==============================================================
http://www.ipp.nasa.gov/cc/cc_challenges.htm
The Astronaut Glove Challenge is designed to promote the development of
glove joint technology, resulting in a highly dexterous and flexible glove that
can be used by astronauts over long periods of time for space or planetary
surface excursions.
The Astronaut Glove Challenge will be conducted by Volanz
Aerospace/Spaceflight America in a format that brings all competitors to a
single location for a "head to head" competition. Each team will be required to
perform a variety of tasks with their gloves and will be scored on the glove
performance.
Snip
==============================================================
Back in July of 2005 a challenge was issued to design a better space glove.
When you pressurize your space suit your gloves want to become balloons.
Bending your fingers or extending them can wear on your fingernails and tire you
out.
Coming up we will see who might be a winner of this competition.
We see in Science Fiction our space troopers wearing skin like exoskeletons that
respond to your request for action.
Maybe someone will come up with a smart glove that will curl and extend the
fingers at the slightest urging.
Would be nice to be able to hold onto your geologist hammer while picking at a
nice lunar sample.
It wasn't fun for Geologist-Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt.
==============================================================
http://history.nasa.gov/alsj/a12/a12.halo.html
Snip
/[The J-mission crews (Apollos 15, 16, and 17) each did three 7-hour
EVAs and experienced not only fatigue and soreness in the hands and
forearms but also varying degrees of abrasion and damage, particularly
to the ends of the fingers and to the fingernails. Jack Schmitt and
others, for example, had their fingernails lift off the quick as a
result of repeated contact with the inside of the gloves as he pushed
his fingers forward.]
Snip
==============================================================
Now where did I put my memory metal, muscle enhanced, smart gloves?
Thanks for looking up with me.
Larry Kellogg
Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
==============================================================
http://www.ipp.nasa.gov/cc/
April 27, 2007
David E. Steitz/Stephanie Schierholz
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
Alan Hayes
Volanz Aerospace, Inc., Owings, Md.
202-498-6804
MEDIA ADVISORY: M07-43 Corrected
NASA'S CENTENNIAL CHALLENGE FOR IMPROVED ASTRONAUT GLOVES SET
WASHINGTON - On Wednesday and Thursday, May 2-3, teams from around the
nation will compete for a total of $250,000 from NASA for an improved
astronaut glove design. The Astronaut Glove Challenge, one of NASA's
seven Centennial Challenges, will take place at the New England Air
Museum at Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, Conn. The
competition is free and open to media and the public. It begins May 2
from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. EDT and continues May 3 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
NASA is offering a total of $200,000 for the team that can design and
manufacture the best astronaut glove that exceeds minimum
requirements. An additional $50,000 goes to the team that best
demonstrates Mechanical Counter Pressure gloves.
An astronaut's gloves are among the most critical pieces of the
spacesuit. After an extended time of work using the current gloves,
astronauts' hands have bled and been bruised, and fingernails have
been damaged. This competition seeks new glove joint technologies
that make the astronauts' jobs easier, more comfortable and safer
with stronger gloves that increase flexibility and dexterity.
At no cost to NASA, Volanz Aerospace, Inc., Owings, Md., is
administering the challenge. Hamilton Sundstrand, Windsor Locks,
Conn., and ILC Dover, Frederica, Del., are sponsors of the contest.
Centennial Challenges, an element of NASA's Innovative Partnerships
Program, promotes technical innovation through prize competitions to
make revolutionary advances to support the Vision for Space
Exploration and NASA goals. For more information about the Innovative
Partnerships Program and Centennial Challenges, visit:
http://www.ipp.nasa.gov/cc
For more information about NASA and other agency programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov
-end-
==============================================================
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2005/jul/HQ_E05189_Astronaut_glove_challenge.html
Michael Braukus/J.D. Harrington
Headquarters, Washington
(Phone: 202/358-1979/5241)
Alan Hayes
Volanz Aerospace Inc/Spaceflight America
(Phone: 301/812-0450)
July 22, 2005
RELEASE: 05-189
NASA Announces New Centennial Challenge
NASA, in collaboration with the Volanz Aerospace Inc./Spaceflight
America (Volanz), today announced a new Centennial Challenges prize
competition.
The Astronaut Glove Challenge award will go to the team that can design
and manufacture the best performing glove within competition parameters.
The $250,000 purse will be awarded at a competition scheduled for
November 2006, when competing teams test their glove designs against
each other.
For the Challenge, teams must develop the bladder-restraint portion of
an astronaut glove that is strong, easy on the hands, and gives the
operator a high degree of dexterity.
"Reducing space suit glove fatigue is a critical technological goal
that, if successful, would have an important impact on astronaut
performance and mission planning," said NASA's acting Associate
Administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, Douglas
Cooke.
Snip
==============================================================
WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK
==============================================================
Many folks would like to see us back on the Moon and developing its resources.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Fusion energy breakthrough at Sandia Labs - SOFIA Test Flight successful -
Professor Stephen Hawking Experiences Freedom of Weightlessness Aboard Zero-Gravity Flight
Almost out of this world, the Russians help us with a fusion energy
breakthrough, the SOFIA aircraft finally completes its first test
flight, and Professor Stephen Hawking gets to experience weightlessness
aboard a Zero-Gravity Flight.
If we keep this up, we might even go back to the Moon.
Check out some of the links below. thanks to you folks and SpaceRef.
Nice to be remembered, Dr. Ann S. Dinger at NASA Ames gave me a heads up
about the SOFIA flight test so went looking for other information.
Thanks for looking up with me.
Larry Kellogg
Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
==============================================================
Passed by Larry Klaes, Thanks, - LRK -.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Fusion energy breakthrough at Sandia Labs
KurzweilAI.net Apr. 25, 2007
*************************
An electrical circuit that should carry enough power to produce the
long-sought goal of controlled high-yield nuclear fusion and do it
every 10 seconds has undergone extensive preliminary experiments and
computer simulations at Sandia National Laboratories. Circuits on
an LTD device able to produce large electrical impulses rapidly and...
http://www.kurzweilai.net/email/newsRedirect.html?newsID=6722&m=25748
Snip
==============================================================
http://www.sandia.gov/news/resources/releases/2007/rapid-fire-pulse.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2007
Rapid-fire pulse brings Sandia Z method closer to goal of
high-yield fusion reactor
Revolutionary circuit fires thousands of times without flaw
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. " An electrical circuit that should carry enough power
to produce the long-sought goal of controlled high-yield nuclear fusion
and, equally important, do it every 10 seconds, has undergone extensive
preliminary experiments and computer simulations at Sandia National
Laboratories" Z machine facility.
Z, when it fires, is already the largest producer of X-rays on Earth and
has been used to produce fusion neutrons. But rapid bursts are necessary
for future generating plants to produce electrical power from sea water.
This had not been thought achievable till now.
Sandia is a National Nuclear Security Administration laboratory.
Snip
But, unable to produce fusion except episodically, the method has been
overshadowed by the technique called magnetic confinement --- a method
that uses a magnetic field to enclose a continuous fusion reaction from
which to draw power.
The electrical circuit emerging from the technological hills may change
the balance between these systems. Tagged as "revolutionary" by
ordinarily conservative researchers, it may close the gap between the
two methods.
The circuit is easily able to fire every 10.2 seconds in brief, powerful
bursts.
"This is the most significant advance in primary power generation in
many decades," says Keith Matzen, director of Sandia's Pulsed Power Center.
The new system, called a linear transformer driver (LTD), was created by
researchers at the Institute of High Current Electronics in Tomsk,
Russia, in collaboration with colleagues at Sandia.
Says Rick Stulen, Sandia Vice President for Science, Technology and
Research Foundations, "This new technology not only represents a
remarkable technical advance but also demonstrates the strong engagement
of Sandia's scientists and engineers in the international community."
Snip
Image
http://www.sandia.gov/news/resources/releases/2007/images/fowler_nr.jpg
Caption:
*From Siberia, not Area 51: Sandia researcher Bill Fowler tests circuits
on an LTD device able to produce large electrical impulses rapidly and
repeatedly. *(Photo by Randy Montoya)
*Download 300dpi JPEG image, "fowler.jpg," 2.2MB
<http://www.sandia.gov/news/resources/releases/2007/images/fowler.jpg>*
(Media are welcome to download/publish this image with related news
stories.)
Snip
==============================================================
SOFIA aircraft with telescope flies. - LRK -
http://www.l-3com.com/news-events/pressrelease.aspx?releaseID=991713
*PRESS RELEASE*
Airborne Observatory Integrated by L-3 Communications Completes First
Flight from Waco, Texas Modification Center
- International Project Features 20-ton, German Telescope on NASA
747 Aircraft -
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 26, 2007--L-3 Communications (NYSE:
LLL) announced today that NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared
Astronomy (SOFIA) completed its first test flight following extensive
aircraft modification and telescope integration at L-3 Integrated
Systems in Waco, Texas.
SOFIA is a Boeing 747SP, which was extensively modified to carry a
45,000-pound (20 metric ton), 98.4-inch (2.5-meter) diameter infrared
telescope assembly provided by the German Aerospace Center, DLR. SOFIA
maintains altitudes up to 45,000 feet (13.7 km), which is high above
more than 99 percent of the Earth's water vapor - to capture infrared
images and spectra that are not possible to capture using the largest
ground-based telescopes.
Snip
>>> Also at SpaceRef link. - LRK -
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=22508
* NASA SOFIA Airborne Observatory Completes First Test Flight
*
*PRESS RELEASE*
*Date Released:* Thursday, April 26, 2007
Source: L-3 Communications <http://www.l-3com.com>
*International Project Features 20-ton, German Telescope on NASA 747
Aircraft*
New York, NY ￜ L-3 Communications announced today that NASA's
Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), completed its
first test flight following extensive aircraft modification and
telescope integration at the company's L-3 Integrated Systems (L-3 IS)
Waco, Texas facility. SOFIA is a Boeing 747SP extensively modified to
carry a 45,000-pound (20 metric ton), 98.4-inch (2.5-meter) diameter
infrared telescope assembly provided by the German Aerospace Center,
DLR. SOFIA will fly at altitudes up to 45,000 feet (13.7 km) - above
more than 99 percent of the Earth's water vapor - to capture infrared
images and spectra not possible by even the largest ground-based
telescopes.
Snip
==============================================================
THE DAY IN SPACE
__________________
In today's space news from SpaceRef:
-- Satellite Feed Advisory: Professor Stephen Hawking Experiences
Freedom of Weightlessness Aboard Zero-Gravity Flight
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.nl.html?pid=22501
-- Florida Science Student Stand-In for Professor Stephen Hawking During
Test-Run Weightless Flight on April 25, 2007
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.nl.html?pid=22500
"Zero Gravity Corporation, the provider of weightless flight experiences
for the general public, hosted renowned British cosmologist and best-selling author, Professor
Stephen Hawking, aboard a historic zero-gravity flight."
-- Climate catastrophes in the Solar System
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.nl.html?pid=22502
"Earth sits between two worlds that have been devastated by climate
catastrophes. In the effort to combat global warming, our neighbours can provide valuable insights into
the way climate catastrophes affect planets".
>>>> Also see at ESA - http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEM2EHMJC0F_index_0.html
- LRK -
-- First high quality wide field LOFAR image
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.nl.html?pid=22499
"LOFAR (Low Frequency Array) will be the largest radio telescope ever
built, currently under construction by a consortium led by ASTRON, the Netherlands Foundation
for Research in Astronomy. When finished, LOFAR will consist of 15,000 small antennas,
distributed over 77 stations in the North East of the Netherlands and nearby parts of Germany."
-- The X PRIZE Foundation and Holloman AFB Announce Partnership to
Present World's Largest Air & Space Flight Demonstration
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.nl.html?pid=22505
"Today, the X PRIZE Foundation and Holloman Air Force Base (HAFB)
announced a partnership intended to create the world's largest "Air & Space Flight
Demonstration." This year's expanded Wirefly X PRIZE Cup activities are expected to result in an 8-fold
increase in competing teams and crowds. The flights and ground events will be held in Las Cruces,
N.M. and HAFB in Alamagordo from October 24 � 28th, 2007."
-- NASA HQ Mars Exploration Program Request For Information
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.nl.html?pid=24021
"The Government is seeking information regarding lightweight, low-cost
technologies and techniques to provide safe entry and either low-g ("soft") or high-g
("hard") landing for these payloads. For purposes of this RFI, "soft" landing is defined as Entry,
Descent, and Landing (EDL)loads that are less than the launch loads, and "hard" landing is
considered EDL loads higher or significantly higher than launch loads (e.g., impactors or penetrators).
In all cases, onboard instrumentation is expected to survive landing for operations for up to
several Earth years on the Martian surface."
Snip
==============================================================
WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK
==============================================================
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Public release of the Hayabusa data archives
----------------------------------------------------------------------
April 24, 2007 (JST)
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
The Hayabusa spacecraft, which was launched in May 2003, arrived
at Asteroid Itokawa in September 2005, and it made observations of
Itokawa and tried touch down in about three months.
Hayabusa has four scientific instruments, that is Multi-Spectral
Telescopic Imager (AMICA), Laser Altimeter (LIDAR), Near-Infrared
Spectrometer (NIRS), and X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (XRS). The
data obtained by these instruments were firstly analyzed by Hayabusa
Science Team and some of the results have been published as
scientific papers. At the same time, the science team was preparing
to open them to the public and this work has almost been done.
Therefore the science team release the data archives to public from
April 24, 2007. All the scientific data that Hayabusa obtained are
open to the public.
The Hayabusa data archives can be accessed from the following web
site: (URL) http://hayabusa.sci.isas.jaxa.jp/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Check out some of the links for the Hayabusa (MUSES-C) mission.
http://hayabusa.sci.isas.jaxa.jp/index.php?frame=link
Some say just go to an asteroid and do some mining.
Not all that easy, but have to start somewhere.
- LRK -
----------------------------------------------------------------------
http://hayabusa.sci.isas.jaxa.jp/index.php
Snip
The Hayabusa (the original code name was MUSES-C) engineering spacecraft
was designed to acquire samples from the surface of near-Earth asteroid
25143 Itokawa (1998 SF36) and return them to Earth. The main objectives
of the mission were to demonstrate the performance of various technical
items such as ion engines, autonomous navigation, sampling of the
asteroid's surface, and high-speed reentry into the Earth's atmosphere.
In addition, important scientific results were expected from this mission.
Snip
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks for looking up with me.
Larry Kellogg
Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
==============================================================
http://www.muses-c.isas.ac.jp/
http://hayabusa.sci.isas.jaxa.jp/
http://www.hayabusa.isas.jaxa.jp/e/index.html
Larry Klaes forwarded this from JAXA MAIL SERVICE - LRK -
http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2007/04/20070424_hayabusa_e.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*** JAXA MAIL SERVICE ***
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Public release of the Hayabusa data archives
April 24, 2007 (JST)
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
The Hayabusa spacecraft, which was launched in May 2003, arrived
at Asteroid Itokawa in September 2005, and it made observations of
Itokawa and tried touch down in about three months.
Hayabusa has four scientific instruments, that is Multi-Spectral
Telescopic Imager (AMICA), Laser Altimeter (LIDAR), Near-Infrared
Spectrometer (NIRS), and X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (XRS). The
data obtained by these instruments were firstly analyzed by Hayabusa
Science Team and some of the results have been published as
scientific papers. At the same time, the science team was preparing
to open them to the public and this work has almost been done.
Therefore the science team release the data archives to public from
April 24, 2007. All the scientific data that Hayabusa obtained are
open to the public.
The Hayabusa data archives can be accessed from the following web
site: (URL) http://hayabusa.sci.isas.jaxa.jp/
The data in the archives are mainly for scientific use. The web
site is written in English for the access of researchers in all over
the world. Following data can be obtained:
AMICA:
More than 1600 images taken by using wide-band filters of visual,
near-ultraviolet, and near-infrared. The image of whole Itokawa and
close-up view of the surface of Itokawa as well as the earth and the
moon at the earth swinby.
NIRS:
About 120,000 spectral data in the near infrared. Mainly the spectra
of the reflected sun light from the surface of Itokawa, but also the
spectra of the earth, the moon, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.
LIDAR:
The data of distance from Hayabusa to the surface of Itokawa obtained
by using LASER light. About 1.7 million points data are available.
XRS:
about 15,000 spectral data in X-ray. The fluorescence X-ray emitted
from the surface of Itokawa by the solar X-ray.
SPICE:
the position and attitude data of Hayabusa spacecraft
Shape Model:
Very precise shape model of Itokawa created by using the data
obtained by Hayabusa
The detailed things when the data is used are written in the Web
site. We hope that the Hayabusa data archives are used for various
kinds of research works.
Notice:
(1) All the level-1 data, which are close to the raw data, are opened
to the public.
(2) For some instruments, the level-2 data, calibrated and/or
included additional information, are also available. We will add
the level-2 data when they are ready.
(3) The precise shape model, which is not level-1 and level-2 data,
is released.
(4) The detailed information related to these data will be uploaded
when it is ready.
Reference: Examples of images of AMICA in the Hayabusa data archives
http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2007/04/20070424_hayabusa_e.html#ref01
This page URL:
http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2007/04/20070424_hayabusa_e.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Publisher : Public Affairs Department
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Marunouchi Kitaguchi Building,
1-6-5, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8260
Japan
TEL:+81-3-6266-6400
JAXA WEB SITE :
http://www.jaxa.jp/index_e.html
Snip
==============================================================
WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK
==============================================================
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