NASA NAMES ORLANDO FIGUEROA TO LEAD NEW MARS PROGRAM PLANNING GROUP

The following excerpt is from the NASA website:

“WASHINGTON -- NASA' s associate administrator for the Science Mission
Directorate, John Grunsfeld, has named former veteran NASA program
manager Orlando Figueroa to lead a newly established Mars Program
Planning Group (MPPG) tasked to reformulate the agency's Mars
Exploration Program. Figueroa's first assignment is to develop a
draft framework for review by March 15.

Grunsfeld made the announcement at an annual gathering of Mars
scientists and engineers in Dulles, Va. Figueroa, a consultant with
more than 30 years of aerospace experience, will lead the scientific
and technical team to develop an integrated strategy for NASA's Mars
Exploration Program in light of current funding constraints. The
team's initial focus will be on a possible 2018-2020 robotic mission.
The program's official framework will be developed in consultation
with the science community and international partners and is expected
to be released for full review as early as this summer.

"The team will develop a plan that advances the priorities in the
National Research Council's Decadal Survey, which puts sample return
as the top scientific goal, and leverages NASA's research in enabling
technology," Grunsfeld said. "Our investments in the new Mars program
will incorporate elements of advanced research and technologies in
support of a logical sequence of missions to answer fundamental
scientific questions and ultimately support the goal of sending
people to Mars."

The MPPG will report to Grunsfeld, a physicist and five-time flown
space shuttle astronaut. Grunsfeld is chairing the overall,
agency-wide reformulation strategy along with William Gerstenmaier,
associate administrator for the human exploration and operations
directorate, NASA Chief Scientist Waleed Abdalati and NASA Chief
Technologist Mason Peck. The MPPG will ensure that America maintains
the critical technical skills developed over decades needed to
achieve the highest priority science and exploration objectives.

NASA has a recognized track record of successful Mars missions. The
rover Opportunity, which landed on Mars in 2004, is still operating
despite an official mission timeline of 90 days. There are also two
NASA satellites orbiting the Red Planet; the Mars Reconnaissance
Orbiter and Mars Odyssey. The duo continue to return unprecedented
science data and images. This August, NASA will land the Mars Science
Laboratory, "Curiosity," on the planet's surface. This roving science
laboratory will assess whether Mars was or is today an environment
able to support life. In 2013, NASA will launch the Mars Atmosphere
and Volatile Evolution orbiter, the first mission devoted to
understanding the Martian upper atmosphere.

NASA will continue to gather critical information to help scientists
understand the Red Planet. These data will be used in future years to
meet President Obama's challenge to send humans to Mars in the
mid-2030s.

"We'll look at all of the assets NASA is developing to reach, explore
and study Mars, as well as spacecraft at or on its way to Mars,"
Figueroa said.

NASA already has been developing technology that will improve
precision in landing, the ability to conduct scientific analysis
remotely, handle and collect samples, and transmit larger volumes of
data back to Earth.

"The science and engineering communities have worked continuously over
a decade to define our knowledge gaps for Mars exploration, so we
have a solid starting point," Grunsfeld said.

Mars exploration is a top priority for NASA. America's investment in
exploring Mars during the past decade totals $6.1 billion. NASA
Administrator Charlie Bolden directed Grunsfeld to lead the
agency-wide team in order to optimize a coordinated strategy of Mars
exploration and continue America's leadership role in the exploration
of the Red Planet within available future budgets.”

RUSSIAN CONSTRUCTION CREW WORK IN SPACE

"This image of Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Anton Shkaplerov, both Expedition 30 flight engineers, was taken during a spacewalk on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012. During the six-hour, 15-minute spacewalk, Kononenko and Shkaplerov moved the Strela-1 crane from the Pirs Docking Compartment in preparation for replacing it in 2012 with a new laboratory and docking module. The duo used another boom, the Strela-2, to move the hand-operated crane to the Poisk module for future assembly and maintenance work. Both telescoping booms extend like fishing rods and are used to move massive components outside the station. On the exterior of the Poisk Mini-Research Module 2, they also installed the Vinoslivost Materials Sample Experiment, which will investigate the influence of space on the mechanical properties of the materials. The spacewalkers also collected a test sample from underneath the insulation on the Zvezda Service Module to search for any signs of living organisms. Both spacewalkers wore Russian Orlan spacesuits bearing blue stripes and equipped with NASA helmet cameras. Image Credit: NASA" 

STAR READIES FOR SPECTACULAR SUPERNOVA

“NASA's Hubble Telescope captured an image of Eta Carinae. This image consists of ultraviolet and visible light images from the High Resolution Channel of Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys. The field of view is approximately 30 arcseconds across. The larger of the two stars in the Eta Carinae system is a huge and unstable star that is nearing the end of its life, and the event that the 19th century astronomers observed was a stellar near-death experience. Scientists call these outbursts supernova impostor events, because they appear similar to supernovae but stop just short of destroying their star. Although 19th century astronomers did not have telescopes powerful enough to see the 1843 outburst in detail, its effects can be studied today. The huge clouds of matter thrown out a century and a half ago, known as the Homunculus Nebula, have been a regular target for Hubble since its launch in 1990. This image, taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys High Resolution Channel, is the most detailed yet, and shows how the material from the star was not thrown out in a uniform manner, but forms a huge dumbbell shape. Eta Carinae is one of the closest stars to Earth that is likely to explode in a supernova in the relatively near future (though in astronomical timescales the "near future" could still be a million years away). When it does, expect an impressive view from Earth, far brighter still than its last outburst: SN 2006gy, the brightest supernova ever observed, came from a star of the same type, though from a galaxy over 200 million light-years away. Image Credit: ESA/NASA”

The above picture and following excerpt is from the NASA website:

NASA: "STUDENTS SHAPING AMERICA'S NEXT SPACECRAFT PROGRAM"

“Students from Texas A&M University visited the Orion Medium Fidelity Mockup as part of the SSANS, or Students Shaping America’s Next Spacecraft, program. The students, who are Industrial Engineering majors at Texas A&M, partnered with the Orion Program on two senior design projects: Orion Lighting System hardware for the Orion Full-scale Mockup and the Orion Budget and Planning Project. During their visit on Feb. 22, 2012, the students presented their work as part of the Preliminary Design Review at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. While at the center, they had an opportunity to see the Orion mockups and tour center facilities. Image Credit: NASA “

The above excerpt and picture are from the NASA website:

NASA ANNOUNCES SOLID BUCKYBALLS FOUND IN SPACE

The following excerpt is from the NASA website:

“NASA'S SPITZER FINDS SOLID BUCKYBALLS IN SPACE
WASHINGTON -- Astronomers using data from NASA's Spitzer Space
Telescope have, for the first time, discovered buckyballs in a solid
form in space. Prior to this discovery, the microscopic carbon
spheres had been found only in gas form.

Formally named buckminsterfullerene, buckyballs are named after their
resemblance to the late architect Buckminster Fuller's geodesic
domes. They are made up of 60 carbon molecules arranged into a hollow
sphere, like a soccer ball. Their unusual structure makes them ideal
candidates for electrical and chemical applications on Earth,
including superconducting materials, medicines, water purification
and armor.

In the latest discovery, scientists using Spitzer detected tiny specks
of matter, or particles, consisting of stacked buckyballs. They found
them around a pair of stars called "XX Ophiuchi," 6,500 light-years
from Earth.

"These buckyballs are stacked together to form a solid, like oranges
in a crate," said Nye Evans of Keele University in England, lead
author of a paper appearing in the Monthly Notices of the Royal
Astronomical Society. "The particles we detected are miniscule, far
smaller than the width of a hair, but each one would contain stacks
of millions of buckyballs."

Buckyballs were detected definitively in space for the first time by
Spitzer in 2010. Spitzer later identified the molecules in a host of
different cosmic environments. It even found them in staggering
quantities, the equivalent in mass to 15 Earth moons, in a nearby
galaxy called the Small Magellanic Cloud.

In all of those cases, the molecules were in the form of gas. The
recent discovery of buckyballs particles means that large quantities
of these molecules must be present in some stellar environments in
order to link up and form solid particles. The research team was able
to identify the solid form of buckyballs in the Spitzer data because
they emit light in a unique way that differs from the gaseous form.

"This exciting result suggests that buckyballs are even more
widespread in space than the earlier Spitzer results showed," said
Mike Werner, project scientist for Spitzer at NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "They may be an important form of
carbon, an essential building block for life, throughout the cosmos."


Buckyballs have been found on Earth in various forms. They form as a
gas from burning candles and exist as solids in certain types of
rock, such as the mineral shungite found in Russia, and fulgurite, a
glassy rock from Colorado that forms when lightning strikes the
ground. In a test tube, the solids take on the form of dark, brown
"goo."

"The window Spitzer provides into the infrared universe has revealed
beautiful structure on a cosmic scale," said Bill Danchi, Spitzer
program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "In yet another
surprise discovery from the mission, we're lucky enough to see
elegant structure at one of the smallest scales, teaching us about
the internal architecture of existence."

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., manages
the Spitzer Space Telescope mission for NASA's Science Mission
Directorate in Washington. Science operations are conducted at the
Spitzer Science Center at the California Institute of Technology in
Pasadena. Caltech manages JPL for NASA.”

MASSIVE BLACK HOLE SUCKS IN GAS FROM ANOTHER STAR

The above picture and following excerpt is from the NASA website:

This artist's impression shows a binary system containing a stellar-mass black hole called IGR J17091-3624, or IGR J17091 for short. The strong gravity of the black hole, on the left, is pulling gas away from a companion star on the right. This gas forms a disk of hot gas around the black hole, and the wind is driven off this disk. New observations with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory clocked the fastest wind ever seen blowing off a disk around this stellar-mass black hole. Stellar-mass black holes are born when extremely massive stars collapse and typically weigh between five and 10 times the mass of the Sun. The record-breaking wind is moving about twenty million miles per hour, or about three percent the speed of light. This is nearly ten times faster than had ever been seen from a stellar-mass black hole, and matches some of the fastest winds generated by supermassive black holes, objects millions or billions of times more massive. Another unanticipated finding is that the wind, which comes from a disk of gas surrounding the black hole, may be carrying away much more material than the black hole is capturing. The high speed for the wind was estimated from a spectrum made by Chandra in 2011. A spectrum shows how intense the X-rays are at different energies. Ions emit and absorb distinct features in spectra, which allow scientists to monitor them and their behavior. A Chandra spectrum of iron ions made two months earlier showed no evidence of the high-speed wind, meaning the wind likely turns on and off over time. Image Credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss

In this image taken on Jan. 25, 2012, the Aurora Borealis steals the scene in this nighttime photograph shot from the International Space Station as the orbital outpost flew over the Midwest. The spacecraft was above south central Nebraska when the photo was taken. The image, taken at an oblique angle, looks north to northeast. Image Credit: NASA

50 YEARS OF THE U.S. IN SPACE

John Glenn, standing next to his Friendship 7 capsule in which he made his historic orbital flight, meets with President John F. Kennedy. Mrs. Glenn stands next to her husband. Earlier that day, President Kennedy presented the NASA Distinguished Service Award to Glenn. Image Credit: NASA

OLDEST DOCUMENTED SUPERNOVA

This image combines data from four space telescopes to create a multi-wavelength view of all that remains of RCW 86, the oldest documented example of a supernova. Chinese astronomers witnessed the event in 185 A.D., documenting a mysterious "guest star" that remained in the sky for eight months. X-ray images from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton Observatory were combined to form the blue and green colors in the image. The X-rays show the interstellar gas that has been heated to millions of degrees by the passage of the shock wave from the supernova. Infrared data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and WISE, Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer, shown in yellow and red, reveal dust radiating at a temperature of several hundred degrees below zero, warm by comparison to normal dust in our Milky Way galaxy. By studying the X-ray and infrared data, astronomers were able to determine that the cause of the explosion was a Type Ia supernova, in which an otherwise-stable white dwarf, or dead star, was pushed beyond the brink of stability when a companion star dumped material onto it. Furthermore, scientists used the data to solve another mystery surrounding the remnant -- how it got to be so large in such a short amount of time. By blowing away wind prior to exploding, the white dwarf was able to clear out a huge "cavity," a region of very low-density surrounding the system. The explosion into this cavity was able to expand much faster than it otherwise would have. This is the first time that this type of cavity has been seen around a white dwarf system prior to explosion. Scientists say the results may have significant implications for theories of white-dwarf binary systems and Type Ia supernovae. RCW 86 is approximately 8,000 light-years away. At about 85 light-years in diameter, it occupies a region of the sky in the southern constellation of Circinus that is slightly larger than the full moon. This image was compiled in October 2011. Image Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO & ESA; Infared: NASA/JPL-Caltech/B. Williams (NCSU). The above picture and excerpt is from the NASA website:

NASA TO DELIVER CENTRIFUGE TO INVESTIGATE PLANT AND ANIMAL CELLS

The following excerpt is from the NASA website: 

"HOUSTON -- NASA, Astrium Space Transportation and NanoRacks LLC are 
teaming up to expand the research capability of the International 
Space Station through delivery of a small commercial centrifuge 
facility that will conduct molecular and cellular investigations on 
plant and animal tissue. 

The centrifuge enhances NanoRacks' existing suite of lab equipment 
aboard the space station, which includes microscopes and a plate 
reader used to detect biological, chemical or physical activity in 
samples. 

Astrium Space Transportation handed over the research centrifuge to 
NanoRacks LL, during a ceremony Tuesday, Feb. 14 in Houston. Astrium 
North America adapted the centrifuge -- originally built by Kayser 
Italia for use on space shuttle missions -- for use in the station's 
NanoRacks Platform-3. The commercial research team funded the 
centrifuge. 

NASA will deliver the centrifuge as part of its responsibility to 
provide transportation for U.S. National Laboratory research and 
facilities to the space station. 

Under its partnership with Astrium, NanoRacks will add the centrifuge 
to the two racks of laboratory support equipment already on the 
station. The centrifuge is sized to fit the standard NanoRacks 
architecture, which can fly on any launch vehicle. 

"This is an important step in the expansion of National Lab facilities 
aboard the space station," said Marybeth Edeen, U.S. National 
Laboratory manager at NASA's Johnson Space Center. "Having companies 
develop research and facilities for the National Lab with their own 
funding demonstrates the beginnings of the commercial space 
marketplace that the National Lab was created to serve." 

The platform and centrifuge were produced in a short time at low cost. 
Both NanoRacks and Astrium expect announcements in the near future 
about more joint projects. 

NASA has manifested the NanoRacks-3 platform and the Astrium 
centrifuge on a Russian Progress cargo ship scheduled for launch in 
summer 2012 under its cargo agreements with the Russian Federal Space 
Agency." 

NASA'S $17.7 BILLION BUDGET WILL SUPPORT "AMBITIOUS" SPACE EXPLORATION PROGRAM

The following excerpt is from the NASA website: WASHINGTON -- NASA announced Monday a $17.7 billion budget request for fiscal year 2013 supporting an ambitious program of space exploration that will build on new technologies and proven capabilities to expand America's reach into the solar system. Despite a constrained fiscal environment, the NASA FY13 budget continues to implement the space science and exploration program agreed to by President Obama and a bipartisan majority in Congress, laying the foundation for ground-breaking discoveries here on Earth and in deep space, including new destinations, such as an asteroid and Mars by 2035. "This budget in-sources jobs, creates capabilities here at home -- and strengthens our workforce, all while opening the next great chapter in American exploration," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "And as we reach for new heights in space, we're creating new jobs right here on Earth, helping to support an economy that's built to last." The NASA budget includes $4 billion for space operations and $4 billion for exploration activities in the Human Exploration Operations mission directorate, including close-out of the Space Shuttle Program, and funding for the International Space Station, $4.9 billion for science, $669 million for space technology and $552 million for aeronautics research. "This budget puts us on course to explore farther into space than ever before, revealing the unknown and fueling the nation's economy for years to come," Deputy Administrator Lori Garver said. "We are committed to ensuring that our astronauts are once again launched from U.S. soil on American-made spacecraft, and this budget provides the funds to make this a reality." The budget supports NASA's continued work to develop the Space Launch System, a new heavy-lift rocket to carry astronauts to destinations such as an asteroid and Mars, and the Orion crew capsule in which they will travel. Included are resources for final preparation and manufacturing milestones for Orion's 2014 Exploration Flight Test 1 and preliminary design reviews of major Space Launch System elements. NASA has prioritized funding for its partnership with the commercial space industry to facilitate crew and cargo transport to the station. The $830 million for this work in the FY13 budget advances progress towards a vibrant space industry that will create well-paying, high-tech jobs to the U.S. economy, and reduce America's reliance on foreign systems. The budget also enhances use of the International Space Station to improve life on Earth and help make the next great leaps in scientific discovery and exploration. NASA's science budget supports a balanced portfolio of innovative science missions that will reach farther into our solar system, reveal unknown aspects of our universe, and provide critical data about our home planet. The agency will continue to develop and conduct critical tests on the James Webb Space Telescope leading to its planned launch in 2018. As the successor to Hubble Space Telescope, James Webb again will revolutionize our understanding of the universe. NASA also is developing an integrated strategy to ensure the next steps for the robotic Mars Exploration Program will support science as well as long-term human exploration goals. Space Technology work supported in the budget will drive advances in new high-payoff space technologies such as laser communications and zero-gravity propellant transfer, seeding innovation that will expand our capabilities in the skies and in space, supporting economic vitality, lowering the cost of other government and commercial space activities, and helping to create new jobs and expand opportunities for a skilled workforce. NASA supports its commitment to enhancing aviation safety and airspace efficiency, and reducing the environmental impact of aviation by helping to accelerate the nation's transition to the Next Generation Air Transportation System through investments in revolutionary concepts for air vehicles and air traffic management. "The 2013 budget moves us forward into tangible implementation of a sustainable and affordable exploration program," NASA's Chief Financial Officer Elizabeth Robinson said.

SPACE COMMUNICATIONS AND NAVIGATION TESTBED WILL BE SENT TO SPACE STATION

The following excerpt and photo are from the NASA website: "In this image from late 2010, software engineers worked in the background as Glenn Research Center technician, Joe Kerka, rotated the SCaN Testbed flight enclosure assembly. The Space Communications and Navigation, or SCaN Testbed will be launched on a Japanese H–IIB Transfer Vehicle and installed on the International Space Station and will provide an on-orbit, adaptable software-defined radio facility with corresponding ground and operational systems. This will permit mission operators to remotely change the functionality of radio communications and offer the flexibility to adapt to new science opportunities and recover from anomalies within the science payload or communication system. This effort is sponsored by the SCaN Program as part of the , CoNNeCT, or Communications, Navigation, and Networking reConfigurable Testbed Project led by Glenn Research Center. The Glenn Research Center will host a media event at 10:30 am on Friday, Feb/. 10, to showcase the SCsN Testbed before it is shipped to Japan. Image Credit: NASA/Quentin L. Schwinn."

NASA SEEKS PROPOSALS FOR SMALL SUBORBITAL PAYLOADS

The following excerpt is from the NASA website: “WASHINGTON -- NASA is seeking proposals for small technology payloads that could fly on future NASA-sponsored suborbital flights. These future flights will travel to the edge of space and back, testing the innovative new technologies before they're sent to work in the harsh environment of space. "NASA's Game Changing Development Program focuses on maturing advanced space technologies that may lead to entirely new approaches for the agency's future space missions while providing solutions to significant national needs and adding to our nation’s innovation economy," said Michael Gazarik, director of NASA's Space Technology Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This solicitation offers an opportunity to develop potentially transformative technologies that take advantage of our Flight Opportunities Program platforms, which allow frequent and predictable commercial access to near-space, with easy recovery of intact payloads." NASA's Game Changing Opportunities research announcement seeks proposals for payloads, vehicle enhancements and onboard facilities for payload integration that will help the agency advance technology development in the areas of exploration, space operations and other innovative technology areas relevant to NASA's missions. Sponsored by NASA's Space Technology Program, the agency expects proposals from entrepreneurs, scientists, technologists, instrument builders, research managers, and vehicle builders and operators. "This call for proposals is a great opportunity to develop innovative technology development payloads for flight on commercial suborbital, reusable vehicles which have novel ideas and approaches have the potential to revolutionize future space missions," said Stephen Gaddis, Game Changing Development program manager at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. Special emphasis will be given to proposals that address basic and applied research as well as development for advanced technologies and the development of test articles and techniques for evaluating the articles. Following development, selected payloads will be made available to NASA's Flight Opportunities Program for pairing with appropriate suborbital reusable launch service provider flights. In August 2011, NASA selected seven U.S. companies that can provide flight services and platforms to test innovative technology payloads through the Flight Opportunities Program. Under this solicitation, the selected Flight Opportunities suborbital reusable launch vehicles could be modified to facilitate integration and payload engineering of future payloads in support of specific research needs. Proposals will be accepted from U.S. or non-U.S. organizations including NASA centers and other government agencies, federally funded research and development centers, educational institutions, industry and nonprofit organizations. NASA expects to make approximately 20 awards this summer, with the majority of awards ranging between approximately $50,000 and $125,000 each. Several awards may be made for up to $500,000 in the area of vehicle integration and payload engineering technology enhancements and onboard research facilities to improve platform capabilities. The Game Changing Opportunities in Technology Development research announcement is available through the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System website at: http://tinyurl.com/7xk52wa NASA's Langley Research Center manages the Game Changing Development Program and NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards, Calif., manages the Flight Opportunities Program for the agency's Space Technology Program. For more information on the Game Changing Development activities and information on this solicitation for payloads, visit: http://go.usa.gov/RPS “

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.”

NEW NASA PUBLICATION SHOWS BENEFITS OF NASA TECH

The following excerpt is from the NASA website: "WASHINGTON -- NASA's Spinoff 2011 publication, now available online, reveals how the space agency's ingenuity and partnerships have saved thousands of lives, generated billions of dollars, and created thousands of American jobs. The latest edition of Spinoff records 44 journeys of NASA's most innovative technologies. It chronicles their origins in NASA missions and programs and their transfer to the public in the form of practical commercial products and benefits to society. "This year's Spinoff demonstrates once again how through productive and innovative partnerships, NASA's aerospace research brings real returns to the American people in the form of tangible products, services and new jobs," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "For 35 years, Spinoff has been the definitive resource for those who want to learn how space exploration benefits life on Earth." NASA spinoffs have proven benefits in health and medicine, transportation, public safety, consumer goods, energy and the environment, information technology, and industrial productivity, stimulating the economy and creating new jobs and businesses. In Spinoff 2011, readers can discover: - A new firefighting system, influenced by a NASA-derived rocket design that extinguishes fires more quickly than traditional systems, saving lives and property. - Software employing NASA-invented tools to help commercial airlines fly shorter routes and help save millions of gallons of fuel each year, reducing costs to airlines while benefiting the environment. - A fitness monitoring technology developed with the help of NASA expertise that, when fitted in a strap or shirt, can be used to measure and record vital signs. The technology is now in use to monitor the health of professional athletes and members of the armed services. - An emergency response software tool that can capture, analyze and combine data into maps, charts and other information essential to disaster managers responding to events such as wildfires, floods or Earthquakes. This technology can save millions of dollars in losses from disasters and, more importantly, can help save lives when tragedy strikes. This year's Spinoff includes a special section to celebrate the commercial technologies that resulted from NASA's 30-year Space Shuttle Program. Also featured are spinoffs that have come from the construction of the International Space Station and work aboard the orbiting outpost. An additional section discusses the potential benefits of NASA's future technology investments. "NASA's Office of the Chief Technologist has more than a thousand projects underway that will create new knowledge and capabilities, enabling NASA's future missions," NASA Chief Technologist Mason Peck said. "As these investments mature, we can expect new, exciting spinoff technologies transferring from NASA to the marketplace, providing real returns on our investments in innovation." Spinoff 2011 includes features about NASA's aeronautics and space research; award-winning technologies; diverse partnerships; and support for science, technology, engineering, and math education. The publication also provides reference and resource information about NASA. Spinoff 2011 is available online at: http://spinoff.nasa.gov An archive of Spinoff features and a searchable database of more than 1,750 NASA-derived technologies featured in past issues of the publication also are available at the Spinoff site."