Tales of the Heliosphere

Go to the Boston Globe's "The Big Picture" web page for a collection of NASA photos of the Constellation program. (Here.)

This is photograph number 23 from the essay, described as follows: "Engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama completed first-round testing on Sept. 11, 2008 of a key motor for the next-generation Ares I rocket. The ullage settling motor is a small, solid rocket motor that will assist in vehicle stage separation and provide the forward motion needed to push fuel to the bottom of the fuel tanks during the launch to orbit of the Ares I rocket."(Photo credit: NASA/MSFC)

That may be a solid rocket motor blasting away but it looks like a test firing of a death ray. Makes me wonder, if you could line up your ship correctly and get it close enough to the target, how effective would the blast from a propulsion or control rocket be as a weapon in space? But that's another topic. There are other equally cool photos in the collection. Go check them out. (Link here again, so you don't have to scroll back to the top.)

-tdr

Labels: NASA

NASA plans to launch a nuclear-powered robotic rover to Mars in the year 2011 for landing in 2012. If it goes, the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), will be a Mars rover on steroids compared to the two already there. The MSL is big. How big? This big. Sorry, kid, there's no right to privacy in a public place. And it's this much taller than your typical American adult male. Besides its large size, the MSL will have very robust mission capabilities, thanks in no small part to its nuclear power source. Although you wouldn't know it by the signage and educational video accompanying the mock up MSL at the Reuben Fleet Science Center in San Diego. So, here are photos of the mock up MSL's mock up nuke. Top view.
Bottom view.
For more photographs of the mock up of the MSL on display at The Reuben Fleet Science Center, visit my Picasa Web Albums page (picasaweb.google.com/tdavera/)and view the Mars Science Lab Fleet folder. (Here.) For more information on the MSL mission visit NASA's webpage. (Here.)

-tdr

Labels: Mars, NASA, San Diego

Bloomberg.com has published an interesting story about the incoming Obama Administration's plans for America's space programs. That's right, programs not program: the military and the civilian wings.

George W. Bush got lots of grief for militarizing space with his national security emphasis on America's space policy. Undeserved, by the way. But Bush's NASA also moved to expand civilian options for launch vehicle with its competition for a private sector replacement to the shuttle. Also Bush's regulators at the FAA helped to make it possible for Burt Rutan to launch SpaceShipOne into space, and have been very helpful in setting up a favorable regulatory regime for the new private space programs.

Now the incoming Obama administration is considering breaking the barriers between the Pentagon and NASA and having America's two government spacefaring organizations share resources.

"President-elect Barack Obama will probably tear down long-standing barriers between the U.S.’s civilian and military space programs to speed up a mission to the moon amid the prospect of a new space race with China.

"Obama’s transition team is considering a collaboration between the Defense Department and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration because military rockets may be cheaper and ready sooner than the space agency’s planned launch vehicle, which isn’t slated to fly until 2015, according to people who’ve discussed the idea with the Obama team.

"The potential change comes as Pentagon concerns are rising over China’s space ambitions because of what is perceived as an eventual threat to U.S. defense satellites, the lofty battlefield eyes of the military." (Here.)

At first glance this appears positive. Combining the military and the civilian wings of America's space program instantly increases the resources available to each. Also, if I may, it takes two wings to fly, you know. Ultimately, a serious American government space program will look more like a military organization than it does now.

Space enthusiasts spend enormous energy and time trying to figure out how to get the younger generation more interested in space exploration. Recommendations include making space exploration be about the coolness of astronomy, searching for alien life, saving humanity through space colonization, saving the Earth through space industry, or learning about other planets to better understand and save our own. For example, if we can understand why Venus became a greenhouse hothouse, maybe we can prevent it happening here. If we can understand why Mars lost its magnetic field, maybe we can prevent it happening here. If we can beam clean energy from orbit, maybe we can slow down pollution on Earth. If we can strip mine the asteroids, maybe we can preserve our own planet. Call it Greenspace.

But space enthusiasts have another option for increasing the glamorous allure of space. Make space exploration about something that is part of humanity's soul: nationalism. Make the space program about serving the country, throw in uniforms and ranks, and we'll have no shortage or recruits. Call it Spacefleet.

-tdr

Republished once for editing purposes. No content changed.

Labels: America, NASA, Nationalism, Space Exploration, Space War

The United States record for time in space is now held by a woman, astronaut Peggy Whitson, who just spent 192 days in space.

"Whitson, 48, returned from her second mission to the station. She served as a flight engineer on the Expedition 5 crew, launching June 5, 2002, and returning to Earth Dec. 7 after almost 185 days in space.

She landed Saturday with a total of 377 days in space, more than any other U.S. spacefarer. On April 16 she broke the previous mark of 374 days set by Mike Foale on his six flights." (Here.)

You go, girl!

Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko landed with Whitson. His cumulative time in space puts the American record in perspective. He has spent 515 days in space over four flights, ninth most of all humans. Who holds the record? Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev with 803 days 9 hours and 39 minutes. (Here.)

-tdr

Labels: NASA

The San Diego Air and Space Museum hosted former American astronauts Scott Carpenter, Tom Stafford, and Gene Cernan. (Here.) (That's Carpenter making a point while Stafford and Cernan listen in.*) A large turnout of kids and adults was there to listen to these real space cowboys, buy their books, and speak with them. Here's some of what the astronauts had to say, in no particular order.

Carpenter spoke movingly of missing his former colleague, Wally Schirra, who recently died. He and Stafford both gave high praise to Schirra's sense of humor and told of how much it helped during the early years when things would go wrong. Carpenter told a story about when the original seven astronauts were made honorary members of the Texas state police, Schirra joked, "no more speeding tickets for us."

Carpenter said that during the 1960s competition with the Soviet Union was the main motivator for NASA. That competition drove NASA, and the Soviets, to do better work.

Carpenter said his heroes were Jacques Cousteau, John F. Kennedy, and Werner von Braun. Kennedy because he inspired us to go to the moon and von Braun because he showed us how to get there. Cernan's hero is his father.

Cernan said he's often asked what he would have done if his lunar lander had not taken off from the moon. He said he's thought more about what he would have done if the lander had not been able to burn for at least 7 minutes and 7 seconds on liftoff from the moon. That amount of time was necessary to reach orbit. Anything less and the lander would have entered a decaying orbit and eventually crashed on the Lunar surface. He said he doesn't know what he would have done and that it doesn't matter. He said there was nothing that could be done to avoid the risk and the mission was worth it.

All three astronauts agreed that the most beautiful sight in space is the Earth.

In a telling comment about how much change happened in the 20th Century, Cernan told of how Stafford's mother crossed the plains to Oklahoma in a covered wagon and lived to see the day when her son would fly to the moon. Cernan suggested that progress has slowed too much since the days of Apollo.

Stafford gave some advice on how to get into space on a NASA rocket. Go to school and study science. Get a Phd. Design an experiment that can only be done in microgravity. Designate yourself principal investigator. Send a proposal to NASA. Get ready to fly into space.

Cernan told the children in the audience to have a dream. He told them to dream the impossible. He said they should do what they love to do and do their best at it. They may not end up the best at what they do but their efforts will pay off. He said that he dreamed as a child of one day flying off aircraft carriers. He never dreamed he would ever fly into space. But his dream of flying and his hard work at it put him in a position to fly into space when the opportunity presented itself.

The museum displayed a full-size Mercury capsule where the astronauts spoke. That's it below hanging from the ceiling. Note its size compared to the nearby cars and airplane.
-tdr

Technorati: NASA, astronauts.

* Many thanks to my fellow Mars Society of San Diego member, Gerry Williams, for graciously allowing me to use the photo he took of the astronauts. That one photo was much better than any of the half a dozen or so I took of the three men.

Labels: NASA, San Diego

The spacesuits worn by astronauts in open space aren't suitable for use on Mars and other planets. A team at MIT is working on a different kind of spacesuit, a skintight suit that uses mechanical counter-pressure to protect astronauts. (Here.) Besides being less bulky, lighter, and safer than current gas-pressurized spacesuits, mechanical counter-pressure suits have another advantage.

"The suits could also help astronauts stay fit during the six-month journey to Mars. Studies have shown that astronauts lose up to 40 percent of their muscle strength in space, but the new outfits could be designed to offer varying resistance levels, allowing the astronauts to exercise against the suits during a long flight to Mars.

Although getting the suits into space is the ultimate goal, [Professor Dava] Newman is also focusing on Earth-bound applications in the short term, such as athletic training or helping people walk."

Having potential uses on Earth should help with attracting money for development and to answer complaints some might have about spending money on space instead of on problems here on Earth.

-tdr

Technorati: NASA, science, MIT.

Labels: Health, NASA, Technology

Back in April the Congressmembers in charge of committees responsible for America's space program sent a letter to the President inviting him to meet with them and others to discuss NASA's priorities and funding. (Here.)

The White House didn't ignore their request. In fact, three top Administration officials responsible for the budget and the space program offered to meet with the Congressmembers.

"The President agrees we need an open and candid dialogue on the path forward to sustaining a balanced, robust space program. With that in mind, we, along with Administrator Griffin, would welcome an opportunity to meet with you to discuss civil space and other important topics in coming weeks, as permitted by your schedule." (Here.)

The Democratic response is to complain that the President himself won't meet with them.

"We are deeply disappointed that the President has decided not to seize the opportunity to meet with Members of Congress to discuss how best to ensure that NASA will have the resources needed to carry out a balanced and robust program of science, aeronautics, and human space flight and exploration initiatives." (Here.)

Our tax dollars at work.

The posturing about personal face time with the President is a bit of a joke, isn't it? The Administrator of NASA and the Directors of the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Science and Technology Policy aren't high enough on the decision-making food chain to meet with the Committee Chairmen? All of them are underlings in their respective organizational charts of the executive and legislative branches. Get over it. Just meet already.

-tdr

Technorati: NASA, Congress.

Labels: NASA, Politics

There's been a spate of stories recently about the problems astronauts will face on long space missions. In a column on Wired.com, Regina Lynn takes on the issue of what the article calls, "The Uncomfortable Reality of Sex in Space." (Here.)

Lynn sees things this way. "We cannot expect astronauts to spend three years in a spacecraft and not have sex -- of some kind. Probably with each other, and likely in more than one combination." She suggests that astronauts should be sent to "the adult internet" to learn about "the wide range of human sexual relationships." For example:

"They can observe and experiment with sex without possession, partnership without monogamy, sexual pleasure without expectation of roses or breakfast.

They can discover group love, bond with a special someone, or both. They can try letting go of jealousy and fear, figure out how to protect themselves from other people's drama, and develop healthy ways to cope with desire, love and rejection.

Some astronauts might discover they are comfortable with polyamory or bisexuality while others might reaffirm their commitment to monogamy. The important thing is that they practice living and working respectfully with others regardless of who is sleeping with whom."

Okay, this is a serious issue and I don't want to minimize the problems astronauts will face on long missions. But are we talking about a space exploration mission or an adult sex cruise? I'm sure the Earthbound husbands and wives of distant astronauts might have a different perspective on the whole "whatever gets you through the night, love the one you're with" attitude expressed in Lynn's suggestions.

In any event, the truly uncomfortable reality of sex in space is not about relationships, morale, techniques, alternative sexual lifestyles, and the whole gamut of things that first come to mind when sex in space is discussed. The truly uncomfortable reality of sex in space is that the biological purpose of sex is reproduction and artificial birth control sometimes fails. What do we do if an astronaut becomes pregnant?

The adverse health problems that plague humans from prolonged exposure to weightlessness and radiation are well-documented. Adult humans with fully developed bodies have ways to mitigate the health problems that come from living in space.

We can't be certain how weightlessness or even reduced gravity would affect a developing human in the womb or an infant, and we don't know what should be done to protect its health in space. A pregnancy on a long, three-year mission to Mars, for example, would certainly help us learn. But that knowledge would come at the cost of unplanned experimentation on a human being that never consented and couldn't.

Until we know more about the effects the conditions in space would have on a human being in the womb or an infant, the better advice for astronauts on long-term missions to other planets is sublimate, sublimate, sublimate. And if that doesn't work, they should try something that rhymes with sublimate. They can practice the techniques they learned exploring the adult internet.

-tdr

Republished twice to correct errors: affect, effect, whatever.

Technorati: NASA, space, astronauts, sex, sexuality.

Labels: Health, NASA

In our perennial search for a space exploration sales pitch one justification never gets discussed. The space program produces some beautiful art. Check out this NASA webpage of Mars photos (here) for a sampling of the beauty out there that the space program brings home to us. And then look at this Hubble website (here), and Cassini's photo gallery of Saturn (here) for more. We live in a beautiful universe.

-tdr

Technorati: NASA, astronomy, space, art.

Labels: Aesthetics, Astronomy, Hubble, Mars, NASA, Saturn

Science Daily has a story today about "surprising" new evidence discovered by the Spirit rover that Mars used to be warm and wet. (Here.) Didn't the rovers provide this evidence already? Like two years ago, maybe?

We all know that Mars used to be warm and wet already. I've done public talks about Mars since the rovers first landed on Mars and audience members typically know about the water on Mars discoveries. How exactly is it that three years on it's dramatic and surprising that more evidence of past water is discovered? Is funding for the rover missions on the chopping block or something?

Wake me up when there's more evidence of present water on Mars. Or some other material that would be useful for humans once we get our behinds in gear and send some astronauts there to make the red planet our own.

Come to think of it, the Science Daily story is actually about the discovery of a patch of silica. Silica is a useful raw material for manufacturing different things like glass, porcelain, food additives, ceramic re-entry tiles on the Space Shuttle, among others. (Here.) Now that's interesting. There's stuff on Mars we can use to make things. Too bad the story wasn't about that.

-tdr

Technorati: NASA, Mars

Labels: Mars, NASA, Scienceism

A story in Aviation Week, floats an apparent trial balloon about the fate of the Hubble. The next Hubble servicing mission might be the last one.

"Matt Mountain, director of the Space Telescope Science Institute that manages use of the Hubble, told a Capitol Hill breakfast May 11 that one more servicing mission may be all scientists will want to give Hubble. 'This telescope is 17 years old,' he told a session organized by the Maryland Space Business Roundtable and the California Space Authority. 'It's done an amazing job. But there are other great things we need to do.'" (Here.)

I've advocated scrapping the Hubble for over two years now. (Here.) Rather than spending the money, time, and energy trying to keep Hubble going past its "use by" date, we should have been focused on building a replacement. (Here.) But space scientists pushed back hard when plans surfaced to scrap Hubble. The telescope is their baby and they weren't going to let it be abandoned. It will be interesting to see how high this trial balloon flies before space scientists begin to take aim.

But as NASA's Colleen Hartman aptly puts it in the Aviation Week story, "'At some point you are going to come the point where getting a new car is the right thing to do.'" Makes perfect sense to me. (Here.)

-tdr

Technorati: Hubble, astronomy, NASA.

Labels: Astronomy, Hubble, NASA

The Pluto-bound New Horizons probe did its only flyby of a planet in February when it passed by Jupiter. The probe's instruments gathered data on Jupiter's Little Red Spot, the Jovian Rings, and some mysterious troughs on Europa.

The probe did twice as many observations of Jupiter than are planned for the flyby of Pluto in 2015. (Here.) That may be appropriate. After all, Jupiter is the only planet in the Solar System that New Horizons will fly by. Thanks to the collective wisdum (excuse me, "wisdom") of Earth's astronomers Pluto has been demoted from planet.

For more on NASA's New Horizons mission to fly by the non-planet Pluto and its moon Charon visit the official website here.

-tdr

Technorati: NASA, astronomy, Jupiter, Pluto, New Horizons.

Labels: Astronomy, Jupiter, NASA, Pluto

Democratic control of both houses of Congress is putting human space travel at risk. (Here.)

-tdr

Technorati: NASA

Labels: NASA

A new poll from Zogby International shows Americans are interested in space travel, both private and governmental. According to the Zogby press release, only about a third of respondents said they follow the nascent space tourism industry but 41 percent would travel to the moon. The full poll is available only to subscribers but here's a portion of Zogby's press release:

"While large percentages of Americans are receptive to commercial space travel, that doesn't signal a death knell for NASA. In fact, large majorities of Americans back a space program. Four in five said that it's important to America's international prestige to have a space program, and 71% oppose any cut to NASA's budget, while one in three Americans would back increasing NASA's funding levels.

In an era of space shuttle accidents and astronaut deaths, though, there is some hesitancy to boost men and women into orbit. While 80% of Americans see a space program as vital to America's international prestige, a lower 75% believe a manned program is necessary to this purpose." (Here.)

With a margin of error of +- 1.4 percent, that 5 percent difference does not seem very significant. The numbers still show that 3/4 of Americans surveyed support human space travel. However you look at it, the glass is still well more than half full.

-tdr

Technorati: NASA

Labels: NASA

James Oberg writes an interesting column in The Space Review this week busting 12 myths of the weaponization of space. Here's one of the myths he takes on.

"Western news dispatches from Moscow, reporting on Russian official complaints about the policy, stated that it asserted the right “to deny adversaries access to space for hostile purposes,” and that it claimed the right (some say “tacitly”) for the US to deploy weapons in space. Vitaly Davidov, deputy head of the Russian Space Agency, complained: “They [the US] want to dictate to others who is allowed to go there.”

But the actual policy document makes no such claim and displays no such intent to “deny” access. The Russian anxiety, echoed on the editorial pages and in news stories around the world, is apparently based on some over-wrought page 1 stories in US newspapers, written by people too careless to actually read the original US document and subsequent official US government clarifications, or too eager to misinterpret it in the most alarmingly stark terms."

But here's a quote from the new policy.

"• The United States considers space capabilities -- including the ground and space segments and supporting links -- vital to its national interests. Consistent with this policy, the United States will: preserve its rights, capabilities, and freedom of action in space; dissuade or deter others from either impeding those rights or developing capabilities intended to do so; take those actions necessary to protect its space capabilities; respond to interference; and deny, if necessary, adversaries the use of space capabilities hostile to U.S. national interests;" (See pp. 1-2 of OSTP pdf here [emphasis added].)

Later, the policy document directs the Secretary of Defense to

"...Develop capabilities, plans, and options to ensure freedom of action in space, and, if directed, deny such freedom of action to adversaries;" (See p. 5 of OSTP pdf at link above.)

While the new space policy makes no claim the US will deny access to space to other countries as a general rule, if your country is an American enemy threatening America's freedom of action in space, well, that's a whole 'nother story. If other countries perceive a threat in a policy statement that says the US will act against its enemies to protect its space capabilities, then America had better keep a watchful eye on those countries.

The United States should have a policy aimed at keeping access to space open and deterring those who would deny that access to America or other nations. America helped usher in today's globalized and interconnected world by promoting a policy of freedom of the seas, and having a Navy capable of implementing that policy. As humanity moves out from Earth and brings space into the world's economic sphere, America should promote and protect freedom of access to space. If it takes using military force, so be it.

-tdr

Technorati: NASA, space, space weapons.

Labels: Leviathan, NASA

Many critics complain about the secrecy of the Bush Administration. But a new study of federal agencies from the National Security Archive, a Washington-based nongovernmental research institute, cites NASA for its transparency."NASA is a prime example of effective use of the Web, [Director Thomas] Blanton said. The agency posts comprehensive guidance on FOIA [Freedom of Information Act] for visitors, links all their component FOIA Web sites, and also has posted many documents on the Columbia space shuttle disaster, a tragedy that had drawn may inquiries for information." (Here.)

-tdr

Technorati: NASA

Labels: Leviathan, NASA

" ... a trenchcoat and wig, armed with a BB gun and pepper spray, and wearing a diaper to avoid bathroom breaks on the arduous drive. ... a new steel mallet, knife and rubber tubing." (Here.) A cheap shot, I know.

-tdr

Technorati: NASA.

Labels: Mars, NASA

The latest issue that has spacers worried about the future of humans in space is the apathy, if not opposition, of the young to NASA's human space plans. (Here.) Taylor Dinerman, writing at The Space Review, suggests a plan and a theme. (Here.)

The plan involves enrolling students in NASA space academies and increasing educational outreach programs in schools. The theme is one that surfaces regularly at space conferences: space saves the world. Here's how Dinerman puts it:

"If NASA wants to communicate a simple message about why its mission is essential, why not try something along these lines: in 2050 there will be nine billion humans on this planet, most of whom will aspire to a lifestyle approximating that of a prosperous American today. There is no way that the Earth can provide the resources to support them. Only by going off-Earth for energy and materials can we hope to help the vast majority of humanity obtain a decent standard of living and also protect our environment."

Dinerman's theme has the benefit of appealing to values the young tend to embrace and providing an idealistic basis for America's space program. There's nothing like a cause greater than self to motivate people to act. But Dinerman's theme appeals to a fairly new global idealism. A more parochial and time-tested idealism exists that NASA should exploit: patriotism.

Every generation young Americans join the country's armed forces motivated by self-interest, a thirst for adventure, a desire to serve others, and love of country. Right now NASA is America's "Space Administration." Even its name is bureaucratic and boring.

NASA ought to be a service. Change the space program's name to something like the United States Space Exploration Service, give its employees military-style ranks, create uniforms, start Space Service ROTC programs at schools, the whole nine yards. Make the space service's mission exclusively about exploring space. And for a theme? Sell a career in America's space service as an adventure and patriotic service to the country; the old-fashioned virtues that have been around since the dawn of recorded human history.

-tdr

Technorati: NASA, space.

Labels: Leviathan, NASA

Space.com is polling readers for the top space story of 2006. The top 10 so far can be seen here. They are about what you'd expect with the hardy and totally lovable little Mars Rovers coming in first, followed by the decision to save Hubble, and NASA's return to flight.

In my view the top space story of 2006 is Bigelow Aerospace's successful launch and continued operation of its inflatable prototype for a private space station. This story signals the promise of private human space operations in orbit. (Here.)

Second would be NASA's awarding of the COTS contracts, which demonstrates the government's move towards reliance on private space companies for operations in lower Earth orbit. (Here.) Tied for second would be the Democratic Party's takeover of the House and Senate, which has immediately imperiled NASA's plans for human space operations. (Here.)

Third is publication of the United States new space policy document which makes official the view that space is a place within America's security and economic spheres of influence. This is a baby step in the direction of undermining the current unrealistic legal regime that governs human activities in space. (Here and here.)

The most ridiculous space story of 2006 is number 8 on the Space.com list. That story is the decision by astronomers to adopt the neighborhood bully definition of planets and fix the Solar System's planetary population at 8. The story gets my vote for most ridiculous story because it reveals how out of touch scientists are from the general public. (Here.)

What's your opinion?

-tdr

Republished once to fix links.

Technorati: NASA, space, astronomy.

Labels: Leviathan, NASA, News, Scienceism, Space Captains Of Industry

Apparently, it's not just the wide-open spaces of the West that will be home to the coming commercialized space age. Virginia has a spaceport. (Here.)

It's a small facility and appears to be a joint venture of two state governments, Virginia and Maryland, but if officials at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport have their way, it will be the launch site for future commercial flights to the ISS. In the more immediate future MARS, as it's called, plans to launch an Air Force flight on December 11, 2006. Three more flights are planned with assistance from NASA. Two government flights and one joint venture.

Another blogger wonders just how private this facility really is with all that government involvement. (Here.) Not very, it appears. But that's the reality of the space industry today. Government is still one of the biggest players.

-tdr

Technorati: Space, NASA,

Labels: NASA, Space Captains Of Industry, Spaceports