler took a press release Haiku class. He tries to get away with the fewest words possible in these press releases. Nothing about the launch itself, its purpose, etc. This is an attempt to provide the least amount of information possible to the media. There is virtually nothing on the Wallops website - no launch photos - nothing. And Tweeting doesn't count - indeed, Kohler can't even be bothered to retweet the screen grab photos that Bob Jacobs tweeted. I guess no one at Wallops knows how to use a cellphone camera.
I hope someone with actual interest in promoting what Wallops does applies for the PAO job opening. at Wallops. If this is how NASA PAO does things at Wallops then no one is going to be paying attention when Orbital launches its Antares/Cygnus flight.
Job Opening: Apply to Fix Wallops' Broken PAO, earlier post
Keith's 1:32 pm update: Four hours and the Wallops website still refers to this launch as an upcoming event. No photo of the launch. No posting of the "press release". This is inexcusable - but Wallops management doesn't seem to care.
Keith's 2:00 pm update: The updates finally got posted. WFF claims it happened hours ago. It sure did not show up for me - and I have been checking.
Restored Photos: Project Gemini Comes to Life
"On 23 March 1965, the first of ten crewed Gemini spacecraft was launched carrying it's crew of two astronauts, Gus Grissom and John Young. The NASA Johnson Space Center and the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University today proudly unveil the Project Gemini Online Digital Archive. The archive contains the first high-resolution digital scans of the original Gemini flight films, now available in several formats with a click of your mouse."
NASA Issues Call for Visionary Advanced Technology Concepts
"NASA's Space Technology Program is looking for far-out ideas. The NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts, or NIAC, program is seeking proposals for revolutionary concepts with the potential to transform future aerospace missions. Proposed concepts should enable new capabilities or significantly alter current approaches to launching, building and operating space systems. NIAC projects are chosen for their innovative and visionary characteristics, technical substance, and early development stage -- ten years or more from use on a mission. NIAC's current portfolio of diverse and innovative ideas represents multiple technology areas, including power, propulsion, structures and avionics."
LtCol Paul Damphousse USMC (Ret) Named Executive Director As NSS Enters Its 25th Year
"LtCol Damphousse brings a wealth of space, operations, and legislative leadership experience to the position of Executive Director. Until his recent retirement from the U.S. Marine Corps following a 22-year career, he served as Chief of Advanced Concepts for the National Security Space Office (NSSO) and the DoD Executive Agent for Space in Washington, DC. In this capacity he led the NSSO's space-based solar power effort and championed the Small Unit Space Transport and Insertion (SUSTAIN) concept as a near-instantaneous crisis response capability. His work on the latter resulted in the publication of a concept of operations and technology roadmap for suborbital/SUSTAIN missions. He has also served as Florida Senator Bill Nelson's NASA Fellow, the Senator's principal advisor for all civil and national security space matters, where he played an instrumental role in advancing new commercial spaceflight activities."
Book Review: Fifty Years on the Space Frontier: Halo Orbits, Comets, Asteroids, and More
"Most people have never heard of Robert Farquhar outside of NASA - and that is a shame. The cover of this book says it all. Look at this exquisite orbit Farquhar created to take an old spacecraft so as to repurpose it and throw it at not one but two comets.
Sheer artistry."
Why Space?, Rick Tumlinson, Huffington Post
"To some of us who have the frontier calling, there is no question "Why space?" It makes no sense. We look out and know that out there are more galaxies than there are all the grains of sand on all the beaches and in all the deserts of the world and in each of those a million times a million suns, around which swirl millions of worlds, each different, each a question mark itself and each a possibility for new life, new knowledge and new places to be -- and we wonder, how could anyone, anyone, ask such a question?"
Buzz Aldrin Visits Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project
"On 6 January 2012, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin visited the Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project (LOIRP) located at Building 596 aka "McMoons" at the NASA Ames Research Park at Moffett Field, CA. Behind Buzz is the FR-900 tape drive restored and enhanced by LOIRP to play back the original analog data tapes generated by the five Lunar Orbiter missions in the 1960s."
American Space Exploration Leadership -- Why and How, Buzz Aldrin, Huffington post
"But NASA is critical to success and always will be. Chris Kraft has pointed out that we already have a fairly robust set of launch vehicles being provided by the commercial sector. So, in this area, we do not need the government competing to develop another launch vehicle. One could -- on another day -- even discuss whether we need a 130 metric ton launch vehicle, but assuming we do, the U.S. launch industry is capable of building a vehicle capable of such lift reasonably soon. After all, only four years were needed for the U.S. space launch industry to develop EELV. Likewise, Falcon 9 was developed in a little more than seven years."
China Releases White Paper - China's Space Activities in 2011, SpaceRef
Marc's note: China's Information Office of the State Council today published a white paper on China's space activities in 2011. You can download a PDF of the white paper from the SpaceRef web site.
"Outer space is the common wealth of mankind. Exploration, development and utilization of outer space are an unremitting pursuit of mankind. Space activities around the world have been flourishing. Leading space-faring countries have formulated or modified their development strategies, plans and goals in this sphere. The position and role of space activities are becoming increasingly salient for each active country's overall development strategy, and their influence on human civilization and social progress is increasing."
Marc's note: You can watch live the final flight of the year of an Arianespace Soyuz-Fregat launch at 12:09 pm ET. This is the 1,784th launch of a Soyuz rocket which will orbit six new satellites of the Globalstar-2 constellation. The launch is from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Marc's Update 2:17 pm: The Soyuz has launched successfully. from Arianespace:
"For today's launch, the liftoff occurred at 11:09 p.m. local time from Baikonur Cosmodrome's Launch Pad #6 and was the 1,784th flight of a Soyuz family vehicle. During the mission, Soyuz' re-ignitable Fregat upper stage performed two propulsive burns separated by a coast phase of approximately 50 minutes, followed by the Globalstar satellites' separation in a two-step process. The initial spacecraft pair was released from the upper portion of a purpose-built dispenser system, followed 1 minute, 40 seconds later by the remaining four satellites' separation from the dispenser's lower section."
Marc's note: NASA has released this edition of "This Year @NASA". Enjoy the highlights.
Another Soyuz rocket launch fails, BBC
"Russia's recent poor launch record has continued with yet another Soyuz rocket failure. This time, a Soyuz-2 vehicle failed to put a communications satellite into orbit after lifting away from the country's Plesetsk spaceport. Debris is said to have re-entered the Earth's atmosphere near the western Siberian town of Tobolsk."
Marc's note: Based on the records I've found this appears to be the first failure of the Soyuz-2.1b which had previously launched successfully six times. It appears the third stage failed at the 421 second mark. The Soyuz rocket was launching a Meridian military communications satellite for the Russian armed forces.
"The OIG audit released today recognized that development of an integrated facilities master plan is a positive step toward better managing NASA's diverse real property assets. However, we found deficiencies in the individual Center master plans NASA is using to develop the integrated plan, which may limit the plan's usefulness for making strategic real property decisions. Specifically, we found that the Center plans were developed using funding assumptions that are no longer realistic and are missing some of the essential information needed to make objective Agency-wide real property decisions. In addition, because of uncertain mission requirements 5 of NASA's 10 Centers did not develop master plans to reduce their real property in accordance with Agency goals. Moreover, the restrictive criteria and competitive nature of the prioritization process the Agency used for construction projects - an integral part of implementing the Center master plans - discouraged some Centers from submitting their top priorities for funding."
Message from the Administrator - Year Ender
"Among our many accomplishments, this year we safely retired the Space Shuttle Program after 30 incredible years of flight. The final flight was a bittersweet day for many of us, but we now open a new chapter in exploration, standing on the shoulders of the thousands of men and women who made the shuttle the successful and cutting edge program it was."
Who's Opposed To .XXX Domain Names? Not Exactly Who You'd Think, NPR
"Education has .edu, .gov belongs to the government, and now, adult entertainment has .xxx. Since last week, anyone can go online and buy a domain name ending in .xxx -- but it's not all adult entertainment companies that are rushing to purchase the new addresses."
Keith's note: I wonder if anyone at NASA stopped to think that having XXX on an official NASA mission patch was necessarily a prudent thing to do. I am sure someone will make a film titled "Expedition XXX" at some point - or launch a website at nasa.xxx . Thanks to John C. for pointing this out.
Keith's note: Have a listen here. My understanding is that this arranegment is made via a Space Act Agreement with NASA on a non-exclusive basis and that there is no cost to the Federal Government. I would hope that other online music/content services would take advantage of this route as well. [Facebook] [Twitter]
"So What is LENR? LENR is a form of nuclear power However, LENR is NOT cold fusion"
"Andrea Rossi came to MSFC with officials from Ampenergo, US Aerospace Contractor, other interested parties"
NASA and LENR, Dennis M. Bushnell, Chief Scientist, NASA Langley Research Center
"In Short, LENR, depending upon the TBD performance, appears to be capable of Revolutionizing Aerospace across the board. No other single technology even comes close to the potential impacts of LENR upon Agency Missions."
Slides From Sept. 22 NASA LENR Innovation Forum Workshop, New Energy Times
"On the second day, when the former NASA staff member asked Rossi if his device had an internal reservoir, Rossi became enraged. Quantum's engineers left but NASA engineers offered to come back in a few days to give Rossi time to fix the flow. Rossi declined their offer. He said he was "too busy."
Cold Fusion #1 Claims NASA Chief
"A Chief NASA scientist, Dennis Bushnell has came out in support of Andrea Rossi's E-Cat technology, but denies any type of nuclear fusion is taking place, saying it is probably beta decay per the Widom Larson Theory. Repackaging the terminology to avoid embarrassment will not erase over twenty years of suppression and the reality of cold fusion!"
How to Make Cold Fusion Work: Use Unobtainium, Forbes
"In my last post I said I'd steer clear of the whole cold fusion thing until something interesting happens. Well, in the last week something interesting has happened ... Once again, let me do a quick recap: An Italian inventor, Andrea Rossi, claims to have created a Low Energy Nuclear Reaction, or LENR, device (otherwise called a "cold fusion" device) called the Energy Catlyzer or E-Cat. All an E-Cat system requires is hydrogen gas passing over nickel powder in the presence of an undisclosed catalyst and, it is claimed, the device will generate a significant amount of energy in the form of heat."
Keith's note: Why NASA LaRC and/or HQ management knowingly allows overt quackery such as this to go on in NASA-sanctioned meetings using NASA personnel time while budgets are being slashed on "science" missions simply baffles me. Maybe Dennis Bushnell ( dennis.m.bushnell@nasa.gov 757.864.8987 ) can explain.
STA Lunch With NASA Administrator Bolden
"The Space Transportation Association is pleased to announce lunch with Charlie Bolden, NASA Administrator.
Topic? NASA year end wrap up.
When? Monday, December 5, 11:30am coffee & networking, 12:00pm-1:00pm, lunch, speech, Q&A."
NASA Internal Memo: Lynn Cline Is Retiring From NASA
"Dear Colleagues: When I came to NASA for what was supposed to be a 3-month student internship, I had no idea NASA would become my life's work. I look back with great appreciation for all of the opportunities I have had. I have worked with many wonderful and dedicated people -- my NASA colleagues, partners in industry and academia, and international partners."
Will NASA Ever Recover Apollo 13′s Plutonium From the Sea?, Txchnologist
"I don't think that anyone has seriously considered that," said Leonard Dudzinski, a NASA program executive who deals with radioisotope power systems. The plutonium was in an oxide form contained in fuel capsule, which itself was inside a graphite and ceramic fuel cask. "The cladding would not be compromised over time by the seawater," Dudzinski said. The current expectation is that the cladding will survive for 10 half lives of the Plutonium, close to 870 years. If anything, the Apollo 13 disaster proved that NASA nuclear safety engineering worked."
Keith's note: Compared to the Soviet Union's abandoned and rotting submarine fleet and the vast amount of industrial crud we pour into the oceans, I suspect that this heavily-clad RTG, miles under the ocean, is a trivial problem.
- Nasa Doubles Plea For Most Powerful Rocket, Milwaukee Sentinel
- Nasa Confident Of Apollo Team, AP
- Inquiry On Gift Homes By Nasa Is Reported, AP
- Astronauts Reject Free Homes Offer, AP
- Houston Is Selected By Nasa As Space Laboratory's Site, AP
- Nasa Gets Letters Asking For The Moon, World Book
- Nasa To Cut 50,000 Jobs, Milwaukee Journal
- Nasa Penalizes 3 Astronauts, Miami News
- Gemini Dirty Inside, Nasa Official Finds, AP
State Department: Leading with Diplomacy to Strengthen Stability in Space
"Remarks by Frank A. Rose Deputy Assistant Secretary U.S. Department of State at the USSTRATCOM Cyber and Space Symposium: The space environment is at serious risk from a number of sources, including space debris and a lack of transparency in the conduct of space activities. It is our belief that one of the most beneficial multilateral TCBMs for strengthening stability in space could be the adoption of "best practice" guidelines or an international "code of conduct." A code of conduct could help establish guidelines for safe and responsible use of space, avoid collisions, reduce radiofrequency interference, and call out irresponsible behavior."
NASA Administrator Bolden Lauds Apollo 11 Crew And John Glenn
"NASA Administrator Charles Bolden made these remarks today during a ceremony in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, where leaders of Congress honored astronauts John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins with congressional gold medals...."
Keith's note: This morning's edition of the Washington Post had a huge color picture of this event (Video - photos). So I guess someone told them about it in advance. Oddly enough, NASA did not give any advance notice to media or to the public that this prestigious event was going to happen and that the NASA Administrator would be participating. This is not unusual. Take a look at the speeches posted here by Charlie Bolden. How many of these appearances were announced by NASA in advance? Not many. Indeed, more than half of these events just "happened" - and the transcript of Bolden's comments show up quietly - often weeks after the event - if at all. Yet NASA PAO constantly crows about how open and accessible Bolden is to the media.
Marc's note: This morning I received an email from NASA's YouTube channel informing me that they had uploaded a new video of the Expedition 29 launch. Great I thought, I'll grab the code and post it to SpaceRef. But much to my surprise I could not view the video because the BBC claimed copyright. This would funny if it weren't serious.
Continue reading YouTube Fail - Blocks NASA Video.
The Money Pit (TV report), WOIO, Channel19 Part I - Part II
"In these tough times, it seems like everyone in Cleveland has been forced to cut corners. Except for Northeast Ohio's branch of NASA, who just bought a $20,000 dollar conference table, a $1,500 dollar office chair and has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars remodeling! The best part? It's all with your money! A Carl Monday investigation that is just outrageous!"
Keith's note: Its rather odd that GRC would not allow a camera crew into the GRC Center Director's office under the pretense of concerns regarding terrorists, security, etc. -- and yet photos and video taken in the Oval Office in the White House seem to get in the news many times a week. As for the custom conference table (really), the absurdly luxurious granite floors (with logo), and near-weekly airline travel by the GRC Center Director ... you be the judge. I am more or less certain that no one at NASA cares about things like this any more. Let them eat cake, etc.
Crofton man finalist for White House award, Baltimore Sun
"A Crofton man who works for NASA is one of four finalists for a White House award that recognizes federal employees who offer ideas to make government run more efficiently, the Obama administration said Wednesday. Matthew Ritsko's idea of creating a tool "library" to avoid duplicative purchases of pricey tools was selected by the Office Of Management and Budget from nearly 20,000 ideas. The winner will present their idea to the president."
Keith's note: There will be a Live webchat with Ritsko, three other winners, and the President at 11:00 am EST. Oddly, NASA PAO does not seem to know about this event involving the President and a NASA employee.
Standards, Wayne Hale
"Much of the time NASA appears to be a loose confederation of 10 quasi independent fiefdoms, each pretty much in charge of their own business. People often ask me what would I do if I were king of NASA for a day. They expect me to say something like: build this rocket, launch that satellite. Rather I think how I would standardize the procurement processes, or the human resources procedures, or the engineering standards used across the agency. But then I always was a dreamer, tilting at impossible windmills. Launching rockets is easy; getting engineers to agree on standards is hard."
NASA Announces Steven Squyres as New NASA Advisory Council Chairman
"NASA Administrator Charles Bolden has named Cornell University Astronomy Professor Steven W. Squyres, as chairman of the NASA Advisory Council (NAC), an assembly of experts from various fields that offer guidance and policy advice to the administrator of America's space agency.Squyres' scientific research focuses on the robotic exploration of planetary surfaces, the history of water on Mars, geophysics and tectonics of icy satellites, tectonics of Venus, and planetary gamma-ray and X-ray spectroscopy. His best known research includes the study of the history and distribution of water on Mars and of the possible existence and habitability of a liquid water ocean on Europa."
NASA Internal Memo: Goddard Libraries Transition to Electronic Services
"Beginning January 1, 2012, the NASA Goddard libraries at Greenbelt and Wallops will transition to an all-electronic activity. In response to changes in the research environment and to Center-driven resource priorities, we will no longer maintain a physical presence but will focus on supporting the research needs of the Goddard community electronically. ... Closing of the physical libraries is a strategic move to repurpose resources and refocus efforts toward enhanced electronic collections and new services vital for Goddard to continue to be productive and competitive in scientific research. "
Keith's note: So what does this mean with regard to the books and other printed items that already exist in the GSFC library i.e. "Closing of the physical libraries"? Is GSFC going to just get rid of everything? And if a book or journal is not in electronic format ... too bad. I am sure historians will just love this. And this is a "strategic move"?
NASA Launches Multi-Talented Earth-Observing Satellite
PCAST Meeting Featured Bolden (2011), earlier post
"Bolden also refered to NPOESS as "one of my nightmares" and that it is "also one of John Holdren's nightmares" and "we won't talk about that unless you really want to".
- Hearing on Polar Weather Satellites(2011), earlier post
- The NPOESS "Headache" Just Got Worse(2011), earlier post
- NPOESS Woes Continue (2009), earlier post
- Prepared Statements from Yesterday's NPOESS Hearing (2007), earlier post
- Another NPOESS Hearing (2006), earlier post
- More NPOESS Woes (2006), earlier post
- NPOESS Over Budget and Behind Schedule (2006), earlier post
- NPOESS Team Faces The Music (2005), earlier post
Keith's note: Obviously Paul Martin has said nothing. I did not expect that he would - certainly not in response to anything I did or did not do on NASAWatch. For what it is worth there is extreme concern at senior levels of the agency (as expressed to me) that this sad episode has resulted in a black eye for NASA when in fact it was the NASA OIG who was responsible for this mess. Alas, hundreds of stories appeared in newspapers and online - with the fault focused on "NASA" in the headlines and lead sentences.
Due to the fact that Inspector Generals are independent of the agency they "inspect" (this is actually a very good thing) NASA has near zero ability to affect the behavior of the IG's office - or publicly comment on it. Paul Martin is apparently quite comfortable with not explaining to taxpayers (he works for them too) why an elderly woman was roughed up and detained by half a dozen police officers with weapons and then released - with no charges filed after 5 months. That is his call to make. Alas, only a truly insensitive creep would think that it was O.K. not to at least express regret that this situation happened to a small, elderly woman the way that it did. But Martin is tone deaf and oblivious to the real world aspects of what his office does.
To those of you who questioned why I used NASA Watch the way I did to make this point - well its simple: this is a matter of conscience for me. I make no apologies. This is just plain wrong. I have done things like this before and I will most likely do so again.
- It's up to you Mr. Martin. Say something., earlier post
- NASA IG Refuses To Comment on Official Abuse of Elderly Woman, earlier post
- NASA IG Sends Cops in Flack Vests After 74 Year Old, 4'11" Grandmother, earlier post
Feds grab granny in moon rock sting (with video), CBS
"Davis recalled, "Someone is grabbing me from the back. Now they're pulling me out of the booth and they have a hold of me pretty darn good, and the force was like, unnecessary ... because I'm like 110 (pounds). I'm four-foot-eleven." Davis claims the agents bruised her arm and tailbone during the incident, but the emotional wounds are far worse. "I felt humiliated," Davis said. "I felt, this may not be proper to say, but I tell you, I felt raped. I really did."
Keith's note: This is all rather pathetic - still no public comment from the NASA Inspector General as to why this small, elderly woman was physically abused like this. Yet after many months she has yet to even be charged with anything. The standard OIG line is "no comment on an ongoing investigations". Yet clearly OIG staff was blabbing to the media before this story got hit the fan. Just whose best interests are being served here? I can't imagine that Charlie Bolden has nothing to say about this.
The NASA IG staff have already abrogated the "no comment" policy by virtue of the considerable detail with which news reports about this "ongoing case" have been sourced. NASA Inspector General Paul Martin should be personally embarrassed by this whole episode and should take the professional - and personal - responsibility to address the manner in which this elderly woman was treated. Not to do so borders on abject cowardice on Martin's part. What kind of person condones the treatment of a little old lady like this?
NASA IG Sends Cops in Flack Vests After 74 Year Old, 4'11" Grandmother, earlier post
NASA evacuates astronauts from deep-sea training
"NASA evacuated a crew of astronauts Wednesday from an underwater lab off the coast of Florida where they were training for a trip to an asteroid, due to the approach of Hurricane Rina. "Crew decompressed overnight and will return to surface shortly. Hurricane Rina just a little too close for comfort," the US space agency said in a message on the microblogging site Twitter. The NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) team climbed aboard support boats that were waiting at the surface and they were expected to be on dry land by 9:00 am (1300 GMT)."
Keith's 11:05 am EDT note: Nothing from NASA PAO on this. Just a picture on Twitter and this tweet "Crew has left Aquarius on their way to the awaiting support boats. On dry land soon." (earlier Tweet here)
I find it to be rather odd how NASA JSC PAO did not bother to tell anyone about this the way they tell people about everything else. Decompression for a return to the surface takes 17-18 hours - so they made this decision early yesterday afternoon - yet no one at JSC PAO said anything at the time. That is a deliberate decision to withhold information from the public - for no obvious reason.
If something similar happened on a shuttle mission or on the ISS, you know that NASA PAO would have been all over this - and not releasing that information would cause a firestorm in the media. Perhaps this is not as good of an analog of space travel as some would think since JSC PAO is either out of the loop or, as it seems, part of a deliberate plan to withhold critical information by NASA JSC managers. This is not a good sign of how missions of exploration should be conducted in the future.
NASA'S NEEMO Mission Ending Early Due To Hurricane Rina
"The six aquanauts of the NEEMO crew left the facility, where they lived for five days, and returned to the surface of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary in Key Largo on Wednesday morning."
Keith's 12:35 pm EDT note: 22 or so hours after decompression began (and one would expect 24 or more hours after a decision was made to evacuate NEEMO) NASA JSC PAO finally gets around to issuing a press release.
NASA Moon Rock Sting Terrifies Grandmother, AP
"Soon after settling into a booth, [74-year-old suspect Joann] Davis said, she pulled out the moon sample and about half a dozen sheriff's deputies and NASA investigators rushed into the eatery. When officers in flack vests took a hold of her, the 4-foot-11 woman said she was so scared she lost control of her bladder and was taken outside to a parking lot, where she was questioned and detained for about two hours. "They grabbed me and pulled me out of the booth," Davis claimed. "I had very, very deep bruises on my left side." Conley declined to comment and NASA Office of the Inspector General spokeswoman Renee Juhans said she could not talk about an ongoing investigation."
NASA wants grandma's moonrock, Politico
"Davis reportedly wrote to a NASA contractor in May in an attempt to sell the rock. "I've been searching the internet for months attempting to find a buyer," she said in an email. "If you have any thoughts as to how I can proceed with the sale of these two items, please call."
Granny: NASA scared me into returning moon rock, CNet
"Might it at least have been an idea for NASA to explain to her that this was not rightly hers, instead of mounting what appears to be a very expensive, heavy-handed, and slightly cheesy expedition?"
Has NASA gone loony? Moon rocks or bust, Opinion, LA Times
"But a 74-year-old Lake Elsinore woman emails a government agent asking about how she can sell her tiny bit of the moon to pay for her son's medical care -- never mind the question of what kind of country beggars people for getting sick -- and NASA swoops in on her at a Denny's like they'd found Osama bin Laden."
Feds grab granny in moon rock sting (with video), CBS
"Davis recalled, "Someone is grabbing me from the back. Now they're pulling me out of the booth and they have a hold of me pretty darn good, and the force was like, unnecessary ... because I'm like 110 (pounds). I'm four-foot-eleven." Davis claims the agents bruised her arm and tailbone during the incident, but the emotional wounds are far worse. "I felt humiliated," Davis said. "I felt, this may not be proper to say, but I tell you, I felt raped. I really did."
Keith's Note: This is just utterly ridiculous - and no one at NASA seems to have the spine to respond? What possible threat could this elderly woman have presented that warranted this sort of response? Funny how all of a sudden no one will "comment on an ongoing investigation" - yet someone close to what the IG was up to was clearly talking to the media - in great detail. Shouldn't the IG be going after these leakers too? If the individual(s) involved did what it is alleged they did then they deserve whatever punishment the legal system delivers. But treating an elderly woman like this is simply inexcusable.
NASA Hosting Human Space Exploration Workshop
"NASA will host a three-day Human Space Exploration Community Workshop in San Diego starting on Monday, Nov. 14. The agency will introduce the International Space Exploration Coordination Group's Global Exploration Roadmap during the event. ... Due to space limitations, reporters are invited to watch the workshop via webcast and submit questions via email. For details, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/about/isecg/ger-workshop.html"
Keith's note: This meeting is being held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego an immense hotel which brags about having "More than 125,000 square feet of flexible function space" and the "Largest ballroom in San Diego.". And yet NASA cannot find a way to fit in - oh a dozen or so media? This is just nonsense. NASA does not want media to interfere with the people at this event - so they simply ban them from being present physically and then impose a filter on what they can/cannot ask and who they will be allowed to question. So much for transparency and openness.
Keith's note: Just saw this posted on Twitter by the National Press Club (NPC): "Watch today's #NPCLunch with @HarveyLevinTMZ live at 1pm on http://press.org. See the webcast live here - http://ow.ly/76ZHK". I find it rather hilarious how the esteemed National Press Club hosts the guy who runs a Hollywood gossip website/TV show but refuses to allow long-time space media reps (me and others) to cover their space-related events without possession of a plastic laminated badge.
- Lunch at The Dinosaur Club, earlier post
"The NPC is supposed to be promoting journalism and news coverage - yet they put a barrier between media who cover their events by requiring all questions be submitted in advance. In addition, they pick and chose as to what media allowed to "cover" the event based on whether or not they have some sort of laminated name tag (they are not exactly clear on where you get these tags). And those who do not meet their criteria have to pay money to have access to the government official who is speaking."
- Shielding Bolden From Unfiltered Questions, earlier post
German ROSAT Satellite Has Fallen to Earth, Say NASA Sources, ABC
"The German ROSAT satellite fell back to Earth Saturday evening, U.S. time, NASA sources told ABC News. DLR, Germany's scientific research agency, said the satellite re-entered the atmosphere between 9:45 and 10:15 p.m. ET. It was the second time a satellite large enough to for debris to reach the Earth's surface has fallen from orbit in the past month, an occurence that typically happens only once per year."
Damage From Falling Satellites? Insurance Will Cover It, New York Times
"The odds of a fragment hitting your little patch of earth are extremely low. But not to worry: if you are unlucky enough to have some space shrapnel fall on your house or car, standard insurance policies will most likely cover the damage, says the Insurance Information Institute, an industry group."
Marc's note: According to the German Aerospace Center (DLR) the latest prediction on ROSAT re-entry: Between 22 October 2011, 18:00 UTC & 23 October 2011, 12:00 UTC. Follow the DLR tweets for the latest re-entry updates.
Marc's Update: German satellite hits east of India, centre says, CBC
"Parts of a defunct German research satellite have returned to Earth and likely fallen into the Bay of Bengal, east of India, the chair of the German Aerospace Centre says."
Keith's note: DARPA is hosting a conference for its 100 Year Starship project between 30 September - 2 October in Orlando. The agenda is interesting and ecclectic. We'll be onsite at the conference covering this event via live blogging at our new sister site NASAHackSpace.com. You can also follow via Twitter at @NASAhackSpace or see Tweets from other participants on Twitter via the hashtag #100yss.
