Google wants to pay to upgrade and save Hangar One
December 12th, 2011 | NASA Naval aviation Navy | Posted by Chris Kelly
Hangar One, built in 1933 at Moffett Field in Mountain View, Calif., is currently in a state of undress.
That’s because the corrugated siding covering the massive hangar, deemed toxic to the environment, is being replaced. Just to note, it’s a Navy hangar, but NASA is footing the bill to take care of it.
This project has been ongoing since May, but news broke on Friday that Google is offering to pay 100 percent of the costs, that’s $33 million, associated with renovating Hangar One. So what’s the catch?
Google would like to use two-thirds of the hangar’s space to store eight private jets — including a Dornier Alpha jet.
Right now, there’s still a budget battle on-going and NASA is evaluating Google’s offer.
[H/T to the Mercury News and Techcrunch]
50 years ago, a Navy pioneer
May 5th, 2011 | Admirals NASA Naval Academy Naval aviation Naval aviation centennial Photos Space travel | Posted by Bill McMichael
A tip of the hat to the Navy and its Facebook notifications for the reminder that today marked the 50th anniversary of an event frozen in the minds of many Americans of a (ahem!) certain age: the day Navy Cmdr. Alan Shepard became the first American launched into space. His feat captivated the nation, and won back some American pride bruised by Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin beating him into space by 23 days.
The Naval Academy grad and jet test pilot had in 1959 become one of the original Mercury astronauts — the guys with the “Right Stuff,” as Tom Wolfe framed it — and on the morning of May 5, 1961, Shepard, squeezed inside the Freedom 7 space capsule and propelled by a Redstone booster, rocketed 116.5 miles into outer space.
Cmdr. Alan B. Shepard, Jr. sits in his Freedom 7 Mercury capsule, ready for launch. // Photo courtesy of NASA
According to NASA, Shepard said, “That little race between Gagarin and me was really, really close.” After several delays and more than four hours in the capsule, Shepard was ready to go, and he famously urged mission controllers to “fix your little problem and light this candle.”
Shepard’s flight only lasted 15 minutes, 28 seconds.
Shepard’s career as an astronaut wasn’t over. An ear problem that grounded him in 1964 was surgically repaired five years later and in February 1971, Shepard commanded the Apollo 14 mission to the moon. He retired as a rear admiral in 1974.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration today honored Shepard, who died in 1998 at the age of 74, during a ceremony at Cape Canaveral, Fla., where Freedom 7 was launched 50 years earlier.
The U.S. Postal Service also issued a new stamp May 4 honoring Shepard’s 1961 achievement.
There’s a nice video that captures the story at http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/shepard50/
Hello from space!
March 9th, 2011 | Facebook NASA Navy Video | Posted by Dave Brown
Let’s face it: Taped messages can be kinda lame. You’re at boot camp, you’re tired and confused, and someone wheels in a TV to give you a mini-speech by someone you’ve never heard of.
Then Scoop Deck saw this: a video of astronaut Capt. Scott Kelly that was posted on the U.S. Navy’s Facebook page. Kelly addresses recruits from the International Space Station, traveling 17,000 miles per hour and 220 miles above the Earth’s surface. No matter what he has to say, it’s more than a little cool to get a message like that.
And be sure to check out the somersault at the end.
Arizona shooting hits close to home
January 10th, 2011 | NASA Navy Washington | Posted by Gidget Fuentes
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, here speaking with a service member, remained in intensive care Monday.//Official photo/
The congresswoman seriously wounded in Saturday’s mass shooting in Tucson, Ariz., is a Navy spouse. Rep. Gabrielle “Gabby” Giffords, D-Ariz., is one of 13 survivors in the shooting that left six dead at a supermarket shopping center, including an aide. Giffords was shot in the head by the gunman as she met constituents at a “Congress on Your Corner” event and, as of midday Monday, remained in intensive care.
Giffords, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, in 2007 married Navy Capt. Mark E. Kelly, a naval fighter pilot and NASA astronaut. It was a match that led former Labor secretary and professor Robert Reich to toast the couple at their nuptials: “To a bride who moves at a velocity that exceeds that of anyone else in Washington, and a groom who moves at a velocity that exceeds 17,000 miles per hour.”
Mark Kelly issued this statement: “On behalf of Gabby and our entire family, I want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the people of Arizona and this great nation for their unbelievable outpouring of support. Gabby was doing what she loved most – hearing from her constituents – when this tragedy occurred. Serving Southern Arizonans is her passion, and nothing makes her more proud than representing them in Congress.”
Mark Kelly’s twin brother, Navy Capt. Scott Kelly, is miles above Earth in the International Space Station and regularly posts updates on his Twitter account. Capt. Mark Kelly has been slotted to command the space shuttle Endeavour on STS-134 logistics mission to the space station. That shuttle mission’s start has slid, to April 1, although his command of that flight seemed in doubt.
NASA Astronauts and Navy Capts. Scott Kelly, left, and twin brother Mark Kelly. Mark Kelly is married to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, an Arizona congresswoman.//NASA photo
Retired Maj. Gen. Charles Bolden, a former Marine Corps test pilot and NASA shuttle astronaut who serves as NASA administrator, issued a statement. Giffords “not only has made lasting contributions to our country, but is a strong advocate for the nation’s space program and a member of the NASA family. She also is a personal friend with whom I have had the great honor of working,” Bolden said. “We at NASA mourn this tragedy and our thoughts and prayers go out to Congresswoman Giffords, her husband Mark Kelly, their family and the families and friends of all who perished or were injured in this terrible tragedy.”
A piggybacked peek into the future
December 16th, 2010 | Aviation Historical NASA Science and technology | Posted by Bill McMichael
A few lucky travelers passing through Lambert International Airport in St. Louis Dec. 13 may have caught a glimpse of aviation history in the making — and of military aviation’s future — when Boeing’s Phantom Ray unmanned airborne system hitched a ride on NASA’s Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.
NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, taxis to a runway on Dec. 13 at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis with the Phantom Ray unmanned airborne system secured atop. // Ron Bookout, Boeing
The flight was a test to check the in-flight performance of the SCA while flying with the Phantom Ray and a special adapter before making the much longer trek to California for test flights at Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. And it marked the first time in 33 years the SCA had flown carrying an aircraft other than the Space Shuttle Orbiter. The fighter jet-sized Phantom Ray, designed and built by Boeing’s Phantom Works and funded entirely by Boeing, is a prototype that will be used as a test bed for advanced technologies ranging from intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to suppression of enemy air defenses.
Boeing's Phantom Ray unmanned airborne system sits atop a NASA Shuttle Carrier Aircraft prior to takeoff Dec. 13 at Lambert International Airport. // Ron Bookout, Boeing
The verdict: thumbs-up. The next day, the SCA and the Phantom Ray completed the 1,800-mile journey to Edwards. This pic was taken the day before:
NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, carrying Boeing's Phantom Ray unmanned airborne system, takes to the skies Dec. 13. // Ron Bookout, Boeing
Career advice from a Navy legend
April 13th, 2010 | Diving Historical NASA Naval Academy Navy Science and technology Submarines | Posted by Lance Bacon
Scoop Deck spent an awesome morning with retired Capt. (Dr.) Don Walsh, pilot of the bathyscaphe Trieste, which recorded the deepest dive any man has made. He and Jacques Piccard on Jan. 23, 1960 dove 35,797 feet (6.8 miles) into the deepest known part of any ocean, the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench. (Navy Times has some special coverage regarding that dive in the upcoming edition.)
Walsh, a submariner by trade, shared another interesting story: how he got his doctorate. The Naval Academy grad didn’t finish on the top rungs of his class. In his words, he was “officially stupid.” After his XO tour, the Navy had a problem.
Navy leads way, again
April 5th, 2010 | NASA Navy Science and technology | Posted by Gidget Fuentes
Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off from Kennedy Space Center, Fla., before dawn Monday carrying a seven-member crew led by Navy Capt. Alan G. Poindexter. /NASA/Kenny Allen
It’s the rare space shuttle that doesn’t shoot toward space without the Navy aboard in some form or fashion.
Monday’s predawn launch of Space Shuttle Discovery – officially it’s STS-131 mission – from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center came with two military officers at the helm, including shuttle commander and Navy Capt. Alan G. Poindexter, 49, along with pilot, Air Force Col. James P. Dutton, Jr., 41. The seven-member crew, which includes three women, is on a 13-day mission and the 33rd shuttle trip to the International Space Station.
Poindexter, a veteran F-14 Tomcat and test pilot, joined NASA in 1998, according to his NASA biography. He completed his first space flight 10 years later as the pilot for the STS-122 mission aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis. Before the current mission, he had tallied 306 hours in space. And, yes, he is the son of retired Navy Rear Adm. John Poindexter, former national security adviser to the late President Ronald Reagan.
STS-131 mission commander Capt. Alan G. Poindexter/ NASA photo
Space fans collecting mission patches might want to check out STS-131’s colorful, movie-styled poster on NASA’s Facebook page. And countdown watchers will want to take note: There are only three more approved space shuttle missions left before NASA shutters its shuttle program after Discovery completes the final launch, which is scheduled for liftoff on Sept. 16.
Scoop Deck wishes the commander and crew a safe return.
Astronaut pleads, headline writers harumph
November 11th, 2009 | Aviation Blogs NASA Science and technology | Posted by Phil Ewing
After a scandal that was out of this world, the Lisa Nowak story has returned to Earth, much as the space shuttle Discovery landed in December // NASA
Reporters, editors, bloggers and late-night comedians are losing an icon this week — the most infamous astronaut of all time, Capt. Lisa Nowak, closed out the story that has brought NASA its most public attention since the moonshot.
Nowak pleaded guilty to assaulting a fellow astronaut, Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman, in a crime for the ages: Nowak drove more than 1,000 miles, from Houston to Orlando — geared up with a steel mallet, a wig, a BB gun, a knife, latex gloves, rubber tubing, garbage bags and pepper spray — and attacked Shipman as she tried to get into her car in a parking lot.
The motive? Nowak was apparently jealous that Shipman stol’d her man, Cmdr. Bill Oefelein, who was at the center of the astronaut love triangle. Other sensational elements? The infamous diapers. The e-mails. Just when you thought there were no other ridiculous ways for the story to go, there they were.
That’s all over now. But The Register isn’t wasting the last chance for this sort of thing — its headline today was “Astronaut love-dustup mace space ace Nowak cops plea,” with the sub-hed: “Anger management classes for wiggy carpark catfight.”
It’s take 3 for space shot
July 10th, 2009 | NASA Navy Officers Science and technology SEALs | Posted by Gidget Fuentes
It’s probably a good thing that NASA’s pool of astronauts include quite a few military officers. Who better to understand the “hurry up and wait” lifestyle that is the military?
We told you last month about preparations for the planned June 13 launch of the space shuttle Endeavour, whose seven-member crew of space sailors, including only the second Navy SEAL to ever venture into space, will do a 16-day mission that will haul parts of Japan’s Kibo laboratory to the International Space Station. But hydrogen leaks in a gas vent line leading to the exterior fuel tank forced NASA officials to twice scrub the flight and delay the mission.
Space Shuttle Endeavour sat at Launch Pad 39A Friday as storm clouds loomed overhead. NASA-TV photo
On Friday morning, though, NASA gave the STS-127 mission a “go,” with a scheduled launch time of 7:39 p.m. Saturday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. But at this point, NASA says, it looks like weather might be the decider on that evening launch time and date, since the forecast includes scattered thunderstorms throughout the weekend. NASA predicted a 40 percent for conditions good enough to launch on Saturday.
Endeavour’s crew for this planned flight has a strong, multi-service, “purple” representation: Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Army.
Mission specialists including Cmdr. Christopher Cassidy, a Navy SEAL and Afghanistan veteran who will ride Endeavour on his first flight into space if all goes well with the weather and barring any other delays. Again, we say hooyah! Cassidy will follow on the heels of his mentor, retired Capt. William M. Shepherd, the first Navy SEAL to ride a shuttle into space. The Air Force is represented – shuttle commander Mark Polansky is a retired test pilot and veteran of two shuttle missions, STS-98 and STS-116 while mission specialist Dave Wolf[cqgf] is a former flight surgeon. So, too, is the Army, as mission specialist Col. Tim Kopra, a helicopter test pilot, will leave on his first flight and remain on the space station as he swaps out with Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, who will return to Earth with Endeavour’s crew. A Marine will be at the controls when Lt. Col. Doug Hurley, the shuttle pilot, goes on his first spaceflight.
If the weather clears up, once the shuttle takes off, you’ll be able to track each of the day’s work on an interactive site. You also can read about what favorite tokens astronauts will take with them for their space ride. Cassidy is carrying several coins and patches from SEAL units.
You can even reach them on Twitter. Polansky, the mission commander, is “Astro_127.” “We’ll have our L-1 day shuttle systems review and launch weather briefing at 2000 EDT,” he wrote Friday evening. You can track him on MySpace and YouTube.
Let’s hope the weather cooperates.
Military space geeks, take note
June 5th, 2009 | NASA Officers SEALs | Posted by Gidget Fuentes
Today marks the final week counting down to the scheduled launch of space shuttle Endeavour, whose seven-member crew of space sailors is yet another “purple” multi-service representation, including a Navy SEAL. Endeavour is scheduled for a 7:17 a.m. EDT liftoff on Saturday, June 13, from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The 16-day mission of STS-127 marks the final flight hauling parts of Japan’s Kibo Laboratory to the International Space Station.
One of the mission specialists is Navy Cmdr. Christopher Cassidy(below), a SEAL and decorated Afghanistan veteran who will ride Endeavour on his first flight into space. Hooyah! Cassidy will be the second SEAL to go into space, a feat previously done by his mentor, retired Navy Capt. William M. Shepherd, who was the international space station’s first commander.
Endeavour’s shuttle commander, Mark Polansky, is a retired Air Force test pilot who’s done two shuttle missions, STS-98 and STS-116. Veteran mission specialist Dave Wolf is a former Air Force flight surgeon. The shuttle pilot is Marine Lt. Col. Doug Hurley, going on his first space flight. Army Col. Tim Kopra, a mission specialist also on his first flight, is a helicopter test pilot who will stay aboard the space station while Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata will hitch a ride back to Earth.
The shuttle crew will be quarantined at the Johnson Space Center in Houston starting tomorrow until they return to Florida Tuesday to prepare for the flight. NASA officials gave the mission a “go,” although bad weather could delay the launch. Space buffs can track the mission online or on NASA-TV. There’s also a cool interactive site to track each day’s work.
You can even reach them on Twitter. The mission commander is “Astro_127.” Twittering won’t end when Endeavour reaches orbit. Folks can query the crew via video tweets — they must be less than 30 seconds — posted on YouTube, with the video link sent to his Twitter account. NASA will pick questions for him to answer live on NASA-TV. We’ll have to wait for his reponse to this question already posted: “What would happen if you fly into a black hole?” Let’s hope we won’t find out.