Better spread the word ( tweet, blog, etc.) before it is too late re China---right to bear arms believers --Think about this!

Nasaproblems.com states China will be the dominate space faring Nation on Earth by 2020.

The article below supports nasaproblems.com.

   

http://carnegieendowment.org/files/tellis_china_space1.pdf


You see what they do to " illegal" guns!

View around oakwood today!

Fwd: nasa news == my version

Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Date: December 29, 2014 at 10:35:02 AM CST
To: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Subject: nasa news == my version

Whole heartedly agree with the last article…but didn't need a study to confirm it…

 

 

Don't forget our monthly NASA retirees lunch is delayed to next Thursday January 8^th at Hibachi Grill   at 11:30

 

 

 

 

TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS

LEADING THE NEWS

• Astronauts Show What Christmas Is Like In Space.

NASA NEWS

• 2014 Reviews Highlight Accomplishments In Space.

• NASA Said To Be "Crazy" If It Does Not Start Europa Mission.

• Georgia Schools Tackling Engineering Problems Through NASA Design Challenges.

HUMAN EXPLORATION AND OPERATIONS

• Team Simulating Mars Mission In Hawaii.

• ISS Could Help NASA Learn To Make Astronaut Missions More Autonomous.

• Next SpaceX Launch Has Role In Company's Plans For Mars Mission One Day.

• Company Supplied New Alloy For Orion.

• Federal Grant Helping Laid-Off Shuttle Workers Ends.

• Serova Conducts Spontaneous Apple Seed Experiment.

• NASA-Funded Study Shows The Importance Of Naps.

LEADING THE NEWS

Astronauts Show What Christmas Is Like In Space.

ABC News (12/25, Mohney, 5.02M) reported on how the astronauts aboard the ISS celebrated Christmas, even leaving "powdered milk and freeze dried cookies" for Santa Claus. Astronaut Terry Vicks and others are also tweeting images "of what the holiday looks like in zero gravity." Meanwhile, Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti released "a moving rendition of the song 'Imagine.'"

        SPACE (12/25, Dickerson, 276K) noted that NASA spokesman Joshua Buck said that the astronauts would have Christmas "off, spend time together enjoying their time off, looking out the window and generally taking it easy."

        Florida Today (12/27, Dean, 151K), Vox (12/25, Stromberg, 344K), AOL (12/25, 12.52M), WTVY-TV Dothan, AL (12/26, 2K) website, RT (RUS) (12/24, 346K), Universe Today (12/24, Kremer, 9K), WLUK-TV Green Bay, WI (12/26, 7:45 a.m. CST, 45K), and over 100 other local TV broadcasts also covered the story.

   

NASA NEWS

2014 Reviews Highlight Accomplishments In Space.

The Denver Post (12/28, Keeney, 1.12M) continued reviews to the last year in space, with a focus on how Colorado as a state had a big year because it was involved in major projects like the first launch of the Orion capsule and the MAVEN mission, which arrived at Mars. The article also noted the ties to the launch of the WorldView-3 satellite and Dream Chaser spacecraft, which failed to win a NASA commercial crew contract.

        Voice of America (12/25, Putic, 99K) noted that the "biggest achievements of 2014," whether successes like a spacecraft landing on a comet, the launch of Orion, and the arrival of MAVEN at Mar, or failures like Orbital Sciences and Virgin Galactic's accidents, took place in the latter half of the year.

       

NASA Said To Be "Crazy" If It Does Not Start Europa Mission.

Discovery News (12/26, Klotz, 417K) continued coverage of how NASA received $100 million to start work on an mission to Europa in the recently-passed budget. Casey Dreier, advocacy director with the Planetary Society, wrote that although such a mission still needs the approval of the Office of Management and Budget, NASA would be "crazy" not to work on the mission.

Georgia Schools Tackling Engineering Problems Through NASA Design Challenges.

The Athens (AL) News Courier (12/26, Croomes, 18K) reported on a partnership between NASA and Athens, Georgia area schools. The Design Challenges for the Classroom program will give students "real-world problems" that NASA engineers tackle, according to Athens Middle School assistant principal Chris Pennington. The goal of the program is to promote interest in STEM fields.

HUMAN EXPLORATION AND OPERATIONS

Team Simulating Mars Mission In Hawaii.

NBC Nightly News (12/28, story 10, 2:20, Holt, 7.86M) broadcast on how a group in Hawaii is taking part in a NASA-funded study "to look at how a small group of people can work together isolated from the rest of society." Reporter Hallie Jackson said that this project aims "to simulate a real manned mission" to Mars. Kim Binsted of the University of Hawaii said that part of the mission is to learn how to detect psychological problems with crew members "before they become serious."

        Mars One Candidate Also Trying To Participate In Mars Society Simulation. NPR (12/27, 2.22M) "All Things Considered" profiled Lt. Heidi Beemer, who is in the running to be selected as part of the crew to be sent to Mars on a one-way trip with Mars One. She will learn whether she will be among the final group of 40 to 50 candidates next year. Meanwhile, as "a plan B," Beemer is also one of 21 finalists competing to take part in the Mars Society's Mars Arctic 365 program, "a one-year simulated Mars exploration mission planned for next year in the high arctic."

        Experiment Could Test "Pee Power" On Mars. The Cincinnati Enquirer (12/25, Balmert, 521K) reported that Gerardine Botte, director of Ohio University's Center for Electrochemical Engineering Research, designed a "pee power" experiment that is now a finalist in a Mars One competition. Her GreenBox would take an astronaut's urine and break it down into potable water and "fuel-grade hydrogen" for use as an energy source. If selected, it will be sent to Mars in 2018 on a robotic mission.

        The AP (12/26) also covered the story, citing the Enquirer piece. UberGizmo (12/28, Kee, 5K) has additional coverage.

        Blog Coverage. Matt Williams at Universe Today (12/26, 9K) has similar coverage about another experiment participating in the Mars One competition. This one would release cyanobacteria into Mars' atmosphere to convert carbon dioxide into breathable oxygen. Williams noted that the team is benefiting from current ISS research involving cyanobacteria.

ISS Could Help NASA Learn To Make Astronaut Missions More Autonomous.

In a 7100-word article, Charles Fishman at the Atlantic (12/27, 10.91M) wrote about how "strange" it is that the ISS, a "stunning achievement" in space that has been operating continuously for years, is "completely ignored" by the public. Fishman commented that this is a "disservice" to NASA and those that serve at it. While noting that the ISS is "more thrilling and dangerous" and much more difficult than many on Earth would think, Fishman focused on how regimented astronaut life is currently. NASA currently "struggles" to balance the needs of the astronauts with the requirement to get as much done as possible. To Fishman, one of the biggest challenges to overcome that no one expected is "learning to let astronauts manage their own lives in space." The "real value" of the ISS could be to make astronauts more autonomous in space.

        NASA Releases New App All About The ISS. The Indo-Asian News Service (12/28) reported on a new NASA app called the "Space Station Earthquake Explorer," which has "everything you need to know about" the ISS. The apps includes an experiments section, a "benefits" section, and even a media section with "podcasts, videos and games."

       

Next SpaceX Launch Has Role In Company's Plans For Mars Mission One Day.

The Washington Post (12/25, Davenport, 4.9M) "Wonkblog" continued coverage of how SpaceX will attempt an "audacious maneuver" to land its Falcon 9 rocket booster on a barge on the next mission to the ISS. The article, noting the risks and difficulties, characterized the work as part of Elon Musk's goals of colonizing Mars one day.

        The Orlando (FL) Sentinel (12/27, Powers, 822K) examined SpaceX's launch plans for the next few years, starting with the ISS mission in January. It now has 40 launches on its books, "include five for launching the Falcon Heavy." According to John Logsdon, professor emeritus at George Washington University's Space Policy Institute, SpaceX is aiming to become the "dominant player in space activity," adding that this is not solely based on its missions for NASA.

        CNN's Money (12/26, Pagliery) also covered the story.

Company Supplied New Alloy For Orion.

WVNS-TV Bluefield, WV (12/26, 11:25 p.m. EST, 1K) broadcast that Constellium Rolled Products provided a "new lithium-infused aluminum alloy" used by the Orion spacecraft during its test flight earlier this month.

        The Charleston (WV) Gazette (12/24, Constantino, 44K) also covers the story.

        Work On Orion Helps Air Force Cadets Become Better Officers. The Colorado Springs (CO) Gazette (12/28, Roeder, 143K) reported that Air Force Academy cadets contributed to the Orion project by conducting wind tunnel tests starting in 2006, which allowed the capsule's designers to understand "how small forces can affect the stability of the capsule as it falls." The cadets also helped develop Orion's parachute system. The article noted that Tom Yechout, an academy aeronautics professor, believes that by working on this NASA projects, the cadets do become "better officers" in the future.

        Blog Coverage. Eric Berger at the Houston Chronicle (12/24, 2.47M) posted NASA flight director Milt Heflin's account of recovering the Orion capsule from the sea because of his "unique vantage point" of having done the same during the Apollo program. Heflin said that the "magnificent teamwork" he saw between "NASA, the Department of Defense, Lockheed Martin and various contractors" was very similar to what took place decades ago. Heflin concluded that if others "get the hell out of the way" of NASA and others, they can succeed in sending people deeper into space because they are "incredibly talented and capable."

Federal Grant Helping Laid-Off Shuttle Workers Ends.

Florida Today (12/27, Dean, 151K) reported that this month, a Federal grant which helped "some of the roughly 8,000 laid-off shuttle contractors find jobs" ended. According to records, as of September 30, close to 3,000 people benefited from the grant, with over 2,000 finding jobs.

Serova Conducts Spontaneous Apple Seed Experiment.

Russia Beyond The Headlines (12/27, Zavyalova) reported that cosmonaut Elena Serova has conducted "a spontaneous experiment" to see how apple seeds germinate in space. The article posted several of Serova's posts describing the experiment, which has resulted in a tree that is now two months old.

NASA-Funded Study Shows The Importance Of Naps.

TIME (12/27, Barker, 23.35M) explored in-depth five ways to be "smarter," according to research. One of the ways listed is by taking naps. According to a NASA-funded study, astronauts who napped for fifteen minutes had "markedly improved" performance, even if there was no "increase in alertness or the ability to pay more attention to a boring task."

 

Visit your local TV station manager &convince him to Air the facts re destruction of our capabilities!

Fwd: Alexander Gerst timelapses photography from 6 months in space

Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

From: Kent Castle <kent.d.castle@hotmail.com>
Date: December 26, 2014 5:53:49 PM CST
To: Patterson James <w8ljz@aol.com>, Williams Tom <gtomwill@att.net>, Downham Walter <w9alt0@dishmail.net>, Madsen Ron <ronstar@pdq.net>, Bogan Carole <bcbogan@earthlink.net>, Chamberlain Sharon <sharon.m.chamberlain@saic.com>, Astrology Valkyrie <astrogoddess@valkyrieastrology.com>, Bentz Jerry <bentz@sbcglobal.net>, Martin Bobby <bobbygmartin1938@gmail.com>
Subject: FW: Alexander Gerst timelapses photography from 6 months in space

 

---

From:
Subject: FW: Alexander Gerst timelapses photography from 6 months in space
Date: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 09:28:10 -0600

 

 

Alexander Gerst timelapses photography from 6 months in space

Auroras, illuminated cities and lightning make for a beautiful video.

By Aileen Graef   |   Dec. 23, 2014 at 7:04 AM

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNwWOul4i9Y

 

PARIS, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- German astronaut Alexander Gerst made a stunning timelapse video of his photography from his six months aboard the International Space Station.

The video is comprised of 12,500 images from his time in Lower Earth Orbit and includes auroras, storms, lit up cities, glimpses of the Soyuz rocket and the Canada arm as lightning across the Earth.
Alexander Gerst, American Reid Wiseman and Russian Maxim Suraev landed back on Earth in November. Gerst's images can also be found on his Flickr page.                                  

© 2014 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 

 

---

 

 

Shuttle Unique Capabilities!

Bobby Martin shared REAL Space Act of 2013's photo.

Just now · 

As our experts have stated, the many unique capabilities of shuttle plus the maintenance of our skills are lost, As clearly indicated by nasaproblems.com , Don Nelson , all this manned space flight down time coupled with China' s intent to have an operational reuseable shuttle, clearly places the USA in serious situation! YET, the media will not bring facts to the people! Spread the word!!

REAL Space Act of 2013

Never should have been retired!

###

Did you know that United Space Alliance (USA) submitted a proposal to fly the shuttles as a commercial service for NASA?

...See More

Sent from my iPad

Fwd: Top 101 Astronomical Events to Watch for in 2015

Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Date: December 24, 2014 at 9:26:33 AM CST
To: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Subject: FW: Top 101 Astronomical Events to Watch for in 2015

 

 

The Top 101 Astronomical Events to Watch for in 2015

by David Dickinson on December 23, 2014

 

Star trails over southwest London. Credit: Roger Hutchinson.

Phew! It's here.

Now in its seventh year of compilation and the second year running on Universe Today, we're proud to feature our list of astronomical happenings for the coming year. Print it, bookmark it, hang it on your fridge or observatory wall. Not only is this the yearly article that we jokingly refer to as the "blog post it takes us six months to write," but we like to think of it as unique, a mix of the mandatory, the predictable and the bizarre. It's not a 10 ten listicle, and not a full-fledged almanac, but something in between.     

A rundown of astronomy for 2015: There's lots of astronomical action to look forward to in the coming year. 2015 features the minimum number of eclipses that can occur, two lunars and two solars. The Moon also reaches its minimum standstill this coming year, as its orbit runs shallow relative to the celestial equator. The Moon will also occult all naked eye planets except Saturn in 2015, and will occult the bright star Aldebaran 13 times — once during every lunation in 2015. And speaking of Saturn, the rings of the distant planet are tilted an average of 24 degrees and opening to our line of sight in 2015 as they head towards their widest in 2018.

Finally, solar activity is trending downwards in 2015 after passing the sputtering 2014 maximum for solar cycle #24 as we now head towards a solar minimum around 2020.

Our best bets: Don't miss these fine celestial spectacles coming to a sky near YOU next year:

– The two final total lunar eclipses in the ongoing tetrad, one on April 4^th and September 28^th.

– The only total solar eclipse of 2015 on March 20th, crossing the high Arctic.

– A fine dusk pairing of the bright planets Jupiter and Venus on July 1^st.

– Possible wildcard outbursts from the Alpha Monocerotid and Taurid meteors, and a favorable New Moon near the peak of the August Perseids.

– Possible naked eye appearances by comet Q2 Lovejoy opening 2015 and comet US10 Catalina later in the year.

– The occultation of a naked eye star for Miami by an asteroid on September 3^rd.

– A series of fine occultations by the Moon of bright star Aldebaran worldwide.

The rules: The comprehensive list that follows has been lovingly distilled down to the top 101 astronomical events for 2015 worldwide. Some, such as lunar eclipses, are visible to a wide swath of humanity, while others, such as many of the asteroid occultations or the sole total solar eclipse of 2015 happen over remote locales. We whittled the list down to a "Top 101" using the following criterion:

Meteor showers: Must have a predicted ZHR  greater than 10.

Conjunctions: Must be closer than one degree.

Asteroid occultations: Must have a probability ranking better than 90 and occult a star brighter than magnitude +8.

Comets: Must reach a predicted brightness greater than magnitude +10. But remember: comets don't always read prognostications such as this, and may over or under perform at whim… and the next big one could come by at any time!

Times quoted are geocentric unless otherwise noted, and are quoted in Universal Time in a 24- hour clock format.

These events are meant to merely whet the appetite. Expect 'em to be expounded on fully by Universe Today as they approach. We linked to the events listed where possible, and provided a handy list of resources that we routinely consult at the end of the article.

Got it? Good… then without further fanfare, here's the top 101 astronomical events for 2015 in chronological order:

The path of Comet Q2 Lovejoy from January 1st to January 31st. Created using Starry Night Education software.

January

01- Comet C/2012 Q2 Lovejoy may reach naked eye visibility.

04- The Quadrantid meteors peak at 02:00 UT, favoring northern Europe with an expected ZHR of 120.

04- The Earth reaches perihelion at ~8:00 UT.

14- Mercury reaches greatest evening elongation 18.9 degrees east of the Sun at ~16:00 UT.

17- The moons Io and Europa cast a double shadow on Jupiter from 3:53 to 4:58 UT.

20- Mars passes 0.2 degrees from Neptune at ~20:00 UT.

24- A triple shadow transit of Jupiter's moons occurs from 6:26 to 6:54 UT.

29- The Moon occults Aldebaran at ~17:31 UT for the Arctic, marking the first of 13 occultations of the star by the Moon in 2015.

The view at 6:40 UT on January 24th, as 3 of Jupiter's moons cast shadows on to the Jovian cloud tops simultaneously. Created using Starry Night Education software.

February

01- Venus passes 0.8 degrees south of Neptune at ~17:00 UT.

05- Earth crosses through Jupiter's equatorial plane, marking the middle of occultation and eclipse season for the Galilean moons.

06- Jupiter reaches opposition at ~18:00 UT.

18- A "Black Moon" occurs, in the sense of the third New Moon in a season with four.

22- Venus passes 0.4 degrees south of Mars at 5:00 UT.

24- Mercury reaches greatest morning elongation at 26.7 degrees west of the Sun at 19:00 UT.

25- The Moon occults Aldebaran for northern Europe at 23:26 UT.

The path of the only total solar eclipse of 2015, occurring on March 20th. Credit: Michael Zeiler/Eclipse-Maps.

March

01- Geostationary satellite & Solar Dynamics Observatory eclipse season begins on the weeks leading up to the March Equinox.

04- Venus passes 0.1 degrees north of Uranus at ~18:00 UT. This is the closest planet-planet conjunction of 2015.

05- A Minimoon occurs, marking the most distant Full Moon of 2015 at 18:07 UT, just 10 hours from apogee.

11- Mars passes 0.3 degrees north of Uranus at ~16:00 UT.

20- A total solar eclipse occurs over the Arctic centered on 9:47 UT.

20- The March northward equinox occurs at 16:57 UT.

21- The Moon occults Mars for South America at ~22:14 UT.

25- The Moon occults Aldebaran for northwestern North America at ~7:17 UT.

Neith lives… the close passage of Uranus near Venus on March 4th. Credit: Stellarium.

April

04- A total lunar eclipse occurs, centered on 12:01 UT and visible from eastern Asia, the Pacific and the Americas.

08- Mercury passes 0.5 degrees from Uranus at ~11:00 UT.

21- The Moon occults Aldebaran for northern Asia at ~16:57 UT.

22- The Lyrid meteors peak at 24:00 UT, favoring northern Europe with a ZHR of 18.

May

05- The Eta Aquarid meteors peak (time variable), with an estimated ZHR of 55.

07- Mercury reaches greatest evening elongation at 21.2 degrees east of the Sun at 4:00 UT.

19- The Moon occults Aldebaran for northern North America at ~2:53 UT .

20- Comet C/2014 Q1 PanSTARRS may reach binocular visibility.

20- Io and Ganymede both cast shadows on Jupiter from 22:04 to 22:33 UT.

21- Callisto and Europa both cast shadows on Jupiter from 11:26 to 11:59 UT.

23- Saturn reaches opposition at ~1:00 UT.

28- Ganymede and Io both cast shadows on Jupiter from 00:01 to 2:18 UT.

30- Comet 19P/Borrelly may reach binocular visibility.

June

01- The International Space Station reaches full illumination as the June solstice nears, resulting in multiple nightly passes favoring  northern hemisphere observers.

04- Io and Ganymede both cast shadows on Jupiter from 2:54 to 4:13 UT.

05- Venus reaches greatest eastern (dusk) elongation for 2015, 45 degrees from the Sun at 16:00 UT.

10- Asteroid 424 Gratia occults a +6.1 magnitude star at ~15:10 UT for northwestern Australia.

15- The Moon occults Mercury for the South Indian Ocean at ~2:26 UT.

15- Moon occults Aldebaran in the daytime for the high Arctic at ~11:33 UT.

16- Comet C/2014 Q1 PanSTARRS may reach naked eye visibility.

21- The June northward solstice occurs at 10:51 UT.

24- Mercury reaches greatest (morning) elongation at 22.5 degrees west of the Sun at 17:00 UT.

Venus and Jupiter pair together low in the west on July 1st. Credit: Stellarium.

July

01- Venus passes 0.4 degrees from Jupiter at 9:00 UT, marking the closest conjunction of two naked eye planets for 2015.

02- Comet C/2013 US10 Catalina may reach binocular visibility.

06- Earth reaches aphelion at 13:00 UT.

06- Pluto reaches opposition at 15:00 UT, just a week prior to New Horizons' historic flyby of the distant world.

12- The Moon occults Aldebaran for northeastern Asia ~18:17 UT.

19- The Moon occults Venus for the South Pacific at ~1:07 UT.

25- Asteroid 49 Pales occults a +6.6 magnitude star at 10:55 UT for Mexico.

28- The Delta Aquarids peak (time variable) with a predicted ZHR of 16.

31- A "Blue Moon" occurs, in the sense of the second Full Moon in a given month.

The light curve of comet C/2013 US10 Catalina through its peak in 2015. Credit: Seiichi Yoshida's Weekly Information About Bright Comets.

August

07- Mercury, Jupiter and Regulus pass within a degree of each other over the next few mornings.

08- The Moon occults Aldebaran for central Asia at ~23:45 UT.

13- The Perseid meteors peak from 06:30 to 09:00 UT, with a maximum predicted ZHR of 100 favoring North America.

19- Mars crosses the Beehive Cluster M44.

28- Asteroid 16 Psyche occults a +6.4 magnitude star at ~9:49 UT for Bolivia and Peru.

29- Supermoon 1 of 3 for 2015: The Moon reaches Full at 18:38 UT, 20 hours from Full.

The path of the Moon through the Earth's shadow on September 28th. Credit: Fred Espenak/NASA/GSFC

September

01- Neptune reaches opposition at ~3:00 UT.

03- Asteroid 112 Iphigenia occults a +3rd magnitude star for Mexico and Miami at ~9:20 UT. This is the brightest star occulted by an asteroid in 2015.

02- Geostationary satellite and SDO eclipse season begins as we approach the September equinox.

04- Mercury reaches its greatest elongation for 2015, at 27 degrees east of the Sun at 8:00 UT in the dusk skies.

05- The Moon occults Aldebaran for northeastern North America at ~5:38 UT.

13- "Shallow point" (also known as the minor lunar standstill) occurs over the next lunation, as the Moon's orbit reaches a shallow minimum of 18.1 degrees inclination with respect to the celestial equator… the path of the Moon now begins to widen towards 2025.

13- A partial solar eclipse occurs, centered on 6:55 UT crossing Africa and the Indian Ocean.

23- The September southward equinox occurs at 2:29 UT.

25- Mars passes 0.8 degrees from Regulus at ~4:00 UT.

28- A total lunar eclipse occurs centered on 2:48 UT, visible from the Pacific, the Americas and eastern Europe.

28- Supermoon 2 of 3 for 2015: The Moon reaches Full at 2:52 UT, approximately an hour from Full. This marks the closest Full Moon of the year.

The path of the September 3rd occultation of a +3rd magnitude star by an asteroid over central Mexico and the Florida Keys. Credit: IOTA/Steve Preston.

October

01- Comet C/2013 US10 Catalina may reach naked eye visibility.

02- The Moon occults Aldebaran for the northern Pacific at 13:14 UT.

02- Io and Callisto both cast shadows on Jupiter from 10:26-11:35 UT.

08- The Moon occults Venus for Australia at ~20:32 UT.

11- The Moon occults Mercury for Chile at ~12:00 UT.

12- Uranus reaches opposition at ~3:00 UT.

16- Mercury reaches greatest elongation (morning) 18.1 degrees west of the Sun at 10:00 UT.

17- Mars passes 0.4 degrees from Jupiter at 22:00 UT.

18- Io and Ganymede both cast shadows on Jupiter from 8:45 to 10:10 UT.

21- The Orionid meteors peak (time variable) with a projected ZHR of 15.

25- Venus passes 1 degree from Jupiter ~19:00 UT.

25- Io and Ganymede both cast shadows on Jupiter from 10:37 to 12:51 UT.

27- Supermoon 3 of 3 for 2015: The Moon reaches Full at 12:06 UT, 23 hours from Full.

29- The Moon occults Aldebaran for Europe at ~23:07 UT.

The Moon occults Aldebaran: the visibility footprint for North America. The dashed line denotes the area in which the event occurs during the daytime. Credit: Occult 4.1.0.11.

November

01- Io and Ganymede both cast shadows on Jupiter from 15:36 to 15:47 UT.

02- Venus passes 0.7 degrees south of Mars at 00:30 UT.

12- Will the 7 year "Taurid fireball meteor shower" produce?

18- The Leonid meteor shower peaks at 04:00 UT, with an estimated ZHR of 15 favoring Europe.

22- Are we in for a once per decade Alpha Monocerotids outburst? The 2015 peak arrives at 4:25 UT, favoring Europe… with a max ZHR = 400+ possible.

26- The Moon occults Aldebaran for North America at ~9:56 UT.

29- Comet C/2013 X1 PanSTARRS may reach binocular visibility.

The daytime occultation of Venus by the Moon over North America on December 7th. Credit: Occult 4.1.0.11.

December

01- The International Space Station reaches full illumination as the December solstice nears, resulting in multiple nightly passes favoring the  southern hemisphere.

04- Mercury occults the +3.3 magnitude star Theta Ophiuchi for South Africa at 16:16 UT prior to dusk.

06- The Moon occults Mars for central Africa at ~2:42 UT.

07- The Moon occults Venus in the daytime for North America at ~16:55 UT.

14- The Geminid meteor shower peaks at 18:00 UT, with a ZHR=120 favoring NE Asia.

21- The December southward solstice occurs at 23:03 UT.

23- The Ursid meteor shower peaks at 2:30 UT with a ZHR variable from 10-50 favoring Europe and the Middle East.

23- The Moon occults Aldebaran for Europe and central Asia at ~19:32 UT.

29- Mercury reaches greatest evening elongation at 19.7 degrees east of the Sun at 00:01 UT.

 

Didn't see your favorite event on the list? Let us know, and be sure to send in any images of these fine events to Universe Today's Flickr forum.

Enjoy another exciting year of space and astronomy… we'll be expounding on these events and more as 2015 unfolds.

Sources:

– Occult 4.0

-Kevin McGill's outstanding astronomical simulations.

-Greatest Elongations of Mercury and Venus.

-Stellarium

-Starry Night Pro

-Orbitron

-Steve Preston's asteroid occultation predictions for 2015.

-The USNO forecast of phenomena for 2015.

-Seiichi Yoshida's Weekly Information About Bright Comets.

-Fred Espenak's NASA Eclipse web page.

-The American Meteor Society's 2015 predictions.

-The International Meteor Organization's 2015 page.

-Fourmilab's lunar perigee and apogee calculator.

 

About David Dickinson

David Dickinson is an Earth science teacher, freelance science writer, retired USAF veteran & backyard astronomer. He currently writes and ponders the universe from Tampa Bay, Florida.

 

---

 

Tweet from Billy Mitchell (@wgm1805)

Billy Mitchell (@wgm1805) tweeted at 5:05pm - 19 Dec 14:

"@CosmossUp: Awesome Facts about the International Space Station bit.ly/1yHaqEh pic.twitter.com/y20HX4oLXl" wot a stunning image (https://twitter.com/wgm1805/status/547823878945271808?s=17)

Get the official Twitter app at https://twitter.com/download?s=18


Sent from my iPad

Need this capability!

Wind power in oakwood

Lots of new wind generation near oakwood. Due the analysis, w/o federal funding & associated deficit increase they would not be here. FF energy will be key to USA survival for next few decades!

Sent from my iPad

EO capabilities!

Earth Orbit capabilities
Most anyone can understand you don't go back to capsules especially after twenty or so experts tell you to continue to evolve shuttle. Capsules from EO ok for certain specialized missions, but America needs continuing shuttle equivalent capabilities in EO first. Re nasaproblems.com. But, what do present low intellect leaders do----- back to capsules we go! America will pay big time for not maintaining shuttle equivalent capabilities!

Like ·  · Share

Sent from my iPad

USA must maintain this capability!

Keep the shuttle flying

http://keeptheshuttleflyingc.blogspot.com/


Sent from my iPad

Fwd: Construction of CST-100 Space Taxi Can Begin as NASA and Boeing Approve Vehicle Design Milestones

Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Date: December 13, 2014 10:59:28 AM CST
To: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Subject: FW: Construction of CST-100 Space Taxi Can Begin as NASA and Boeing Approve Vehicle Design Milestones

 

 

AmericaSpace

For a nation that explores
December 10th, 2014

Construction of CST-100 Space Taxi Can Begin as NASA and Boeing Approve Vehicle Design Milestones

By Ken Kremer

 

Artist's concept of Boeing's CST-100 space taxi ready for liftoff atop a man rated ULA Atlas-V rocket showing new crew access tower and arm at Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fl. Credit: ULA

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL — Following closely on the heels of NASA's stunning success with the flawless maiden test flight of the Orion crew module on Dec. 5, 2014, aimed at sending Americans back into deep space for the first time in over four decades, momentum is building rapidly for NASA's concurrent commercial crew program (CCP) to send Americans back into low-Earth orbit for the first time in over three years.

America is now a major step closer to restoring our capability to indigenously launching American astronauts back to the high frontier from American soil following the groundbreaking announcement today, Dec. 10, that NASA and Boeing have set the design and approved the Ground Segment Critical Design Review milestones of the company's commercial CST-100 "space taxi" that will ferry our astronauts to the space station in 2017.

Both pillars of NASA's multi-pronged human spaceflight strategy encompassing low-Earth orbit (LEO) and beyond-Earth orbit (BEO) crewed flights have kicked into high gear—just days apart.

The CCP program is the fastest and cheapest way to get America back to space with American rocketry as quickly and safely as feasible.

On Sept. 16, 2014, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced that Boeing and Space were both awarded contracts under the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) program and NASA's Launch America initiative, designed to return human spaceflight launches to the United States and end our sole source reliance on Russia.

"From day one, the Obama Administration made clear that the greatest nation on Earth should not be dependent on other nations to get into space," Bolden told reporters during a briefing at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden (left) announces the winners of NASA's Commercial Crew Program development effort to build America's next human spaceships launching from Florida to the International Space Station. Speaking from Kennedy's Press Site, Bolden announced the contract award to Boeing and SpaceX to complete the design of the CST-100 and Crew Dragon spacecraft. Former astronaut Bob Cabana, center, director of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Kathy Lueders, manager of the agency's Commercial Crew Program, and former International Space Station Commander Mike Fincke also took part in the announcement. Credit: Ken Kremer- kenkremer.com

Boeing was awarded a contract worth $4.2 billion to build the CST-100 spacecraft and launch between one and six flights atop a man-rated United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

The unseemly gap in the U.S. ability to launch people into space began in July 2011, following the politically forced shutdown of the space shuttle program following the touchdown of Space Shuttle Atlantis on the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on the STS-135 mission.

Boeing is targeting early 2017 for the first unmanned orbital test flight of the CST-100 and summer 2017 for the first manned flight.

"The first manned test flight could happen by the end of summer 2017 with a two person crew," Chris Ferguson, commander of NASA's final shuttle flight and now director of Boeing's Crew and Mission Operations, recently told AmericaSpace in an exclusive one-on-one interview about Boeing's human spaceflight efforts.

NASA and Boeing have just completed a three-week-long review of Boeing's plans for constructing and processing the CST-100 crew and service modules in Florida at KSC inside an old space shuttle hangar known as OPF-3 that had sat idle since STS-135 but has now been completely refurbished with funding from Space Florida.

The former OPF-3 facility has been renamed the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility and was recently visited by this writer and several AmericaSpace colleagues.

As part of the CCtCAP phase, NASA took a comprehensive look at all of Boeing's ground-based system designs planned for the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility and more during the Ground Segment Critical Design Review sessions.

Boeing's commercial CST-100 "Space Taxi" will carry a crew of five astronauts to low Earth orbit and the ISS from US soil. Mockup with astronaut mannequins seated below pilot console and Samsung tablets as unveiled at its planned manufacturing facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: Ken Kremer – kenkremer.com

NASA also reviewed Boeing's plans to build a CST-100 mission control center nearby as a hub of all the engineering operations to design, build, and operate the astronaut transportation vehicle.

"Along with facility designs, we looked at the operation processes," said Dave Allega, a lead in the Ground and Mission Operations Office of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, in a NASA statement.

"How would they be using those facilities? What is the flow? How are they going to build up their new spacecraft, get it ready to fly, put it on the launch vehicle and then operate it once it is there? Then, after landing, how will they go recover it and turn it around to go and do it again?"

Participating in the review were several dozen engineers on numerous ground systems, various safety, health, and human performance experts, as well as astronauts who may one day fly the CST-100.

They looked at how Boeing would test flight hardware and assemble and integrate its spacecraft to the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. They even looked at the equipment that would move the integrated stack to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 41, according to a NASA description.

Concept of the floor of the CST-100 assembly facility that Boeing envisions at Kennedy Space Center. Credit: Boeing

At the conclusion of the wide ranging discussion, NASA approved Boeing's plans which marks the successful completion of the firm's second CCtCAP milestone in the span of less than two weeks.

"This is an important step towards achieving human-rated certification," said Boeing Commercial Crew Program Manager John Mulholland. "This review provided an in-depth assessment of our training, facilities, operations and our flight processes."

Boeing can now start construction on the spacecraft hardware, and United Launch Alliance (ULA) can start on the launch vehicle adaptor and continue human rating certification of the Atlas V rocket.

"This critical design review was validation to the NASA team that all of Boeing's ground segment plans are in place and are starting to match up to our certification requirements," said Kathy Lueders, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

"This is a really good sign that we're marching at a good pace to reach our goal of certifying the system to fly to the space station."

Hatch opening to Boeing's commercial CST-100 crew transporter. Credit: Ken Kremer – kenkremer.com

The CST-100 is designed to carry a mix of cargo and up to seven crew members to the ISS. Most likely it will fly with either four or five astronauts.

"The CST-100 is a cheap, cost effective vehicle that doesn't need to be luxurious because it only needs to hold people for 48 hours. It's a simple ride up to and back from space," Ferguson explained.

 

 

Copyright © 2014 AmericaSpace - All Rights Reserved

 

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Fwd: Russian design bureau to present preliminary design of super heavy lift carrier rocket

Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Date: December 13, 2014 11:08:16 AM CST
To: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Subject: FW: Russian design bureau to present preliminary design of super heavy lift carrier rocket

Russian design bureau to present preliminary design of super heavy lift carrier rocket

 

December 12, 16:15 UTC+3
Roscosmos has been looking into the possibility for launching super heavy lift carrier rockets from the Vostochny (Eastern) cosmodrome that is currently under construction in the Russian Far East

 

Space Rocket Center Progress

© Pyotr Gridin/TASS

 

SAMARA, December 12. /TASS/. The Samara-based Space Rocket Center Progress (RKTs Progress) will present to Russia's Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) on December 15 the preliminary design of the super heavy lift carrier rocket, the press service of the Samara region government said on Friday.

"We are to submit the preliminary design to Roscosmos by December 15. This launch vehicle with the lift capacity of 85 - 90 tons should in the future ensure flights to the Moon and Mars," Director General of RKTs Progress Alexander Kirillin said at a meeting with Samara region's governor Nikolay Merkushkin.

A preliminary design as a rule comprises an explanatory note, relevant drawings, charts, calculations, as well as a draft technical design specification. The approval of the preliminary design by the customer is the requirement for the beginning of the project.

According to former USSR Minister of General Machine Building Oleg Baklanov, the restoration of competence in this sphere will enable Russia to create an orbital space station that would surpass the International Space Station (ISS) in capabilities for more comfortable flight of cosmonauts. Moreover, he said, this would make "shift work possible on other planets, for example, on the Moon, Mars, etc."

© 2014 TASS

 

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