Ellen Ochoa HAPPY NEW YEAR! I’m happy to welcome back all employees, contractors, partners, students and interns to our Houston campus, as well as our White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. I hope you had an opportunity to spend quality time with family and friends and get some muchneeded rest and relaxation over the holidays. This month brings a new presidential administration, and Johnson Space Center will be working with NASA Headquarters to assist in making the transition a smooth one. We have a great story to tell about NASA’s value to the country. The benefits from NASA activities are ones that the government has deemed important to the country as a whole, and that really belong in the purview of the government to guide and shape: • NASA, particularly human spaceflight, has been linked to foreign policy since its inception and today provides one of the most positive examples of global leadership and collaboration. • We enhance national security by maintaining a capability for access to space—both robotic and (soon again) human—in low Earth orbit and beyond, including assuring that we have a robust industrial base across the country capable of producing aerospace-quality components and reliable systems and spacecraft. • Space also provides a unique laboratory to expand our scientific knowledge and address national and global issues impacting health and well-being. • We bring economic benefit to the country both through new technology that can be applied across many industries and by creating demand for a space economy, particularly in low-Earth orbit. • Finally, America’s space program continues to inspire people across the country and around the globe—from kids who talk
with astronauts aboard the International Space Station or enter our challenge to design space habitats; to students studying science, technology, engineering and math fields and interning with NASA; to the general public following us on every imaginable social media outlet and also flocking to popular culture movies and books about or inspired by NASA (such as the excellent new feature “Hidden Figures”); and even the parents who named their children Orion after being inspired by the first test flight of that spacecraft. NASA is held up as an example of what our government does right. Johnson Space Center is the leader in human space exploration because of the tremendous work and dedication of our workforce. Our team is fueled by the passion that every single one of you brings to work each day, ensuring we remain at the forefront of innovation. Our JSC 2.0 efforts will continue to help us advance human space exploration by being lean, agile and adaptive to change. Stay tuned for more on JSC 2.017 specific goals. We have a variety of activities planned in 2017, including: • First uncrewed Commercial Crew Program vehicle test flight to the space station • One-year mission Human Research Program research results • Orion crew and service module stacking • Arrival of the James Webb Space Telescope • Human Research Program Human Exploration Research Analog habitat 45-day missions • Announcement of a new astronaut class I look forward to accomplishing these goals together as a team. As always, I invite you to send your questions and suggestions to JSC-AskThe-Director@mail.nasa.gov. You can also follow me on Twitter: @Astro_Ellen
IMAGE OF THE QUARTER Noah Michelsohn demonstrates the distance from Earth to the International Space Station, moon and Mars during the Nov. 18, 2016, NASA on Campus event. Read more about how Johnson Space Center interns brought the human spaceflight story to life for local elementary kids at http://go.usa.gov/x8Myj.
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WHAT HAPPENS TO SAMPLES FROM SPACE ONCE THEY ARRIVE ON EARTH? With its many laboratories housing extraterrestrial materials ranging from the moon, to the sun, to meteorites from Mars—and with more samples to come in the next few years—management of the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Division at NASA’s Johnson Space Center decided that the time was ripe to train new scientists in the handling of these precious scientific samples. To meet this objective, ARES leaders, in coordination with the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), held a two-day training session Nov. 15 and 16 to teach early-career scientists how to handle extraterrestrial samples. The first day at Johnson featured hands-on training in the Meteorite Processing and Cosmic Dust laboratories and instructions in new handling techniques in the Microsample Handling Clean Laboratory, which houses the newly installed micromanipulator. This device allows users to manipulate samples using controls on a computer rather than by hand. Classroom sessions in preparing a successful sample request, accessing sample information and sample security, led by LPI Deputy Director Dr. Allan Treiman, highlighted the second day at LPI. Attending the training were: Dr. Carolyn Crow, Lawrence Livermore National Lab; Dr. Christine Jilly-Rehak, University of California, Berkeley; Dr. Nicole Lunning, Smithsonian Institution; and Kim Fendrich, American Museum of Natural History. The goals of the training were to broaden access to the sample collections to new scientists, build skills in the handling of the materials and allow the new scientists to assess how the techniques to handle the samples may apply to their own research. The skills needed to handle the microscopic samples impressed the trainees. “What I found to be most interesting was the skill and dexterity involved in handling such extraordinarily small and precious specimens,” Fendrich said. “Mechanized sample manipulation is possible using a micromanipulator; however, many of the preparatory and analytical techniques that are employed require precise manual manipulation at an incredibly small scale.” The primary objective of Fendrich’s research is to locate Stardust grains embedded in aerogel and characterize them in situ using non-destructive methods to constrain the original properties of the particles and identify those that warrant extraction and further investigation. Crow, a postdoctoral researcher who studies the early history of the moon recorded in Apollo samples, is interested in expanding her
PHOTO: NASA
Manipulating microsamples: Early-career scientists learn how to handle materials from other worlds
Dr. Scott Messenger, NASA planetary scientist, with Dr.Carolyn Crow and Kim Fendrich (from left) examine the new micromanipulator in the Microsample Handling Clean Laboratory. research to include Martian meteorites. “It is easy to become focused on the methods and questions particular to one’s research,” Crow said. “This class exposed me to new analytical techniques that will allow me to investigate my samples in new ways. I’ve already got some ideas for collaborations with JSC.” ARES scientists Dr. Keiko Nakamura-Messenger, Dr. Scott Messenger and Dr. Lindsay Keller conducted the sessions at Johnson with the support of several Jacobs Engineering contractor specialists. The ARES Division at Johnson is charged with preserving NASA’s collection of extraterrestrial samples, keeping them safe and providing them to the global scientific community for research. The collection includes samples from the moon, Mars, sun, asteroids, comets and other stars. Samples from the OSIRIS-REx mission to the asteroid Bennu and the Japanese Space Agency’s Hayabusa 2 mission will be added to the collection in the coming years. For more information on ARES, go to: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/astromaterials Follow ARES on social media at: Facebook: facebook.com/NASAastromaterials Twitter: twitter.com/Astromaterials Instagram: instagram.com/NASAastromaterials LY N D O N B . J O H N S O N S PA C E C E N T E R
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MARCH 3: Expedition 46 Commander Scott Kelly of NASA, right, is seen with (from left) NASA Administrator Charles Bolden; Dr. John Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology; and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, after returning to Houston, following his return to Earth. Kelly and Flight Engineers Mikhail Kornienko and Sergey Volkov of Roscosmos landed in their Soyuz capsule in Kazakhstan on March 1. Kelly and Kornienko completed an International Space Station record year-long mission as members of expeditions 43, 44, 45 and 46 to collect valuable data that will be used to formulate a human mission to Mars.
JAN. 21: NASA astronaut Scott Kelly (left) and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko (right) marked their 300th consecutive day aboard the International Space Station. The pair will spend a total of 340 days in space on their one-year mission as researchers hope to better understand how the human body reacts and adapts to long-duration spaceflight.
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MAY 28: Pressurization of the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) began at 3:34 p.m. CDT, and the eight tanks filled with air completed full pressurization of the module 10 minutes later. BEAM’s pressure will be equalized with that of the International Space Station, where it will remain attached for a two-year test period.
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FEB. 18: More than 18,300 people applied to join NASA’s 2017 astronaut class—almost three times the number of applications received in 2012 for the most recent astronaut class and far surpassing the previous record of 8,000 in 1978. Applications opened Dec. 14 and closed Feb. 18, but that is just the beginning of an 18-month process that will end with the selection of eight to 14 individuals for the opportunity to become astronaut candidates.
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APRIL 27: Engineers unveiled the giant golden mirror of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope as part of the integration and testing of the infrared telescope at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The telescope arrives at Johnson Space Center in 2017 for testing.
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JUNE 18: The Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft is seen as it lands with Expedition 47 crew members Tim Kopra of NASA, Tim Peake of ESA (European Space Agency) and Yuri Malenchenko of Roscosmos near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. Kopra, Peake and Malenchenko served as members of the Expedition 46 and 47 crews aboard the space station.
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JULY 4: After an almost five-year journey to the solar system’s largest planet, NASA’s Juno spacecraft successfully entered Jupiter’s orbit during a 35-minute engine burn. Confirmation that the burn had completed was received on Earth at 8:53 p.m. PDT (10:53 p.m. CDT) July 4.
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SEP T. 7: The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft aboard is illuminated in this 30-second exposure, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. OSIRIS-REx will be the first U.S. mission to sample an asteroid, retrieve at least two ounces of surface material and return it to Earth for study.
NOV. 18: The Soyuz MS-03 spacecraft launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome with Expedition 50 crew members NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Whitson, Novitskiy and Pesquet will spend approximately six months aboard the orbital complex.
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AUG. 29: For the first time ever, DNA was successfully sequenced in microgravity as part of the Biomolecule Sequencer experiment performed by NASA astronaut Kate Rubins aboard the International Space Station. The ability to sequence the DNA of living organisms in space opens a whole new world of scientific and medical possibilities. Scientists consider it a game changer.
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OC T. 27: U.S. Navy divers and other personnel in a rigid hull Zodiac boat have attached tether lines to a test version of the Orion crew module during Underway Recovery Test 5 in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. NASA’s Ground Systems Development and Operations Program and the U.S. Navy are conducting a series of tests using the USS San Diego, various watercraft and equipment to practice for recovery of Orion on its return from deep space missions.
DEC. 2: For a mid-afternoon snack, NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough cut some of the “Outredgeous” Red Romaine lettuce leaves he nurtured during the past month aboard the space station as part of a gardening harvest technique termed “cut-and-comeagain.” Kimbrough has taken on the part-time role of in-orbit gardener, working virtually autonomously to cultivate the crops. Charles Spern, a Veggie project engineer with the Engineering Services Contract, relays messages from the Kennedy Space Center Veggie team to assist the crew during the harvest.
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International Space Station and commercial partners lay framework for discoveries, deep space in 2016
Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams (shown here) and Flight Engineer Kate Rubins of NASA successfully installed the first of two international docking adapters (IDAs) on Aug. 19, 2016, during a five hour and 58-minute spacewalk. The IDAs will be used for the future arrivals of Boeing and SpaceX commercial crew spacecraft in development under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi assisted the duo from inside the station. 6
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Jeff Williams, Expedition 47 flight engineer, during the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module ingress.
orbiting outpost twice, and by the conclusion of her mission she will hold the record for the U.S. astronaut with the most cumulative time in space—surpassing Jeff Williams’ recent record of 534 days. During four missions in 2016, NASA’s commercial cargo partners Orbital ATK and SpaceX launched more than 24,000 pounds of critical supplies to the International Space Station, including crew supplies and equipment to support hundreds of crucial science experiments and technology demonstrations aboard the space station. Experiments included Saffire-I and Saffire-II, which
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L A ST YEAR MARKED SEVER AL MA JOR MILESTONES FOR THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION PROGR AM. NASA astronaut and Expedition 46 Commander Scott Kelly and his Russian counterpart Mikhail Kornienko returned to Earth March 1 after an historic 340-day mission aboard the International Space Station. The unprecedented mission continues as scientists assess and apply the data to advance NASA’s understanding and preparations for long-duration human spaceflight on the Journey to Mars. The International Space Station is the world’s premier orbiting laboratory, where humans have been continuously conducting critical research for more than 16 years to demonstrate new technologies and provide benefits to Earth. Most recently, astronaut Peggy Whitson joined the space station crew; in February she will become the first woman to command the
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A United Launch Alliance At las V rocket carrying Orbital ATK’s Cygnus spacecraft on a resupply mission to the International Space Station lifts off from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on March 22, 2016.
provided a new way to study fire on an uncrewed exploration craft, never before possible because of the risks of performing such studies on spacecraft with astronauts onboard. Research also included the sequencing of more than one billion base pairs of DNA in space for the first time, opening a whole new world of scientific and medical possibilities. The agency’s first test of an expandable module began with the delivery to the station of the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) in April and its full expansion in May. During the twoyear test mission of BEAM to determine if astronauts could use such structures for deep space missions, astronauts will enter the module for a few hours several times each year to retrieve sensor data and assess conditions. Throughout 2016, hundreds of engineers and technicians with NASA, Boeing and SpaceX worked to complete the final designs, manufacturing and testing of commercial space transportation systems to return crewed spacecraft launches to American soil. While Commercial Crew Program development continues on Earth, important preparations are under way on the space station, including the delivery and installation of the first International Docking Adapter, which will enable future crews to arrive via Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft. NASA also awarded future cargo resupply contracts to ensure the critical science, research and technology demonstrations that
are informing the agency’s Journey to Mars are delivered to the station from 2019 through 2024. In addition to current providers Orbital ATK and SpaceX, NASA also selected Sierra Nevada Corporation to provide these critical services.
WITH MANY MILESTONES UNDER ORION’S BELT, 2017 WILL BUILD A FOUNDATION FOR HUMAN SPACE EXPLOR ATION
In the last year, a dedicated team in the United States and Europe made significant progress building the Orion spacecraft that will venture beyond the moon in 2018. A look at the important milestones that lie ahead in the next year give a glimpse into how the Orion Program is pressing ahead at full steam to develop, build, test and fly the spacecraft that will enable human missions far into deep space. ORION POWER ON The NASA and Lockheed Martin team at Kennedy Space Center in Florida spent much of 2016 integrating structural elements into the spacecraft and then began incorporating critical systems such as avionics and propulsion tubing. In the spring of 2017, computers in the Orion crew module for Exploration Mission (EM)-1 will be turned on for the first time to verify the spacecraft can route power and send commands. It’s an essential integrated test that will verify Orion’s systems are connected and responding as planned. LY N D O N B . J O H N S O N S PA C E C E N T E R 7
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In October 2016, tile blocks were prefitted onto Orion’s heat shield. The heat shield will be mated onto the crew module in the summer.
SERVICE MODULE ARRIVAL STATESIDE The European-built service module for Orion, which will propel and power it in space, is an essential component of the spacecraft and extends NASA’s international collaboration with ESA (European Space Agency) in human spaceflight into deep space. The service module for Orion’s upcoming flight is currently expected to be shipped to Kennedy in April after structural and systems work is completed at the facility of ESA contractor Airbus Defence & Space in Bremen, Germany.
NASA is moving forward with plans to send new robotic explorers to the Red Planet while ticking off key milestones for the first journey of the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft into the proving ground of deep space, set to launch in 2018 from an upgraded 21st-century spaceport at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In August, NASA selected six companies to develop ground prototypes for the deep space habitats that will be needed on long-duration journeys where humans will live and work for months or years at a time without cargo deliveries from Earth. Also in August, NASA approved the Asteroid Redirect Mission to proceed to the next phase of design and development for its robotic segment. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in
HEATING UP Orion’s heat shield will be secured onto the crew module in the summer, and the crew and service modules will subsequently be stacked together. Both mating operations are essential steps to be completed ahead of the early 2018 shipment of the entire stack to NASA Glenn’s Plum Brook Station in Ohio, where the vehicle will be put through a series of tests to ensure it is ready for flight.
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CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON EM -2 SPACECR AFT While the Orion outfitting and assembly process for the first mission of the spacecraft atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket continues in 2017, construction will also begin on the vehicle for EM-2, the first Orion flight with astronauts that will fly as early as 2021. The first panel of the primary structure for EM-2 is expected to arrive at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans in the spring.
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The future astronauts who will fly on deep space missions will be announced in the summer of 2017, following NASA’s largest recruitment ever. More than 18,300 people applied to join NASA’s astronaut class in the application period—more than double the previous record. 8
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The Orion crew module, which is being outfitted at Kennedy Space Center, will be powered on for the first time in 2017.
This view from Curiosity shows a dramatic hillside outcrop with sandstone layers that scientists refer to as “cross-bedding.”
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Pasadena, California, sought proposals for the robotic spacecraft design, and plans to award a contract for its development in 2017. The robotic spacecraft will capture an asteroid and bring it to a stable orbit near the moon so that astronauts in Orion can take samples, learning about techniques needed for the journey to Mars. The next two robotic missions to Mars passed key milestones in 2016, with the InSight lander getting the green light for a 2018 launch, and the Mars 2020 rover approved for the final design and construction phase. InSight’s primary goal is to help us understand how rocky planets—including Earth—formed and evolved. Mars 2020 will look for evidence of past life, cache samples for potential return to Earth by a future mission and investigate the potential use of oxygen on future human missions. In July, NASA selected five companies to study concepts for a potential future Mars orbiter, which would provide telecommunications and global high-resolution imaging. Meanwhile, Curiosity hums along, sending back amazing imagery—including a close-up view of an odd-looking iron meteorite and stunning photos of the Murray Buttes, which evoked the National Parks of the American west. The rover can now choose its own rock targets for its laser spectrometer, a first for an instrument of this kind on a planetary mission.
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HERA— the Human Exploration Research Analog—is one of several analogs used by the Human Research Program to look into ways to help NASA move from lower-Earth orbit to deep space explorations. It allows participants to explore an asteroid, too, without ever leaving Earth.
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Partnering for progress: SpaceCom 2016
BY MORGAN MCALLISTER
NASA PHOTO: ALLISON BILLS
NOW IN ITS SECOND YEAR, the Space Commerce Conference and Exposition (SpaceCom) gathered from Nov. 15 to 17 at Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center. One of the most diverse cities in the nation and the home of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Houston was the perfect host city for the event, which unites inventors and investors from across the nation and globe. With a focus spanning advanced manufacturing, agribusiness, energy, maritime and medicine, SpaceCom 2016 fostered cross-discipline connections to advance 21st-century needs.
JSC Director Ellen Ochoa announces a Journey-to-Mars-themed ride for Super Bowl LIve with rest of Super Bowl LI Wow Factor Committee. The conference also gave these stakeholders a chance to meet up with NASA. The largest and busiest exhibit on the show floor, NASA showcased its vision for a human mission to Mars. Subject-matter experts agencywide presented their research and answered questions about our exploration efforts, and it featured more than 40 speakers and special guests. Most importantly, however, the exhibit invited attendees to consider partnership with NASA. With efforts headed by the Exploration Integration and Science Directorate (EISD), JSC connected with potential leads for future partnerships. “This was our second year at the event, and it was a big success for us,” said EISD Director Vanessa Wyche. “We opened the door to valuable partnership opportunities and highlighted NASA’s continued support for commercial space.” Opportunities like those identified at SpaceCom could further the reach of space exploration and connect NASA’s experts with peers in private, public and academic sectors. This work keeps NASA innovating and has made possible commercial expansion into lowEarth orbit. JSC’s institutional capabilities and knowledge, combined with our 10
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spinoff, licensing and co-development offerings, assist established and emerging business alike. JSC’s participation in SpaceCom provides a wonderful backdrop for the space agency to begin conversations with new collaborators. The joint NFL and NASA press conference at SpaceCom highlighted the importance of embracing partnerships, with JSC Director Ellen Ochoa and the Super Bowl LI Wow Factor team detailing a Journey-to-Mars-themed ride for the upcoming Super Bowl Live events in the days leading up to Super Bowl LI. SpaceCom 2016 reinforced a simple but profound message: There’s room in space for everyone. Want to partner with JSC? Visit: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/partnerships/JSC-PartnershipGateway/
NASA PHOTO: ALLISON BILLS
NASA PHOTO: ALLISON BILLS
Robonaut, co-developed between NASA and GM, makes the case for progress through partnerships.
The NASA exhibit was a hub of activity for new partnership connections.
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A barometer of health ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet uses a tonometer to record how his arteries react to weightlessness. The tonometer is connected to an iPad that is running the EveryWear app, which offers one interface for a variety of health-related tasks. It’s all part of an investigation that will test this emerging technology for nutritional assessment, sleep quality evaluation and constant blood pressure measurement through the day’s activities.
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PHOTO: NASA
Supermoon is ‘super liked’ The moon, or supermoon, is seen rising behind the Soyuz rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad in Kazakhstan on Nov. 14, 2016. When tweeted from the @Space_Station Twitter account, the stunning image was seen by 4.56 million people (and counting)—the most of any tweet from that social media account.
NASA research mathematician Katherine Johnson is photographed at her desk at NASA Langley Research Center with a globe, or “Celestial Training Device,” in 1962. The film “Hidden Figures,” based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly, focuses on the stories of Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan, African-American women who were essential to the success of early spaceflight. Today, NASA embraces their legacy and strives to include everyone who wants to participate in its ongoing exploration. “Progress is driven by questioning our assumptions and cultural assumptions,” said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. “Embracing diversity and inclusion is how we as a nation will take the next giant leap in exploration.”
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The Roundup is an official publication of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, and is published by the External Relations Office for all Space Center employees. The Roundup office is located at the Johnson Space Center, Building 2. The mail code is AD94. Visit our website at: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/roundup/ roundup_toc.html For distribution questions or to suggest a story idea, send an email to jsc-roundup@mail.nasa.gov. Catherine Ragin Williams Editor Logan Goodson Graphic Design Lynnette Madison NASA Publication Manager
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John Glenn 1921-2016 leaving public life, he loved to meet with citizens, school children in particular. He thrilled to music and had a weakness for chocolate.” NASA Administrator Charles Bolden added, “With all his accomplishments, he was always focused on the young people of today, who would soon lead the world. ‘The most important thing
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ASTRONAUT. U.S. SENATOR. ICON. AMERICAN HERO. John H. Glenn Jr., one of NASA’s original seven Mercury astronauts, had all the right stuff … and more. He passed away on Dec. 8, 2016, after a lifetime of serving his country in a variety of capacities. Glenn, who served four terms as a U.S. senator from Ohio, secured a
Guenter Wendt, the original pad leader for NASA’s manned space program, coaxes a smile out of astronaut John Glenn after the MA-6 mission was scrubbed. unique place in the annals of history after his flight on Friendship 7 on Feb. 20, 1962. At 77, his mission aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in 1998 made him the oldest human to venture into space. On Discovery, he participated in a series of tests on the aging process—one of his focuses while a senator. Glenn was described as “humble, funny, and generous” by Trevor Brown, dean of the John Glenn School of Public Affairs at Ohio State University, in a statement joined by the Glenn family. “Even after 12
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U.S. Sen. Glenn gets help with the donning of his partialpressure launch-and-entry suit during training at Johnson Space Center. we can do is inspire young minds and advance the kind of science, math and technology education that will help youngsters take us to the next phase of space travel,’ he said. ‘To me, there is no greater calling … If I can inspire young people to dedicate themselves to the good of mankind, I've accomplished something.’ By his own measure, Glenn did accomplish more than “something,” and his legacy will live on in the generations of NASA explorers to come.