NASA streams 4K video from plane to space station and back via laser for 1st time - YouTube - Space.com

NASA advanced technology:For the first time,a NASA Pilatus PC-12 aircraft with a portable laser transmitter transmitted 4K video from the aircraft to the ISS and back.Laser communications use infrared light to transmit 10-100 more data faster than radio frequency systems,according to NASA.This is especially important for crewed deep space missions to the Moon and Mars.*Text by Space.com and edited by Andrew Taylor

NASA 2023: Nothing is Beyond Our Reach

Lockheed Martin developing nuclear thermal propulsion engine for trips to Mars

BWX Technologies Inc (BWXT),Lockheed Martin (LMT)

Sending a Swarm of Small Satellites Into Orbit on This Week @NASA – July 21,2023

Station Science Kicks Off New Year Promoting Deep Space Exploration

Station Science Kicks Off New Year Promoting Deep Space Exploration: The Expedition 68 crew kicked off the New Year with an array of microgravity research aboard the International Space Station with an eye toward sustaining future crews farther away from Earth.

Space Station Solutions for Artemis Missions to the Moon and Beyond - NASA

Space Station Solutions for Artemis Missions to the Moon and Beyond: Getting a spacecraft to the Moon or Mars is quite literally rocket science. How ISS research is developing solutions for deep space human exploration missions.

Artemis 1 Countdown Live!

Contracts Awarded for NASA Gateway Project

US,Canadian,Japanese and European firms are to design and build major elements of NASA's Gateway project,including advanced robotics,habitations,telecommunications and refueling modules and elements.NASA will thus be enabled to lead a global coalition to the Moon and beyond,contributing to the creation of a dynamic and sustainable exploration architecture.The small space station is to be engineered for a 15-year minimum lifespan.Gateway will also be capable of autonomous operations,since it will not be continuously occupied.* NASA's international partners on the project include the European Space Agency (ESA);Canadian Space Agency (CSA);and Japanese Space Agency (JAXA).ESA will contribute habitation and refueling modules,as well as enhanced telecommunications.The ESA prime contractor for the systems is Thales Alenia Space,a joint venture by aerospace and defence firms Thales and Leonardo.The ESA International Habitation Module,I-HAB, will enhance Gateway capabilities for scientific research,life support systems and crew living quarters,enabling longer dueration crewed missions;while the European System Providing Refueling,Infrastructure and Telecommunications (ESPRIT) consists of a refueling module with observation windows,plus high rate telecommunications for the Habitation and Logisitics Outpost (HALO).ESA contractors are currently completing design work,and construction of both systems is slated to begin in late 2021.The I-HAB,to be launched in 2026, will feature improved micrometeoroid and radiation protection for the Gateway crews,in light of the harsh environment of deep space.The refueling element is planned to launch in 2027.* International astronauts will fly to the Gateway aboard the Orion spacecraft as part of integrated crews of US and partner astronauts.* NASA has contracted the launch of the HALO Power and Propulsion element,the initial portion of the Gateway,as early as May 2024 on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.* CSA is contributing the Canadarm 3,to be built by MDA,and is an advanced external robotic arm for Gateway.Under the Gateway Treaty,Canadian astronauts are to fly on the first crewed mission aboard the Orion spacecraft,Artemis 2,which will send humans deeper into space than ever before,and on an a separate flight to the Gateway.For its part,ESA expects to send a European astronaut to the lunar surface on a later Artemis mission.* JAXA will contribute habitation components and logistics resupply.* Northrop Grumman (NOC),MDA Ltd (XTSE:MDA),Thales SA (XPAR:HO),Leonardo SpA (XMIL:LDO).

X-37B: NASA Experiments Prepare for Mars Journey

On its current mission,launched on 17 May 2017 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, the US Space Force X-37B,a small, highly classified space plane,will deploy the US Air Force Academy's FalconSAT-8 satellite,used for technology demos and to train cadets in space operations.FalconSAT-8 also contains two NASA experiments related to the Journey to Mars.The studies will examine the effects of the harsh outer space environment, especially cosmic radiation,on materials samples and seeds.The Materials Exposure and Technology Innovation in Space (METIS) will expose a plate of quarter-sized materials samples to help spacecraft designers choose optimal materials for specific aerospace applications, such as thermal protection for antennas and other space hardware.Data from the samples testing will increase the lifespan and improve the operations of future spacecraft and systems needed for the Journey to Mars, NASA said.METIS took over from a previous ISS experiment, the Materials on ISS Experiment (MISSE),in 2015 aboard the X-37B.*
The new seeds experiment will evaluate the effects of ambient space radiation on seeds for food plants.This is crucial for deep space explorers who may need to grow some of their own food.The X-37B reportedly facilitates exposure to different radiation types than are possible on the ISS,which is locked in a particular orbit.*

Radiation a Prime Focus of Artemis 1 Mission - new vest to be tested

One of NASA's main concerns about astronaut health in deep space missions to the Moon and later to Mars and beyond,exposure to space radiation,will be carefully studied during the uncrewed Artemis 1 Mission to the Moon and back.Part of the mission is called the Matroshka AstroRad Radiation Experiment (MARE) and will be conducted by the Israeli Space Agency (ISA) and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR).It will be a series of measurements of space radiation levels during the spaceflight and an evaluation of the effectiveness of the new AstroRad radiation protection vest,a product of Israeli startup firm StemRad and Orion Program prime contractor Lockheed Martin.*
Without Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field for shielding,astronauts in deep space will be exposed to the full spectrum of space radiation.Space radiation consists of Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs) from the wider universe and Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs) from the Sun.GCRs are high energy protons (85%);helium (14%); and other High Energy Nuclei (HZE ions).SEPs are mainly protons accelerated by the Sun to high energies via proximity to solar flares and coronal mass ejections (Solar Proton Events).ISS crews are exposed to about 50x the radiation levels we experience on Earth;but deep space crews can expect to experience up to 150x the Earth's radiation levels.High levels of space radiation could result in both acute (radiation sickness) and chronic (cancer) effects.*
The AstroRad vests will be worn by two identical torso mannequins in the Orion spacecraft,which will travel around 280,000 miles from Earth and then thousands of miles past the Moon,NASA said.The mannequins,known as "phantoms",will be specially constructed of materials resembling human bone,soft tissues and organs of an adult female.Adult females are are typically more sensitive to space radiation than males,though both need special protection.The phantoms will have a 3-cm grid embedded throughout them to enable mapping of internal radiation doses to areas of the body containing critical organs.Scientists will evaluate how much space radiation astronauts can expect to experience on Orion during a lunar mission.*
The ISS has already been testing the AstroRad vest in the Comfort and Human Factors AstroRad Radiation Garment Experiment (CHARGE).This probes the ergonomics,range of motion and general user experience of the vests.The vests are made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) to protect the  bone marrow,lungs,stomach,breasts and ovaries from ionising radiation.*
Artemis 1 is expected to be launched between late 2020 and mid-2021,dependent upon how well the final testing of the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket go.*
Lockheed Martin (LMT)

Spaceflight Milestone Unfolds as Europe Delivers ESA Orion Service Module

A major milestone in NASA's Orion Program is unfolding as of this writing.The ESA Orion Service Module,designed to provide power,propulsion and life support systems to the Orion crew module,has taken off aboard a hulking Antonov AN 25 aircraft on a transatlantic flight from Bremen,Germany to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,Florida.The 5 November 2018 takeoff was marked by a ceremony on 2 November in Bremen participated in by NASA Astronaut Randy Bresnik,a veteran of the International Space Station.NASA will hold a reception event on 16 November.*
The ESM will undergo final testing and integration with other Orion components,including the new Space Launch System rocket,at NASA facilities in Florida and Ohio.This is to prepare for the uncrewed deep space test flight called Exploration Mission-1,similar to the unmanned test flight the Saturn V rocket made during the Apollo Program.EM-1 is being managed for a launch date of December 2019;yet reviewing possible manufacturing and production schedule risks,such as some hurricane damage that was sustained,June 2020 is currently posted by NASA as the fallback date for the mission.
EM-1 will test the complex navigation procedures and critical systems for sending astronauts farther from Earth than ever before,to a high lunar orbit and eventually Mars,beginning with EM-2 in 2023.On these distant missions,NASA's Deep Space Network will be used for crew communications for the first time.*
Corporate participants in the ESA Orion Service Module project include Airbus Space and Defence;Thales Alenia Space,a subsidiary of Italy's Leonardo S.p.A.;and Orion Program lead contractor Lockheed Martin.*
Airbus Space and Defence (Euronext:EAD);Leonardo S.p.A. (OTCMKTS:FINMF);Lockheed Martin (LMT)

NASA Solicits Industry for Gateway Project - commercial and international effort

On 21 June 2018,NASA issued a draft solicitation by way of a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for proposals for the first element of the Gateway project.The Gateway is basically a small space station,most recently referred to as the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway.Built with commercial and international partners,it will support robotic and human exploration of the Moon and beyond,including Mars,in accordance with Space Policy Directive 1.*
The draft solicitation seeks proposals for the first element of the Gateway,which is to be a high power,solar electric propulsion (SEP) spacecraft to maintain the Gateway's position in space and move it between lunar orbits as needed,NASA said.It will also power the Gateway's controls and communications.Industry's response to the draft will facilitate the issuance of a final solicitation later this summer.The current target date for the launch of this power and propulsion element by a commercial rocket is 2022.
In addition to the draft,an Industry Day has been scheduled for 10 July 2018 at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland,Ohio.
The SEP spacecraft is to enable the high rate,reliable communications between Earth and deep space that are critical for deep space spacewalks and human exploration of celestial bodies such as the Moon and Mars.*
Since 2016,companies have been developing prospective habitation elements for deep space exploration in the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) programme.Five of the firms are developing complete Gateway concepts.*
Jason Crusan is director for Advanced Exploration Systems at NASA headquarters in Washington.

NASA and Partners Gear Up for 2018 Commercial Crew Milestones

Among other things,2018 is the year of commercial crew firsts.NASA's Commercial Crew Program will come into its own as major steps are taken in crewed spaceflight to the ISS on spacecraft built by NASA contractors Boeing and SpaceX.Boeing and SpaceX hold NASA contracts worth 6-8 billion dollars for two spaceflights each and 2-6 operational missions for ISS flight crew services.*
SpaceX will use its new Block 5 Falcon 9 to launch astronauts to the ISS for NASA;while Boeing will use United Launch Alliance's Atlas V for that mission,both of them beginning in 2018.The launch schedule is as follows:
Boeing Orbital Flight Test (uncrewed) - August 2018
Boeing Crew Flight Test (crewed) - November 2018
SpaceX Demonstration Mission (uncrewed) - August 2018
SpaceX Demonstration Mission 2 (crewed) - December 2018
SpaceX will launch from Kennedy Space Center;and Boeing will launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.*
By providing for the expansion of the ISS crew to its full complement of seven astronauts,the CCP will increase the amount of research that can be done,including that which applies to deep space exploration.
The ISS is currently funded through 2024.*
Boeing (BA)  

Simulating Mars in Hawaii:NASA and Partners Develop New Tools for Human Exploration Missions

NASA and its international and domestic academic partners have simulated a Mars mission on a Kilauea lava field in Hawaii.The Kilauea Iki crater where the latest study was held is similar to basalt-rich landscapes on Mars.The project is called the Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains,or BASALT.During the exercise,biologists,geologists and geochemists worked together to understand the lifeforms,such as bacteria,that grow on these rocks and the factors allowing them to thrive.This may help scientists choose the best sites to target for signs of life-current or past-on Mars.According to Darlene Lim,a scientist at NASA Ames Research Center,California:
It is a unique integration of science,operations and technology research in service of future human spaceflight.*
The 2017 field tests took place from 1-21 November and were a follow-on to two previous iterations of BASALT.The team thoroughly evaluated scientific methods,exploration procedures and new versions of software tools for planning explorer timelines,based on previous research.Innovative tools that allow multiple users to see and explore the Martian landscape were tested by collaborators from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory,California.This project is working to identify;design;test;and build the tools humans will need when they first set foot on Mars and begin to study a new world.*
Besides the NASA centres,researchers from the University of Edinburgh,Scotland,and McMaster and York Universities in Canada,participated along with US universities such as Cornell University,New York and Arizona State University.Astronaut Stan Love from the Johnson Space Center in Houston was one of the two researchers wearing 45-pound explorer packs carrying technology for relaying information to Mission Control "back on Earth."These two researchers tested navigation and data transmission tools and operated with communications delays and bandwidth limitations future space travelers will experience on Mars.

Mars,Science and Industry,part 3

Discovery-guided people will be on their own on Mars,adapting because of light-time communication delays,said Dr.William Gerstenmaier,NASA Human Exploration and Operations Associate Administrator,at the Humans 2 Mars summit at George Washington University in April 2014.It's a kind of exploration we've never done before.We will always be able to adapt better than our robots,asking queations.Science has given us the questions to ask.Mars has never disappointed.It's a discovery engine,so let's keep going.*
Life-support systems must last for months on Mars,not 84 hours like the Apollo missions.It will take some time to get those technologies and breakthroughs ready.The space station is the proving ground-that's the key.The life-support system will be wrung out and tested on the station.We're testing not only the technologies,but looking at the requirements,such as radiation exposure:how much of a risk is acceptable?*
We do a lot of autonommous procedures on the station now,added Dr.Michael Gazarik,Associate Administrator of the Space Technology Mission Directorate.We will not reduce all the risk to zero,but to a reasonable level.*
Exploration is going and coming back.I think we're talking about pioneering,as moving human presence off the earth and into the solar system.It will take a combination of government,international partners and industry.It's got to be the whole of the agency and the international community pulling together,Dr.Gerstenmaier continued.The private sector has worked on engine development and water generators on the ISS.We've got to continue to look at that.
Solar electric propulsion is for entry,descent and landing on Mars.That is exclusively government.Companies can build their own labs in space,inspired by the ISS.A crew-tended module around the Moon will help us get ready for Mars,and there can be pre-positioning of equipment around Mars.The Chinese will be a key player somewhere along the line.
Eighty percent of the deep space software will be on Exploration Flight Test-1 in December,the Orion heat shield test mission.Modest investments are being made in nuclear thermal propulsion,which is generally considered the best system for reaching Mars.Solar electric propulsion is best for the Moon deep space mission and is championed by industry.
Multiple and pre-positioned modules can be used for habitation and descent to Mars.It will be done more over a number of years.It's not a single mission.It will be done in a sustainable,affordable way,Dr.Gerstenmaier explained.*
Lockheed Martin(LMT),Boeing(BA),Alliant Techsystems(ATK),Honeywell(HON),Cobham PLC(LSE:COB),Rockwell Collins(COL),Orbital Sciences(ORB)