Falcon 9 Sticks The Landing

Programming in LabVIEW. The language where Electrical Engineering and Computer Science meet.

Space Walks & Garbage: NASA Co-Op #3 Week One

Space Garbage

Familiarized myself with the Inventory and Stowage Officer (ISO) team this week. They are a console position Mission Control that is in charge of managing the inventory and stowage of all US items on board the International Space Station (ISS). ISO prepares products for upcoming real-time operations and coordinates with other consoles regarding stowage plans. ISO is responsible for directing the crew to consolidate, relocate, audit, and unload a visiting vehicle. ISO as well as the Mission Control consoles’ mantra is to distill all information and procedures to make astronaut’s life easier. This is critical because astronauts have to navigate a lot of factors folks on ground don’t have to like; CO2 clustering around their face due to lack of gravity causing drowsiness, homesickness, isolation and general aggregations of communication challenges.

This week we focused on double checking the list of garbage that will burn up in Earth’s atmosphere in Japanese JAXA’s HTV6 cargo ship. Tediously we reviewed each item so nothing got thrown away that shouldn’t and items that would stink up the station were not missed.

Spacewalk

Conducted on the job training in Mission Control's support room called MPSR  (Multi-Purpose Support Room, pronounced "mipser") during the Friday the Thirteenth spacewalk. With an official Mission Control headset I followed along the astronauts tasks. Astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Thomas Pesquet spacewalked outside of ISS to update power systems. Upgrading power system of ISS was the overall goal of this month’s suite of Extra Vehicular Activities. Three 428lb Lithium-Ion batteries replaced nickel hydrogen batteries to store power for ISS during this spacewalk. Before the conclusion of the spacewalk engineers in mission control confirmed the batteries’ integration and initial power storage operations.

MPSRs usually use multi-view video with six images of ISS’ exterior and the crew to observe tasks being completed. They listen in on live loops to the Flight Director’s final calls, CAPCOM’s instructions and astronaut’s questions. If necessary MPSR operators can relay to their counterparts in front room Mission Control (FCR-1) information that can be filtered and relayed to Flight.

During the spacewalk there are many glove checks to check for leaks and anomalies. These gloves are impressively engineered to be thick enough to pressurize protect you from space yet gentle enough to allow you to feel space station through them. Astronauts could confirm with Mission Control that batteries were correctly mounted into place by describing drill rotations, torque and light sensor reading on the hand tool.

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

Intern at NASA, year round, summer, spring or fall semesters.

Co-Op at NASA (Pathways Internship) and get sworn in as a Civil Servant.

Full-time employment at NASA opportunities!

This week's NASA achievements.

Everything about Mission Control from a Flight Director

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

NASA is very much alive.

Intern Orientation Summer 2015

Robotics Pit Area: Where students repair their robot between matches

For #GivingTuesday I am sharing my top 9 favorite organizations, foundations and groups to give to today (not in any particular order). If I forgot any or if you have feels about any listed let me know! 1) Team Rubicon USA - "international non-profit disaster response organization that unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy disaster response teams, free of charge to communities affected by disasters across the country. Team Rubicon currently maintains a roster of 35,000+ volunteers able to deploy throughout the United States." Bethany Watson first told me about this group, how they have positively impacted communities, how it has transformed her and her fellow Rubicon responders: https://teamrubiconusa.org/

2) FIRST ROBOTICS FIRST - For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology - Programs from preK to 12th grade engage students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math challenges. PreK to 8th graders participate in a form of Lego Robotics. 9th to 12th grade can participate in FIRST Tech Challenge building a 12inx 12inx 12in robots that compete tasks. Alternatively 9th to 12th grade can participate in FIRST Robotics Competition building 120lb robots that play games like soccer, basketball and frisbee. Dozens of NASA interns/ Co-Ops I have meet have been a part of this career changing program: https://give.firstinspires.org/checkout/donation If you want to give to a local team look them up here: http://www.firstinspires.org/team-event-search#type=teams&sort=name&programs=FLLJR,FLL,FTC,FRC&year=2016 They will likely have a team webpage that can route you to donation instructions.

3) World Wildlife Fund - "WWF’s work has evolved from saving species and landscapes to addressing the larger global threats and forces that impact them. Recognizing that the problems facing our planet are increasingly more complex and urgent...puts people at the center and organizes our work around six key areas: forests, marine, freshwater, wildlife, food and climate." This group doesn't just care about saving the cute endangered animals but the ugly helpful ones too. You can symbolically donate a critical animal here: https://gifts.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/gifts/Species-Adoptions.aspx

4) Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) - "A Ronald McDonald House is that “home-away-from-home” for families so they can stay close by their hospitalized child at little or no cost... At every House, families can enjoy: Home-cooked meals, Private bedrooms and Playrooms for children." Personal friends have stayed at these houses during cancer treatment.http://support.rmhc.org/site/PageNavigator/pw/Donation_Landing.html

5) The Mars Generation - Send students to space camp and get youth hooked on Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM)! These are the folks that put out the challenge to only eat potatoes for 24 hours.   https://themarsgeneration.org/donate/

6) CHUM - "CHUM provides Emergency Shelter services for Duluth residents. The Congregate Shelter provides dormitory-style shelter for single adults. The Family Shelter offers small apartments to a maximum of 6 families at a time.Length of stay in either shelter is dependent upon the needs and cooperation of the guest. Each shelter resident is required to meet regularly with a Housing Advocate to work toward a resolution of their housing situation." Powerfull and local organization in Duluth, Minnesota: https://www.givemn.org/organization/Churches-United-In-Ministry

7) YWCA GirlPower Duluth - "After school, lunch, and summer day camp program dedicated to cultivating future leaders. YWCA Duluth uses nationally accredited Girls Inc. leadership curriculum, STEM (science technology engineering math) activities and experiments, race and gender justice activities, economic and media literacy education, field trips, academic support." What makes this program stands out is that it's 100% free so all sorts of girls can learn and grow: http://www.ywcaduluth.org/donate/

8) National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) - "working to increase girls' and women's participation in technology and computing. NCWIT helps organizations recruit, retain, and advance women from K-12 and higher education through industry and entrepreneurial careers by providing support, evidence, and action. NCWIT is the only national organization focused on women's participation in computing across the entire ecosystem: K-12 through college education, and academic to corporate and entrepreneurial careers." Being an NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Award recipent has impacted my career trajectory continuing interests in computer science: https://www.ncwit.org/donate

9) UMD's Women's Resource & Action Center - WRAC - "provide all women support and encouragement on the University of Minnesota-Duluth campus. The Center works to empower women, both individually and collectively, through the provision of a wide variety of services and resources... Drop-in center- Campus outreach and educational services for classes or student groups, Library with extensive subject files for academic or personal purposes, Events and programs and events including: Take Back the Night, Clothesline Project, Women's History Month, Mock Rape Trial, International Women's Day, Nursing Parents Room, KSC 260 and Library 143" http://www.d.umn.edu/mlrc/ocd/donate/ https://makingagift.umn.edu/onlinegiving/enterArea.do?ownerCode=O_UMD&areaCode=A_UMD164

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.

NASA Co-Op Week 8 & 9: Thunderbirds

Between attending Grace Hopper and developing astronaut training I have taken part in a couple of volunteer opportunities.

Fighter Jets: Wings Over Houston (WOH) is an annual event where stunt jets, Pearl Harbor reenactments and hobby planes take over Ellington Airport. This year the Thunderbirds flew as the main event. That ultra ugly plane, Super Guppy, was designed by NASA to carry two T38s inside of it, planeception! The T38s are used to train astronaut pilots at high speeds. After the show many interns helped tear down because by midnight we had to make sure Ellington could continue normal operations.

Puppies: Johnson Space Center interns helped get dogs adopted with Triumphant Tails. This nonprofit holds adoption events with the goal to keep dogs out of kill shelters. I helped a blonde four month old spaniel get adopted.

Safety: Following Columbia Disaster and attempts to learn from mistakes JSC created Health & Saftey day. Free flu shots were given, local health groups put up informational booths and workout groups have demonstrations. On of my friends from interning this summer was a big part of organizing the event. I volunteered directing old fashion model cars for a car show. Not sure what this has to do with Safety but it is a neat thing.

No tax dollars were harmed in any of these activities.

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

See why is Scott Kelly on a Year Long Mission

Watch the Thunderbirds from WOH

Accomplishments this week at NASA

Easy way to get started with coding. Methods for 8-11, 12-17, 18-25+ year old in various learning styles!

Watch JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)'s HTV-6 cargo ship depart from the international space station 9amCT Friday Jan 27. HTV-6 is scheduled to deorbit in early February and burn up harmlessly while entering earths atmosphere over the ocean. During the decemt JAXA will be gathering data on electromagnetic forces around Earth: http://www.ustream.tv/nasahdtv

Help a fellow NASA Intern send a satellite into space!

Giveaway and Satellite Crowd Funder!

Giveaway/raffle, WIN a FREE telescope! We will select one winner and give away a Celestron 21035 70mm Travel Scope: And help support our effort launch a satellite!

To enter the UGA Small Satellite Research Lab’s giveaway all you have to do is:

Reblog this post (so we can get your name)

Liking the post will enter you a second time!

Following the small sat lab on tumblr will enter you a third time!

Following the small sat lab on twitter will enter your a fourth time (just tweet your us tumblr user name at us and tell us how cool you think space exploration is)!

Help Our Crowdfunded to build a spacecraft! Help us build a spacecraft!

We’re Crowdfunding a satellite! Donate at SmallSat.uga.edu/donate!

We’ll be sending a Satellite to the international Space Station in 2018! We just need help building the ground station!

The Donation Rewards:

If you have donated larger amount you will also get all the benefits of the lesser amounts! Be sure when you visit smallsat.uga.edu/donate that you include your information so that we can get in contact with you!

$5 - You will entered in the telescope raffle 2 more times and will receive a signed thank you card in the mail from the lab!

$10 - You will receive a signed certificate of space exploration from the UGA Small Satellite Research Laboratory

$25 - You will receive a mission patch of your choosing (our NASA patch has yet to be designed but the MOCI patch is below)

$50 - You will receive both mission patches!

$100 - We will give you a UGA Small Satellite Laboratory tee-shirt! Special made for supporters of our campaign!

$250 - We will tweet at you from space! once a month! (or you can control the message that you send!)

$500 - You will receive a plaque commemorating your participation in the development of our spacecraft!

$1000 - We will engrave your name on the side of our satellite!

Remember, you get ALL of the benefits of lower donations if you donate a higher one!

Please Help Us Out! We are partnered with NASA and will be sending a satellite to the International Space Station in 2018, but we do not have the money to build a ground station yet!

We have 2 3U cube satellites! The image below is the patch for our Mapping and Ocean Color Imager (MOCI). We are also building the SPectroscopic Observatory of Coastal regions (SPOC), is this is the satellite that will be launched to the International Space Station!

Donate At: SmallSat.uga.edu/donate!

The Crowdfunded and raffle end on July 31, 2016, after that it will take us 20-30 days to send out all the rewards! Donate at smallsat.uga.edu/donate! Feel free to message us or ask us any space questions you may have!

Donate At: SmallSat.uga.edu/donate!

One of the renderings of our satellite: