There are 2 messages totalling 95 lines in this issue

Topics of the day:

1. NASA EXTENDS SHUTTLE AND SPACE STATION SPACESUIT CONTRACT
2. NASA ROVER IN INAUGURAL PARADE

Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2009 10:14:36 -0600 From: info@JSC NASA GOV Subject: NASA EXTENDS SHUTTLE AND SPACE STATION SPACESUIT CONTRACT

January 16, 2009

Brandi Dean Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111

Katherine Trinidad Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100

Report #C09-003

NASA EXTENDS SHUTTLE AND SPACE STATION SPACESUIT CONTRACT

WASHINGTON -- NASA has exercised an $86 million, one-year contract option with Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International of Windsor Locks, Conn , for work on spacesuits used on the space shuttles and the International Space Station

This will be the first option period of the contract known as the Extravehicular Activity Systems Contract The contract is a cost-plus-award-fee contract

Under the contract, Hamilton Sundstrand and its subcontractors perform engineering management for hardware systems used in spacewalks, supporting enhancements, ensuring flight and spacewalk readiness, providing safety and mission assurance, meeting flight milestones and achieving mission goals

Work covered under the option will begin in October 2009 and continue through September 2010 The option value includes about $76 million for the estimated core-completion-form-tasks and $10 million for Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity, or IDIQ, tasks This brings the contract value to about $514 million, which includes approximately $454 million for the estimated core-completion-form-tasks and $60 million for IDIQ tasks

For more information about the space shuttle, visit:

http://www nasa gov/shuttle

For more information about the space station, visit:

http://www nasa gov/station

#

NASA Johnson Space Center Mission Status Reports and other information are available automatically by sending an Internet electronic mail message to listserv@listserver jsc nasa gov In the body of the message (not the subject line) users should type "subscribe hsfnews" (no quotes) This will add the e-mail address that sent the subscribe message to the news release distribution list The system will reply with a confirmation via e-mail of each subscription Once you have subscribed you will receive future news releases via e-mail To unsubscribe, send an e-mail to listserv@listserver jsc nasa gov with the following command in the body of your e-mail message: "unsubscribe hsfnews" (no quotes) or from another account, besides the account used to subscribe: "unsubscribe hsfnews youremail@yourdomain com" (no quotes)

Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:02:22 -0600 From: info@JSC NASA GOV Subject: NASA ROVER IN INAUGURAL PARADE

January 16, 2009

Brandi Dean Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-244-1403

Report #J09-002

NASA ROVER IN INAUGURAL PARADE

HOUSTON--In the months since it was unveiled, NASA’s latest moon rover concept has covered a lot of ground Up simulated Martian hills, down simulated lunar craters Through real dust storms and across lava flows

But on Jan 20, it’ll attempt something totally new: the streets of Washington D C , crowded with the hundreds of thousands of people expected to be in town for President-elect Barack Obama’s inaugural parade

The Lunar Electric Rover was chosen from a record 1,382 parade applications to not only take part in the parade, but to bring up the rear as the parade’s finale

“We thought about parades before, but we never thought to aim as high as the inaugural parade,” said Rob Ambrose, the human robotics systems project lead for NASA’s Exploration Technology Development Program “We’re very honored We are also very excited to show the public the new machines that NASA is developing for exploration ” The team of Johnson Space Center engineers and scientists behind the concept have said from the beginning that they wanted the vehicle to be “America’s rover” – they wanted the LER, as it’s called for short, to be a symbol of the work that NASA’s doing as the agency prepares to return to the moon

And everyone seems to agree that the LER is eye catching Twelve wheels on six steering columns, each of which can raise or lower to go over obstacles or give the crew inside a closer look at interesting features on the lunar surface And each of which can turn a full 360 degrees, allowing the rover to go forward, backward, sideways, in a circle or anything in between

But that’s just the beginning The cockpit holds everything two people would need to head off on a 14-day expedition, miles away from a moon base: driver’s seats that fold into beds, water for drinking and rehydrating food, a toilet and plenty of curtains to provide privacy Plus, attached to a suitport on the back – where the crew can get in and out without bringing the lunar dust back in with them – are two spacesuits, ready for a moonwalk at almost a moment’s notice

That innovation alone could cut the preparation time for spacewalks from hours to minutes And other innovations could help a little closer to home The development of the rover led to new technologies in batteries, fuel cells, advanced regenerative brakes and tires These are all the same technologies that are required for electric vehicles here on Earth – the cars, tractors and heavy equipment that the United States needs to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels For instance, the LER is a plug-in electric vehicle with a cutting-edge Lithium-ion battery With the batteries NASA is developing, an Earth-based electric sedan could travel 500 miles before needing to be recharged

But for now, the rover just needs to make it the almost two miles that the parade route winds through downtown Washington D C “This is an exclamation point on the hard work and vision of our team,” said astronaut Mike Gernhardt, who will drive the rover during the parade and is the LER project manager “The LER is the culmination of a lot of great work by a very talented team, and it will demonstrate our vision of the new lunar program to our new president ”

For photos, video and more information on the Lunar Electric Rover, visit:

http://www nasa gov/exploration/home/LER html

For more information on NASA, visit:

www nasa gov

#

NASA Johnson Space Center Mission Status Reports and other information are available automatically by sending an Internet electronic mail message to listserv@listserver jsc nasa gov In the body of the message (not the subject line) users should type "subscribe hsfnews" (no quotes) This will add the e-mail address that sent the subscribe message to the news release distribution list The system will reply with a confirmation via e-mail of each subscription Once you have subscribed you will receive future news releases via e-mail To unsubscribe, send an e-mail to listserv@listserver jsc nasa gov with the following command in the body of your e-mail message: "unsubscribe hsfnews" (no quotes) or from another account, besides the account used to subscribe: "unsubscribe hsfnews youremail@yourdomain com" (no quotes)

End of HSFNEWS Digest - 15 Jan 2009 to 17 Jan 2009 (#2009-3)

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