Division News

Foton-M3 Launches From Russia

A successful launch of Foton-M3, on Sept. 14 marked another collaborative effort between NASA and Russian scientists. The microgravity mission is conducting biological studies including the effects of space on genetics, cell proliferation and tissue regeneration.

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http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=23095
Foton-M3 rocket rolled out:
http://www.roscosmos.ru/NewsDoSele.asp?NEWSID=2429

Ames Honor Award

Nicki Rayl has been selected to receive a 2007 Ames Honor Award for Contractor Employee. Nicki will receive her award at a ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 20 at the Ames Main Auditorium.

Astronauts to Conduct Study of Bacterial Growth in Space

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- When space shuttle Endeavour rocketed into space yesterday, it took along a common microorganism normally found in the upper respiratory tract of approximately 40 percent of the healthy human population.

The experiment, Streptococcus pneumoniae Expression of Genes in Space (SPEGIS), part of the STS-118 space shuttle mission launched Aug. 8, 2007, will investigate the effects of the space environment on the common microorganism Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae). Scientists believe that sending this bacterium into space may lead to a better understanding of S. pneumoniae, an opportunistic human pathogen, which causes infections in individuals with reduced immune function. This bacterial pathogen is the most common cause of pneumonia, middle ear infections and bacterial meningitis.

"The opportunity to investigate and understand the effects of spaceflight on the pathogenic potential of S. pneumoniae may further the design and development of new drugs that can be used for treatment of diseases on Earth," said Hami Teal, the experiment's project scientist and a researcher at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.

Vials containing bacterial cultures were loaded aboard space shuttle Endeavor in SPEGIS Canister Assemblies developed by NASA. The hardware consists of three canisters, each containing three sealed polypropylene vials inserted into aluminum jackets to improve contact and enhance thermal transfer. The SPEGIS experiment only requires transfer of the canisters from refrigeration to incubation and then to a freezer to preserve the sample. The SPEGIS experiment will be returned to Earth for analysis by scientists. Since the SPEGIS Canisters are triple-contained and never opened, the crew is never in direct contact with the bacterial cultures.

"We expect the SPEGIS experiment will provide important new information about how microbes adapt to microgravity and the spacecraft environment. These results will lead to a better understanding of these organisms on a molecular level and how their ability to interact with humans may be altered," said David W. Niesel, the project's principal investigator and professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX.

For more information about the SPEGIS research project, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/science/experiments/SPEGIS.html

Honors and Awards

John Fisher has been notified that he has been selected to receive a second SAE Wright Brothers Medal Award. The Wright Brothers Medal is awarded to the author of the best paper relating to the invention, development, design, construction or operation of an aircraft and/or spacecraft and which has been presented at an SAE meeting. The award considers the value of the author's contribution to the state-of-the-art in the furtherance of flight technology whether it pertains to aircraft or spacecraft systems or their parts, components, subsystems or accessories. John Fisher was co-author on the selected technical paper 2006-01-2182 "Development and Testing of a Microwave Powered Solid Waste Stabilization and Water Recovery System." Other co-authors included Richard R. Wheeler, Jr., Neal M. Hadley, Roger W. Dahl, Thomas W. Williams, Frank C. Garmon, James R. Akse, and James E. Atwater.

K-12 Engineering Design Challenge

Dr. Robert Bowman has provided scientific technical review for learning materials that will be distributed to teachers and students for the Plant Growth Unit challenge. Dr. Bowman has clarified the unique scientific aspects of growing plants on the moon and reviewed specific lesson plans for science content. This effort is in conjunction with Marshall Space Flight Center Education and STS-118 Teacher In Space Outreach.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/plantgrowth/home/index.html

Growing Ames-developed Plants in the Arctic

Dr. John Hogan and Dr. Robert Bowman were given the opportunity to conduct a small trial of the Ames-developed dwarf Arabidopsis plants this season at Devon Island where scientists are working on the Haughton-Mars Project. Devon Island, located at an extreme northern latitude, is viewed as a terrestrial analog for Mars. Last week the team sent experiment trays to Devon Island. A member of the Haughton-Mars Project team will run the experiment. The actual work is simple: just add water and photograph daily. The plants will be grown outside at the peak of the "summer" season where they will be exposed to continuous light and obviously cool temperatures. The intent of the Arabidopsis experiment is to see how the plants will perform in such harsh environments.
http://center.arc.nasa.gov/2007/08/01/thinking-green-in-extreme-weather-conditions/

Tore Straume Receives NSBRI Proposal Award

Grant Award to Radiation & Biotechnologies Branch: The National Space Biomedical Research Institute recently notified Dr. Tore Straume that his proposal "Small Active Dosimetry System for Lunar EVA Missions: Spacesuit and Tool-Box Applications" was selected for research funding with the period of performance of 4 years.

Excellence Program Recognizes Science Directorate

ARC Project Excellence (APEX) Program: APEX recognized several members of Science Directorate. Julie Levri was recognized as a graduate of the Systems Engineering track in the APEX program, along with APEX mentors Randy Berthold, Mike Skidmore, and Sylvia Cox. The 20 APEX participants in the pilot year program were required to demonstrate a measurable increase in project management or systems engineering skills and capabilities. Ms. Levri's development exercises focused on Systems Engineering Management Plan Development, Requirements Development, System Verification, and Leadership. APEX development resources included on-the-job development assignments, one-on-one mentoring, team learning, and classroom training.

Jonathan Trent Receives Google Proposal Award

Jonathan Trent, a researcher in the Bioengineering Branch of the Space BioSciences Division, submitted a winning proposal to Google, entitled "Exploration into Sustainable Energy For "SPACE-SHIP" Earth."
(POC: Jonathan Trent, x4-3686, Jonathan.Trent@nasa.gov)

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has announced Dr. Mark Kliss as the 2007 winner of its John Jeffries Award. This award is granted annually for outstanding research accomplishments in aerospace medicine and space life sciences. According to the accompanying citation, the award recognizes "dedication and technology focus toward creating a healthy environment for humans as the Vision for [Space] Exploration goes forward." Dr. Kliss is Chief of the Bioengineering Branch in the Space Biosciences Division at NASA Ames Research Center. His research and development efforts in Exploration Life Support, particularly in the area of closed-loop waste management, are acknowledged and well-respected by the Agency. This is the third consecutive year, and the fourth year in seven, that an Ames scientist has received the Jeffries Award.