Going Back to Space! Part One

 

NASA's CCD poster, displaying the various commercial projects underway to support the ISS.

With the cancellation of the space shuttle program, America finds itself once again at the unenviable position of lacking a ride into space. The last time this happened was in the 1970's, as the Apollo-Soyuz project came to an end in 1975, the Skylab space station burned up over Australia, and the Moon landings were terminated by a government trying to get out of the Vietnam War. American astronauts did not return to space until the first flight or orbiter Columbia in 1981.

With the destruction of Columbia on mission STS-107 on February 1, 2003, President GW Bush directed NASA to revise the shuttle program and examine the agency's priorities and direction. Eventually it was decided by President Bush in 2005 to cancel the space shuttle program in 2010 once the ISS finished construction. NASA was then directed to use the savings from the termination of space shuttle missions to design and build a new, less expensive rocket system (The Ares-1 rocket and the Orion capsule) for flights to Earth Orbit, as well as a larger heavy lift vehicle (Ares-V) which would lift large satellites, space stations, and lunar explorers into Earth orbit. A plan was developed to build Lunar landers and a base would be placed on the Moon. This plan was called The Vision For Space Exploration and the rocket development program was named the Constellation Program, reminiscent of the Apollo Program and the Saturn series of rockets.

Ares 1-X launch, pad LC-39B, October 28, 2009.

Program patch for the Ares 1-X mission. Collectors, good luck getting this one. At least I've got the pin.

The Constellation program did not succeed as hoped. There were the inevitable delays in design and testing of hardware, the program began running up costs, and there were many disagreements in NASA management and fights between the government and NASA. Basically, when the government tries to make things, it always costs more than they plan. Furthermore, Congress did not provide extra funding for the Constellation program, which meant that as savings from the  shuttle retirements failed to be realized, and costs went up on developing new rockets, money had to be found by moving it from other projects. Eventually, only one test flight of the early Ares  (Ares 1-X) was performed on October 28, 2009.

President Obama announced the cancellation of the Constellation Program in 2010, but then modified the idea two months later. Gone were any ideas of a program to return to the Moon, plan for Mars, or any part of the Constellation program. Instead, NASA would spend its money on technology development, astronauts would fly to the ISS on Russian rockets, and the ISS would be shut down in 2015. After enormous gasps of shock by the space-supporting public and Congress, the life of the ISS was extended to 2020. A fight in Congress over the change in the program led to...  a new change in the program. The White House and the NASA administration developed a plan to give seed funding to private corporations to develop new rockets and capsules to provide America with access to low Earth orbit and the ISS, while NASA would develop the SLS (Space Launch System) heavy lift vehicle, with the goal of eventually exploring deeper space beyond the Moon and perhaps visiting asteroids. (Actually it would take an entire book to cover the history of how the Congress and White House fought over what direction NASA should take.)

Logo for the Commercial Crew Program initiative.

The Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office, which oversees the seed funding to private companies developing new systems into Earth orbit, is run by NASA and is intended to eventually choose two independent rocket/capsule programs which will support the ISS. This includes cargo delivery as well as an eventual manned crew capability. Since the program began in 2010, there have been some significant developments to the point that there are about seven companies seeking CCD development money. There are actually only a few contenders capable of making the grade in the next little while. This coming weekend, one of the competitors, Space Exploration technologies (SpaceX), will attempt a grand mission to send the first private corporation's cargo craft to dock with ISS and deliver supplies. Also this last week has seen other companies make important announcements about their programs in the new race to put Americans back in space.

While we wait for the SpaceX Dragon launch to the ISS on May 19, I'll cover each of these major CCD programs and give you some links to learn more information. In the meantime, peruse these Wikipedia links on the programs I've mentioned:

Vision for Space Exploration: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vision_for_Space_Exploration

Constellation Program:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constellation_program

National Space Act of 2010:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Authorization_Act_of_2010

Commercial Crew Development:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_Crew_Development

 

By Mark Daymont

Space Center Educator

Spacerubble.blogspot.com

Upgrade Fees and My Strange Weekend Encounter

Hello Troops,
We were busy last week and this week promises more of the same.  It is good to be busy.  Busy means people like us and people liking us means the Center is accomplishing its goals.  I want to thank all the students, teachers, campers and everyone else for supporting the Center through your attendance.  We are here because of you.  I have never forgotten that.

Upgraded Fees.  A Ferengi Approach to the Space Center Fee Structure

I'm up at 5:45 A.M. on any given Saturday morning.  First item of business is to clean myself up.  I can't make my pre dawn donut trek to Walmart looking like I just rolled out from under my newspaper on the downtown park bench.

Finding hot water to wash one's hair and face is a challenge in a school built before Alaska and Hawaii were admitted as states!  The school's boiler takes a bit of wheedling to get it to deliver.  I don't have the fifteen minutes or so to wait for shy, temperate water to come through the faucet.  My solution is the custodial office's mop sink and private hot water heater.  The mop sink delivers piping hot water in seconds with enough water pressure to make Crammer jealous (Seinfeld reference).  It has a hose attached to the faucet  making it fairly easy to wash my hair.  It couldn't be easier although I can think of several ways it could be more convenient.

I finish the 'getting ready for the donut run' in the school bathroom.  A quick electric shave,  a lathering of the teeth and the application of deodorant and I'm good to go.  I emerge looking like I just stepped through the school's doors after a somewhat restful night's sleep at home.  Of course, not having had time to shower, and not wanting to cause undo alarm that there is a natural gas leak in the building, I'm liberal with the application of cologne as my staff will attest when I stand under a mist of what I lovingly refer to as 'Le parfum de crème anti-moustiques').

I wake the staff up first at 6:40 A.M.  They do their best to become presentable, handicapped the way they are using only the school's bathroom with shy water. They sleepily stagger into the Discovery Room for our staff prep rally.  Our Saturday morning staff prep rally is designed to ignite a fire under the staff and get them ready for a morning of missions in our simulators.   The rally starts with the consumption of carbohydrates to get the blood sugar levels up.  I use Walmart donuts to accomplish the task.  The glazed variety was our standard for years until I decided to shake things up and switch to chocolate frosted.  The staff were amazed, but hid their gratitude well, not wanting to make a scene.  What emotions we have on a Saturday morning must be held in reserve for the missions and the campers.

After the the donuts are eaten and fingers licked, we meditate.  That is done with everyone staring at the tabletop before them.  Some look asleep, but I can assure you they are not.  The whole thing is reminiscent of a old time Quaker Sabbath Meeting.   At times someone will break the silence and speak on a topic of their choosing.

"We've got a good crew," someone says.
"We blew ours up several times last night, " says another.

We all look at each other wondering if someone else will take the topic and run with it.  If not, our gaze returns to the table tops.  We wait.  The sound of the heating / air conditioning unit on the roof fills the void.

Occasionally, Mr. Daymont will educate us on the latest national and world news.  Then there are the times when the meeting gets downright silly, as it did on Saturday.  I thought to lighten the day by tossing a nonsensical into the mix.

"How could we increase the money we make on our Overnight Camps?" I asked.  Everyone looked at me wondering if the obvious answers eluded me.  "I know we could raise prices, but isn't there a way we could do it without raising prices?"  I could tell they were confused.  I offered an example.
"Suppose we offered Bell Hop Service at the front door?  Colton, last night you could have taken the parent permission forms and Scott could have offered to take the camper's sleeping bags and pillows to the storage area in the gym, thus saving them from having to do it themselves.  Bell hop service, one dollar.  Scott gets to keep a quarter per bag and the Space Center pockets the rest.  What do you think?"

"What about valet parking?" Osborne said with one index finger raised in the air over his head signalling the arrival of a brilliant idea.

"Awesome!" shouted the young volunteer beside him, showering Osborne in spittle.

"OH MY (I couldn't make out the next word). I've been hit!  MAN DOWN, MAN DOWN!"  Osborne jumped to his feet with such speed his chair fell over backwards.

"Watch who you're talking at with that washing machine of a mouth!" Osborne shouted with contempt.  He unzipped his fanny pack and produced a string of Lysol wipes.  We watched as he scrubbed his arms and face clean.  He tossed the used wipes in the trash,  rezipped his Sanitary Holster and found a safer place to stand in the corner of the room.  The young volunteer sunk down deep in his chair out of embarrassment.  Only his small brown eyes could be seen over the table top.

"OK.......... good idea Osborne.  Valet Parking.  We could make the entire school's parking lot valet parking.  I wonder if our camper's parents would object to a 13 or 14 year old offering to park their $45,000 Mercedes for them."

Tim acted out the scene for us. "Hello sir, I'll take those keys."

"We could charge extra for upgraded sleeping accommodations," I suggested.  "The standard $43.00 fee gets you a place on the floor free of the those tiny sugar ants.  For a couple bucks more you get a cot.  For a whole lot more you get the luxury of sleeping in one of the Voyager's deluxe crew cabins, complete with triple bunk, mattress and access to a bathroom nearby."

 Voyager's 3rd Class lining up for their Green Apple Jolly Rancher

Voyager's 2nd Class campers waiting for permission to 'dig in'

Several other ideas were shared.  We all agreed the morning breakfast was one area we could charge an additional upgrade fee.  For the standard $43.00 fee, the camper gets the 3rd Class Steerage Breakfast consisting of one Green Apple Jolly Ranger candy.  Green Apple of course for the fruit value.  For an additional fee, the camper would get the Second Class breakfast of WalMart donuts, Gogurts and your choice of an apple, orange or banana.  Simulated orange juice, milk and chocolate milk would be included in the 2nd class breakfast.  For the premium 1st Class Fee, the camper would get to have breakfast with ME in the Voyager's Galley.  The meal would be cooked to order by the Voyager's very own Adrian Stevens.  The campers would feast on the finest of foods and a healthy dose of several of my better anecdotes and stories of life in Starfleet, on the cutting edge of civilization.  A breakfast never to be forgotten, and worth every penny.

Voyager's 1st Class camper breakfast, complete with an engaging conversation with Mr. Williamson

The clock in the Discovery Room showed it was time to get the campers up.  Our discussion ended.
The ole creative juices were flowing and hearts pumping at the thought of addition income.  Then came the sobering reality that we couldn't do any of it.  The camper's standard $43.00 fee gets them everything we have to offer.  All are equal at the Space Center (except of course for the hourly ranking system.  We do like to reward our frequent flyers with a small privilege or two).   It was back to work.  We woke up the campers from Wyoming, Idaho and Utah and sent them to the cafeteria for the standard 2nd class breakfast.  Great campers, great staff and .........  interesting food  :)

My Early Morning Encounter

A strange thing happened to me early Saturday morning.  I was sleeping near the Magellan's hallway door.  I got up at 5:45 A.M. to get ready for the WalMart donut run.  I grabbed my shoes, car keys, towel and overnight bag and opened the door.  I stepped out of the Magellan, turned left to walk down the school's hallway and stopped dead in my tracks.   A yellow helium filled balloon blocked my way.  It was suspended right in the middle of the hallway, equal distance between each wall and  between the floor and ceiling.  It was nearly motionless.  I stood still and watched as it moved ever so slightly down the hall, carried on the slightest wind created by my approach.

"Hello?" I queried.  I almost expected some kind of reaction.  It was backing away from me, like it was startled that I had stumbled upon its explorations of the school.  I followed it as it moved.

"Where did you come from?" I asked.  I watched for a reaction.  I watched for some sign of intelligence.  Perhaps it was an alien probe disguised as a yellow balloon.  It was only then I realized how stupid I looked standing there carrying on a conversation with a yellow balloon.  Especially considering it had no intention of answering me.  I moved around it, wished it the best of luck, and carried on toward the custodian's office to get ready for the day.

Let's all have a great week!

Mr. Williamson

P.S.  I don't know what happened to the yellow balloon.  Perhaps one of the staff or volunteers can tell me how it met its demise. 
          

The National Flight Academy. An Immersive Simulation.

Hello Troops,
We welcome the National Flight Academy to the growing list of institutions which educate using simulations as the primary curriculum delivery tool.  My vision of the future of education is once again vindicated. 

This Academy is unique in its approach by creating a simulated aircraft carrier.  My dream for the ideal Space Education Center is a building built to simulated a futuristic starship (not just the bridges of the ships as we currently have).  The National Flight Academy has done it.  It may be worth a trip to see what they have and how they do it as we prepare for our (hopeful) future building north of Central in 2018. 

Feel free to comment to this post.

Mr. W.

This article on the National Flight Academy was taken from the Daily Herald.

The panicked voice came into Ambition's air traffic control room _ one of the aircraft carrier's young pilots was in trouble.
"Dude, my nose is down," the pilot shouted as he struggled to regain control over his X12 experimental Triad aircraft.
There was no real danger, however: The planes are imaginary and Ambition is a simulated aircraft carrier, the centerpiece of the new, $33 million National Flight Academy that supporters are calling space camp taken to the next level.
It officially opens Friday at Pensacola Naval Air Station with scheduled appearances by former shuttle astronaut Mark Kelly, the husband of former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and Apollo astronauts Neil Armstrong and Gene Cernan _ the first and the last men to walk on the moon.
Campers from seventh to 12th grade will experience five days onboard Ambition at the National Flight Academy, surrounded by sights and sounds that recreate the feeling of being at sea and conducting noncombat missions.

Organizers say it's not just for teens who might be interested in becoming a Navy pilot, but also for those who might have an unrealized aptitude for science or math.
"Unless kids get a spark somewhere and they get excited about math or science, they are not going to do it and that is what this is about. They may not find that they want to be an aviator, but they may be really good at meteorology or geometry and that helps them make decisions about a career," said Pam Northrup, dean of the college of professional studies at the University of West Florida and consultant on the Flight Academy project since it was conceived 15 years ago.
It costs $1,250 to attend, but directors said scholarships are available, with sessions running each week from June through August.
Ambition, operated by a nonprofit with funding from Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and other aviation and defense industry leaders, was created with help from designers who have worked for Disney and Universal Studios theme parks. It has 30 networked aircraft simulators, the most in any non-Defense Department facility, and a high-tech control room. When planes take off, loud jet noises are piped into the building and rooms vibrate. The simulated hangar bays are dimly lit, just like in real life. Bells ring dignitaries aboard and crew members are alerted by an intercom system. When the mission gets under way, the windows are covered with pictures of ocean scenes and the campers sleep in berths and eat in a mess hall.

But the academy's directors, who include former top Navy aviators with decades of experience commanding and flying from aircraft carriers, stress that the project is not sponsored or endorsed by the Navy and that all of its simulated missions are noncombat.
"The Navy hasn't put a dime into this building _ the Navy authorizes this building to be here (on Pensacola Naval Air Station) but does not endorse or support it," said retired Navy Capt. Kevin Miller, a former F-18 pilot and vice president of the National Flight Academy.
New campers are assigned to squadrons and then taken to a briefing room where they are given a mission such as providing post-earthquake relief to a hard-hit country. Instructors dressed in flight suits direct each pilot and co-pilot to a simulator and hand them a clipboard with a checklist of instructions.
The squadrons then compete against each other in their flight and communication skills and how effectively they use their resources to provide the relief in the limited time given. They have to calculate their fuel supply, weight of relief supplies, weather forecasts, aircraft abilities and other factors.
"And then we throw in something unexpected like survivors in the water, so that they have to deviate from their plan. They have to use geometry, geography, trigonometry _ things pilots use all the time," Miller said.
Recently, 30 teenagers put the Ambition through a two-day test run, competing in a simulated air race that took them over MacDill Air Force Base and Tampa Bay.
The instructors _ many of them Navy and Air Force veterans _ sometimes laughed at the furious flurry of communications as a co-pilot yelled at a pilot for causing the plane to spiral toward the ground or a team discovered they had miscalculated the fuel and didn't have enough to return to the aircraft carrier.
"Hey, make sure we are going to the right airport," one pilot said to his co-pilot.
One deck above the pilots, Will Griffin, 13, sat with his right hand clasped tightly over an earpiece and his eyes focused on a radar display. Griffin communicated with his Triad squadron members from the ship's joint operation center. "All squadrons return to Ambition," Griffin radioed from his front-row seat in a filled with rows of computers, maps and instructors in fight suits.
"I've flown simulators before but these are really cool," Griffin said. "They have like six screens with all the graphics and having your own co-pilots and all of the other people flying the missions with you. I love this place."

It is good fun, but also serious learning, said retired vice Adm. Gerald L. Hoewing, the Ambition's commander and President of the National Flight Academy. He is a former Naval aviator who once commanded the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy and the fleet that included the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis.
"This is an opportunity to give back in an area that is important. High-tech and engineering are what have made this country different, and we need to regenerate that enthusiasm if we are going to lead the world like we have done for so many years," he said.
The three-star admiral was more than a figurehead throughout Ambition's trial cruise, sitting with the young aviators and monitoring the communications from the hangar bay as they flew their missions. Hoewing said he wanted to ensure that all the kinks are worked out before Friday's commissioning ceremony.
A previous trial revealed that the simulators' flight-control settings were a little too difficult for many of the young pilots, he said. Technicians had to change the settings to ensure the simulators were set at basic level.
"We have brought the ship to life in the same way the U.S. Navy would bring a ship on the line to life. We had our sea trials to see if all the equipment works," he said.
___
Online:
National Flight Academy: www.nationalflightacademy.com