Category Archives: Space Exploration

At a time when the world is increasingly isolationist, astronaut Chris Hadfield believes space exploration can demonstrate the importance ofinternational co-operation.

Speaking to i, as the war of words between North Korea and the United States escalates, Commander Hadfield described the International Space Station (ISS) as an undeniable example of what we can do together.

Talking ahead of his BBC series Astronauts: Do you have what it takes?, the 57-year-old Canadian accepted that it was natural for world leaders to have disagreements.

I think that world leaders should be at each others throats because they have national agendas that they have been elected or anointed to defend and its understandable.

It is very much the responsibility of the people in charge to defend the interests of their subjects and there is nothing wrong with that thats normal.

However, for leaders actions to be meaningful, Hadfield believes that they must focus on the longer term.

For world leaders to do anything thats beyond a myopic job or for them to be a good leader they have to gather the knowledge and perspective that is beyond the short term exigencies and demands.

If all youre trying to do is get dinner on the table tonight, then you might make some terrible decisions about what everyone is going to eat tomorrow or next week.

Or if you say the only people in the world that matter are this little pocket of people right here, you might save the lives of that little pocket, but you may horribly affect the lives of so many more people that youre completely unaware of.

Hadfield, who took part in two space shuttle missions and was commander of the International Space Station, outlined the political lessons that can be learned from space exploration.

I think the lessons that come from exploration of our world and beyond is a much improved understanding of that perspective that the world is one shared place.

If you can go round the world in 92 minutes, its very difficult to go back to your tiny little patch of it without a different understanding, without a different perspective, and I think that ability to find a way to set an agenda that is beyond the myopic, beyond the extremely parochial, thats the example that the ISS sets.

Hadfield believes that the ISS can act as inspiration for children and world leaders alike.

Any kid on earth can walk out and if they just wait till the right time, dawn or dusk, and see this thing [the ISS] go over.It is the brightest star in the sky.

It is by no means the answer to everything, but it is a very clear, undeniable example of what we can do together when we do things right.

I think that type of example is a really worthwhile one to have right now, especially for the people who are most at each others throats.

Since its first residents moved in 17 years ago, nationals of 18 different countries have stepped on board the ISS.

The 420,000 kilogram structure is currently inhabited by three Americans, two Russians and an Italian.

More:What it takes to be an astronaut according to Chris Hadfield

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Chris Hadfield: Space exploration is an example for the world to look up to - iNews

A unique conference about the viability and the scientific benefits of low-cost robotic missions in space will be held at Caltechs Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics starting Tuesday until Thursday, August 15 through 17.

The 12th Low-Cost Planetary Missions Conference, or LCPM-12, sponsored by the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), serves as an opportunity for scientists, technologists, engineers and project and agency managers to exchange ideas and information to enhance the viability and science return of low-cost robotic missions.

During this time, attendees will exchange ideas and information on the latest Agency Programs and Plans for Low-Cost Planetary Missions, the Latest Science Results from Ongoing Missions, Missions Currently Under Development for Launch in the Near Future, Science Instruments Enabling the Next Generation of Low-Cost Planetary Exploration, and Advanced Concepts for the Next Generation of Low-Cost Missions, including CubeSats, NanoSats and others.

The focus of LCPM-12 is on small and/or low-cost planetary missions, on the scale of the NASA Discovery/ESA Cosmic Vision Small (S) Class and smaller, including Smallsats and CubeSats, the announcement said. The conference will be conducted fully in sequential plenary sessions, augmented by one or more poster sessions.

NASA stated that the size of a small spacecraft, or SmallSats, could vary depending on the application. There are some you can hold in your hand, while others, like Hubble, are as big as a school bus.

SmallSats focus on spacecraft with a mass less than 180 kilograms and about the size of a large kitchen fridge. SmallSats are divided further into such categories as Mini-satellites (between 100 and 180 kilograms), Nanosatellites (one to 10 kilograms), Picosattelites (0.01 to 1 kilogram), and Femtosatellites (0.001 to 0.01 kilogram).

NASAs Ames Research Center first launched Pioneer 10 and 11 as SmallSats in 1972 and 1973, respectively. Today, Ames present SmallSat program is focused on the SmallSat Lunar Prospector launched in 1998, followed by LCROSS in 2009 and LADEE in 2013.

CubeSats are a class of nanosatellites that use a standard size and form factor. The standard CubeSat size uses a one unit or 1U measuring 10x10x10 cms and is extendable to larger sizes 1.5, 2, 3, 6, and even 12U.

Originally developed in 1999 by California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) and Stanford University to provide a platform for education and space exploration, CubeSats now provide a cost-effective platform for science investigations, new technology demonstrations and advanced mission concepts using constellations (swarms disaggregated systems).

NASAs Ames Center launched its first CubeSat, GeneSat, in December 2006. Since then Ames has launched 16 CubeSat spacecraft varying in size from 1U to 3U, with an additional 12 CubeSats in development or awaiting launch.

The IAA was founded in Stockholm on August 16, 1960. Since that time, IAA has brought together the worlds foremost experts in the disciplines of astronautics on a regular basis to recognize the accomplishments of their peers, to explore and discuss cutting-edge issues in space research and technology, and to provide direction and guidance in the non-military uses of space and the ongoing exploration of the solar system.

As stated in the Academys statutes, the IAAs purposes are to foster the development of astronautics for peaceful purposes, to recognize individuals who have distinguished themselves in a branch of science or technology related to astronautics, and to provide a program through which the membership can contribute to international endeavors and cooperation in the advancement of aerospace science.

The IAA coordinates closely with national academies to foster a spirit of cooperation and progress that transcends national boundaries, cultures, and institutions.

To learn more about LCPM-12 and view the conference details, visit http://www.lcpm12.org.

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Scientists Land at Caltech This Week to Trade Ideas About Space Exploration on a Budget - Pasadena Now

TITUSVILLE, Fla. A SpaceX rocket is ready to deliver one of the most high-tech payloads ever to the International Space Station.

The launch is scheduled for 12:31 p.m. ET. on Monday from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

It marks the 12th unmanned resupply mission that SpaceX the private space exploration company headed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk has conducted for NASA since 2012.

Cargo missions are always packed with some interesting payloads typically several tons of experiment equipment, food and other provisions.

But Mondays mission willcarry something the space station has never seen before: A supercomputer built by Hewlett Packard Enterprise, dubbed the Spaceborne Computer.

If it works, it could be the most powerful commercial computer ever to operate in space.

Astronauts aboard the space station already have a bunch of devices youd find at your local electronics store including HP laptops.

Related: SpaceX now valued at $21 billion

But a supercomputer is something different. Its a much more powerful piece of hardware that can crunch massive amounts of data and send the results to other computers in just moments.

According to Mark Fernandez, the HPE engineer who is heading up this new experiment, the space-bound supercomputer will have the ability to make one trillion calculations in a single second about 30 to 100 times more powerful than your average desktop computer.

Julie Robinson, the chief scientist for NASAs space station program, said if this supercomputer can function in the harsh conditions of space itll be very exciting news for companies down here on earth.

Robinson points out that a huge point of interest for the private sector is taking high-quality satellite images of earth in order to track things like crop growth or oil exploration.

Whats happening is just as your TV now has so much more resolution the same thing is happening with [satellite imagery], she said.

But the high-definition images require 200 to 300 times more data, which can clog up the communication pipeline between earth and space. Thats where a supercomputer on board the space station would become hugely valuable, Robinson told CNNMoney.

If you can process the data on board [the space station], you then only need to send down a subset of the data thats actually needed, she said.

Related: SpaceX rocket finally lifts off after two aborted launch attempts

Will the supercomputer work?

Well find out soon enough. After launch on Monday, SpaceXs Dragon spacecraft will detach from the top portion of the rocket. Itll then fire up its own engines and spend about two days traveling through orbital space.

Then, itll dock with the space station, and the astronauts on board can collect the payload.

Fernandez said HPE has volunteered to have its payload removed last, so itll be a few days into September by the time the supercomputer makes its way onto the space station and is plugged in.

If it powers up, thats going to be my first relief. I will be very excited then, Fernandez told CNNMoney.

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SpaceX to launch supercomputer to International Space Station - WGN-TV

A SpaceX rocket is ready to deliver one of the most high-tech payloads ever to the International Space Station.

The launch is scheduled for 12:31 p.m. ET. on Monday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center is Florida.

It marks the 12th unmanned resupply mission that SpaceX -- the private space exploration company headed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk -- has conducted for NASA since 2012.

Cargo missions are always packed with some interesting payloads -- typically several tons of experiment equipment, food and other provisions.

But Monday's mission will carry something the space station has never seen before: A supercomputer built by Hewlett Packard Enterprise, dubbed the "Spaceborne Computer."

If it works, it could be the most powerful commercial computer ever to operate in space.

Astronauts aboard the space station already have a bunch of devices you'd find at your local electronics store -- including HP laptops.

But a supercomputer is something different. It's a much more powerful piece of hardware that can crunch massive amounts of data and send the results to other computers in just moments.

According to Mark Fernandez, the HPE engineer who is heading up this new experiment, the space-bound supercomputer will have the ability to make one trillion calculations in a single second -- about 30 to 100 times more powerful than your average desktop computer.

Julie Robinson, the chief scientist for NASA's space station program, said if this supercomputer can function in the harsh conditions of space -- it'll be very exciting news for companies down here on earth.

Robinson points out that a huge point of interest for the private sector is taking high-quality satellite images of earth in order to track things like crop growth or oil exploration.

"What's happening is -- just as your TV now has so much more resolution -- the same thing is happening with [satellite imagery]," she said.

But the high-definition images require 200 to 300 times more data, which can clog up the communication pipeline between earth and space. That's where a supercomputer on board the space station would become hugely valuable, Robinson told CNNMoney.

"If you can process the data on board [the space station], you then only need to send down a subset of the data that's actually needed," she said.

Will the supercomputer work?

We'll find out soon enough. After launch on Monday, SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft will detach from the top portion of the rocket. It'll then fire up its own engines and spend about two days traveling through orbital space.

Then, it'll dock with the space station, and the astronauts on board can collect the payload.

Fernandez said HPE has volunteered to have its payload removed last, so it'll be a few days into September by the time the supercomputer makes its way onto the space station and is plugged in.

"If it powers up, that's going to be my first relief. I will be very excited then," Fernandez told CNNMoney.

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SpaceX to launch supercomputer to International Space Station - ABC15 Arizona

Space is indifferent to your suffering. It doesnt care that itll freeze you to death unless youre wearing a fancy suit, or that even before freezing youll suffocate in its vacuum. And it certainly doesnt care how difficult it is for humans to get stuff done in the void: practical things like screwing in bolts and drinking water and 3-D printing replacement parts.

But a company called Made in Space is indifferent to spaces indifference. In a first, its showed that it can 3-D print in a thermal vacuum chamber, which simulates the nastiness of space. Its a milestone in the outfits ambitious Archinaut program, which hopes to launch a 3-D printer with robot arms into orbit. You know, to build things like satellites and telescopes and stuff.

This 3-D printer works like one you'd buy for yourself, extruding layer upon layer of polymer to build a structure. The difference being, this (deep breath...) Extended Structure Additive Manufacturing Machine is encased for thermal control, just like the components of a communications satellite would be to protect the electronics. Our tactic has been, let's control the environment that's inside the printer, because we can't do anything about what's outside, says Eric Joyce, project manager of Archinaut.

The challenge is that Archinaut will have to print out tubes far larger than itselfwhich means the machine needs an aperture to spit out its creations. But that would expose its insides to the freezing vacuum as it's printing. So Joyce and the team selected components that are low outgassing, meaning they don't lose material in a vacuum. "There's nothing proprietary in our selection process," says Joyce. "Just good engineering." If all goes according to plan, one day Archinaut's robotic arms will use machine vision to grab printed parts as they leave the machine, then piece them together into satellites or dishes.

There's one thing space does to make this job easier: Up there, Archinaut's printed structures would be able to grow to incredible size without collapsing into a cloud of space junk . That and individual rods can be extra long without snapping. On Thursday, Made in Space showed off a 100-foot-long, 20-pound beam the team had printed (though not in a vacuum), strung from the ceiling at its NASA Ames Research Center office. Thats the kind of scale were talking about here.

Why go to all this trouble for an orbital 3-D printer? Right now, the stuff we put into space is limited by the rockets we use to launch them. If you want to put a satellite in orbit, it has to be small enough to cram into the nose of a rocket. It also has to withstand the insane forces of the launch. And then there's the problem of weight: If your object is too massive, it'll never get into orbit. That and it'll cost you $10,000 or more a pound to get your goods on a rocket in the first place.

But if engineers could build satellites in orbit, theyd be free of size limitations. They could construct not only bigger satellites, but bigger telescopes as well. And the bigger your telescope, the more power you have to peer ever farther into the cosmos.

Satellites and telescopes would be just the start for Archinaut. Made in Space was founded with the mission to promote space exploration. Because if humanity wants any hope of reaching Mars and beyond, its not going to be able to cram as much junk as it can in a rocket and shove off. Instead, astronauts could 3-D print supplies and structures in orbit, around Earth or the moon or even Mars. You take different tools if you're going to go on a camping trip, versus if you're going to go and settle the frontier, and space is no different, says Andrew Rush, president and CEO of Made in Space.

Madison Kotack

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The 12 Greatest Challenges for Space Exploration

NASA is certainly on board. Made in Space is operating on a two-year, $20 million contract with the agency. And the company has already been 3-D printing on the International Space Station with a different device, learning how to tackle the problems of microgravity. The companys next step is to further develop the robotic arms and pair them with the printer, then ideally start testing with NASA up in orbit.

That ain't going to be easy, though. On top of the team getting all the technology right, space is expensive. And NASA is, by necessity, an exceedingly cautious organizationit didn't put humans on the moon and house them in a $150 billion space station (in fairness to other nations, it's been a group funding effort) by being imprecise. But then again, it doesn't hand out $20 million to just anyone.

So one day, maybe Archinaut will graduate to the massive, on-demand structures humans will need to get off this rock. We're going to need fairly complex, large, and capable systems for human exploration that we're going to use kind of over and over again, says Steve Jurczyk , associate administrator of NASAs Space Technology Mission Directorate. The habitation systems and the transportation systems, we're going to stage them in lunar orbit. We're going to go to Mars orbital missions or landing missions, and then we're going to come back.

Take that , space.

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The Plan to Put a 3-D Printer With Robot Arms Into Orbit - WIRED

By NASA // August 14, 2017

ABOVE VIDEO:Theres a place where rockets launch and the next generation of space explorers prepare for liftoff. Join the Journey where you can get closer to NASA than anywhere else on the planet at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Floridas Space Coast.

BREVARD COUNTY KENNEDY SPACE CENTER VISITORS COMPLEX, FLORIDA Continuing throughout the month, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex celebrates its 50th year since opening to the public.

Here is a look back at where it all began.

How It All Started With word quickly spreading about NASAs bold Mercury program and the success of Alan Shepards historic suborbital launch on May 5, 1961, growing numbers of people flocked to Cape Canaveral to catch a glimpse of the space program.

By 1963, demand was so high that Texas Congressman Olin Teague, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight, asked NASA Administrator James Webb to create a visitor program that would build on the support and goodwill of the public.

This led to the creation of Sunday afternoon self-guided drive-through tours of what was known as Cape Kennedy, now called Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

After a year of successful drive-through tours, tours expanded to include areas of Kennedy Space Center.

Nearly 2,000 visitors showed up on the first day.

Based on this success, the Spaceflight Committee authorized $1.2 million for the creation of a visitor center at Kennedy Space Center.

With help from the National Park Service, NASA created a plan to accommodate a projected 2.9 million visitors by 1967.

The early days of the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Center Space Center visitors complex.

50 Years Ago On August 1, 1967, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex opened its doors to the public.

It spanned 42 acres and featured examples of Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo hardware, as well as exhibits, two theaters, and concession and souvenir facilities housed within two main buildings. The bus tours

behind NASAs gates were still offered, and remained a highlight of the guest experience.

As NASA grew closer to meeting its goal of landing a man on the moon, visitation to Kennedy Space Center soared.

Three days after the crew of Apollo 8 orbited the moon on

December 24, 1968, more than 10,000 visitors descended on the visitor complex, but with buses running at capacity, tours could only accommodate 7,274 guests.

Within 18 months, an expansion plan was approved, including a new reception area and exhibit hall; a Hall of History with more exhibits, a theater and classrooms; and other infrastructure improvements.

By 1969, the visitor center had become one of the premier tourist destinations in Florida, ranking the second most attended attraction in the state.

For more information on the 50th anniversary, please clickhere.

ABOVE VIDEO: Back in 2012, theKennedy Space Center celebrated their 50th Anniversary

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Today Since the opening of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, the public has witnessed breathtaking rocket

and shuttle launches from the best viewing areas in the country, touched an actual moon rock, and learned about the men and women who have made it all possible.

Last fall, Heroes & Legends featuring the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame was added to the list of awe-inspiring exhibits. Through engaging storytelling, guests embark on a journey that begins with an immersive exhibit designed to spark thought and discussion about how society defines a hero.

Then, through cutting-edge technology, interactive elements and engaging exhibits, visitors are introduced to the heroes of the NASA space program: the pioneers who worked together to make space exploration possible.

For more information on Heroes & Legends, clickhere.

ABOVE VIDEO:Heroes & Legends featuring the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame presented by Boeing opened November 11, 2016. At this newest attraction you can embark on an awe-inspiring journey designed to spark thought about how humans define a hero. Visitors are introduced to heroes of the American space program through a 360-degree visual.

This year, the 5,500, 11-foot-tall Mars rover concept vehicle was commissioned by the visitor complex as a traveling exhibit to inspire the public about space exploration and interplanetary travel.

Currently on its East Coast Summer of Mars Experience Tour, the rover will call Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex home.

For more information on the rover, clickhere.

ABOVE VIDEO:KSCVC believes they can inspire the next generation of space explorers to Join the Journey to Mars.

The Next 50 Years As more advances in space exploration and interplanetary travel are made and public interest grows, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will also expand.

This fall will see the opening of the new Astronaut Training Experience (ATX) center.

It will offer an experience unlike anywhere else, and, along with the companion program Mars Base 1, will bring guests as close to training, living and working on the Red Planet as possible without leaving Earth.

In the ATX center, groups and individuals will experience training like a real astronaut using virtual reality and simulators.

Training activities including landing on Mars, walking on its surface, driving on the rough terrain and experiencing microgravity. Or they can spend the day working on Mars as a rookie astronaut on Mars Base 1.

Guests will be transported to the Red Planet, dock with Mars Base 1 and work in the Plant Lab, operate robotics and solve engineering challenges just like the astronauts who will one day travel to Mars.

For more information, clickhere.

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VIDEO: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Celebrates 50th Anniversary - SpaceCoastDaily.com

Ghanaian satellite team Benjamin Bonsu, Ernest Teye Matey, and Joseph Quansah (Photo: All Nations University College)

African nations have entered the space race, with Ghana as the most recent example of this bold technological achievement. Built by a group of engineers from All Nations University College(ANUC) in Ghana Benjamin Bonsu,Ernest Teye Matey, and Joseph Quansah the small satellite was launched on a SpaceX rocket from Kennedy Space Center, and was sent to the International Space Station in June, becoming fully functional in July after being deployed from the ISS.

Known as GhanaSat-1, the satellite is a CubeSat, a miniature satellite and a class of nanosatellites used for research purposes. These satellites are manufactured in Units (or U), with each U measuring 10 centimeters by 10 centimeters by 11 centimeters (3.94 inches by 3.94 inches by 4.33 inches), and weighing less than three pounds (1.33 kilograms), according to NASA. CubeSats are built 1U, 2U, 3U or 6U in size, and serve as auxiliary payloads on previously planned missions.

GhanaSat weighs 2.2 pounds, generates power from solar cells and internal batteries, and contains low- and high-resolution cameras. The satellite also broadcasts Ghanas national anthem and other songs from space.

This particular satellite has two missions, Richard Damoah, a Ghanaian professor and assistant research scientist at NASA, toldTechCrunch.It has cameras on board for detailed monitoring of the coastlines of Ghana. Then theres an educational piece we want to use it to integrate satellite technology into high school curriculum. GhanaSat-1 will also send signals to the Space Systems and Technology Laboratory at ANUC. Damoah noted that whileGhanaian president Nana Akufo-Addo congratulated the team, the government of Ghana did not officially sponsor the project. Rather, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Japans national space agency, provided most of the resources for the two-year, $500,000 project. President Akufo-Addo and his cabinet, according to the professor, have pledged support for a GhanaSat-2, which will have high resolution cameras and would monitor such activities as water use, deforestation and illegal mining in Ghana.

Ghana is not the only nation on the African continent taking the plunge and heading off to space. According to Elsie Kanza, Head of Africa at the World Economic Forum, Several nations, such as South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Ethiopia have space agencies.

South Africa launched its first satellite in 1999, a second in 2009, and established its national space agency, SANSA, in 2010. In 2013, South Africa sent its first CubeSat into orbit. Ethiopia launched the first space program in East Africa in 2015 with the building of a $3 million, privately funded observatory, the first step in creating an official national space agency. The second most populous African nation, facing poverty and hunger, is looking to science as the key to development. In Northern Africa, Algeria formed its space agency in 2002 and launched six satellites since that time, while Egypt launched its first satellite in 2007.

Nigeria has sent five satellites into space, with the most recent, NigeriaSat-X, built by NigeriasNational Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA). Professor Seidu Mohammed, Director General of NASRDA, announced Nigeria will need an international space stationby 2030, as Pulse reported. Last year, the Nigerian Space Agencysent a delegation to China to discuss the logistics and investment for Africas first manned space mission. In May, the government of Angola announced that its first satellite Angosat1 will be launched this year. The project is receiving support from the Russian space federation.

There are collective efforts toward an African outer space policy as well. The African Union(AU) has embarked on a plan for Pan-African collaboration in space. Last year in Addis Ababa, the AU adopted the African Space Policy and Strategy Initiative, as the first of the concrete steps to realize an African Outer space Programme, as one of the flagship programmes of the AU Agenda 2063, the AU said in a statement. AU Agenda 2063 is a strategic plan for the socioeconomic transformation of the continent over the next half century, with a focus on growth and sustainable development and a vision of an integrated, prosperous and peaceful continent that is a dynamic force on the world stage. The international body has urged its member states, partners and commission to raise awareness on the central role of space science and technology in Africas socio-economic development and mobilize domestic resources for the implementation of this policy and strategy.

The African Union Commission, which acts as the executive and secretariat branch of the 54-member organization, has made it a priority tocoordinate all space activities among the AU countries, and to gradually move Africa from a consumer of space technology to a world leader in the development of technology. AU members are committed to using space and its technologies for peaceful means, and seek involvement in developing a space code of conduct, given the increased congestion in space due to the over 60 countries operating Earth-orbit satellites. The European Union has drafted such a proposal for a code of conduct, and the AU says it has been marginalized and, at best, a minor player in the process of devising this policy.

Raising the necessary capital for any space program, African or otherwise, is crucial. This reality was underscored in 2013, when Great Britain announced it was providing 1.5 billion (US$1.94 billion) in aid to Africanand Asian nationswith rocket and satellite programs. Godfrey Bloom, a member of the European Parliament from the nativist UK Independence Party, criticized the amount of foreign aid given to Bongo Bongo Land,claiming his remarks were not racist because bongo is a term for antelope. While funding, poverty and huge disparities among member nations remain a challenge for Africas space aspirations, working in its favor are high rates of economic growth, high population growth and a vibrant, growing youth population. Ghana, for example, has a population whose media age is 30. The country enjoys cultural and ethnic diversity, a boom in tourism, and a better educated population that learns the Ghanaian language alongside the official language English, French and other languages. African cities such as Nairobi, Lagos and Cape Town are regarded as vibrant innovation hotspots in technology, driven by entrepreneurial startups and universities.

Other nations of the world have utilized space technology as a means of scientific advancement and socio-economic progress. Ghana and other nations of the African Union and are no exception, as they become players in the global space race, and seek leadership status in the frontiers beyond Earth.African nations are ensuring they will not be left behind in the field of space exploration, and hoping to maximize the benefits of this technology to solidify their economic future.

Originally posted here:

Ghana Launches Its First Satellite As Part of A New Era of African Space Exploration - Atlanta Black Star

By Leah Mishkin Correspondent

Its 5,500 pounds and close to 11 feet tall. Its no surprise that this Mars rover, commissioned by the Kennedy Space Center, caught eyes at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City when it made a stop there on its tour around the country last month.

Its a prototype of what people could be driving when they live on Mars. Right now, there are rovers on Mars surface, but this vehicle would allow people to one day travel the planet and have a habitat and laboratory.

Theres a laboratory in the back, theres four seats up there so there are all kinds of monitors so they could be determining the terrain and what the temperature is like and the elements outside, said tour guide Dana Jondahl with Kennedy Space Centers Summer of Mars traveling exhibit.

As we head inside the Mars rover to get a closer look, former NASA astronaut Jon McBride showed us around. He told us about his mission in 1984 on the space shuttle Challenger.

I was very fortunate to be in the first class of space shuttle astronauts to join NASA in 1978, the first American woman Sally Ride was in my class, first African-American Guy Bluford, so it was a very unique group of highly skilled individuals, said McBride.

He said before you ever get on a space ship for takeoff, you have about two years of specific training for the particular mission, followed by two to three years of basic training. But once you lift off, he said, its a rush.

When the actual shuttle lifts off, were going 100 miles an hour by the time the tail gets to the top of the tower, and after about two to three minutes Im being pushed into my seat three times the force of gravity, McBride said.

McBride said he was lucky to live out his dream to fly the space shuttle. Now, hes hoping the next generation is inspired to find a way to Mars to do further research.

We know there was water on Mars at one time in its history, lots of it, said McBride. They have a Grand Canyon thats essentially from San Diego to New York City, and deeper and wider.

McBride said that indicates there could have been life at one time. So what happened to it? he asks.

By going there we might find the answer to that question and in turn find out more about Earth. With the support of Congress and the president, McBride said we could be on Mars in the next 10 to 15 years.

The first human to go to Mars is likely already born, said McBride. Do you know that that means you can be the first human to go to Mars?

Liberty Science Center President and CEO Paul Hoffman said the Mars concept car shows off the future of space research and technology, but it also gives kids a chance to consider becoming the next space scientists and technologists.

When I was seven, my neighbor let me look through a telescope and see the rings of Saturn and I was hooked on science and space science, Hoffman said.

Hoffman hopes the Mars rover will do the same. And sitting with an astronaut, its easy to feel excited about the possibility of going to Mars.

Continued here:

Mars concept vehicle offers glimpse into future of space exploration - NJTV News

LARAMIE, Wyo. (KGWN) - A University of Wyoming masters degree student is an astronaut candidate with NASAs Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA). HERA is a unique, three-story habitat designed to serve as an analog for isolation, confinement and remote conditions in space exploration scenarios, according to the NASA website.

My interest in this came as an extension of my longtime fascination with all things space science. I got an early start on Star Trek and other science fiction, and the idea of humans going to the stars has always been one that resonated and inspired me, says Matthew Lehmitz, a UW graduate student in botany from Laramie. As a result of this, I am engaged with a number of space science groups, and these have a tendency to note when NASA is doing interesting things.

During June, Lehmitz traveled to the Johnson Space Center in Houston to go through a two-day testing segment, which he passed. Some of the basic requirements include basic physical health with a height equal to or less than 74 inches; some level of postgraduate education; a demonstration of interest and skills beyond ones discipline; and a healthy psychological profile. Lehmitz originally sent his application to NASA for the HERA 15 and 16 missions.

The qualifications are essentially that you have a background and skills similar to those that would be found in an astronaut candidate, or test subject, says Lehmitz, who received his undergraduate degree in math and science from UW. Since the idea is to use the research to improve the success of future space missions that will involve astronauts, the ideal is to run their tests on people as similar as possible to those who will eventually go on these long-term space missions.

The two days of testing Lehmitz experienced were to determine whether he qualified for the Series 4, or full six weeks, in the simulator.

Analog missions are field tests in locations that have physical similarities to extreme space environments. NASA engineers and scientists work with government agencies, academia and industry to gather requirements for testing in harsh environments before they are used in space. Tests include: new technologies, robotic equipment, vehicles, habitats, communications, power generation, mobility, infrastructure and storage. Behavioral effects -- such as isolation and confinement, team dynamics and mental fatigue -- also are observed. Analogs play a significant role in problem solving for space flight research.

The HERA, itself, is a space of only 636 square feet in which four individuals are tested on a variety of simulated conditions for varying periods, Lehmitz says. A variety of tests -- ranging from dietary responses to team coordination on technical projects -- are run on the volunteers. Everything is recorded, and the numerous scientists working on the project use all of the data that is gathered, Lehmitz says.

Not only is it entirely ground based; it is wholly enclosed. During the period of testing, the volunteers do not leave the 636 square feet of the capsule, says Lehmitz, who was among the first class of Wyoming Research Scholars. The idea is to simulate a long-term mission in a small capsule similar to those which are currently in development and used for traveling to and from the International Space Station or those which took us to the moon.

It is unlikely that any vehicle -- which would take humans to Mars or other long-range destinations -- will have much room. So, learning how to allow humans to interact in a healthy manner in tight quarters for extended periods is vitally important. HERAs primary focus, as the name suggests, is specifically human factors.

Analogs play a significant role in problem solving for space flight research. Past generations used analog missions to prepare for leaving Earths atmosphere, landing on the moon and permanently orbiting the planet. In keeping with this concept, NASA is using analog missions to actively prepare for deep space destinations, such as an asteroid or Mars.

Botany has some relevance to the HERA mission, as it is highly likely that any long-term mission will involve producing food and managing various biotic needs, Lehmitz says.

I believe there are some plants in the simulator, that having a botany background might be helpful to manage, he says. However, the specific degree is less important than the dedication and skills they represent.

Lehmitz says he applied to HERA a couple of years ago, but was informed NASA was looking for people who had advanced degrees or at least graduate coursework behind them. With this in mind, when the call for volunteers for HERA occurred again, Lehmitz says he was in a much better position after having his first year of graduate school nearly completed.

So, I put in my application again and was pleased that I passed the phone interview, and was invited to travel to Houston for a more complete evaluation, he says.

Greg Brown, a UW professor of botany and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, says when he heard Lehmitz was going to NASA this summer, he put two and two together. Around that same time, Brown had recently finished talking with former student Tim Evans, who told Brown he was a member of the HERA 13 team and had completed his training June 19.

Evans, now a biology professor at Grand Valley State University in Michigan, is originally from Cheyenne. He received both his bachelors degree (1989) and masters degree (1991) in botany from UW.

This is totally crazy, that I would have a former student and a current student apply (to HERA) and see what happened, Brown says. It was quite a coincidence.

Read more from the original source:

UW grad an astronaut candidate - KGWN

In just two years, the United States will celebrate the anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, an event that perhaps more than any other represents the American will and capacity to achieve the seemingly impossible. This year, however, we will celebrate a less auspicious anniversary in December it will have been 45 years since the last man set foot on the Moon, ushering in a long era of diminished American ambitions in space. In recent years, presidential administrations have debated whether Americans should return to the Moon or set their sights on Mars.

But as President Donald Trump devises his strategy for space exploration which he has described as essential to our character as a nationour economy, and our great nations security he should reject this choice as a false one. To sustainably reinvigorate our human spaceflight program, we should use the Moon as a stepping stone to Mars and beyond, while spreading costs and spurring innovation by maximizing opportunities for commercial and international involvement.

While most U.S. government activities in space, and the lions share of the space budget, are focused on military programs, human spaceflight remains the programs lodestone. Every president in recent memory has sought to stir the popular imagination and hoping to channel JFK associate himself with big, bold thinking by announcing ambitious goals for manned spaceflight.

For President Barack Obama, that goal was sending men to Mars by the 2030s.He dismissed President George W. Bushs goal of returning Americans to the Moon, stating that we had been there (and presumably done that).He cancelled Bushs Constellation spacecraft program, replacing it with the Space Launch System (SLS).The SLS would be the United States heaviest-ever rocket, meant to send humans farther than ever before.

Yet the reality of Americas manned space program has been more pedestrian than presidential rhetoric would suggest. NASAs budget has been essentially flat since the 1990s. The United States has lacked the capability of putting an astronaut in orbit since the last Space Shuttle flight in 2011, instead buying seats on Russian Soyuz flights. And while we are quietly living through a golden age of space science our unmanned probes have returned spectacular images and invaluable data our manned missions have been limited to flights back and forth to the International Space Station, due to be decommissioned in three years.

Obama wasnt the first to call for manned flights to Mars.President George H.W. Bush articulated a similar plan, which envisioned placing an American astronaut on the Red Planet by 2019. But Congress blanched at the price tag, and the plan was shelved. Today, just as then, the technical challenges of reaching Mars might be less daunting than the challenge of devising a political and budgetary path for reaching new frontiers in space.

Achieving our next big human spaceflight breakthroughs will require more than a stirring speech; it will require a plan designed to be sustainable over the long term by maximizing public support while minimizing the burden on NASA. Today, funding for NASA represents just 0.5 percent of the federal budget, compared to over 4 percent at the height of the Apollo program; there will be no return to those levels.

A realistic plan would not abandon the idea of a manned mission to Mars, but would aim first to return humans to the Moon for prolonged periods. A return to the Moon offers several advantages.Most obviously, it can be accomplished faster and at less cost than a straight shot to Mars.And while it involves considerable risk, the shorter distance and our own prior experience means that risk will be lower than with a Martian voyage.

Whats more, the costs and risks of a mission to the Moon can be shared with international partners. Even as we have turned our focus to Mars, the European Space Agency, Japan, and others have taken an increased interest in manned lunar missions. A renewed focus on the Moon would significantly enhance our opportunities for international collaboration and burden-sharing, and would also prevent Russia or China both of which have their own lunar aspirations from supplanting us.

A shift in NASAs focus to the Moon could also be accompanied by a greater role for private firms in low-earth orbit.The commercial space industry has developed at a rapid pace since the United States last penned a vision for space exploration. Any new space strategy should seek to capitalize on these developments by shifting more routine tasks (a relative term in space operations, to be sure) to private operators while freeing NASA to focus on higher-end activities focused on the Moon and deep space.

If we were successful in returning humans to the Moon, it could serve as a stepping stone for a manned mission to Mars or even more ambitious goals.Practically speaking, lunar missions would provide astronauts with experience in extended habitation of an alien world. The Moon even holds the potential for eventually serving as a staging ground for missions further out. Just as importantly, successful lunar missions would likely invigorate public and political support in the United States and overseas for space exploration, helping to sustain the attention and funding required for future steps into space.

President Trump has promised to restore Americas proud legacy of leadership in space. If he is to make good on that pledge, he must address not only where we are going but map out how, amid declining budgets and competing priorities, we plan to get there.

Photo credit: Getty Images/Foreign Policy illustration

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President Trump Needs to Go to the Moon - Foreign Policy (blog)