The Mars Helicopter!

Here's another exciting element of the Perseverance Mars rover--the Mars helicopter, named Ingenuity. That's right, there will be a real drone-sized helicopter onboard the rover. It's an experiment for larger ones on future missions, so it will do short flights for as long as it lasts, perhaps just one flight, perhaps several.

It can scout ahead for the rover's travels, take photos of the rover for troubleshooting, create wonderful panoramas, and swoop down to photograph interesting features.

Because the atmosphere on Mars is about 1/100th of Earth's atmosphere, the blades will spin incredibly fast.

Expect more helicopters on future Mars landers.

The Mars Microphone!

Following a picture-perfect launch, NASA's Perseverance rover is on the way to Mars--scheduled to land next February. One really cool thing onboard is a pair of microphones.

Yes! You'll be able to listen to the landing, the winds of Mars, and the sounds of the rover as it moves.

From NASA:

SuperCam can listen for about 3.5 minutes at a time while performing science observations. This gives the rover the chance to hear the sounds of Mars, such as the high-pitched sound of sand grains over the surface, the wind whistling around the rover mast, and low-pitched howls of dust devils passing by. The microphone also records sounds of Perseverance using its arm, coring rocks, and the wheels crunching against the surface. The rover may hear the other instruments, internal mechanisms, and hear when we drop off the sample tubes. In some cases, sound can help the team diagnose the health of the rover's internal mechanisms or instruments.

Learn more:
https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/spacecraft/rover/microphones/


Photo credit: NASA

Space Week! Mars Rover Launches, SpaceX Astronauts Return

NASA's new rover, "Perseverance," launches July 30 at 7:50 AM EDT, and the two astronauts launched on SpaceX's new crew rocket will return to Earth on August 1 at 7:34 PM EDT.

You can watch both at NASA.gov/NTV.

Perseverance will have 3-D cameras for awesome views of Mars, and especially important, it will collect soil samples that will in coming years be returned to Earth in a separate mission.

Learn more about this exciting mission:
nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-invites-public-to-share-excitement-of-mars-2020-perseverance-rover-launch

The return of NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley ends the succeful mission that returned American astronaut to space on American rockets for the first time since the retirement of the space shuttles.

Learn more: nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-to-provide-coverage-of-astronauts-return-from-space-station-on-spacex-commercial 


Photo credits: NASA

Apollo at 51, Moon in 2024

Today, July 20, 2020, we remember and honor the hundreds of thousands of Americans who made Apollo a reality, as well as Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins who brought the ultimate success to the mission.

Today, we're back on the road pioneered by the Apollo generation, with NASA's Project Artemis targeting 2024 for sending the first woman and next man to the Moon. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine has slashed bureaucracy and brought in tremendous participation and ownership by commercial space to accelerate the program dramatically enough to make 2024 feasible.

One lesson of Apollo was that all problems are surmountable given the willpower. We invented from scratch everything needed to land and survive on the moon. Today we have the technology so all that's needed is just the willpower to put it together, and especially, the willpower by Congress to offer full support.

On this anniversary, you can help Congress provide the necessary support, because if we fail, the return to the Moon will be again delayed forever, and China would take that as an invitation to claim the south pole as their territory.  Here's how to help:

Please call your members of Congress in support for the president’s NASA budget request. 202-224-3121

Important tip: Do NOT leave a message with the receptionist--that counts for nothing. 

Instead, ask for the name of the “LA” or Legislative Assistant” who handles science and NASA. Get their email, and send a message. That’s the person who briefs their boss on NASA. State your case concisely and ask for full support of the president’s budget request, and full support for Artemis by 2024.  If you don’t get a reply, keep sending the email—staff get hundreds of emails a day, so yours will often get lost in the flood.

Set up a virtual meeting, better yet, request a meeting with the Member when they are in the district or state, or attend a Virtual Town Hall.

You can also call the members of the House Science Committee and the House Space Subcommittee.

Then, if you have contacts in space-related companies and advocacy organizations, ask them to take action as well—their voices will be louder than yours alone.

These simple steps can help secure safe access to the Moon for all mankind; to fulfill the hope expressed in the plaque Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin left on the Moon fifty years ago.

Thank you very much.

(Image courtesy NASA)

America is BACK ! SpaceX Launch America

Astronauts Bob Behnken & Doug Hurley Credit: SpaceX/Ashish Sharma	Demo 2 Launch Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Docking with ISS  Credit: NASA	Arrival at ISS Credit: NASA Bill Stafford

America is BACK! After a picture-perfect launch and docking with the International Space Station, our 'right stuff' astronauts, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, entered the International Space Station on May 31. This historic launch of the first crewed commercial SpaceX rocket marked the first time since 2011 that we could send our astronauts to space on American rockets.

The return of American astronauts on American rockets with the SpaceX crew Dragon launch is vital for several reasons.

1. America is no longer reliant on access to space exclusively on Russian rockets. For nine years our access to space was entirely reliant on Russian rockets, with no backup capabilities in case of accidents. While we wish them well, Russia's non-military space program has been imploding over the past couple decades, and their program is plagued with poor quality control--alarmingly including an apparently intentionally-caused leak in a Soyuz spacecraft. In spite of spending great sums on a new launch complex at Vostochny within Russian territory--Baikonur is in Kazakhstan, Vostochny has yet to see a crewed or Progress launch, and plans for a new generation of human-rated rockets and spacecraft have never advanced. Sadly, Russia is opposing commercial development in space by refusing to sign the Artemis Accords, which lay out the rule of law for the future in space.

2. Redundant launch capability with SpaceX and next year Boeing. America learned the hard way with the two space shuttle accidents that single-sourced launch platforms can ground our space program.

We were lucky that there have been no crew launch accidents with Soyuz. However, in 2011, the Coalition to Save Manned Space Exploration presented a paper to NASA on alternatives to decrewing ISS when a Soyuz Progress launch failed. Because the crewed Soyuz used the same second stage as Progress, all crew launches were cancelled. This resulted in three astronaut leaving ISS without replacements, and ISS was in danger of being entirely decrewed for the first time since 2000. Just weeks before the return flight of the remaining three crew, Soyuz was cleared for return to flight, and a new crew arrived at ISS. Two different launch platforms are essential to continuous access to space.

3. Great boost to America's worldwide stature, and beating China. Nothing says American exceptionalism and worldwide leadership than being able to lunch astronauts and soon paying travelers on our own rockets. China is planning to build a small space station beginning this year, but their space program is a military-run non-commercial program. America is setting the example for new private industries and opportunities in space.

4. Creation of a commercial crew market. This may be remembered as the most important result from commercial crew. We will see paid voyages to orbit and to ISS soon, which allows scientists, universities, countries without space programs, filmmakers, industrialists, entrepreneurs and tourists to reach orbit. Companies including Bigelow Aerospace have designed space habitats and laboratories, which will now have a market of people and industry able to reach orbit for commercial and tourist purposes. NASA has agreed to let actor Tom Cruise film a movie on ISS.

5. Dragon and Boeing's Starliner can both seat four people in ISS configuration, one more than Soyuz. and they could be configured for up to seven. The fourth seat will often be used by NASA to fly an additional crew member from one of our ISS partners. This will increase the frequency our partners will be able to go to ISS--space diplomacy, and NASA is also allowing private individuals to buy the extra seat and stay on ISS for a short time.

6. Increased public attention, thus support, for our space program including returning to the moon by 2024. The media has largely refused to cover the exciting news of returning to the Moon by 2024 (The Washington Post, for example put 51 stories ahead of the initial March 2019 announcement--the exciting news was buried on page A-24), however the SpaceX launch was covered extensively by the media, drawing millions to learn more about NASA's programs including Artemis. This gets people enthusiastic and will build support in Congress as well.

7. President Trump leadership highlighted in returning American space exploration--while the commercial crew was in progress before 2017, America wouldn't be returning to the Moon in this decade or going to Mars but for his leadership.

New Launch Date: May 30

Today, two veteran NASA astronauts, Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, boarded their Crew Dragon spacecraft, the Falcon 9 was fueled and readied for launch, spectators in the region and millions around the world eagerly waited the launch, the President and Vice President were in attendance. All eyes were on the rocket and the countdown clock. The countdown proceeded.

All systems were "go for launch," but the weather was doubtful. The ground crew waited until the very last minute, hoping that clouds and weather would clear.

But the weather didn't move out soon enough. Ground control jokingly asked "could you give us ten more minutes," but they knew that was impossible, and the historic launch of American astronauts flying on American rockets was 'scrubbed' until Saturday, May 30.

Safety is always number one, and launches are frequently delayed for weather or equipment issues. You want everything exactly right.

Some may be curious why the launch wasn't just delayed until the storm moved away. The simple answer is that for many launches, and especially for launches to a moving target like the International Space Station, the "launch window" can be only a few minutes wide or even "instantaneous," meaning that the launch must happen right at a specific moment. 

Had they launched just a few minutes later, the space station, orbiting at 17,000 miles per hour, would have traveled beyond the intended rendezvous point and required too much fuel to catch up to it once in orbit.

Our astronauts will reach the space station soon, and SpaceX and Boeing will before too long, begin taking tourists and scientists on commercial flights, whether to ISS or just to orbit, and one day, to commercial hotels and labs in orbit.

Countdown to Americans on American Rockets!

Meet Bob Behnken and Douglas Hurley, both experienced NASA space shuttle astronauts will launch to the International Space Station on May 27, heralding the return of American astronauts flying on American rockets, rather than the Russian Soyuz.

You'll want to watch this moment in history! If you are in Florida, you'll see the marvelous 'rockets red glare' rise to the heavens at 4:33 p.m. EDT, and watch online at www.NASA.gov/NTV, with coverage starting about an hour beforehand. Near the Kennedy Space Center, here's the best viewing locations.

Learn more about this incredible mission at NASA and SpaceX.

If the launch is delayed, such as for technical or weather issues, the launch may be rescheduled for the next day or when issues have been corrected.

America is in a new space race with China, and regaining our own crew launch capability is vital for strategic reasons. China intends to dominate space in the same way they are planning and attempting to do in the South China Sea, Hong Kong and even Taiwan, and their goals include declaring 'vertical sovereignty' where no satellites, space stations etc. could fly in orbit over China, and to similarly declare ownership of the only area of the Moon suitable for long-term habitation, the water-ice-rich south pole.

President Trump has restored our return to the moon by 2024, which I advised the Trump campaign and White House was essential, which will not only help secure access to the Moon by the free world, but also spark a tremendous birth and growth of commercial and tourist enterprises on the Moon, as well as giving us the experience needed to go to Mars in the 2030s.

Additionally, President Trump and NASA have written the "Artemis Accords," which all free nations should agree to and which will be required of all our space exploration partners. These accords represent the establishment of the rule of law in space, with rules to protect private enterprise and property in space and on the Moon and Mars.

Because of Democrat obstructionism in the House of Representatives (and the possibility a Democrat president could again cancel the return to the Moon--and award the high frontier to China's rule), it is vital to keep lobbying the House Science committee to keep the Artemis lunar program on schedule for 2024 and to not enact a NASA authorization or appropriation with poison pills and cuts to derail our progress and the essential timetable.

The Coalition to Save Manned Space Exploration has been meeting with Congress this year on these urgent priorities, often explaining the largely-unreported strategic aspects of our civilian and commercial space programs.

The future of access and commercialization of orbital space and the Moon must belong to all, not just China.

(Photo credit SpaceX)