1 00:00:07,089 --> 00:00:11,679 This Week at NASA… “3-2-1 fueling tower separates, booster 2 00:00:11,679 --> 00:00:20,699 ignition, and liftoff of the Soyuz Rocket as Alexander Kaleri, Scott Kelly and Oleg 3 00:00:20,699 --> 00:00:26,500 Skripochka begin their journey to the International Space Station.” 4 00:00:26,500 --> 00:00:31,980 Following several days of traditional pre-launch activities and preparations, the Expedition 5 00:00:31,980 --> 00:00:37,480 25 crew successfully launched aboard a Soyuz rocket to begin its two-day journey to the 6 00:00:37,480 --> 00:00:43,329 International Space Station. Soyuz Commander Alexander Kaleri, and Flight Engineers Scott 7 00:00:43,329 --> 00:00:47,190 Kelly and Oleg Skripochka are joining forces aboard the complex with station Commander 8 00:00:47,190 --> 00:00:52,460 Doug Wheelock and Flight Engineers Fyodor Yurchikhin and Shannon Walker, all of whom 9 00:00:52,460 --> 00:00:55,160 have been in orbit aboard the complex since June. 10 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:59,730 “It was exciting to watch him rocket off into space one more time; it’s the third 11 00:00:59,730 --> 00:01:05,269 time I’ve seen him do this. He’s certainly having a really exciting time right now, especially 12 00:01:05,269 --> 00:01:11,399 that first eight-and-a-half minutes of a rocket ride into space is just an incredible experience, 13 00:01:11,399 --> 00:01:13,969 and it was great for all of us to get to see it.” 14 00:01:13,969 --> 00:01:22,109 Expedition 25 is the twenty-fifth long-duration mission to the International Space Station. 15 00:01:22,109 --> 00:01:26,539 The United States Congress has approved the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 16 00:01:26,539 --> 00:01:32,590 Authorization Act of 2010.\hThe bill provides NASA with a clear path forward and helps put 17 00:01:32,590 --> 00:01:36,299 America’s space program on a more sustainable trajectory. 18 00:01:36,299 --> 00:01:41,299 “NASA is investment in our future and the future of our children. The United States 19 00:01:41,299 --> 00:01:47,069 has been a global leader in space exploration and technology and innovation and our efforts 20 00:01:47,069 --> 00:01:51,770 over the remainder of the Congress should be aimed preserving that leadership position. 21 00:01:51,770 --> 00:01:56,219 Provisions in the legislation will extend the life of the International Space Station, 22 00:01:56,219 --> 00:02:02,539 launch a commercial space transportation industry, develop path-breaking technologies, work to 23 00:02:02,539 --> 00:02:08,380 create thousands of new jobs and help inspire a new generation of Americans to pursue careers 24 00:02:08,380 --> 00:02:12,410 in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. 25 00:02:12,410 --> 00:02:18,500 “Today we take a step toward restoring the goals worthy of a great nation and in doing 26 00:02:18,500 --> 00:02:25,329 so we are saying to the men and women of NASA currently, and those that come that this nation 27 00:02:25,329 --> 00:02:32,939 still chooses to explore.” This is an image of a meteorite that was found 28 00:02:32,939 --> 00:02:39,379 and examined last month by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. The meteorite was first 29 00:02:39,379 --> 00:02:45,150 revealed in images taken on Sept. 16. This close-up was captured eight days later by 30 00:02:45,150 --> 00:02:51,780 Opportunity’s panoramic camera. Inspection by a microscopic imager and spectrometer on 31 00:02:51,780 --> 00:02:57,859 the rover’s arm confirmed the rock to be a nickel-iron meteorite. Opportunity’s team 32 00:02:57,859 --> 00:03:03,129 has informally dubbed the find "Oileán Ruaidh" (ay-lan ruah), the Gaelic name for an island 33 00:03:03,129 --> 00:03:07,969 off the coast of northwestern Ireland. 34 00:03:07,969 --> 00:03:08,969 And now Centerpieces… 35 00:03:08,969 --> 00:03:14,030 “Okay so now we get into the more interesting part.” 36 00:03:14,030 --> 00:03:18,920 The Kepler Science Working Group met at the Ames Research Center to review the progress 37 00:03:18,920 --> 00:03:24,730 of the Kepler Mission and discuss its future plans. This international group of scientists 38 00:03:24,730 --> 00:03:30,310 convenes every three months to review data they’re getting from Kepler and devise strategies 39 00:03:30,310 --> 00:03:32,969 for sharing and distributing their discoveries. 40 00:03:32,969 --> 00:03:37,889 “I actually feel looking at the data like a boy at the seaside, picking up pretty shells 41 00:03:37,889 --> 00:03:42,200 and I’m fortunate to have all these experts, these astronomers and astrophysicists that 42 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:46,129 look at these beautiful light curves that we’re producing and understand the scientific 43 00:03:46,129 --> 00:03:50,340 import of these light curves and make these grand discoveries that have never been made 44 00:03:50,340 --> 00:03:54,799 possible before by any other instrument or mission.” 45 00:03:54,799 --> 00:04:00,519 Kepler is on a three-and-a-half year mission to search for Earth-size planets in our galaxy. 46 00:04:00,519 --> 00:04:06,389 After one year in space, Kepler has collected more, and better, data than some researchers 47 00:04:06,389 --> 00:04:12,579 had expected. The spacecraft has already discovered several exoplanets much larger and hotter 48 00:04:12,579 --> 00:04:19,030 than Earth. Scientists hope to eventually find smaller, habitable planets with liquid 49 00:04:19,030 --> 00:04:25,419 water that could sustain life as we know it. The Kepler team has even more to celebrate 50 00:04:25,419 --> 00:04:31,449 this week. The software system devised at Ames for use by mission scientists to locate 51 00:04:31,449 --> 00:04:38,780 Earth-size exoplanets has been selected as the agency’s Software of the Year by NASA’s 52 00:04:38,780 --> 00:04:45,900 Software Advisory Panel. Kepler’s Science Operations Center software system is a suite 53 00:04:45,900 --> 00:04:52,599 of 22 custom-designed tools for processing, analyzing, and storing transit photometry 54 00:04:52,599 --> 00:04:56,289 and engineering data. 55 00:04:56,289 --> 00:05:01,280 Family and friends of Kennedy Space Center employees were treated to a look, behind-the-scenes 56 00:05:01,280 --> 00:05:06,910 look during the 2010 Family and Take Our Children to Work Day Celebration. 57 00:05:06,910 --> 00:05:12,711 Center facilities were opened so guests could learn about vehicle processing, launch operations 58 00:05:12,711 --> 00:05:18,759 and other center functions. Visitors toured the Orbiter Processing Facility, had an opportunity 59 00:05:18,759 --> 00:05:22,340 to meet an astronaut at the Launch Control Center, and walk inside the enormous Vehicle 60 00:05:22,340 --> 00:05:29,050 Assembly Building. A tour highlight was drive by launch pad 39A to see Space Shuttle Discovery 61 00:05:29,050 --> 00:05:34,710 poised for its targeted November 1 liftoff. 62 00:05:34,710 --> 00:05:41,879 After undergoing a major overhaul and upgrades, the Boeing / NASA X-48B Blended Wing Body 63 00:05:41,879 --> 00:05:46,729 research aircraft has resumed flight tests at the Dryden Flight Research Center. The 64 00:05:46,729 --> 00:05:53,300 sub-scale, manta ray-shaped airplane is supporting NASA's Environmentally Responsible Aviation, 65 00:05:53,300 --> 00:06:01,509 or ERA, project. ERA aims to develop the technology needed to create quieter, cleaner, and more 66 00:06:01,509 --> 00:06:08,180 fuel-efficient airplanes for the future. The remotely piloted X-48B flew 80 test flights 67 00:06:08,180 --> 00:06:17,190 over three years in the project's first phase from July 2007 through March of this year. 68 00:06:17,190 --> 00:06:22,539 From sea to shining sea, America’s national parks are home to some of the most breathtaking 69 00:06:22,539 --> 00:06:29,199 views on Earth. Now, NASA is helping the National Parks Service alert its millions of annual 70 00:06:29,199 --> 00:06:33,300 visitors to an attraction in the sky above their campsites. 71 00:06:33,300 --> 00:06:39,520 To commemorate the 10th anniversary of continuous human life, work and research on the International 72 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:46,319 Space Station, NASA has added the coordinates for 500 national parks and seashores, historic 73 00:06:46,319 --> 00:06:52,940 sites, monuments, and wild and scenic rivers to its list of locations for which it calculates 74 00:06:52,940 --> 00:06:59,750 opportunities to see the ISS as it passes overhead. Free from urban light pollution, 75 00:06:59,750 --> 00:07:05,349 parks like Yosemite and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail can provide a much clearer view 76 00:07:05,349 --> 00:07:11,599 of the orbiting complex as it travels 200-plus miles above Earth. Park rangers will also 77 00:07:11,599 --> 00:07:16,110 publicize the information at campgrounds and various landmarks. 78 00:07:16,110 --> 00:07:24,699 Check out sighting times in your area at spaceflight.nasa.gov. Go to “realtime data” and click on “sighting 79 00:07:24,699 --> 00:07:27,419 opportunities.” 80 00:07:27,419 --> 00:07:29,629 And that’s This Week at NASA!