Thread: NASA Chief: Next Frontier Better Relations With Muslim World

For those who spent the last couple of days in a cave -- the story behind the story is Obama's NASA Czar went on Al Jizzonera (yes -- I know is isn't spelled that way) to say Obama "Foremost" want NASA to reachout to Muslims! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF4uB...layer_embedded

http://english.aljazeera.net/program...234471970.html

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a recent interview that his "foremost" mission as the head of America's space exploration agency is to improve relations with the Muslim world.

Though international diplomacy would seem well outside NASA's orbit, Bolden said in an interview with Al Jazeera that strengthening those ties was among the top tasks President Obama assigned him. He said better interaction with the Muslim world would ultimately advance space travel.

"When I became the NASA administrator -- or before I became the NASA administrator -- he charged me with three things. One was he wanted me to help re-inspire children to want to get into science and math, he wanted me to expand our international relationships, and third, and perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science ... and math and engineering," Bolden said in the interview.

More Than 1,300 Space Shuttle Workers Get Layoff Notices
Tariq Malik SPACE.com Managing Editor – Tue Jul 27, 8:15 pm ET

More than 1,300 space shuttle workers received layoff notices this week from United Space Alliance, a NASA contractor that is cutting 15 percent of its 8,100-person workforce ahead of the shuttle fleet's retirement next year.

Layoff notices were issued to 1,394 USA employees in all, company spokesperson Kari Fluegel told SPACE.com. The layoffs take effect Oct. 1 and were announced earlier this month by USA officials.

"Our workforce has known for several years that the Space Shuttle Program has been scheduled to end, but layoffs are always difficult for everyone involved," said Virginia Barnes, USA president and chief executive, said in a July 6 statement. "We are committed to making this transition as smooth as possible."

Shuttle program ending

The Houston-based United Space Alliance is a partnership between Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin that has operated the space shuttle fleet for NASA since 1995.

Fluegel said 902 layoff notices were issued to USA workers in Florida, which is home to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral that serves as both launch site and home port for the agency's three shuttles. Another 478 layoffs were issued for Texas, which is home to NASA's shuttle mission operations, with 14 more in Alabama, where NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is based.

About one-third of those recieving layoffs in each division nominated themselves for the cutbacks, Fluegel said.

NASA's space shuttle fleet is set to retire next year after 30 years of launching astronauts into low-Earth orbit. The shuttles began flying in 1981 and have flown on 132 missions so far.

Two final shuttle missions are currently scheduled (in November and February, respectively) to complete the International Space Station, which has been under construction since 1998 by a consortium of 16 countries. Congress is discussing the possible addition of a third and final shuttle mission. If approved, that extra flight would likely launch next summer, NASA officials have said.

Fluegel said that if the extra shuttle flight is approved, it will not affect the impending Oct. 1 layoffs. But there could be repercussions for more layoffs ahead.

"This plan wouldn't be affected at all, but it would affect the timing, obviously, of when we would do layoffs, and how we'd do layoffs, next year," Fluegel said.

Debate on commercial spaceships

NASA is retiring its three space shuttles (Atlantis, Discovery and Endeavour) to make way for a new plan that aims to send astronauts to an asteroid by 2025, and then on to Mars. That new plan replaces the agency's previous Constellation program, which sought to return astronauts to the moon in the 2020s.

President Barack Obama proposed cancelling the Constellation program, which included new rockets and spacecraft to launch astronauts. That plan would set aside $6 billion over five years to support the development of new commercial spaceships that could ferry astronauts into space.

Draft NASA authorization bills under review in both the Senate and House of Representatives, however, would cut the amount for commercial crew services, if approved.

NASA's next space shuttle to fly will be Discovery, which is slated to launch Nov. 1 to deliver a storage room and robot assistant called Robonaut 2 to the $100 billion International Space Station.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/201007...tlayoffnotices

President Obama cheers Mars rover landing by agency whose planetary exploration budget he slashed
By Michelle Malkin • August 6, 2012 02:45 AM

Just last month, NASA supporters and scientists resorted to bake sales and carwash fund-raisers http://twitchy.com/2012/06/08/nasa-n...-funding-cuts/ to make up for robotic planetary exploration program funds slashed by President Obama. Flashback: http://news.yahoo.com/scientists-hol...221048232.html

Scientists are trading telescopes for aprons this week to sell Milky Way cupcakes, Saturn cake, and chocolate chip Opportunity cookies in an effort to salvage U.S. planetary science projects.

The 2013 budget proposal submitted by the Obama administration earlier this year would cut funding for NASA‘s planetary science projects by about $300 million. While Congress is still deliberating over the federal budget, groups of scientists are planning a series of demonstrations — in the form of bake sales, car washes and other events — for Saturday (June 9) to plead their case.

Though planet-studying spacecraft usually cost millions, or even billions, of dollars, every penny helps. That’s the reasoning behind the Planetary Exploration Car Wash and Bake Sale to be held by University of Central Florida students and professors who hope to sway lawmakers into providing more money for studying the solar system. It is one of nearly 20 planned demonstrations for Saturday at sites across the country, organizers said.

“We’re not asking for more of the pie, we’re asking for less of a bite out of the pie,” Laura Seward, a graduate student at the university who organized the event, said in a statement. “A strong robotic planetary exploration program is essential for a strong human planetary exploration program.”

Late tonight, the world watched and cheered as NASA oversaw the landing of the lab robot rover Curiosity on Mars. We’ve got comprehensive social media coverage of the event at Twitchy in case you missed the live landing. http://twitchy.com/2012/08/05/mars-r...y-for-landing/

The White House was quick to put out a statement: http://www.facebook.com/UnitedPress/...15006355201529

“Tonight, on the planet Mars, the United States of America made history.

The successful landing of Curiosity – the most sophisticated roving laboratory ever to land on another planet – marks an unprecedented feat of technology that will stand as a point of national pride far into the future. It proves that even the longest of odds are no match for our unique blend of ingenuity and determination.

Tonight’s success, delivered by NASA, parallels our major steps forward towards a vision for a new partnership with American companies to send American astronauts into space on American spacecraft. That partnership will save taxpayer dollars while allowing NASA to do what it has always done best – push the very boundaries of human knowledge. And tonight’s success reminds us that our preeminence – not just in space, but here on Earth – depends on continuing to invest wisely in the innovation, technology, and basic research that has always made our economy the envy of the world.

A Facebook commenter summed up the football-spiking spectacle: “Obama cuts NASA funding and now takes credit for investing in it. SMH [Shaking my head]”

Also: If Obama now an advocate of privatizing federal space programs to save taxpayer dollars, why does he attack and demonize government reformers who are looking for market-based solutions on health care?

***

Just a reminder: When the Mars mission was President George W. Bush’s initiative, it was trashed http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=4181187 and mocked http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/04/...ama-applauded/ …

How can the same Presidential proclamation to go to Mars get completely different media reactions? Well if one comes from that pompous George W. Bush and the other comes from the poised Barack Obama we get our answer. The media has revealed their bias. It’s not the principles of the message but the politics of the man that matter.

On Thursday President Obama announced plans for the United States to go to Mars. While the news coverage is focusing on Obama’s rejection of Bush’s plan for some Moon missions prior to Mars, the real story is that the media has responded with glee to Obama’s manned Red Planet mission after slamming Bush for the same declaration 4 years ago.

I offer just a few examples of many.

In 2004 NPR did a story called “Physicists Decry Bush’s Mars Mission Plan“
In 2008 their title was “Obama sees Americans to Mars Within His Lifetime.”

Today Slate featured an article praising Obama’s leadership: “Obama, on the Moon: Been There, Done That.”
Back in 2004 their story said Bush was an imperialist for wanting to go to Mars: “Bush’s Mars Plan Attacked. It’s Just Pie in the Sky to Foreign Press.”

Australia’s The Age reflected on Obama’s announcement by writing:

“President Barack Obama set a bold new course for the future of US space travel, planning to send American astronauts into Mars orbit within the next three decades.”

But after Bush proclaimed a mission to Mars they wrote,

“A human trip to Mars is about as useful as a surfing trip to the Dandenongs.”

That’s awesome Aussie journalism for you.

The New York Times proved just as well balanced as the Australians. The official Editorial on the Opinion page of the Times gave Obama advice on how to win his battle to get to Mars.

“Thursday’s speech suggests that he has learned an important lesson from the yearlong struggle to pass health care reform. He needs to get involved early and not leave it to subordinates to defend plans that will upend vested interests.” – NYT

However, that same page in 2004 had no advice for Bush but to give up on going to the red planet.

“A manned space program in itself, however, is devoid of scientific merit, fraught with risk to human lives and absurdly expensive. Astronauts planting the Stars and Stripes on the red planet would produce a moving tableau. But as Lord Chesterfield said in another context, the pleasure would be momentary, the position ridiculous, and the expense damnable.” – NYT

Lapdoggies. Woof.

http://michellemalkin.com/2012/08/06...et-he-slashed/

Obama’s Plan To Capture An Asteroid -Seriously!

Ahahahahahaha. But after I finish laughing my head off at him, I remember he’s committing 100 million dollars to this idiocy.

Via Mother Jones: http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013...pture-asteroid

Does Obama Have a Plan to Capture an Asteroid?
by Asawin Suebsaeng | Fri Apr. 5, 2013 1:16 PM PDT

Does President Barack Obama intend to capture an asteroid and place it into lunar orbit?

This seems more like a Newtonian (as in Gingrich) idea. But on Friday afternoon, the office of Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) blasted out a press release disclosing that Obama's forthcoming budget includes a $100 million plan to tow an asteroid into moon orbit. And this will be done for freedom—that is, for the purpose of saving the planet Earth from complete annihilation. (This is not about just serving the Democratic Party's base.)

Here's the gist of the press release:

Tucked inside President Barack Obama's proposed federal budget for next fiscal year is about $100 million to jump start a program scientists say is the next step towards humans establishing a permanent settlement in space. That, at least, is what U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson says we're likely to see when the White House unveils its fiscal year 2014 budget around the middle of next week. Nelson has been briefed by scientists...

In a nutshell, the plan in NASA's hands calls for catching an asteroid with a robotic spacecraft and towing it back toward Earth, where it would then be placed in a stable orbit around the moon.

Next, astronauts aboard America's Orion capsule, powered into space by a new monster rocket, would travel to the asteroid where there could be mining activities, research into ways of deflecting an asteroid from striking Earth, and testing to develop technology for a trip to deep space and Mars.

"This is part of what will be a much broader program," Nelson said today, during a visit in Orlando. "The plan combines the science of mining an asteroid, along with developing ways to deflect one, along with providing a place to develop ways we can go to Mars."

The president already has established the goal of landing astronauts on a near-Earth asteroid by 2025. This new plan would bump up the date to 2021. As in, not a moment to waste.

Nelson, a former astronaut, has an affinity for asteroids and United States asteroid policy; last month, he was on a Senate panel that grilled scientists about the consequences of an asteroid striking earth. He was keen to know if there is any way for humankind to fight back against asteroid aggression.

Obama has often been slammed for supposedly not being bold, for not being tough enough with foes. But if Nelson is right, Obama is ready to do what's necessary to take on the asteroid threat and make the United States the first nation to claim a giant space rock. Forget Spock or Luke Skywalker; he's going the full Bruce Willis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=Vo_0UXRY_rY

NASA Supports Replacing American Flag With A New Design,
International Flag Of The Planet Earth May Be Used During Space Travel

Since Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, the iconic visual of the American flag they left behind marked NASA’s success in going where no man had gone before, marking their arrival for future visitors to see. Since then, all space suits worn by Americans have been adorned with the American flag. However, NASA has been supporting a design that may replace the American flag during space travel. The new flag, called the International Flag of the Planet Earth, is expected to represent Earth as a whole, rather than segment only the United States.



According to the International Flag of the Planet Earth’s official website, http://www.flagofplanetearth.com/#intro-shift the new flag is intended to represent Earth as a whole and to “remind the people of Earth that we share this planet, no matter of national boundaries.” NASA is hopeful that other countries will adopt the new flag during their space expeditions and bring forth a level of solidarity across the planet, rather than segment the space race into different teams.



The flag features a vivid blue background, representative of the Earth’s oceans, and seven interlocking rings that are described as a flower by its creator, Oskar Pernefeldt.


‘Centred in the flag, seven rings form a flower – a symbol of the life on Earth. The rings are linked to each other, which represents how everything on our planet, directly or indirectly, are linked.The blue field represents water which is essential for life – also as the oceans cover most of our planet’s surface. The flower’s outer rings form a circle which could be seen as a symbol of Earth as a planet and the blue surface could represent the universe.’

The composition of the flag is described in a video that was posted on the International Flag of Earth’s website.


According to Engadget, http://www.engadget.com/2015/05/19/planet-earth-flag/ the International Flag of the Planet Earth was not designed by NASA directly. However, they are supporters of the flag. The actual design was created as a graduation project, and NASA has been a significant contributor to the concept and the project.

The likelihood of the flag being adopted by the entire population of Earth is slim. However, it has drawn support of many notable contributors, such as NASA, LG, and Flagga. With space travel becoming an international cooperative (for example, the International Space Station), an international flag has positive feedback. However, there are still many that feel the American flag is the only one worthy of being placed wherever American astronauts land.

When or if planet Mars is visited by Americans of the planet Earth, would you be comfortable leaving the International Flag of the Planet Earth behind, or would you prefer the American flag be left instead?

[Photo Courtesy NASA / Metro U.K.]


http://www.inquisitr.com/2106132/nas...wjf5IMDWvOq.99

NASA Supports Replacing American Flag With A New Design,
International Flag Of The Planet Earth May Be Used During Space Travel

Since Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, the iconic visual of the American flag they left behind marked NASA’s success in going where no man had gone before, marking their arrival for future visitors to see. Since then, all space suits worn by Americans have been adorned with the American flag. However, NASA has been supporting a design that may replace the American flag during space travel. The new flag, called the International Flag of the Planet Earth, is expected to represent Earth as a whole, rather than segment only the United States.



According to the International Flag of the Planet Earth’s official website, http://www.flagofplanetearth.com/#intro-shift the new flag is intended to represent Earth as a whole and to “remind the people of Earth that we share this planet, no matter of national boundaries.” NASA is hopeful that other countries will adopt the new flag during their space expeditions and bring forth a level of solidarity across the planet, rather than segment the space race into different teams.



The flag features a vivid blue background, representative of the Earth’s oceans, and seven interlocking rings that are described as a flower by its creator, Oskar Pernefeldt.


‘Centred in the flag, seven rings form a flower – a symbol of the life on Earth. The rings are linked to each other, which represents how everything on our planet, directly or indirectly, are linked.The blue field represents water which is essential for life – also as the oceans cover most of our planet’s surface. The flower’s outer rings form a circle which could be seen as a symbol of Earth as a planet and the blue surface could represent the universe.’

The composition of the flag is described in a video that was posted on the International Flag of Earth’s website.


According to Engadget, http://www.engadget.com/2015/05/19/planet-earth-flag/ the International Flag of the Planet Earth was not designed by NASA directly. However, they are supporters of the flag. The actual design was created as a graduation project, and NASA has been a significant contributor to the concept and the project.

The likelihood of the flag being adopted by the entire population of Earth is slim. However, it has drawn support of many notable contributors, such as NASA, LG, and Flagga. With space travel becoming an international cooperative (for example, the International Space Station), an international flag has positive feedback. However, there are still many that feel the American flag is the only one worthy of being placed wherever American astronauts land.

When or if planet Mars is visited by Americans of the planet Earth, would you be comfortable leaving the International Flag of the Planet Earth behind, or would you prefer the American flag be left instead?

[Photo Courtesy NASA / Metro U.K.]


http://www.inquisitr.com/2106132/nas...wjf5IMDWvOq.99

The international flag of Earth is kind of a big deal. Here's why.

http://www.upworthy.com/the-internat...res-why?c=ufb2