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Category Archives: Transhuman News

Why a mom’s Facebook warning about human traffickers hurts sex-trafficked kids – Los Angeles Times

Posted: April 3, 2017 at 7:41 pm

A viral Facebook entry about child sex trafficking posted by a concerned Southern California mom, Diandra Toyos, has reached tens of thousands of people through shares, likes and comments. Unfortunately it is a misinformed and ultimately harmful depiction of what this crime is about and how it happens in the United States.

In her post, Toyos relays the story of her familys recent outing to Ikea, which was interrupted when two men followed her, her mother and her children through the store, despite their efforts to elude their pursuers. This was a terrifying incident and it reminds all of us of the need to be cognizant of our surroundings.

The problem is that Toyos framed herself and her family as targets of human traffickers in the post. There are zero indicators of human trafficking in Toyos story. Zero.

I wish I could say the post nonetheless will help make us all better safe and vigilant than sorry. In fact, I find that it so misrepresents the dangers, warning signs and risks associated with sex trafficking that its readers and likers may now try to protect kids by watching for the wrong things in the wrong places. They may miss real sex trafficking as it happens; they may miss the opportunity to extend a lifeline to child who needs their help. What people dont understand about sex trafficking can prove lethal to kids.

I'm a professional in the anti-trafficking field, and I have encountered thousands of child sex-trafficking cases in the United States. I have never seen, read or heard about a real sex-trafficking situation in which a child was abducted by traffickers in broad daylight at a busy store under a mother's watchful eye. Its just not the way it works.

Traffickers tend to coerce their victims because hauling them off is too risky. Their tactics generally arent the kind that leave physical bruises. Victims are recruited, manipulated, made dependent. The psychological and emotional ties they establish are highly effective. Trafficked children are unlikely to attempt escape.They often won't snitch on their traffickers even if law enforcement approaches them.

Among common patterns of sex-trafficking recruitment and control: Parents or foster care parents selling their children. Or runaway, homeless youth, many of whom identify as LGBTQ, picked up at bus stops by traffickers who exploit their hunger and need for shelter. Or a young girl who falls in love with a man who says he loves her too, then pimps her out.

And while child sex trafficking can happen to anyone, children of color, children with a past history of sex abuse, children who come from broken or unstable homes, children who face poverty, and children with disabilities are especially vulnerable.

The most pernicious part of the viral Facebook post is its comments section. As sex-trafficking survivors and anti-trafficking advocates myself included tried to correct the misconceptions in it, and tried to alert the public to the harms caused by misunderstandings and sensationalism, we were met with anger and outrage.

Sound bite quotes and statistics were thrown back at me in an attempt to highlight my ignorance on the subject. Human trafficking happens everywhere, I was reminded. Its in our own backyards. These are the exact phrases my colleagues and the anti-trafficking movement publicized years ago to raise awareness. We never imagined theyd be used to challenge our own expertise and in defense of efforts that threaten victims.

Worse, as the stalking story was praised by commenters, heart-breaking and accurate trafficking narratives, offered by survivors, got hijacked and undermined. Attempts to inform were interpreted as attacks on protective parents. Online, the truth was ridiculed, invalidated, silenced, shut down. All of this from people who claimed to care about child sex trafficking.

The public imagination too easily aligns with the kind of abduction fears portrayed in the Facebook post and in the comments that followed. Before you post such a tale, or like it or add a comment, do your homework. Think critically about what effect such narratives and responses may have on those most at-risk, on survivors and on real attempts to educate people and fight this terrible crime.

If you want to protect your children, listen to the messages of those who know this crime best. Pay attention to statistical reports, seek out the interest groups who are working on this issue, look at the evidence presented by survivors. Dont let the understandable sympathy engendered by a scary story blind you to what sex trafficking is really about.

There are scores of people dedicated to keeping children safe, healthy and protected from the horrific reality of sex trafficking in our country. We care about victims and survivors. And we know what we're talking about.

Lara Powers has been working to eradicate child sex trafficking for half a decade. She lives in Washington.

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Supreme Court to weigh corporations’ liability in human rights violations abroad – Washington Post

Posted: at 7:41 pm

The Supreme Court on Monday said it will consider whether corporations may be sued in U.S. courts for complicity in human rights violations abroad.

At issue is the 1789 Alien Tort Statute, which has been revived by human rights activists as a way to seek compensation for atrocities committed overseas.

Most federal appeals courts that have considered the issue have said the law allows suits against corporations as well as individuals. But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York threw out the case at issue, filed by those who alleged that policies of the Arab Bank fostered terrorism in the Mideast.

Victims of attacks in Israel and the Palestinian territories said a New York branch of the bank distributed millions of dollars to terrorists and their families over a 10-year period.

[Supreme Court limits lawsuits alleging atrocities abroad]

The Supreme Court tried to address the corporate liability issue once before. But in a 2013 decision involving a petroleum company, the court instead said the case could be decided on other grounds. It said the allegations in the case did not have a close enough connection to the United States.

The current case is different, said attorneys for approximately 6,000 people who were injured or are survivors of those killed in attacks that occurred from January 1995 to July 2005.

This contact with the United States is no fleeting detail, they wrote. Rather, it was a key aspect of the scheme. The U.S. dollar is the preferred currency for transferring money among terrorist front groups and paying the families of martyrs in locations such as the West Bank and Gaza.

They allege that accounts at the Jordanian-based bank served as paymasters for Hamas and other groups, including paying the families of those killed in suicide attacks.

The Alien Tort Statute (ATS), passed by the first Congress, is short but ambiguous, according to the courts that have considered it. It reads: The district courts shall have original jurisdiction of any civil action by an alien for a tort only, committed in violation of the law of nations or a treaty of the United States.

The bank had urged the justices not to accept the case. The courts previous decision dictates the outcome, the bank said.

The court would quickly discover that there is no need to reach the question of corporate liability because petitioners ATS claims do not have a sufficient nexus to the United States to be litigated in U.S. courts, the bank said. Everything about this case is fundamentally foreign it involves foreign plaintiffs suing foreign defendants for injuries that occurred on foreign soil as part of a long-running conflict between foreign parties.

The court will hear the case in the term that begins in October.

Justices wont revive ballot-selfie prohibition

The court without comment decided not to review a lower courts decision striking down New Hampshires prohibition on voters taking photos of their completed ballots.

[Is a ballot selfie free speech or threat?]

The states ballot-selfie ban was found to be an unconstitutional restraint on free speech by a district judge and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit.

About two dozen states have laws prohibiting voters from sharing photos of themselves with their ballots. But they differ in degree, and many are being challenged.

The states say the bans protect voter secrecy and combat fraud by, for instance, keeping those who would sell their votes from providing evidence that they had voted a certain way.

But the New Hampshire law was challenged by a state representative, who took a photo of his ballot to show he had voted and encouraged others to do the same, and a man who wrote in the name of his dog to protest his choice of U.S. Senate candidates.

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Supreme Court to weigh corporations' liability in human rights violations abroad - Washington Post

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Elon Musk’s SpaceX Just Announced Hundreds of Open Positions – Futurism

Posted: at 7:41 pm

In Brief Elon Musk's space travel company SpaceX is hiring nearly 500 new employees across a variety of departments and locations. The boost is likely thanks, at least in part, to the successful launch of a reusable Falcon 9 rocket last week. Help Wanted

If you simply walked past SpaceXs headquarters, you may not realizethat Elon Musks space travel project is looking for more staff the futuristic company is way too cool to display an archaic Help Wanted sign out front. Those of you who do your job searches digitally, however, will find a wide array of job openings across 41 departments on the companys careers website.

SpaceXis looking to fill awhopping 473 open positions at posts around the United States. A great majority, 313, of these positions are at the companys headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Other locations include posts on both coasts of the U.S., as well as in Texas andWashington D.C.

The jobs run the gamut of experience, from highly skilled engineering positions that require advanced degrees in astronautics, mechanical engineering, or physics to experienced line cooks looking to feed the bodies that hold the brains of rocket scientists. According toBusiness Insider,About half of the positions call for engineers, 33% for technicians, 5% for machinists, 5% for specialists, 5% for managers, and 1% for directors, so there are a lot of ways to play a part in the future of space travel.

Its no wonder that SpaceX is currently looking to ramp up operations. Late last week the company made history by being the first to launch a mission into space using reusable rocket parts.

This achievement is going to revolutionize the way we get to space, and we will likely see a boost across the entire space travel sector as a result of it. In addition to keeping those already involved with SpaceX inspired, this recent success should motivate competitors like Jeff Bezoss Blue Origin and Richard Bransons Virgin Galactic to up their own games.

Now that reusing rocket parts is a proven concept, we should see a greater push to get technology and even humans up into space. These rockets will save considerable money, allowing space tourists, companies, and other entities greater access to that final frontier.

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Elon Musk's SpaceX Just Announced Hundreds of Open Positions - Futurism

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For $250,000, You Can Have a Flying Suit Like Iron Man’s – Futurism – Futurism

Posted: at 7:41 pm

In Brief Gravity is a British technology start-up founded by Richard Browning in March 2017 dedicated to improving aviation across the world. Their first suit, the Daedalus, is expected to travel at speeds of 100 mph and costs around $250,000 to produce. A New Way To Fly

The media is bursting at its seams with what seems to be the superhero revolution. Comic book publishers like Marvel and DC have spilled over onto the big screen, and now it may look as though theyre spilling over into our technology in the real world. While we have been making efforts at a superhero heads up displayor an iron man workout suit, we are also inching our way up to a functional flight suit.

Gravityis a British technology start-up startedby Richard Browning on March 31, 2017. The company has developed a human propulsion system to re-imagine manned flight. With miniaturizedjet engines and a customized exoskeleton, the Daedalus is expected to push us into a new era of aviation. Browning and his team developed the suit over the course of 2016, with the teams journey covered in this short documentary:

Brownings team put together six kerosene-fuelled micro gas turbines to lift the manned-suit upessentially, a man tethered to six compact jet engines. Initial testing began with Browning performing assisted jumps with four engines.Thinking additional engines would help him levitate off the ground, the team added two additional engines with leg mounts. The final design looks slightly different, as it houses two engines within the suits back in conjunction with two engines attached at each arm. The design also has a heads-up display that relays fuel information to the user through a WiFi connection. The suit is expected to reach speeds of 160 km/h (100 mph), but you can test that out yourself.

Gravitys developments marks the beginning of a new era of human aviation. While the suit seems clunky now, so did the first computers when they were built. Were witnessing pockets of intelligent capital develop, and isnt too hard to imagine the future of this technology.

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For $250,000, You Can Have a Flying Suit Like Iron Man's - Futurism - Futurism

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Planet 9 Found? Astronomers Have Officially Found A Candidate – Futurism

Posted: at 7:41 pm

In Brief A 3 day search for an undiscovered planet in our solar system has produced 4 possible candidates. The hunt for Planet 9 was part of a Zooniverse citizen science project, and shows what we can achieve when we collaborate on scientific projects. 3 Days, 4 Possibilities

An intense three-day crowdsourced search for an undiscovered planet in our solar system has produced four possible candidates. The hunt for Planet 9 was part of a Zooniverse citizen science project, conducted in real-time, with the BBCs Stargazing Live broadcast. The project was hosted at theSiding Spring Observatory at Australian National University.Click to View Full Infographic

About 60,000 people from all over the world participated in the search, which not only turned upfour possible candidates for Planet 9 but also helped classifymore than four million other objects. Participants worked using data from Siding Springs SkyMapper telescope. The project was led by ANU Researcher Brad Tucker, whose team agreed that regardless of whether one of the four possibles turns out to, in fact, bethe mysterious Planet 9, the scientific value of the project was certainly verified.

Other researchers agree with the ANU teams sentiment: astronomer Mike Brown of Caltech tweeted his support for the project:

In 2016, Brown and his colleague Konstantin Batygin discovered that the orbits of a few different objects in the Kuiper Belt were being influenced by a massive body. This was indirect evidence that a large, Neptune-sized planet exists in our solar system far beyond Pluto. However, looking for the mystery planet poses significant challenges. For one, it is probably 1,000 times fainter than Pluto. The task forresearchers, then, is to sift through old data and make new observations.

Thats where the crowdsourced project came in: With the help of tens of thousands of dedicated volunteers sifting through hundreds of thousands of images taken by SkyMapper, Tucker said, we have achieved four years of scientific analysis in under three days. One of those volunteers, Toby Roberts, has made 12,000 classifications.

The ANU team will continue their search and try to confirm whether or not one of the space objects is, in fact, Planet 9. In the meantime, theyre asking people to keep looking through the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 Zooniverse project. The entire experience proves what can be achieved when many scientists (and laypeople who love science) come together. New technologies like deep learning and tools like the James Webb Space Telescope could one day make this kind of research happen quickly and easily, but for now, its all hands on deck to make things happen faster.

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Planet 9 Found? Astronomers Have Officially Found A Candidate - Futurism

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Artificial Intelligence is Completely Transforming Modern Healthcare – Futurism

Posted: at 7:41 pm

In Brief AI in medicine is changing healthcare as we know it. The introduction of deep learning systems is only possible by powerful computing capabilities; capabilities that Nvidia has made possible with their graphic processors. A New Age of Healthcare Artificial intelligence is slowly making its way into the realm of modern healthcare. Googles DeepMind is revolutionizing eyecare in the United Kingdom, and IBMs Watsonis tackling cancer diagnosticson par with human physicians. Both AI systems use deep learning, a concept loosely mirroring how our own brains work by having AI software analyze exorbitant amounts of data and uncover patterns which is particularly applicable in diagnostics.

As medical imaging technology continues to take advantage of every new deep learning breakthrough, the challenge is that the computing technology on which it relies must evolve just as quickly. A company called Nvidia is leading that charge under the guidance ofKimberley Powell, who isconfident that Nvidiasprocessors are not only meeting the deep learning standards of medical imagining, but also pushing the industry forward as a whole.

Nvidias hardware has established its silent but prominent role in deep learnings marriage with medicine. Powell believes projects like their specializedcomputers, such asthe DGX-1a powerful deep-learning product, will become increasingly more common in hospitals and medical research centers. Strongcomputing power, like what the DGX-1 can provide, stands to increase thereliability of the diagnostic process; something that, in turn, wouldsignificantly boost thestandard of care in developing countries.

While AI wont be replacing doctors anytime soon, it will provide physicians with tools tomore efficiently and reliably assess patients.AI is already involved in mining medical data, diagnosing medical images, studying genomics-based data for personalized medicine, and improving the lives of the disabled.

Thanks to NVIDIAs DGX-1, hospitals can efficiently compare a single patients tests and history with data from a vast population of other patients. Some medical research centers and startups are automating the analysis of MRIs, CT scans, and X-rays to assist physicians inmaking a diagnosis. Others are utilizing deep learning to create genetic interpretation enginesto identify cancer-causing mutations in patient genomes, bringing to life the concept of personalized medicine.

However, while AI will no doubt continue torevolutionize medicine for years to come, physicians often find themselves perplexed byhow to incorporate the technology into their regular practice. Only onceAI is accepted, and fully integrated, into medicinewill we see the full potential for the technology in terms of lending itself to more efficient and accurate diagnostics from routine checkups to more specialized fields.

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Space Station – blogs.nasa.gov

Posted: April 2, 2017 at 7:37 am

Spacewalk support personnel quickly teamed up for a solution to cover the Tranquility modules port after a thermal and micrometeoroid shield was inadvertently lost during todays spacewalk. The team supporting EVA Officer John Mularski explored options in a room nearby Mission Control, and chose to install a cover that had been removed earlier from the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3.

Expedition 50 Commander Shane Kimbrough and Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson of NASA concluded their spacewalk at 2:33 p.m. EDT. During the spacewalk, which lasted just over seven hours, the two astronauts successfully reconnected cables and electrical connections on the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3. PMA-3 will provide the pressurized interface between the station and the second of two international docking adapters to be delivered to the complex to support the dockings of U.S. commercial crew spacecraft in the future.

The duo were also tasked with installing four thermal protection shields on the Tranquility module of the International Space Station. The shields were required to cover the port where the PMA-3 was removed earlier in the week and robotically installed on the Harmony module. During the spacewalk, one of the shields was inadvertently lost. The loss posed no immediate danger to the astronauts and Kimbrough and Whitson went on to successfully install the remaining shields on the common berthing mechanism port.

A team from the Mission Control Center at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston devised a plan for the astronauts to finish covering the port with the PMA-3 cover Whitson removed earlier in the day. The plan worked, and the cover was successfully installed, providing thermal protection and micrometeoroid and orbital debris cover for the port.

To round out the spacewalk, Kimbrough and Whitson also installed a different shield around the base of the PMA-3 adapter for micrometeoroid protection. The shield was nicknamed a cummerbund as it fits around the adapter similar to a tuxedos cummerbund worn around the waist.

Having completed her eighth spacewalk, Whitson now holds the record for the most spacewalks and accumulated time spacewalking by a female astronaut.

Spacewalkers have now spent a total of 1,243 hours and 42 minutes outside the station during 199 spacewalks in support of assembly and maintenance of the orbiting laboratory.

For more information about the International Space Station, visit http://www.nasa.gov/station.

Astronaut Peggy Whitson signs her autograph near an Expedition 50 mission patch attached to the inside the International Space Station.

At 11:51 a.m. EDT, Peggy Whitson broke the record for cumulative spacewalking time by a female astronaut, previously held by NASA astronaut Sunita Williams. This was Whitsons eighth spacewalk.

So far, Whitson and NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough have successfully installed an upgraded computer relay box and hooked up cables and electrical connections on the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3. PMA-3 will provide the pressurized interface between the station and the second of two international docking adapters to be delivered to the complex to support the dockings of U.S. commercial crew spacecraft in the future.

The spacewalk is planned to last six and a half hours.

Follow @space_station on Twitter for updates. For more information about the International Space Station, visit http://www.nasa.gov/station.

Astronaut Shane Kimbrough is pictured during a spacewalk that took place Jan. 6, 2016.

Two astronauts switched their spacesuits to battery power this morning at 7:29 a.m. EDT aboard the International Space Station to begin a spacewalk planned to last about six-and-a-half hours. Expedition 50 Commander Shane Kimbrough and Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson of NASA will further prepare the space station for commercial spacecraft dockings, as well as perform maintenance and inspection.

Watch the spacewalk on NASA TV and on the agencys website.

Kimbrough is designated extravehicular crew member 1 (EV 1), wearing the suit bearing red stripes and helmet camera #18. Whitson is designated extravehicular crew member 2 (EV 2), wearing the suit with no stripes and helmet camera #17.

Follow @space_station on Twitter for updates. Learn more about the International Space Station online, including additional information about the current crew members.

Astronauts Peggy Whitson and Shane Kimbrough participate in a pre-breathe session before starting a spacewalk Jan. 6, 2017. Astronaut Thomas Pesquet (foreground) assisted the duo.

Expedition 50 Commander Shane Kimbrough and Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson of NASA will venture outside the International Space Station for a six-and-a-half hour spacewalk Thursday, March 30. The spacewalk will begin at about 8 a.m. EDT, with complete coverage on NASA Television and the agencys website starting at 6:30 a.m.

Kimbrough and Whitson will reconnect cables and electrical connections on the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3), which was robotically moved Sunday, March 26 from the Tranquility module to the Harmony module on station. The PMA-3 provides the pressurized interface between the station modules and the docking adapter. The duo will also install the second of the two upgraded computer relay boxes on the stations truss and install shields and covers on PMA-3 and the now-vacant common berthing mechanism port on Tranquility.

This will be the 199th spacewalk in support of space station assembly and maintenance. Kimbrough will embark on the sixth spacewalk of his career. This will be the eighth spacewalk by Whitson, who will surpass NASA astronaut Suni Williams record for the most spacewalks by a female astronaut.

Follow @space_station on Twitter for updates. For more information about the International Space Station, visit http://www.nasa.gov/station. To subscribe or unsubscribe from this list, please email heo-pao@lists.nasa.gov.

Astronaut Peggy Whitson was pictured during her seventh spacewalk which took place Jan. 6, 2017.

Expedition 50 Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson is set to go on her eighth spacewalk Thursday morning and surpass astronaut Suni Williams record for the most spacewalks by a female astronaut. Whitsons last spacewalk was on Jan. 6 with Commander Shane Kimbrough when she hooked up new lithium-ion batteries and inspected the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.

Read more about spacewalks at the International Space Station.

Thursdays spacewalk will see Whitson and Kimbrough finish cable connections at the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 just recently attached to the Harmony modules space-facing port. The PMA-3 relocation gets the station ready for the new International Docking Adapter-3 set to be delivered on a future SpaceX Dragon cargo mission.

European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet, who conducted last weeks spacewalk with Kimbrough, will assist the duo in and out of their spacesuits and monitor the activities from inside the station. The spacewalkers are scheduled to exit the Quest airlock Thursday at 8 a.m. EST for 6.5 hours of station maintenance work. NASA TV will cover all the spacewalk activities beginning at 6:30 a.m.

The Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 is in the grip of the Canadarm2 robotic arm during its relocation and attachment to the Harmony module on March 26,2017.

The crew researched the effects of living in space and set up a specialized microscope for a physics experiment today. Two astronauts are also getting ready for a Thursday spacewalk to continue setting up the International Space Station for commercial crew vehicles.

Flight Engineers Peggy Whitson and Thomas Pesquet used a tape measure this morning and measured their arms, legs, hips, waist and chest. Researchers are studying how microgravity impacts body size and shape and are comparing crew measurements before, during and after a space mission.

Whitson later began setting up gear for the ACE-T-1 (Advanced Colloids Experiment Temperature Control-1) physics study. She opened up the Fluids Integrated Rack and reconfigured the Light Microscopy Module to research tiny suspended particles designed by scientists and observe how they form organized structures within water.

Commander Shane Kimbrough is getting ready for another spacewalk on Thursday at 8 a.m. EDT. This time hell go outside with Whitson to finish cable connections at the Harmony module where the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3) was robotically attached on Sunday. The PMA-3 relocation gets the adapter ready for the new International Docking Adapter-3 set to be delivered on a future cargo mission.

Astronaut Shane Kimbrough takes an out-of-this-world selfie during a spacewalk on March 24, 2017.

The Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3) was robotically removed Sunday from the Tranquility module and attached to the Harmony module after being prepared during a successful spacewalk Friday. A second spacewalk is scheduled for Thursday at 8 a.m. EDT to finalize the PMA-3 cable connections on Harmony.

Download hi-res video of briefing animations depicting the activities of all three spacewalks.

Commander Shane Kimbrough disconnected cables from PMA-3 while still attached to Tranquility during a spacewalk on Friday. That work allowed ground controllers to use the Canadarm2 robotic arm to remotely grapple and remove PMA-3 from Tranquility and attach it to Harmony.

The relocation readies the PMA-3 for the future installation of the new International Docking Adapter-3 (IDA-3) set to be delivered on a future cargo mission. The IDA-3 will accommodate commercial crew vehicle dockings and provide the pressurized interface between the station and the adapter.

Thursdays spacewalk will see Kimbrough and Peggy Whitson complete the PMA-3 attachment work on the Harmonys space-facing port. The duo will also install computer relay boxes containing software upgrades to enable future commercial crew vehicle dockings at the International Space Station.

Spacewalkers Thomas Pesquet (left) and Shane Kimbrough meet at the Quest airlock to begin wrapping up their successful spacewalk. Credit: NASA TV

Expedition 50 Commander Shane Kimbrough of NASA and Flight Engineer Thomas Pesquet of ESA (European Space Agency concluded their spacewalk at 1:58 p.m. EDT. During the spacewalk, which lasted just over six-and-a-half hours, the two astronauts successfully disconnected cables and electrical connections on the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 to prepare for its robotic move Sunday, March 26.

The PMA-3 provides the pressurized interface between the station modules and the International Docking Adapter, which will accommodate commercial crew vehicle dockings.

The astronauts also lubricated the latching end effector on the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator extension for theCanadarm2robotic arm, inspected a radiator valve and replaced cameras on the Japanese segment of the outpost.

A second spacewalk has been rescheduled to Thursday, March 30, and a third spacewalk now is targeted for Thursday, April 6.

The second spacewalk will feature Kimbrough and Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson of NASA reconnecting cables and electrical connections on PMA-3 at its new home on top Harmony. They also will install the second of the two upgraded computer relay boxes on the stations truss and install shields and covers on PMA-3 and the now-vacant common berthing mechanism port on Tranquility.

The plan for the final spacewalk is for Whitson and Pesquet to replace an avionics box on the starboard truss called an ExPRESS Logistics Carrier, a storage platform. The box houses electrical and command and data routing equipment for the science experiments and replacement hardware stored outside of the station. The new avionics box is scheduled to launch on the upcoming Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo spacecraft mission.

Spacewalkers have now spent a total of 1,236 hours and 38 minutes working outside the station during 198 spacewalks in support of assembly and maintenance of the orbiting laboratory.

For more information about the International Space Station, visit http://www.nasa.gov/station.

Spacewalker Thomas Pesquet took a selfie during a spacewalk on Jan. 13, 2017.

Two astronauts switched their spacesuits to battery power this morning at 7:24 a.m., EDT aboard the International Space Station to begin a spacewalk planned to last about six-and-a-half hours. Expedition 50 Commander Shane Kimbrough and Flight Engineer Thomas Pesquet of ESA (European Space Agency) will further prepare the space station for commercial spacecraft dockings, as well as perform maintenance and inspection.

Watch the spacewalk on NASA TV and on the agencys website.

Kimbrough is designated extravehicular crewmember 1 (EV 1), wearing the suit bearing red stripes. Pesquet is designated extravehicular crewmember 2 (EV 2), wearing the suit with no stripes.

Follow @space_station on Twitter for updates. Learn more about the International Space Station online, including additional information about the current crew members.

Astronauts Thomas Pesquet and Shane Kimbrough are seen during a pre-breathe exercise before starting a spacewalk on Jan. 13, 2017.

Expedition 50 Commander Shane Kimbrough of NASA and Flight Engineer Thomas Pesquet of ESA (European Space Agency) will venture outside the International Space Station for a six-and-a-half hour spacewalk Friday, March 24. The spacewalk will begin at 8 a.m. EDT, with complete coverage on NASA TV and the agencys website starting at 6:30 a.m.

The two astronauts will prepare the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3) for installation of the secondInternational Docking Adapter, which will accommodate commercial crew vehicle dockings.

Kimbrough and Pesquet will disconnect cables and electrical connections on PMA-3 to prepare for its robotic move Sunday, March 26. The PMA-3 provides the pressurized interface between the station modules and the docking adapter. PMA-3 will be moved from the port side of the Tranquility module to the space-facing side of the Harmony module, where it will become home for the docking adapter, which will be delivered on a future flight of a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft. The spacewalkers also will install on the starboard zero truss a new computer relay box equipped with advanced software for the adapter.

The two astronauts will lubricate the latching end effector on the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator extension for theCanadarm2robotic arm, inspect a radiator valve suspected of a small ammonia leak and replace cameras on the Japanese segment of the outpost. Radiators are used to shed excess heat that builds up through normal space station operation.

This will be the 198th spacewalk in support of space station assembly and maintenance. Kimbrough, who will embark on the fifth spacewalk of his career, will be wearing helmet camera #18. This will be the second spacewalk of Pesquets career, and he will be wearing helmet camera #20.

Follow @space_station on Twitter for updates. For more information about the International Space Station, visit http://www.nasa.gov/station.

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Space Station - blogs.nasa.gov

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DIY space station encourages kids to use tools and imaginations – ABC Online

Posted: at 7:37 am

Updated April 02, 2017 16:04:14

For one weekend only, children in Alice Springs have had the opportunity to try their hands at construction, using drills and other tools to make their very own space station.

The free event, called An Unsafe Adventure for Kids was organised by the local Scouts and took place on a vacant site in the heart of the town.

The event was a community affair with local businesses donating the wooden pallets and solar panels used to create the station.

Kids were encouraged, under the watchful eye of their parents, to build their own structures and get involved in risk-taking play, using tools and their imagination.

"One of the big problems today is people hurting themselves and others because they haven't dealt with risk before," project organiser and Scouts leader Eugene Blom said.

Mr Blom said luckily "Alice Springs is full of people who aren't helicopter parents".

In the space station adults were "droids" and did what they were told, but they were also programmed to stop "astronauts" from sawing their fingers off.

For parents, the weekend was an opportunity to get their kids off the couch and to bring risk back into their everyday life.

"Have fun with your kids. No screens! No internet! No wifi!" one parent said.

The event was a success, with more than 100 children and "droids" turning up with their tool belts.

"We get to use our imagination and just do whatever we want," one young participant said.

The project was also a recruitment drive for the local Scouts group, which is struggling to survive.

"They're on their last legs. We have five Scouts, we have 10 Cubs," Mr Blom said.

It was hoped the event would create community awareness about the kind of activities Scouts run and generate some interest in membership.

"If I wanted to put on an activity like this for Scouts I'd have 20 kids here, but I thought 'you know what the community's up for this'," he said.

Topics: play-and-learning, community-development, community-and-society, alice-springs-0870, nt

First posted April 02, 2017 15:52:00

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DIY space station encourages kids to use tools and imaginations - ABC Online

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Big mishap hits International Space Station – Morning Ticker

Posted: at 7:37 am

Astronauts were conducting a routine spacewalk when they encountered a major problem that required evasive action.

It was supposed to be a triumphant moment for Astronaut Peggy Wilson as she completed a record-breaking spacewalk on the International Space Station, but it quickly turned into an emergency that required evasive action. A piece of cloth shielding suddenly went floating away, prompting Wilson to report the problem to Mission Control at NASA, who will need to monitor the piece in case it comes flying back toward the space station.

Its an important piece of shielding because it stops micrometeorite debris from damaging the ISS. It was one of four pieces that Whitson and Shane Kimbrough, the other astronaut working with her, had to install near the docking location on the space station. The three other shields were put in spots that protected the ISSs most vulnerable areas in that location.

Whitson was clearly frustrated by the mishap in her communications with Mission Control, according to media reports, but it doesnt change the fact that she is now the worlds oldest and most experienced woman in space with her eighth career spacewalk.

Here are some of the most recent statements from NASA describing the spacewalks.

Expedition 50 astronauts will conduct up to three spacewalks outside the International Space Station (ISS) in late March and early April to prepare for the future arrival of U.S. commercial crew spacecraft and upgrade station hardware. The first spacewalk remains on schedule for Friday, March 24. A second spacewalk has been rescheduled to Thursday, March 30, and a third spacewalk now is scheduled for Thursday, April 6.

NASA TV will provide complete coverage beginning each day at 6:30 a.m. EDT, with the six-and-a-half hour spacewalks scheduled to begin about 8 a.m.

The first spacewalk will prepare the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3) for installation of the second International Docking Adapter, which will accommodate commercial crew vehicle dockings. The PMA-3 provides the pressurized interface between the station modules and the docking adapter. Expedition 50 Commander Shane Kimbrough of NASA and Flight Engineer Thomas Pesquet of ESA (European Space Agency) will disconnect cables and electrical connections on PMA-3 to prepare for its robotic move Sunday, March 26. PMA-3 will be moved from the port side of the Tranquility module to the space-facing side of the Harmony module, where it will become home for the docking adapter, which will be delivered on a future flight of a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft. The spacewalkers also will install on the starboard zero truss a new computer relay box equipped with advanced software for the adapter.

The two spacewalkers will lubricate the latching end effector on the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator extension for the Canadarm2 robotic arm, inspect a radiator valve suspected of a small ammonia leak and replace cameras on the Japanese segment of the outpost. Radiators are used to shed excess heat that builds up through normal space station operation.

The final spacewalk will tentatively feature Whitson and Pesquet replacing an avionics box on the starboard truss called an ExPRESS Logistics Carrier, a storage platform. The box houses electrical and command and data routing equipment for the science experiments and replacement hardware stored outside of the station. The new avionics box is scheduled to launch on the upcoming Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo spacecraft mission.

This will be the 198th, 199th and 200th spacewalks in support of space station assembly and maintenance. Kimbroughs two spacewalks will be the fifth and sixth of his career. Whitson will be making the eighth and ninth spacewalks of her career more than any other female astronaut. Pesquet will undertake the second and third spacewalks in his career.

Students from Betsy Ross Elementary School in Anaheim, California, will speak with NASA astronauts living and working aboard the International Space Station at 11:40 a.m. EDT Monday, April 3. The 20-minute, Earth-to-space call will air live on NASA Television and the agencys website.

Expedition 50 Commander Shane Kimbrough and Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson, both of NASA, will answer questions from students in several grades. Students at Betsy Ross Elementary School have been hard at work exploring the space program, NASA and the space station leading up to the downlink. They have conducted research through virtual field trips while also designing realistic models of the space station. With each engaging activity, the students knowledge of NASA and the space program has been greatly enhanced.

Kimbrough launched to the space station Oct. 19, 2016, and will return April 10. Whitson launched to the space station Nov. 17, 2016, and is scheduled to return to Earth later this spring.

Media interested in covering the event should contact Keith Sterling, director of communications & public information, Anaheim Elementary School District. Ross Elementary is at 535 S. Walnut Street in Anaheim.

Linking students directly to astronauts aboard the space station provides unique, authentic experiences designed to enhance student learning, performance and interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This in-flight education downlink is an integral component of NASA Educations STEM on Station activity, which provides a variety of space station resources and opportunities to students and educators.

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Big mishap hits International Space Station - Morning Ticker

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After the International Space Station, NASA plans Deep Space … – GeekWire

Posted: at 7:37 am

An artists conception shows the Deep Space Gateway in the vicinity of the moon, with an Orion crew vehicle nearby. (NASA Illustration)

President Donald Trump hasnt yet revealed his choice for NASA administrator, but the space agency is already shifting the focus of its exploration program to a way station known as the Deep Space Gateway.

The concept for a habitable platform in the vicinity of the moon, known as cislunar space, was fleshed out this week on NASAs website, andduring meetings of the NASA Advisory Council in Washington, D.C.

Payloads and astronauts could be sent to the gateway starting in the 2020s using the heavy-lift Space Launch System rocket and the Orion crew vehicle, both of which are still under development.

The gateway would be a crew-tended spaceport with a high-power electric propulsion system.

I envision different partners, both international and commercial, contributing to the gateway and using it in a variety of ways with a system that can move to different orbits to enable a variety of missions, said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASAs associate administrator for human exploration and operations. The gateway could move to support robotic or partner missions to the surface of the moon, or to a high lunar orbit to support missions departing from the gateway to other destinations in the solar system.

During the advisory councils sessions, Gerstenmaier said modules for the gateway would be sent to its assembly point in a series of SLS missions running through 2026, supplemented by commercial shipments.

A new type of reusable vehicle, known as the Deep Space Transport, would be developed for long-duration missions beyond the moon including trips to Mars. The transport would take advantage of electric as well as chemical propulsion, and could use the gateway as its home base.

Sometime in the late 2020s, the gateway and the transport vehicle would go through a yearlong shakedown cruise in the vicinity of the moon to validate the systems readiness for missions to Mars and other deep-space destinations.

The tentative timetable shared with the advisory council calls for the Mars trips to begin in the 2030s, which is consistent with NASAs previously announced exploration goals.

Gerstenmaieremphasized that the plan would incorporate contributions from partner organizations such as the European and Canadian space agencies, as well as commercial ventures.

Histimetable assumes that NASA will proceed with the development of a more powerful version of the SLS, known as Block 2.

The plan leaves room for the launch of NASAs Europa Clipper probe to an ice-covered moon of Jupiter in 2022. But it doesnt leave room for retrieving and studying a piece of an asteroid, as had been planned by the Obama administration. NASA has essentially acknowledged that the Asteroid Retrieval Mission is no longer in the cards, although the ARM program to work on solar electric propulsion will continue.

Gerstenmaier indicated that NASA was close to decidingwhether itll be feasible to put a crew on the first flight of the SLS, known as Exploration Mission 1 or EM-1. If the answer is yes, EM-1 is likely to be delayed from late 2018 to 2019 or 2020.

That flight would send an Orion vehicle on a nonstop round trip ranging far beyond the moon and back, by virtue of whats known as a free-return trajectory. The only question about EM-1 is whether NASA can justify the added cost and risk of putting a crew on board.

There are other, bigger questions about the overall plan: Does it mesh with President Donald Trumps dream to see American footprints on distant worlds? Will Congress go along with it? And will NASAs 15-year-plus timetable for journeys to Mars be outpaced by SpaceXs grander plan for Mars settlement?

Answers could start coming in the next few weeks, but those answers could be totally different a decade from now. Watch this cislunar space.

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After the International Space Station, NASA plans Deep Space ... - GeekWire

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DIY space station encourages kids to use tools and imaginations – ABC Online

Big mishap hits International Space Station – Morning Ticker

After the International Space Station, NASA plans Deep Space … – GeekWire

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