tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61525359846956565212024-03-15T15:10:15.340-10:00Astronaut for Hiremy down to Earth journey to spaceBrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.comBlogger264125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-82667601068854518432015-12-31T10:10:00.002-10:002015-12-31T10:11:40.066-10:00The Astronaut Hopeful's ManifestoI am an astronaut hopeful – one of thousands of people who somehow never outgrew our childhood dream of going to space. Anyone can hope to be an astronaut, but to be an “astronaut hopeful” one must make a commitment to the goal and proactively work towards becoming an astronaut. The road is long and the outcome is uncertain, but it is in trying to achieve this lofty ambition that we learn to become our best selves.
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Astronauts train to be some of the most focused, resourceful, healthy and dependable people on the planet. Striving to be more like them can help any person to be more effective in life’s pursuits. Making the decision to do everything one can to actually become an astronaut means learning from astronaut role models and making incremental decisions throughout your life that get you closer to your dream.
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This week <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/be-an-astronaut-nasa-accepting-applications-for-future-explorers">NASA began accepting applications</a> to recruit another class of astronaut candidates (ASCAN’s). More than <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/feb/HQ_12-041_ASCAN.html">6,300 people</a> applied during the last opportunity, from which they chose <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/2013astroclass.html">eight new recruits</a>. A 0.1% chance of selection makes the <a href="http://astronauts.nasa.gov/">NASA ASCAN program</a> more selective than almost any college or career. At least the odds are better than winning the lottery. You can improve your prospects through hard work and a bit of luck, but the only way to ensure you’re not chosen is by not applying at all.
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For the fortunate ones who are chosen, though, it’s the realization of a lifelong dream.
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Here are the eight top things that I learned over the years by interacting with astronauts and astronaut hopefuls.
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<li><b>Clarify why you want to be an astronaut.</b>
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Since it takes a lifetime of preparation to become competitive as an astronaut candidate, your motivations may evolve as you get older. I suggest checking in with yourself from time to time to clarify why you want to be an astronaut. If the main reason is for the experience or the thrill of traveling in space, you might be better suited as a spaceflight participant rather than as a professional astronaut. There is nothing wrong with that.
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Serious astronaut hopefuls aspire to be professional astronauts, either with NASA or other agencies. They strive to achieve a level of ability akin to those of real astronauts, who train years for each mission. Astronaut hopefuls want to contribute in deeply meaningful ways to the advancement of space exploration and its many benefits to society. They want to inspire the next generation to build a better world. If this is closer to your reasons for wanting to be an astronaut, keep reading.
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</li><li><b>Set realistic expectations.</b>
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Adjust your definition of success. If your goal is to be an astronaut, and you do not make it, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. The astronaut dream must always be your Plan B. Don’t sacrifice what you have today for what you might have tomorrow. Remember, the chances are very small that you will get selected as an astronaut and go to space. Although it does happen for a few, you can’t count on it; you must have realistic expectations for yourself.
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Be the best version of you that can be in your chosen career. That’s your Plan A. Be known as someone whom others can rely upon and make a positive impact to your field. The more you give, the more you will receive. If your career path eventually leads to down the path of becoming an astronaut, congratulations! If not, you can be proud that you are contributing in a meaningful way that makes you happy.
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</li><li><b>Every decision counts.</b>
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Astronaut hopefuls play the long game when it comes to molding themselves into astronaut material. Some set their sights on the profession as young children and never lose site of the target. The trick is not to get obsessed with the outcome while still factoring your astronaut ambitions into your life decisions, such as what you study in school, what jobs you take, what you spend your spare time doing, whether you eat a donut or a salad, and more. Don’t drift through life; be intentional in your decisions.
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When in doubt, ask yourself, “what would an astronaut do?” Would they binge watch Netflix or read an engineering textbook? Even if you never make it to astronaut status, I’m willing to bet that this technique will help you be healthier, happier, and more productive in your life.
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</li><li><b>Prepare your body and mind.</b>
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Space is an extreme environment, and your body must be in excellent condition to endure the challenges it will face there. You don’t have to be an Ironman to be an astronaut, but you should be reasonably athletic and healthy. Find a sport that you enjoy and practice it routinely. Eat well and get regular check-ups from your physician.
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Astronauts are lifelong students and must be adaptable to changing situations. They are technical experts in at least one area of science, engineering, or aviation. You must demonstrate that you can master not only one or two fields but that you have the aptitude and motivation to learn new things too. So get out there and learn a new language, earn another degree, or start a new hobby today!
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</li><li><b>Work well with others.</b>
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Teamwork is an essential element of being an astronaut. You rely upon your crewmates to ensure a safe and successful mission. NASA looks for socially compatible people who can tolerate living together in close quarters under stressful conditions. You can nurture this personality trait by participating in group projects at work, playing team sports, and by pursuing activities analogous to those astronauts perform on space missions. Would someone mind being trapped with you in a tin can circling the Earth or going to Mars?
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One type of experience that is particularly useful is Isolated and Confined Environment (ICE) experience. If you have been in the military, congratulations, you likely have this background in spades. If not, you can get ICE experience through activities like mountaineering, SCUBA, or piloting aircraft. These situations require you to use sound technical training, focus, and communications to ensure your safety in a potentially dangerous environment. You can also get involved with projects like NASA’s <a href="http://hi-seas.org/">HI-SEAS</a> and <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/hrp/research/analogs/hera/">HERA</a> to gain higher fidelity ICE experience on simulated space missions.
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</li><li><b>Meet people and learn from them.</b>
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Sometimes society snickers at adults who try to become astronauts, leading many to become “closet” astronaut hopefuls. It’s one of the reasons online communities like the Astronaut Hopefuls <a href="https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/astronaut-hopefuls/info">Yahoo</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/252996704736955/">Facebook</a> groups, as well as organizations like <a href="http://www.astronauts4hire.org/">Astronauts for Hire</a>, exist. They provide environments where aspiring astronauts can network together, learn from one another, and maybe get closer to achieving their dreams. If you can, I also suggest going to space conferences so you can stay in touch with the latest research and developments in the space industry, particularly if you work in another field.
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It’s been said that we are the average of the five people whom we are around the most. If you want to be an astronaut, I suggest getting to know some astronauts as well as some astronaut hopefuls so that you can all learn from one another. Since I first applied to NASA in 2008, I have met and learned from hundreds of fellow aspiring astronauts. Many of these relationships have led to new projects and collaboration opportunities that I never would have expected, like a simulated Mars mission in the Arctic and a parabolic microgravity research flight campaign.
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</li><li><b>NASA isn’t the only path one can take to become an astronaut.</b>
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NASA has sought new astronaut candidates every four years during the past few selection opportunities. Selected ASCANs have ranged in <a href="http://astronauts.nasa.gov/content/faq.htm">age from 26 to 46 years</a>, with 34 being the average. That means you have, at most, five application opportunities in your lifetime, with the three chances spanning your 30’s being your best shot. Make the most of each opportunity, but remember that NASA isn’t the only game in town.
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In the not-so-distant future, it may be easier to access space thanks for commercial spaceflight providers such as Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, Worldview, and XCOR Aerospace. Many astronaut hopefuls are involved with projects to develop <a href="http://www.commercialspaceflight.org/policy/suborbital-science/">research and education missions</a> for these platforms. <a href="http://projectpossum.org/">Project PoSSUM</a> is one great example. A new type of payload specialist astronaut will emerge in a few years offering expanded avenues for aspiring professional astronauts. It is an exciting time in both the government and private space sectors!
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</li><li><b>Be authentic and enjoy the journey!</b>
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No matter what you do, be honest and straightforward on your astronaut applications. Get feedback if you can and never stop improving. Help others as much as you can along the way. True astronaut hopefuls collaborate rather than compete to expand opportunity and advance the greater good of expanding human access to space.
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I think pursuing my astronaut dream has made me a better person. Whether I actually every fly in space is secondary. What is important is that the journey allows me the chance to better myself, help others, and set an example for the next generation that is inspired by today’s astronauts.
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Do you have the right stuff to <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BeAnAstronaut&src=typd">#BeAnAstronaut</a>?
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<i>This article was originally published on December 15, 2015 on <a href="http://onforb.es/1TOvbbG">Forbes.com</a>.</i>
<br /><br />BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-76785853263120533662015-12-15T14:44:00.000-10:002015-12-15T14:44:13.866-10:00NASA selection begins!NASA opened the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/be-an-astronaut-nasa-accepting-applications-for-future-explorers">2015-16 astronaut selection</a> opportunity on <a href="https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/423817000">USAJOBS</a>. Applications are due February 18, and details are on <a href="http://astronauts.nasa.gov">astronauts.nasa.gov</a>. Good luck to all who apply!
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I wrote an article called "<a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2015/12/15/the-astronaut-hopefuls-manifesto-an-insiders-guide-to-nasa-astronaut-selection/">The Astronaut Hopeful's Manifesto: An Applicant's Guide</a>" on Forbes with some advice to applicants. Check it out!
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<a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2015/12/15/the-astronaut-hopefuls-manifesto-an-insiders-guide-to-nasa-astronaut-selection/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="524" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NlkVHSDH5g4/VnCzKHr6W-I/AAAAAAAAC60/VlY3_9LV2Kg/s640/Forbes_title_20151215.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-20396228304512014532015-07-14T05:05:00.000-10:002015-07-29T05:12:47.236-10:00Posts backlog to the future<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t85sd8nSiP8/VbjrdU9MwyI/AAAAAAAACxI/xQfD7syVROE/s1600/comingsoon_stamp_4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t85sd8nSiP8/VbjrdU9MwyI/AAAAAAAACxI/xQfD7syVROE/s200/comingsoon_stamp_4.png" /></a></div>Dear ‘Astronaut for Hire’ blog readers:
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Some of you may have noticed that I have not published a new post in quite some time. My current priorities prevent me from blogging as much as I would like, but I assure you I am still alive and well. When I am able, I will complete several posts from the past year. Here’s a sneak peak at the topics:
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<li>Returning to Earth after life at sea aboard the Falkor (June 2014)</li>
<li>NASA Exploration Science Forum (July 2014)</li>
<li>Spartan Trifecta (Sprint, Super, Beast) races (August 2014)</li>
<li>NOLS training expedition with HI-SEAS and the 2013 NASA ASCAN class (September 2014)</li>
<li>HI-SEAS crewmember geology training (October 2014)</li>
<li>Orbital Sciences and Virgin Galactic crashes (November 2014)</li>
<li>Next Giant Leap Conference (November 2014)</li>
<li>AGU Conference (December 2014)</li>
<li>ISU vs. UND showdown revisited - guest post (January 2015)</li>
<li>Balancing family, work, school, and life (March 2015)</li>
<li>HAARP Earthquake and Tsunami teaching (April 2015)</li>
<li>InSight Science Team Meeting (May 2015)</li>
<li>Camping Hawaii style (June 2015)</li>
<li>training for my first ultra marathon (June 2015)</li>
<li>Solar Impulse 2 plane in Hawaii (July 2015)</li>
<li>Pluto on my birthday (July 2015)</li>
<li>NASA Exploration Science Forum (July 2015)</li>
<li>HI-SEAS crewmember geology training (August 2015)</li>
<li>Spartan Ultra Beast race (August 2015)</li>
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I can't promise that all of these will see the light of day, but I'll do my best to post the most interesting ones.
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You may also be wondering what happened to this blog’s former Mars-like design. The theme that I was using had some issues that weren’t easy to solve quickly, so it was simplest for me to just replace it with a more standard theme. I know it’s not very spacey or unique, but it will have to do for now. I have plans to eventually migrate this entire site from Blogger to Wordpress and incorporate a new design, but that’s way down on my priority list at the moment.
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Aloha!
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Brian
<br /><br />BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-58548824359888671122014-05-20T15:49:00.000-10:002014-05-22T14:18:38.378-10:00Marine Mapping Midpoint and Venus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DweJfzFYzic/U36B4AyuOUI/AAAAAAAACd0/sJEyoC3FqW4/s1600/Brian_Falkor_moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DweJfzFYzic/U36B4AyuOUI/AAAAAAAACd0/sJEyoC3FqW4/s320/Brian_Falkor_moon.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
Halfway through the <i><a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2014/05/falkors-neverending-story.html">R/V Falkor</a></i> expedition to map the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, we have traveled nearly <a href="http://www.schmidtocean.org/map/expedition/2568">4000 km</a> and mapped many areas, including the <a href="http://www.schmidtocean.org/story/show/2614">Rogatien Ridge</a> and the <a href="http://www.schmidtocean.org/story/show/2620">Gardner Pinnacles</a>. Along the way, we have to take turns keeping watch for whales and diverting the ship away from them if necessary in order to maintain a safe distance due to the ship's active sonar. My turn taking watch is usually the hour before and after dinner out on the ship's <a href="http://www.schmidtocean.org/story/show/2397">upper deck</a>, which means I get to witness many spectacular sunsets and moonrises.
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My colleagues on the sunrise whale watches have remarked at how bright Venus can be. This got me thinking about just how similar mapping the seafloor is to mapping the surface of Venus. Can you tell which of the two pictures below is from Earth's seafloor and which is from Venus?
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MSFZWPoU9Tc/U31GY_hFVtI/AAAAAAAACdY/k911Ry4u53A/s1600/sonar_backscatter_ocean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MSFZWPoU9Tc/U31GY_hFVtI/AAAAAAAACdY/k911Ry4u53A/s600/sonar_backscatter_ocean.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bhTykl9S0wE/U31GZGl1riI/AAAAAAAACdc/DkN300rzfvo/s1600/radar_backscatter_venus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bhTykl9S0wE/U31GZGl1riI/AAAAAAAACdc/DkN300rzfvo/s600/radar_backscatter_venus.jpg" /></a>
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Both are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backscatter">backscatter</a> images. One is produced by radar and the other by sonar, but the principle is the same. You send a pulse of energy down and record how much of it bounces back along the same track to you. Backscatter tells you primarily about surface roughness, helping one determine the texture and type of soil reflecting the signal. The biologists and geologists on board like this type of data because it helps them discern marine habitats, debris flows, and potential future dive sites for submersibles to collect samples.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JOmtXTBOmA0/U36HrW-vmpI/AAAAAAAACd8/PkFUBDQ_g4g/s1600/magellan_venus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JOmtXTBOmA0/U36HrW-vmpI/AAAAAAAACd8/PkFUBDQ_g4g/s1600/magellan_venus.jpg" height="200" width="160" /></a></div>
Most of what we know about the surface of Venus comes from the <a href="http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/magellan/">Magellan mission</a> (1989-1994), which used <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_aperture_radar">synthetic aperture radar</a> (SAR) to peer through the planet's dense atmosphere. Coincidentally, one of my first jobs in college was mapping remote parts of the Arctic and Antarctic with SAR, which today is also used to view land deformation due to earthquakes in near real time. This week scientists have gathered in Houston for a <a href="http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/venus2014/">Workshop on Venus Exploration Targets</a> to identify and evaluate key locations for future exploration of this enigmatic planet. Why the climate of Venus is so different from Earth's remains a mystery that only further missions can help answer.
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The atmosphere of Venus is 90 times thicker than the Earth's, giving it a pressure equivalent to being at a depth of 900 meters (3000 feet) in the Earth's ocean. With the <a href="http://www.nature.com/news/submersible-loss-hits-research-1.15262">loss of the Nereus submersible</a> last week in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kermadec_Trench">Kermadec Trench</a>, we are reminded of the great difficulties associated with deep ocean exploration. Technologies we develop to survive crushing pressures in Earth's ocean may be the ones needed to survive Venus as well. The synergies between ocean and space exploration are many. I'll leave you with an excerpt from <a href="http://www.popsci.com/article/technology/john-steinbecks-1966-plea-create-nasa-oceans">John Steinbeck's 1966 letter in <i>Popular Science</i></a>:
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I know enough about the sea to know how pitifully little we know about it. We have not, as a nation and a world, been alert to the absolute necessity of going back to the sea for our survival.
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I do not think $21 billion, or a hundred of the same, is too high a price for a round-trip ticket to the moon. But it does seem unrealistic, unreasonable, romantic, and very human that we indulge in these passionate pyrotechnics when, under the seas, three-fifths of our own world and over three-fifths of our world's treasure is unknown, undiscovered, and unclaimed.
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... My passion for the world's seas and underseas does not lessen my interest in our space probes. When the astronauts go up in their beautiful skyrockets, my stomach goes up with them until it collides with my lungs and pushes them against my throat.
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... Experiments are going on all over the world. Cousteau has men living undersea, and so has the American Navy. Men are learning the techniques of changing pressures. Whereas the astronauts must become accustomed to weightlessness and vacuum, the undersea men must learn to endure the opposites. They receive little official encouragement.
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... There is something for everyone in the sea—incredible beauty for the artist, the excitement and danger of exploration for the brave and restless, an open door for the ingenuity and inventiveness of the clever, a new world for the bored, food for the hungry, and incalculable material wealth for the acquisitive—and all of these in addition to the pure clean wonder of increasing knowledge.</blockquote>
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<br />BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com7Northwestern Hawaiian Islands24.3575345 -167.19452479.592552 172.15117830000003 39.122517 -146.5402277tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-65828096606770147142014-05-14T13:19:00.000-10:002015-12-14T00:03:58.758-10:00The magnetic personalities of seamountsThe <a href="http://www.schmidtocean.org/story/show/2216">Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument</a> encompasses a vast area larger than all U.S. national parks combined. As I mentioned <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2014/05/falkors-neverending-story.html">last time</a>, We came here on the <i><a href="http://www.schmidtocean.org/story/show/47">R/V Falkor</a></i> to map the seafloor around the islands, atolls, reefs, and seamounts that comprise the Northwestern Hawaiian Island chain within the monument. Ultimately, we want to gain a better understanding of the geological processes that helped shape this part of the world.
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As the ship cruises along at around 10 knots, we operate three different data collection systems. First, we have a multibeam <a href="http://www.schmidtocean.org/story/show/1890">sonar</a> that pings the seafloor with sound to give us a picture of what the ocean bottom looks like. Then, we have a <a href="http://www.schmidtocean.org/story/show/2417">gravimeter</a>, which detects minute gravity variations that tell us what is beneath the seafloor surface. Finally, our magnetometer measures the Earth’s magnetic field along our path and provides information on the relative ages of seafloor features.
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pnk0MLHILWI/U3KtYLU4ZzI/AAAAAAAACcU/XssyDnyDZH0/s1600/Brian_magnetometer_Falkor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 3em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pnk0MLHILWI/U3KtYLU4ZzI/AAAAAAAACcU/XssyDnyDZH0/s600/Brian_magnetometer_Falkor.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>On this cruise, we are using a <a href="http://www.geometrics.com/geometrics-products/geometrics-magnetometers/g-882-marine-magnetometer/">Geometrics G-882 magnetometer</a> provided by the University of Hawai‘i. It's towed about 170 meters behind the ship in order to avoid magnetic interference from the metal vessel itself. The torpedo-shaped instrument glides along about 10 meters beneath the surface, logging the magnetic field intensity every tenth of a second. We can then subtract the Earth’s background magnetic field to create a map of local variations, which we call a magnetic anomaly map. This gives us an idea of the relative ages of different portions of the seafloor.
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When oceanic crust forms in the fiery furnace of a mid-ocean ridge, its rocks contain tiny iron atoms that align themselves with the local magnetic field. As the rock cools to a solid, these atoms freeze in place, preserving a record of the direction and intensity of the magnetic field at that time. That field tends to fade over time, so the intensity of the signals we measure is one indicator of age.
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As it happens, the Earth’s outer core is a dynamic place, and this causes the north and south magnetic poles to trade places every few hundred thousand years. When Navy ships combed the oceans with magnetometers in the 1950s looking for ways to detect submarines, they unexpectedly discovered alternating bands of magnetizations in the seafloor, which was one of the strongest pieces of evidence that gave birth to the theory of plate tectonics.
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Now that we know the plates move, we think we have a good idea how the Hawaiian Island chain formed and the <a href="http://www.schmidtocean.org/story/show/2430">lifecycle of a Hawaiian island</a>. A hotspot in the mantle beneath the central Pacific plate causes rocks to melt and rise up to form volcanoes, which eventually break the surface to form islands. These volcanoes eventually die as the plate moves past the hotspot. Over time, the island sinks into the sea, transforming into an atoll and eventually a subsurface mountain called a seamount. These Hawaiian seamounts coexist with other older seamounts that pepper the bottom of the ocean.
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oDgDHnH9DN4/U3LUkXal96I/AAAAAAAACck/tPrerqFOTf0/s1600/seamounts_nwhi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oDgDHnH9DN4/U3LUkXal96I/AAAAAAAACck/tPrerqFOTf0/s600/seamounts_nwhi.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.schmidtocean.org/story/show/2445">How can we tell them apart?</a> Remember that when volcanic rocks solidify, they lock in the magnetic field of the time and place where they form. That means that we can tell at what latitude rocks formed based on their magnetic signature. Plus, the minerals within the rock alter over time, and the little iron atoms lose their alignment. The intensity of magnetization within the rock decreases as a result. Thus, we would expect to see lower magnetic anomalies with our magnetometer when we pass over older non-Hawaiian seamounts compared with the younger Hawaiian ones. The seafloor in this area is Cretaceous in age about 80-100 million years old, so we’re trying to use magnetic data to discriminate between Cretaceous vs. Hawaiian seamounts, which are only about 5-45 million years old.
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As a geophysicist with mostly a seismology background, I am excited by this hands-on opportunity to learn about marine magnetics. I hope to fold this into my dissertation involving other geophysical exploration methods on the Earth and planets. Mahalo nui loa to everyone on the <i>R/V Falkor</i> team for a superb cruise so far!
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<i>Note: A version of this post was originally published on the <a href="http://www.schmidtocean.org/story/show/2603">Schmidt Ocean Institute website</a>.</i>
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<br />BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-75138149843196863942014-05-09T14:10:00.000-10:002015-12-13T23:56:08.244-10:00Falkor's Neverending StoryWhat if we could explore far off corners of the world just like the famous luck dragon Falkor in the classic book and movie <i>The Neverending Story</i>?
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The <a href="http://www.schmidtocean.org/">Schmidt Ocean Institute</a> launched the <i><a href="http://www.schmidtocean.org/story/show/47">R/V Falkor</a></i> to do just that. Funded by Google's deep pockets, this private research ship is charged with exploring uncharted depths of the sea and offers scientists competitive opportunities to conduct their own research expeditions along the way. Since we know more about the surface of the <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2013/09/splashdown-2013-space-vs-ocean.html">Moon and Mars than we do our own ocean</a>, this is a very timely mission. All data collected on the <i>Falkor</i> is made <a href="http://www.nature.com/news/private-research-ship-makes-waves-1.12680">freely available to the public</a> in order to best advance knowledge about the regions it explores.
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MjwgsoObIJQ/U3BoB1tUdVI/AAAAAAAACbw/zGMzxjgF9As/s1600/Brian_Falkor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MjwgsoObIJQ/U3BoB1tUdVI/AAAAAAAACbw/zGMzxjgF9As/s200/Brian_Falkor.jpg" /></a></div>I have had the good fortune to take part in two cruises aboard the Falkor. Last month, I participated in a short <a href="http://www.schmidtocean.org/story/show/2452">3-day training cruise</a> to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maui_Nui">Maui Nui</a> area, and now I am one week into a <a href="http://www.schmidtocean.org/story/show/2568">36-day cruise</a> to map the <a href="http://www.papahanaumokuakea.gov/">Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM)</a> (aka: Northwestern Hawaiian Islands). The <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1326">World Heritage Site</a>, which is larger than all U.S. national parks combined, encompasses unique biological, geological, and <a href="http://www.schmidtocean.org/story/show/2596">cultural</a> wonders that have barely been explored. The vast area is triple the length of the main Hawaiian Island chain, and would stretch from New Orleans to Los Angeles if you overlaid it across the U.S.
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Very few high resolution multibeam mapping surveys have been undertaken in the PMNM, leaving gaps in our knowledge about the seafloor there. We are here to fill in as many of the blank areas as we can using the Falkor's state-of-the-art <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multibeam_echosounder">multibeam sonar</a> mapping systems. <a href="http://www.schmidtocean.org/map/expedition/2568">Follow us on journey here</a>.
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Besides advancing scientific knowledge, Google's interest in the project is to use the newly collected data to enhance its <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2009/02/new-google-ocean-and-google-mars.html">Google Ocean</a> features within Google Earth. To achieve this objective they partnered with the University of Hawaii to plan and carry out the mapping operation to optimize science return. We took the opportunity to also bring a gravimeter and magnetometer to collect geophysical data along with the mapping information. This provides an unprecedented opportunity to help unravel the geologic history of the region by helping us understand what is beneath the surface.
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The eleven scientists and students on the cruise have broken up the day into three 8-hour blocks, during which we serve as watchstanders to ensure the mapping and geophysical systems are all operating properly. We continuously plan the ship's route and modify the plan as we go depending on where the holes in existing data are, what subsurface targets are of most interest, weather conditions, and how much time we have. It requires a balancing of priorities and making decisions on the fly to achieve the expedition's goals. Since this is a national monument, we must be extra careful not to interfere with wildlife, so we take turns standing watch on the ship's upper <a href="http://www.schmidtocean.org/story/show/2397">"monkey deck"</a> from sunrise to sunset to watch out for marine mammals. We have already seen pilot whales, sperm whales, and bottlenose dolphins.
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Life on the Falkor is very nice. It’s stylish and homey, with a decor that looks like something out of an IKEA catalog. There are several amenities like a gym, sauna, and outdoor lounge. The crew is very friendly, and we have had several social get-togethers like barbeques, movie nights, and a ping pong tournament. The scientists also give seminars on various topics twice per week; I'll be giving one about tsunami warning later in the cruise. By far, the best thing about life on board is the food. Every meal is cooked by gourmet chefs and is among the best food I have ever eaten. You can see for yourself by <a href="http://www.schmidtocean.org/story/show/2020">touring the ship virtually</a> via Google Street View on the Falkor’s website.
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The Falkor is similar in many respects to the <a href="http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/welcome.html"><i>NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer</i></a>, where I participated in a <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/search/label/Okeanos">15-day mapping cruise from Guam to Hawaii</a> back in 2010. The two ships have similar exploration missions and capabilities. For example, they both use the <a href="http://www.km.kongsberg.com/ks/web/nokbg0240.nsf/AllWeb/871B055B3DE0DAC3C125715E002B5C68?OpenDocument">Kongsberg EM302</a> multibeam mapping system, although the Falkor also has a high resolution <a href="http://www.km.kongsberg.com/ks/web/nokbg0240.nsf/AllWeb/993132242751F5EDC1256FA300360548?OpenDocument">EM710 system</a> too. Both ships share the same spirit of discovery to unravel the mysteries of the deep. I am honored to have had the privilege to sail on both of them.
<br /><br />BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com2Northwestern Hawaiian Islands24.3575345 -167.19452479.592552 172.15117830000003 39.122517 -146.5402277tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-37977933836606479992014-02-20T16:20:00.000-10:002014-02-23T09:44:21.318-10:00Gaining InSight on Mars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://insight.jpl.nasa.gov/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PbJ4WKFbyYo/UwLdseimuGI/AAAAAAAACXM/O5oUYYc635k/s200/Final+InSight+Logo.png" /></a></div>
I just returned from California where I participated in a NASA InSight Science Team meeting. <a href="http://insight.jpl.nasa.gov/">InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport)</a> is NASA’s first dedicated geophysical mission to Mars. Keep reading to learn more!
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A key goal of planetary science is to understand the formation and evolution of the planets, which means we need to know what they are made of. Geology, geochemistry, geodesy, and geophysics are tools that we can use to get at questions associated with the structure and composition of planetary interiors. Previous and current Mars missions have utilized all of these approaches except geophysics, which is the only technique that can give direct measurements about what is beneath the surface. InSight will help us determine the size, composition, and state of the crust, mantle, and core while also measuring the thermal state of the interior and level of seismic activity on Mars. Watch the <a href="http://youtu.be/RSTYvwodKO0">video</a> below to learn more about this exciting mission.
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<a name='more'></a>How did I get involved with InSight? Back in 2003 as a student at the <a href="https://pscischool.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA Planetary Science Summer School</a> (PSSS), I led a team of graduate students to develop a Mars Geophysical Lander (MGL) mission concept that bears a strong resemblance to InSight. We worked with <a href="http://jplteamx.jpl.nasa.gov/">JPL’s “Team X”</a> to rapidly prototype the mission, balancing competing demands of science objectives with engineering, cost, schedule, and power constraints. Both our mission and InSight utilize the <a href="http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/">Phoenix</a> lander spacecraft and feature the same <a href="http://smsc.cnes.fr/INSIGHT/GP_seis.htm">seismic payload</a> as well as similar meteorological instruments. For more, see our original <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/brianshiro/mars-geophysical-lander-proposal-authorization-review">2003 proposal</a> and 10-year anniversary <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/131438587/LPSC-2013-Poster">2013 LPSC poster</a>.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cI5oIcRl14A/Uwlzzvb4w9I/AAAAAAAACX4/lCTn3tdGnak/s1600/Bruce_LPSC2013_Insight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cI5oIcRl14A/Uwlzzvb4w9I/AAAAAAAACX4/lCTn3tdGnak/s320/Bruce_LPSC2013_Insight.jpg" height="320" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bruce Banerdt, Insight PI (credit: NASA)</td></tr>
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Our key adviser on the PSSS MGL project was <a href="https://science.jpl.nasa.gov/people/Banerdt/">Bruce Banerdt</a>, a JPL planetary scientist who has spent more than two decades trying to convince NASA to fly geophysical missions to Mars. He is part of a small group of people who are passionate about <a href="http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.earth.33.092203.122604?journalCode=earth">planetary seismology</a>. After the PSSS experience, Bruce and I stayed in touch and even presented a review of the history of Mars seismology mission attempts the <a href="http://www.seismosoc.org/meetings/showabstract.php?recid=5159">2007 Seismological Society of America meeting</a>. At that point, <a href="http://smsc.cnes.fr/NETLANDER/">ESA/CNES’s NetLander mission</a>--which would have included four seismic stations--had recently been canceled, and the future prospects for a planetary seismology mission looked bleak. However, Bruce and his colleagues did not give up. They downsized the proposal to a single station while still preserving most of the science. <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mars/news/insight20120820.html">In 2012, NASA selected</a> their <a href="http://discovery.nasa.gov/missions.cfml">Discovery-class proposal</a> for a 2016 launch opportunity in what became known as InSight, which Bruce leads as the Principal Investigator (PI). I was thrilled when <a href="http://planetary.msfc.nasa.gov/Renee.html">Renee Weber</a> asked me to collaborate with the InSight science team in late 2013 and am most grateful for the opportunity to get involved with my first planetary mission.
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InSight is basically a rebuild of the Phoenix flight system (with upgraded avionics from <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/www.nasa.gov/grail/%E2%80%8E">GRAIL</a>) plus a payload suite aimed at taking the planet's vital signs, including the "pulse" (seismology), "temperature" (heat flow), and "reflexes" (tracking) of Mars.
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<li>The seismology payload, which is appropriately dubbed "SEIS", includes a broadband seismometer provided by the French Space Agency CNES (PI: <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/philippe-lognonn%C3%A9/3a/3b5/63b">Phillipe Lognonné</a>) and three short period solid state seismometers developed by Imperial College London (PI: <a href="http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/engineering/ourresearchhome/impactresearch/tompike">Tom Pike</a>). These will operate continuously to detect marsquakes and meteorite impacts that will help elucidate the internal structure of Mars.</li>
<li>The Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP<sup>3</sup>), consists of a self-penetrating "mole" developed by the German Space Agency (DLR) that will burrow 3-5 meters into the martian regolith to measure the heat flux, thermal gradient, and thermal conductivity at the landing site in order to gain insight on the energy budget of the planet (PI: <a href="http://www.igafa.de/en/research/adlershof-faces/r-z/spohn-prof-dr-tilman/">Tilman Spohn</a>).</li>
<li>InSight also includes the Rotation and Interior Structure Experiment (RISE), which utilizes the spacecraft's radio communication antennas to precisely track nutations (wobbles) in Mars' orbit to better determine the planet's moment of inertia and core structure (PI: <a href="http://scienceandtechnology.jpl.nasa.gov/people/s_asmar/">Sami Asmar</a>).</li></ol>
In addition to these three primary science payloads, InSight includes a meterological package and cameras that can supplement the geophysical science. It will be the first Mars mission with continuous weather sampling so offers unique science opportunities in that area too. Unfortunately, a color camera was not in the budget, but NASA is working on finding the mass to add some filters to bring color imaging capability to InSight. The nominal mission will last for one martian year (about two earth years).
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NwlOIXVvEMM/UwlaveskyTI/AAAAAAAACXo/6HlyuZ48bBI/s1600/InSight_VBB_seismometer_credit_CNES.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NwlOIXVvEMM/UwlaveskyTI/AAAAAAAACXo/6HlyuZ48bBI/s600/InSight_VBB_seismometer_credit_CNES.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CNES engineers test and prepare the IPGP-designed broadband seismometer for InSight (credit: <a href="http://image-cnes.fr/2-cest-beau-la-techno/la-maquette-du-sismometre-dinsight-a-toulouse/">CNES</a>)</td></tr>
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Last week's science team meeting provided an opportunity for the scientists, payload developers, and mission managers to provide updates on the the status of their work and to discuss the path forward with the mission. With a very aggressive mission development schedule, the various groups involved are working at breakneck speed to deliver the payloads and spacecraft on time. The instrument payloads have all passed Preliminary Design Reviews (PDR) and are gearing up for Comprehensive Design Reviews (CDR). Most of the engineering design is frozen at this point, and testing of Engineering Models (EM) is in progress. Soon, Flight Models (FM) will be built, tested, and delivered to <a href="http://www.lockheedmartin.com/">Lockheed Martin</a> in Colorado for integration with the spacecraft later in the year. The mission will launch at night in March 2016 on an <a href="http://www.ulalaunch.com/site/pages/Products_AtlasV.shtml">Atlas V 401</a> rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and land on Mars on 28 September 2016. Mark your calendars!
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The candidate <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InSight#Landing_site">landing sites</a> have been chosen to be in one of the flattest, smoothest parts of Mars with favorable sunlight for power and geological properties like thermal inertia, rock abundance, and regolith type. 22 sites were originally considered, but now only 4 remain, all within the same area of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elysium_Planitia">Elysium Planitia</a> about 365 kilometers north of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gale_%28crater%29">Gale Crater</a>, which the <a href="http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/">Curiosity Rover</a> has been exploring since August 2012. JPL's <a href="https://science.jpl.nasa.gov/people/Golombek/">Matt Golumbek</a> leads the landing site selection and surface characterization aspects of the mission. Here is where the landing site is in relation to other Mars surface mission locations:
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V8n1k6HOm6A/Uwl16XSPLhI/AAAAAAAACYE/GbzOBV3ZcK4/s1600/PIA17357_InSight-site-on-MOLA_732x520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V8n1k6HOm6A/Uwl16XSPLhI/AAAAAAAACYE/GbzOBV3ZcK4/s600/PIA17357_InSight-site-on-MOLA_732x520.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">InSight landing site in relation to previous Mars surface missions (credit: NASA)</td></tr>
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After the spacecraft lands, it will do detailed imaging and three-dimensional mapping of its vicinity to determine the best places for the seismometer and heat flow probe based on soil properties, size of rocks, slope, etc. In the unlikely event that no area is suitable for the seismometer, the robotic arm can be used to smooth the soil and even move small rocks out of the way. Once it is put in place, the seismometer housing has actuators in its feet that can self-level the instrument even if the terrain is tilted by as much as 15 degrees. Rocks can be up to 3 centimeters in size and not interfere with the leveling mechanism. If the initial placement turns out to be bad, the robotic arm can pick up the seismometer and move it somewhere else if needed. Once the seismometer is in its final place, the robotic arm will place an insulating cover called the WTS over it to help insulate it from the cold surface conditions. We do the same thing with seismometers deployed on Earth, although typically we try to bury them underground for even greater thermal stability.
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We spent a lot of time at the meeting discussing details of the deployment phase of the mission (first 69 sols, or so), which is when the robotic arm will place the seismometer and the heat flow probe on the surface of Mars. It is one of the riskiest parts of the mission, so it is critical that it go well in order to maximize the chance for quality data return. Here's a great <a href="http://youtu.be/7VVKyYhwfBk">animation</a> showing how it will work:
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I find it profoundly rewarding that a large portion of the mission proposed by my PSSS team over a decade ago is going to fly to Mars. In addition to helping with the seismic aspects of the mission, I am also on InSight's education and public outreach team, so look for future posts from me as I get more involved with the mission. Seismic data will be streaming to Earth from Mars daily and be made public to the science and education communities via <a href="http://www.iris.edu/">IRIS</a> within a few weeks of its collection on Mars, offering exciting possibilities to learn about seismic events on Mars as they happen. Meanwhile, be sure to follow @NASAInsight on <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAInSight">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NASAInSight">Facebook</a>. On to Mars! <br />
<br />BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-31256002454389341862013-10-05T17:23:00.000-10:002013-10-05T20:38:35.501-10:00Sailing on the HI-SEAS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Do you dream of being an astronaut and exploring Mars? Have you always wanted to visit Hawaiʻi, or do you live in Hawaiʻi but just want to get away from your regular life for a while? Do you have a burning desire to carry out research to advance our understanding of long duration space missions? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then I highly recommend you <a href="http://hi-seas.org/?page_id=2297">apply to be a crewmember</a> on an upcoming <a href="http://www.hi-seas.org/">HI-SEAS</a> mission!
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HI-SEAS stands for "Hawaiʻi Space Exploration Analog and Simulation." It's a NASA-funded study led by researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. The goal of the program is to study aspects of crew cohesion and performance in the context of three simulated Mars surface missions of 4, 8, and 12 month durations in 2014-2016. You can read all about it and learn about the application details on the <a href="http://hi-seas.org/?page_id=2297">HI-SEAS website</a> or in the <a href="http://www.hawaii.edu/news/article.php?aId=6014">UH press release</a>. The application deadline is <b>November 1, 2013</b>.
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While the study pertains primarily to human social factors, it also presents an opportunity for many other add-on research projects ranging from microbiology to robotics and geology. These activities provide realistic tasks that astronaut crews will likely carry out on a Mars mission. NASA wants to understand how teams of astronauts will perform on long-duration space exploration missions while doing relevant scientific and operational tasks. HI-SEAS will also provide recommended strategies for crew composition and how best to support crews while they are working in space.<br />
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I am fortunate to be one of the researchers involved with the HI-SEAS program in the areas of geology, crew selection, and mission support. The <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2013/04/orientation-to-hi-seas.html">first HI-SEAS mission</a> focused on food and lasted four months, <a href="http://www.hawaii.edu/news/article.php?aId=5912">ending in August 2013</a>. During that mission, I coordinated an international group of mission support volunteers who helped facilitate the mission and presented on this work at the <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2013/07/my-ices-2013-experience.html">ICES 2013 Conference</a>. I also helped <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2013/04/orientation-to-hi-seas.html">prepare the crew</a> for their mission the week before their mission began and was there to greet them when they <a href="http://www.hawaii.edu/news/article.php?aId=5912">emerged after four months</a> of isolation. Below are some pictures of me at the HI-SEAS site last August. I'm going back there next week with the HI-SEAS science team to help plan the upcoming three missions.
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It is fitting that we are announcing this opportunity during <a href="http://www.worldspaceweek.org/">World Space Week</a>, whose theme this year is "Exploring Mars, Discovering Earth." I can think of no better way to accomplish both of those goals than to get involved with Mars analog research activities. In addition to HI-SEAS, there are other planned long duration Mars analog missions on the horizon. For example, the Mars Society will launch its <a href="http://www.marssociety.org/home/press/announcements/marssocietyannounceshigh-levelscienceteamformarsarctic365simulation">Mars Arctic 365 mission</a> next summer at the <a href="http://fmars.marssociety.org/">Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station</a> on Devon Island, Canada - <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2006/12/fmars.html">a place I know well</a>. In China, the <a href="http://www.lss-lab.bme.buaa.edu.cn/enLSS.html">Research Group of Advanced Life Support Technology</a> at Beihang University will simulate a Mars mission in a habitat sporting a high fidelity biogenerative life support system that provides closed loop recycling of consumables like air and water for the crewmembers living inside. This is indeed an exciting time for Mars analog mission research!
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<br />BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-79585425242816547522013-09-28T18:01:00.000-10:002013-10-01T18:38:00.032-10:00Splashdown 2013: Space vs. Ocean<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The <a href="http://mashable.com/sgs/">Mashable Social Good Summit</a> (<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%232030NOW&src=typd">#2030NOW</a>) provided a forum for discussion of big ideas to make the world a better place. I took special interest in their <a href="http://mashable.com/2013/09/25/ocean-vs-space/">"Ocean vs. Space: Which Is the True Final Frontier?"</a> event, which pitted <a href="http://www.xprize.org/node/2072">Alex Hall</a> of the <a href="http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/">Google Lunar XPRIZE</a> (<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23TeamSpace&src=typd">#TeamSpace</a>) against her colleague <a href="http://paulbunje.com/">Dr. Paul Bunji</a> of the <a href="http://oceanhealth.xprize.org/">Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health XPRIZE</a> (<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23TeamOcean&src=typd">#TeamOcean</a>).
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What ensued was an engaging conversation about the relative merits of exploring our planet's ocean and space beyond. It wasn't as confrontational as the title made it out to be, as both Hall and Bunji held great affection for the other's area of exploration. <a href="http://mashable.com/2013/09/25/ocean-vs-space/">Mashable's summary</a> of the 15-minute debate covers the high points, but I encourage you to <a href="http://new.livestream.com/Mashable/sgs2013/videos/30753668">watch it</a> for yourself:
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So what do you think is the Final Frontier, the ocean or space?
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<a name='more'></a>As someone who works for NOAA and collaborates routinely with NASA, I have a foot in both worlds. My perspective is that <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2010/09/exploring-oceans-and-space.html">they are synergistic</a>. There is more than enough exploration capital to spread around, so choosing between the two is a false dichotomy. Plus, the technologies and strategies developed in one setting often translate well to the other. We can learn to live in space by tackling the challenge of living underwater, for example. Of course, this presumes that <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2013/09/fabien_cousteau_s_mission_31_won_t_help_manned_sea_exploration_is_dead.html">manned undersea exploration isn't dead</a>, as evidenced by the recent re-opening of the <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/09/18/3635620/fiu-has-begun-operating-aquarius.html">re-opening of the Aquarius Reef Base</a>. I think the potential <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/the-top-five-reasons-that-ocean-exploration-is-as-important-as-space-exploration">benefits of exploring the ocean</a> are great enough that there will always be a driver to do so, no matter how far we push the frontier beyond Earth.
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Besides the pursuit for knowledge and protection of our planet's fragile ecosystem, perhaps the most direct benefits of exploration - regardless of what form it may take - are the technological spinoffs that only unique problems posed by exploration can trigger. That often translates into jobs and other tangible benefits like energy security. After all, learning how to thrive in a closed loop life support system on either a spacecraft or undersea base can teach us how to better learn to live more within our means back on Terra Firma.
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The Mashable debate also touched upon the apparent cultural preference for space exploration. I admit that the allure of space is hard to ignore. Perhaps that has been emblazoned on our cultural conscience by the huge investment in and returns from the Apollo program. We haven't had such a concerted effort placed into ocean exploration, despite some great initiatives such as <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2010/03/okeanos-explorer.html">NOAA's Okeanos Explorer</a>, <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2012/03/one-giant-dive-for-mankind.html">DEEPSEA CHALLENGE</a>, <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2011/10/insider-look-at-virgin-oceanic.html">Virgin Oceanic</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SeaQuest_DSV">SeaQuest DSV</a>. And on the subject of television, part of the genius of Gene Roddenberry in establishing <i>Star Trek</i> was that he based it on a Naval model. He saw space exploration as a natural evolution from seagoing activities on Earth. I have to agree.
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<br />BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-53788254432782061032013-08-01T00:13:00.000-10:002013-08-01T00:13:37.918-10:00UND receives NASA award<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9KIC0yIlBCM/Ufor2DV6EXI/AAAAAAAACL0/d3EpF2fRkkA/s1600/UND_NASA_award_2013b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9KIC0yIlBCM/Ufor2DV6EXI/AAAAAAAACL0/d3EpF2fRkkA/s320/UND_NASA_award_2013b.jpg" width="257" /></a>NASA has awarded the <a href="http://www.und.edu/">University of North Dakota</a> (UND) <a href="http://www.space.edu/">Department of Space Studies</a> with the <i>JSC Certificate of Appreciation</i> in recognition for <a href="http://www.space.edu/home/history.aspx">25 years</a> of outstanding leadership in university education in space studies, aerospace workforce development, and for accomplishments in interdisciplinary aerospace research. It is the highest award that the Johnson Space Center (JSC) bestows upon non-individual groups. As a <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2010/12/masters-of-universe.html">UND Space Studies graduate</a> myself, I want to personally congratulate everyone involved with the program on their well-earned recognition.
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The 23 July 2013 awards ceremony at JSC was well-attended by UND alumni and students in the Houston area. Dr. Paul Lindseth, Associate Dean of the <a href="http://www.aero.und.edu/">UND School of Aerospace Studies</a>, Dr. Santhosh Seelan, Chair of the <a href="http://www.space.edu/">Department Space Studies</a>, and Mr. Josh Christianson, Director of Alumni Affairs, accepted the award on behalf of all current and former UND Space Studies faculty, staff, and students. You can see them pictured below holding the award certificate, signed by JSC Director <a href="http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/ochoa.html">Dr. Ellen Ochoa</a>, along with a North Dakota flag that was flown on 200 orbits aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis during the final Space Shuttle Mission <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/main/index.html">STS-135</a> in July 2011. They <a href="http://aerospace.und.edu/news/2013/07/space-studies-25-award.cfm">dedicated the award</a> to <a href="http://www.flightoftheodegard.com/AboutJohnDOdegard.aspx">John D. Odegard</a>, who had the vision to start and nurture the Space Studies program at UND with the help of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_C._Webb">Dr. David Webb</a> under the guidance of <a href="http://buzzaldrin.com/the-man/biography/">Dr. Buzz Aldrin</a>.
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Recognizing the accomplishment, UND alumnus astronaut <a href="http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/nyberg-kl.html">Dr. Karen Nyberg</a> tweeted the following from her perch on the ISS:
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CONGRATS to my alma mater <a href="https://twitter.com/myUND">@myUND</a> being recognized today w/ JSC Certificate of Appreciation. UND Dept of Space Studies, 25 yrs strong!<br />
— Karen L. Nyberg (@AstroKarenN) <a href="https://twitter.com/AstroKarenN/statuses/360155580482072577">July 24, 2013</a></blockquote>
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On Friday, 2 August 2013, Nyberg will deliver the <a href="http://und.edu/features/2013/07/karen-nyberg.cfm">UND Summer Commencement address</a> from the ISS, where she is currently serving a six-month mission as a crewmember on <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition36/index.html">Expedition 36</a>. The ceremony begins at 3:00 pm CDT and will be <a href="http://und.edu/student-affairs/commencement/watch-commencement.cfm">broadcast live on the internet</a>.
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The UND Department of Space Studies has launched hundreds of graduates onto successful aerospace careers. To learn more about the program's <a href="http://www.space.edu/Academic%20Programs/Masters.aspx">MS</a> and (new) <a href="http://aerospacephd.und.edu/">PhD</a> academic options and its facilities like the exciting NASA-funded <a href="http://www.human.space.edu/">Human Spaceflight Lab</a> and <a href="http://observatory.space.edu/">UND Obsevatory</a>, click over to <a href="http://www.space.edu/">www.space.edu</a>.
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BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com0Space Center Boulevard, TX, USA29.5677745 -95.08105360000001829.540152499999998 -95.121394100000018 29.5953965 -95.040713100000019tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-90569473151144805722013-07-26T18:46:00.000-10:002014-07-27T21:21:31.358-10:00My ICES 2013 ExperienceLast week I had the honor of representing <a href="http://hi-seas.org/">HI-SEAS</a> at the <a href="http://www.aiaa.org/ices2013/">43rd International Conference on Environmental Systems</a> (ICES) in Vail, Colorado. With over 260 attendees, the meeting featured more than 200 technical presentations on topics related to human spaceflight, including environmental control and life support systems, thermal control systems, EVA systems, habitats, terrestrial analogs, and aerospace human factors. As a non-engineer, I found myself a bit out of my element, which made everything I learned all that more exciting. This post provides short summaries of the talks I found most interesting at the conference, as well as the <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/153626920/ICES-2013-Poster">poster</a> I presented there.
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cvqFxC4l2sQ/UfHLF4TcEvI/AAAAAAAACKs/BoLkI9M1Pbw/s1600/654173main_snc_captivecarry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cvqFxC4l2sQ/UfHLF4TcEvI/AAAAAAAACKs/BoLkI9M1Pbw/s320/654173main_snc_captivecarry.jpg" /></a></div>ICES began with a keynote address by John Curry of <a href="http://www.sncspace.com/ss_space_exploration.php">Sierra Nevada Corporation</a> (SNC) on "Dream Chaser: The Future of Human Spaceflight." The Dream Chaser traces its heritage back to several lifting body craft such as the X-24A, M2-F3, and HL-10 vehicles which were developed in the 1960s. After Russia successfully flew their <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BOR-4">BOR-4 spaceplanes</a> on five flights (4 orbital, 1 suborbital) in the early 1980s, NASA responded with the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/factsheets/HL-20.html">HL-20 spaceplane</a>, which incorporated many aspects of the Russian design with Shuttle-derived technologies to became what we know as the Dream Chaser today.
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SNC is one of <a href="http://www.space.com/22074-nasa-private-spaceships-final-phase.html">three remaining competitors</a> in <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/crew/index.html">NASA's Commercial Crew Program</a> and is the only one using Shuttle heritage hardware. Later this summer, they will test their "Engineering Test Article" glider prototype by lifting it up with a sky crane, cutting the rope, and flying it back to Earth for a runway landing at 190 knots. Eventually, an <a href="http://www.ulalaunch.com/site/pages/Products_AtlasV.shtml">Atlas V 402</a> will carry the Dream Chaser to orbit starting in 2016. The Dream Chaser can handle a wide range of missions with cargo, crew, or both and can hold up to 7 people.
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0vSXVZ8PrYk/UfNAqm2b0lI/AAAAAAAACLA/11-yBPM6qxU/s1600/Brian_HISEAS_ICES2013_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0vSXVZ8PrYk/UfNAqm2b0lI/AAAAAAAACLA/11-yBPM6qxU/s200/Brian_HISEAS_ICES2013_poster.jpg" /></a></div>The highlight of the first day of the conference for me was the marathon 4-hour ICES poster session, which afforded me opportunities to speak with dozens of people about the <a href="http://hi-seas.org/">HI-SEAS</a> analog field research program in Hawaii. These conversations brought up some great ideas for potential future work in the program, and I made sure to let people know of the upcoming opportunistic collaboration opportunities too. HI-SEAS has received <a href="http://manoa.hawaii.edu/news/article.php?aId=5806">three additional years of funding</a> from the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/humanresearch/">NASA Human Research Program</a> to support three more crewed missions beyond the one that is going on now. Learn more about it in my poster below:
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<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/153626920/ICES-2013-Poster" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View ICES 2013 Poster on Scribd">ICES 2013 Poster</a> by <a href="http://www.scribd.com/brianshiro" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Brian Shiro's profile on Scribd">Brian Shiro</a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>My (hardly edited) notes from the technical sessions follow. The ICES meeting was filled with all kinds of <a href="http://arc.aiaa.org/doi/book/10.2514/MICES13">interesting sessions</a>. I primarily focused on attending talks related to planetary surface exploration systems like space suits, EVA operations, and habitats.
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Amy Ross of NASA JSC gave a great presentation on recent testing of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z_series_%28space_suits%29">NASA Z-1 spacesuit</a>. This suit was designed to support suit ports and be used for planetary surface EVAs. The aesthetics remind me very much of <a href="http://www.space.com/19003-nasa-z1-future-spacesuit.html">Buzz Lightyear</a>, with lime green highlights on a white suit. They have done extensive testing with three experienced test subjects at the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/slsd/about/divisions/hefd/facilities/anthropometry-biomechanics.html">Anthropometry and Biomechanics Facility</a> to study joint movement and functional task range of motion. The feedback has been that the suit is very mobile. Ross remarked that, "you could do the hula dance in the Z-1." I wonder if she might have been subconsciously foreshadowing a field test in Hawaii? :)
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Shane Jacobs from the <a href="http://www.davidclark.com/">David Clark Company</a> gave a fascinating talk about the suits used for <a href="http://www.redbullstratos.com/">Red Bull Stratos</a>. The record-breaking space dive from 39 kilometers altitude posed specific challenges and requirements. For example, typical pressure suits place the wearer in a seated geometry, which may be perfect for U2 pilots but not for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Baumgartner">Felix Baumgartner</a>, who had to go from a seated position to standing and then to skydiving position. His suit had a number of other unique advancements like an integrated oxygen delivery system that ensures CO2 washout while minimizing visor fogging and consumable usage. It was outfitted with accelerometers, cameras, GPS, antennas, boot heaters, and glove mirrors too for added visibility too. Some of the innovative modifications made for his suit will make it into the David Clark Company's next production model suits primarily aimed at commercial suborbital clients.
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Speaking of commercial applications, David Graziosi from <a href="http://www.ilcdover.com/">ILC Dover</a> presented a very interesting talk about partial pressure suit design considerations for the commercial spaceflight market. He identified five factors that will be particularly important for space tourists: cost, safety, aesthetics, comfort, and performance. There are tradeoffs in each area. For example, what part of the suit should be considered reusable vs. consumable by each wearer (to take home as a souvenir)? Either the undergarment or overgarment could become the wearer's after the flight, with the overgarment even having the branding of the company and customizations like name tags. Space tourists will be paying a lot of money to fly, so they don't want the experience compromised by an uncomfortable suit either. Since they'll likely be sitting for a long time strapped into a seat, it's important that the suit regulate temperature well, not smell bad, be ergonomically sound, and allow the wearer to control comfort to some degree.
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David Akin from the <a href="http://www.ssl.umd.edu/">University of Maryland Space Systems Laboratory</a> gave an extremely informative talk on the Desert FLEAS (Field Lessons in Engineering and Science) program, which is jointly run by University of Maryland and Arizona State University. Using only trained field geologists as test subjects, they have done three field tests of their MX series spacesuits and RAVEN Astronaut Support Rovers in Arizona since 2010. All Desert FLEAS tests compare field geology activities across several regimes: shirt sleeves (control), EVA, EVA+rover, teleoperated. They have studied terrain trafficability, robotic sample collection, head-tracking command interface for rover control, night EVA operations, active suit cooling systems, crew riding on the rover, and the Body Pose Measurement System (BPMS), which is a skin tight suit with sensors to track all body motions. The fourth field campaign <a href="http://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/6.2013-3429">Desert FLEAS IV</a> will most likely commence in January 2014. It will focus on 2-person extended duration EVAs along with tele-operated dextrous robotics. The ultimate goal of this work is to come up with a suit and rover design that helps rather than hinders planetary field geologists. <a href="http://www.hi-seas.org/">HI-SEAS</a> crewmembers are currently testing the MX-A and MX-B spacesuits on their mission. The future MX-C model will incorporate the BPMS, in-suit VO2 monitoring, full duplex voice radio, and an in-helmet projection display for mission and system checklists, GPS data, maps, and other information. The suit also has an integrated wrist control panel with an electromicroscope display (to replace a geologist's hand lens) and rover-mounted camera feeds. The latest generation RAVEN rover can accommodate 2 EVA crew members and has two Baxter dual dexterous arms, as well as other useful field geology sensors.
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In my opinion, probably one of the most provocative talks of the conference was given by Harry Jones of the <a href="http://spacebiosciences.arc.nasa.gov/">NASA Ames Space Biosciences Division</a>. He compared the cost of storage vs. regenerative life support systems for a Mars mission and concluded that it is cheaper to bring it all with you (storage) versus recycle your consumables and waste products like water and air. This flies in the face of almost every other long duration mission ever designed, but it's hard to argue with his numbers if you believe the <a href="http://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/6.2013-3407">assumptions in his paper</a>. First, everyone agrees that storage-based life support systems are simpler, cheaper, and safer than regenerative ones. The problem is that they require much more launch mass and therefore at first glance drive up the overall cost. Jones applied the <a href="http://www.fas.org/news/reference/calc/AMCM.htm">Advanced Missions Cost Model</a> to show that when you factor in development and operations cost, storage systems come out much cheaper than the less mature technologies of a regenerative approach, which will cost a lot to develop. Comparing estimated costs for the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/373665main_NASA-SP-2009-566.pdf">NASA Mars Design Reference Architecture 5.0</a> and a similar Mars mission scenario, he found in both cases that a storage system was at least 50% cheaper. Of course, one can challenge his figures and assumptions. The audience asked some pointed questions about the cost savings from multiple missions to bring down development/operations costs of regenerative systems, the added benefits of a hybrid system to get the best of both worlds, utilizing in situ resources on the planet, and the ancillary spinoffs that would almost certain result from the new technology development needed for a system that recycles everything. Jones feels that a hybrid system may be optimal in a long-term exploration strategy but that for a single mission, it is hard to economically justify the added cost and risk of a regenerative system.
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A trip to Mars won't do you much good if you don't have radiation shielding. This is one of the most pressing obstacles facing a journey of that length. NASA's Steven Walker presented two talks on designing radiation shelters to protect crewmembers from <a href="http://srag-nt.jsc.nasa.gov/SpaceRadiation/What/What.cfm">solar particle event</a> (SPE) radiation. The goal is to develop a SPE shelter to leverage available materials in the habitat as much as possible to minimize needed mass while reducing the effective radiation dose to either 50% or 70% levels. He compared four concepts: a deployable group shelter, a wearable shelter, a deployable individual shelter, and having individual crew quarters be the shelters. Each has its pro's and con's in terms of mass, usability, and gap potential to let SPE radiation in. In general, group shelters have lowest total mass but leave more holes for radiation to get by. Experience learned from terrestrial analogs such as bomb shelters shows that 1 cubic meter is the minimum volume per person needed for a shelter, but the optimal size is likely larger because you need to have some extra room to maintain work continuation if you plan on being in your shelter for long periods at a time. Shield materials need to have high hydrogen content to block SPE, but you'll probably not use potable water. Rather, he recommended making "trash bricks" of food and other waste products that you generate throughout the mission. They are testing some mockups of these shelter designs in facilities at NASA Langley.
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A highlight of ICES Day #2 was an engaging and very well-attended panel on "Future Directions in Human Space Exploration Beyond Low Earth Orbit". The six panelists presented their views on the major challenges and opportunities going forward from a variety of outlooks including government, commercial, and international. I won't summarize all of the panelists' talks, but Barry Finger of <a href="http://www.paragonsdc.com/">Paragon Space Development Corporation</a> (and the <a href="http://www.inspirationmars.org/">Inspiration Mars</a> Technical Lead) gave a great general overview of the landscape today, comparing Orion/SLS, Inspiration Mars, Mars One, ISS, Commercial Crew, Bigelow Aerospace, and suborbital players like Virgin Galactic and XCOR. He offered good advice to avoid "Analysis Paralysis": organize & allocate responsibility/authority, minimize stakeholders in decision pathway, freeze requirements early, make informed/vetted decisions and move on. The old adage, "better is the enemy of good enough" applies. From a technology development standpoint, Ed Hodgson spoke about how the key challenges we face to enable permanent exploration beyond LEO are robustness, reliability, and maintainability of the systems we will rely upon. Radiation impacts the trade space profoundly, and there are unanswered questions about whether regenerative and ISRU technologies can be made robust enough. Joshi Jitendra provided a carefully thought-out philosophical justification for having a <i>capabilities-driven framework</i> for more sustainable exploration rather than a destination-driven framework like Apollo. He lauded the example of the ISS as an example of international cooperation to achieve an unprecedented technical project that would have died if a single country had tried alone.
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The second half of the session was opened up to the floor for questions and discussion that dealt with the big picture of why we should explore other planets, how we can justify this to humanity, and how technical experts can better communicate such things to the general population. Panelist Ed Hodgson anchored this part of the conversation by providing eloquent answers to the tough questions naysayers might have about space exploration. For example, he mentioned how we are undertaking a global experiment with our planet's natural system with every building we build, car we drive, and decision we make. We only understand a small portion how the whole earth system works, and that is why such a vast experiment is so risky. <b>Going into space, we can control the variables of life support in a much more defined way, thus expanding our knowledge how closed life support systems work, gaining us a better grasp how such lessons might apply to our own spaceship Earth. Learning to live on Mars and becoming a multi-planetary species will double our data points for how planetary ecosystems function, allowing us to make more informed choices about how we handle our home planet.</b>
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The spacesuit session on Wednesday dealt with technologies to aid crew members with information during EVAs. The most exciting talk was by Richard Adams of <a href="http://www.barron-associates.com/">Barron Associates Incorporated</a>. Repeated research has shown that people prefer tactile over voice interfaces because it is more natural, intuitive, and enjoyable to interface computers. This makes sense because humans are wired to interact with their environment primarily through their hands (See "<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=sensory+homunculus&client=firefox-a&hs=2Nx&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=7UjzUeqIEsXUiwKx94C4DQ&ved=0CC0QsAQ&biw=1022&bih=759">motor/sensory homunculus</a>".). We can learn a lot from smartphone consumer devices, which have been developed and refined to be very competitive with hundreds of millions of users. All of these have some type of keyboard-like and mouse-like data entry features. Conventional EVA practice, however, has been to create devices with big buttons that could be used through bulky EVA gloves, which hamper functionality. However, Dr. Adams took a very novel approach to think of the gloves not as barriers to information interaction but rather as the platform for an information feedback device. With a NASA SBIR grant, he developed a finger and hand motion tracking system using integrated flexion sensors and vibrotactile actuators to provide <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haptic_technology">haptic feedback</a>, effectively turning EVA gloves into a USB mouse and keyboard. Finger motions are mapped to buttons using a velocity-based algorithm, allowing for the wearer to type in the air on a virtual keyboard or move a cursor. Trials with test users have resulted over 97% accuracy, making this technology seem very promising for future use.
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Also on the topic of human-computer interfaces, Daryl Schuck of <a href="http://honeywell.com">Honeywell</a> presented a prototype heads-mounted display (HMD) he had built and tested at <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/analogs/desertrats/">Desert RATS</a> in 2011. Comprised of a military dust goggle hooked up to the small PC mounted on the backpack frame, he developed the HMD to integrate with NASA's EVIS (EVA Information System), as well as compass, GPS, and camera information. The display is a small screen on the goggle close to the wearer's eye with a series of text menus with access to procedures, schedules, and other information. The crew member navigates the menus and selects options with a commercial-off-the-shelf Bluetooth remote control made by a ski glove manufacturer. It has 5 big buttons that can be pressed easily with most EVA suit gloves. They have future plans to integrate the HMD into the suit helmet and incorporate aspects of augmented reality, overlaying information on the user's actual field of view.
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Wednesday night featured the annual ICES banquet and awards ceremony, including an inspiring keynote by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taber_MacCallum">Taber MacCullum</a> of <a href="http://www.paragonsdc.com/">Paragon Space Development Corporation</a>. He talked about lessons he learned as a crew member in <a href="http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/04/biospheresci/">Biosphere 2</a> that led to the development of Paragon and a number of exciting projects, which now include <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Tito">Dennis Tito</a>'s Mars flyby mission <a href="http://www.inspirationmars.org/">Inspiration Mars</a>. Most of the keynote dealt with the life support technologies they must develop and the aeromedical factors they must overcome to pull off the ambitious Mars mission by 2018. During the banquet, <a href="http://www.asma.org/asma/media/asma/pdf-meetings/84th%20Annual%20Meeting%20-%20Chicago/J-Clark-2013-Bio.pdf">Dr. Jonathan Clark</a>, who leads the medical and crew selection efforts in Inspiration Mars, was awarded the <a href="http://www.aiaa.org/uploadedFiles/2013JeffriesAward.pdf">2013 AIAA Jeffries Aerospace Medicine and Life Sciences Research Award</a>. The dessert reception after the banquet was decadent with a chocolate fountain, marshmallow roasting, and many other treats.
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Another challenge of a Mars flyby mission is the long time delay between ground-crew communications, which will grow as the crew gets farther from Earth and shrink as they come home. NASA missions have traditionally been directed almost exclusively by Mission Control, but this becomes more impractical as communications delays enter the picture. For example, a little-known fact is that there were times during the Apollo missions when the crew would stop communicating with ground for a while and do their own thing because it was too frustrating trying to talk to them through the time delay. Jessica Marquez of the <a href="http://hci.arc.nasa.gov/">NASA Ames Human-Computer Interaction Group</a> at NASA Ames presented her team's work developing scheduling and planning tools used by both the mission control and crews on the ISS, which they have tested with time-delayed operations in analog field missions like <a href="http://www.pavilionlake.com/">Pavilion Lake</a>, <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NEEMO/">NEEMO</a>, and <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/analogs/desertrats/">Desert RATS</a> since 2010. They compared different software tools according to type of activity (routine, periodic, event-driving, mission-driven, etc.) and collaboration types (1 crew, crew-crew, crew-ground, ground-planning, etc.) and found that a calendar-like tool is the easiest to use and preferred over text editors, spreadsheets, and the like. Since we are all used to text messages these days, they also found that chat interfaces are most effective for maintaining asynchronous conversations between crew and ground, potentially changing the traditional model of having one CAPCOM that primarily interacts with crew since people can maintain separate discussion threads with different people at the same time.
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Steve Rader of NASA JSC presented a <a href="http://arc.aiaa.org/doi/pdf/10.2514/6.2013-3520">compilation study</a> comparing data on human-in-the-loop operations over time-delay at different NASA analog programs as well as real missions. They sent surveys to people invoked with the following missions that involved time delays of some sort: Apollo, JPL deep space robotic missions, ISS, NEEMO, Desert RATS, HMP on Devon Island, Pavilion Lake Research Project, Mars 500, Autonomous Mission Operations (AMO), and Deep Space Habitat (DSH). 5 out of 16 NEEMO missions had time delays; Desert RATS missions since 2009 have used them; at Mars 500, the comms delay would gradually grow and shrink throughout the mission. AMO was a very thorough scientific study of time-delayed mission operations, and DSH was a 10-day study with a crew of 4 over a 50-second delay. The surveys sent to representatives of these programs asked for different user perspectives ranging from behavior health and performance (BHP), science, mission control, crew, EVA, medical, CAPCOM, communications, data management, and education/public outreach. They asked questions related to how the missions handled data analysis, planning, telemetry, email, file transfer, web access, and other considerations. The survey broke down operational regimes as follows: emergency, EVA, contingency, troubleshooting, medical, maintenance, repair, personal crew, normal systems, science operations, health science, public affairs, and educational outreach. To varying degrees in all cases, it was noted that crew autonomy is really hard to implement, although it is necessary the longer the time delay gets. There was a fair degree of "cheating" in the simulations where the time delay wasn't always observed, especially for special events like high-risk operations and public outreach events. None of the analogs effectively limited bandwidth to a level expected for a real mission, and he would like to see analog studies imposing more severe bandwidth controls to have the that constraint come into play as well as the time delay. One way to enable this is through the use of the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/730.html">Disruption Tolerant Networking Protocol</a> (DTNP) as opposed to standard IP-based networking. Other recommendations were that there needs to be more research on the crew/ground split in autonomy, how extended delays affect humans (some interesting results came out of <a href="http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/Mars500">Mars 500</a>), how to handle EVA operations in the context of crew/ground autonomy, and the need to develop new tools to help like text messaging, voice transcription, heads-up displays, and a Tivo-like tool to record what the crew does and replay it back (on delay) to ground. Mr. Radar also described the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/979.html">ISS Test Bed for Analog Research</a> (ISTAR) program, which will simulate deep space missions in the analog environment of the ISS in the future.
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In another session on near-Earth asteroid simulations carried out at Desert RATS and NEEMO, Steven Chappell presented two talks on recent NEEMO missions. Due to the low gravity of such small bodies, astronauts can't just walk around very well. Instead, they will require some kind of anchor to aid them in their work and mobility. At NEEMO, they have tested jet packs and boom arm as alternate mobility techniques with a range of realistic tasks like soil sample collection and geophysical surveys. They did this with a 50-second communications delay and found that such a delay was acceptable for nominal communications, but crew/ground communication <i>completely broke down</i> during any simulated emergencies. The question how to handle contingency situations under telemetry delays is an open one, perhaps one that HI-SEAS can help address on one of its future missions.
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I was grateful to have the opportunity to attend the 2013 ICES meeting in beautiful Vail, CO. Thank you to Dr. Jean Hunter of Cornell University and Dr. Kim Binsted of the University of Hawaii, as well as the entire HI-SEAS crew for making it possible. On to Mars!
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BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-11990568920565956652013-06-28T15:58:00.000-10:002013-09-12T16:00:58.215-10:00Looking for Permafrost on Hawaii and Mars<i>Originally posted on 6/28/2013</i>
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Permafrost is frozen ground that forms where the subsurface mean annual temperature is colder than the freezing point of water. It should come as no surprise that permafrost underlies most of the Arctic and Antarctic regions on Earth. However, even close to the Equator, if you climb high enough in elevation, it will get cold enough for permafrost to form. The peaks of several mountains in tropical regions around the globe have permafrost, and one of them is in my backyard atop Mauna Kea, Hawaii. I went there last week to help conduct a geophysical field survey to study Hawaii's frozen feature and gain some insights about low latitude <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=8786">permafrost on Mars</a>.
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i7___guyn8M/Uc4hHfF-0sI/AAAAAAAACHQ/aMmnseuA4L0/s1600/PuuWekiu_Crater.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="338" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i7___guyn8M/Uc4hHfF-0sI/AAAAAAAACHQ/aMmnseuA4L0/s640/PuuWekiu_Crater.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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University of Hawaii meteorologist Dr. Alfred Woodcock first <a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1873&dat=19700323&id=25ceAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mcsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6210,5592185">discovered permafrost</a> on the north-facing slope of the Mauna Kea summit crater Pu'u Wekiu in 1969 (elevation 4,200 meters) and returned several times to study it throughout the early 1970's. He found that even though the mean annual air temperature was well above freezing, ground temperatures were low enough in the shadows of the crater wall slopes for ice to persist, likely due to local trapping of nocturnal cold air lakes. Through in situ borehole measurements and a small seismic refraction survey, he was able <a href="http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1550369?uid=3739632&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21102413883921">to determine</a> that the permafrost extended down about 10 meters beneath the tropical island volcano's tallest cinder cone crater.
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This finding was largely forgotten by the scientific community for 40 years until University of Hawaii astrophysicist <a href="http://www2.hawaii.edu/~norbert/">Dr. Norbert Schörghofer</a> started investigating the persistence of Hawaii permafrost as an analog to <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0019103512002771">subsurface ice on Mars</a> in 2009. With support from the <a href="https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/reports/annual-reports/2012/uh/permafrost-in-hawaii/">NASA Astrobiology Institute</a> and the State of Hawaii's <a href="http://www.malamamaunakea.org/">Office of Mauna Kea Management</a> (OMKM), he conducted a series of small pilot studies to deploy infrared cameras and image the diurnal temperature variations in several of the summit craters. Sure enough, the north-facing crater walls were colder than the surroundings and could harbor ice.
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Norbert teamed up with one of the world's foremost experts on permafrost <a href="http://ine.uaf.edu/werc/people/kenji-yoshikawa/">Dr. Kenji Yoshikawa</a> (aka: <a href="http://xpeditiononline.com/tunnelman.html">Tunnel Man</a>) from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where I was once an intern 15 years ago. Together, Norbert and Kenji deployed dataloggers to measure long-term air and regolith temperatures in several craters near the Mauna Kea summit. Their readings corroborated Woodcock's measurements of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapse_rate">lapse rate</a> (the way temperature decreases with depth), indicating that permafrost shouldn't exist on Mauna Kea below about 5,000 meters elevation at all. The fact that Woodcock discovered it at 4,200 meters points to the significance of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microclimate">microclimate effect</a> to enable permafrost to exist even in places where it normally wouldn't. Maybe such microclimate effects could also allow for <a href="http://www-geodyn.mit.edu/mitrofanov.grl07.pdf">stable water ice</a> to exist in shadowed craters on Mars permafrost on Mars as well.
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In January 2013, I entered the picture as a Ph.D. student looking for a project that combined planetary science with geophysical observations and field work. This opportunity fit my interests and background perfectly since it combines studying important environmental and astrobiological conditions on both Earth and Mars. I started working with Norbert to enhance the processing of his infrared imaging data and am happy to have now had the chance to apply my expertise in exploration geophysics to the project with our recent resistivity survey.
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<a name='more'></a>For the uninitiated, resistivity is a property of earth materials that characterizes how resistant it is to electrical current flow. It can easily be derived from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohm%27s_law">Ohm's Law</a>, and for a full description of the theory and application of resistivity, I refer you <a href="http://www.epa.gov/esd/cmb/GeophysicsWebsite/pages/reference/methods/Surface_Geophysical_Methods/Electrical_Methods/Resistivity_Methods.htm">here</a>. Previously, I have been involved with resistivity surveys as a student and teaching assistant in an <a href="http://epsc.wustl.edu/~epsc454/">Exploration and Environmental Geophysics course</a>, so I was very excited to apply that past experience to the problem of characterizing permafrost in Mauna Kea's Pu'u Wekiu crater during a three days of field work last week.
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<b>Day 1:</b>
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Norbert, Kenji, and I arrived on the Island of Hawaii and headed over to the <a href="http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/ifa2/hilo/">Institute for Astronomy's Hilo facility</a> to test the field equipment, review the survey plan, and meet with <a href="http://www.malamamaunakea.org/">OMKM</a> officials to ensure our activities would minimize environmental and cultural impacts on the mountain. We ended up spending a lot of time in the office downloading software and testing cabling to ensure we could retrieve data from the <a href="http://www.iris-instruments.com/Pdf%20file/R1Plus_48_Gb.pdf">Syscal R1 Plus resistivity-measuring device</a>. Once we were satisfied it all worked, we loaded the truck and headed up to the <a href="http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/mkss/operations.html">Hale Pōhaku facility</a>, which was our home for the next two days and nights. This was my third time working from the astronomer dormitory site, after having been there in <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2012/07/roving-for-resources-on-analog-moon.html">July 2012 with PISCES</a> and <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2013/04/orientation-to-hi-seas.html">April 2013 with HI-SEAS</a>.
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<b>Day 2:</b>
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With an ambitious schedule to keep, we got up bright and early to eat breakfast at 6:00am and head to the summit, where we unloaded the equipment and hauled it by foot to the crater floor near the area where Woodcock had discovered permafrost. Norbert and I set up the infrared camera (which had been expertly built by postdoc <a href="http://hsfl.hawaii.edu/~brendan/">Brendan Hermalyn</a>), while Kenji looked for the dataloggers he had left in the crater previously.
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By about 8:30am, we were ready to begin the resistivity survey. This involved laying out a long cable with probes ever 5 meters and connecting them to the Syscal device. We opted to start with a north-south profile extending from the crater floor up to the rim along the line of borehole measurements Woodcock had taken in the 1970's. We were beginning to collect data by around 10:00am when we were joined by two undergraduate interns, who assisted for the rest of the day. They helped us lay out a second profile perpendicular the first across the crater wall and re-configure the first profile to have a 2.5-meter spacing for higher resolution measurements. It was an exhausting day working in the low-oxygen conditions of 4,200 meters elevation. We returned back to Hale Pōhaku about 6:00pm to eat dinner and review the data.
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<b>Day 3:</b>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WeV3r0VzrvY/UjJv_gB_1UI/AAAAAAAACOE/QjRUsEourgc/s1600/PuuWekiu_resistivity_survey_June2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 3em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WeV3r0VzrvY/UjJv_gB_1UI/AAAAAAAACOE/QjRUsEourgc/s320/PuuWekiu_resistivity_survey_June2013.jpg" width="280" /></a>The data indicated some artifacts likely produced by a few probes that weren't coupling well to the ground. To rule out a possible equipment problem, we opted to take measurements from both ends of resistivity profile lines to see if the bad data points showed up in both configurations. That meant another early day on the mountain. This time, we had eaten and gotten to the site by 7:30am. Kenji started taking more resistivity readings, while Norbert and I set up a third survey line perpendicular to our main one and higher on the crater wall. When the data didn't look very promising, I volunteered to hike back to the truck to retrieve the heavy 75 Amp-hour deep cycle battery in case it could supply more power to aid our survey. It ended up not making much of a difference, but at least I got a good workout carrying the 60-pound mass up and down the crater rim! In the end, we collected both Wenner and Schlumberger array data for three profile lines in the study area.
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Our goal is to determine whether permafrost still exists on the summit of Mauna Kea, as it can teach us about how this area's climate continues to change in the wake of the <a href="http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch/archive/2007/07_10_18.html">last ice age</a>. It can also shed some light on the question whether permafrost could exist in low latitude regions on Mars too, raising tantalizing questions on habitability for life there. With today's warming climate and nearby <a href="http://www.hawaii247.com/2012/09/14/volcano-watch-lake-waiau-is-part-of-mauna-keas-glacial-past/">Lake Waiau drying up</a>, it would not come as a surprise to find that the permafrost on Mauna Kea has shrunk or even melted away compared with what Woodcock discovered more than a generation ago. So far, we have not detected definite signs of permafrost in our brief review of the resistivity data, but I am optimistic that we will be able to draw some useful conclusions upon further analysis. The project is funded for three years, so there will be other field excursions to report in the future.
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<br />BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com1Mauna Kea, Hawaii, USA19.8236111 -155.47083329999998-5.6984233999999994 163.22057270000002 45.3456456 -114.16223929999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-30526257411561395762013-06-17T15:26:00.002-10:002013-06-17T18:42:35.286-10:00NASA Selects 2013 Astronaut CandidatesNASA announced the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/2013astroclass.html">2013 Class of Astronaut Candidates</a> (ASCAN's) today. I want to extend a hearty congratulations to them all and wish them well in the intensive training that lies ahead. Without further ado, I present NASA's newest ASCAN's:
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<b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/2013_cassada.html">Josh A. Cassada, Ph. D.</a></b>, 39, is originally from White Bear Lake, Minn. Cassada is a former naval aviator who holds an undergraduate degree from Albion College, and advanced degrees from the University of Rochester, N.Y. Cassada is a physicist by training and currently is serving as co-founder and Chief Technology Officer for Quantum Opus.
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<b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/2013_glover.html">Victor J. Glover</a></b>, 37, Lt. Commander, U.S. Navy, hails from Pomona, Calif., and Prosper, Texas. He is an F/A-18 pilot and graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School. Glover holds degrees from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Calif.; Air University and Naval Postgraduate School. He currently is serving as a Navy Legislative Fellow in the U.S. Congress.
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<b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/2013_hague.html">Tyler N. Hague</a></b> (Nick), 37, Lt. Colonel, U.S. Air Force, calls Hoxie, Kan., home. He is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards, Calif. Hague currently is supporting the Department of Defense as Deputy Chief of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization.
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<a href="http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/2013_hammock.html"><b>Christina M. Hammock</b></a>, 34, calls Jacksonville, N.C. home. Hammock holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C. She currently is serving as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Station Chief in American Samoa.
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<a href="http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/2013_mann.html"><b>Nicole Aunapu Mann</b></a>, 35, Major, U.S. Marine Corps, originally is from Penngrove, Calif. She is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Stanford (Calif.) University and the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, Patuxent River, Md. Mann is an F/A 18 pilot, currently serving as an Integrated Product Team Lead at the U.S. Naval Air Station, Patuxent River.
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<a href="http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/2013_mcclain.html"><b>Anne C. McClain</b></a>, 34, Major, U.S. Army, lists her hometown as Spokane, Wash. She is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.; the University of Bath and the University of Bristol, both in the United Kingdom. McClain is an OH-58 helicopter pilot, and a recent graduate of U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at Naval Air Station, Patuxent River.
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<a href="http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/2013_meir.html"><b>Jessica U. Meir, Ph.D.</b></a>, 35 is from Caribou, Maine. She is a graduate of Brown University, has an advanced degree from the International Space University, and earned her doctorate from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Meir currently is an Assistant Professor of Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.
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<a href="http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/2013_morgan.html"><b>Andrew R. Morgan, M.D.</b></a>, 37, Major, U.S. Army, considers New Castle, Pa., home. Morgan is a graduate of The U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and earned doctorate in medicine from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Md. He has experience as an emergency physician and flight surgeon for the Army special operations community, and currently is completing a sports medicine fellowship. </blockquote>
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<a name='more'></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KOF0yr0rM_c/Ub-5iZ0Z-0I/AAAAAAAACFo/gCXOPLR2Thg/s1600/NASA_ASCAN_2013_2009_comparison.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="341" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KOF0yr0rM_c/Ub-5iZ0Z-0I/AAAAAAAACFo/gCXOPLR2Thg/s400/NASA_ASCAN_2013_2009_comparison.png" width="400" /></a>Drawing from a huge applicant pool of <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2013/02/to-infinity-and-beyond.html">6,372 total applicants</a>, NASA could afford to be very selective as it narrowed the applicants down to only 8 people (the top 0.13%). From what I have learned, the medical screenings for this class were much more stringent than for previous classes due to the anticipated long-duration missions that lie ahead. These individuals all have impressive backgrounds, and I am sure they will be valuable additions to the NASA astronaut corps. All are SCUBA divers and have experience working in remote, harsh environments. Seven are pilots, and six of them come from the military, which is probably an indication of NASA's emphasis on test flight operations for new space vehicles. It is interesting how tightly but separately clustered in age the men and women are, with respective averages of 37.5 and 34.5. The age range was much wider in the <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2009/06/nasas-2009-astronaut-candidate-class.html">2009 ASCAN class</a>. The chart shown here compares the selectivity at each stage of the process for the 2008-09 and 2012-13 selection campaigns (<a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2013/02/to-infinity-and-beyond.html">data in table form here</a>).
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I personally find it exciting that the resumes for the two non-military selectees share elements with my own background, including field work in Antarctica (Hammock and Meir), graduating from <a href="http://www.isunet.edu/">ISU</a> (Meir), and working for <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">NOAA</a> (Hammock). Hammock is an engineer with the <a href="http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/">NOAA Earth Systems Research Laboratory</a> (ESRL) and is currently on rotation at the <a href="http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/obop/smo/">American Samoa Observatory</a>. There is a great interview with her about her selection at <a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/06/17/2971211/nc-scientist-lands-astronaut-dream.html">newsobserver.com</a>. In my capacity in NOAA, I have worked with the ESRL's <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2010/01/mauna-loa-observatory.html">Mauna Loa Observatory</a>, and a few years ago, I actually applied for the very job Hammock has now in an attempt to move laterally within NOAA and broaden my experiences. Her selection encourages me that I am on the right track. <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2008/11/update-i-made-it-to-highly-qualified.html">In 2008</a>, I was honored to make it to the Highly Qualified group in the <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2008/09/nasas-2009-astronaut-class-selection.html">top 3-13% of applicants</a>. Likewise <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2012/09/one-small-step-for-man.html">in 2012</a>, I once again made it to the Highly Qualified round of selection in the <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2013/02/to-infinity-and-beyond.html">more competitive top 2-8% of applicants</a>. Let's hope that third time's a charm the next time NASA issues a call for astronauts.
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I recommend watching the following two videos associated with today's news from NASA. First, <a href="http://youtu.be/OxXi1xfdhr4">NASA Administrator Charles Bolden</a> congratulated the new ASCAN's, praising their achievements and commitment to exploration. He emphasized how they will likely have opportunities to fly on new commercial space vehicles, as well as ones NASA is developing. Bolden's message overlays visual concepts of these future missions, as well as some of the astronaut candidate selection screening activities at JSC. If you look carefully, you'll even notice an <a href="http://www.astronauts4hire.org/">A4H</a> member undergoing some testing during his interview at NASA.
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"This new class will be among those who will have the opportunity to plan and carry out these exciting missions [to an asteroid in the 2020's and Mars in the 2030's], strengthening our nation's leadership in space and pushing the boundaries of exploration." - Charles Bolden</blockquote>
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Second, for a personal introduction to NASA's newest ASCAN's and a glimpse into the process that chose them, I highly recommend you check out the informative and engaging hour-long <a href="https://plus.google.com/events/c8a2avfh6fitto9k4sgb8d5lvjg">Google+ Hangout</a> that NASA held earlier today. It featured in-depth biographies and photo slideshows for each of the new ASCAN's (from 4-14 minutes) and a discussion about ASCAN selection and training with <a href="http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/kavandi.html">Janet Kavandi</a>, <a href="http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/ochoa.html">Ellen Ochoa</a>, and other experienced astronauts. Interested citizens asked questions of the panel in a number of areas. One piece of information that surfaced is that NASA currently has 48 active astronauts today, squarely within their target corps size of 45-55 astronauts. Thus, the attrition rate will likely dictate when the next selection opportunity arises. The aspect of the video that I liked the most was the montage of candid video reactions from the new ASCAN's themselves between 24-32 minutes in the sequence. Astronauts <a href="http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/cassidy-cj.html">Chris Cassidy</a> and <a href="http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/nyberg-kl.html">Karen Nyberg</a> offered their advice to the new ASCAN's their from orbital perch on the ISS during 38-43 minutes in the video sequence. If you missed catching the Hangout live, you can watch the <a href="http://youtu.be/WICeFHvFaaE">archived video</a> below.
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"It probably seems like it's a long ways away until you fly in space... All the training, all the hard work is worth it. It's a fantastic place to work at NASA. Welcome to the NASA family!" - Chris Cassidy</blockquote>
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I find it refreshing that some of NASA's astronaut selection process is seeping into the social media arena. If the Google+ Hangout video is too long for you, check out the 7-minute <a href="http://youtu.be/Aj6HTM33pBY">Space Station Live video</a> congratulating the new ASCAN's from ISS Mission Control.
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The new Astronaut Candidates will move to Houston and begin their training in August 2013. I wish them all the best in this exciting new chapter of their lives!
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<br />BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-63927426002225597822013-06-07T16:26:00.000-10:002013-07-16T18:43:48.958-10:00Launching Research at NSRC 2013The <a href="http://nsrc.swri.org/">2013 Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference</a> (NSRC) took place earlier this week in Broomfield, Colorado. This year's suborbital science meeting had some big shoes to fill after featuring <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2012/03/one-small-step-for-suborbital.html">a keynote by Neil Armstrong last year</a>, but it did not disappoint. NASA's Deputy Administrator Lori Garver surprised everyone by stating the space agency may start funding researchers to fly with their spaceflight experiments, as this <a href="http://www.spacenews.com/article/civil-space/35662nasa-willing-to-fund-flights-of-suborbital-researchers"><i>Space News</i> article by Jeff Foust</a> so eloquently summarized:
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"NASA officials said this week that, for the first time, they are open to funding flights of people, and not just experiments, on commercial human suborbital launch vehicles expected to enter service as early as next year."</blockquote>
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For over a year, my colleague in <a href="http://www.astronauts4hire.org/">Astronauts4Hire</a> has been navigating the tricky policy ground between NASA's desire to accelerate the commercial human spaceflight industry with its conservative need to minimize liability to achieve research results. Thanks to pioneers like him tackling <a href="http://www.projectpossum.org/">highly relevant research questions</a> in a very reputable, managed way, NASA seems to be softening its view to fly people as well as payloads. The era of commercial suborbital payload specialists may just be dawning.
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6E7YKcGa-EA/UbKUUtrZwvI/AAAAAAAACEk/IjeBVMQhbUA/s1600/NSRC2013_XCOR_Lynx_rainbow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6E7YKcGa-EA/UbKUUtrZwvI/AAAAAAAACEk/IjeBVMQhbUA/s320/NSRC2013_XCOR_Lynx_rainbow.jpg" /></a>As for me, I was all set to go to NSRC, as well as the <a href="http://commercialspace.pbworks.com/w/page/65105451/ESIL-04">Emerging Space Industry Leaders Workshop</a> that preceded it. My presentation was ready, my bag was packed, and I was at the airport waiting to depart. Unfortunately, fate intervened, forcing me to make a difficult decision at the last minute. I stayed home and settled for following the conference from afar via <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NSRC2013&src=savs">Twitter</a> and reports from my colleagues who were there instead. One of the most unique aspect of this year's NSRC that I regret missing was seeing the full-scale <a href="http://www.xcor.com/products/vehicles/lynx_suborbital.html">XCOR Lynx</a> mockup up close and personal. Here's a great photo of it with a double rainbow (credit: <a href="http://www.xcor.com/">XCOR Aerospace</a>).
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Even though I couldn't be there in person, I was there in spirit. Fellow Astronauts4Hire flight members presented my <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/145537648/NSRC-2013-Poster">poster</a> for me and accepted a <a href="http://www.boulder.swri.edu/NSRC2012/SARG/Ambassadors.html">SARG Ambassadors</a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=4985203&type=member&item=246491871&commentID=141910882&report.success=8ULbKyXO6NDvmoK7o030UNOYGZKrvdhBhypZ_w8EpQrrQI-BBjkmxwkEOwBjLE28YyDIxcyEO7_TA_giuRN">award for exemplary service</a> on my behalf. They had some great hallway discussions with people and filled me in on what I was missing. My poster conveyed the three main pathways Astronauts4Hire can use to enable suborbital research. Check it out below:
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<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/145537648/NSRC-2013-Poster" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View NSRC 2013 Poster on Scribd">NSRC 2013 Poster</a> by <a href="http://www.scribd.com/brianshiro" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Brian Shiro's profile on Scribd">Brian Shiro</a></div>
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While NSRC was going on, I also returned to <i><a href="http://www.thespaceshow.com/">The Space Show</a></i> as Dr. Livingston's guest. During our <a href="http://www.thespaceshow.com/detail.asp?q=2022">90-minute conversation</a>, we discussed Astronauts4Hire, NSRC, and my job at NOAA. This was my <a href="http://www.thespaceshow.com/guest.asp?q=704">fifth time</a> on the popular radio show and podcast. If you didn't catch the show live, you can listen to the <a href="http://archive.thespaceshow.com/shows/2022-BWB-2013-06-03.mp3">archived mp3 version</a> or click below to listen to it from the convenience of this blog.
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Hearing that NSRC 2014 will once again be in Colorado, I am determined not to miss the next one, especially since it will be in the winter when I can hopefully dust off my skiing skills.
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PS: Word on the street is that NASA will announce the 2013 ASCAN class next week. Stay tuned!
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<br />BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-79049750809966885612013-04-19T02:46:00.001-10:002015-12-13T22:13:12.867-10:00Insider tips on NASA's astronaut selection<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While NASA wraps up interviewing the second group of finalists to determine its 2013 class of ASCANs, the head of the <a href="http://astronauts.nasa.gov/">NASA Astronaut Selection Office</a> Duane Ross gave an illuminating presentation at JSC last Thursday about the selection process. He covered questions ranging from academic degrees to interview questions, medical screening, and Russian language requirements. <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/peter-dimmick/48/459/435">Pete Dimmick</a> was among those present in the audience. Here are his notes from the event, reprinted with permission:
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Today I attended a lecture by Duane Ross and his protege, Anne Roemer. Duane has been the head of the astronaut selection process for 37 years and I had a few minutes to speak with them after the lecture was over.
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Here is what I found out about becoming an astronaut. I won't discuss so much the published requirements, rather I'll be focusing more on the insider things.
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There have been 257 NASA astronauts over the years and an applicant has a 0.6% chance of being selected. Of those non-pilots selected out of civilian life 38.9% had completed a Masters degree and 38.3% had a PhD. Of the pilots selected 52% had a Master's and 43% had only a Bachelor's. In total, nearly half of the astronauts selected had a Master's degree (45.2%). Basically its a myth that you need a PhD to stand a chance of being selected. If you have a non-technical bachelors degree that would otherwise disqualify you, a higher lever degree in a desired field outweighs that.
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The process is divided up into 5 steps:
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<li>Review of basic qualifications.</li>
<li>Candidates are given an initial rating of "qualified" or "highly qualified" and sorted into similar groups based on background and skill set. This is to prevent apples to oranges comparisons with fighter pilots being compared to teachers.</li>
<li>Candidates are rated and ranked within their grouping.</li>
<li>Interviews and medical checks are begun for a period of 5 weeks - everyday, all day. More on this later.</li>
<li>Final selection is made.</li>
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Once selected, candidates have several months to relocate to Houston. Becoming flight certified takes 2 further years of training at which point you qualify for 3 years mission specific training. The current group, which is half way though the interview and medical process, was told not to expect anything more than trips to the ISS (yet), and that that it would take about 8 years before their first flight.
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The interviews are to answer the basic question of "would I want to go to space with this person?" They also aren't looking for hyper focused individuals. They want people who can do a little bit of everything. Things they consider are:
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<li>Why do you want to be an astronaut? Is it a passion or just because you think it would be fun?</li>
<li>Can you fix things? Can you fix a car or a computer?</li>
<li>How well do you communicate?</li>
<li>How well do you cope with others and respond to change?</li>
<li>Would this person be a good representative of NASA?</li>
<li>Does this candidate have a personality that is too intense?</li>
<li>Are you a team player?</li>
<li>Who are you as a person?</li>
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Furthermore your qualifications must be met by the time the application process closes, rather than by the time your application is reviewed (They are all reviewed by people, there is no automatic system that looks for key words.). If you're anticipating getting a pilot's license, new degree, or a certain number of years work experience, it must be finished by the application due date.
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The interviews are conducted by a panel of astronauts who in turn make the recommendations of who should be selected. These recommendations are then approved by the JSC administrator and passed along to the NASA administrator for final approval.
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Here's where it gets spicy. While the basic requirements for consideration have been loosened, the medical requirements have not. It was implied that they are nearly as stringent as they were for Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. This is because they are planning for long duration flights and need people in utmost physical condition. They are much more difficult to pass than they were for Shuttle.
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Things they examine include: physical measurements of just about everything, eye examinations, dental examinations, MRIs, stringent heart and cardiovascular checkups, and the VO2 max stress test. There is no age limit, and if you can pass you're good to go, but chances of passing do decrease with age. In the past they've selected people from ages 23 to 46. They also need to consider that they will get more use out of a younger astronaut.
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However certain things will disqualify you immediately. Kidney stones are an instant no-go, even if you've only had one once.
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Eyes however are a different story. If your vision is no worse than 20/400 and correctable to 20/20 you can be considered. If your vision is no worse than 20/800 and LASIK can put you into the "20/400 correctable to 20/20" category then you are also good go. (I don't want anyone running out and getting LASIK because of this without doing their own research FIRST. Your eyes are not my liability.). This assumes of course that there is nothing else wrong with them, and that you just simply need glasses because things are fuzzy to you. 2 years must have passed since the surgery to qualify.
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As a side note, be aware that the effect on a person's eyes due to long duration spaceflight are very serious and don't always recover when you get back home.
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There is much much much more to the medical side of things but Duane and Ann aren't involved in that. According to them its almost an entirely separate selection process. I have the contact information for the people who are involved on that side of things, but I'm not going to contact them until they are finished with the current group of Astronaut Candidates.
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This brings me to my next point - Astronaut Candidates are not guaranteed a selection. What surprised me the most was that during your time as an AsCan if you cannot learn Russian to an "intermediate-low" fluency, you're disqualified. From experience I can tell you that Russian is not an easy language, so get started on that now if you're serious.
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Lastly, the question was asked about how many applicants were internal to NASA. Surprisingly there were only a few hundred out of the 6200 total and 4500 qualified people who applied. Most of them came from the Mission Operations Directorate (mission control, where I work), Engineering, and the Space Life Sciences division.
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I hope this helps, and once the current selection process if finished, I might be able to relay specific questions you all have. They do not know when the next selection process will be, but they anticipate it won't be soon, so if there is anything you need to work on, get started on it now while you have the time.
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-Pete</blockquote>
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BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com50tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-61529673105735481842013-04-15T12:21:00.000-10:002014-07-27T21:21:23.726-10:00Orientation to HI-SEASWhat would you do in your last week on Earth before embarking on an extended voyage to Mars? You would probably spend it taking care of last minute packing, studying up on your destination, eating good meals, and enjoying your remaining time with family and friends. That’s exactly what the crew of the 2013 HI-SEAS mission did during the past week, which I had privilege of sharing with them. Today they locked themselves away in a remote habitat on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauna_Loa">Mauna Loa</a> to simulate a four-month stay on Mars.
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As I’ve mentioned <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2012/07/roving-for-resources-on-analog-moon.html">before</a>, HI-SEAS stands for <a href="http://hi-seas.org/">Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation</a>. That mouthful just means that Hawaii offers an environment analogous to that found on Mars or the Moon. HI-SEAS is the brainchild of fellow Hawaii resident and <a href="http://fmars.marssociety.org/">FMARS</a>+<a href="http://mdrs.marssociety.org/">MDRS</a> alumnus, <a href="http://www2.hawaii.edu/~binsted/">Dr. Kim Binsted</a>. On her 2007 FMARS mission in the Arctic, she became interested in questions surrounding the culinary and psychological aspects of locking a crew away for months at a time. Teaming up with Cornell University researcher <a href="http://bee.cornell.edu/people/profile-hunter.cfm">Dr. Jean Hunter</a>, they have carried out a food study with <a href="http://mdrs.marssociety.org/">MDRS</a> crews for the past five years. With the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/offices/NHHPC/projects/archived_collaborations.html">NASA-funded</a> HI-SEAS mission, they are taking this to a new level of fidelity by rigorously testing two alternating food regimes of ready-to-eat packaged foods versus food the crew can cook from shelf-stable ingredients available in their habitat. You can learn all about the mission in this <a href="http://youtu.be/-mRvhhmMc7g">video:</a>
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It takes a team of people to get a project like this off the ground. From the construction crew who designed and built the habitat (which is a marvel of engineering) to the mission support volunteers who will be there every day to help the crew with their needs, at least 50 people are involved with the project in some fashion. In my role as Mission Support Manager, I coordinate the recruitment, scheduling, and organizing of the mission support team, who act as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsule_communicator#Capsule_Communicator_.28CAPCOM.29">CAPCOMs</a> on three shifts per day from their homes around the world. Having been a crewmember on similar analog missions to <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2006/12/fmars.html">FMARS in 2009</a> and <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2006/12/mdrs.html">MDRS in 2010</a>, I have a good idea what the crew is going through and am happy for the challenge of applying my past experience to this new mission.
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So, let’s get back to my original question. Here is how the crew’s final week on “Earth” went:<br />
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<b>Monday:</b> The crew assembled in Hilo, Hawaii.
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<b>Tuesday:</b> In the morning, the crew had an initial spacesuit fitting, followed by a team briefing to identify the status of various mission elements. Later in the afternoon, we were treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of the <a href="http://www.imiloahawaii.org/">'Imiloa Astronomy Center</a>, which provided historical context on the Native Hawaiian cosmological worldview, linking Polynesisan seafaring navigation with astronomy and planetary exploration.
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<b>Wednesday:</b> Since the crew will be living in a remote mountainside habitat for 120 days, it is important they have a strong connection to the land and appreciation for the surrounding environment. We spent the day volunteering with the <a href="http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/rain/Volunteer-at-Mauna-Kea-Forest-Restoration-Project">Mauna Kea Forest Restoration Project</a> in the Ka'ohe Restoration Area planting 500 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophora_chrysophylla">māmane tree</a> seedlings to help restore the native habitat for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palila">palila bird</a> and other animals. We even went birdwatching and found three of the rare Hawaiian finch-billed honeycreepers enjoying life in a mature māmane tree. After a day of rewarding physical labor, we stopped by <a href="http://www.hawaiiweb.com/hawaii/kaumana-cave-hawaii-the-big-island.html">Kaumana Cave</a> to explore the lava tube and the subterranean habitat it supports. These activities helped connect us to the local ecology, which is particularly critical when living off the land like pioneers on Mars will do someday. You can see a group shot of us on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=584798121545438&set=pb.129441313747790.-2207520000.1366145729&type=3&src=https%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash3%2F534897_584798121545438_666960370_n.jpg&size=960%2C717">MKFRP's Facebook page</a> and some action shots below.
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EW54MHwj0aw/UW26ojxryXI/AAAAAAAACAw/K3HKJS1AhnQ/s1600/HI-SEAS_planting.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EW54MHwj0aw/UW26ojxryXI/AAAAAAAACAw/K3HKJS1AhnQ/s320/HI-SEAS_planting.jpg" width="280" /></a> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fXa3qQnVv3A/UW26p_re-iI/AAAAAAAACA4/3Xjite3VOXE/s1600/HI-SEAS_birdwatching.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fXa3qQnVv3A/UW26p_re-iI/AAAAAAAACA4/3Xjite3VOXE/s320/HI-SEAS_birdwatching.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
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<b>Thursday:</b>
Mauna Kea also hosts some of the world's most important astronomical observatories, but the construction of these facilities has been controversial in the past with the native Hawaiian community due to the mountain's sacred importance to their culture. From the beginning, the HI-SEAS project has worked with local cultural practitioners to engage the Hawaiian community with the HI-SEAS project. We visited a group of <a href="http://hannelorevonier.posterous.com/the-meaning-of-hawaiian-word-kapuna">Kapuna</a> (elders) to introduce ourselves and tell them about the project. They had some great questions, and afterward, they formed a large circle around us and gave us a blessing of success in the project and in our lives. After many hugs and kisses all around, we were about to leave when they invited us back inside for an impromptu hulu dance from an elderly woman and man. Their warm spirit and vibrancy was contagious as they danced for us and even pulled some of us forward to dance with them (including me!). We had originally planned to visit a local native Hawaiian school on Thursday as well, but the appointment didn't work out, so we spent the remainder of the day shopping and preparing further for the mission. One of the project's key supporters <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henk_Rogers">Henk Rogers</a> then invited us, along with the entire habitat construction team, over to his ranch for a barbeque that evening. The photos below show us enjoying a hula dance and posing with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kimo.pihana">Kimo Pihana</a> after he blessed the crew near the Saddle Rd between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa.
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3vhXmJfOtRI/UW29k9y1xNI/AAAAAAAACBA/zDexhpTCJ0o/s1600/HI-SEAS_hula.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" height="211" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3vhXmJfOtRI/UW29k9y1xNI/AAAAAAAACBA/zDexhpTCJ0o/s320/HI-SEAS_hula.jpg" width="280" /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hiTOtpnkvx4/UW29m7PkZEI/AAAAAAAACBI/EJQNolqHE1Y/s1600/HI-SEAS_blessing.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" height="211" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hiTOtpnkvx4/UW29m7PkZEI/AAAAAAAACBI/EJQNolqHE1Y/s320/HI-SEAS_blessing.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
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<b>Friday:</b> The HI-SEAS habitat building is a geodesic dome with all the comforts of home: an airlock, a kitchen, work/lab space, storage space, and six small quarters for each crewmember. It is outfitted with dozens of sensors controlled by an intelligent monitoring and control system. The structure is aware of CO<sub>2</sub> levels, temperature, water, weather, etc. and adjusts vents accordingly. The crew can monitor and control this from a computer terminal that was modeled after and installed by the <a href="http://www.hpa.edu/">Hawai'i Preparatory Academy</a>'s <a href="http://www.hpa.edu/academics/energy-lab">Energy Lab</a>. We spent the morning at HPA learning about the Energy Lab and the excellent educational opportunities it offers for the school's students. Then, we headed to Mauna Kea for lunch and a further cultural orientation from <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/koa-rice/51/1b5/779">Koa Rice</a> at <a href="http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/mkss/">Hale Pohaku</a> before driving to the summit for a special tour of the <a href="http://www.gemini.edu/">Gemini Observatory</a> facility. We concluded the day watching the sun set from one of the most majestic places on Earth before descending back to Hilo to celebrate <a href="https://mcc.yurisnight.net/parties/2110-yuri-s-night-in-hilo">Yuri's Night</a>.
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kds-g8n3lIU/UW3KsoHY-GI/AAAAAAAACBY/IgRhodVAcf0/s1600/HI-SEAS_Gemini_outside_Brian.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" height="211" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kds-g8n3lIU/UW3KsoHY-GI/AAAAAAAACBY/IgRhodVAcf0/s320/HI-SEAS_Gemini_outside_Brian.jpg" width="280" /></a> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tOAW6453dV0/UW3LHM4nEjI/AAAAAAAACBg/sIQ9ijz6SvQ/s1600/HI-SEAS_MaunaKea_sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" height="211" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tOAW6453dV0/UW3LHM4nEjI/AAAAAAAACBg/sIQ9ijz6SvQ/s320/HI-SEAS_MaunaKea_sunset.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
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<b>Saturday:</b> After a telecon to organize the mission support volunteers, the HI-SEAS <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/ltc-joseph-d-angelo-md/51/967/5b3">doctor</a> stopped by for a house call to brief the crew on medical procedures and interview them individually on any medical concerns they may have. Then, I took my leave to fly back home, leaving the crew to sort out their final spacesuit fitting and preparations. In case you're curious, their mock spacesuits are modified hazmat suits that look like <a href="http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/DUPONT-Encapsulated-Suit-3WJP4?gclid=CMbKrLyb0LYCFXN0MgodDg0AsA&cm_mmc=PPC:GooglePLA-_-Safety-_-Disposable%20and%20Chemical%20Resistant%20Clothing-_-3WJP4&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=3WJP4&ef_id=ULHEiAAABJyK@Sbh:20130416221612:s">this</a>. Maybe Mars is populated by little green men after all!
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<b>Sunday-Monday:</b> The crew spent their last days on Earth resting, <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/fieldnotes/2013/04/12/mars-on-earth/#.UW2xTYLR3Ag">blogging</a>, packing, and otherwise getting their affairs in order before being sequestered in a small habitat for four months. They "landed" on Mars in darkness this evening simulate arriving on the Martian surface without firsthand knowledge of the local terrain.
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zN_oGjAV-XM/UW26KrBB6lI/AAAAAAAACAo/QirR46q8uC4/s1600/HI-SEAS_patch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zN_oGjAV-XM/UW26KrBB6lI/AAAAAAAACAo/QirR46q8uC4/s320/HI-SEAS_patch.jpg" width="300" height="305" /></a>By spending the week with the crew during their orientation period prior to the mission, I was able to get to know them so that I can better anticipate their needs and serve them on the mission. Likewise, they got to know me as well. This helps to build the trust, respect, and friendship that help make these types of missions a success. The <a href="http://hi-seas.org/?cat=34">six crewmembers</a> were chosen from about 700 applicants and represent some of the most competent, good-natured people I’ve ever had the pleasure of sharing company. Not only will they carry out the food study, carefully documenting and weighing their daily gastronic intake, they will also perform a number of other research projects in areas such as robotics, exercise, sleep patterns, biology, geology, and outreach. Like any good analog mission, crewmembers will embark on frequent EVA excursions in mock spacesuits to explore their surroundings and conduct field research activities.
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You can follow their adventures at <a href="http://hi-seas.org/">hi-seas.org</a>.
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<br />BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com1Hilo, HI, USA19.7297222 -155.0900000000000319.6101157 -155.25136150000003 19.8493287 -154.92863850000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-65691662651910725802013-03-04T22:10:00.000-10:002013-03-04T22:25:49.121-10:00Your Overview Effect<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b8If420FNNE/USfayJdKRlI/AAAAAAAAB9I/QyV-HKGS26U/s1600/Earth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b8If420FNNE/USfayJdKRlI/AAAAAAAAB9I/QyV-HKGS26U/s320/Earth.jpg" width="260" height="260" /></a>As the <a href="http://www.spacex.com/">SpaceX</a> Dragon soared over the Earth again this week, I found myself pondering what its future human passengers will experience when they view our planet from such a vantage point. It is well-known that the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overview_effect">Overview Effect</a> profoundly affects many astronauts. Seeing the Earth from space tends to engender a deep sense of interconnectedness and purposefulness that transforms astronauts in fundamental ways. To date, only <a href="534">534</a> people in the sum of human history have had this sobering psychosocial privilege, but that figure is poised to change dramatically in the coming years as commercial space companies take off. Once thousands of people have experienced the Overview Effect, what will the ripple effect be in society?
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A video called "<a href="http://vimeo.com/55073825">OVERVIEW</a>" has been making waves on the internet for the past three months to commemorate the <a href="http://boingboing.net/2012/12/07/40th-anniversary-of-the-blue-m.html">40th anniversary of the famous "Blue Marble" photo</a>. I was overcome with emotion the first time I saw the film, which I appreciate more with each viewing. If you've not yet made it into the 62 mile club, this 19-minute video is the next best thing. Watch at full screen and try to experience your own personal Overview Effect:
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<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="251" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/55073825?autoplay=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="590"></iframe></center>
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<a name='more'></a>Produced by <a href="http://www.planetarycollective.com/">Planetary Collective</a> in cooperation with the <a href="overviewinstitute.org">Overview Institute</a>, the film features stunning footage of the Earth from space along with an original music score that accompanies interviews with astronauts <a href="http://aeroastro.mit.edu/faculty-research/faculty-list/jeffrey-hoffman">Jeff Hoffman</a>, <a href="http://www.fragileoasis.org/bloggernauts/nicolestott/">Nicole Stott</a>, <a href="http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/kimbrough-rs.html">Shane Kimbrough</a>, <a href="http://www.fragileoasis.org/bloggernauts/Astro_Ron/">Ron Garan</a>, and <a href="http://www.edmitchellapollo14.com/">Edgar Mitchell</a>, as well as philosophers <a href="http://www.davidloy.org/">David Loy</a>, <a href="http://www.overviewinstitute.org/blog/bloggers/david-beaver">David Beaver</a>, and <a href="http://www.overviewinstitute.org/blog/bloggers/frank-white">Frank White</a> (author of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Overview-Effect-Exploration-Evolution/dp/1563472600">The Overview Effect</a></i>). We can <a href="http://www.overviewinstitute.org/featured-articles/54-the-overview-effect-astronauts-unique-view-of-the-earth-and-what-we-all-can-learn-from-it">all learn</a> from their perspectives.
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<blockquote>"I don't know how you can come back and not, in some way, be changed" -astronaut Nicole Stott</blockquote>
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One of the unexpected effects of the Apollo program and indeed the entire space exploration enterprise has been the collective paradigm shift towards seeing the Earth as a fragile oasis in space, leading directly to the modern environmental protection movement. While we have seen great progress in this area, I can't help but wonder how much better off the world would be if our leaders could experience the Overview Effect themselves in order to gain the perspective needed to more easily set aside differences to work on common goals.
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<blockquote>"We came all this way to explore the Moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth." -astronaut Bill Anders, Apollo 8</blockquote>
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Has all of this sparked your interest in exploring the Overview Effect phenomenon further? Tomorrow, 5 March 2013 from 3-3:30pm EST, you can join astronauts <a href="http://www.fragileoasis.org/bloggernauts/Astro_Ron/">Ron Garan</a>, <a href="http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/lopez-al.html">Michael Lopez-Alegria</a>, and <a href="http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/Astronauts/Jean-Francois_Clervoy">Jean-Francois Clervoy</a> in a <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/cn701j4lpi92aaqgp1abt8cum94">Google+ Hangout</a> sponsored by <a href="http://www.0ll00.com/">zero2infinity</a>. The panel will discuss how their orbital experiences have altered their perspectives. I'll be there. What about you?
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See more great images of Earth on <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/EarthPerspectives/page1.php">NASA's Earth Perspectives website</a>.
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BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-3649301169715590542013-02-10T19:19:00.001-10:002013-06-17T15:27:14.785-10:00To infinity and beyondA year after I <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2012/01/astronaut-candidate-application.html">submitted my second astronaut application</a> to NASA, it would seem my journey in the current selection has come to an end. Multiple reports have confirmed that NASA has already chosen and brought in all interviewees to Houston as of last week. I wish all applicants still in the running the best of luck going forward.
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Earlier today, I spoke with NPR's Jacki Lyden on <a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/02/10/171644866/to-infinity-and-beyond-would-be-astronauts-keep-faith-in-uncertain-era"><i>All Things Considered</i></a> about my astronaut ambitions and the current NASA astronaut selection. Bracketed by great soundbytes from <i>Star Trek</i> and <i>2001: A Space Odyssey</i>, the story addressed the future of NASA and tackles how commercial space endeavors will usher in a new era of human space exploration. Other people interviewed in the 11-minute segment include astronauts <a href="http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/grunsfel.html">John Grunsfeld</a> and <a href="http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/lopez-al.html">Michael López-Alegría</a>. <a href="http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/atc/2013/02/20130210_atc_01.mp3">Listen here</a>:
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One of the things we talked about during the interview was how competitive it is to become an astronaut. Here's how the <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2011/11/nasa-astronaut-candidate-application.html">current selection</a> is shaping up compared with the last one in <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2008/09/nasas-2009-astronaut-class-selection.html">2008-2009</a>:
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<tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right"> </td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" colspan="2" align="right"><b>2012-13</b></td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" colspan="2" align="right"><b>2008-09</b></td></tr>
<tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">Applicants: </td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">6372</td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">(100%)</td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">3564</td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">(100%)</td></tr>
<tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">Qualified: </td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">~4200</td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">(66%)</td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">~2800</td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">(79%)</td></tr>
<tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">Highly Qualified: </td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">481</td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">(7.5%)</td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">~450</td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">(13%)</td></tr>
<tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">Interviewees: </td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">120</td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">(1.9%)</td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">120</td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">(3.4%)</td></tr>
<tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">Finalists: </td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">49</td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">(0.8%)</td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">40</td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">(1.1%)</td></tr>
<tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">ASCANs: </td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right"><a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2013/06/nasa-selects-2013-astronaut-candidates.html">8</a></td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">(0.2%)</td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right"><a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2009/06/nasas-2009-astronaut-candidate-class.html">9</a></td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="right">(0.3%)</td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a>While I had hoped that the <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2012/01/astronaut-advancement.html">additional items</a> added to my resume over the past four years would have bumped me into at least the Interview category this time, I am honored to have made it to the <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2012/09/one-small-step-for-man.html">Highly Qualified</a> group somewhere within the top 1.9-7.5% of applicants. After all, with the number of applicants in 2012 nearly doubling compared with 2008, the chance of winning the <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2009/11/winning-astronaut-lottery.html">astronaut lottery</a> is much slimmer. In the meantime, please vote for me in the <a href="https://www2.axeapollo.com/en_US/35402/brian-shiro?image=0">Axe Apollo Space Academy</a>!
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I'll close with some fun <a href="http://mashable.com/2013/02/02/daily-life-space/">videos on life in space</a> by current ISS Commander <a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/biohadfield.asp">Chris Hadfield</a>:
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<b>17 June 2013 Update:</b> Added the correct numbers for the <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2013/06/nasa-selects-2013-astronaut-candidates.html">2013 ASCAN class</a> (49 finalists and 8 selected).
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BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-50353230798999161902013-02-02T15:19:00.000-10:002013-02-02T15:19:19.321-10:00A4H VideoThe new <a href="http://www.astronauts4hire.org/2013/01/a4h-promo-video-release.html">video from Astronauts4Hire</a> is now available. It showcases much of the commercial astronaut training I have been doing with the organization and explains how A4H provides educational, training, and research opportunities to support the growth of a commercial astronaut workforce. Watch it on <a href="http://youtu.be/v0H9qb9GHxM">YouTube</a> or just click below:
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<center><iframe width="590" height="332" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/v0H9qb9GHxM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>
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Special thanks to <a href="http://www.oceansaloft.net/">Oceans Aloft</a> and <a href="http://www.rustyrogersfilms.com/">Rusty Rogers</a> for filming and producing the video. A4H training partners <a href="http://survivalsystemsinc.com/">Survival Systems USA</a>, <a href="http://www.siriusastronauttraining.com/">SIRIUS Astronaut Training</a>, and the <a href="http://www.nastarcenter.com/">NASTAR Center</a> generously allowed us to shoot the footage at their facilities. Additional footage comes from the <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2012/06/my-first-zero-gravity-experience.html">parabolic flight campaign</a> I helped carry out testing a biomedical monitoring system in microgravity with A4H research partner <a href="http://twitter.com/Vital_Space">Vital Space</a>.
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BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-74291746127605208732012-12-17T13:33:00.000-10:002012-12-17T14:01:45.152-10:00NASA Johnson Style<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cXXl6k3yzbI/UM-oUcf-SXI/AAAAAAAAB70/-t3Uh7ubeMc/s1600/nasa_question.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="143" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cXXl6k3yzbI/UM-oUcf-SXI/AAAAAAAAB70/-t3Uh7ubeMc/s200/nasa_question.jpg" /></a></div>
As the year winds down, and we all get busy with our holiday traditions, the business of choosing NASA's 21st astronaut class carries on. Since October, NASA has been bringing interviewees to Houston in groups of 20 for further medical screenings, performance testing, and of course interviews with the selection board. Altogether, there are 6 groups of interviewees for a total of 120 candidates out of the 6372 total applicants.
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I checked with the Astronaut Selection Office, and they confirmed that they have called nearly all of the interviewees. They just have a handful more to call to fill out the January interview groups. If you are a Highly Qualified applicant awaiting that call from NASA <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2012/09/one-small-step-for-man.html">like me</a>, you can hold out hope for a little while longer that you might be among this small number of yet-to-be-contacted interviewees. The first round of interviews will wrap up in late January, and then NASA will narrow its selection to about 50 finalists who will be called back to Houston from February to April for additional interviews, testing, and complete medical evaluation.
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Heading the selection effort is <a href="http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/behnken-rl.html">Robert Behnken</a>, who took over the role of NASA's Chief Astronaut when <a href="http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/whitson.html">Peggy Whitson</a> stepped down in July. According to the <i><a href="http://www.space.com/17078-nasa-chief-astronaut-peggy-whitson-change.html">SPACE.com</a></i> article announcing the leadership change and a more recent <i><a href="http://m.usatoday.com/article/news/1696573?preferredArticleViewMode=single">USA TODAY</a></i> article, NASA currently has 52 flight-eligible astronauts and will choose 9-15 new astronauts candidates in the 2013 class. They intend to keep the post-Shuttle era NASA astronaut corps to about 65 people.
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According to Whitson, "We want and need a mix of individuals and skills for this next phase of human exploration." The new phase of human exploration includes <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/nov/HQ_12-406_ISS_1-Year_Crew.html">yearlong missions to the ISS</a>, a <a href="http://www.space.com/18380-nasa-moon-missions-obama-election.html">possible cislunar L2 base</a>, and a <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/dec/HQ_12-420_Mars_2020.html">renewed Mars exploration program</a> aimed at getting humans there by the 2030s. Such remote, long-duration missions will require a great deal of attention to crew selection and preparation, which Alexander Kumar outlined nicely in his recent <i>New York Times</i> article <a href="http://scientistatwork.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/29/how-to-make-the-perfect-astronaut/">"Preparing an Ideal Astronaut"</a>.
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And now for something on the lighter side. Check out the video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Sar5WT76kE&feature=share&list=PLTXQuaxXBKKwnwpuF6MUxuxozjgyuY40f">"NASA Johnson Style"</a> for a shot of inspiration and smiles. Astronauts <a href="http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/caldwell.html">Tracy Caldwell Dyson</a>, <a href="http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/anderson-c.html">Clayton Anderson</a>, and <a href="http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/massimin.html">Mike Massimino</a> (back from his mission on <i><a href="http://bigbangtheory.wikia.com/wiki/Mike_Massimino">The Big Bang Theory</a></i>) lent their talent to the fun celebration of NASA Johnson.
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<a name='more'></a>This is just the latest in a long line of recent of NASA-themed parodies like <a href="http://youtu.be/QFvNhsWMU0c">"We're NASA and we Know It"</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgSCH6q9gY8&feature=share&list=PLTXQuaxXBKKwnwpuF6MUxuxozjgyuY40f">"I.S.S. Baby"</a>, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sItKDSf0xl8&feature=share&list=PLTXQuaxXBKKwnwpuF6MUxuxozjgyuY40f">"Apollo Guys"</a>.<br />
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Happy holidays!
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<br />BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-51294083956946436532012-11-20T23:59:00.000-10:002015-12-14T00:00:02.522-10:00Enabling Sustainable Planetary Surface ExplorationI had the distinct privilege of participating in the <a href="http://www.pisces.hawaii-conference.com/">2012 PISCES Forum</a> last week on the Island of Hawaii. Like the <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2011/12/moon-is-not-4-letter-word.html">2011</a> and <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2010/11/towards-establishing-lunar-research.html">2010</a> meetings that I attended, this year's gathering focused on developing a research park in Hawaii devoted to planetary analog research in the context of <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/whyweexplore/voyages-report.html">sustainable space exploration</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://buzzaldrin.com/">Dr. Buzz Aldrin</a> was among the delegates participating in this year's PISCES conference, where he gave a keynote presentation on colonizing Mars through a sustainable strategy based upon <a href="http://buzzaldrin.com/space-vision/rocket_science/aldrin-mars-cycler/">Aldrin cyclers</a>. With only about 50 people at the conference, there were many opportunities to interact with him closely. We spoke about how his father contributed to the early days of rocketry, what architecture is best suited for establishing a permanent Mars settlement, and what it takes to be an astronaut. He encouraged me to keep pursuing my goal of being an astronaut. Having met <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2012/03/one-small-step-for-suborbital.html">Neil Armstrong</a> earlier this year, I am profoundly humbled to have met both Apollo 11 moonwalkers.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sharing some aloha spirit with astronaut Buzz Aldrin at the 2012 PISCES Forum.</td></tr>
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For space exploration beyond low earth orbit to be economically viable, we must learn to utilize the abundant resources that exist on other planetary bodies. For example, by mining water on the Moon, we can extract not only oxygen and water for life support but also rocket fuel to enable deep space refueling. By processing regolith and using advanced construction techniques, we can construct necessary infrastructure like concrete and solar panels from local materials. The less mass we have to lift off the Earth, the cheaper space travel can become.<br />
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All of this takes research, development, and testing of robotic technologies in environments on Earth analogous to those found in space. Given its unique geology, geography, and climate, Hawaii offers one of the most ideal settings for this type of work. The very technologies we need to survive in space to ensure we have water, food, air, energy, radiation protection, and waste recovery are the very same technologies that can help us mitigate growing problems here on Earth. As the world's most isolated island group, Hawaii is keenly sensitive to these issues and needs to achieve greater self sufficiency using local resources. Thus, planetary analog work has direct application and benefit to Hawaii as well.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>For the uninitiated, PISCES stands for "<a href="http://pisces.uhh.hawaii.edu/">Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems</a>." It was established in 2007 as an international research and education center dedicated to the development, verification, and validation of new technologies needed for operations on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. NASA has been a close partner and customer of PISCES since its inception, having participated in PISCES field campaigns testing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-situ_resource_utilization">in situ resource utilization</a> technologies on the flank of Mauna Kea in 2008, 2010, and <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2012/07/roving-for-resources-on-analog-moon.html">2012</a>. NASA and the State of Hawaii signed a <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2010/apr/HQ_10-084_ARC_Hawaii_SAA.html">Space Act Agreement in 2010</a> and <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/2011/11-37AR.html">annex in 2011</a> to pave the way for collaboration in a number of areas, including analog research. PISCES Director Rob Kelso, who had a distinguished 38-year career with NASA serving as Space Shuttle Flight Director and Manager for Commercial Space Development in the Commercial Crew & Cargo Program Office, summed up PISCES as follows:<br />
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"Our goal is to become the preferred provider for space agencies and commercial space businesses around the world that are developing technologies to help enable and sustain planetary surface exploration." -- Rob Kelso</blockquote>
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The first day of the <a href="http://www.pisces.hawaii-conference.com/">2012 PISCES Forum</a> featured a series of keynote addresses and panel discussions with distinguished experts from NASA, industry, and academia. Major themes included "dust to thrust" and "rocks to blocks," indicating how local materials can be turned into fuel or building materials. NASA Chief Exploration Scientist Dr. Michael Wargo spoke on the three R's for enabling human space exploration: Radiation, Regolith, and Reliability. A combination of remote sensing and in situ data, along with terrestrial-based analog research is required to answer questions in these areas to fill Strategic Knowledge Gaps (SKG's) identified by expert groups such as <a href="http://www.lpi.usra.edu/leag/">LEAG</a>, <a href="http://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/">MEPAG</a>, and <a href="http://www.lpi.usra.edu/sbag/">SBAG</a>. <a href="http://nd.edu/~cneal/">Dr. Clive Neal</a> spoke on the importance and availability of lunar resources, and Jim Keravala of <a href="http://www.shackletonenergy.com/">Shakleton Energy Company</a> presented his company's ambitious plan to develop space propellant depots from lunar water. Dr. Paul Hintz of NASA spoke on regolith processing to make solar panels, heat shields, concrete, and landing pads.
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The second day of the conference was filled with technical presentations on a number of topics related to mining, infrastructure, construction, robotics, mission concepts, and education & public outreach. Several of the talks dealt with how to make concrete from the local basaltic regolith on the Moon or Hawaii. 3D printers that use concrete as a medium are one very interesting technology that could construct infrastructure needed for a lunar base. The students from the <a href="http://www.alabamalunabotics.com/">Alabama Lunabotics</a> team were there along with their winning robotic miner. Google Lunar X PRIZE team <a href="http://www.whitelabelspace.com/">White Label Space</a> also brought its rover to the conference. I gave a presentation based on my <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2010/05/und-capstone-week.html">UND thesis</a> how humans might work to carry out geophysical surveys on other planets and how the <a href="http://manoa.hawaii.edu/hi-seas/">HI-SEAS habitat</a> on Mauna Loa could be used as a base of operations for follow-on field tests.
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The press conference held on the second day of the meeting garnered some local and state news media attention with front page stories in newspapers <a href="http://westhawaiitoday.com/sections/news/local-news/infinity-and-beyond.html">West Hawaii Today</a> and <a href="http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/sections/news/local-news/pisces-space-program-gets-23m-boost.html">Hawaii Tribune Herald</a>. The Honolulu ABC affiliate <a href="http://www.kitv.com/news/hawaii/State-pours-2-3-million-into-Big-Island-space-center/-/8905354/17395224/-/6fqri6z/-/index.html">KITV 4 News</a> aired a story as well, which you can watch below or <a href="http://youtu.be/EcZYAOOZwDE">here</a>.
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During the third and fourth days of the meeting, everyone broke into working group sessions related to PISCES strategy, outreach, and technology. The strategy and technology working groups focused on developing the business and operations plan to carry the PISCES organization forward for the next few years in light of the significant $2.3 million funding investment already made by the State of Hawaii. On June 27, the governor signed into law <a href="http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?year=2012&billtype=HB&billnumber=2873">HB2873 HD2 SD2 CD1 (CCR 146-12)</a>, which moved PISCES from the University of Hawaii at Hilo to the State Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and allocated funds for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. This follows <a href="http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?year=2012&billtype=SB&billnumber=0112">SB0112 SD1 HD1 CD1 (CCR 164-12)</a>, which the governor signed into law on May 11 to acquire a FAA spaceport license for Kalaeloa Airport (where I trained as a <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2012/08/i-am-pilot.html">private pilot</a>) and promote space tourism in Hawaii. In both cases, these bills enjoyed bipartisan support, easily passing both houses of the state legislature without a single nay vote. This is because the State of Hawaii sees the value in promoting a strong aerospace industry as an economic driver, job creator, and incubator for sustainable technologies.
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I thank the <a href="http://aerospacehawaii.info/?page_id=42">Hawaii Office of Aerospace Development</a> for their generous support that enabled me to attend the 2012 PISCES Forum. The conference concluded with an inspiring luncheon keynote by entrepreneur and philanthropist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henk_Rogers">Henk Rogers</a>. I'll close with his words:<br />
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"The most amazing thing to happen to this planet in its entire history is life.
It doesn't matter whether you believe it's spontaneous generation, panspermia, or divine intervention.
Life is still the most amazing thing that ever happened on this planet.
If we found a barren planet and we brought life to that planet, it would be the most amazing thing that ever happened to that planet.
I would go so far as to say nothing we will ever do as a species will equal bringing life to another planet.
We have the ability to do it now.
What are we waiting for?
It may well be the reason we exist."
-- Henk Rogers</blockquote>
BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com0Waikoloa, Waikoloa Village, HI 96738, USA19.9317918 -155.789185219.9243278 -155.7990557 19.939255799999998 -155.7793147tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-23048828318029581582012-10-29T10:10:00.000-10:002012-11-10T10:18:37.294-10:00Supersonic Skydiving and Startrails<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Your daily dose of inspiration begins here with two phenomenal videos that exemplify the human spirit for adventure and the beauty of our universe.
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For centuries, people have dreamed of gliding like birds. The sport of skydiving grew in part out of this desire. More than half a century ago during <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2008/10/50th-anniversary-of-forgotten-space.html">Project Manhigh</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Excelsior">Project Excelsior</a>, humanity pushed this to an extreme with a series of jumps from the edge of space topping out at 31 kilometers altitude by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Kittinger">Joe Kittinger</a> in 1960. His record remained unchallenged until now.<br />
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Sponsored by <a href="http://www.redbullstratos.com/">Red Bull Stratos</a>, Austrian skydiver <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Baumgartner">Felix Baumgartner</a> made his historic stratospheric jump on October 14, 2012. Protected only his pressure suit made by the <a href="http://www.davidclark-twoway.com/news.php?newsid=18">David Clark Company</a>, he shattered several world records, while battling <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/skydiver-felix-baumgartner-overcame-claustrophobia-break-world-records/story?id=17481428">claustrophobia</a>.<br />
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<li>Top Speed: 1,342.8 km/hr / 833.9 mi/hr (Mach 1.24 supersonic!)</li>
<li>Jump altitude: 39.05 kilometers / 24.26 miles</li>
<li>Vertical distance of freefall: 36.53 kilometers / 22.70 miles</li>
<li>Total time freefall: 4 minutes 22 seconds</li>
<li>Total jump to landing: 9 minutes 9 seconds</li>
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It was fitting that his coach and CAPCOM throughout the mission was none other than Joe Kittinger, the previous record holder. This feat is more than a publicity stunt for the record books; it may lead to improved emergency egress equipment and procedures for astronauts in the future.<br />
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Check out the inspiring <a href="http://youtu.be/dOoHArAzdug">video highlights</a> below and tune into the National Geographic Channel on November 11 to watch <i><a href="http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/space-dive/">Space Dive</a></i>:
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"I know the whole world is watching, and I wish the whole world could see what I see. Sometimes you have to go up really high to understand how small you really are." --Felix Baumgartner"</blockquote>
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<a name='more'></a>Moving to the second video treat of the week, do yourself a big favor and watch the <a href="http://vimeo.com/51499009">ISS startrails footage</a> assembled by astrophotographer <a href="http://www.christophmalin.com/index.php?id=7424130171782268280">Christopher Malin</a>. Similar to the photos taken by <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2012/06/nasa-astronaut-application-spacex-and.html">Astronaut Don Petit</a> on the ISS, this video uses post-processing and stacking of images to mimic a long time-lapse exposure. Malin says he was inspired by Felix Baumgartner's stratosphere jump, so he grabbed a Red Bull and cranked out this mesmerizing video in only 10 hours. Enjoy this one at full screen resolution!
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In other news, a big congratulations goes out to <a href="http://www.spacex.com/press.php?page=20121028">SpaceX</a> for their historical <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-1">first commercial cargo mission</a> to the International Space Station! My son and I watched the launch live along with millions of other internet viewers, and it inspired him to make a rocket of his own. It won't be long before people travel to the station aboard the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_(spacecraft)">Dragon</a> and other privately developed vehicles.
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<br />BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-34160225729156784642012-10-05T17:12:00.000-10:002012-10-05T17:27:43.026-10:00Cosmonaut selection criteriaA pair of interesting infographics came across my dashboard this week. The <a href="http://en.rian.ru/infographics/20110402/163288274.html">first one</a> shows how Russia's cosmonaut selection criteria have changed from the early days of space flight to today. Not surprisingly, the health and anthropometric criteria seem to have relaxed, and the demographic has shifted from highly experienced fighter pilots to a wider range of professional backgrounds. How do you measure up?
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The <a href="http://en.rian.ru/infographics/20120412/172299766.html">second infographic</a> details the selection criteria from anthropometrics to physical fitness and "moral-psychological qualities". I find it interesting that the <i>maximum</i> age they will consider is 33, presumably due to the <a href="http://en.rian.ru/science/20120222/171460327.html">six-year training period</a> and long wait for orbital mission slots. Quite reasonably, they require a college degree plus five years work experience, but it's intriguing that one must be with a company for no less than three years. Part of the fitness test is a 5 km ski race, which makes this long-time cross-country skier happy. You can read the full set of <a href="http://www.gctc.ru/main.php?id=1253">Russia's current cosmonaut selection criteria here</a> (in Russian).
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The Russian Federal Space Agency (<a href="http://roscosmos.ru/">Roscosmos</a>) held its first open cosmonaut selection drive for its <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2010/12/russia-establishes-united-cosmonaut.html">United Cosmonaut Corps</a> from January 27 through March 15 - an ambitious timeframe that a representative of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri_Gagarin_Cosmonaut_Training_Center">Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center</a> recently recognized as "<a href="http://en.rian.ru/science/20120828/175476917.html">impractical</a>". I must have been so engrossed with <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2012/08/i-am-pilot.html">my pilot training</a> earlier this year that I missed the press about Russia's 2012 cosmonaut selection. Maybe I wasn't the only one. Halfway through the nominal 2-month application period, <a href="http://en.rian.ru/science/20120214/171310844.html">only 43 people had applied</a> for the job, so they <a href="http://www.gctc.ru/main.php?id=1330">extended</a> the application period until April 30 to collect more applications. By then, <a href="http://www.gctc.ru/main.php?id=1467">304 people</a> had applied, including 43 women. I was not able to find an announcement of any final cosmonaut candidate selections, so I assume they are still evaluating applications to make the final selection. The Russian Space Agency currently has 36 active cosmonauts and 3 cosmonaut candidates remaining from its <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2010/10/russia-expands-its-cosmonaut-pool.html">2010 cosmonaut selection</a>.
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Of course, NASA is currently <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2012/09/nasa-astronaut-selection-timeline-update.html">narrowing</a> its pool of applicants as well. The word on the street is that some applicants are already being called to Houston for interviews starting in late October. Good luck, everyone!
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In other news, as SpaceX prepares for its <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRS_SpX-1">first ISS supply flight</a> on Sunday, <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/oct/HQ_12-354_1-yr_Increment.html">NASA announced today</a> that it had signed an agreement with its international partners for the first year-long ISS mission, set to begin in spring 2015. The crew will consist of one American astronaut and one Russian cosmonaut. This may become the standard mode of operation as long duration missions beyond low Earth orbit become a higher priority for space agencies. To date, only four people - all Russian - have ever spent a year in orbit. Since the station will still require resupply, this means that <a href="http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=%2Farticle-xml%2Fawx_10_04_2012_p0-503334.xml">more tourist flight opportunities</a> could become available on Soyuz capsules.
<br /><br />BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-90482494648300078852012-09-24T14:58:00.001-10:002012-09-24T14:58:54.142-10:00NASA astronaut selection timeline updateNASA will take an extra month to whittle down its approximately 400 Highly Qualified applicants to the 100 or so it plans to interview. That's what I infer from from the latest update to the <a href="http://astronauts.nasa.gov/content/timeline.htm">Astronaut Candidate Selection Process Timeline</a>. Interviewees will now be brought to JSC through January instead of December, with finalists determined by February and the new ASCAN class announced by June. These changes are noted by the red color in the updated table below. The report date for the Astronaut Candidate Class of 2013 remains August 2013. Good luck, everyone!
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<td bgcolor="#ffffff" width="33%">November 15, 2011</td>
<td bgcolor="#ffffff" width="67%">Vacancy Announcement opens at <a href="http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/search.aspx?q=astronaut&where=&x=34&y=5&brd=3876&vw=b&FedEmp=N&FedPub=Y">USAJOBS</a>.</td>
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<td bgcolor="#ffffff">January 27, 2012</td>
<td bgcolor="#ffffff">Vacancy Announcement closes.</td>
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<td bgcolor="#ffffff">May-September 2012</td>
<td bgcolor="#ffffff">Qualified Applications reviewed to determine Highly Qualified applicants. Qualifications Inquiry form sent to Supervisors / References and civilian applicants contacted by mail to obtain an FAA medical exam.</td>
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<td bgcolor="#ffffff">August-<font color="ff0000">December</font> 2012</td>
<td bgcolor="#ffffff">Highly Qualified applications reviewed to determine Interviewees.</td>
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<td bgcolor="#ffffff">October 2012-<font color="ff0000">January 2013</font></td>
<td bgcolor="#ffffff">Interviewees brought to JSC for preliminary interview, medical evaluation, and orientation. Interviewees will be selected from the Highly Qualified group and contacted on a week-by-week basis.</td>
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<td bgcolor="#ffffff"><font color="ff0000">February 2013</font></td>
<td bgcolor="#ffffff">Finalists determined.</td>
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<td bgcolor="#ffffff"><font color="ff0000">February-April</font> 2013</td>
<td bgcolor="#ffffff">Finalists brought to JSC for additional interview and complete medical evaluation.</td>
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<td bgcolor="#ffffff"><font color="ff0000">June</font> 2013</td>
<td bgcolor="#ffffff">Astronaut Candidate Class of 2013 announced</td>
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<td bgcolor="#ffffff">August 2013</td>
<td bgcolor="#ffffff">Astronaut Candidate Class of 2013 reports to the Johnson Space Center.</td>
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Here is a fun piece of trivia for you. Who completed the first triathlon in space, and when? The answer is that <a href="http://www.space.com/17643-space-triathlon-astronaut-sunita-williams.html">Sunita Williams completed the Nautica Malibu Triathlon</a> from her perch on the ISS last weekend on September 16. She used the station's stationary cycle and treadmill for the bike and run portions. Since there is no swimming pool on the orbiting outpost, Williams simulated the swim portion with some strength training exercise equipment. This isn't her first time as a virtual racer. You may recall that she <a href="http://www.space.com/3702-nasa-astronaut-completes-boston-marathon-space.html">ran the Boston Marathon from the ISS</a> back in 2007. Here is the video coverage from <a href="http://youtu.be/PP2-NCe9EmQ">NASA TV</a>:
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<br /><br />BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-54960858018617392382012-09-01T15:12:00.000-10:002012-09-01T15:12:14.860-10:00One small step for a man...<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6K0dB_Mj3r8/UEKwF6gwzfI/AAAAAAAAB4M/-6JDl8byNKA/s1600/NSRC2012_BrianShiro_NeilArmstrong2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="248" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6K0dB_Mj3r8/UEKwF6gwzfI/AAAAAAAAB4M/-6JDl8byNKA/s320/NSRC2012_BrianShiro_NeilArmstrong2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian Shiro with Neil Armstrong (Feb 2012).<br />
Alternate photo shaking hands <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2012/03/one-small-step-for-suborbital.html">here</a>.</td></tr>
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The world lost one of history's most important heroes this week. Hundreds of <a href="http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2012/08/obituary">years from now</a>, Neil Armstrong will still be a household name. I am humbled that <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2012/03/one-small-step-for-suborbital.html">I got to meet the first moonwalker</a> this past February when he talked about his days as an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_X-15">X-15</a> test pilot prior to becoming an astronaut. Being bombarded by many eager admirers, we just had a few moments for me to thank him for <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/science/space/neil-armstrong-dies-first-man-on-moon.html?_r=3&pagewanted=all">his inspiring life</a>, but I am grateful for the opportunity to be in presence of a man of such great humility and achievement. It has been four decades since we ventured to another world. We cannot let the innate human drive for exploration and new knowledge wither. Will the accomplishments of Armstrong and his fellow Apollo astronauts be the high water mark of our civilization, or will we honor them by <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/the-lay-scientist/2012/aug/25/neil-armstrong-mars">venturing to Mars and beyond</a>? Every day I came to work this past week, I have been greeted by a flag at half staff to honor the memory of Neil Armstrong, as <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/08/27/presidential-proclamation-death-neil-armstrong">directed by President Obama</a>. That's one small step in the right direction.
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This week was particularly bittersweet for me because, amidst this sad news, I learned that I had made it to Highly Qualified round of NASA's current astronaut selection. Like a student awaiting a college acceptance letter, I have been eagerly checking the mailbox every day for the past month in the hopes that a letter from NASA might be there. Well, that letter arrived, and my references have informed me that NASA has contacted them too. Along with the other approximately 400 Highly Qualified applicants in 2012, my next small step is getting a medical exam from an Aviation Medical Examiner and waiting to see if NASA likes what my references have to say. According to NASA's <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2011/10/nasa-will-hire-new-astronauts-in-2013.html">timeline</a>, around 100 applicants will be asked to Houston by November for an interview and further tests. Given the much higher competitiveness of the <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2012/01/astronaut-candidate-application.html">applicant pool in 2012</a> compared with 2008, more people are vying for the same number of slots. I am humbled to <a href="http://www.astronautforhire.com/2008/11/update-i-made-it-to-highly-qualified.html">once again</a> be part of the Highly Qualified group.
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Armstrong was a very private man who rarely made public appearances. However, in recent years he did seem to become a little more comfortable in his role as a public figure. For example, in 2009 he reunited with fellow Apollo 11 crewmembers at the White House to mark the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_1422.html">40th anniversary</a> of their historic mission. In 2005, he granted an interview on CBS's <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504803_162-57500520-10391709/neil-armstrongs-2005-interview-first-man/"><i>60 Minutes</i></a>, which you can view below. His final interview recorded last year is available in 4 parts from <a href="http://thebottomline.cpaaustralia.com.au/"><i>CPA Australia</i></a> and offers many insights into Armstrong's memories of Apollo, as does his 2005 authorized biography <a href="http://www.amazon.com/First-Man-Life-Neil-Armstrong/dp/074325631X"><i>First Man</i></a>.
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NASA has collected memorials and statements on its <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/topics/people/features/armstrong_obit.html">tribute to Neil Armstrong page</a>. I'll leave you with what Armstrong's family had to say in their <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/aug/HQ_12_600_armstrong_family.html">statement</a>:
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<blockquote>
"While we mourn the loss of a very good man, we also celebrate his remarkable life and hope that it serves as an example to young people around the world to work hard to make their dreams come true, to be willing to explore and push the limits, and to selflessly serve a cause greater than themselves."
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"For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink."</blockquote>
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;-)
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<br />BrianShirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00387138537627037829noreply@blogger.com6