The Future of NASA: Space Policy Issues Facing Congress
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Ares I Upper Stage Powering the Second Phase of a Rocket’S Journey to Space
National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA’s Ares I Upper Stage Powering the Second Phase of a Rocket’s Journey to Space Going to the moon and beyond will be a stunning Shortly after J-2X engine cutoff, the Orion cap- achievement and an enduring legacy to future sule will separate from the upper stage. Orion’s generations. Supporting the agency’s mission engine then will ignite to insert the capsule into to explore, learn and progress is NASA’s Ares I low-Earth orbit. The Ares I upper stage – dor- crew launch vehicle, an in-line, two-stage rocket. mant after safe shut-down of the J-2X upper The flagship of the Constellation Program’s space stage engine – will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere facts transportation system, the Ares I will carry the and splash down in the Indian Ocean. The upper Orion spacecraft and its crew on missions to the stage and J-2X engine will not be reused. International Space Station and then later on to the moon and beyond. Upper Stage Components The entire Ares I vehicle will be 325 feet tall, with Taking the Ares I on the second phase of its jour- a liftoff mass of 2.0 million pounds and payload ney from Earth will be the spacecraft’s second, capacity of 56,200 pounds mass to low Earth or upper, stage, powered by the J-2X engine. orbit for International Space Station missions, Approximately 133 seconds after liftoff, the Ares and 55,600 pounds mass for lunar missions. I upper stage will separate from the vehicle’s first A self-supporting cylindrical structure, the Ares stage, and the J-2X will ignite. -
Mission to Jupiter
This book attempts to convey the creativity, Project A History of the Galileo Jupiter: To Mission The Galileo mission to Jupiter explored leadership, and vision that were necessary for the an exciting new frontier, had a major impact mission’s success. It is a book about dedicated people on planetary science, and provided invaluable and their scientific and engineering achievements. lessons for the design of spacecraft. This The Galileo mission faced many significant problems. mission amassed so many scientific firsts and Some of the most brilliant accomplishments and key discoveries that it can truly be called one of “work-arounds” of the Galileo staff occurred the most impressive feats of exploration of the precisely when these challenges arose. Throughout 20th century. In the words of John Casani, the the mission, engineers and scientists found ways to original project manager of the mission, “Galileo keep the spacecraft operational from a distance of was a way of demonstrating . just what U.S. nearly half a billion miles, enabling one of the most technology was capable of doing.” An engineer impressive voyages of scientific discovery. on the Galileo team expressed more personal * * * * * sentiments when she said, “I had never been a Michael Meltzer is an environmental part of something with such great scope . To scientist who has been writing about science know that the whole world was watching and and technology for nearly 30 years. His books hoping with us that this would work. We were and articles have investigated topics that include doing something for all mankind.” designing solar houses, preventing pollution in When Galileo lifted off from Kennedy electroplating shops, catching salmon with sonar and Space Center on 18 October 1989, it began an radar, and developing a sensor for examining Space interplanetary voyage that took it to Venus, to Michael Meltzer Michael Shuttle engines. -
Mourners Remember Life, Career of US Astronaut John Glenn 17 December 2016
Mourners remember life, career of US astronaut John Glenn 17 December 2016 Mourners gathered at a memorial service for The state of Ohio held ceremonies over two days, groundbreaking astronaut John Glenn on Saturday complete with full military honors, ending with the in his home state of Ohio, capping two days of memorial service held at a 2,500-seat auditorium remembrances for the first American to orbit the on the Ohio State University campus home to the Earth. Glenn College of Public Affairs. Glenn, who later in life also became the first senior The memorial service was attended by dignitaries, citizen in space, was remembered as a national high-ranking government officials and members of hero who believed in selfless service to his the public who got tickets. country. The service included a platoon of 40 Marines who He died last week at the age of 95, after a lifetime marched three miles (4.8 kilometers) to accompany spent in the US Marines, the American space the hearse carrying Glenn's body from the Ohio program, the Senate, and as a university Statehouse to the auditorium. professor. Glenn's flag-draped coffin lay in state at the At the public memorial service in the state capital Statehouse rotunda Friday, allowing thousands of Columbus, Vice President Joe Biden said Glenn visitors to pay their final respects in an honor exemplified America's view of itself as a "country of granted to only eight other people in Ohio's history. promise, opportunity, always a belief for tomorrow." At the memorial, speakers—including his adult children Lyn and David—remembered Glenn's long "He knew from his upbringing that ordinary career in public service. -
Baikonur-International Space Station : International Approach to Lunar Exploration
ICEUM4, 10-15 July 2000, ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands Baikonur-International Space Station : International Approach to Lunar Exploration Gulnara Omarova, National Aerospace Agency; Chinghis Omarov, ISU Summer Session '98 alumni On 20th November 1998 our aircraft made soft landing at the Baikonur airport. I was among onboard passengers - officials from Kazakhstan Space, press and diplomats. We all were invited to attend the launch of the International Space Station (ISS) first component (the Russian-made Zarya or Functional Cargo Module FGB) by Proton launch-vehicle at the Baikonur spaceport. Two hours before ISS first module launch we joined the official delegations from NASA, Russian Space Agency (RSA), ESA, Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and NASDA to see the modified facilities of both "Energiya" Corp. and Khrunichev's Proton assembly-and- test building. Mr. Yuri Koptev, Chief of RSA and Mr. Dan Goldin, NASA Administrator actively were drinking russian tea and talking about crucial issues of the International Space Station and the future of Space Exploration. In fact, Cold War is over and the world's top space powers accomplishments are stunning: • The first human flight in space in 1961; • Human space flight initiatives to ascertain if and how long a human could survive in space; • Project Gemini (flights during 1965-1966) to practice space operations, especially rendezvous and docking of spacecraft and extravehicular activity; • Project Apollo (flights during 1968-1972) to explore the Moon; • Space Shuttle's flights (1981 - present); • Satellite programs; • A permanently occupied space station "Mir" (during 1976-1999); • A permanently occupied International Space Station presently underway. We and a few people approached them to learn much more particulars of their talking and to ask them most interesting questions. -
Remains of Astronaut Legend Neil Armstrong Buried at Sea 15 September 2012
Remains of astronaut legend Neil Armstrong buried at sea 15 September 2012 The cremated remains of legendary American astronaut Neil Armstrong were scattered at sea Friday, in a ceremony aboard a US aircraft carrier paying final tribute to the first man to set foot on the moon, NASA said. US Navy personnel carried Armstrong's remains to the Atlantic Ocean one day after a somber memorial ceremony at the Washington National Cathedral for the famously reserved Apollo 11 commander, who died August 25 at the age of 82. Armstrong's widow Carol was presented an American flag at the ceremony aboard the USS Philippine Sea that included a bugler and rifle salute. "Neil will always be remembered for taking humankind's first small step on another world," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said at the National Cathedral service. "But it was the courage, grace and humility he displayed throughout his life that lifted him above the stars." Armstrong's Apollo 11 crew mates Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin, Eugene Cernan—the Apollo 17 mission commander and last man to walk on the moon—attended the memorial service. Also present Thursday was John Glenn, the former US senator and first American to orbit the Earth. Armstrong came to be known around the world for the immortal words he uttered on July 20, 1969, as he became the first person ever to step onto another body in space: "That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind." (c) 2012 AFP APA citation: Remains of astronaut legend Neil Armstrong buried at sea (2012, September 15) retrieved 29 September 2021 from https://phys.org/news/2012-09-astronaut-legend-neil-armstrong-sea.html 1 / 2 This document is subject to copyright. -
Human Issues Related to Spacecraft Vibration During Ascent
Human Issues related to Spacecraft Vibration during Ascent Consultant Report to the Constellation Program Standing Review Board Jonathan B. Clark M.D., M.P.H. Suite NA 425 One Baylor Plaza Baylor College of Medicine Houston TX 77030-3498 1731 Sunset Blvd Houston TX 77005 713 859 1381 281 989 8721 [email protected] [email protected] Opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not reflect the views of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI), Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Human Issues related to Spacecraft Vibration during Ascent Consultant Report to the Constellation Program Standing Review Board Jonathan B. Clark M.D., M.P.H. Opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not reflect the views of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI), Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Pogo in Liquid Fueled Rocket Motors The pogo phenomenon, or fuel pump inlet pressure fluctuation/ cavitation due to tuning feed line resonant frequencies was a major concern in the early space program. Pump tests showed that as inlet pressures were reduced toward cavitation, the pump started acting as an amplifier, causing large oscillations in the thrust chamber pressure. As the rocket engine thrust develops, liquid propellant is cyclically forced into the turbopump. This fluctuating fluid pressure is converted into an unintended and variable increase in engine thrust, with the net effect being longitudinal axis vibration that could result in spacecraft structural failure. -
Nasa As an Instrument of U.S. Foreign Policy
CHAPTER 11 Nasa as an Instrument of U.S. Foreign Policy John Krige as space exploration,and NASA’s role in it in particular,had an effect on society, Hand, if so, on what aspects of it? And how do we measure any such impact? These are challenging questions indeed. The stakeholders in the huge American space program are multiple and include scientists; engineers; research, development, and launch facilities; industry; administrators; and many government agencies, not to speak of Congress and the U.S. taxpayer.The impacts of spaceflight vary widely, from adding to the stockpile of knowledge and stimulating innovation and industry, to training, education, and creating jobs and—if we move beyond the civilian sphere— to enhancing national security and intelligence gathering. And then there are the intangible, difficult to quantify cultural effects that range from inspiring a young girl to become an astronaut to building national pride and prestige in what are, after all, spectacular scientific and technological, managerial, and industrial achievements. This paper briefly considers one small, but I think important and often overlooked, corner of this vast panorama: the place of spaceflight in American foreign policy. I do not simply want to insist that naSa’s international programs have had an important impact as instruments of foreign policy.I also want to suggest that today they have a particularly significant political and cultural role to play in projecting a positive image of American power and American democracy abroad. In a world increasingly torn apart by conflicts over values—conflicts which history teaches us can seldom be resolved by force—i believe we overlook the potential of NASA as an instrument for American foreign policy at our peril. -
Sixty Years of Australia in Space
Journal & Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, vol. 153, part 1, 2020, pp. 46–57. ISSN 0035-9173/20/010046-12 Sixty years of Australia in space Kerrie Dougherty Space Humanities Department, International Space University, Strasbourg, France Email: [email protected] Abstract Australia’s involvement in space activities commenced in 1957, at the beginning of the Space Age, with space tracking and sounding rocket launches at Woomera. By 1960, Australia was considered one of the leading space-active nations and in 1967 became one of the earliest countries to launch its own satellite. Yet by 1980, Australia’s space prominence had dwindled, with the country lacking both a national space agency and a coherent national space policy. Despite attempts in the latter part of the 1980s to develop an Australian space industry, the lack of a coherent and consistent national space policy and an effective co-ordinating body, left Australia constantly “punching below its weight” in global space activities until the Twenty First Century. This paper will briefly examine the often-contradictory history of Australian space activities from 1957 to the announcement of the Australian Space Agency in 2017, providing background and context for the later papers in this issue. Introduction Launchpad: the Woomera or 60,000 years the Indigenous people of Rocket Range FAustralia have looked to the sky, using “If the Woomera Range did not already exist, the stars to determine their location, find the proposal that Australia should engage in their way across the land and mark the a program of civil space research would be passage of the seasons and the best times unrealistic”. -
Lori Garver, NASA Deputy Administrator SOFIA Joining Forces Event Joint Base Andrews September 22, 2011
Lori Garver, NASA Deputy Administrator SOFIA Joining Forces Event Joint Base Andrews September 22, 2011 Good afternoon. My name is Lori Garver, Deputy Administrator at NASA. I want to thank our German Aerospace Center partners and Joint Base Andrews for organizing this event and especially for making it possible for students and the children of military families to see this unique flying observatory up close. And let me just take a moment to commend First Lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden for devoting their time and energy in encouraging all Americans to do more in support of the wives, husbands, sons, daughters and other family members of our men and women in uniform who are defending our freedom around the world. 1 I want to also welcome any and all Members of Congress who are here today. And a special hello to Mary Blessing, an astronomy teacher at Herndon High School -- one of only six American teachers selected to work with scientists aboard SOFIA and to share that experience with their students. I know you are all eager to tour this magnificent aircraft, so I am only going to speak briefly then turn it over to my colleagues, Paul Hertz, NASA’s Chief Scientist in our Science Mission Directorate; and Leland Melvin, our Associate Administrator for Education and a former astronaut. Paul and Leland will speak more about the amazing scientific and educational value of SOFIA, but let me just tell you that this project is a key component of NASA’s science objectives. 2 It will help us zoom in close on some of the most fundamental questions of the universe: Where did we come from? How was our solar system formed? And what else is out there? It is fitting that SOFIA means “wisdom” in Greek. -
NETS 2020 Template
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Specterintro.Pdf
SPECTER OF THE MONOLITH BARRY VACKER 1 Greetings on behalf of the people of our planet. We step out of our solar system into the universe seeking only peace and friendship, to teach if we are called upon, to be taught if we are fortunate. We know full well that our planet and all its inhabitants are a small part of this immense universe that surrounds us, and it is with humility and hope that we take this step. — Kurt Waldheim, Secretary General of the United Nations (1977) This is the first message on the Golden Record, which is located on the Voyager spacecraft that left the solar system. 2 SPECTER OF THE MONOLITH Nihilism, the Sublime, and Human Destiny in Space — From Apollo and Hubble to 2001, Star Trek, and Interstellar TABLE OF CONTENTS THE MONOLITH AND MOONWALKING 1. Earthrise and 2001 2. “A Rope over an Abyss” 2. Specter of the Monolith 3. Moonwalking into the Future 4. About This Book PART 1: SPECTER OF THE MONOLITH 1. CONFRONTING NIHILISM AND THE SUBLIME 1. NASA’s Ultimate Challenge 2. Pre-Copernican Centrality and Cosmic Narcissism 3. Cosmic Nihilism and the Sublime Cosmic sublime 4. The Apollo Moment “One giant leap” Contemplating our place in the cosmos on TV United in the celebration of human achievement 5. The Earth “Selfie” The two versions of Earthrise 6. Confronting Nihilism with Genesis The “expanse of nothing” Acceleration and reversal 7. Apollo: What Happened? Space spores The moon landings were not faked Multiple meanings of Apollo 8. Voyager and Hubble Pale Blue Dot Message of hope Voyager, Hollywood, and the meaning of life The Hubble Deep Field images Looking and launching into the cosmos 9. -
NASA's Strategic Direction and the Need for a National Consensus
NASA's Strategic Direction and the Need for a National Consensus NASAs Strategic Direction and the Need for a National Consensus Committee on NASAs Strategic Direction Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS Washington, D.C. www.nap.edu PREPUBLICATION COPYSUBJECT TO FURTHER EDITORIAL CORRECTION Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. NASA's Strategic Direction and the Need for a National Consensus THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance. This study is based on work supported by Contract NNH10CC48B between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the agency that provided support for the project. International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-XXXXX-X International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-XXXXX-X Copies of this report are available free of charge from: Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences National Research Council 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 Additional copies of this report are available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu.