CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2013-05-22 00:58:36 (43 comments, 50 reshares, 384 +1s)

Several Sierra Nevada Corporation employees recently unwrapped the Dream Chaser flight test vehicle following its five-state journey from Colorado to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in southern California. The prototype space access vehicle will undergo ground and approach-and-landing flight tests in the coming months at Dryden as part of NASA Commercial Crew Program (CCP) development work. SNC is one of three companies working with CCP during the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) initiative, which is intended to lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers. For more information about CCP, visit: www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

2013-05-21 22:56:56 (5 comments, 15 reshares, 158 +1s)

NASA X explores a new composite cryotank and a revolutionary Exoskeleton, called X1. Both of these game changing technologies will help not only NASA, but people here on Earth. http://www.youtube.com/NASAXrocks

2013-05-21 18:44:54 (8 comments, 44 reshares, 255 +1s)

Image gallery and video of the Moore, Oklahoma, tornado as seen from weather & science satellites. http://go.nasa.gov/13FvZnQ

2013-05-20 22:39:36 (33 comments, 122 reshares, 592 +1s)

Did you miss the NASA/Star Trek Google+ Hangout Thursday? Here's a shortened, 5-minute version: http://youtu.be/n8a6g_ur9go

2013-05-20 17:32:23 (56 comments, 24 reshares, 366 +1s)

What’s our future in space? Ask questions to NASA's Chief Technologist Mason Peck during a Reddit AMA now: http://redd.it/1epdv7

2013-05-20 15:46:45 (29 comments, 63 reshares, 668 +1s)

What's our new cover photo?

On June 18, 1983, a young physicist from California took her seat aboard the space shuttle and launched into history. On that date, Sally Ride became the first American woman in space as a mission specialist on STS-7. In this image, Ride monitors control panels from the pilot's chair on the Flight Deck of the Space Shuttle. 

Sally Ride Science will host "Sally Ride: A Lifetime of Accomplishment, A Champion of Science Literacy," an educational tribute to America's first woman in space on Monday, May 20. The special event will be held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.  

The celebration will highlight Ride's contributions and her legacies. These include her long-time focus on education, and her passion for inspiring girls and under-represented minority students to becomes... more »

2013-05-21 20:43:07 (102 comments, 258 reshares, 1160 +1s)

Next month, NASA begins to explore the sun in a brand new way with the IRIS mission. http://www.nasa.gov/iris

2013-05-17 18:09:40 (39 comments, 63 reshares, 612 +1s)

[WATCH] SpaceX’s 5.2m satellite fairing is tested in the world’s largest vacuum chamber: http://youtu.be/LtI1V624vWM  
The fairing protects a satellite during launch, and separates when the rocket is traveling over 4x faster than a speeding bullet – nearly 10x the speed of sound.

2013-05-17 17:18:54 (55 comments, 38 reshares, 401 +1s)

What’s our future in space? Ask questions to NASA's Chief Technologist Mason Peck during a Reddit AMA at 1:30 p.m. ET, May 20: http://go.nasa.gov/13tbrPf

2013-05-17 17:10:48 (15 comments, 23 reshares, 273 +1s)

The Mars Opportunity rover keeps going and going..... It's off to study another area on the Martian surface! http://go.nasa.gov/15TFyGJ

2013-05-17 15:42:24 (8 comments, 13 reshares, 217 +1s)

Register for a #NASASocial  with lots of robots in action in the Boston area this June at NASA-WPI Sample Return Robot Challenge: http://go.nasa.gov/13hHhOY 

Participants will tour of “the pit” area to meet with teams and see the robots, see robotic research facilities, and robotics labs, build simple bots and have a ' #battlebots '  type competition, and visit exhibits, speakers, interactive activities at the Challenge. Registration is open and closes on Monday, May 20, 2013 at noon ET. #Robots  

2013-05-17 15:21:09 (46 comments, 155 reshares, 811 +1s)

The crowdfunded AIA trailer that will play before the Star Trek Movie has been released! Enjoy! http://go.nasa.gov/13sIZ03 #gospace  

2013-05-17 12:25:42 (19 comments, 28 reshares, 288 +1s)

Watch it live at 10:30 a.m. EDT on NASA TV http://www.nasa.gov/ntv 

2013-05-17 11:55:41 (11 comments, 41 reshares, 275 +1s)

Measuring how much it rains in your backyard can be done with a plastic rain gauge. But if you were to add up all the official meteorological rain gauges throughout the world, they would cover the area of about two basketball courts. Scientists need more data, more frequently, over more of Earth's surface. Enter the Global Precipitation Measurement mission, a joint effort between NASA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and other international partners.
 
Most climate models predict that in a warming world, wet areas will get wetter and dry areas will get drier. But scientists will need comprehensive rain observations going into the future to see what changes are taking place. The GPM mission will ultimately swarm Earth with nine satellites and be able to measure nearly all global rainfall every three hours. The GPM Core satellite, which will unify the measurements into one global... more »

2013-05-16 23:14:04 (23 comments, 57 reshares, 450 +1s)

Take a look at NASA Spitzer's image of Messier 94's burning ring of fire!

2013-05-16 20:36:31 (28 comments, 24 reshares, 328 +1s)

Bruce Jackson, an aerospace engineer at NASA's Langley Research Center, briefs astronauts Rex Walheim and Gregory Johnson during simulated runway landings of the Sierra Nevada Corporation Space Systems Dream Chaser. The simulations measure how well the spacecraft would handle in a number of different atmospheric conditions and assess its guidance and navigation performance. For more info on Dream Chaser and the NASA Commercial Crew Program, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/crew/snc-dryden-langley.html Photo Credit: NASA/David C. Bowman

2013-05-16 18:44:49 (5 comments, 15 reshares, 172 +1s)

Register for a #NASASocial  in the Boston area this June at the NASA-WPI Sample Return Robot Challenge. Details: http://go.nasa.gov/13hHhOY 

2013-05-16 18:11:07 (3 comments, 3 reshares, 109 +1s)

NASA Satellite Data Helps Pinpoint Glaciers' Role in Sea Level Rise
http://go.nasa.gov/15JSmzl

2013-05-16 17:21:17 (36 comments, 128 reshares, 471 +1s)

Missed today's epic Google+ Hangout with the International Space Station and the Star Trek movie cast? Watch it here: http://go.nasa.gov/15Qm99H 

2013-05-16 15:59:46 (24 comments, 43 reshares, 260 +1s)

An asteroid with the same name as a cruise ship will sail far from and safely by Earth on May 31! http://go.nasa.gov/13p03Ef

2013-05-16 14:08:26 (45 comments, 181 reshares, 1053 +1s)

Epic G+ Hangout live with the International Space Station & Star Trek at noon ET today. Join us: http://go.nasa.gov/13i9DII  

2013-05-16 12:26:02 (10 comments, 37 reshares, 274 +1s)

Take a LONG flight from Russia to southern Africa with the newest Landsat satellite in this new data animation. http://go.nasa.gov/13ooPEo

2013-05-15 22:13:38 (21 comments, 24 reshares, 311 +1s)

It's a busy week for the NASA Commercial Crew Program and its partner Sierra Nevada Corporation Space Systems. On the west coast of the United States, NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif., welcomed the Dream Chaser flight vehicle today to begin tests of its flight and runway systems. On the east coast, several NASA astronauts will be at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., this week to fly simulations of a Dream Chaser approach and landing to help evaluate the spacecraft's subsonic handling. http://go.nasa.gov/144iros

2013-05-15 21:22:17 (4 comments, 16 reshares, 199 +1s)

During the semi-weekly contact on Tuesday, May 14, 2013, the Kepler spacecraft was once again in safe mode. As was the case earlier this month, this was a Thruster-Controlled Safe Mode. The root cause is not yet known, however the proximate cause appears to be an attitude error. The spacecraft was oriented with the solar panels facing the sun, slowly spinning about the sun-line.

Read more: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/kepler/news/keplerm-20130515.html

2013-05-15 19:46:10 (5 comments, 16 reshares, 227 +1s)

Communications from space are not as easy as just picking up a cell phone to reach out and touch someone. An Earth-to-ground chat comes at a premium; so, it's no surprise that two simultaneous chats would be something to celebrate. Payload developers and NASA's Payload Operations Integration Center team at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., are celebrating this advance, thanks to a communications hardware upgrade to the International Space Station. 

2013-05-15 19:45:22 (14 comments, 24 reshares, 212 +1s)

Scientists have created the first global topographic map of Saturn's moon Titan! http://go.nasa.gov/13lSFcs

2013-05-15 19:45:06 (15 comments, 10 reshares, 155 +1s)

Scientists estimate that Mars is bombarded by more than 200 small asteroids or bits of comets per year! http://go.nasa.gov/13lZZ7W

2013-05-15 16:07:11 (3 comments, 14 reshares, 191 +1s)

Want to see robots in action in the Boston area this June? Join us for a #NASASocial  for the NASA-WPI Sample Return Robot Challenge  http://go.nasa.gov/13hHhOY

2013-05-21 14:19:33 (500 comments, 430 reshares, 718 +1s)

To watch on YouTube, visit: NASA Connects Space Station and "Star Trek Into Darkness" Crews in a Google+ Hangout

-----
The director, a writer and some actors in the film "Star Trek Into Darkness" will join NASA astronauts as we host a Google+ Hangout On Air from noon to 12:45 p.m. EDT, May 16, about how work aboard the International Space Station is turning science fiction into reality.

Participating in the hangout will be NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, who currently is living and working aboard the space station; astronauts Michael Fincke and Kjell Lindgren at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston; director J.J. Abrams, screenwriter and producer Damon Lindelof; and stars of the film, Chris Pine, Alice Eve and John Cho. The participants will ask questions of each other and take questions from the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City (home... more »

2013-05-14 04:12:56 (222 comments, 246 reshares, 2191 +1s)

Expedition 35 Commander Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), left, Russian Flight Engineer Roman Romanenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), center, and NASA Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn sit in chairs outside the Soyuz Capsule just minutes after they landed in a remote area outside the town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, on Tuesday, May 14, 2013. Hadfield, Romanenko and Marshburn are returning from five months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 34 and 35 crews. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

2013-05-14 02:38:45 (39 comments, 46 reshares, 420 +1s)

Expedition 35 Commander Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency, Soyuz Commander Roman Romanenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency and Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn of NASA landed their Soyuz TMA-07M spacecraft in Kazakhstan at 10:31 p.m. EDT. The trio arrived at the International Space Station on Dec. 21, 2012. The crew members spent 144 days aboard the space station and a total of 146 days in space. They completed 2,336 orbits around the planet and clocked almost 62 million miles.
 
The station now is occupied by Expedition 36 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Alexander Misurkin of the Russian Federal Space Agency and Chris Cassidy of NASA. They will remain aboard the station to continue research and maintenance until the remainder of the Expedition 36 crew arrives later this month. NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg, Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin and European Space Agency... more »

2013-05-14 01:22:04 (51 comments, 62 reshares, 593 +1s)

Another view as the Soyuz TMA-07M spacecraft carrying Tom Marshburn, Chris Hadfield and Roman Romanenko departed the International Space Station this evening. NASA TV coverage is underway ahead of the trio's return to Earth, scheduled for 10:30 p.m. EDT. Watch live at www.nasa.gov/ntv.

2013-05-13 23:14:41 (21 comments, 33 reshares, 354 +1s)

The Soyuz TMA-07M spacecraft carrying Tom Marshburn, Chris Hadfield and Roman Romanenko undocked from the International Space Station's Rassvet module at 7:08 p.m. EDT. The crew is scheduled to land at 10:30 p.m. southeast of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. The departure of Hadfield, Marshburn and Romanenko marks the end of Expedition 35. Expedition 36 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Alexander Misurkin of the Russian Federal Space Agency and Chris Cassidy of NASA will continue research and maintenance aboard the station. NASA Television will air live coverage of the Soyuz TMA-07M deorbit burn and landing beginning at 9:15 p.m.: www.nasa.gov/ntv. The timeline for a typical Soyuz landing event can be found at http://go.nasa.gov/soyuztimeline.

2013-05-13 22:29:25 (41 comments, 29 reshares, 309 +1s)

After spending 144 days aboard the International Space Station, Tom Marshburn, Chris Hadfield and Roman Romanenko will soon begin their voyage home. Watch undocking coverage of their Soyuz TMA-07M spacecraft on NASA TV beginning at 6:45 p.m. ET: www.nasa.gov/ntv. For more about the crew, visit: www.nasa.gov/station

2013-05-13 19:37:34 (33 comments, 28 reshares, 313 +1s)

Preparations are underway for the Expedition 35 crew consisting of International Space Station Commander Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency, Soyuz Commander Roman Romanenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency and Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn of NASA to depart the space station and land in Kazakhstan. The three crew members will board their Soyuz TMA-07M spacecraft and close hatches at 3:50 p.m. EDT. Watch hatch closing live at www.nasa.gov/ntv. For more information about the space station, visit: www.nasa.gov/station

2013-05-13 13:10:11 (75 comments, 133 reshares, 847 +1s)

Springtime phytoplankton blooms swirling off the coast of France: from our Terra and Aqua satellites. http://go.nasa.gov/15FcqTr

2013-05-12 19:51:28 (49 comments, 85 reshares, 779 +1s)

Expedition 35 Commander Chris Hadfield handed over command of the International Space Station to Expedition 36 Commander Pavel Vinogradov in a change of command ceremony Sunday. Hadfield, Soyuz Commander Roman Romanenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency and NASA Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn will return to Earth at 10:30 p.m. EDT Monday aboard their Soyuz TMA-07M spacecraft. NASA TV coverage of the return tomorrow begins at 3:30 p.m. for Expedition 35 farewell and hatch closure. For more information about the space station, visit: www.nasa.gov/station.

2013-05-12 19:30:48 (22 comments, 23 reshares, 358 +1s)

Tune in at 3:40 p.m. EDT as Expedition 35 Commander Chris Hadfield will ceremonially hand command of the International Space Station over to Expedition 36 Commander Pavel Vinogradov. Watch live at www.nasa.gov/ntv. For more information about tomorrow night's return of Hadfield and Flight Engineers Tom Marshburn and Roman Romanenko, visit: www.nasa.gov/station.

2013-05-11 18:24:37 (28 comments, 26 reshares, 392 +1s)

Expedition 35 spacewalkers Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn completed a 5-hour, 30-minute spacewalk at 2:14 p.m. EDT.

Cassidy and Marshburn removed and replaced an apparently faulty 260-pound pump controller box. After installing the spare pump on the P6 truss, power was turned on, and the system appeared to be working properly. The spacewalkers observed the pump and did not see any ammonia leaking from the pump.

It was the 254th spacewalk by U.S. astronauts. It was the 168th spacewalk in support of International Space Station assembly and maintenance, totaling 1,061 hours, 9 minutes, and the 124th spacewalk out of station airlocks.

Cassidy now holds 23 hours and 35 minutes during four spacewalks, and Marshburn now holds 24 hours and 29 minutes during four spacewalks.

NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston will host a post-spacewalk press briefing at 4:30 p.m.... more »

2013-05-11 17:10:50 (47 comments, 38 reshares, 372 +1s)

NASA will commemorate the 40th anniversary of America's first space station Monday, May 13, at 2:30 p.m. in the James Webb Auditorium at Headquarters. The public is invited to attend. The program will feature Skylab astronauts, a current astronaut and agency managers planning future space missions. Anyone unable to attend the event in-person may ask questions during the program via social media using the hashtag #asknasa.

NASA launched Skylab on May 14, 1973. It was the nation's first foray into significant scientific research in microgravity. The three Skylab crews proved humans could live and work effectively for long durations in space. The knowledge gathered during Skylab helped inform development and construction of the International Space Station, just as the research and technology demonstrations being conducted aboard the ISS will help shape a new set of missions that will take... more »

2013-05-11 15:39:55 (23 comments, 15 reshares, 242 +1s)

About 2 1/2 hours into today's spacewalk, astronauts Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn of NASA removed the 260-pound pump controller box that may be the source of an ammonia leak from the P6 truss of the International Space Station and replacing it with a spare that had been stowed nearby on the port-side truss, or backbone of the space station.

So far, the spacewalking duo has not found any indication of where the ammonia leak originated.

Ammonia is used to cool the station’s power channels that provide electricity to the orbiting laboratory's systems. Each solar array has its own independent cooling loop. This ammonia loop is the same one that spacewalkers attempted to troubleshoot a leak on during a spacewalk on Nov. 1, 2012. It is not yet known whether this increased ammonia flow is from the same leak, which at the time was not visible. It is anticipated that the 2B powerc... more »

2013-05-11 12:48:13 (23 comments, 58 reshares, 346 +1s)

International Space Station Expedition 35 Flight Engineers Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn of NASA switched their spacesuits to battery power at 8:44 a.m. EDT, signifying the start of today's planned six hour, 30 minute excursion.

Cassidy will be performing his fourth spacewalk. He has spent a total of 18 hours, 5 minutes outside during three spacewalks in support of the International Space Station. Cassidy will don a spacesuit with red stripes. His helmet camera displays the number 20.

Marshburn also will be conducting his fourth spacewalk. He has spent a total of 18 hours, 59 minutes outside during three spacewalks in support of the International Space Station. Marshburn will wear a spacesuit with no stripes. His helmet camera displays the number 18.

This is the 168th spacewalk in support of space station assembly and maintenance and is designated U.S. Spacewalk... more »

2013-05-11 10:52:31 (31 comments, 26 reshares, 201 +1s)

NASA Television will provide live coverage of the upcoming U.S. spacewalk conducted from the International Space Station beginning at 7 a.m. EDT. The spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 8:15 a.m. and run about 6 1/2 hours.

Space station Expedition 35 Flight Engineers Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn of NASA will inspect and possibly replace a pump controller box on the station's far port-side truss, designated P6, suspected of leaking ammonia coolant. This will be both Cassidy's and Marshburn's fourth spacewalk.

A leak of ammonia coolant from the area near or at the location of a Pump and Flow Control Subassembly was detected on Thursday, prompting engineers and flight controllers to schedule this spacewalk. The device contains the mechanical systems that drive the cooling functions for the electronics that support the solar power monitoring and generation systems.
... more »

2013-05-10 23:49:56 (20 comments, 26 reshares, 219 +1s)

International Space Station managers and the international partners approved plans Friday for a spacewalk on Saturday, May 11. Expedition 35 crew members Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn will step out of the Quest airlock of the U.S. segment of the complex to inspect and possibly replace a pump controller box on the station's far port truss (P6) suspected of leaking ammonia coolant. Final approval to conduct the spacewalk came after a day-long review of procedures and the crew's preparations to support the excursion.

A leak of ammonia coolant from the area near or at the location of a Pump and Flow Control Subassembly was detected on Thursday, prompting engineers and flight controllers to begin plans to support the spacewalk. The device contains the mechanical systems that drive the cooling functions for the port truss.

The P6 truss is the oldest component of the station's... more »

2013-05-10 22:31:49 (18 comments, 19 reshares, 213 +1s)

Following Thursday's identification of an ammonia coolant leak outside the International Space Station, the Expedition 35 crew Friday began preparing for a possible spacewalk Saturday. A final decision on whether to go forward with a spacewalk is not expected until late tonight. Follow www.nasa.gov/station for the latest news and schedule information.

2013-05-10 19:59:45 (4 comments, 11 reshares, 137 +1s)

Tune into NASA TV now for the 4 p.m. EDT briefing to discuss the status of the International Space Station, including the latest on an external cooling loop leak that developed Thursday: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv. For the latest news about the ammonia leak, visit: http://go.nasa.gov/15wBHiS and follow: http://www.nasa.gov/station

2013-05-10 15:13:10 (47 comments, 25 reshares, 274 +1s)

Following Thursday's identification of an ammonia coolant leak outside the International Space Station, the Expedition 35 crew Friday began preparing for a possible spacewalk Saturday. Mission managers are discussing the information that was gathered overnight about the leak on the far left-side of the station's truss structure, called the P6 with P standing for port. A final decision on whether to go forward with a spacewalk is not expected until late tonight.

The crew is not in danger, and the station continues to operate normally otherwise. Work is under way to reroute power channels to maintain full operation of the systems normally controlled by the solar array that is cooled by the suspect loop.

Expedition 35's Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn began preparing for the possible spacewalk to inspect the area from which it appears the leak is originating and potentially... more »

2013-05-10 13:55:59 (2 comments, 4 reshares, 117 +1s)

For the latest on International Space Station news and systems status, follow http://www.nasa.gov/station and watch NASA TV's Space Station Live at 11 a.m. EDT: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv. NASA's Johnson Space Center will host a news briefing at 4 p.m., which will also air on NASA TV.

2013-05-09 20:47:46 (30 comments, 52 reshares, 418 +1s)

Mike Gazarik, head of NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, issued a statement in support of the three new Manufacturing Innovation Institutes announced by the President this morning. The institutes will help keep American manufacturing number one on Earth, and in space -- http://go.usa.gov/TH3d