[CMC] The film of the launch we could watch live, at KSC,
yesterday 11 December.
Eduardo W. Bergamini
e.w.bergamini at uol.com.br
Wed Dec 12 11:36:36 EST 2012
AIAA Daily LaunchDear CCSDS CMC Colleagues,
The movie of the launch we could watch “in-situ”, yesterday, is available at:
Florida Today (12/12)
Regards,
Eduardo
_____________________________________________________________________
From: AIAA Daily Launch
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 10:33 AM
To: e.w.bergamini at uol.com.br
Subject: 12 December 2012: X-37B Spacecraft Launches With Mysterious Mission
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Customized Briefing for Eduardo Bergamini December 12, 2012
Leading the News
Aviation and Aeronautics
Space and Astronautics
Legislation and Policy
AIAA in the News
Also in the News
Leading the News
X-37B Spacecraft Launches With Mysterious Mission.
The CBS Evening News (12/11, story 9, 0:25, Pelley) reported, "At Cape Canaveral today the Air Force launched a mini shuttle, a space plane called the X-37B. It looks like the old shuttle but it's about a quarter of the size and apparently it's unmanned. The mission today is top secret, but the last time the Air Force launched one of these space planes it stayed in orbit for 15 months."
The AP (12/12, Dunn) also notes there is no official word on what the spacecraft, which was launched on an Atlas V rocket, will do, "one scientific observer, Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, speculates the spaceplane is carrying sensors designed for spying and likely is serving as a testbed for future satellites." The article stresses that "what's important about this flight is that it is the first reflight" of the spacecraft as this is the second flight of the first X-37B spaceplane to go into space. While the spaceplane could be a testbed, some like Laura Grego of the Union of Concerned Scientists "argue the Air Force could accomplish the same objectives by using cheaper, more efficient spacecraft that either burn up on entry or parachute down."
According to Florida Today (12/12), "Brian Weeden, technical adviser to Secure World Foundation, which promotes peaceful uses of outer space, said the primary mission might be to test advanced radar, hyperspectral or infrared sensors." The article speculates that there will be a paucity of public information until the spacecraft prepares to land, which could be for the first time at the Kennedy Space Center. Now, "next up for ULA: the planned Jan. 29 launch of an Atlas V rocket with a NASA Tracking and Data Relay System (TDRS) satellite."
Reuters (12/12, Klotz) notes that while this spacecraft is unmanned, there are no plans either from NASA or the Air Force to make it capable of carrying people.
BBC News (12/12) reports with the uncertainty surrounding the X-37B, "the latest mission in particular sparked speculation that the craft was spying on the Chinese space lab Tiangong-1 - an idea that has since been largely discredited."
David Axe at the Wired (12/12) "Danger Room" blog writes that the secrecy "makes a mockery of the State Department's international campaign for greater space transparency."
Also covering the story are the Los Angeles Times (12/11, Hennigan), Decatur (AL) Daily (12/12, Fleischauer), AFP (12/12), SPACE (12/12, Moskowitz), Space News (12/12, Berger, Subscription Publication), Spaceflight Now (12/12, Ray), NASASpaceFlight (12/12, Graham), and other media sources.
Aviation and Aeronautics
Airplane Stowaways Not That Uncommon, Often Fatal.
USA Today (12/11, Trejos) reports, "The discovery of a potential stowaway's body near London's Heathrow Airport is a grim reminder that people are still able to sneak onto planes despite improved airport security." Cass Howell, associate dean at the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, said, "This is certainly not by any stretch of the imagination the first time it's happened nor will it be the last time it's happened." According to the FAA, "from 1996 to August 2012, there were 95 attempted stowaways on 84 flights around the world." The FAA notes that most stowaways snuck into the wheel well of the aircraft and that 75.8% of those attempts resulted in deaths. Howell says most of those individuals are crushed to death.
Aerospace Companies Opt Out Of Combat Rescue Helicopter Competition.
Reuters (12/12, Shalal-Esa) reports Boeing and Bell Helicopter will not submit the H-47 Chinook helicopter or the V-22 tiltrotor aircraft to the US Air Force for consideration in a competition to supply over 100 combat rescue helicopters. Boeing said this decision was due to the vehicles exceeding what the Air Force wants. The article notes Northrop Grumman also has decided not to compete in the competition.
A separate Reuters (12/12, Shalal-Esa) article reports EADS North America likewise will not submit a bid. According to the article, this follows EADS North America Chief Executive Sean O'Keefe's statement of frustration about the competition during July's Farnborough Air Show.
Iran Claims It Has Shot Down ScanEagle UAVs In The Past.
AFP (12/12) reports, "Iran has in the past shot down more spy US ScanEagle drones, a model of which it claimed to have captured recently, media reports said Tuesday, quoting a senior military official." Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who made the announcement, did not say when this occurred. The US also denied the claim even as "state television showed images of what it said was the drone: a grey, unmarked vehicle suspended in a hangar seemingly intact."
Iran Also Claims It Is Exporting UAVs To Other Countries. Reuters (12/12, Paraszczuk) reports Iranian Deputy Minister of Science, Research and Technology Mohammad Mehdinejad-Nouri told students on Monday that the country has exported UAVs and UAV technologies to other countries like Syria and Venezuela. The article notes photographs of Venezuela's Sant Arpia UAV do indicate that it is a modified version of the Iranian Mohajer-2 UAV.
Iran Displays Two New Helicopters.
The AP (12/12) reports, "Iran's state TV says the country has put its first domestically produced helicopters into service, displaying them at an air show." Iran, according to state TV, has developed "the 12-passenger Panha-1 and eight-passenger Panha-2 helicopters" that can be used for military operations. The article also notes that "Iran also displayed a new six-passenger airplane and landing gear for a jet fighter."
Prototype System Gives Pilots Eight-Hour Weather Forecasts.
WebProNews (12/12, Patterson) reports, "A new NASA-funded system developed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is now providing weather forecasts so that plane flights can avoid major storms over remote ocean regions." Using satellite data and weather models, "the prototype system provides eight-hour forecasts that are designed for air traffic controllers and pilots." Lead researcher Cathy Kessinger of NCAR said this fills an "important gap" in forecasting that can improve safety during a timeframe where pilots usually have limited information. John Haynes, Applied Sciences program manager at NASA Headquarters, said, "Turbulence is the leading cause of injuries in commercial aviation. .... This prototype system is of crucial importance to pilots and is another demonstration of the practical benefit of NASA's Earth observations."
Airbus Considering 236-Seat A321.
Aviation Week (12/12, Flottau) reports, "Airbus is studying whether it should offer a 236-seat version of the Airbus A321, industry sources tell Aviation Week. The high-density configuration would be possible using the latest slim seats with the literature bag above, rather than below, the seatback table." The article notes that while Airbus is considering this move, it says it does not have "firm plans" for a larger capacity A321. According to the article, "the aircraft could be of interest to charter and scheduled airlines looking for a Boeing 757 replacement, provided boarding and debarking can occur through two doors."
From AIAA
AIAA Foundation Sponsors Class on Principles of Engineering at the International School of Qingdao in China
Timothy DeKoninck, an AIAA Educator Associate, recently received a grant from the AIAA Foundation to teach his engineering design students principles of engineering at the International School of Qingdao in China. The International School of Qingdao first introduced the Engineering Design class as a middle school elective to prepare students for events within our district Science Olympiad competition. Science Olympiad draws from multiple areas of biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering, and presents students with various challenges to solve within a real-world context. The class at this school has since expanded to include more elements of engineering design, such as drawing, testing, and modeling, while still following the Science Olympiad guidelines for projects. As the students work diligently to design and build items like coffee-stirrer bridges, printer-paper towers, and soda-bottle rockets, they not only learn real-world building and design skills, but also learn to appreciate the engineering skill poured out in everyday items around them. The hope is to not only develop skills in teamwork, leadership, and communication, but also to better equip our students for success in the 21st century.
More Info on International Events and Activities >
New Publication Available: AIAA Special Project Report – Status of Inflight Icing Forecasting Products and Plans for Future Development (AIAA SP-137-2012e)
The latest publication in the AIAA collection is a special project report that contains three papers that were presented at the AIAA Atmospheric and Space Environments Conference in August 2010. They provide a summary of automated inflight icing diagnosis and forecast algorithms currently in operational use. The papers also describe steps being taken now for future enhancements including new data inputs, improved logic, development of human-over-the-loop production methods, and expansion of the domain to cover the globe. Readers can thus acquaint themselves with research and development entering into a new array of inflight icing guidance products designed to give the aviation user accurate and timely information with which to make flight-critical decisions.
Download a copy > (free for AIAA Members)
Space and Astronautics
Asteroid Toutatis Flyby Covered Live By Arizona Camera.
NBC Nightly News (12/11, story 10, 0:30, Williams) reported, "Tonight, the asteroid Toutatis, a big one, three miles wide, it visits us every four years. It is passing within 4 million miles of earth, that's close enough to watch it go by. And thanks to a big camera in Prescott, Arizona, astronomers will have live coverage of it in the night sky."
California Program Allows Students To Conduct Near-Space Science Projects.
NBC Nightly News (12/11, story 11, 2:25, Williams) reported on a program in Mather, California, that enables "kids around the world to send science projects right up to the edge of space, making a difference by sparking an interest in space in the next generation." Students featured in the report sent such objects as unpopped popcorn kernels, marshmallows, and jelly beans into the stratosphere. "All of these big ideas are preparing for takeoff in ping pong balls that will hitch a ride on this home-grown spacecraft." The piece quotes John Powell of JP Aerospace saying, "NASA, unfortunately, has become almost like 'Star Trek' to them, it's something somebody else does on TV and we wanted to make it something they do."
North Korea Successfully Launches Long-Range Missile.
In a widely expected move, North Korea launched a long-rage missile early Wednesday. On its front page, the New York Times (12/12, A1, Sang-hun, Sanger, Subscription Publication) calls the launch "an apparent success" for Kim, and "a step toward the country's goal of mastering the technology needed to deliver a nuclear warhead on an intercontinental ballistic missile." According to "initial indications," the first and second stages of the Galaxy-3 rocket "fell into the sea along a route the country had previously announced. But the timing of the launch appeared to take American officials by surprise." Just hours before the launch, US officials "said they thought the North Koreans had run into technical problems that could take them weeks to resolve."
Vietnam Hopes NASA Will Help It Develop Space Technology.
The Vietnam News Service (12/12) reports, "Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan said he hoped the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) would help Viet Nam develop space exploration technology yesterday while receiving visiting NASA administrator Charles Bolden." Bolden reportedly "agreed" with Nhan "and informed Deputy PM Nhan about the results of his trip, in which he met with several relevant agencies." According to the article, Nhan said the visit "represents significant progress in space-related co-operation between Viet Nam and the United States."
Mars Simulation Planned Next Year In Moroccan Desert.
China's Xinhua (12/12) news agency reports, "A one-month Mars simulation is planned to be carried out in the Moroccan desert in February 2013, the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF) said in Innsbruck Tuesday." OeWF said it is collaborating with both NASA and ESA on the project. The article notes the OeWF calims "the mission will be the largest, most elaborate Mars simulation of the year." OeWF CEO Gernot Groemer said, "The Mars analog field test will contribute to the preparations for a manned expedition to Mars in 20 to 30 years."
Kentucky Space Spinning Off Entities Through Work At ISS.
The Lane Report (12/12, Green) profiles Kentucky Space, "the offspring of a relationship nonprofit Kentucky Science and Technology Corp. developed with officials at NASA and the space community." The group is trying to develop a "cottage space industry" in the state and is now receiving grants from NASA and other agencies. The organization recently even "spun off its own nonprofit entity, the Exomedicine Institute, originating the practice of microgravity medical research" because of its work on the ISS and is "attracting plenty of attention." Another spinoff, called e10 Space, is expected to launch as well soon that "will conduct sales and marketing for Kentucky Space and Exomedicine Institute."
NASA Will Crash Grail Spacecraft Into The Moon.
SPACE (12/12, Wall) reports, "NASA's twin Grail spacecraft will crash into the lunar surface intentionally next week, bringing their gravity-mapping mission to a spectacular end." NASA plans to hold a press conference on the event on Thursday. Grail's Ebb and Flow spacecraft "are now running low on fuel as expected, NASA officials said, so the end is near for the probes." The article notes that both were only scheduled to function for 90 days, but the mission was extended back in May "allowing the two probes to gather a trove of additional data."
Russia Hoping Lunar Missions Will Be Leadership Opportunity.
In his column for SPACE (12/12), Leonard David writes there could be a "rebirth" of Russian robotic space exploration starting with the Luna-Glob and Luna-Resource missions to the moon. While David asks about the likelihood of success based on recent failure, James Head of Brown University, who is collaborating with Russian colleagues on these new lunar missions and beyond, said Russia is "vigorously" pursuing lunar research because "the Russians clearly see it as a major international and national leadership opportunity and technology driver." Other experts cited in the piece noted that Russia has a great history of exploration that has suffered in the post-Soviet Union era due to shrinking budgets and a reduction in expertise. Because of how this has translated into failures like the Phobos-Grunt mission, Asif Siddiqi of Fordham University "senses that there's a wait-and-see attitude about whether or not the next set of robotic lunar missions will work."
Russia Will Determine Next Year New Launch Dates For Delayed Satellites.
Russia's ITAR-TASS News Agency (12/12) reports, "The new dates of launches of the Glonass-K satellite and a military spacecraft from the Plesetsk cosmodrome will be determined in January next year, Deputy Defence Minister, Colonel-General Oleg Ostapenko told journalists." The two were supposed to be launched this month, "but the cosmodrome experts have actually prevented two abortive launches, timely identifying malfunctions of the upper stage rockets." The Briz-KM upper stage built by the Khrunichev State Space Research and Production Center and the Fregat upper stage produced by the NPO Lavochkin Research and Production Association were cited by Ostapenko. He also "said it was too early to talk about the return of the DM upper stage to the operation. The DM upper stage is produced by the RKK Energia Rocket Space Corporation, and it was decided to stop its use after the failed launches of the GLONASS system satellites in December 2010."
Legislation and Policy
CEOs Ask Congress, Administration For Compromise Budget Deal.
The AP (12/12, Kuhnhenn) reports, "The nation's top corporate executives are stepping up pressure on Congress and on President Barack Obama to negotiate a deal to avoid a fiscal cliff, warning that failure will result in 'significant negative economic, employment, and social consequences.'" Members of the Business Roundtable, in their letters to the White House and Congress, called for a compromise deal that could include increased revenues. However, the article notes "their letter says spending reductions must be a 'multiple of increased revenues.'"
FAA Stands By Cargo Exception To Pilot Rest Requirements.
Bloomberg News (12/12, Levin) reports, "U.S. aviation regulators won't alter a decision excluding pilots at United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) and FedEx Corp. (FDX) from rules to increase rest in an effort to reduce fatigue-related accidents." The FAA "said it would be more costly than it had previously calculated for cargo carriers to adopt requirements announced last year for passenger airlines." The Independent Pilots Association had "filed suit to force the agency to impose the rules on cargo carriers" arguing "that since Congress ordered the FAA to impose new pilot-rest standards, the agency shouldn't have calculated costs and benefits."
McCaskill Tells FAA To Change Rules On Electronic Devices.
The Hill (12/12, Laing) reports in its "Transportation" blog, "Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) called on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Tuesday to relax its rules for electronic device use on airplanes or face legislation from her forcing it to do so." The Hill reports that "in a letter to FAA Administrator Michael Huerta, McCaskill said the fear of interference from electronic devices is 'dated at best.'" McCaskill continued, "Importantly, such anachronistic policies undermine the public's confidence in the FAA, thereby increasing the likelihood that rules of real consequence will be given too little respect,."
FCC Approves Dish Network's Cellular Network Plans.
The Wall Street Journal (12/12, Page B2, Portlock, Subscription Publication) reports the FCC commissioners unanimously approved Dish Network's proposal to use satellite signals for a cellular network, although the company will have to take measures to prevent signal interference. FCC spokesperson Tammy Sun said, "These actions will help meet skyrocketing consumer demand and promote private investment, innovation, and competition, while unlocking billions of dollars of value." Meanwhile, FCC commissioners also approved a measure to ask the public what to do with unused airwaves adjacent to those Dish owns. The article notes these could be auctioned off.
State Bill Could Benefit Work At Mojave Air And Space Port.
Doug Messier at Parabolic Arc (12/12) writes, "California State Sen. Steve Knight has introduced legislation that would extend exemptions of sales and use taxes to includes equipment and materials used in constructing, reconstructing and improving commercial space launch facilities." If passed, the bill "would benefit the Mojave Air and Space Port, where Virgin Galactic, Scaled Composites, XCOR Aerospace, Masten Space Systems, Stratolaunch, Firestar Technologies, and Interorbital Systems are working on new space systems."
AIAA in the News
AIAA Collaborating On UAV Conference In California.
The Ventura County (CA) Star (12/12, Scheibe) reports, "A three-day conference on job opportunities in the unmanned aerial vehicle industry will take place in Ventura County, Assemblyman Jeff Gorell, R-Camarillo, said Tuesday." Gold Team California, "an organization focused on economic development," will host the event in collaboration with the AIAA. The event "will include panel discussions on future applications for the aircraft in the areas of public safety, agriculture, filmmaking, disaster response and communications, as well as economic development projections and opportunities for the industry in California." Gorell said, "This is an opportunity for our community to host a major event that will showcase the next generation of aerospace technology for the world."
Also in the News
Wakata To Carry Doll-Like Robot To ISS.
SPACE (12/12, Howell) reports, "When Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata arrives in space in 2013 to take command of the International Space Station, he'll have a little robotic helper ready to assist him." He will carry one of two "doll-like robots that speak Japanese, recognize faces and perform simple experiment tasks," one of which will remain on Earth as a backup. Lead designer Tomotaka Takahashi said JAXA is not funding the project, instead a consortium of companies. While the current plan would involve having Wakata to do "simple experiments" with the robot, "Takahashi expects other uses for the technology to come out of the robot's trial run."
Tuesday's Lead Stories
• North Korea Continues With Preparations For Rocket Launch.
• Navy Testing X-47B UCAS Towards Aircraft Carrier Operations.
• Weather Not Favorable For Today's X-37B Launch.
• LaHood Expected To Depart Administration "Sooner Rather Than Later."
• CERN, Hawking Will Win Large Physics Prize.
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