InsideKSC.com http://InsideKSC.com/ InsideKSC.com - Home of information regarding the Kennedy Space Center, NASA and Spaceflight en Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:57:32 GMT vBulletin 60 http://insideksc.com/images/misc/rss.png InsideKSC.com http://InsideKSC.com/ VAB Preps Continue for Discovery http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14204-VAB-Preps-Continue-for-Discovery?goto=newpost Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:31:44 GMT At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida,... At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians are preparing the external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters for space shuttle Discovery's arrival and connection next week. The tank and boosters are already stacked on the mobile launcher platform. Rollover of Discovery is set to begin at 6:30 am. EDT on Sept. 8. There is no work planned over the Labor Day holiday weekend.

At NASA's Johnson Space Center, the STS-133 crew is conducting a rendezvous simulation today.

More... ]]> STS-132 Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14204-VAB-Preps-Continue-for-Discovery Space Shuttle Rollout http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14198-Space-Shuttle-Rollout?goto=newpost Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:31:44 GMT More...... More... ]]> NASA Video Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14198-Space-Shuttle-Rollout <![CDATA[NASA TV's This Week @NASA, September 3]]> http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14197-NASA-TV-s-This-Week-NASA-September-3?goto=newpost Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:31:44 GMT More...... More... ]]> NASA Audio Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14197-NASA-TV-s-This-Week-NASA-September-3 A Chameleon Sky http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14196-A-Chameleon-Sky?goto=newpost Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:31:44 GMT The sands of time are running out for the central... The sands of time are running out for the central star of this the Hourglass Nebula. With its nuclear fuel exhausted, this brief, spectacular, closing phase of a sun-like star's life occurs as its outer layers are ejected and its core becomes a cooling, fading white dwarf. In 1995, astronomers used the Hubble Space Telescope to make a series of images of planetary nebulae, including the one above. Here, delicate rings of colorful glowing gas (nitrogen-red, hydrogen-green, and oxygen-blue) outline the tenuous walls of the 'hourglass.' The unprecedented sharpness of Hubble's images revealed surprising details of the nebula ejection process and may resolve the outstanding mystery of the variety of complex shapes and symmetries of planetary nebulae. Image Credit: NASA, WFPC2, HST, R. Sahai and J. Trauger (JPL)

More... ]]> NASA Photography Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14196-A-Chameleon-Sky Orbital Sunrise http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14189-Orbital-Sunrise?goto=newpost Fri, 03 Sep 2010 07:40:10 GMT The Expedition 24 crew on the International Space... The Expedition 24 crew on the International Space Station photographed this image of polar mesospheric clouds illuminated by an orbital sunrise. Polar mesospheric, or noctilucent ("night shining"), clouds usually are seen at twilight, following the setting of the sun below the horizon and darkening of Earth's surface. Occasionally the station's orbital track becomes nearly parallel to Earth's day/night terminator for a time, allowing the clouds to be visible to the crew at times other than the usual twilight because of the station's altitude. This photograph shows polar mesospheric clouds illuminated by the rising, rather than setting, sun at center right. Low clouds on the horizon appear yellow and orange, while higher clouds and aerosols are illuminated a brilliant white. Polar mesospheric clouds appear as light blue ribbons extending across the top of the image. The station was located over the Greek island of Kos in the Aegean Sea (near the southwestern coastline of Turkey) when the image was taken at approximately midnight local time. The orbital complex was tracking northeastward, nearly parallel to the terminator, making it possible to observe an apparent "sunrise" located almost due north. A similar unusual alignment of the ISS orbit track, terminator position and seasonal position of Earth's orbit around the sun allowed for this striking imagery of over the Southern Hemisphere. Image Credit: NASA

More... ]]> NASA Photography Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14189-Orbital-Sunrise <![CDATA[What's Up for September?]]> http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14187-What-s-Up-for-September?goto=newpost Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:37:36 GMT Get ready for International Observe the Moon... Get ready for International Observe the Moon Night on September 18.

More... ]]> NASA Video Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14187-What-s-Up-for-September VAB Teams Prepare to Welcome Discovery http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14184-VAB-Teams-Prepare-to-Welcome-Discovery?goto=newpost Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:54:18 GMT Space shuttle Discovery has been connected to its... Space shuttle Discovery has been connected to its 76-wheel, custom-built transporter ahead of its move from Orbiter Processing Facility-3 to the Vehicle Assembly Building. That move is scheduled to take place Sept. 8. The transporter is one of several specialized vehicles that serve the shuttle fleet at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Some move payloads and solid rocket booster segments, this one moves the 100-ton orbiters. The kings are, of course, the huge, tracked crawler-transporters that carry a stacked shuttle to the launch pad. One thing they all have in common: they move really slowly, especially when carrying precious national assets on their backs.

In the VAB, the 52-story-tall landmark building at Kennedy, the external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters have been assembled on the mobile launch platform and are waiting for Discovery's arrival to complete the stack.

The astronauts who will fly Discovery to the International Space Station on the upcoming STS-133 mission are also at Kennedy today for a Crew Equipment Interface Test, known as the CEIT. They will check out the Permanent Multipurpose Module and the Express Logistics Carrier that will carry critical spare parts to the International Space Station.

More... ]]> STS-132 Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14184-VAB-Teams-Prepare-to-Welcome-Discovery Article: Space Auction Catalog Debut! http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14182-Article-Space-Auction-Catalog-Debut!?goto=newpost Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:34:21 GMT You can view the page at... You can view the page at http://InsideKSC.com/content.php/183...Catalog-Debut! ]]> Article Comments ASF http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14182-Article-Space-Auction-Catalog-Debut! Article: NASA Accepting Applications For Aeronautics Scholarships http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14178-Article-NASA-Accepting-Applications-For-Aeronautics-Scholarships?goto=newpost Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:42:39 GMT You can view the page at... You can view the page at http://InsideKSC.com/content.php/182...s-Scholarships ]]> Article Comments Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14178-Article-NASA-Accepting-Applications-For-Aeronautics-Scholarships Discovery to be Placed on Transporter http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14177-Discovery-to-be-Placed-on-Transporter?goto=newpost Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:56:58 GMT Technicians at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida today will place space shuttle Discovery on the specialized transporter that will ferry it across the street from Orbiter Processing Facility-3 to the Vehicle Assembly Building. That move is slated for Sept. 8. The winged spaceship has spent the last several month being prepped for spaceflight. At the VAB, the orbiter will be joined to the external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters for launch. Liftoff is targeted for Nov. 1 at 4:40 p.m. Eastern time on STS-133.

At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the STS-133 astronauts will conduct a deorbit preparation simulation today.

More... ]]> STS-132 Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14177-Discovery-to-be-Placed-on-Transporter Module to Get Home in Space http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14170-Module-to-Get-Home-in-Space?goto=newpost Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:56:58 GMT A module built to resupply the International... A module built to resupply the International Space Station has been refitted as an addition to the orbiting laboratory.

More... ]]> NASA Video Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14170-Module-to-Get-Home-in-Space The Red Hills http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14169-The-Red-Hills?goto=newpost Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:56:58 GMT Backdropped by red hills, the Development... Backdropped by red hills, the Development Motor-2, or DM-2, ignites during an Aug. 31, 2010, static test that was conducted by ATK Aerospace Systems in Promontory, Utah. DM-2, the largest and most powerful solid rocket motor designed for flight, is managed by the Ares Projects Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Image Credit: NASA

More... ]]> NASA Photography Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14169-The-Red-Hills NASA and ATK Successfully Test Five-Segment Solid Rocket Motor http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14168-NASA-and-ATK-Successfully-Test-Five-Segment-Solid-Rocket-Motor?goto=newpost Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:44:26 GMT With a loud roar and mighty column of flame, NASA... With a loud roar and mighty column of flame, NASA and ATK Aerospace Systems successfully completed a two-minute, full-scale test of the largest and most powerful solid rocket motor designed for flight.



The motor is potentially transferable to future heavy-lift launch vehicle designs.

The stationary firing of the first-stage development solid rocket motor, dubbed DM-2, was the most heavily instrumented solid rocket motor test in NASA history. More than 760 instruments measured 53 test objectives.

Prior to the static test, the solid rocket motor was cooled to 40 degrees Fahrenheit to verify the performance of new materials and assess motor performance at low temperatures during the full-duration test. Initial test data showed the motor performance met all expectations.

"For every few degrees the temperature rises, solid propellant burns slightly faster and only through robust ground testing can we understand how material and motor performance is impacted by different operating conditions," said Alex Priskos, first stage manager for Ares Projects at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. "Ground-testing at temperature extremes pushes this system to its limits, which advances our understanding of five-segment solid rocket motor performance."

The first-stage solid rocket motor is designed to generate up to 3.6-million pounds of thrust at launch. Information collected from this test, together with data from the first development motor test last year, will be evaluated to better understand the performance and reliability of the design.

Although similar to the solid rocket boosters that help power the space shuttle to orbit, the five-segment development motor includes several upgrades and technology improvements implemented by NASA and ATK engineers. Motor upgrades from a shuttle booster include the addition of a fifth segment, a larger nozzle throat, and upgraded insulation and liner. The motor cases are flight-proven hardware used on shuttle launches for more than three decades. The cases used in this ground test have collectively launched 59 previous missions, the earliest being STS-3.

After more testing, the first-stage solid rocket motor will be certified to fly at temperature ranges between 40-90 degrees Fahrenheit. The solid rocket motor was built as an element of NASA's Constellation Program and is managed by the Ares Projects Office at Marshall. ATK Aerospace Systems, a division of Alliant Techsystems of Brigham City, Utah, is the prime contractor.

For more information about NASA, visit:


http://www.nasa.gov
]]> Ares I Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14168-NASA-and-ATK-Successfully-Test-Five-Segment-Solid-Rocket-Motor Discovery Prepping for Transport Loading http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14167-Discovery-Prepping-for-Transport-Loading?goto=newpost Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:44:26 GMT Space shuttle Discovery is being readied today... Space shuttle Discovery is being readied today for its loading atop a flat, specialized transporter that will carry it to the Vehicle Assembly Building on Sept 8. Discovery has been inside Orbiter Processing Facility-3 since its return from the STS-131 mission on April 20. It is targeted for launch Nov. 1 on the STS-133 mission to the International Space Station.

At NASA's Johnson Space Center, the STS-133 astronauts will practice procedures for the mission's first spacewalk in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory.

More... ]]> STS-132 Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14167-Discovery-Prepping-for-Transport-Loading Three Storms http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14158-Three-Storms?goto=newpost Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:44:26 GMT The current Geostationary Operational... The current Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite GOES-13 captured this image of Hurricane Danielle heading for the north Atlantic (top center), Hurricane Earl with a visible eye hitting the Leeward Islands (left bottom) and a developing tropical depression 8 (lower right) at 1:45 p.m. EDT on Aug. 30. Image Credit: NASA/NOAA GOES Project

More... ]]> NASA Photography Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14158-Three-Storms NASA EDGE: Future of Aeronautics http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14155-NASA-EDGE-Future-of-Aeronautics?goto=newpost Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:26:41 GMT The Future of Aeronautics at NASA involves... The Future of Aeronautics at NASA involves excellent in-flight and environmental upgrades... however, no drink coupons - not even for the Co-Host!

More... ]]> NASA Video Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14155-NASA-EDGE-Future-of-Aeronautics Space Auction Catalog Debut! http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14154-Space-Auction-Catalog-Debut!?goto=newpost Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:18:07 GMT *SPACE debut! Registration is NOW OPEN for the... SPACE debut! Registration is NOW OPEN for the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation’s (ASF) 2010 Fall Astronaut Experiences and Memorabilia Semi-Annual Auction!

Secure your virtual paddle number today and be the first to preview 50 remarkable auction lots, including an undersea lodge adventure with Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter, a tour of moonwalker Alan Bean’s private art studio, a Swiss flag flown to the moon aboard Apollo 15 and so much more!

As an added perk, all registrants of the Fall Semi-Annual Auction will be automatically registered with the same paddle number for ASF’s 8th Annual Auction later this year!

Don’t let your space go to waste! Register today! Online bidding opens September 16, 2010 at 9 AM EDT.

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]]> The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation ASF http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14154-Space-Auction-Catalog-Debut! Discovery Preps Focus on Landing Gear Tires http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14152-Discovery-Preps-Focus-on-Landing-Gear-Tires?goto=newpost Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:13:59 GMT The tires on space shuttle Discovery will be... The tires on space shuttle Discovery will be pressurized for the final time before flight today as the careful march toward launch continues at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Discovery is targeted to lift off Nov. 1 at 4:40 p.m. Eastern time on the STS-133 mission.

Discovery's crew will practice deorbit burn techniques and contingency scenarios in the motion-base simulator today at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

More... ]]> STS-132 Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14152-Discovery-Preps-Focus-on-Landing-Gear-Tires Galaxy at the Edge http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14149-Galaxy-at-the-Edge?goto=newpost Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:13:59 GMT Spiral galaxy NGC 4921 presently is estimated to... Spiral galaxy NGC 4921 presently is estimated to be 320 million light years distant. This image, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, is being used to identify key stellar distance markers known as Cepheid variable stars. The magnificent spiral NGC 4921 has been informally dubbed anemic because of its low rate of star formation and low surface brightness. Visible in the image are, from the center, a bright nucleus, a bright central bar, a prominent ring of dark dust, blue clusters of recently formed stars, several smaller companion galaxies, unrelated galaxies in the far distant universe, and unrelated stars in our Milky Way Galaxy. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, K. Cook (LLNL)

More... ]]> NASA Photography Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14149-Galaxy-at-the-Edge Article: New day dawns for shuttle tech http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14147-Article-New-day-dawns-for-shuttle-tech?goto=newpost Sun, 29 Aug 2010 09:44:23 GMT You can view the page at... You can view the page at http://InsideKSC.com/content.php/181...r-shuttle-tech ]]> Article Comments Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14147-Article-New-day-dawns-for-shuttle-tech Tool Stowage Assembly Goes into Discovery Today http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14141-Tool-Stowage-Assembly-Goes-into-Discovery-Today?goto=newpost Fri, 27 Aug 2010 20:49:36 GMT Shuttle workers at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida will install a lightweight tool stowage assembly in the payload bay of space shuttle Discovery today. The spacecraft is being readied for a targeted launch on Nov. 1 at 4:40 p.m. Eastern time. The shuttle will be powered down Monday for its roll to the Vehicle Assembly Building on Sept. 8. The crew completes its week with some time for administrative work.

More... ]]> STS-132 Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14141-Tool-Stowage-Assembly-Goes-into-Discovery-Today <![CDATA[NASA TV's This Week @NASA, August 27]]> http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14134-NASA-TV-s-This-Week-NASA-August-27?goto=newpost Fri, 27 Aug 2010 20:49:36 GMT More...... More... ]]> NASA Audio Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14134-NASA-TV-s-This-Week-NASA-August-27 R2 ready for Space Debut http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14133-R2-ready-for-Space-Debut?goto=newpost Fri, 27 Aug 2010 20:49:36 GMT Robonaut 2 is being prepared for its history... Robonaut 2 is being prepared for its history making launch to the International Space Station on STS-133.

More... ]]> NASA Video Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14133-R2-ready-for-Space-Debut A Strange Ring Galaxy http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14132-A-Strange-Ring-Galaxy?goto=newpost Fri, 27 Aug 2010 20:49:36 GMT Is this one galaxy or two? Astronomer Art Hoag... Is this one galaxy or two? Astronomer Art Hoag first asked this question when he chanced upon this unusual extragalactic object. On the outside is a ring dominated by bright blue stars, while near the center lies a ball of much redder stars that are likely much older. Between the two is a gap that appears almost completely dark. How Hoag's Object formed remains unknown, although similar objects have been identified and collectively labeled as a form of ring galaxy. Genesis hypotheses include a galaxy collision billions of years ago and the gravitational effect of a central bar that has since vanished. This image, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in July 2001, reveals unprecedented details of Hoag's Object and may yield a better understanding. Hoag's Object spans about 100,000 light years and lies about 600 million light years away toward the constellation of the Snake (Serpens). Coincidentally, visible in the gap (at about one o'clock) is yet another ring galaxy that likely lies far in the distance. Image Credit: NASA, R. Lucas (STScI/AURA)

More... ]]> NASA Photography Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14132-A-Strange-Ring-Galaxy <![CDATA[Discovery's Engines to be Configured Today]]> http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14128-Discovery-s-Engines-to-be-Configured-Today?goto=newpost Thu, 26 Aug 2010 19:55:12 GMT The three main engines on space shuttle Discovery... The three main engines on space shuttle Discovery will be configured today so the spacecraft can be taken to the Vehicle Assembly Building on Sept. 8 for stacking. Discovery, the oldest active shuttle, is being prepared for the STS-133 mission. Liftoff is targeted for Nov. 1. The preferred launch time for Nov.1 would be 4:40 p.m. Eastern time. The crew is involved in robotic proficiency training today at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

More... ]]> STS-132 Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14128-Discovery-s-Engines-to-be-Configured-Today <![CDATA[Discovery's Engines to be Configured Today]]> http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14121-Discovery-s-Engines-to-be-Configured-Today?goto=newpost Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:47:23 GMT The three main engines on space shuttle Discovery... The three main engines on space shuttle Discovery will be configured today so the spacecraft can be taken to the Vehicle Assembly Building on Sept. 8 for stacking. Discovery, the oldest active shuttle, is being prepared for the STS-133 mission. Liftoff is targeted for Nov. 1.

The crew is involved in robotic proficiency training today at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

More... ]]> STS-132 Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14121-Discovery-s-Engines-to-be-Configured-Today Islands of Four Mountains http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14120-Islands-of-Four-Mountains?goto=newpost Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:47:23 GMT The picturesque, but snow-capped volcanoes,... The picturesque, but snow-capped volcanoes, composing the Islands of the Four Mountains in Alaska's Aleutian Island chain look suspiciously like an alien world in this August 2010 image from the ASTER camera aboard NASA's orbiting Terra satellite. The islands contain restless Mt. Cleveland, an active volcano currently being watched to see if it emits an ash cloud that could affect air travel over parts of North America. A close look at Mt. Cleveland, seen near the image center, shows red vegetation (false color), a white snow-covered peak, a light plume of gas and ash, and dark lanes where ash and debris fell or flowed. Millions of volcanoes have likely been active over the turbulent history of the Earth's surface, while about 20 volcanoes are erupting even today, at any given time. Image Credit: NASA

More... ]]> NASA Photography Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14120-Islands-of-Four-Mountains <![CDATA[Discovery's Processing Goes Smoothly Ahead of Rollover]]> http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14119-Discovery-s-Processing-Goes-Smoothly-Ahead-of-Rollover?goto=newpost Thu, 26 Aug 2010 06:31:31 GMT Space shuttle Discovery continues its launch... Space shuttle Discovery continues its launch processing on pace as technicians prepare the spacecraft for its scheduled move on Sept. 8 to the Vehicle Assembly so it can be hoisted into launch position with its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters. Today's work at NASA's Kennedy Space Center includes checks of the "glass cockpit" systems, known as MEDS for Multifunction Electronic Display Subsystem. Technicians also are pressurizing the main landing gear.

At NASA's Johnson Space Center, STS- 133 astronauts will continue working on spacewalk procedures in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory.

More... ]]> STS-132 Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14119-Discovery-s-Processing-Goes-Smoothly-Ahead-of-Rollover Jason Dworkin, Chief of the Astrochemistry Laboratory http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14109-Jason-Dworkin-Chief-of-the-Astrochemistry-Laboratory?goto=newpost Thu, 26 Aug 2010 06:31:31 GMT More...... More... ]]> NASA Video Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14109-Jason-Dworkin-Chief-of-the-Astrochemistry-Laboratory <![CDATA[Hydrogen Sulfide and Dust Plumes on Namibia's Coast]]> http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14108-Hydrogen-Sulfide-and-Dust-Plumes-on-Namibia-s-Coast?goto=newpost Thu, 26 Aug 2010 06:31:31 GMT Cloudless skies allowed a clear view of dust and... Cloudless skies allowed a clear view of dust and hydrogen sulfide plumes along the coast of Namibia in early August 2010. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this natural-color image on Aug. 10, 2010. Multiple dust plumes blow off the coast toward the ocean, most or all of them probably arising from streambeds. Unlike the reddish-tan sands comprising the dunes directly south of the Kuiseb River, the stream-channel sediments are lighter in color. Wind frequently pushes dust plumes seaward along the Namibian Coast. Easterly trade winds blow from the Indian Ocean over the African continent, losing much of their moisture as they go. The winds are hot and dry as they pass over Namibia’s coastal plain, where they are prone to stir fine sediments. Even with dust plumes overhead, the marked change in land cover is obvious along the Kuiseb River. South of the river, sand dunes predominate, but the vegetation along the Kuiseb River prevents the dunes from advancing northward. North of the river, the land surface consists primarily of gravel plains punctuated by rocky hills. Hydrogen sulfide appears as a swath of irridescent green running parallel to the coast north of Walvis Bay. A 2009 study linked the emissions in this region to ocean currents, biological activity in the water column, and carbon-rich organic sediments under the water column. The meeting of hydrogen sulfide gas and oxygen-rich surface waters causes pure sulfur to precipitate into the water. The sulfur’s yellow color makes the water appear green to the satellite sensor. Image Credit: NASA

More... ]]> NASA Photography Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14108-Hydrogen-Sulfide-and-Dust-Plumes-on-Namibia-s-Coast Katrina Retrospective: 5 Years After the Storm http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14104-Katrina-Retrospective-5-Years-After-the-Storm?goto=newpost Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:21:40 GMT On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made... On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall along the Gulf Coast. Five years later, NASA revisits the storm with a short video that shows Katrina as captured by satellites. Before and during the hurricane's landfall, NASA provided data gathered from a series of Earth observing satellites to help predict Katrina’s path and intensity. In its aftermath, NASA satellites also helped identify areas hardest hit.

More... ]]> NASA Video Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14104-Katrina-Retrospective-5-Years-After-the-Storm Leak Checks Today for Discovery http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14103-Leak-Checks-Today-for-Discovery?goto=newpost Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:05:39 GMT Working inside Orbiter Processing Facility-3 at... Working inside Orbiter Processing Facility-3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians are beginning a three-day leak test of space shuttle Discovery's entry closed loop gaseous nitrogen life support system. Tonight, workers will perform a similar test of the spacecraft's external tank umbilical. The shuttle's glass cockpit displays also are undergoing testing. Discovery is slated to be carried to the Vehicle Assembly Building on Sept. 8. Launch is targeted for Nov. 1.

The six STS-133 mission astronauts are in the fixed-base simulator at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the training base for NASA's astronauts. The crew is rehearsing the installation of ELC-4, a procedure they will perform during the mission to the International Space Station.

More... ]]> STS-132 Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14103-Leak-Checks-Today-for-Discovery NASA Goes to Star Wars Celebration V http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14102-NASA-Goes-to-Star-Wars-Celebration-V?goto=newpost Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:05:39 GMT More...... More... ]]> NASA Video Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14102-NASA-Goes-to-Star-Wars-Celebration-V Testing for the Future http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14101-Testing-for-the-Future?goto=newpost Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:05:39 GMT Testing advanced designs for high-speed aircraft... Testing advanced designs for high-speed aircraft in 1948, an engineer makes final calibrations to a model mounted in the 6x6 Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel at the NACA Ames Aeronautical Laboratory, Moffett Field, California. NACA, NASA’s predecessor organization the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, was established in March 1913 by Congress to "supervise and direct the scientific study of the problems of flight, with a view to their practical solutions." The Ames Aeronautical Laboratory is now NASA’s Ames Research Center. Image Credit: NASA

More... ]]> NASA Photography Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14101-Testing-for-the-Future OMS Pod Leak Testing Today http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14093-OMS-Pod-Leak-Testing-Today?goto=newpost Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:46:25 GMT NASA Kennedy Space Center technicians will run... NASA Kennedy Space Center technicians will run leak checks on space shuttle Discovery's two orbital maneuvering system pods today. The pods, known best by their acronym OMS, are mounted on the back of the shuttle above the three main engines and house the largest of the shuttle's on-orbit thrusters. Those large thrusters are used to slow the spacecraft so it can enter Earth's atmosphere at the end of a mission. The leak checks are part of the standard launch preparations for the shuttle as it is readied to be moved to the Vehicle Assembly Building for stacking with its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters. The move is called "rollover" and it is scheduled for Sept. 8. Discovery's liftoff is targeted for Nov. 1 on the STS-133 mission.

Discovery's crew members are training at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Today they are practicing spacewalk techniques in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab, home to the huge pool that lets spacewalkers work in conditions similar to the microgravity in space.

More... ]]> STS-132 Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14093-OMS-Pod-Leak-Testing-Today Bright Lights http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14091-Bright-Lights?goto=newpost Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:46:25 GMT Two extremely bright stars illuminate a greenish... Two extremely bright stars illuminate a greenish mist in this image from the Spitzer Space Telescope's "GLIMPSE360" survey. This mist is comprised of hydrogen and carbon compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which also are found here on Earth in sooty vehicle exhaust and on charred grills. In space, PAHs form in the dark clouds that give rise to stars. These molecules provide astronomers a way to visualize the peripheries of gas clouds and study their structures in great detail. They are not actually green; but are color coded in these images to allow scientists see their glow in infrared. This image is a combination of data from Spitzer and the Two-Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS). The Spitzer data was taken after Spitzer's liquid coolant ran dry in May 2009, marking the beginning of its "warm" mission. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/2MASS/SSI/University of Wisconsin

More... ]]> NASA Photography Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14091-Bright-Lights Article: Full-Scale NASA and ATK Solid Rocket Motor Test Set for Aug. http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14090-Article-Full-Scale-NASA-and-ATK-Solid-Rocket-Motor-Test-Set-for-Aug.?goto=newpost Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:35:56 GMT You can view the page at... You can view the page at http://InsideKSC.com/content.php/180...et-for-Aug.-31 ]]> Article Comments Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14090-Article-Full-Scale-NASA-and-ATK-Solid-Rocket-Motor-Test-Set-for-Aug. <![CDATA[Discovery's Closeout Work Proceeding]]> http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14082-Discovery-s-Closeout-Work-Proceeding?goto=newpost Fri, 20 Aug 2010 20:48:46 GMT Spacecraft preparations are moving ahead as... Spacecraft preparations are moving ahead as technicians at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida perform closeout work in the aft and forward sections of the space shuttle Discovery. The shuttle is slated to be carried to the Vehicle Assembly Building on Sept. 8 where it will be connected to its external fuel tank and a pair of solid rocket boosters. Liftoff is targeted for Nov. 1.

Discovery's astronauts will rehearse the first spacewalk of the mission inside the large pool at Johnson Space Center's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston.

More... ]]> STS-132 Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14082-Discovery-s-Closeout-Work-Proceeding <![CDATA[NASA TV's This Week @NASA, August 20]]> http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14075-NASA-TV-s-This-Week-NASA-August-20?goto=newpost Fri, 20 Aug 2010 20:48:46 GMT More...... More... ]]> NASA Audio Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14075-NASA-TV-s-This-Week-NASA-August-20 Massive Attack http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14074-Massive-Attack?goto=newpost Fri, 20 Aug 2010 20:48:46 GMT This image shows the eruption of a galactic... This image shows the eruption of a galactic “super-volcano” in the massive galaxy M87, as witnessed by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and NSF's Very Large Array (VLA). At a distance of about 50 million light years, M87 is relatively close to Earth and lies at the center of the Virgo cluster, which contains thousands of galaxies. The cluster surrounding M87 is filled with hot gas glowing in X-ray light (and shown in blue) that is detected by Chandra. As this gas cools, it can fall toward the galaxy's center where it should continue to cool even faster and form new stars. However, radio observations with the VLA (red) suggest that in M87 jets of very energetic particles produced by the black hole interrupt this process. These jets lift up the relatively cool gas near the center of the galaxy and produce shock waves in the galaxy's atmosphere because of their supersonic speed. The interaction of this cosmic “eruption” with the galaxy's environment is very similar to that of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland that occurred in 2010. With Eyjafjallajokull, pockets of hot gas blasted through the surface of the lava, generating shock waves that can be seen passing through the grey smoke of the volcano. This hot gas then rises up in the atmosphere, dragging the dark ash with it. This process can be seen in a movie of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano where the shock waves propagating in the smoke are followed by the rise of dark ash clouds into the atmosphere. In the analogy with Eyjafjallajokull, the energetic particles produced in the vicinity of the black hole rise through the X-ray emitting atmosphere of the cluster, lifting up the coolest gas near the center of M87 in their wake. This is similar to the hot volcanic gases drag up the clouds of dark ash. And just like the volcano here on Earth, shockwaves can be seen when the black hole pumps energetic particles into the cluster gas. Image Credits: X-ray: NASA/CXC/KIPAC/N. Werner et al Radio: NSF/NRAO/AUI/W. Cotton

More... ]]> NASA Photography Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14074-Massive-Attack NE@STORRM http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14072-NE-STORRM?goto=newpost Fri, 20 Aug 2010 04:44:32 GMT It isn't exactly ISS valet service, but NASA STORRM should provide major docking improvements for the Orion and other future NASA space flight vehicles.

More... ]]> NASA Video Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14072-NE-STORRM CEIT Prepares Crew, Hardware and Payload for Space http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14065-CEIT-Prepares-Crew-Hardware-and-Payload-for-Space?goto=newpost Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:03:51 GMT A mainstay of astronaut training, the Crew... A mainstay of astronaut training, the Crew Equipment Interface Test was developed to prepare astronauts for their missions in space while still here on Earth.

More... ]]> NASA Video Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14065-CEIT-Prepares-Crew-Hardware-and-Payload-for-Space Sailing Amongst the Stars http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14064-Sailing-Amongst-the-Stars?goto=newpost Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:03:51 GMT Making the stuff of science fiction into reality,... Making the stuff of science fiction into reality, NASA engineers are testing solar sails--a unique propulsion technology that one day could enable deep space missions. Much like the wind pushing a sailboat through water, solar sails rely on sunlight to propel vehicles through space. The sail captures constantly streaming solar particles, called photons, with giant sails built from a lightweight material. Over time, the buildup of these particles provides enough thrust for a small spacecraft to travel in space. This image is of a four-quadrant solar sail system, measuring 66 feet on each side that is being tested in the world's largest vacuum chamber at NASA's Glenn Research Center at Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio. Image Credit: NASA

More... ]]> NASA Photography Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14064-Sailing-Amongst-the-Stars <![CDATA[Techs to Close Discovery's Payload Bay Doors]]> http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14063-Techs-to-Close-Discovery-s-Payload-Bay-Doors?goto=newpost Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:01:31 GMT The Ku-band antenna that transmits audio, video... The Ku-band antenna that transmits audio, video and data between Earth and the space shuttle will be stowed today inside shuttle Discovery's payload bay before the clamshell doors are closed. The antenna, which resembles a mini-satellite dish, is on a stanchion that folds out from the forward bulkhead inside the cargo bay after the spacecraft reaches orbit. The antenna stowage and door closure are part of the ongoing work at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to prep Discovery for its roll over to the Vehicle Assembly Building next month. There it will be joined to an external fuel tank and a set of solid rocket boosters for launch on the STS-133 mission. Liftoff is targeted for Nov. 1.

The astronauts of STS-133 are working through a simulated entry and landing today at their training base at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Such simulations, performed inside a moving replica of a shuttle flight deck, are made as realistic as possible and often force crew members to deal with emergency situations in a safe environment.

More... ]]> STS-132 Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14063-Techs-to-Close-Discovery-s-Payload-Bay-Doors Article: Tests Today for PDU Replacement http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14062-Article-Tests-Today-for-PDU-Replacement?goto=newpost Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:09:51 GMT You can view the page at... You can view the page at http://InsideKSC.com/content.php/179...DU-Replacement ]]> Article Comments Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14062-Article-Tests-Today-for-PDU-Replacement Tests Today for PDU Replacement http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14057-Tests-Today-for-PDU-Replacement?goto=newpost Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:41:52 GMT At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Orbiter Processing Facility-3, crews will test the centerline latch power drive unit, or PDU, actuator that was replaced yesterday on space shuttle Discovery. Then technicians will begin preparations to close the spacecraft's payload bay doors one last time before the spacecraft is moved to the Vehicle Assembly Building next month to be joined to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters for launch. Liftoff is targeted for Nov. 1.

At NASA's Johnson Space Center, the STS-133 astronauts will practice flight procedures in their T-38 training aircraft and perform various administrative duties.

More... ]]> STS-132 Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14057-Tests-Today-for-PDU-Replacement Into the Night http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14052-Into-the-Night?goto=newpost Wed, 18 Aug 2010 13:38:21 GMT Researchers do not yet know what is lighting up... Researchers do not yet know what is lighting up IRAS 05437+2502, a small, faint nebula that spans only 1/18th of a full moon toward the constellation of the Taurus. Particularly enigmatic is the bright upside-down V that defines the upper edge of this floating mountain of interstellar dust. This ghost-like nebula involves a small star-forming region filled with dark dust that was first noted in images taken by the IRAS satellite in infrared light in 1983. This recently released image from the Hubble Space Telescope shows many new details, but has not uncovered a clear cause of the bright sharp arc. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble, R. Sahai (JPL)

More... ]]> NASA Photography Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14052-Into-the-Night Of Dust and Creation http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14046-Of-Dust-and-Creation?goto=newpost Tue, 17 Aug 2010 21:00:36 GMT This infrared image taken by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, shows a star-forming cloud teeming with gas, dust and massive newborn stars. WISE, which is surveying the whole sky in infrared light, is particularly sensitive to the warm dust that permeates star-forming clouds like this one. In this way, WISE complements visible-light observations. The mission also complements Hubble and other telescopes by showing the 'big picture," providing context for more detailed observations. The cluster contains some of the most massive stars known. Winds and radiation from the stars are evaporating and dispersing the cloud material from which they formed, warming the cold dust and gas surrounding the central nebula. This greenish "halo" of warm cloud material is seen best by WISE due to its large field of view and improved sensitivity over past all-sky infrared surveys. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA

More... ]]> NASA Photography Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14046-Of-Dust-and-Creation PDU Replacement Begins http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14044-PDU-Replacement-Begins?goto=newpost Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:19:55 GMT Technicians preparing space shuttle Discovery ... Technicians preparing space shuttle Discovery for launch on the STS-133 mission will begin replacing the centerline power drive unit, or PDU, actuator today. Other closeout activities before the shuttle is moved to the Vehicle Assembly Building also are being performed.

The astronauts of STS-133 are at NASA's Ames Research Center in California today for training.

More... ]]> STS-132 Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14044-PDU-Replacement-Begins PDU Replacement Preparation in Work Today http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14037-PDU-Replacement-Preparation-in-Work-Today?goto=newpost Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:27:26 GMT At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Orbiter Processing Facility-3, technicians have reopened shuttle Discovery's payload bay doors and will redeploy the right-hand radiator today. The doors are being reopened so the Centerline Latch Power Drive Unit or PDU, actuator can be replaced beginning Tuesday.

At NASA's Johnson Space Center, STS-133 crew members will fly T-38 training aircraft to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to practice flight procedures.

More... ]]> STS-132 Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14037-PDU-Replacement-Preparation-in-Work-Today Into the Light http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14035-Into-the-Light?goto=newpost Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:27:26 GMT Reflecting on his experience as he emerged from... Reflecting on his experience as he emerged from the craft into the daylight on the Expedition 24 mission's second spacewalk, astronaut Doug Wheelock said "the colors of the Earth just explode at you as you exit toward the planet. Notice what looks like scorch marks on the hatch thermal cover, the effect of vacuum and atomic oxygen on the threads and thread sealant used on the thermal cover. The 'smell' of space follows suit, I’ve heard it described like burnt cake or cookies, or like the smell of an extinguished match." Image Credit: NASA

More... ]]> NASA Photography Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14035-Into-the-Light HRPNN - Bone Research http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14026-HRPNN-Bone-Research?goto=newpost Sat, 14 Aug 2010 03:50:59 GMT This Human Research Program News Network (HRPNN)... This Human Research Program News Network (HRPNN) podcast features an interview with Dr. Jean Sibonga, a Bone Medical Researcher at NASA Johnson Space Center.

More... ]]> NASA Audio Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14026-HRPNN-Bone-Research HRP Snapshots - Space Food Systems Laboratory http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14023-HRP-Snapshots-Space-Food-Systems-Laboratory?goto=newpost Sat, 14 Aug 2010 03:50:59 GMT This Human Research Program Snapshots vodcast... This Human Research Program Snapshots vodcast features a tour of the JSC Space Food Systems Laboratory with Michele Perchonok and Vicki Kloeris, both Food Scientists at NASA.

More... ]]> NASA Video Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14023-HRP-Snapshots-Space-Food-Systems-Laboratory <![CDATA[NASA TV's This Week @NASA, August 13]]> http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14022-NASA-TV-s-This-Week-NASA-August-13?goto=newpost Sat, 14 Aug 2010 03:50:59 GMT More...... More... ]]> NASA Audio Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14022-NASA-TV-s-This-Week-NASA-August-13 Testing for the Future http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14020-Testing-for-the-Future?goto=newpost Fri, 13 Aug 2010 17:11:24 GMT Testing advanced designs for high-speed aircraft... Testing advanced designs for high-speed aircraft in 1948, an engineer makes final calibrations to a model mounted in the 6 x 6 Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel at the NACA Ames Aeronautical Laboratory, Moffett Field, California. NACA, NASA’s predecessor organization the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, was established in March 1913 by Congress to "supervise and direct the scientific study of the problems of flight, with a view to their practical solutions." The Ames Aeronautical Laboratory is now NASA’s Ames Research Center. Image Credit: NASA

More... ]]> NASA Photography Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14020-Testing-for-the-Future Technicians to Replace Power Drive Unit http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14019-Technicians-to-Replace-Power-Drive-Unit?goto=newpost Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:32:49 GMT At NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Orbiter Processing Facility-3, technicians will replace a power drive unit (PDU) that stalled during latching of shuttle Discovery’s payload bay doors yesterday. A spare PDU is available and the process will take approximately three days. Teams also will work on the spacecraft’s thermal protection system (TPS) over the weekend. At NASA’s Johnson Space Center, the STS-133 crew will practice TPS repair techniques in the Virtual Reality Lab today.

More... ]]> STS-132 Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14019-Technicians-to-Replace-Power-Drive-Unit Article: Hydraulics Systems Cycling Today http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14016-Article-Hydraulics-Systems-Cycling-Today?goto=newpost Fri, 13 Aug 2010 10:23:32 GMT You can view the page at... You can view the page at http://InsideKSC.com/content.php/178...-Cycling-Today ]]> Article Comments Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14016-Article-Hydraulics-Systems-Cycling-Today Hydraulics Systems Cycling Today http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14013-Hydraulics-Systems-Cycling-Today?goto=newpost Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:53:33 GMT Space shuttle Discovery's hydraulics systems are to be cycled today during launch processing for the STS-133 mission, targeted for launch on Nov. 1. Hydraulics are used to operate flight controls, the swiveling of the main engines and other functions. The processing work is being performed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Mission Specialists Tim Kopra and Alvin Drew will rehearse procedures for the mission's second spacewalk in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston today.

More... ]]> STS-132 Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14013-Hydraulics-Systems-Cycling-Today 50 Years of Communications in Space http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14003-50-Years-of-Communications-in-Space?goto=newpost Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:53:33 GMT The idea behind a communications satellite is... The idea behind a communications satellite is simple: send a signal into space, and send it back down to another spot on the globe. In NASA's early days, engineers discovered the easiest way to accomplish this: bounce signals off a giant metal balloon floating in orbit. The concept was developed into the aptly-named Echo program, and Echo 1A became the first successful launch of the project on Aug. 12, 1960. Echo 1A, now commonly known as just Echo I, was a 100 foot diameter balloon made of mylar polyester. The spacecraft was designed as a passive communications reflector for transcontinental and intercontinental telephone, radio, and television signals. Pictured here is a scale prototype of the Echo satellite undergoing a Skin Stress Test on May 1, 1960. The prototype was 12 feet in diameter, with the size being chosen because that was the ceiling height in the NASA Langley model shop. After an unsuccessful launch attempt for the original Echo I satellite, Echo 1A and the follow-on Echo II were successfully launched. The Echo projects were instrumental in letting the world see that the U.S. was a major force in the space race not very far behind Russia. Among the many contributions of the Echo programs are the first voice communication via satellite which was made by none other than then President Eisenhower and the first coast-to-coast telephone call using a satellite. In addition, the Echo programs resulted in advances in atmospheric density, solar pressure, gossamer structures, solar sailing, and transmitting videos via satellites. The Echo 1A satellite re-entered the atmosphere on May 24, 1968. Image Credit: NASA

More... ]]> NASA Photography Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14003-50-Years-of-Communications-in-Space Article: Astronauts remove cooling pump from space station http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14002-Article-Astronauts-remove-cooling-pump-from-space-station?goto=newpost Thu, 12 Aug 2010 10:22:20 GMT You can view the page at... You can view the page at http://InsideKSC.com/content.php/177...-space-station ]]> Article Comments Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/14002-Article-Astronauts-remove-cooling-pump-from-space-station Testing at the Space Power Facility http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/13994-Testing-at-the-Space-Power-Facility?goto=newpost Wed, 11 Aug 2010 19:02:57 GMT The Centaur Standard Shroud at Glenn Research... The Centaur Standard Shroud at Glenn Research Center's Space Power Facility, Plum Brook Station, protects spacecraft during launch. When it was constructed, the Space Power Facility was the world's largest vacuum chamber. It stands more than 122 feet high, 100 feet in diameter and provides a vacuum environment for the study of space propulsion. Originally commissioned for nuclear-electric propulsion studies, the SPF has been recommissioned for current and future use in the ongoing research and development of space propulsion systems. Image Credit: NASA

More... ]]> NASA Photography Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/13994-Testing-at-the-Space-Power-Facility Airlock Closeouts to Finish Today http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/13992-Airlock-Closeouts-to-Finish-Today?goto=newpost Wed, 11 Aug 2010 14:00:12 GMT Technicians at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida are expected to complete the airlock closeouts for space shuttle Discovery today in preparation for moving the spacecraft to the Vehicle Assembly Building next month. Discovery is targeted for launch Nov. 1 on the STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. The shuttle's tiled heat shield is also a focus of workers' attention today.

More... ]]> STS-132 Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/13992-Airlock-Closeouts-to-Finish-Today <![CDATA['Island Universe' in the Coma Cluster]]> http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/13980-Island-Universe-in-the-Coma-Cluster?goto=newpost Tue, 10 Aug 2010 18:54:29 GMT A long-exposure Hubble Space Telescope image... A long-exposure Hubble Space Telescope image shows a majestic face-on spiral galaxy located deep within the Coma Cluster of galaxies, which lies 320 million light- years away in the northern constellation Coma Berenices. The galaxy, known as NGC 4911, contains rich lanes of dust and gas near its center. These are silhouetted against glowing newborn star clusters and iridescent pink clouds of hydrogen, the existence of which indicates ongoing star formation. Hubble has also captured the outer spiral arms of NGC 4911, along with thousands of other galaxies of varying sizes. The high resolution of Hubble's cameras, paired with considerably long exposures, made it possible to observe these faint details. This natural-color Hubble image, which combines data obtained in 2006, 2007, and 2009 from the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 and the Advanced Camera for Surveys, required 28 hours of exposure time. Image Credit: NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

More... ]]> NASA Photography Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/13980-Island-Universe-in-the-Coma-Cluster Discovery Preps Continue as Crew Rehearses Leaving Station http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/13979-Discovery-Preps-Continue-as-Crew-Rehearses-Leaving-Station?goto=newpost Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:32:12 GMT Space shuttle Discovery's launch preparations continue on schedule for a targeted launch on Nov. 1 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Technicians at the launch site will finish closeout work today on the shuttle's airlock and flush the spacecraft's thruster system piping.

In Houston, the crew of STS-133 is practicing for undocking the shuttle from the International Space Station and the following flyaround of the orbiting science complex.

More... ]]> STS-132 Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/13979-Discovery-Preps-Continue-as-Crew-Rehearses-Leaving-Station Mercury and Gemini Documents http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/13976-Mercury-and-Gemini-Documents?goto=newpost Tue, 10 Aug 2010 10:54:37 GMT When I joined a couple of months ago, I could... When I joined a couple of months ago, I could download some very interesting Mercury and Gemini documents.
Now I connot locate them anymore ; where are they posted ?
Thank you from Supersoyuz- Italy ]]> Welcome to Inside KSC. Introduce yourself! SuperSoyuz http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/13976-Mercury-and-Gemini-Documents Inspiration on Parade http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/13969-Inspiration-on-Parade?goto=newpost Mon, 09 Aug 2010 23:31:52 GMT Astronaut Leland Melvin waved to the crowds from... Astronaut Leland Melvin waved to the crowds from the NASA Glenn Research Center float during the 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame Festival Timken Grand Parade on Saturday, August 7, 2010. Melvin is a veteran of two space shuttle flights to the International Space Station and has logged over 565 hours in space. Prior to his selection as an astronaut, he was chosen by the Detroit Lions in the eleventh round of the 1986 National Football League college draft and participated in the Toronto Argonauts and Dallas Cowboys football training camps. Melvin is currently on assignment at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., in support of the Summer of Innovation program. In doing so, he has traveled across the country, engaging thousands of students and teachers in the excitement of space exploration and inspiring them to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM. The Summer of Innovation initiative is a multi-faceted, intensive middle school program designed to improve STEM teaching and learning in partnership with federal agencies, non profits, industry, and academic and information organizations. Melvin rode on the NASA Glenn Research Center float that depicted the Space Shuttle Discovery. The float won the Janice C. Meyer award for exceptional merit during the parade. Image Credit: NASA/Chris Lynch

More... ]]> NASA Photography Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/13969-Inspiration-on-Parade Airlock Closeouts Today http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/13968-Airlock-Closeouts-Today?goto=newpost Mon, 09 Aug 2010 15:04:08 GMT Space shuttle Discovery's airlock, which stands in the forward section of the cargo bay and connects to the crew compartment, will undergo two days of closeout work as the orbiter is prepped for next month's move to the Vehicle Assembly Building for stacking ahead of the targeted Nov. 1 launch on the STS-133 mission. Workers at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the processing and launch site for all shuttle missions, are also flushing the piping in the spacecraft's vernier thrusters. In space, the vernier thrusters fire to make small changes to the shuttle's attitude and course.

The STS-133 astronauts are working at their training base at Johnson Space Center in Houston, with a focus today on spacewalk practice in the virtual reality lab.

More... ]]> STS-132 Inside KSC News Feeds http://InsideKSC.com/showthread.php/13968-Airlock-Closeouts-Today