NASA veteran warns manned space program is a hard sell on Capitol Hill, Houston Chronicle

"Supporters of NASA have to prove to Congress and the American people that NASA is "an essential part" of the nation's scientific, educational and economic prowess, as well as milestone in U.S. history, [J.T.] Jezierski said. "A collection of mission patches may get you in the door (on Capitol Hill)," Jezierski said. "But the ability to share the NASA story, not just about what we did 40 years ago but what we are doing today" remains crucial to getting the message out "while conveying that through NASA we can promote innovation for our industrial base, create and secure jobs and inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists." Jezierski urged the audience to "rally around" the recommendation by a White House-appointed panel of space experts for Congress to boost NASA's budget by $3 billion a year by 2014 to underwrite a robust manned space program."

Worried Space Coast officials appeal to Obama to save NASA jobs, Orlando Sentinel

"County officials are braced for as many as 28,000 direct and indirect job losses when the shuttle program ends either late next year or early in 2011. A presidential panel that recently looked at NASA said the agency's proposed successor, Ares I, won't fly before 2017 and that NASA can't afford a "viable" manned-space program without $3 billion more a year. On Monday, local organizers also announced a letter-writing campaign to remind Obama of his campaign pledge a year ago. Its Web site, website, called SaveSpace.us, is complete with letter templates, a copy of Obama's August 2008 speech in Titusville, a map of the counties affected by the space program and a list of participating organizations."

Keith's note: What I find to be really annoying is how these "save NASA" groups only appear and get active when there's a risk of budget cuts and layoffs. They regularly cite NASA's incredible value to the nation, all matter of spinoffs (real and imaginary), and the jobs that will be lost etc. etc. But when there is no looming threat, these groups - and the people they seek to motivate - couldn't be bothered with making any overt attempt to explain the value of space exploration to a wider audience. Only when jobs are threatened, it would seem, is NASA suddenly such a great value to society.

To be certain, real people are about to lose real jobs and there is no denying the impact this will have on those dedicated workers and the region. Perhaps if these groups and their supporters had kept a steady focus on public education and the value of what NASA does - and possible commercial alternatives (they hire people too) they would not be facing such a situation in the first place. Its not as if these Shuttle layoffs are any big surprise - they been very clearly known to be in the works for a number of years.

NASA's LCROSS Mission Changes Impact Crater

"NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite mission (LCROSS) based on new analysis of available lunar data, has shifted the target crater from Cabeus A to Cabeus (proper). The decision was based on continued evaluation of all available data and consultation/input from members of the LCROSS Science Team and the scientific community, including impact experts, ground and space based observers, and observations from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), Lunar Prospector (LP), Chandrayaan-1 and JAXA's Kaguya spacecraft. This decision was prompted by the current best understanding of hydrogen concentrations in the Cabeus region, including cross-correlation between the latest LRO results and LP data sets."

William Safire, Wall Street Journal

"In economic and foreign policy, as in fashion and music, the 1970s were largely a miserable decade. But out of that woeful time arose a generation of conservative giants in journalism and public life, among them the New York Times columnist William Safire, who died yesterday of pancreatic cancer at age 79."

In Event of Moon Disaster, WikiSource

"Presidential speech writer William Safire wrote a memo to White House Chief of Staff H. R. Haldeman suggesting how the administration might react if Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were stranded on the moon. The memo contained a draft speech intended to be read by President Richard Nixon.: "In Event of Moon Disaster"

Surface Restoration - Engineers restore high-resolution photos of the Moon, Technology Review (paid subscribers only)

"The images of the Moon's surface taken by five NASA Lunar Orbiter satellites in 1966 and 1967 are still among the most detailed ever made. The original analog data, beamed down to Earth to plan landing sites for the Apollo missions, was recorded on magentic tapes that collected dust for decades and were nearly discarded. Now a team of engineers at an abandoned McDonald's at Moffett Field in Sunnyvale, CA is processing the data using restored and custom-built equipment, enabling a public that saw only snapshopts of these historic images to view them at their full resolution for the first time."

Help Save America's Human Space Exploration Program

Save Space is a movement started by people on the Space Coast to raise the awareness of the nation, the President, and other elected officials: Space needs to be a priority for America. As the clock ticks toward the end of the Space Shuttle program, as the President and his advisors review the Augustine Commission recommendations, as Florida's economic engine falters. it is imperative that we make our voices heard by writing letters to the President: Save Our Space Program!

Domain Owner: John Sellers Brevard County

Keith's note: And of course the obligatory, yet mostly mythical, totally unsubstantiated, vaguely described, and often plain wrong NASA spinoff paragraph is included as well: "Satellite communications, microwaves, cellular phones, miniaturized computers, pacemakers, kidney dialysis, scratch-resistant lenses, medical and sports technology, adjustable smoke detectors, cordless tools, and water filters are just a few examples of the advances that have occurred through NASA space research. Not to mention the entrepreneurs, jobs, and commercial aspects of many space research spin-offs."

Microwave ovens were invented in the 1940s - before NASA. Modern kidney dialysis was also invented in the 1940s. Doesn't anyone ever research these claims?

Northrop Grumman Foundation Weightless Flights of Discovery Kicks Off Year Four

"The Northrop Grumman Foundation is kicking off the fourth year of its Weightless Flights of Discovery Program, flying a total of 120 science and math teachers on four microgravity flights over the next two weeks. As part of the company's goal to inspire the next generation of scientists, mathematicians and engineers - critical areas of learning and career development where the U.S. has fallen behind globally - the Weightless Flights of Discovery program provides educators with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to prepare for and participate in micro- and zero-gravity flights during which they will test Newton's Laws of Motion with a variety of planned experiments. In addition to Albuquerque, flights are also scheduled in Detroit (Sept. 24), Norwalk, Conn. (Sept. 29), and Washington, D.C. (Oct. 2)."

Kosmas to Participate In Florida Space and Technology Forum

"Tomorrow, September 28, 2009 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas (FL-24) will participate in the Florida Space and Technology Forum. Congresswoman Kosmas will discuss her efforts to minimize the human spaceflight gap and protect Space Coast jobs. The Florida Space and Technology Forum brings together state and federal legislators and KSC and community leaders to craft a public policy agenda and identify space industry priorities for the 2010 state legislative session."

The Importance of Lunar Water, Dennis Wingo, SpaceRef

"It has been a few days now since the public revelations concerning the results from Cassini, Deep Impact, and the Brown University Moon Mineralology Mapper (mcubed) hosted on the Indian Chandryaan lunar orbiter. There has been much discussion and debate, some of it heated, between those who think that these revelations change the arguments of lunar versus Martian exploration by humans. Those on the lunar side think that this will greatly lower the cost and increase the viability of lunar development, and those who think that the Moon is still a wasteland that should be bypassed on the road to Mars. Amusingly, in the same Science issue, an article about how much more water that there is on Mars was included and was seized upon as "proof" that Mars is a more compelling target of exploration. However, in this argument between the two camps, it seems that the most important point is being missed. If, after 40 years of off and on again remote sensing that is just now finding the magnitude and extent of the water, what else have we not found?"

Water, water everywhere..., Paul Spudis, AIr & Space

"The extreme dryness of the Moon is established scientific dogma. The study of Apollo rock and soil samples pretty much had convinced scientists that the Moon has no water. Because its surface is in a vacuum and experiences extreme temperature swings at the equator (from -150* to 100* C), the Moon was believed to have a bone dry surface. Moreover, minerals that make up the lunar rocks not only have no water, but crystallized in a very reducing, waterless environment, indicating no significant water at depth."

NASA Request for Information: No-cost Patent Marketing and Brokerage Services With Revenue Sharing Component Upon License Execution

"NASA's Goal: NASA wishes to maximize the benefit to the public from NASA's R&D investments yielding new technologies and patents. Seeking no-cost methods to further advance dissemination of NASA's patent investment will provide the best value to the public through the introduction of new and efficient licensing processes and tools. NASA recognizes that there are many business models in the U.S. for providing IP management services, such as patent brokering, using a variety of different transaction methods and platforms. NASA is issuing this request for information in an effort to better understand the range of possible models and services available for assisting NASA with the dissemination of NASA technology, at no additional cost to the taxpayer."