What's Going on at NASA?

The news about the NASA Administrator is not good.  I have read of at least three investigations looking into Administrator Charles Bolden's actions in the past few months.  The latest story in the New York Times relates to an inquiry from the Hill regarding the treatment of Jeffrey M. Hanley, who was NASA's head of the moon program.  It seems Senators Rockefeller and Hutchinson have little faith in Administrator Bolden and believe Mr. Hanley may have been mistreated because he is not yet ready to give up on a moon mission, even if it is a smaller version of what was originally planned.

The increasing Hill oversight of the NASA program shows growing distrust between the White House and Congress regarding the direction of the space program.  The same article discusses a Government Accountability Office (GAO) review for the Congress regarding NASA's efforts to find alternatives to the moon plan, and the GAO is still reviewing allegations that NASA is interfering with Constellation contractors.

Another Wall Street Journal article noted Administrator Bolden is having trouble controlling the employees of his own Agency.  While Administrator Bolden has attempted to direct funding away from the old moon program and its contractors, more than $160 million was released to one moon program contractor and another $80 million promised to another moon program contractor.  All told, as much as $630 million in additional funding may be directed at contractors who are no longer needed in the eyes of the White House.  Make you wonder who is really in change over at NASA.

Another Chance for Atlantis

Soon after my last posting I read in the papers that NASA may use the Atlantis Shuttle one more time.  The Atlantis could fly one more time in June 2011, giving the shuttle program extended life.  This will be welcome news for thousands of Kennedy Space Center employees who will stay on the job a little longer.  Of course, nothing at NASA is cheap, and it could cost between $100-200 million per month to keep the program up and running.  It is also expected that private companies may be able to pick up some of the space cargo slack as soon as next year, so the extra mission may prove to be a nice bridge.

The End of an Era

Yesterday the Atlantis Shuttle left the Earth's orbit for the last time. Interestingly enough, the Shuttle was bringing a Russian component to the International Space Station (ISS), its 11th and final voyage to the Station. Of course, with the end of the U.S. Space Shuttle program, we will need the Russians to get us back and forth to the ISS for a number of years into the future.

Overall, the Atlantis Shuttle has been quite a workhorse with 25 years of service and 115 million miles to its name. So farewell to a big part of America's space mission. Only two more Shuttle flights to go; Discovery in September and Endeavor in November. While the nature of future craft is still cloudy, let's hope we can still build such sturdy craft to get us to where we want to go.

Asteroid 24 Themis

If the Obama administration is looking for an asteroid worth a human visit, how about 24 Themis? As recently reported in the journal Nature, this asteroid between Mars and Jupiter was recently found to contain water and maybe even some organic molecules. This adds further support to the idea that asteroids and comets brought life to our planet.

Another asteroid probably more worthy of a visit is Ceres. A prior Nature article noted that various images from the Hubble telescope led scientists to believe the asteroid Ceres may contain more fresh water than Earth. Ceres is 580 miles (930 km) in diameter (about the size of Texas) and represents about 25-30 percent of the asteroid belt's total mass. In fact, for about a century the asteroid was classified as a planet (see image for size comparisons with the Earth and the moon). NASA already has a spacecraft expected to encounter Ceres in 2015 (as well as the asteroid Vesta in 2011) - the Dawn Mission. Will humans follow?

Iceland and Memories of the Moon

With all of this talk about the volcanic ash from Iceland covering Europe, it may be worth remembering the role of Iceland in our first moon mission. This National Park Surface page notes "Since much of the moon's surface is covered by volcanic materials, it was very important that they know something about the lava they would encounter. This was the reason that the astronauts visited such places as Hawaii, Iceland, and Craters of the Moon."

Planetary Society Supports the President's Vision

The Planetary Society released its own statement following President Obama's speech at NASA, stating:

The Planetary Society's leadership believes this new plan will take humans beyond Earth orbit to interplanetary space sooner than was possible under the old program, and it will take us farther and to more destinations than was ever planned with the Constellation program.

We commit our energy and resources to help turn this NASA plan from words to reality. Congress must now act upon the President's proposal. We recognize that it will be a long, hard fight, that there are entrenched interests that must be overcome, that business-as-usual must be surmounted, and, and that it will require breaking through technological barriers. But if human space explorers are to reach their destination of Mars within the next few decades -- a cherished dream of Society Members -- this is the only realistic way to get there.

Go here for the full statement.

The President Speaks

Here is the official version of the President's visit to NASA's Kennedy Space Center to discuss his vision for America's space program (go here for a video of the speech):

Astronauts will soar spaceward in commercial spacecraft while NASA develops technology so humans can venture to Mars and out into the solar system, President Barack Obama told a space conference Thursday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Laying out his plans, President Obama committed NASA to a series of development milestones he said would lead to new spacecraft for astronauts to ride to the International Space Station, a modified Orion capsule developed as an emergency return spacecraft, and a powerful new rocket. He also promised a host of new technologies that would protect space travelers from radiation and other unique hazards.

"Early in the next decade, a set of crewed flights will test and prove the systems required for exploration beyond low Earth orbit," the president said. "And by 2025, we expect new spacecraft designed for long journeys to allow us to begin the first-ever crewed missions beyond the moon into deep space. We’ll start by sending astronauts to an asteroid for the first time in history. By the mid-2030s, I believe we can send humans to orbit Mars and return them safely to Earth. And a landing on Mars will follow. And I expect to be around to see it."

The president spoke to 200 senior officials, space and industry leaders, and academic experts inside the Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy in the same area that was used to process Apollo spacecraft for the missions to the moon in the 1960s and 70s.

Standing in front of one of the space shuttle main engines that launched former U.S. Senator and astronaut John Glenn into orbit, President Obama said, "It was from here that men and women, propelled by sheer nerve and talent, set about pushing the boundaries of humanity's reach.

"The question for us now is whether that was the beginning of something, or the end of something. I prefer to believe it was the beginning of something."

The president's fiscal year 2011 budget proposal increases NASA's budget by $6 billion throughout the next five years to fund the plans.

Noting "the sense that folks in Washington -- driven less by vision than by politics -- have for years neglected NASA’s mission and undermined the work of the professionals who fulfill it," the president said the budget increase changes that.

The president's address comes at a critical juncture for NASA because the space shuttle fleet is scheduled to be retired after three more missions. The president said it will be quicker and less costly to let private companies develop new spacecraft for astronauts rather than continue with NASA's Constellation Program, which was deemed too expensive and behind schedule.

"Pursuing this new strategy will require that we revise the old strategy. In part, this is because the old strategy -- including the Constellation Program -- was not fulfilling its promise in many ways," the president said. "That’s not just my assessment; that’s also the assessment of a panel of respected non-partisan experts charged with looking at these issues closely."

President Obama's plan largely mirrors the "flexible path" option offered by a blue-ribbon panel established by the president last year to help decide the best map for future space exploration.

The outline does not do away with all the research and development from Constellation . Noting the success of the agency's development of the Orion crew capsule, Obama called on NASA to develop a version of that spacecraft so it can be launched without a crew to the International Space Station. It will be based there as an emergency craft for astronauts living on the orbiting laboratory.

The speech kicked off the Conference on the American Space Program for the 21st Century.

Norm Augustine, chairman of the blue-ribbon panel called the Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee, that evaluated Constellation and came up with the "flexible path" option, endorsed the presidential strategy as the conference got under way.

Saying NASA is largely "trapped" in low Earth orbit, Augustine said industry, with NASA's guidance, can do its part for the plan.

The president acknowledged the need to get the decision right.

"Now, the challenges facing our space program are different, and our imperatives for this program are different than in decades past," the president said. "But while the measure of our achievements has changed a great deal over the past fifty years, what we do -- or fail to do -- in seeking new frontiers is no less consequential for our future in space and here on Earth."

The plan, the president said, would free NASA's designers and engineers to develop spacecraft, large rockets and new technologies that can extend the frontier of human space exploration to asteroids and even Mars.

About $3.1 billion of the additional funding would go into research and development for a heavy-lift rocket. A design for a large booster would be chosen in 2015 with the goal of launching the spacecraft a few years later. The bigger rocket could be used to loft payloads too large for most boosters, including giant fuel depots that would be parked in distant orbits so spacecraft could refuel on their way to asteroids, the moons of Mars and eventually Mars itself.

In addition to more funding, President Obama said his initiative brings more jobs than previous schedules.

"My plan will add more than 2,500 jobs along the Space Coast in the next two years compared to the plan under the previous administration," he said. "I’m proposing a $40 million initiative led by a high-level team from the White House, NASA, and other agencies to develop a plan for regional economic growth and job creation. And I expect this plan to reach my desk by Aug. 15. It’s an effort that will help prepare this already skilled work force for new opportunities in the space industry and beyond."

Taken together, the space strategy proves America is poised for a future as bright as its remarkable past, the president said.

"Fifty years after the creation of NASA, our goal is no longer just a destination to reach," Obama said. "Our goal is the capacity for people to work and learn, and operate and live safely beyond the Earth for extended periods of time, ultimately in ways that are more sustainable and even indefinite. And in fulfilling this task, we will not only extend humanity’s reach in space -- we will strengthen America’s leadership here on Earth."

Written by: Steven Siceloff, NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center

Columbus All Over Again

I think back to Columbus and the Vikings when the President mentions bypassing the moon for some more distant goal. Of course, I am all for a trip to Mars, but did we ever really hold down the moon as an outpost on the way into the solar system? We know the story of America. The vikings under Leif Eriksson were the first land in North America back around the year 1,000 and establish a small colony. However, they stayed for only a year and never fully established a presence, allowing other Europeans to permanently occupy the territory 500 years later.

Are we making the same mistake with the Chinese? In our search for an asteroid or eventual Mars landing are we handing the moon over to other countries such as China and India to set up moon colonies and take greater possession of something we occupied for a very short time 40 years ago? How will we feel if we see Chinese flags and possibly even EU flags across the moon, while we are still grounded here on Earth hitching a ride to the Space Station on a Russian rocket.

It does not give me a warm feeling, and I can see no clearer indication of the closing of the American Century. And I hope the naming of the first Mars probes "Viking" is not another cruel joke regarding our future on Mars.

The Story of Spirit - One Year into a Sand Trap

So what's going on with NASA's rover Spirit, stuck in the Martian sands since last April? Part of a pair of rovers that landed on Mars in 2004 (the second being Opportunity-sorta the names we apply to battles in the Middle East), one of the craft's six wheels became stuck in sands on the way to view the Von Braun and Goddard volcanic features. Now, about one year later, attempts to solve the problem continue to no avail. It really is a fascinating story if you think about it. Teams of scientists testing ideas in a sandbox to fix a ongoing problem on planet.

One needs to remember that Spirit was only supposed to operate for 90 days, so here we are in year six and it is still doing some great science. As you may also recall, in its second year one of Spirit's front wheel stopped working and thereafter the little craft was driving backwards dragging along one of its broken "legs." And even this dead wheel expanded science by creating shallow trenches that told us more about the surface of Mars, including potential evidence of water on the surface. So we are talking about one tough little vehicle that keeps on ticking. By the way, one more wheel died a few months back, so Spirit may not be going anywhere even if it could recover from the sand trap.

So where is it now? Well, NASA wants to continue to use Spirit to conduct "stationary science." However, with the Martian winter starting (the fourth for Spirit), the craft has been put into hibernation with just the right tilt allowing its sand-covered solar panels to recharge the batteries under a weaker winter sun. Spirit will hopefully communicate again when it is ready and its power source is in better shape.

Go here for a good video biography of the little craft that could from NASA. And visit the Spirit's Mission Manager Reports for the ongoing status of the rover.

Why Not the Moon?

Back in early 2008 I highlighted a poster from NASA asking "Why the Moon?" It provided a lot of good reasons for our revisiting the moon related to (1) human civilization, (2) scientific knowledge, (3) exploration preparation, (4) global partnerships, (5) economic expansion, and (6) public engagement. I wonder how many of those causes have been dropped, or whether we will get the same results from an asteroid. I am not sure if we want to eventually settle on an asteroid as we did the moon.

Astronauts and Apples

Sometimes I wonder if America's fascination is more with the small items they can fit in their pocket rather than the big events that have marked the progress of man. Most kids today seems more impressed with the iPod, iPhone and now the iPad, rather than the fact that each year the United States and its partners are sending men and woman into space to watch over this great globe and prepare for even greater things. Maybe if we had an iShuttle kids would pay attention. I have to give NASA credit for trying to keep up. Twittering astronauts, as well as NASA applications for the iPhone, shows the Agency understands these trends.

My concern is that the cools things today are still the miniaturized items rather than the big things. We seem to be getting the medium confused with the message. In the parlance of the Internet economy, what we need is more content. The brave men and women pushing at the edges of space (and our knowledge of space), be it in manned or robotic vehicles, are all about content. That is why I am worried about a White House that waits until the second year of an administration to even talk about America's plans for space. We do not want more committees. Rather, we are looking for leadership. Only that will get all of us, particularly the kids, to look up from our iphones and stare into the heavens again. Let's hope we see some of this leadership next month when the President travels to Florida to discuss his vision for our space mission.

An Unpopular Decision

The President's decision to walk away from the current moon project is not going over well. Not surprisingly, the congressional representatives in Florida are not too happy to be losing high paying jobs in a bad economy. The Tampa papers were talking about Florida's loss of 7,000 Space Shuttle related jobs, even as the private sector comes in to take up some of the slack (estimated at about 1,700). But the concerns go beyond this as well.

Charles Krauthammer is particularly incensed, stating "Of course, the administration presents the abdication as a great leap forward." He goes on to say, "It would be swell for private companies to take over launching astronauts..but they cannot do it." It is always interesting to watch a staunch conservative supporting federal spending (in this case) and stepping all over the private sector. He even jabs at the Russians and private markets together, explaining that they understand the nature of monopoly under capitalism. But his concern is still understandable. "By the end of the year, there will be no Space Shuttle, no U.S. manned space program, no way for us to get into space...In the interim, space will be owned by Russia and then China."

The families of astronauts also chimed in, asking the Administration to recommit to a 2020 moonshot. The Astronauts Memorial Foundation, in a letter to the President, stated

In order to honor those astronauts and their families who have sacrificed for all of the benefits of human exploration, and to allow Americans continued pride in our space program, we urge you to vigorously support uninterrupted continuation of U.S. human space flight systems, including the Space Shuttle, and to maintain NASA’s leadership in space exploration.

Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison has also introduced legislation to fund NASA in order to keep NASA vibrant for the time being rather than rely on the Russians for trips to the Space Station.

Instead of sending up a white flag for our nation's premier science agency, I believe we must close the gap in human spaceflight. To do so, I have introduced legislation allowing NASA to extend the shuttle's service while work continues on development of the next generation of space vehicle. My legislation will make the retirement of the shuttle dependent on the availability of a replacement ship or until NASA determines that the space shuttle's capabilities are not needed to keep the space station viable. The measure will also provide acceleration of the nation's human spaceflight programs to ensure we continue to have future access to space.

Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt simply stated "It's bad for the country...This administration really doe not believe in American exceptionalism."

However, not all astronauts are on the same side on this issue. Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin states "Many said the president's decision was misguided, short-sighted and disappointing. Having the experience of walking on the moon's surface on the Apollo 11 mission, I think he made the right call. If we follow the president's plan, our next destination in space, Mars, will be within our reach."

We shall hear more from the President on April 15th. I hope he can recharge the nation and lay down a supportable doctrine.

Lost in Space?

Presidents have made a number of space-related statements over the years that inspired the Nation:

President Kennedy (1961): We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too. -- President John F. Kennedy's May 25, 1961 Speech before a Joint Session of Congress (see story here)

President George H. W. Bush (1990): We stand at a halfway point. . . . Thirty years ago, NASA was founded and the space race began. And 30 years from now, I believe man will stand on another planet. -- President George H.W. Bush in a commencement address at Texas A&I University. Looking beyond the travails of a national budget crisis, President Bush outlined a timetable for human exploration of Mars, calling for an American flag to be planted on the surface of the red planet no later than the year 2019, the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing (see story here)

President George W. Bush (2004): Mankind is drawn to the heavens for the same reason we were once drawn into unknown lands and across the open sea. We choose to explore space because doing so improves our lives and lifts our national spirit. -- President George W. Bush, in a speech at NASA headquarters, unveiled an ambitious plan to return Americans to the moon by 2020 and use the mission as a steppingstone for future manned trips to Mars and beyond (see story here).

President Obama (2010): No quote to date on latest policy. However, last month, the Administration announced plans to redirect America's space program by eliminating NASA's $100-billion plans to return astronauts to the moon and using much of that money for new rocket technology research (see story here).

So there we have it. First we reach the moon, then we reach for Mars, then we look closer to home and go back to the moon, and finally we throw in the towel and refuse to provide any particular destination. In a time of great economic turmoil, Americans should still be able to dream. So much for hope.

This Week in Space

The Spaceflight Now website has recently added a webcast called "This Week in Space," which has some interesting content. If you can ignore the odd backgrounds and poor video quality, you will find a good set of stories on the U.S. space program. It bills itself as follows: A new show dedicated to keeping space lovers up to speed on the stories and issues making news off the planet.

Only two webcasts are available at this time; December 22, 2009 and January 15, 2010. Each are worth a quick look or, better yet, you can subscribe to the program on the website or iTunes and get every episode.

A Bit of Fun...

Milestones in 2009

The magazine NetworkWorld had a good list of NASA's 2009 projects worth highlighting here because it shows the diversity of the U.S. space program. The article notes

2009 was a critical year for NASA. The space agency saw its very existence reviewed by the United States Human Space Flight Plan Committee and it watched as its venerable space shuttle fleet ticked off five of its remaining 10 missions. But there were plenty of other projects that took center stage such as the development of the next generation heavy lift rocket, Ares, and the extension of the agency's Antarctica's sea ice monitoring program as well as its ongoing Mars operations.

Here are some other projects mentioned in the article, some of which I hope to follow-up on throughout 2010.

• NASA partnered with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to develop a plan for reusable commercial spaceships.
• NASA offered $50 million in stimulus money to develop private commercial spacecraft - the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program plans to develop safe, reliable, and cost-effective capabilities to transport cargo to low-Earth orbit and eventually astronauts to the International Space Station.
• NASA's Lunar CRater Observing and Sensing Satellites (LCROSS) crashed into the moon in October 2009 confirming the presence of water on the surface.
• NASA's Mars rover Spirit became stuck in a sand trap in a place NASA calls "Troy" on April 23, 2009 - however, the little guy continues to conduct experiments.
• NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) agreed to cooperate on a future trip to Mars.
• NASA's Centennial Challenges program awarded $1.65 million in prize money to two aerospace companies that successfully simulated landing a spacecraft on the moon, as was as lifting off again. The $1 million first prize went to Masten Space Systems and the $500,000 second prize went to Armadillo Aerospace.
• NASA and Goodyear developed an airless tire for large, long-range vehicles transporting heavy loads across the surface of the moon.

Not a bad year at all, and plenty to do in 2010.

Water, Water Everywhere

Last week NASA had two reports on extraterrestrial water in our solar system. First, NASA reported that water molecules had been definitely found on the surface of the Moon. The amount of water was estimated to be about 32 ounces of water for every ton of surface material. The second NASA report on water was associated with Mars. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter located water just below Mar's surface at a latitude which was much further south than anticipated. New craters revealed the water near the surface. Amazingly, NASA's Viking Lander 2 might have discovered this water back in 1976 had it dug just 4 inches deeper.

Tavis Smiley Interviews NASA's Administrator

Just this past weekend I listened in on Tavis Smiley's radio interview of NASA's new Administrator General Charles Bolden. It was a good interview, but what surprised me the most was Bolden's statement that the United States may not be the first nation to put a man on Mars. I had not heard this before from such a high level in the Administration, let alone from the man who is supposed to make it happen. I find this a little sad. Yes, we are all one global village, but what we need is determination and drive, not an attitude of "Oh well, I am sure someone will do it." Let's hope we find a little bit of that can-do spirit real soon before we go back in for budget talks.

You can download the interview here.

The Future of the Moon Shot

The recent study of the Human Space Flight Review Committee, released by NASA, indicates our ambitions are outstripping our resources. To quote,

The U.S. human spaceflight program appears to be on an unsustainable trajectory. It is perpetuating the perilous practice of pursuing goals that do not match allocated resources. Space operations are among the most complex and unforgiving pursuits ever undertaken by humans. It really is rocket science. Space operations become all the more difficult when means do not match aspirations. Such is the case today.

The report covers a number of topics, including plans to return to Moon and the fate of the International Space Station (ISS). In terms of the Moon, the Committee appears to support the idea of using the Moon landing as a good test on our way to eventually visiting Mars. In fact, robotic exploration of other solar system bodies first (called "Flexible Path") may also have more benefits for awhile before storming Mars. The report states

Mars is the ultimate destination for human exploration; but it is not the best first destination. Both visiting the Moon First and following the Flexible Path are viable exploration strategies. The two are not necessarily mutually exclusive; before traveling to Mars, we might be well served to both extend our presence in free space and gain experience working on the lunar surface.

If NASA follows these recommendations it is possible the Mars plans will be pushed even further into the future.

Concerning the ISS, the report believes the station should remain in orbit longer than planned. After all, it will be a $100 billion asteroid at some point, but maybe we can wait awhile.

Finally, the report recommends more commercial involvement and relevant competitions to spur development. I like this idea. To quote,

Commercial services to deliver crew to low-Earth orbit are within reach. While this presents some risk, it could provide an earlier capability at lower initial and lifecycle costs than government could achieve. A new competition with adequate incentives should be open to all U.S. aerospace companies. This would allow NASA to focus on more challenging roles, including human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit, based on the continued development of the current or modified Orion spacecraft.

All in all, the Committee's findings make a lot of sense. Much of the debate comes down to resources, and given the state of the U.S. economy and plans for future government programs, such as health care, we are unlikely to see a huge rush to fund expanded space programs. NASA will be lucky to hold onto its current budget.

Not So Inspiring

Well, now that we have read the words of President Kennedy, maybe we can find something similarly inspiring from our current President. Or maybe not. As Douglas MacKinnon notes in his editorial, President Obama is not so keen on space and, as a result, "...the promise of space may be lost to us for decades." What did Obama say? Back in 2007 then-Senator Obama said, as part of proposing cuts to NASA's budget, "We're not going to have the engineers and scientists to continue space exploration if we don't have kids who are able to read, write and compute." While I concur that the education of the next generation of America is critical, this does not replace the need for a space program but rather gives it new energy. Such national projects as a mission to another planet is what can inspire kids to achieve great things. It's not one or the other, but instead a combination of efforts (i.e. education, safety-nets, important national achievements, etc.) that can make a nation great. I hope now-President Obama realizes this.