Astronaut Scott Kelly Returns To Earth After A Year On The International Space Station Thursday March

This cafeteria ad.... the reason why I got to intern X) #NASAIntern #jsc

Studying for Introduction to Java final

A thing I helped is in space!

I randomly took this screenshot during the spacewalk yesterday because I thought the reflection of the astronaut looked cool. Past NASA mentor pointed out that the lower reflective device is actually a HD camera @astronomicalwonders and I monitored during testing! We took the graveyard shifts monitoring data during cold thermo-cycling (checking if it could really handle chilly space temperatures). We recorded time and temperatures and the test lead performed operational testing to see if the cameras still give back an image. In honor of our enthusiasm for late night testing our division, the Avionic Systems Division, awarded us with certificates in Team Excellence for "reinforcing the weary EHDC project team during overnight thermo testing." Our assistance was not particularly technical but it was neat to see the path a device takes to get to space and see the final result post spacewalk insulation. The astronauts will use these cameras to show ground what they are working on in space and zoom in on fine details to show damages.

More details about the spacewalk via NASA here.

Spacewalk itinerary walk-through here.

Every time I Google my University of Minnesota Duluth initials, "UMD", results for University of Maryland appear. Since the leadership conference is held at U of Maryland, I get to meet the infamous university that plagues my peers' web browsers. My adventure began driving to Hibbing, Minnesota's Airport through the red painted ore hills of the Iron Range. Middle Precambrian treasures tempt to be excavated, awaiting America to be great again. Adorned with big game trophies Hibbing Airport's pace greatly differed from Minneapolis, Minnesota's metropolis of travel. Minneapolis has every reasonable pH of bottled water for sale, designated therapy dogs and indoor golf. Upon arrival in D.C. I scuffled to a shuttle, scooted around cities, and eventually meandered to the other UMD. I was welcomed by boxes of chocolate Luna Bars, a packed itenerary and a gaggle of gals ready to fine tune leadership. Tomorrow holds a trip to Capitol Hill to hear from a panel of D.C. professionals and the NCCWSL (National Conference for College Women Student Leaders pronounced "Nick Whistle").

Since over $20k was raised for space camp scholarships, students can APPLY NOW for a full ride to space camp! This was a result of The Martian novel themed Potato Challenge fundraiser on Minnesota Give to the Max day: http://themarsgeneration.org/scholarships/

Intern Week 4: The Red Phone

Mouse clicks resonate throughout the lab mimicking an orchestra of League of Legend players. At work I was certainly not partaking in an online battle arena but programming in LabVIEW. The constant clicking is a byproduct of a visual programming language and my toll for simplicity.

My current task is to imagineer methods of navigating touch screen interfaces for a space habitat. Ideas have ranged from a touch of a finger to immerse you in the data of a solar power regulator, to a home button that will transport you back to home with an interactive schematic of the habitat's devices. While it's easy to brainstorm how an interface will be navigated on the white board getting the compiled program to act as expected is another story.

While taking a break from wires and code blocks our mentor took me and my fellow interns on a tour of the current Mission Control center and historic Apollo Mission Control room. In the current Mission Control we saw a live feed from the International Space Station (ISS) zooming above Australia. In only 92 minutes ISS orbits Earth and sees the sun rise. The astronauts were currently sleeping when we stopped by but we saw one of them float out of their quarters into a hallway before loss of signal (a normal occurrence).

Defined by the walls decorated in mission patches, green control stations, and a soft smell of cigars we entered into the historic Apollo Mission Control center. Shouts of joy once echoed in this room when The Eagle landed as well as unsettling silence of held breath during Apollo 13. The Red Telephone was Mission Control's life line to the Department of Defense and could be contacted immediately about issues. the It was an honor to be in the same room as history's heroes.  

Pictures - Top: The Red Phone, Middle Left: American flag that flew to the Moon, Middle Right: Live feed from the ISS, Bottom Left: Current Mission Control, Bottom Right: At a historic Apollo Mission Control center station.

43 Acres of Aerospace: NASA Co-Op #2 Week Five & Six

If you think NASA is dead then you have probably never personally visited a NASA Center. 27 Johnson Space students had the awesome opportunity to tour the Michoud (Meh-shood) Assembly Facility. Here the Space Launch System (SLS), largest rocket in the world with 20% more thrust than Saturn V, is being built. SLS will send an unmanned Orion Space Craft around the Moon in Fall of 2018. In the history of spaceflight unmanned missions are common to ensure astronauts will be safe. The 43 acre indoor assembly facility is so large you have to ride a tram indoors for a tour. We saw liquid nitrogen tanks, liquid oxygen tanks, rings, domes and all the tools to safely weld/ fasten these parts together. Employees could be seen in hard hats and florescent yellow vests monitoring the tank's construction and creation of parts.

North of Michoud is Stennis Space Center, masters of engine tests and keeper of partners across the US Government. Buildings dedicated to work done by the Navy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Universities and US Geological Survey for maximum collaboration. Stennis is unique because it is surrounded by a 125,000 acre acoustical buffer zone comprised of local trees. Despite buffer efforts past tests have been known to shatter windows! We were scheduled to see an engine test at test stand A above but we unfortunately missed due to engine technical difficulties. Aerospace engineering is hard guys, I'm glad they are doing what they got to do to ensure a successful mission.

I encourage you to visit a NASA center and take a tour of the facilities offered by the respective center's visitor centers. See for your self the progress toward our journey to mars. Johnson Space offers a tram tour to Mission Control, Mock Up Facility and the Shuttle Systems Test Facility. I am sure other centers offer similar opportunities. NASA visitor centers can be found here.

Potato Challenge

When: Thursday November 17th

What: 24 hrs... 12 oz of water... 10 medium potatoes... awesome prizes!

Who: You! Click here to sign up.

Why?? The purpose of eating only potatoes is to raise money to fund scholarships so kids can go to space camp! The potatoes of course is in honor of Mark Watney, from The Martian book by Andy Weir, who survived on Mars by eating mostly potatoes grown in his and his friends’ feces. This fundraiser is a part of the larger “Give to the Max Minnesota Day” Nov 17th, when local groups strive to raise awareness and money.

Details: Depending on how much money is raised you can add toppings and have other snacks. As of the time of posting you can’t even put salt or pepper on your potatoes! Here is the dollar amount vs topping chart and prize details.

Donate: Click here to give money for kids’ space camp scholarships.

My first NASA internship was at @nasa‘s Glenn Research Center so the news of John Glenn's passing hits hard. Glenn was the 1st American to orbit Earth and 5th human in space. He also served in the Korean War, was one of the "Mercury Seven" (NASA Military test pilot) and was a US Senator from Ohio. Glenn has done tremendous things for the advancement of human spaceflight. Thanks for your service John Glenn! 

(via GIPHY)

Go Green: Conserve Water, Land & Air Resources

Christopher Nolan’s 2014 motion picture “Interstellar” depicts future earth careening towards an environmentally apocalyptic demise.  Humans did not care for Earth well enough which has led to dustbowl-esk storms, lack of resources, and the need to establish humanity elsewhere. Although this outlook is extreme this science fiction prediction can become reality.  NASA’s Global Climate change webpage complied findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and US Global Change research Program. In this report NASA expands on the environmental out look of the Midwest describing Extreme heat, flooding and risks to the Great Lakes. On that same site NASA reports the highest levels of carbon dioxide, 1.4 degree avg. raise in temperature, and 1.5 million sq. km less trees.

No matter who or what there is to blame it is time that we respond to this call to action and find ways we can be more environmentally friendly every day. No one wants to hear they need to retire their favorite mudding truck or stop eating bacon. Below is how you should respond to this call to action to go green. We will be focusing on going green to preserve water, earth, and air resources.

WATER

California is settling in its fourth year of little rainfall and record breaking temperatures as reported by US News and World Report Article “Climate Change Caused California Drought” by Jeff Nesbit written on April 14th, 2015 . The drought has already hit the average American’s pocketbook with a price hike in berries, salad, and beef. Concerns of our daily expenses aside the science behind this drought is unquestionable and due to climate change. Despite Earth being covered in 70% water, fresh available drinking water is becoming more and more of a valuable resource and should be preserved.

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) released a WaterSense Guide on how to save water last updated April 3rd, 2015 with tips on easy things you can do to save water.

Indoors you can turn the tap off while shaving or brushing your teeth, spend less time in the shower, add food waste to a compost pile instead of the garbage disposal, and fix leaks. Outside create a water smart landscape that utilizes slopes and plant vegetation that requires little water. In addition to EPA’s tips I have taken special interest into how ingredients in hygienic products effect wildlife in lakes and rivers. A report from Minneapolis St.Paul’s NBC news station KARE 11 reported “Study finds antibiotics in Minnesota groundwater” by Associated Press June 28th, 2014. A government study finds that measurable levels of antibiotics, detergents and other consumer chemicals are turning up in Minnesota Ground Water. These come from landfills, septic systems. And sewage treatment plants. I have not gone as far as scraping hand washing and showering all together but have been buying hygienic products with ingredients that do not effect water resources. Below are hygienic products from lush. I have gotten shampoo bars that last much longer than liquid shampoo which contain all natural ingredients except Sodium lauryl sulfate, antibacterial free soaps, and No Rinse Shampoos. No rinse shampoos sound like they would not clean as well but it is one of the ways long haired astronauts on the International Space Station clean their hair.

EARTH

When I think about preserving land resources I imagine reducing garbage in landfills, reducing the use of plastics, and disposing of things that must be thrown away correctly.

Once again the EPA, our MVP for environmental tips, reports Tips for Reducing Solid Waste last updated November 15th, 2012.

Reduce the amount of products you buy with unnecessary packaging Buy recyclable products. Sell and donate items. Buy, maintain, and repair durable products. There are times however when you absolutely have to toss something out like a corroded batteries, medicine, old cans of paint, and meds. This is what our local WLSSD Western Lake Superior Sanitary District is for and other hazarous waste collections sites are for. Be mindful of what you throw out, recycle, and keep for hazardous waste collection this spring. A guide can be found here: http://www.wlssd.com/uploads/HHW_Guide_Apr_2010.pdf

AIR

The topic of conserving air resources may be pickup truck owner’s least favorite topic as again reported by NASA’s global climate change webpage car emissions accounts for the large spike of carbon dioxide in the air following the industrial revolution. This time The American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest posted Clean Air Choice with ideas on how to conserve clean air with unfortunately no update time.

Carpool while if you and your friends are going to the same location such as class. Shut off your engine of you are stopped more than a minute so don’t be texting in your car in the parking confusing people who want to take your spot. Lastly avoid rapid acceleration and hard breaking.

In response to the call to cation to go green I have mentioned some of ways to conserve out air, earth, and water resources as I mentioned here today. These tips included little things you can do every day to make a positive environmental impact with little inconvenience to you.

The idea to relocated humanity has been explored in Interstellar and considered by NASA to set up a habitat on Mars. If you have ever seen pictures of Mars it may have some of the basic requirements for inhabiting but it looks rocky, boring, and bleak. We got this one fully habitably planets, with only a few possible habitable planets many light-years away, so let’s take care of it.

Works Cited

"American Lung Association Clean Air Choice: Conservation Tips." American Lung Association Clean Air Choice: Conservation Tips. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2015. http://www.cleanairchoice.org/air/tips.cfm

Associated Press. "Study Finds Antibiotics in Minnesota Groundwater." KARE 11 Minneapolis St. Paul, MN A Gannett Company NBC. N.p., 28 June 2014. Web. 22 Apr. 2015. http://www.kare11.com/story/news/local/2014/06/28/study-finds-antibiotics-in-minnesota-groundwater/11618827/

"Global Climate Change: Effects." Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet. NASA Global Climate Change Vital Signs of the Planet, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2015. http://climate.nasa.gov/effects/

Household Hazardous Wastes. Duluth: WLSSD, 2010. Western Lake Superior Sanitary District. Web.

"NASA's OCO-2 Will Track Our Impact on Airborne Carbon." Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet. NASA, 26 June 2014. Web. 22 Apr. 2015. http://climate.nasa.gov/news/1109/

Nesbit, Jeff. "At the Edge: Climate Change Caused California Drought." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 14 Apr. 2015. Web. 22 Apr. 2015. http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/at-the-edge/2015/04/14/climate-change-and-the-california-drought

"Tips for Reducing Solid Waste." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 15 Nov. 2012. Web. 22 Apr. 2015. http://www.epa.gov/osw/wycd/catbook/the12.htm

"Water Sense Start Saving." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2015. http://www.epa.gov/watersense/our_water/start_saving.html