There are 2 messages totalling 130 lines in this issue

Topics of the day:

1. NASA SETS MAY 16 FOR FINAL SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR LAUNCH
2. ENGINEERING TESTS LEADING THE WAY FOR NASA'S NEXT NEEMO MISSION

Date: Mon, 9 May 2011 14:51:19 -0500 From: info@JSC NASA GOV Subject: NASA SETS MAY 16 FOR FINAL SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR LAUNCH

May 09, 2011

Kyle Herring Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

Stephanie L Schierholz
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100

Candrea Thomas Kennedy Space Center, Fla
321-867-2468

Report #H11-134

NASA SETS MAY 16 FOR FINAL SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR LAUNCH

CAPE CANAVERAL -- NASA managers have set the liftoff of space shuttle Endeavour for 8:56 a m EDT on Monday, May 16 Launch attempts are available through May 26, except for May 21 The STS-134 mission to the International Space Station is the penultimate shuttle flight and the final one for Endeavour

Space Shuttle Program Launch Integration Manager Mike Moses and Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach announced the date at a news briefing Monday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida They also discussed the progress of repairs since Endeavour's launch postponement on April 29

A short in the heater circuit associated with Endeavour's hydraulic system resulted in the launch postponement Technicians determined the most likely failure was inside a switchbox in the shuttle's aft compartment and associated electrical wiring connecting the switchbox to the heaters The heater circuits prevent freezing of the fuel lines providing hydraulic power to steer the vehicle during ascent and entry

The faulty box was replaced May 4 Since Friday, Kennedy technicians installed and tested new wiring that bypasses the suspect electrical wiring and confirmed the heater system is working properly They also are completing retests of other systems powered by the switchbox and are closing out Endeavour's aft compartment STS-134 Commander Mark Kelly and his five crewmates are set to arrive at Kennedy for prelaunch preparations on Thursday, May 12, at approximately 11 a m NASA Television will broadcast the crew's arrival live For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit:

http://www nasa gov/ntv

The crew will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS) and critical supplies to the space station, including two communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank and additional parts for the Dextre robot AMS is a particle physics detector designed to search for various types of unusual matter The crew also will transfer Endeavour's orbiter boom sensor system to the station, where it could assist spacewalkers as an extension for the station's robotic arm For the latest information about the shuttle mission and its crew, visit:

http://www nasa gov/shuttle

-end-

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Date: Mon, 9 May 2011 14:41:37 -0500 From: info@JSC NASA GOV Subject: ENGINEERING TESTS LEADING THE WAY FOR NASA'S NEXT NEEMO MISSION

May 09, 2011

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

J D Harrington Headquarters, Washington
202-358-5241

Michael Braukus
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1979

Report #H11-141

ENGINEERING TESTS LEADING THE WAY FOR NASA'S NEXT NEEMO MISSION

HOUSTON -- To determine how best to explore asteroids in the future, NASA scientists and engineers are taking their experiments underwater in the 15th expedition of NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations, or NEEMO

This year's NEEMO expedition, which will include the usual compliment of astronauts and engineers, is slated for October Since this is the first mission to simulate a trip to an asteroid, there's a lot of work to do before the mission can start To prepare, engineers have journeyed to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Aquarius Underwater Laboratory near Key Largo, Fla , to work through some of the concepts that will be tested in the fall

"Even experts don't know what the surface of an asteroid is going to be like," said NEEMO Project Manager Bill Todd "There may be asteroids that we don't even know about yet that we'll be visiting So we're figuring out the best way to do that "

NEEMO 15 will investigate three aspects of a mission to an asteroid: how to anchor to the surface; how to move around; and how best to collect data Unlike the moon or Mars, an asteroid would have little, if any, gravity to hold astronauts or vehicles, so an anchor would be necessary NEEMO 15 will evaluate different anchoring methods and how to connect the multiple anchors to form pathways The aquanauts and engineers will study whether it's more efficient to join the anchors in a straight line or set them up similar to the spokes of a wagon wheel

Starting Tuesday, May 10, engineers and scientists will begin work to ensure they're prepared for rigorous testing of these concepts in October During these preliminary tests, they will work on the ocean floor, but will not stay inside the Aquarius This allows participants to come to the surface and retool equipment if necessary

For more information on NEEMO, visit:

http://www nasa gov/neemo

For more information on NASA analogs, missions that simulate conditions on other planetary bodies, visit:

http://www nasa gov/exploration/analogs/

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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 - 4 May 2011 to 10 May 2011 (#2011-51)

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