Please attend if you can – Dr. Thirsk worked with the CSA/ISU Image Reversal In Space Experiment which I blogged about here quite frequently!
As listed by CSA’s media advisory:
Calgary, Alberta, February 4, 2010 – After travelling more than 125 million kilometres and establishing a Canadian record of time spent in space, Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Robert Thirsk returns to Calgary. For his first visit after his 6-month mission to the International Space Station, he will return the Convocation Hood he wore during the University of Calgary Honorary Degree ceremony held in space on July 8th, 2009. He will also take the opportunity to give a special multimedia presentation on his historic mission.
Media representatives are invited to the University of Calgary to attend the event.
WHEN: Monday, February 8, 2010
HOUR: 10:30 a.m. (Mountain Time)
Expedition 20/21 highlights
Honorary degree diploma hand out
Return of the Convocation Hood after a trip to space
WHO: Robert Thirsk, CSA astronaut
WHERE: University of Calgary, Rosza Centre, 206 University Court. Calgary, Alberta
The Mars500 program instituted as a collaboration by ESA & Roscosmos a few years ago is about to be a step closer to reality. ESA’s Mars500 website
Mars500 is a ground-based isolation analogue experiment – designed to test the dynamics of a crew on 1.5 year Martian mission. Here on Earth, in general terms – it involves placing a crew of 6 in a set of isolation chambers (resembling a space station) for 520 days continuously to simulate environmental, physiological and human factors. The crew is expected to be named this month, and will begin its mission later this year after training. The facility in which the crew will be living is located at the Institute for Biomedical Problems (IMBP) facility in Moscow, Russia.
The Mars500 Mock-up ESA ESTEC, The Netherlands
The importance of such experiments are critical for long-duration human spaceflight. The crew will not be allowed to exit the simulation at any time – as if it were an actual space station and the external environment is lethal – with the exception of severe injury, illness, or death which would halt the experiment.
A 14-day test took place in 2007, and a 105-day mission completed in 2009 – both were great successes.
Each crew member will have tasks as real astronauts and cosmonauts do aboard the ISS, during all stages of flight (Transit to Mars, martian orbit, martian landing, return transit to Earth). In fact, all communications between the crew and mission control will be delayed up to 20 minutes by the time they have arrived at Mars.
These missions are so realistic, the crew recruitment process is also incredibly close to that of true astronaut recruitment, including psychological & medical testing.
Funded by ESA and Roscosmos, some sources suggest the cost of these simulations to surpass 15 Million USD.
- Constellation is shelved
- ISS to 2020
- Outsourcing to commercial sector for human launch capability
- Focus on research & development, satellite and robotic exploration of sun, planets, asteroids.
NASA's FY2011 Budget Summary
NASA FY2011 Budget by the numbers
Thanks to Vinita Marwaha for sending over the details.
As you know, the International Astronautical Federation holds its annual conference, the International Astronautical Congress – the worlds largest space conference.
In the past few years, the IAF itself has established a grant to provide students and young professionals the opportunity to attend the congress fully funded – in efforts to assist their efforts of exploring and rejuvenating the space community.
I’ve entered this year along with numerous others from many countries. Each applicant submits a video of 1 minute in addition to other documentation.
Here’s my video – I encourage you to view the others and listen to some of the world’s talents at the link below it!
NASA without Shuttle, without Ares, without a purposeful astronaut program post 2020. Yes, there is more than just human spaceflight activities in the space industry, I know that best, but when you take a 50 year old institution based on its valour, experience & spirit and strip away its core motivations and expertise, what are you left with?
US President Obama is expected to announce in the coming days about funding for NASA and the US Space Program’s future – perhaps linked to his upcoming State of the Union address later this evening.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35131431/ns/technology_and_science-space/ – MSNBC – Although I wish they would get their facts correct – you can’t put Virgin Galactic and Boeing into the same category – VG is only suborbital flight and Boeing predominately orbtial! Big difference MSNBC.
Why is this announcement so shocking, or at least so important?
Because the rest of the world’s agencies (perhaps even China) will feed off of the US’s plan. Perhaps there is to be a shift in the space leadership – fine, but when ESA, CSA, Russia, JAXA and others have been stalling making future plans for Lunar+ directions because of waiting on the US – looks like they’ve got their own individual futures, or perhaps collaborations themselves to think about – and fast.
Think for a moment:
The US without its own launcher in at least the next 2 decades – ok using the Russians through till 2020 when the Space Station is out is great temporary solution – but then what? What of the current and future astronaut corps? What of the scientific research regarding the human body, biology, physics and chemistry in microgravity? The technical spinoffs and spinins, the inspirational advantage? The incredible number of students and professional who are engaged to enter space-related fields? Of course all of this won’t come to a sudden crashing halt – some of it will continue, but this HUGE blow to the core of NASA’s space activities will hurt them significantly. Such is the politics of space. Oh, and you can’t just build a rocket in 5 years and hope to send humans to the Moon – this isn’t the 1960’s anymore. You have to start early – apparently that starting date will not be seen in the foreseeable future. “Flexible Path” it seems is the choice to go forward as suggested by the Augustine Commission…
I appreciate the immense technologies and superior advantage Earth Observation & remote sensing has brought to our society – everything from agricultural sustainability, disaster management, GPS/GALILEO/GLONASS to Google Maps. But basing an entire program around EO/RS principles is tough to engage the population, the people who give you the money, to give you the money. Humans connect with humans, its just an affinity that is inherent in our nature.
There are other means – commercial. Efforts as the X-Prize, NGLLC, SpaceX, and others were spurred by the latent bureaucratic ways of government agencies, to try and take efforts another step themselves – looks like they’ve just been doled their opportunity on a silver platter.
Some of my research lay in space marketing. Here is a great example.
One method of advertising a product -”used/flown in space” – is used to generate an affinity with the customer of trust, robust, cutting edge, unique etc. In this case, the “unique” is truly exploited.
April 2006 – the “first-generation” barley seeds were grown on the International Space Station. This collaboration, between the Okayama University and Russian Academy of Sciences, was initially a biological experiment.
Since then, those seeds have been harvested on Earth, and multiple generations of seeds sown from them. The result in 2009?
Sapporo Space Barley beer! (Sapporo Beer Company)
Launched today, Sapporo Beer is offering 250 cases of the speciality beer grown from seedlings of the original seeds grown in space for a mere price of 10,000 Yen or $130 CDN! The best part about it? Its for charity! The funds raised will go to Okayama University to support space sciences research.
I apologize for the incorrect listing of time from the CSA’s media advisory, it was not very clear. Dr. Thirsk arrived in Kazakhstan early this morning in good spirits, already calling his wife to say he’s arrived safely!
And when the astronauts return to Star City, they will meet their families here – in front of the Yuri Gagarin statue – I had the fortune to visit Russia’s facilities earlier this year!
Canadian Astronaut Dr. Robert Thirsk leaves the International Space Station aboard Soyuz TMA-15 on December 1st @ 1950 EST and land in Kazakhstan at 0216 EST (Source: Canadian Space Agency). Joining him will be ESA Astronaut Frank DeWinne and Cosmonaut Roman Romanenko which officially ends Expedition 20 & 21.
Dr. Gilles Clement, PI of the CSA/ISU Image Reversal In Space (IRIS) experiment will be in Russia to greet Dr. Thirsk when he returns, debrief him on his flight and conduct some post-flight data collection and interviews about IRIS to get some conclusive data with which the IRIS team can analyze.
The landing can be watched via the CSA’s website – www.asc-csa.gc.ca followed by interviews with the astronauts. Safe returns home, my friends!
Sorry for the delay in posts, its been a busy time.
I hopped over to Kingston, Ontario @ the Royal Military College for the 2009 Canadian Space Summit. Many meetings ran that weekend – including one I organized called the Canadian Space Leaders Roundtable (CSLR 2009). This was a meeting of the leadership of Canadian space awareness groups. (Full list to be published soon).
I was also fortunate to present at the Canadian Space Summit during the Education session on the Iris – Image Reversal In Space experiment on behalf of 50 students from 14 nations.
After this I dashed off to Toronto to meet some family and friends I hadn’t seen for almost a year since my last visit. Back to Calgary, and I had a gift waiting for me – in addition to the first snowfall! Check this out – the actual patches from International Space Station Expeditions 20 & 21, along with a t-shirt from my space shirt collection
NASA Astronaut Nicole Stott returned today to Earth on the Space Shuttle at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA after 4 months on the ISS. Welcome Home, Nicole!
Dr. Robert Thirsk and his Increment 19 crewmates will be returning by Soyuz capsule December 1st, officially concluding Dr. Thirsk’s 6-month stay and the formal in-orbit activity of the Iris – Image Reversal In Space experiment.
Youtube Video of launch posted by someone (unknown)
@1146
The launch was fantastic, but there was supposed contact between both stages on separation inducing tumble of the upper stage, and after a while, the LOS (loss of signal) on the splashdown, but it has been confirmed that its splashed down and its been spotted and being picked up! The data will tell all!
Congrats to the entire NASA and contractor teams!
@1130
LAUNCH! SUCCESSFUL!!
@1126
T-4 mins and counting!
@1124
Coming out of hold at 1126 EDT
@1122
Clear to launch
@1121
Weather appears to be clearing on top and around the pad…from T-38’s
@1117
Expecting to come out of hold @ 1126
@1114
Think we’ll be ok, but even an airliner contrail could cause some issues!
@1110
New T-0 for 1130 hrs
@1102
T-0 for 1120 hrs, window closes @ 1200
@1100
Still Red for weather, expecting new T-0 time…
@1053
New T-0 set for 1108 EDT
@1049 EDT
Expected T-0 @ 1100 hrs EDT
Currently Red on Weather due to violation of triboelectricfication rule (rule that electrical interference on ascent will interfere with comms to/from rocket, including manual destruct in case of emerge
Below deserve special thanks for my attendance at ISU:
Eric Choi
Chris Hadfield
Sra. Dorance
Anonymous Company
European Space Agency
International Space University
Marie Juneau
My friends in Toronto, Calgary and all over the world
My newly found friendships via SSP
And most importantly - my Mom, Dad and Sister and family who never ever wavered when I focused on meeting my next goal.
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