1 00:00:07,100 --> 00:00:09,560 This Week at NASA… 2 00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:10,940 (cheers) 3 00:00:10,940 --> 00:00:17,870 Those 33 miners rescued after spending more than two months trapped a half-mile underground 4 00:00:17,870 --> 00:00:24,640 in a Chilean copper and gold mine are doing well, thanks in part to NASA. A team of experts 5 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:30,250 -- two medical doctors, a psychologist and an engineer, traveled to Chile to assist the 6 00:00:30,250 --> 00:00:34,590 Chilean government on everything from what the trapped miners should eat and drink to 7 00:00:34,590 --> 00:00:38,210 how they could best adapt to their cramped, prolonged confinement. 8 00:00:38,210 --> 00:00:43,670 “One of the things we try to do is to shift that mindset in the miners, in the families, 9 00:00:43,670 --> 00:00:48,879 from the topside personnel and in the message that went out from these people toward the 10 00:00:48,879 --> 00:00:55,229 long-term run, so that their expectations about when they might be coming out were more 11 00:00:55,229 --> 00:01:00,449 realistic, and therefore their coping would be more realistic, therefore their health 12 00:01:00,449 --> 00:01:01,449 would be better.” 13 00:01:01,449 --> 00:01:05,720 “We had a preconceived notion of what things might apply from spaceflight to the Chilean 14 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:11,140 mine and what was surprising to us and probably to our Chilean counterparts, once we got down 15 00:01:11,140 --> 00:01:15,780 there and actually understood what the miners were going through and looked at the difficulties 16 00:01:15,780 --> 00:01:22,049 that the Chilean health authorities and engineers were going to attempt to tackle, was how many 17 00:01:22,049 --> 00:01:27,369 thing we could actually translate from spaceflight that were over and above, well over and above 18 00:01:27,369 --> 00:01:28,490 what we had anticipated.” 19 00:01:28,490 --> 00:01:34,469 NASA's long experience in training astronauts for emergencies in spaceflight proved useful 20 00:01:34,469 --> 00:01:35,820 in the miners’ rescue. 21 00:01:35,820 --> 00:01:43,729 “NASA’s part in this was just one small part in a very overwhelming effort by the 22 00:01:43,729 --> 00:01:48,259 Chilean government. It’s all about the miners; it’s all about the Chilean’s response 23 00:01:48,259 --> 00:01:53,229 and their spirit and tenacity to go after that; we were just pleased to be a part of 24 00:01:53,229 --> 00:01:54,820 it.” 25 00:01:54,820 --> 00:01:58,390 “Thank you for tuning in.” 26 00:01:58,390 --> 00:02:04,619 In an address to employees following a two-day, senior leadership retreat at the Langley Research 27 00:02:04,619 --> 00:02:09,600 Center, administrator Charles Bolden said that the recently-passed and -signed NASA 28 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:14,320 Authorization act provides a clear road map for the agency’s future. 29 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:20,660 “There have been a lot of productive discussions over the past 48 hours, and we're all on the 30 00:02:20,660 --> 00:02:26,800 same page and ready to move out in a united way to implement the goals of the agency that 31 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:31,300 will lead to new capabilities, new industry and new jobs.” 32 00:02:31,300 --> 00:02:37,360 As the shuttle is safely flown out, NASA will continue to: develop capabilities to send 33 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:43,440 astronauts to explore beyond low Earth orbit; ensure an energized, innovative program of 34 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:49,140 technology development and scientific and aeronautics research; and improve the agency’s 35 00:02:49,140 --> 00:02:52,570 standing as the 5th best place to work in government. 36 00:02:52,570 --> 00:02:57,950 Even with the tremendous accomplishments of our past, I believe NASA's best days are still 37 00:02:57,950 --> 00:03:00,310 ahead.” 38 00:03:00,310 --> 00:03:04,520 The next space shuttle crew is revving up for its upcoming launch to the International 39 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:11,040 Space Station. Discovery Commander Steve Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe and Mission Specialists Alvin 40 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:16,230 Drew, Michael Barratt, Tim Kopra and Nicole Stott journeyed to the Kennedy Space Center 41 00:03:16,230 --> 00:03:21,400 for a week’s worth of prelaunch activities including the Terminal Countdown Demonstration 42 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:28,520 Test. This full-up dress rehearsal of the launch gives the STS-133 crew and ground teams 43 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:34,200 a chance to simulate countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency 44 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:37,150 exit training. 45 00:03:37,150 --> 00:03:42,480 The shuttle and crew will carry and install the Permanent Multipurpose Module, critical 46 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:49,060 spare components for the station and deliver R2, the first human-like robot, who’ll become 47 00:03:49,060 --> 00:03:54,260 a permanent space station resident. The cargo has been loaded into the orbiter’s payload 48 00:03:54,260 --> 00:04:03,160 bay on launch pad 39A. Discovery is scheduled to fly, for the last time, on Nov. 1. 49 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:08,580 The Dryden Flight Research Center hosted the NASA Advisory Council for its two-day quarterly 50 00:04:08,580 --> 00:04:15,190 meeting at the AERO Institute in Palmdale, California. The council advises the NASA administrator 51 00:04:15,190 --> 00:04:20,870 on major agency programs and policy issues. The sessions included reports by committee 52 00:04:20,870 --> 00:04:27,160 chairmen, and comments by Deputy Administrator Lori Garver that NASA needs to better inform 53 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:33,070 the public about future aerospace research and scientific exploration in the post-shuttle 54 00:04:33,070 --> 00:04:34,070 era. 55 00:04:34,070 --> 00:04:41,560 “There somehow seems to be this view that NASA and our proposed budget for the Obama 56 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:47,630 administration was ending human space flight. The president’s budget was all about leading 57 00:04:47,630 --> 00:04:53,970 human space flight into the future, having a more robust and strong program that can 58 00:04:53,970 --> 00:04:56,640 last for decades and centuries." 59 00:04:56,640 --> 00:05:02,130 On a tour of Dryden’s facilities, the council was briefed on the SOFIA observatory, the 60 00:05:02,130 --> 00:05:07,330 Global Hawk science aircraft and other major research and development efforts underway 61 00:05:07,330 --> 00:05:08,330 at the center. 62 00:05:08,330 --> 00:05:16,860 “Main engine Ignition and liftoff of the Atlas V rocket with the LRO/LCROSS.” 63 00:05:16,860 --> 00:05:23,901 NASA's Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite mission has won Popular Mechanics 64 00:05:23,901 --> 00:05:31,000 magazine's 2010 Breakthrough Award for innovation in science and technology. On time and under 65 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:36,680 budget, “last packet, 11:35.35: 054 seconds 66 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:41,810 The LCROSS team confirmed the presence of water ice on the moon by slamming into the 67 00:05:41,810 --> 00:05:47,890 lunar surface the spent upper stage of the spacecraft’s Atlas V rocket, then flying 68 00:05:47,890 --> 00:05:53,389 through the resultant debris plume to detect concentrations of water comparable to those 69 00:05:53,389 --> 00:05:55,650 of the Sahara Desert. 70 00:05:55,650 --> 00:06:01,810 Fabricated with commercial off-the-shelf parts, the LCROSS spacecraft was cited by Popular 71 00:06:01,810 --> 00:06:07,560 Mechanics for setting “a new standard for low-cost, high-impact NASA programs." 72 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:12,140 “A whole lot of the team is made up of engineers and so we grew up reading Popular Mechanics, 73 00:06:12,140 --> 00:06:21,400 and so for Popular Mechanics to actually award us with a Breakthrough honor is fantastic, 74 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:27,460 kind of a dream come true!” 75 00:06:27,460 --> 00:06:33,600 NASA was among the participants at this year’s International Balloon Fiesta outside Albuquerque. 76 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:39,620 Not only did visitors see hot-air balloons fill the New Mexico sky with brilliant color, 77 00:06:39,620 --> 00:06:46,000 a special aeronautics exhibition showed them how NASA research is improving aviation. The 78 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:51,210 installation showcased how NASA’s “green aviation” initiative is researching ways 79 00:06:51,210 --> 00:06:57,540 to reduce aircraft noise and emissions while improving air-traffic management. The International 80 00:06:57,540 --> 00:07:02,630 Balloon Fiesta covers more than 200 acres and accommodates balloons from around the 81 00:07:02,630 --> 00:07:04,230 world. 82 00:07:04,230 --> 00:07:06,310 And that’s This Week at NASA!