NASA PLANS MISSION TO MARS IN 2030'S

FROM:  NASA 

NASA is developing the capabilities needed to send humans to an asteroid by 2025 and Mars in the 2030s – goals outlined in the bipartisan NASA Authorization Act of 2010 and in the U.S. National Space Policy, also issued in 2010. Mars is a rich destination for scientific discovery and robotic and human exploration as we expand our presence into the solar system. Its formation and evolution are comparable to Earth, helping us learn more about our own planet’s history and future. Mars had conditions suitable for life in its past. Future exploration could uncover evidence of life, answering one of the fundamental mysteries of the cosmos: Does life exist beyond Earth? While robotic explorers have studied Mars for more than 40 years, NASA’s path for the human exploration of Mars begins in low-Earth orbit aboard the International Space Station. Astronauts on the orbiting laboratory are helping us prove many of the technologies and communications systems needed for human missions to deep space, including Mars. The space station also advances our understanding of how the body changes in space and how to protect astronaut health. Our next step is deep space, where NASA will send a robotic mission to capture and redirect an asteroid to orbit the moon. Astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft will explore the asteroid in the 2020s, returning to Earth with samples. This experience in human spaceflight beyond low-Earth orbit will help NASA test new systems and capabilities, such as Solar Electric Propulsion, which we’ll need to send cargo as part of human missions to Mars. Beginning in FY 2018, NASA’s powerful Space Launch System rocket will enable these “proving ground” missions to test new capabilities. Human missions to Mars will rely on Orion and an evolved version of SLS that will be the most powerful launch vehicle ever flown. A fleet of robotic spacecraft and rovers already are on and around Mars, dramatically increasing our knowledge about the Red Planet and paving the way for future human explorers. The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover measured radiation on the way to Mars and is sending back radiation data from the surface. This data will help us plan how to protect the astronauts who will explore Mars. Future missions like the Mars 2020 rover, seeking signs of past life, also will demonstrate new technologies that could help astronauts survive on Mars. Engineers and scientists around the country are working hard to develop the technologies astronauts will use to one day live and work on Mars, and safely return home from the next giant leap for humanity. NASA also is a leader in a Global Exploration Roadmap, working with international partners and the U.S. commercial space industry on a coordinated expansion of human presence into the solar system, with human missions to the surface of Mars as the driving goal. NASA's Orion Flight Test and the Journey to Mars Image Credit: NASA.

NASA VIDEO: SPACE HABITATS OF THE FUTURE?

OVER 100 SUBORBITAL EXPERIMENTS SELECTED BY NASA

FROM: NASA

NASA Selects New Suborbital Payloads, Total Tops 100 Experiments

WASHINGTON -- NASA has selected 21 space technology payloads for flights on commercial reusable launch vehicles, balloons, and a commercial parabolic aircraft.

This latest selection represents the sixth cycle of NASA's continuing call for payloads through an announcement of opportunity. More than 100 technologies with test flights now have been facilitated through NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate's Flight Opportunities Program.

"This new group of payloads, ranging from systems that support cubesats to new sensors technology for planetary exploration, represent the sorts of cutting-edge technologies that are naturally suited for testing during returnable flights to near-space," said Michael Gazarik, NASA's associate administrator for space technology in Washington. "NASA's Flight Opportunities Program continues to mature this key technology development pipeline link, thanks to America's commercial suborbital reusable vehicles providers."

Fourteen of these new payloads will ride on parabolic aircraft flights, which provide brief periods of weightlessness. Two will fly on suborbital reusable launch vehicle test flights. Three will ride on high-altitude balloons that fly above 65,000 feet. An additional payload will fly on both a parabolic flight and a suborbital launch vehicle, and another will fly on both a suborbital launch vehicle and a high-altitude balloon platform. These payload flights are expected to take place now through 2015.

Flight opportunities currently include the Zero-G Corporation parabolic airplane under contract with the Reduced Gravity Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston; Near Space Corp. high-altitude balloons; and reusable launch vehicles from Armadillo Aerospace, Masten Space Systems, UP Aerospace and Virgin Galactic. Additional commercial suborbital flight vendors under contract to NASA, including XCOR and Whittinghill, also will provide flight services.

Payloads selected for flight on a parabolic aircraft are:
-- "Technology Maturation of a Dual-Spinning Cubesat Bus," Kerri Cahoy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
-- "Testing Near-Infrared Neuromonitoring Devices for Detecting Cerebral Hemodynamic Changes in Parabolic Flight," Gary Strangman, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
-- "Resilient Thermal Panel: Microgravity Effects on Isothermality of Structurally Embedded Two Dimensional Heat Pipes," Andrew Williams, Air Force Research Laboratory, Albuquerque, N.M.
-- "Wireless Strain Sensing System for Space Structural Health Monitoring," Haiying Huang, University of Texas, Austin
-- "Monitoring tissue oxygen saturation in microgravity," Thomas Smith, Oxford University, United Kingdom
-- "Testing the deployment and rollout of the DragEN electrodynamic tether for Cubesats," Jason Held, Saber Astronautics Australia Pty Ltd., Australia
-- "Creation of Titanium-Based Nanofoams in Reduced Gravity for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Production," Kristen Scotti, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.
-- "Testing a Cubesat Attitude Control System in Microgravity Conditions," Eric Bradley, University of Central Florida, Orlando
-- "Demonstration of Adjustable Fluidic Lens in Microgravity," James Schwiegerling, University of Arizona, Tucson
-- "Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) in Microgravity," Douglas Ebert, Wyle Laboratories, Houston
-- "DYMAFLEX: DYnamic MAnipulation FLight Experiment," David Akin of University, Maryland, College Park
-- "Characterizing Cubesat Deployer Dynamics in a Microgravity Environment," Kira Abercromby, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
-- "Demonstration of Food Processing Equipment," Susana Carranza, Makel Engineering Inc., Chino, Calif.
-- "Advanced Optical Mass Measurement System," Jason Reimuller, Mass Dynamix Inc., Longwood, Fla.

Payloads selected for flight on a suborbital reusable launch vehicle are:
-- "Precision Formation Flying Sensor," Webster Cash, University of Colorado, Boulder
-- "Navigation Doppler Lidar Sensor Demonstration for Precision Landing on Solar System Bodies," Farzin Amzajerdian, NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.

Payloads selected for flight on a high altitude balloon are:
-- "Planetary Atmosphere Minor Species Sensor," Robert Peale, University of Central Florida, Orlando
-- "Satellite-Based ADS-B Operations Flight Test," Russell Dewey, GSSL Inc., Tillamook, Ore.
-- "Low-Cost Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicle (sRLV) Surrogate," Timothy Lachenmeier, GSSL Inc.
One payload will be manifested on a parabolic aircraft and a suborbital reusable launch vehicle:
-- "Real Time Conformational Analysis of Rhodopsin using Plasmon Waveguide Resonance Spectroscopy," Victor Hruby, University of Arizona, Tucson.

One payload will be manifested on a suborbital reusable launch vehicle and a high altitude balloon:
-- "Test of Satellite Communications Systems on-board Suborbital Platforms to provide low-cost data communications for Research Payloads, Payload Operators, and Space Vehicle Operators," Brian Barnett, Satwest Consulting, Albuquerque, N.M.

NASA manages the Flight Opportunities manifest, matching payloads with flights, and will pay for payload integration and the flight costs for the selected payloads. No funds are provided for the development of the payloads.

TILT ROTOR AIRCRAFT FOR COMMERCIAL TRAVEL

FROM: NASA

Now Minute: Engineering Design: Tilt Rotors, Aircraft of the Future

Meet Carl Russell, a research aerospace engineer who is working on developing new innovations for air travel. Russell discusses how tilt rotors work, including a demonstration on how rotors use Bernoulli’s Principle to generate lift.

SECOND ANNUAL WHITE HOUSE SCIENCE FAIR INCLUDES NASA OFFICIALS

The following excerpt is from the NASA website:

“WASHINGTON -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and other senior
agency officials joined President Obama in honoring student science
fair winners from across the country at the second annual White House
Science Fair today in the East Wing of the White House. The event
highlighted student achievement and excellence in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM.

In November 2009, the president announced his "Educate to Innovate"
campaign and emphasized the importance of encouraging students to
pursue STEM studies and careers. NASA has developed a wide variety of
education programs that use the inherent excitement of space
exploration and science to inspire students and generate interest in
STEM.

"Programs like this science fair help students develop critical skills
and get hands-on experience that will serve them and our nation well
in the future," Bolden said. "These talented students are tomorrow's
science leaders, and their skills will be critical to helping us make
an American economy built to last."

Joining Bolden at the event were NASA's Associate Administrator for
Education Leland Melvin and Associate Administrator for Science John
Grunsfeld. Both Melvin and Grunsfeld also are veteran space shuttle
astronauts who frequently use their flight experiences as catalysts
for engaging students' interest in space and science. NASA Chief
Technologist, Mason Peck, NASA Chief Scientist Waleed Abdalati, and
Paul Hertz, chief scientist for the agency's Science Mission
Directorate, also attended the fair and met with student honorees.

Among the winning science experiments displayed at the White House
today were two that related directly to NASA's mission, including
entries from a girls' rocket team and a FIRST Robotics alliance.

The "Young Women Rocketing to Nationals" team featured Janet and Ana
Karen Nieto of Presidio, Texas, who are members of the Presidio High
School Rocketry Team that competed as a national finalist in the Team
America Rocketry Challenge in 2009, 2010, and 2011. Gwynelle Condino,
a 7th grade student at Lucy Franco Middle School in Presidio, is the
team's leader this year.

"A Winning Robotics Alliance, with Astronauts Cheering Them On" team
was comprised of John Drake of Schaumburg, Ill., Sean Murphy of
Atascadero, Calif., and Eric Bakan of San Jose, Calif. They
represented the winning alliance of the 2011 FIRST Robotics
Competition Championship and were mentored by engineers at NASA's
Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif.

Two other NASA-related education programs also were represented at
today's event.

Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE),
is a hands-on, primary and secondary school-based science and
education program where students, teachers and scientists worldwide
collaborate on investigations of the environment and the Earth
system. Participants work in close partnership with NASA and other
federal agencies.

The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) was launched in
June 2010 by the National Center for Earth and Space Science
Education, in partnership with NanoRacks, LLC. Student teams in
grades 5-12 propose microgravity experiments for flight in a research
minilab that may be flown to the International Space Station. SSEP is
enabled through a space act agreement as part of the International
Space Station's use as a National Laboratory.”