NASA Launches Most Capable and Robust Rover to Mars

NASA began a historic voyage to Mars with the Nov. 26 launch of the Mars Science Laboratory, which carries a car-sized rover named Curiosity. Liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard an Atlas V rocket occurred at 10:02 a.m. EST (7:02 a.m. PST).

"We are very excited about sending the world's most advanced scientific laboratory to Mars," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "MSL will tell us critical things we need to know about Mars, and while it advances science, we'll be working on the capabilities for a human mission to the Red Planet and to other destinations where we've never been."

The mission will pioneer precision landing technology and a sky-crane touchdown to place Curiosity near the foot of a mountain inside Gale Crater on Aug. 6, 2012. During a nearly two-year prime mission after landing, the rover will investigate whether the region has ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life.

"The launch vehicle has given us a great injection into our trajectory, and we're on our way to Mars," said Mars Science Laboratory Project Manager Peter Theisinger of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "The spacecraft is in communication, thermally stable and power positive."

The Atlas V initially lofted the spacecraft into Earth orbit and then, with a second burst from the vehicle's upper stage, pushed it out of Earth orbit into a 352-million-mile (567-million-kilometer) journey to Mars.

"Our first trajectory correction maneuver will be in about two weeks," Theisinger said. "We'll do instrument checkouts in the next several weeks and continue with thorough preparations for the landing on Mars and operations on the surface."

For more info, read http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/news/msl20111126.html

Mars Science Laboratory En Route to Mars

NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft - which includes the newest Red Planet rover, the car-sized Curiosity - began its mission with an on-time launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket Nov. 26, 2011 at 10:02 a.m. EST.

The Atlas V lifted off with MSL on the first opportunity, rising from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida following a smooth countdown throughout the morning. Although clouds occasionally drifted through the launch area during fueling operations, conditions were favorable at launch time, as forecasters had predicted.

MSL separated from the Centaur upper stage about 44 minutes into the mission and sent a signal to officials on the ground six minutes later. The spacecraft is in excellent health as it begins its journey to Mars.

All Systems Go For Next Communication Spacecraft

The most recent evaluations of NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) project confirmed all systems go for a third generation upgrade of the orbiting communications network. TDRS-K is scheduled for launch aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida in the fall of 2012.

Approval to move forward came during a recent Agency Project Management Council (APMC) meeting at NASA Headquarters. "I am very proud of the entire TDRS civil servant and contractor team for successfully completing this milestone and demonstrating that the TDRS project is ready to proceed into the integration phase,” said Jeff Gramling, TDRS Project Manager. “I am excited to see the TDRS-K satellite enter the thermal vacuum chamber and begin environmental testing." Testing will occur within the Boeing Space Systems Facility in El Segundo, California.

APMC approval allows the project to enter Phase D that will include spacecraft integration and testing. During this phase the spacecraft reflectors will be mounted, the thermal panels and batteries will be installed before the spacecraft will have to endure the rigors of the vibration and acoustic testing. Finally, the spacecraft must pass a pre-ship review prior to being transported to Florida for launch.
For more info, visit:http://www.nasa.gov/topics/technology/features/tdrs-go.html

Nasa Technology Innovation

NASA seeks to create partnerships and cooperative activities with U.S. enterprises to develop technology that is applicable to NASA's mission technology needs and contributes to commercial competitiveness in global markets. Technology Innovation provides information about NASA's technology needs and opportunities, as well as interesting facts and feature articles about our successes.

For more info, read
http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/communications/products/product_innovation.html

MSL Entry, Descent and Landing Instrumentation (MEDLI)

NASA's Mars Science Laboratory, which is set to launch Nov. 25, is expected to improve not only our knowledge of Mars, but also the science of hypersonic flight - more than five times the speed of sound - within an out-of-this-world atmosphere. That's something of great interest to NASA researchers who study flight through all atmospheres so they can help design better air and spacecraft.

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover is protected by an encapsulating aeroshell made up of a heat shield and back shell. Embedded in the MSL heat shield is a set of sensors designed to record the heat and atmospheric pressure experienced during the spacecraft's high-speed, extremely hot entry into the Martian atmosphere. The sensor suite is called MEDLI, which stands for MSL Entry, Descent and Landing Instrumentation.

"This is the first time we've ever had sensors that will collect accurate, high fidelity data of atmospheric entry at another planet," said Jim Pittman, head of the Hypersonics Project, which is part of the Fundamental Aeronautics Program in NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD). "Having that knowledge is of great interest to the hypersonics community - especially when it comes to being able to design future Mars entry systems that are safer, more reliable and lighter weight."

NASA's ARMD is one of the sponsors of the $28 million MEDLI system research, development and data analysis. It also has support from NASA's Science and Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorates, and is the first Technology Demonstration Mission from NASA's Space Technology Program to go into space.

For more info, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/news/msl-medli.html

NASA Develops New Game-Changing Technology

Two NASA California centers have been selected to develop new space-aged technologies that could be game-changers in the way we look at planets from above and how we safely transport robots or humans through space and bring them safely back to Earth.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., will use advanced compound semiconductor materials to develop new technologies for the High Operating Temperature Infrared Sensor Demonstration. The higher the temperature at which an infrared detector can operate, the less power is required to cool it. Reduced power needs can translate into operational cost and system weight savings. If successful, this sensor technology could be used in many future NASA Earth and planetary science instruments, as well as for U.S. commercial and defense applications.

"The technology demonstration effort is different in the fact that we're focused on affordability concurrently with performance," said Sarath Gunapala of JPL, who is project manager for the High Operating Temperature Infrared Sensor Demonstration. "This technology has excellent potential for transitioning from laboratory demonstration to NASA and commercial product lines."

The overall goal for this technology development effort is to achieve 100 percent cost savings as compared with traditional cryogenically cooled infrared sensors. The weight and volume savings allow for more compact instruments -- an important consideration for a spacecraft's payload size and cost. This state-of-the-art technology also will have spinoff applications for commercial instrument manufacturers.

Seeking to radically change the way heat shields protect spacecraft during atmospheric entry, NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif., is developing the Woven Thermal Protection System. The project is a revolutionary approach to thermal protection system design and manufacturing for extreme environments. Ames is the lead center for the project, partnering with NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va.

Partnering with the U.S. textile industry, NASA is employing an advanced, three-dimensional weaving approach in the design and manufacture of thermal protection systems. Today, lightweight aircraft parts are being manufactured using similar weaving technologies. This will be expanded to include spacecraft heatshield applications. The system will enhance performance using advanced design tools with cost savings from a shortened product development and testing cycle.

NASA Announces 2011 NASA OPTIMUS PRIME Spinoff Video Contest

NASA is kicking off its second annual NASA OPTIMUS PRIME Spinoff Video Contest to raise student awareness of how NASA technologies provide benefits to the public. Registration for the contest is open until January 3, 2012.

The NASA OPTIMUS PRIME Spinoff Video Contest emphasizes the similarities between the popular OPTIMUS PRIME character from Hasbro's TRANSFORMERS brand and NASA technologies now being used back on Earth.

Last year’s contest brought video submissions from over 190 students in grades 3–8, from 31 states, describing their favorite story from NASA's 2009 Spinoff publication. This year’s contest will feature stories from NASA's 2010 Spinoff publication and will be expanded to allow students in grades 9–12 to participate.

"The level of skill, effort and comprehension demonstrated by last year’s contestants was truly amazing," said Nona Cheeks, head of the Goddard Space Flight Center's Innovative Partnerships Office, which administers the contest for the Agency. "However, this year we are opening the contest up to include high school students, and we fully expect the videos sent in by that group to take the contest to a whole new level." Additional changes for the 2011 contest include transitioning the awards ceremony to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and some exciting new prizes to be announced in December.

NASA-Sponsored Robotics Teams Gear Up for 2012

The CalGames robot contests have begun! NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. is supporting two competitive high school robotics teams: Space Cookies Team 1868, and Cheesy Poofs Teams 252 and 254. All three teams recently won top ranking positions in the CalGames Western Region Robotics Forum (Wrrf) At Archbishop Mitty High School, San Jose, Calif.

Each year, FIRST, or For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, challenges high school students to design, build, test and compete robots that can outperform their opponents. To help students compete, regional competitions are held to hone their skills for the national FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) that starts this year in January. In addition, NASA engineers and scientists are encouraged to share their expertise and experiences by mentoring teams in an engineering laboratory with machinery and tools at NASA Ames.

“We couldn’t be more proud of our teams and their commitment to ‘rise to the challenge’ and produce outstanding software and technology, building and operating robots each year,” said Mark Leon, manager of NASA Robotics Alliance Project at NASA Ames.

No matter which is the favorite robot at these competitions, the stands generally are filled full of cheering fans watching 120-pound robots swivel, scoop and travel speeds up to nearly 20 feet per second to score a point. The outcome of the multiple two- minute-15-second matches is dependent upon both robot and human performances.

For more info, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/technology/features/FIRST_2012.html

Canadian Robot Repairs Components on the Space Station

Dextre, the Canadian Space Agency’s robotic handyman aboard the International Space Station (ISS), has successfully replaced a faulty circuit-breaker box on the orbiting lab. The robot swapped the failed component for a fresh one, thereby restoring part of the orbiting lab’s backup electrical systems. The maneuver marks the first time Dextre replaces defective equipment on the Station.

"This week's successful replacement of an electrical circuit breaker on the space station's truss is an important operational milestone," said Lead Expedition 28 Flight Director, Ed Van Cise. "In the past, we've only had the option of sending humans outside the station on a spacewalk to perform such repairs.

Having a dexterous robot outside the station capable of doing this while controlled from the ground is a big advance in capability that will free up crew time for important research inside the station. Our Flight Control Teams in Houston and in Canada have outdone themselves, and we're looking forward to stretching Dextre's arms on other tasks that will continue to help pave the way for future exploration."

Known by the technical term “Remote Power Control Modules,” (RPCMs) circuit-breaker boxes control the flow of electricity through the ISS’s secondary power distribution system, and tend to fail occasionally. Up to now, exchanging the boxes was done by spacewalkers, which always carries a certain level of risk. Dextre was designed to reduce the need for astronauts to conduct spacewalks for routine maintenance, therefore freeing up the crew’s time for more important activities, like conducting science.

Canadarm2 supported Dextre during the entire operation, which took place on August 28-29. Dextre was operated from the ground by robotics flight controllers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and supported by several teams of engineers both in Houston and at the Canadian Space Agency’s headquarters in Saint-Hubert, Quebec.

Atlantis’ Final Mission Included: Kennedy-Developed Plant Experiment

Atlantis carried many science and research experiments in its middeck during NASA’s last shuttle flight, STS-135, in July. Among these was a plant experiment developed at Kennedy Space Center’s Space Life Sciences Laboratory (SLSL) that could have an impact on long duration missions to the moon or Mars.

Principal Investigators Dr. Gary Stutte and Dr. Michael Roberts with QinetiQ NA, and NASA Project Scientist Dr. Howard Levine created the Biological Research in Canisters-Symbiotic Nodulation in a Reduced Gravity Environment (BRIC-SyNRGE). A first of its kind to fly on a space shuttle, the purpose of the experiment was to study the symbiotic relationship between plants similar to alfalfa, which is in the legume family, and specific nitrogen-reacting bacteria in microgravity.

"It’s a distinct honor to have had an experiment onboard Atlantis, the final space shuttle mission, and I am indebted to everyone who worked so hard to make it possible to be a part of this historic mission," Stutte said.

About four hours after Atlantis landed at Kennedy’s Shuttle Landing Facility, the BRIC-SyNRGE experiment was retrieved and returned to the SLS Laboratory. Stutte said that initial reviews show that there was 100 percent germination of the plant seeds and excellent growth was observed.

The alfalfa-like plant, Medicago truncatula, was grown in a plant chamber at the SLSL. The day before Atlantis’ launch, several laboratory rooms were abuzz with activity. In one lab, samples were carefully harvested and inserted into Petri dish units. In another lab, technicians added the nitrogen-fixing bacteria and a liquid preservative to the dishes.

Green Flight Challenge Competition

At the CAFE Green Flight Challenge, sponsored by Google, the competing electric aircraft are completing battery recharging today in preparation for their speed challenge tomorrow. Many of the team members are away from the CAFE campus, doing some sightseeing and catching up on other business. Everything is much more relaxed today here in Santa Rosa, Calif., at the site of this NASA Centennial Challenges event.

CAFE has more than 80 volunteers helping out with the competition. They can be seen around the campus, wearing Green Flight Challenge shirts. They've been quite the local heroes.

The daily briefing was at 11 a.m. EDT. A big concern for tomorrow's challenge is the weather, which looks to be a bit questionable when the speed test is planned, so CAFE wants to get the planes off as soon as they can tomorrow morning. A suggestion was made to have the pilots' briefing at 10:30 a.m. EDT in order to expedite the planes taking off.

Safety and security measures were reviewed and particular emphasis was placed on the no-smoking requirement. (This is fire season in California and the area is quite dry and a fire would be a bad thing to deal with.)

Everyone was also cautioned about the poisonous black widow and brown recluse spiders in the area - adding another note of excitement as the next competition nears.