Archive for the ‘Space News’ Category
Author: 
August 2nd, 2015
Image taken by Curiosity’s Navcam: Left B Sol 1061, August 1, 2015.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Operators of the NASA Curiosity rover on Mars are pleased to report that drilling into “Buckskin” was successful.
Over the weekend, the plan called for more robotic arm activities, including transferring the sample to the scoop for inspection.
But first, the ChemCam remote micro-imager (RMI) has taken pictures of the new drill hole and Mastcam will image a potential location for eventually dumping the sample, reports Ken Herkenhoff of the USGS Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona.
This image was taken by Mastcam: Right onboard NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 1060, July 31, 2015.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Mineralogical analysis
Herkenhoff adds that the newly acquired sample will be sieved and a portion of the fine-grained material dropped into CheMin for mineralogical analysis overnight on Sols 1061-1062.
The Chemistry and Mineralogy instrument — or CheMin for short – can identify and measure the abundances of various minerals on Mars.
NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image using its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), located on the turret at the end of the Curiosity rover’s robotic arm.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
In parallel, the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) is to analyze and measure the potential sample dump location for comparison with future measurements of the dump pile.
Lastly, during the afternoon of Sol 1062, the rover’s robotic arm was to be moved out of the way so that Mastcam and ChemCam can observe the drill hole and tailings, as well as new targets “Diamond Point” and “Summer Hill,” Herkenhoff explains.
Posted in 
Credit: Evergreen Exhibitions
The space elevator, travel to Mars, futuristic spacecraft propulsion systems.
If you want to travel “above and beyond” you’ll be interested in a new interactive flight exhibition – one that just launched on a multi-city tour to major science centers and air-and-space museums worldwide.
Explored through five key themes that define flight and space travel – Up, Faster, Higher, Farther, and Smarter – Above and Beyond is the name of an education-based exhibition.
The unique exhibit made its worldwide debut in Washington, D.C. at Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum on August 1.
Space themes
Among the themes included in the unique exhibit:
— International Space Elevator
Ascend to Earth orbit aboard a simulated space elevator of the future. During your ascent, breathtaking scenery, digital displays and a virtual tour guide describe the aircraft, spacecraft and aerospace phenomena.
— Marathon to Mars
Are you ready to go to Mars? This Augmented Reality experience invites you to take on the physical and psychological challenges of the marathon journey, and lets you “try on” some potential solutions. You can even earn your own personal “Passport to Mars.”
— Future Spacecraft
Touch screen media and images of futuristic spacecraft propulsion systems give you a sneak peek at some exciting innovations designed to open up the space frontier to everyone and propel human astronauts farther than ever before.
— The Light Stuff
In an interactive hammer strength test and a weight comparison of fuselage sections, test and observe how lightweight composite materials—10 times stronger than steel—are helping aircraft and spacecraft fly farther with less fuel.
— Space Junk
Step up to a “Junker” station for a cosmic crusade against debris in space. In this virtual timed challenge, try to eliminate orbital debris surrounding Earth, using your choice of cutting-edge solutions.
Multi-city tour
Above and Beyond is designed to be the most interactive exhibition on aerospace ever to tour, with approximately 5,000 square feet of exhibition space, including a 180-degree immersive theater presentation, a high-tech media-rich historical timeline, a simulated space elevator ride, a challenge to design and test a supersonic fighter jet in a virtual high-speed flying competition, and an avatar-based motion-capture group experience that demonstrates flight like a bird.
The exhibit’s international multi-city tour will run through 2020
Following its premier at Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, the 2015-2016 Above and Beyond tour schedule will include Dubai, St. Louis, Charleston, South Carolina, Riyadh, Seattle, London, Tokyo and Chicago.
Above and Beyond is produced by Evergreen Exhibitions in association with Boeing and in collaboration with NASA and the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.
For more information, go to:
ATLAS#1 up and running on the Hawaiian Island of Maui.
Credit: ATLAS Team
The first Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope is now in operation on Haleakala – on the Hawaiian Island of Maui.
ATLAS is an asteroid impact early warning system being developed by the University of Hawaii and funded by NASA.
When ATLAS is completed in 2015, it will consist of two telescopes, 100 miles apart, which automatically scan the whole sky several times every night looking for moving objects.
The promise of ATLAS is that it can provide one day’s warning for a 30-kiloton “town killer,” a week for a 5-megaton “city killer,” and three weeks for a 100-megaton “county killer.”
Fine-tuning
The telescope on Haleakala “is working well and producing useful images,” notes a posting on the ATLAS website. “We anticipate full resolution after some adjustments are made to the Schmidt corrector. The mount also performs well though it will require some fine-tuning to achieve ATLAS’ stringent tracking specifications.”
The mount for the Haleakala observatory is lifted into the dome.
Credit: ATLAS team
“All aspects of this whole system are very much under development right now. However, the existing system on Haleakala can survey the entire sky in a little more than one night, and we have begun accumulating images,” the ATLAS website update for July 30 adds.
ATLAS#1 telescope gently lowered into Haleakala observatory.
Credit: ATLAS team
ATLAS Telescope #2 is to be situated on Mauna Loa.
In August, the ATLAS team is set to meet with representatives from NASA and South Africa during the International Astronomical Union meeting in Honolulu. Discussions are to focus on the possibility of a third ATLAS unit in South Africa.
The U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing earlier this week, making use of a panel of experts to review space exploration of other worlds, today and in the future.
Held July 28, the purpose of the hearing was to review recent NASA achievements in exploring the solar system, including the exploration of Pluto and the asteroid Ceres, as well as assess future NASA missions under development, including a flagship mission to conduct a detailed survey of Jupiter’s moon Europa.
Exploring Ceres and Occator Crater with bright spots.
Credit: NASA/JPL
The testimony of the witnesses can be found here:
— Dr. John Grunsfeld, Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA
— Dr. Alan Stern, Principal Investigator, New Horizons Mission, Southwest Research Institute
— Dr. Christopher Russell, Principal Investigator, Dawn Mission; Professor of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California Los Angeles
— Dr. Robert Pappalardo, Study Scientist, Europa Mission Concept, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA
— Dr. Robert Braun, David and Andrew Lewis Professor of Space Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology
The hearing charter can be read here:
Image taken by Curiosity’s Front Hazcam: Left B, July 28 on Sol 1057.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
NASA’s Curiosity rover on Mars has made a “mini-start hole”, which is the name for a new type of initial drilling test, according to Ryan Anderson, a planetary scientist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona.
The target is called “Buckskin” and the test will drill a small hole in the rock to help determine whether it is safe to go ahead with the full hole, Anderson adds.
This image was taken by Curiosity’s Navcam: Right B on July 28, Sol 1057.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
“In addition to that test, we are planning a detailed study of the target “Ch-paa-qn” which means “shining peak” in the native Salish language of northern Montana,” Anderson explains. “This target is an isolated bright patch on the nearby outcrop, and we want to figure out if it is calcium sulfate like the white veins we see nearby, or if it is something else.”
The plan includes ChemCam active and passive observations of Ch-paa-qn, along with Mastcam multispectral images.
Curiosity’s Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), located on the turret at the end of the rover’s robotic arm took this image on July 28, 2015, Sol 1057.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Well suited for space, Jenny Leonard’s Astro Baron.
Credit: The Barons’ Charter – Salisbury 2015
Among 25 well-dressed and decorated Barons on display in Salisbury, a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England, is “Astro Baron” – thanks to Jenny Leonard, a creative and skilled artist based in London.
The Trussell Trust, together with Wild in Art, is staging The Barons’ Charter Trail, called the biggest mass participation public art event ever seen in the city.
The Barons trail will be on display in parks, streets and public spaces across Salisbury for 12 weeks from June 12th to September 6, 2015.
This event is part of a celebration of 800 years since the sealing of Magna Carta. The Great Charter of Liberty — or Magna Carta — was written over eight centuries ago and is the most celebrated document in English history. It is at the very heart of the process that led to the rule of constitutional law.
Salisbury is home to perhaps the best preserved copy of Magna Carta and 2015 celebrates 800 years of its existence.
Space uniform
The Barons are on display in high-profile, specially designated locations throughout Salisbury. They have been decorated by local and regional artists and sponsored by a variety of businesses, organizations and individuals.
As a freelance artist and muralist, Jenny Leonard applied her talents to craft Astro Baron for the Salisbury Barons’ Trail.
According to Sophie Sinclair, a communications and social media assistant at The Trussell Trust in Bournemouth, United Kingdom, Leonard’s design reflects an astronaut, “inspired by her thinking about what interesting uniforms would suit the baron best.”
Outfitted with add-ons
Leonard’s view: “I thought the stance and shape of the baron template resembled an astronaut and it would be great to give it texture and turn it into something fun with lots of dials and information about space and the universe for children to explore and have their pictures taken with.”
Astro Baron comes outfitted with add-ons: including a back pack, helmet and visor. “I wanted to make it into a little character,” the artist said, “with buttons and details in the painted fabric to make it look like it’s from outer space!”
Sinclair adds that Astro Baron is a popular one on the trail, “and we’ve enjoyed seeing people taking space man poses next to it, as well as the mirror visor on the baron providing a great opportunity for selfies!”
For more information on this unique event go to:
http://www.thebaronscharter.org.uk/barons/
To view Jenny Leonard’s artistic works, go to:
Credit:
Joseph Lazio, JPL
Robotic operations on the Moon are being investigated by university researchers – opening the door to laying out a radio telescope array on the lunar far side.
The rover would be commanded by astronauts in NASA’s Orion spacecraft, which would be hovering in a halo point near the lunar far side called Earth-moon Lagrange Point 2 (L2).
The university team is working hard to create software and hardware that mimics rover control to recognize potential problems with human-telerobotic operations, such as time lags and communication quality.
“Arms” of Kapton material spread out on the lunar surface could serve as a robust, lightweight backbone for an array of low-frequency antennas that could be deployed by a modest rover.
Courtesy: Jack Burns/University of Colorado, Boulder
Take a look at my new Space.com story on this promising research at:
How Robots Could Build a Radio Telescope on Far Side of the Moon
July 29, 2015 07:00am ET
http://www.space.com/30084-moon-far-side-rovers-radio-telescope.html
Leading Mars Underground member: Chris McKay
Credit: NASA
The question of whether life has ever existed on Mars has been at the center of a 50-year robotic exploration campaign that has seen an increasingly sophisticated armada of flyby missions, orbiters, landers and rovers dispatched to the red planet.
Christopher McKay, one of NASA’s most recognizable names in the field of astrobiology, argues that Mars probes to date have, quite literally, barely scratched the surface.
Check out my revealing SpaceNews profile of McKay’s views: “Drill Baby, Drill” at:
http://spacenews.com/qa-with-chris-mckay-senior-scientist-at-nasa-ames-research-center/
Virgin Galactic pilot Todd Ericson and NTSB investigators at SpaceShipTwo accident site.
Credit: NTSB
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is releasing today the findings of its 9-month investigation into the crash of the SpaceShipTwo late last year.
According to the NTSB, the probable cause for the mishap is as follows:
“The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was Scaled Composites’ failure to consider and protect against the possibility that a single human error could result in a catastrophic hazard to the SpaceShipTwo vehicle. This failure set the stage for the copilot’s premature unlocking of the feather system as a result of time pressure and vibration and loads that he had not recently experienced, which led to uncommanded feather extension and the subsequent aerodynamic overload and in-flight breakup of the vehicle.”
Video shown during NTSB Board Meeting on in-flight breakup of SpaceShipTwo near Mojave, California.
Published on July 28, 2015
Scaled Composites SpaceShipTwo Powered Flight #4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv8Y0aMNix8
Report from Virgin Galactic/The Spaceship Company
A submission to the NTSB by Scaled Composites, LLC’s SpaceShipTwo, by Virgin Galactic, LLC and The Spaceship Company (TSC) , LLC. highlights a number of items from their perspective.
According to the document provided to the NTSB, at the loss of data, multiple onboard and offboard video and data sources documented SpaceShipTwo entering an accelerated, high-g pitch up that telemetry confirmed exceeded the vehicle’s structural design loads.
SpaceShipTwo broke up into several large pieces that impacted terrain over a five-mile area near Koehn Dry Lake, California.
This photo shows pilot Pete Siebold following the SpaceShipTwo’s mid-air destruction as he parachutes safely down to Earth, with his arm up in the air to show everybody that he is alive and well.
Image by Mark Greenberg/Virgin Galactic
A comprehensive investigation by the NTSB using telemetered and recovered onboard data conclusively demonstrated that all vehicle systems were operating normally up until the point of breakup.
The rocket motor met or exceeded expectations, running smoother and with less vibration than during any previous powered flight.
Courtesy: NTSB
Probable cause
Regarding a probable cause and contributing causes, the report explains:
The probable cause of this accident was the copilot’s unlocking of SpaceShipTwo’s feather locks at 0.92 Mach, approximately 14 seconds prior to the flight manual minimum speed of 1.4 Mach.
Although normal checklist procedures maintained the feather locks in the locked position until after obtaining a minimum speed of 1.4 Mach, the mishap copilot prematurely unlocked the system at approximately 0.92 Mach.
Courtesy: NTSB
This premature unlocking was indisputably confirmed by telemetric, in-cockpit video and audio data. At this speed, lift from the horizontal tails well exceeded the feather actuator’s ability to prevent a rapid aerodynamic extension of the feather system.
Feather unlocked position.
Courtesy: NTSB
These forces caused the feather to rapidly extend without any further pilot action or mechanical malfunction.
Actions taken
Following the accident, Virgin Galactic and TSC undertook a comprehensive internal and external program review of the SpaceShipTwo design and operations. Virgin Galactic recommends these actions:
1) Modify the SpaceShipTwo feather lock system with an automatic mechanical inhibit to prevent unlocking or locking the feather locks during safety-critical phases of flight.
Status: Completed
2) Add to the SpaceShipTwo Normal Procedures checklist and Pilot’s Operating Handbook an explicit warning about the consequences of prematurely unlocking the feather lock.
Status: Completed
3) Implement a comprehensive Crew Resource Management (CRM) approach to all future Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo operations in a manner consistent with the pre-existing CRM program VG has employed for WK2 operations. This includes, as a minimum:
• Standardized procedures and call outs
• Challenge/response protocol for all safety-critical aircrew actions, to include feather lock handle movement
• Formalized CRM training
Status: Completed
4) Conduct a comprehensive internal safety review of all SpaceShipTwo systems to identify and eliminate any single-point human performance actions that could result in a catastrophic event.
Status: An initial assessment was completed and modifications to SS2-002 are in progress. Virgin Galactic will continually evaluate and improve System Safety throughout SpaceShipTwo’s lifecycle.
5) Conduct a comprehensive external safety review of Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company’s engineering, flight test and operations as well as SpaceShipTwo itself.
Status: Initial Assessment Completed. The external review team will review the program both prior to commencement of flight test activities as well as prior to entering commercial service.
6) Ensure Virgin Galactic employs pilots who meet or exceed the highest standards and possess a depth and breadth of experience in high performance fighter-type aircraft and/or spacecraft. Minimum VG qualifications during the flight test program shall be:
• A long course graduate of a recognized test pilot school with a minimum of 2.5 years post-graduation experience in the flight test of high performance, military turbojet aircraft and/or spacecraft.
• A minimum of 1000 hours pilot in command of high performance, military turbojet aircraft.
• Experience in multiengine non-centerline thrust aircraft
• Experience in multi-place, crewed aircraft and/or spacecraft
Status: Completed. All current Virgin Galactic pilots exceed the above minimum VG standards.
SpaceShipTwo wreckage.
Courtesy: NTSB
A statement from Virgin Galactic’s leader, Richard Branson, titled “The end of NTSB’s investigation and the future of Virgin Galactic” is available here:
Courtesy: NTSB
Note: The NTSB findings have been issued today, a multi-month assessment of human factors, regulatory issues, technical problems found in the SpaceShipTwo program, and other concerns.
For NTSB documents regarding the SpaceShipTwo mishap, go to:
NTSB document that provides an overview of the October 31, 2014 destruction of SpaceShipTwo
http://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/Documents/2015_spaceship2_BMG_abstract.pdf
— Opening Statement – NTSB Chairman Christopher A. Hart
http://www.ntsb.gov/news/speeches/CHart/Pages/hart_20150728o.aspx
— Investigator-in-Charge Presentation – Lorenda Ward
http://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/Documents/2015_spaceship2_BMG_IICpresentation.pdf
— Human Factors and Organizational Issues , Human Performance Presentation – Dr. Katherine Wilson
http://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/Documents/2015_spaceship2_BMG_HumanPerformancePresentation.pdf
— Hazard Analysis and Waivers, System Safety Presentation – Mike Hauf
http://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/Documents/2015_spaceship2_BMG_SystemSafety_presentation.pdf
For an entire video replay of the NTSB Board Meeting regarding the commercial space launch accident – SpaceShipTwo — recorded on July 28, 2015, go to:
http://ntsb.capitolconnection.org/072815/ntsb_archive_wmv.htm
Virgin Galactic pilot Todd Ericson and NTSB investigators at SpaceShipTwo accident site.
Credit: NTSB
UPDATED:
Board Meeting:
Commercial Space Launch Accident – SpaceShipTwo
July 28, 2015
9:30 a.m. ET
Webcast, go to:
http://ntsb.capitolconnection.org/
Board members of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will meet Tuesday, July 28, to determine the probable cause of the October 31, 2014 in-flight breakup of SpaceShipTwo that occurred over the skies of Mojave, California.
SpaceShipTwo is a commercial space vehicle that the Mojave-based Scaled Composites built for Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic spaceline company.
Last year the craft broke up during a rocket-powered test flight, seriously injuring the pilot, Peter Siebold, and killing the co-pilot, Michael Alsbury. Both worked for Scaled Composites.
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo is shown making a rocket-powered test flight on Jan. 10, 2014. The vehicle crashed during a subsequent rocket-powered test flight on Oct. 31, 2014, killing one pilot and injuring the other.
Credit: MarsScientific.com/Clay Center Observatory
Feather reentry system
In earlier NTSB statements stemming from the SpaceShipTwo accident investigation, the copilot, who was in the right seat, reportedly unlocked the movable feather reentry system on the craft’s tail prematurely, leading to the breakup of the craft.
The vessel disintegrated in the air. The SpaceShipTwo wreckage was recovered and was stored in a secure location for follow-on examination.
The NTSB operations and human performance investigators interviewed Siebold, the surviving pilot. According to the pilot, he was unaware that the feather system had been unlocked early by the copilot.
Siebold’s description of the vehicle motion to the NTSB was consistent with other data sources in the investigation. He stated that he was extracted from the vehicle as a result of the break-up sequence and unbuckled from his seat at some point before the parachute deployed automatically.
Available data
Recorded information from telemetry, non-volatile memory, and videos were processed to assist the NTSB investigative groups.
Credit: NTSB
An NTSB group reviewed available data for the vehicle’s systems (flight controls, displays, environmental control, etc.) and also reviewed design data for the feather system components and the systems safety documentation.
A vehicle performance group also examined the aerodynamic and inertial forces that acted on the vehicle during the SpaceShipTwo’s ill-fated flight.
Tuesday’s release of information is set to take place within the NTSB Board Room and Conference Center in Washington, D.C., starting at 9:30 a.m. Eastern.
Credit: NTSB
NOTE: To view an older Space.com story of mine from last year on the accident, go to:
After SpaceShipTwo Tragedy, How Will Virgin Galactic Return to Flight?
http://www.space.com/28088-virgin-galactic-spaceshiptwo-crash-aftermath.html
