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Roundup
LY N D O N B . J O H N S O N S P A C E C E N T E R
July | 2012
Making a splash
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On the cover:
This is the first picture from
the Pacific Ocean showing the
SpaceX Dragon following its
splashdown on May 31 at 10:42
a.m. CDT, west of Baja California,
Mexico. It was released earlier
that day from the International
Space Station following a
precedent-setting stay at the
orbital outpost.
Its
If you decide to stay and ride out a hurricane, be prepared to live for many days without electricity, air
conditioning, grocery stores, gas stations and potable water. And dont even think about riding out a monster
Category 4 or 5 hurricane. Its been 51 years since the last monster storm hit this area. Hurricane Carla in
1961 had peak winds of 175 mph, while Hurricane Ike only had 111-mph winds.
In summary, plan now, and youll be considerably less stressed when the weathermen start tracking
those tropical systems.
In this edition
Aerospace Scholars projects reach 10-year milestone; and National Lab Education Project
funds higher education initiatives
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11
Center Scoop
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NASA/PHOTO
JSC Director
exhaled but unmetabolized oxygen, so we can get every last bit of use from
the gas we carry.
The system cleans the carbon dioxide from the air so that each time the
gas is recycled to the crew member, it is virtually pure oxygen. This helps
prevent hypoxia and decompression sickness at the low pressures they are
exposed to when in a suit.
Walheims test run is a fact-finding mission to learn what the modified
ACES can do. He wants to see how it functions going from inside to
outside, entering and exiting a mock-up of Orions top and side hatches.
He is also checking out how easily he can move outside the spacecraft and
how difficult it isor notto work with tools in a suit pressurized for a
spacewalk. Since the suit is designed for IVAs, this information is important
for designers.
The tests are happening in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility. Thanks to
the ARGOS, Walheim didnt have to spend hours getting ready for testing
in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratorys swimming pool or lining up a vomit
comet reduced-gravity aircraft. ARGOS, with its robotically controlled
cable and bridge and trolley mechanisms, allows the participant to get
the feel of a reduced-gravity environment in a typical workshop setting.
According to astronauts whove flown on the ARGOS, it feels realistic.
Once Walheim and ARGOS are weighted out to neutral, he works
in a frictionless environment, gliding across an obstacle course, with
full freedom of motion. ARGOS Lead Larry Dungan notes that this
test is important because one of the original concerns, or perceptions
of the suit, was its limited mobility. However, during early ACES suit
development, gravity was never taken out of the equation since it was
used on the shuttle as a high altitude escape suit. Recent testing shows
that ACES is much more mobile in a microgravity environment, similar to
its Gemini suit cousins.
During the days tests, Walheim adjusts his movements to control how
and where he moves. He attempts to apply force in the systemsuch as
connecting a cablewithout the system pushing or pulling on him. Why?
Because Orion may not have the same handrail setup or foot-restraint
system as the International Space Station. In fact, spacesuit designers
assume there will be a limited number, if any, of handrails and no foot
restraints on Orion. After all, no spacewalks are planned, so Orions
astronauts will have to learn to how to maneuver without them.
For additional information on Orion and spacesuit development, be sure
to check out: http://www.nasa.gov
Veteran
By Lynnette Madison
that allows us to move our Orion mock-up thats over on the west
side of the building next to the low-fidelity Orion mock-up thats in the
central part of the building.
CCT2 is destined for Space Center Houston (SCH), but its expected
to stay at JSC for at least another year.
In the meantime, though, the configuration of these awe-inspiring
models is one that will be beneficial for both training and SCH visitors
who view the SVMF from the catwalk overhead.
And while the elegant dance of rearranging of mock-ups takes
place below, other alterations are going on that are pleasing to the
eye. One is an enormous paint job that is, in the short term, requiring
an abundant use of tarps inside the facility.
Were in the middle of a six-month project to repaint the interior
of the building, Musler said. Most of the paint was original, so it
had been on the walls for decades. Were getting an opportunity
to scrape off the old, flaking-off paint, get a nice base (and) get it
primed and painted.
The revamp is also allowing for other changes that will make a
huge difference in how JSC tells its story.
Some of the other things were able to do along with that is we
have new banners that well be putting up, Musler said. We have
banners for each of the shuttles, each of the programs we support,
and were going to be able to update those.
Also being updated is the behemoth ISS mock-up that had hung on
the wall. Since the model had to be taken down for the new paint, it
only made sense to correct its dated configuration. In addition, SCH
visitors are already enjoying aesthetic changes made to the lobby and
catwalk to improve their experience at JSC.
Though the SVMF is going through some growing pains, by the
beginning of Fiscal Year 2013, it will be ready to wow crowds and
continue its legacymaking JSCs varied missions possible.
Its
NASAs
By Rachel Kraft
science, technology,
engineering and math
(STEM) careers.
The nearly 700
educators who have
visited JSC for the
project for middle
school teachers for
the last 10 years have
reached approximately
140,000 students with
space-related STEM
content. The project
Participants in the Middle School
for community college
Aerospace Scholars program spend
students allows many
their time at JSC learning how to use
individuals from
underrepresented
space to excite students.
communities to see
that the world of science and engineering is accessible to them and
encourages them to pursue degrees at four-year universities. More
than 2,000 students have participated and, in 2009, the community
college project for Texas students blossomed into a national initiative for
community college students around the country.
NASA/PHOTO ISS026E018760
Since
By Rachel Kraft
NASA/PHOTO ISS031E070790
Unprecedented
SpaceX comes through with cargo delivery to space station
SpaceX isnt the only NASA partner ramping up its level of support
to the agency. Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) recently competed
its own significant milestonebut this one in support of a vehicle
capable of carrying crew to the space station.
SNC successfully completed a Preliminary Design Review (PDR) of
the design, architecture and performance of its Dream Chaser orbital
crew vehicle, leading the companys effort to develop transportation
for astronauts to low-Earth orbit.
This company is one of several working to develop commercial
crew transportation capabilities under the Commercial Crew
Development Round 2 (CCDev2) agreement with NASAs Commercial
Crew Program (CCP).
The Dream Chaser is designed to carry as many as seven
astronauts to space. It is the only spacecraft under CCDev2 that uses
wings and is designed to land on a conventional runway.
As CCPs partners meet these critical milestones, we are moving
in the right direction in our combined effort to advance commercial
capabilities that could eventually transport NASA astronauts, said
NASA CCP Program Manager Ed Mango.
NASA/JPL-CALTECH
Sure,
By Lori Keith
NASA/PHOTO ISS020E007156
vision changes
experienced by
astronauts be linked to a vitamin
B-12 or folate deficiency? While
investigating the vision changes
recently identified in astronauts,
nutritional assessment data
showed similarities to symptoms
that occur with vitamin
deficiencies, according to a new
study published in the March
edition of The Journal
of Nutrition.
Approximately 20 percent
of astronauts living on the
International Space Station
have reported post-flight vision
changes. Previous research,
published in the October
2011 issue of Ophthalmology,
identified a possible link
between the reported vision
changes and increased
Astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, Expedition 14 commander, prepares a urine sample for a
intracranial pressure caused by
nutrition investigation.
shifts in bodily fluids from the
lower extremities to the upper part of the body due to microgravity.
This may still be part of the problem, but the new study shows there
may be other contributing factors. The findings may provide evidence
to help understand why some crew members suffer vision-related
problems, while others do not.
The nutrition study included 20 astronauts, with five experiencing
vision or eye anatomy changes. The investigation collected data from
crew urine and blood samples taken before spaceflight, while living
aboard the station and after returning to Earth. The samples taken
while living in orbit were kept in the stations Minus-Eighty Degree
Freezer, or MELFI, and returned to the ground for analysis.
Comparing the blood analysis with nutritional assessments
revealed that crew members experiencing vision changes had
consistently lower folate levels and higher levels of metabolites. The
comparison suggests the vision changes may be due in part to whats
called a dependent one-carbon metabolic pathway change.
NASA/PHOTO IISS014E17530
Could
WANTED!
Do you know a JSC colleague or team that does something
extraordinary on or off the job? Whether its a unique skill,
interesting work, special professional accomplishment,
remarkable second career, hobby or volunteerism, your
nominee(s) may deserve the spotlight!
The Roundup shines the light on one special person or team each
month, chosen from a cross section of the JSC workforce. To
suggest Spotlight candidates, send your nomination to the JSC
Roundup Office mailbox at jsc-roundup@mail.nasa.gov. Please
include contact information and a brief description of why your
nominee(s) should be considered.
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Roundup
The Roundup is an official publication of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, Johnson Space
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Vision changes
With nutritional deficiencies ruled out, researchers began
considering the possibility that polymorphisms, which may be part of
the one-carbon pathway, could be causing the vision changes.
Since the folate and metabolite variances in the affected
astronauts were seen preflight, there are several theories. These
individuals may be more prone to microgravity-induced fluid shifts.
They may be affected by small changes in the stations cabin
carbon dioxide levels, which are slightly higher than those on Earth.
Even small changes in the cabin air mix could increase intracranial
pressure. Nevertheless, other astronauts exposed to higher carbon
dioxide levels did not have vision changes.
In Earth-based studies, the enzyme differences that slow down
the pathway, causing the backup, have been linked to a greater
occurrence of migraine headaches and strokes. These types of
conditions can be related to increased intracranial pressure.
Results from this investigation also could provide advancements
in understanding and treating retinal vascular and optic nerve
disorders and diseases on Earth.
While these results are very exciting, they are preliminary,
said Scott Smith, a nutritionist and one of the authors of the recent
study from Johnson Space Centers Nutritional Biochemistry
Lab. The next step is to directly test for the presence of enzyme
polymorphisms to verify whether this relates to the vision changes.
We clearly have identified a piece of the vision puzzle, Smith
said. We now need to go another step forward to assess whether
it is a small piece among many others, or a large piece that is
a primary cause of this problem. Not only may the results have
significant implications for NASA and future astronauts, but the
implications for the general population could be profound.
Additional research to expand understanding of how life in
NASA/PHOTO ISS015E10554
Enzymes are the workers on the assembly line, and can have
different formslittle changes or variations that occurbetween
individuals. These multiple forms are known as polymorphisms.
As humans evolve, tiny changes in DNA occur resulting in multiple
forms of enzymes. A good example of polymorphisms is blood
types. Though blood is blood, there are differences that account for
a variety of blood types. Lactose intolerance is another example of
polymorphisms in the human body.