Finding water on the moon, initiating a search for Earth-size
planets, the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing and a new
federal government cloud computing initiative were among the top stories
for NASA Ames Research Center in 2009, which has just published its
review of the year online and outlined some of its plans for 2010.
Lunar Impactor Launched, Finds Water on Moon
NASA successfully launched the
Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite,
or LCROSS, in June on a mission to search for water ice in a
permanently shadowed crater at the moon’s south pole. The satellite
lifted off on an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,
Florida, along with a companion mission, the Lunar Reconnaissance
Orbiter, or LRO. Preliminary data from LCROSS indicated the mission
successfully uncovered water in a permanently shadowed lunar crater when
it impacted the moon in October.
The discovery of water by LCROSS opened a new chapter in our understanding of the moon.
Kepler Mission Begins Search for Planets Like Earth
NASA’s Kepler spacecraft launched in March to begin its search
for other Earth-like worlds. The mission will spend the next three years
staring at more than 150,000 stars for telltale signs of planets. In
August, the Kepler space telescope detected the atmosphere of a known
giant gas planet, demonstrating the telescope’s extraordinary scientific
capabilities.
Needless to say, the search for alien life remains one of the most exciting aspects of space exploration for all of here at
Ex Astris.
More info at:
http://kepler.nasa.gov
NASA Ames Celebrates 70th Anniversary
This year, NASA Ames is celebrating its 70th anniversary. Among
the 10 activities held to commemorate the center’s 20th December 1939
anniversary, was a display of Ames historical exhibits in downtown
Mountain View, California, and an aerial photo taken of Ames employees
forming a “70″ on the airfield,
and the launch of a new historical website.
New Cloud Computing Initiative Announced
Federal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra announced a new
government cloud computing initiative in September at NASA Ames. Kundra
unveiled the new
Apps.gov platform,
an online storefront for federal agencies to browse and purchase
cloud-based information technology (IT) services and predicted it would
significantly lower government costs and increase innovation.
NASA Breaks Ground for ‘Greenest’ Federal Building Ever
In August, NASA held a ceremonial groundbreaking and dedication event
for what is expected to become the highest-performing building in the
federal government. The new, environmentally friendly building at NASA’s
Ames will be named ‘Sustainability Base’ in honour of the first humans
to walk on the surface of another world from their Tranquility Base
Apollo 11 lunar landing site 40 years ago.
International Space University, Singularity University Host Programs at NASA Ames
Also this past summer, Ames hosted the International Space University’s
nine-week course for postgraduate students and young professionals from
more than 40 countries. Nearly 200 students, along with dozens of
faculty and guest lecturers, attended the university’s 22nd annual Space
Studies Program, held for the first time ever at a NASA center.
Simultaneously, Ames also hosted the newly-launched Singularity
University’s graduate studies program, a nine-week graduate-level
interdisciplinary curriculum designed to prepare the next generation of
leaders to address “humanity’s grand challenges.”
NASA Ames Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Moon Landings
40 years ago, humans took their first steps on the moon. In
commemoration of that historic event, NASA Ames hosted ‘Moonfest 2009:
From Apollo to LCROSS, and Beyond!,’ a celebration of all things related
to the moon. Held in July, the celebration focused on the 40th
anniversary of the Apollo 11 moonwalks and NASA’s LCROSS mission. The
day was filled with guest speakers, musical performances and hands-on
family activities, interactive games and exhibits. More than 11,400
people attended the celebration at Ames.
Ex Astris fans will recall we celebrated the event with a contribution to the downthetubes Moon Landing album (above),
which you can view online here.
Ames Wins 2008 NASA Government Invention of the Year Award
NASA Ames was named the recipient of the 2008 NASA Government
Invention of the Year Award this year. Ames won the award for developing
a “High Speed Three-Dimensional Laser Scanner with Real Time
Processing.” The scanner is used in a Mold Impression Laser Tool (MILT),
a hand-held instrument used to scan space shuttle tiles to detect and
measure the amount of any damage. Several MILT instruments are currently
in use at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida, where they provide
accurate and reliable tile flaw information for the space shuttle
maintenance crews. In addition, MILT technology been adapted for use in
other NASA programs, including the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV),
the Stardust Sample Return Capsule Program, and the Mars and Lunar
Rover Programs.
NASA Successfully Launches PharmaSat, SOAREX Missions
NASA successfully launched its PharmaSat nanosatellite in May
from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility and the Mid-Atlantic Regional
Spaceport located at Wallops Island, Va. PharmaSat investigated the
effects of antifungal agents on the growth of yeast in microgravity.
This research could improve understanding of how microbes may become
resistant to the drugs used to treat sick astronauts on long-duration
space missions. NASA also successfully launched two Sub-Orbital
Aerodynamic Re-entry Experiments, or SOAREX, probes more than 80 miles
high in 2009 from NASA’s Wallops. The two NASA-developed experiments
will help engineers and scientists design efficient ways to return
experiments to Earth from the International Space Station.
NASA, Google, Microsoft, Cisco Collaborate on Virtual Exploration, Climate Change
In commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11, NASA and
Google launched the Moon in Google Earth, an interactive, 3D atlas of
the moon that enables users to explore a virtual moonscape and follow
guided tours from astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Jack Schmidt.
Also in 2009,
NASA and Google launched a new Mars mode in Google Earth that brings to
everyone’s desktop a high-resolution, three-dimensional view of the Red
Planet.
NASA and Microsoft Corp., announced this year they are jointly
developing the technology and infrastructure necessary to make the most
interesting NASA content, including high-resolution scientific images
and data from Mars and the moon, available on WorldWide Telescope,
Microsoft’s online virtual telescope for exploring the universe. Under
the terms of a Space Act Agreement, NASA is processing enough data to
fill 20,000 DVDs.
In 2009, NASA and Cisco Inc., partnered to develop an online
collaborative global monitoring platform called the “Planetary Skin” to
capture, collect, analyze and report data from satellite, airborne, sea-
and land-based sensors on environmental conditions around the world.
This data will be made available for the general public, government and
businesses to measure, report and verify environmental data in near-real
time to help detect and adapt to global climate change.
The Year Ahead…
Looking ahead to 2010, NASA Ames will continue to play a major role
to support the space shuttle program with its work in thermal protection
systems and the heat shields that protect the space shuttle during its
fiery re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere. Public viewing opportunities of
four live broadcasts of space shuttle launches drew nearly 500 people to
Ames and will continue in 2010.
The Kepler mission, NASA’s first mission capable of finding
Earth-size and smaller planets, will announce its latest discoveries in
its search for habitable planets next year and the LCROSS mission will
announce the latest results of its analysis of water it found at one of
the lunar poles. The data will provide scientists with a wealth of data
that will tell us a great deal about the lunar surface and help prepare
NASA to put boots on the moon by the end of the next decade.
Also next year, NASA’s airborne observatory, SOFIA, is scheduled to begin conducting science flights.
New initiatives in 2010 will set the stage for a robust year in
education and outreach.
“Educate to Innovate,” a federal challenge to
improve education and NASA’s Summer of Innovation aspire to reach one
million students through enrichment programs to keep kids on track and
inspire the next generation of explorers.
• For more information about NASA Ames, visit: www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news
• For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: www.nasa.gov
