1 00:00:00,780 --> 00:00:07,290 TW@N for January 21, 2011 2 00:00:07,290 --> 00:00:11,250 This Week at NASA… 3 00:00:11,250 --> 00:00:16,360 Astronaut Steve Bowen will replace Tim Kopra on the next space shuttle mission. Kopra, 4 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:20,430 a mission specialist on STS-133, was injured 5 00:00:20,430 --> 00:00:23,880 in a bicycle accident. Bowen began training this week 6 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:29,310 with the STS-133 crew, which includes Commander Steve Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe, and Mission 7 00:00:29,310 --> 00:00:33,579 Specialists Alvin Drew, Michael Barratt and Nicole Stott. 8 00:00:33,579 --> 00:00:39,640 Bowen also will train to perform the mission’s two planned spacewalks. A veteran flyer, Bowen 9 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:44,920 has walked in space five-times. His two new excursions will take place when he partners 10 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:48,620 with Drew to move a failed ammonia pump and perform 11 00:00:48,620 --> 00:00:53,870 other external configurations to the International Space Station. STS-133 will 12 00:00:53,870 --> 00:00:57,120 deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, an 13 00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:02,489 external platform that holds large equipment and critical spare components for the station. 14 00:01:02,489 --> 00:01:06,130 It will also deliver Robonaut 2, or R2, the first 15 00:01:06,130 --> 00:01:09,280 human-like robot in space. The mission’s target 16 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:14,060 launch date is February 24. 17 00:01:14,060 --> 00:01:18,540 On Valentine’s Day the Stardust spacecraft, which finished one history-making mission 18 00:01:18,540 --> 00:01:22,100 five years ago, will now complete another, getting 19 00:01:22,100 --> 00:01:25,619 up close and personal with the Comet Tempel 1. 20 00:01:25,619 --> 00:01:31,990 You may recall that Comet Tempel 1, was deliberately smashed into in 2005 as part of the 21 00:01:31,990 --> 00:01:37,570 Deep Impact mission to study the comet’s interior. Now Tempel 1 will be revisited by 22 00:01:37,570 --> 00:01:40,130 the Stardust spacecraft for what is called the 23 00:01:40,130 --> 00:01:43,810 Stardust-Next mission. At a news briefing held at 24 00:01:43,810 --> 00:01:48,789 NASA Headquarters, Stardust scientists discussed the important landmark voyage. 25 00:01:48,789 --> 00:01:53,800 “The last targeting maneuver, as we approach the comet, is two days out; that is the last 26 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:58,460 maneuver that will be fully designed to target to our 200 kilometer flyby distance and that 27 00:01:58,460 --> 00:02:00,219 will be executed two days before we arrive at the 28 00:02:00,219 --> 00:02:02,399 comet. Right after that maneuver, we will be 29 00:02:02,399 --> 00:02:06,711 taking our last optical navigation images, and those are the images that we’ll use 30 00:02:06,711 --> 00:02:11,760 to build our best prediction of our actual flyby point 31 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:15,340 and the path of the trajectory of the comet relative to 32 00:02:15,340 --> 00:02:16,340 the spacecraft.” 33 00:02:16,340 --> 00:02:21,590 This is the first-ever follow-up visit to a comet, and it will allow scientists to look 34 00:02:21,590 --> 00:02:25,750 for changes on a comet's surface caused by a close flyby. 35 00:02:25,750 --> 00:02:29,980 “All out major uncertainties and challenges, we’ve addressed all of them. So, I’m frankly, 36 00:02:29,980 --> 00:02:34,459 very confident that we’re going to get a good 37 00:02:34,459 --> 00:02:36,260 flyby and good images of the comet.” 38 00:02:36,260 --> 00:02:42,849 On January 15, 2006, the Stardust spacecraft returned from a rendezvous with Comet Wild 39 00:02:42,849 --> 00:02:46,030 2, and jettisoned its capsule containing particles 40 00:02:46,030 --> 00:02:48,870 collected directly from the comet, as well as 41 00:02:48,870 --> 00:02:50,580 interstellar dust. 42 00:02:50,580 --> 00:02:56,250 Also at headquarters the agency's next Earth-observing satellite mission, Glory, was detailed at 43 00:02:56,250 --> 00:03:01,849 another briefing held in the James Webb auditorium. Glory, scheduled to launch February 23, 44 00:03:01,849 --> 00:03:07,340 will study the impact of the sun and airborne particles on Earth’s climate. 45 00:03:07,340 --> 00:03:13,049 “This will serve as a resource for making scientifically-based economic, health, and 46 00:03:13,049 --> 00:03:16,400 policy decisions related environmental change.” 47 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:23,989 Both programs were broadcast live on NASA Television and on the agency's website. 48 00:03:23,989 --> 00:03:29,470 The American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics presented NASA’s Chief Technologist, 49 00:03:29,470 --> 00:03:35,430 Bobby Braun, with the Von Karman Lectureship in Astronautics award. Braun was recognized 50 00:03:35,430 --> 00:03:40,799 for significantly advancing the understanding of the challenge of Mars entry, descent, and 51 00:03:40,799 --> 00:03:47,140 landing, and for developing systems concepts and technologies enabling Martian exploration 52 00:03:47,140 --> 00:03:48,510 programs. 53 00:03:48,510 --> 00:03:54,060 The von Karman award, named for astronautics pioneer Theodore von Karman, is given 54 00:03:54,060 --> 00:03:59,540 annually by the AIAA to an individual who has distinguished themselves technically in 55 00:03:59,540 --> 00:04:02,840 the field of astronautics. The presentation was made 56 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:07,069 at the AIAA's 49th Aerospace Sciences Meeting in 57 00:04:07,069 --> 00:04:10,260 Orlando. 58 00:04:10,260 --> 00:04:14,439 “Martin Luther King was the most famous. He was the best known of all the modern movement 59 00:04:14,439 --> 00:04:18,579 personalities. We should remember this was a people’s movement." 60 00:04:18,579 --> 00:04:23,941 NASA helped commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a special 61 00:04:23,941 --> 00:04:29,400 celebration at the Goddard Space Flight Center. Guest speaker was Dr. Julian Bond, former 62 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:34,620 chairman of the NAACP, and well-known civil rights leader and social activist. 63 00:04:34,620 --> 00:04:39,420 “We can’t forget that Dr. King stood before and with thousands -- the people that made 64 00:04:39,420 --> 00:04:42,000 that mighty movement what it was. From Jamestown 65 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:48,220 slave pens, to Montgomery’s boycotted buses, these ordinary women and men labored in obscurity 66 00:04:48,220 --> 00:04:52,240 and from Montgomery forward they provided the foot soldier of the freedom army.” 67 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:56,750 Students from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in the District of Columbia rounded 68 00:04:56,750 --> 00:04:59,871 out the event with songs and dances selected for the 69 00:04:59,871 --> 00:05:00,871 occasion. 70 00:05:00,871 --> 00:05:09,030 “I think if Dr. King were here today, he’d be amazed that we’ve sent 20 black astronauts 71 00:05:09,030 --> 00:05:12,300 into space and he’d be amazed that I had met 72 00:05:12,300 --> 00:05:16,750 one of them just two days ago, Dr. Satcher, in 73 00:05:16,750 --> 00:05:22,900 Nashville, by coincidence we happened to be together, and I think he’d just be overcome 74 00:05:22,900 --> 00:05:26,020 at the notion that black Americans are doing things 75 00:05:26,020 --> 00:05:38,240 that many Americans never thought anybody would every do and that is to go into space.” 76 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:41,320 Landing an ER-2, NASA’s civilian version of the high-altitude U-2S plane used by the 77 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:47,970 Air Force, can prove tricky. Its wings have glider-like qualities 78 00:05:47,970 --> 00:05:53,150 that make the aircraft sensitive to crosswinds; ascent 79 00:05:53,150 --> 00:05:58,140 and descent rates are fast and steep. Also, the ER pilot who may be confined by a pressure 80 00:05:58,140 --> 00:06:01,509 suit for prolonged periods of time can find even normal 81 00:06:01,509 --> 00:06:04,210 operations inside the ER-2 anything but. 82 00:06:04,210 --> 00:06:08,919 “It’s hard for him to judge altitude with this particular aircraft and he has to actually 83 00:06:08,919 --> 00:06:11,690 stall the aircraft on every landing so the plane has to be in 84 00:06:11,690 --> 00:06:16,960 a full stall. Basically, I’m his co-pilot in a car.” 85 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:29,169 That's where NASA’s new Dodge Charger safety chase car comes in. The specially-designed 86 00:06:29,169 --> 00:06:32,930 vehicle “charges” down the runway at high speeds 87 00:06:32,930 --> 00:06:37,009 as the driver calls out data to the ER-2 pilot. Things like 88 00:06:37,009 --> 00:06:42,400 distance in feet to the runway, taxing details and any other critical information to help 89 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:44,650 facilitate a smooth and safe landing. 90 00:06:44,650 --> 00:06:56,960 “4-3-2-1 -- little right rudder, inches.” 91 00:06:56,960 --> 00:07:02,479 The Air Force has a history of relying on chase vehicles for landing safety . Following 92 00:07:02,479 --> 00:07:05,920 their lead, Dryden's Airborne Science program has leased 93 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:08,740 the government-owned Charger for five years and 94 00:07:08,740 --> 00:07:18,020 managers say the car has added an extra value of safety to ER-2 flight operations. 95 00:07:18,020 --> 00:07:23,460 Lifting off aboard its Titan-Centaur rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida on August 20, 96 00:07:23,460 --> 00:07:29,320 1977, Voyager 2 was one of a pair of NASA spacecraft bound 97 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:32,669 to explore the planets and interplanetary environment of 98 00:07:32,669 --> 00:07:39,080 the outer solar system. Its companion, Voyager 1, followed a month later. Eight-and-a-half 99 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:44,300 years after launch, on January 24, 1986, Voyager 2 made 100 00:07:44,300 --> 00:07:48,580 a successful flyby of Uranus, returning about 8,000 101 00:07:48,580 --> 00:07:53,949 images of the planet and its moons. Between them, Voyager 1 and 2 have explored all the 102 00:07:53,949 --> 00:07:57,580 giant planets of our outer solar system, Jupiter, 103 00:07:57,580 --> 00:08:01,301 Saturn, Uranus and Neptune; 48 of their moons; and the 104 00:08:01,301 --> 00:08:06,970 unique system of rings and magnetic fields surrounding those planets. Decades, and many 105 00:08:06,970 --> 00:08:10,379 billions of miles later, both Voyagers are continuing 106 00:08:10,379 --> 00:08:15,169 their journeys to the boundaries of the solar system. 107 00:08:15,169 --> 00:08:17,419 And that’s This Week@NASA.