The Obama administration's proposed 2012 National Aeronautics and Space Administration budget, estimated to total more than $18.5 billion, scales back funding for private rockets and spacecraft future to take astronauts into orbit, according to government and industry officials. The White House's expenses plan for manned space exploration seeks to avoid last year's argument between Congress and President Barack Obama, according to government and industry officials. Slated to be released Monday, it also imagine step up international cooperation, despite widespread space and scientific budget cutback in Europe.
Mr. Obama's earlier bid to slash the agency's customary manned programs for allegedly being too slow and costly sparked opposition on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers also balked at White House proposal to outsource some core NASA functions by shifting much of the agency's focus to encourage what have been called business space taxis. This time, these officials said, the agency's request is likely to track main element of a bipartisan compromise Congress finally approved last year. That package limited funding for commercial-space efforts but recognized about $11 billion over five years substantially more than the White House requested to accelerate government growth of heavy lift rockets able to reach deeper into space.
For 2012, the bipartisan contract envision roughly $18.7 billion in overall NASA expenditures. Last week, Lori Garver, NASA's deputy administrator, told an industry meeting in Washington that the new budget would be broadly reliable with that compromise, though she didn't elaborate. Days later, Rep. Frank Wolf, the Virginia Republican who heads the House appropriations subcommittee with right over NASA, said the agency was "just wallowing" and lawmakers have been "concerned about the administration's hostility toward manned spaceflight." Commercial space development are years behind plan, and critic still worry about placing undue reliance on them.
Space pioneer Elon Musk expect to put his name in the history books once again next week, with the planned launch and recovery of the first commercially function spacecraft from orbit. But to make this point, his closely held company, Space Exploration Technologies Corp., previously has managed to overcome regulatory hurdles never before encountered by the aerospace industry. And federal documents free on Friday underscore the bureaucratic complexities and huge technical risks confronting the pioneering effort. In June, SpaceX, as the company is recognized, launched its 18-story Falcon 9 rocket and successfully flew it for more than nine minutes. It was the first privately fund U.S. rocket launch in decades.
This week's scheduled mission to launch and return an unmanned, reusable Dragon pill from low earth orbit, predictable to last for hours, poses many more challenges. Placing the vehicle into a such an orbit at speeds more than 17,000 miles per hour, then maneuvering through a fiery reentry and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean will need a flawless trajectory, a dependable heat shield and finally, perfect operation of the superfluous parachutes, according to space experts. Based on a ground test finished Saturday, SpaceX said blastoff could occur as early as Tuesday. In an October interview, Mr. Musk said "the likelihood of us receiving everything right "may be no added than 50% on the first try. Considering the difficulty of both the launch and the reentry, he said, in the end "the possibility of mission success may be less than that."
In addition to the stake for SpaceX, the flight will amount to a unique public test of President Barack Obama's controversial effort to use NASA to fund and care for a variety of such commercial spacecraft. The policy continues to face resistance from many lawmakers, established aerospace contractors and even some Air Force officials concerned about relying too heavily on untested private rockets and spacecraft to replace the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's reserved fleet of space shuttles. But a successful reentry would propel Mr. Musk, a former Internet capitalist who has invested more than $100 million of his personal chance in the scrappy startup, further into the guide for such ventures.
Software developed at NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif., is enabling major fuel savings for airlines and an increase in environmental efficiency. The Ames Direct-To software is a product of NASA aeronautics research in air traffic management. The software has been adopted by The Boeing Company for commercial use. Boeing intends to offer airlines the opportunity to subscribe next year to a new air traffic efficiency service that uses the software. "We're delighted that Boeing is using NASA technology for environmental benefit," said Ames Center Director Pete Worden. Direct-To enables airlines to save fuel and reduce emissions by automatically identifying flight route shortcuts that are wind-favorable and acceptable to air traffic controllers. NASA demonstrated Direct-To's potential to reduce fuel consumption in the airspace around Dallas-Fort Worth in 2001.
"We estimated a potential combined savings of about 900 flying minutes per day for all aircraft in the demonstration airspace," said David McNally, the project principal investigator at Ames. Boeing incorporated the technology into its subscription-based Direct Routes. It is part of the company's InFlight Optimization Services that help airlines save fuel and increase environmental efficiency. Direct Routes automatically alerts an airline's operations center and flight crew when a simple, more fuel-efficient path opens up along an airplane's intended route. The software potentially could save tens of thousands of flight minutes per year for a medium-sized U.S. operator.
NASA has a "critical responsibility" to the flying public to develop environmentally responsible solutions to the nation's most pressing aviation problems, Administrator Charles F. Bolden Jr. said Wednesday. Addressing the Green Aviation Summit under way through Thursday at NASA's Ames Research Center, Bolden said air travel is one of the safest modes of transportation and vital to the U.S. economy, but increasing air traffic is taking a toll on the environment and the nation's aviation infrastructure. "We need to make some changes both in the design of aircraft and in the way they transit through our skies to not only maintain, but improve safety and efficiency," Bolden said. "That's a huge challenge, but we at NASA enthusiastically accept it."
The Green Aviation Summit is highlighting the depth and breadth of NASA's work to develop aviation technologies that are designed to make air transportation cleaner and quieter for the environment, with fewer delays for travelers. "Our critical responsibility is [to] those who feel anxious because of the long distance they have to travel to reach an airport; the crowding they experience upon arrival at the terminal; the departure, enroute, or arrival weather; or concerns that the technology on the planes may not be up to dealing with problems that may be encountered in the sky," Bolden told the summit.
The two-day meeting has brought together about 200 experts from NASA, other federal government organizations, industry and academia. Keynote presentations by leading policymakers as well as detailed technical presentations and panel discussions are focusing on state-of-the-art and emerging technologies that can reduce aircraft noise, emissions and fuel consumption and ensure the safe and manageable growth of the aviation system. Jaiwon Shin, NASA's associate administrator for aeronautics research, said NASA technology will become increasingly important because of the lack of available space for new airports. "We really are helping the country to advance to the next generation of air transportation and aviation by working together," he said. "This summit signifies our strong commitment."
NASA is seeking information from potential partners who could provide no-cost brokerage services for intellectual property transactions, such as patent brokering, to help transfer NASA-owned technologies into the U.S. marketplace. "Technology transfer always has been an important objective of America's aeronautics and space program," said NASA Chief Technologist Bobby Braun at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "We want to accelerate the agency's efforts to get groundbreaking technologies and innovations from development efforts out into commercial markets. We're asking for information from broker services on how they might help us do this, without any cost to the taxpayer." This call for information builds on a pilot program by several NASA field centers, started in 2008, to commercialize NASA-funded technologies.
NASA is looking to industry for input on what form these technology transaction services might take, including ideas such as public auctions, Internet-based agreements or other innovative concepts. Partners would be compensated through a percentage of licensing revenues from any transaction they broker. This approach will add another tool to existing technology transfer efforts, allowing NASA to effectively move its technology into the marketplace. Goals for the project include promoting transparency of NASA patent license transactions while enhancing development of commercial industry. A primary benefit of partnering for no-cost brokerage services is the potential to make intellectual property licensing processes quicker and easier, saving time and resources for small companies that may have interest in NASA technologies and innovations.
NASA is a pioneer in federal government use of third-party intellectual property brokerage services. This activity will accelerate the agency's past success in this area. The program will continue efforts to ensure easier access to NASA-patented technology by U.S. private sector organizations while identifying and developing complementary technology efforts across NASA's centers. An example of successfully brokering NASA technology through a no-cost brokerage partnership was the exclusive license for the Hilbert-Huang Transform, composed of 10 U.S. patents and one domestic patent application, which was part of a lot auctioned by Ocean Tomo Federal Services LLC, in October 2008.
NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate is accepting scholarship applications for the 2011 academic year. The application deadline is Jan. 17, 2011. "We want more students to pursue careers in aeronautics," said Jaiwon Shin, associate administrator for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "By offering these scholarships, we are extending to students not just an opportunity to become familiar with NASA's research, but also an extra dose of inspiration. Scholarships are an excellent way for us to attract talented young innovators to our work force."
NASA expects to award 20 undergraduate and five graduate scholarships to students in aeronautics or related fields. Undergraduate students entering their second year of study will receive up to $15,000 per year for two years and the opportunity to receive a $10,000 stipend by interning at a NASA research center during the summer. Graduate students will receive up to $35,000 per year for up to three years, with an opportunity to receive a $10,000 stipend interning at a NASA research center for up to two consecutive summers.
Students who have not committed to a specific academic institution or program still may apply. However, if accepted, they must be admitted by fall 2011 into a suitable aeronautical engineering program or related field of study at an accredited U.S. university. All applicants must be U.S. citizens. Scholarship money may be used for tuition and other school-related expenses. NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate conducts cutting-edge, fundamental and integrated systems research in traditional and emerging disciplines. The intent is to help transform the nation's air transportation system and to support development of future air and space vehicles. Goals include improving airspace capacity and flexibility; aviation safety and aircraft performance; reducing overall noise, engine emissions and fuel usage.
NASA researchers have created an online resource that dramatically changed how the agency fosters collaborative research. In this new innovative method capitalizing strengths of the Internet, scientists can share information about systems health and data mining while aiming to help improve aviation safety in ways never before possible. The web site is called Dashlink. DASH stands for Discovery in Aeronautics Systems Health. The name hints at the identity of the particular group of scientists who created this online gathering place in 2008. The site has more than 410 registered users.
"The primary goal of Dashlink is to disseminate information on the latest data mining and systems health algorithms, data and research," said Ashok Srivastava, principal investigator for NASA's Integrated Vehicle Health Management Project at the agency's Ames Research Center in California. Integrated vehicle health management, or IVHM, involves technologies designed to monitor all the different systems that enable an aircraft to fly. IVHM technologies are sensors and software applications that work in concert to detect and address potential problems with an aircraft before the problems become serious.
To be effective, IVHM requires new software programs that can record and analyze instantly many variables such as temperature, pressures, stresses, and even cockpit switch positions. Also needed are new computer algorithms, which are sets of mathematical rules used by the computers to make decisions on how to solve a problem given a certain set of data. Dashlink allows researchers, whether inside or outside NASA, who are working on a particular software application to share the applications they have written, test each other's work, and openly discuss the results.
Frustrated by a lack of visibility into the planning and study underpinning NASA's dramatic shift in course for its human spaceflight program, House lawmakers have agreed NASA Administrator Charles Bolden until June 25 to deliver all records, charts, e-mails, voice messages and other supporting materials used in drafting the agency's 2011 budget proposal.
Last week the House Science and Technology Committee gave NASA until June 16 to flesh out behind analysis for the agency's controversial shift in course, which would abandon the group program, a five-year-old effort to develop new rockets and spacecraft to replace the space shuttle and later, deliver astronauts to the Moon. The new plan entails support a commercial crew taxi service to the global space station and developing enabling technologies for deep space exploration.
"Since NASA has failed to give the Committee with any detailed supporting materials with which Congress can judge the proposed human spaceflight plan, Congress must insist upon the production of all materials NASA relied upon in formulate its proposal," the committee's chairman, Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.), wrote in the June 17 letter to Bolden. The letter was co-signed by Rep. Ralph Hall, the committee's ranking member, and by Reps. Gabrielle Giffords and Pete Olson , the chairwoman and ranking member, respectively, of the panel's space and aeronautics subcommittee.
PASADENA, Calif. -- Innovative planetarium shows and traveling museum exhibits are among nine projects NASA has selected to receive agency funding this year. NASA's Competitive Program for Science Museums and Planetariums will provide $7 million in grants to enhance educational outreach related to space exploration, aeronautics, space science, Earth science and microgravity.
This year's grants to nine informal education providers range from approximately $177,000 to $1.25 million and have a maximum five-year performance period. The projects are located in Arizona, Connecticut, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio, Utah and Washington. The selected projects will work with NASA's Shared Services Center in Mississippi to complete the business review necessary before a NASA award is issued.
"Science centers and planetariums contribute significantly to engaging people of all ages in science, technology, engineering and math," said James Stofan, acting associate administrator for NASA's Office of Education. "NASA wants to give the informal education community access to a variety of agency staff and resources while offering professional development opportunities for informal science educators and encouraging the formation of collaborative partnerships."
The selected organizations will partner with NASA's Museum Alliance, an Internet-based, national network of more than 400 science and nature centers, planetariums, museums, aquariums, zoos and related organizations. The projects will engage the public and educators by providing NASA-inspired space, science, technology, engineering and mathematics learning opportunities.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., leads the Museum Alliance for the agency. The California Institute of Technology in Pasadena manages JPL for NASA. Congress initiated the Competitive Program for Science Museums and Planetariums in 2008. The first group of projects began in 2009. NASA's Office of Education and agency mission directorates collaborated to solicit and review the grant applications.
