River networks on Saturn's moon Titan

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 00:04:08 GMT

Researchers at MIT and UT-Knoxville have analyzed images of Titan's river networks and determined that in some regions, rivers have created surprisingly little erosion.

Mapping the Moon's Shackleton Crater

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 17:30:10 GMT

Scientists from MIT, Brown University, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and other institutions have mapped the moon's Shackleton crater with unprecedented detail, and found possible evidence for small amounts of ice on the crater's floor.

Sarah Garlick: "Wild Stone: Climbing the unclimbed, from the Arctic to Arabia"

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:02:52 GMT

JAN 31, 2012 Sarah Garlick: "Wild Stone: Climbing the unclimbed, from the Arctic to Arabia," With professional photography, audio clips, and short videos, Garlick tells stories from her latest two expeditions: a journey to the granite big walls of South Greenland, and an exploration of the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan. Garlick's presentation focuses on the common core of both expeditions: a quest to find—and climb—untouched cliffs in some of the world's wildest locations. Garlick talks about what it takes to be an expedition climber in the modern era, from discovering an objective and putting together a team, to the inevitable ups and downs of the journey itself. Wild Stone shares stories and images of Garlick';s 2010 expedition to Greenland, where she and her three teammates established a new, 2,000-foot free route up a remote granite wall. This expedition was supported by the prestigious Copp-Dash Inspire Award. The presentation also premiers new photography and video footage from an expedition to the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan last winter, where Garlick and fellow climber Caroline George established a new sandstone adventure route called Uprising (5.11).

Keynote Address: Future Exploration Opportunities

Mon, 16 May 2011 16:23:51 GMT

MIT150 Symposium
Earth, Air, Ocean and Space: The Future of Exploration

A panel of experts will provide a forum for idea generation and strategic planning for the future of exploration.

Welcome
Dava J. Newman SM '98 PhD '92 - Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics of Engineering Systems, Director, Technology and Policy Program, MIT

Speakers
Peter H. Diamandis '83 SM '88 - Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, X PRIZE Foundation; Chief Executive Officer, Zero Gravity Corporation; Chairman and Co-Founder, Rocket Racing League; Co-Founder and Director, Space Adventures; Co-Founder, International Space University

Exploration Visions Panel II

Mon, 16 May 2011 16:23:48 GMT

MIT150 Symposium
Earth, Air, Ocean and Space: The Future of Exploration

A second panel of experts will provide a forum for idea generation and strategic planning for the future of exploration.

Welcome
Christopher E. Carr '99 SM '01 ScD '05 - Research Scientist, Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, MIT

Speakers
Dava J. Newman SM '89 PhD '92 - Chair, MIT150 Exploration Symposium; Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Engineering Systems; Director, Technology and Policy Program, MIT
Sara Seager - Ellen Swallow Richards Professor of Planetary Sciences and Professor of Physics, MIT
James D. Shields '71 SM '72 - President and Chief Executive Officer, Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
Susan Humphris PhD '77 - Senior Scientist, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Closing remarks

Mon, 16 May 2011 16:18:26 GMT

MIT150 Symposium
Earth, Air, Ocean and Space: The Future of Exploration

Speaker
Dava J. Newman SM '89 PhD '92 - Chair, MIT150 Exploration Symposium; Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Engineering Systems; Director, Technology and Policy Program, MIT

XCOR Student Showcase Competition: Great Exploration Ideas for the Future

Mon, 16 May 2011 15:51:32 GMT

MIT150 Symposium
Earth, Air, Ocean and Space: The Future of Exploration

The five final student teams share their 'Revolutionary Exploration Ideas for the 21st Century", which will be judged by an invited panel of explorers. Competition website: http://explore.mit.edu.

Nanosatellite Ready to Search for Another Earth

Mon, 16 May 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Researchers at Draper Laboratory and MIT discuss and display the small satellite they have built. It will detect Earthlike planets outside our solar system.

Explorers' Panel

Fri, 13 May 2011 15:52:47 GMT

MIT150 Symposium
Earth, Air, Ocean and Space: The Future of Exploration

Explorers of earth, air, ocean, and space share the extreme challenges and rewards of universal exploration. Guest appearance by astronaut Catherine (Cady) Coleman '83, currently aboard the International Space Station.

Speakers
Maria T. Zuber - E.A. Griswold Professor of Geophysics; Head, Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, MIT
Steven W. Squyres - Goldwin Smith Professor of Astronomy, Cornell University
Buzz Aldrin ScD '63 - Astronaut
James G. Bellingham '84 SM '84 PhD '88 - Chief Technologist, Autonomous Ocean Sampling Network Program, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

Exploration Visions Panel I

Fri, 13 May 2011 15:21:16 GMT

MIT150 Symposium
Earth, Air, Ocean and Space: The Future of Exploration

A panel of experts will provide a forum for idea generation and strategic planning for the future of exploration.

Moderator
Ryan L. Kobrick - Event Director, MIT150 Exploration Symposium; Executive Director, Yuri's Night; Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT

Speakers
Anna Mracek Dietrich '04 SM '06 - Chief Operating Officer, Acting Chief Financial Officer, and Co-Founder, Terrafugia
R. John Hansman SM '80 PhD '82 - Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics; Director, International Center for Air Transportation, MIT
Jeff Greason - Founder and Chief Executive Officer, XCOR Aerospace
Dana Yoerger '77 SM '79 PhD '83 - Senior Scientist in Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Welcome - Day 2

Fri, 13 May 2011 14:48:48 GMT

MIT150 Symposium
Earth, Air, Ocean and Space: The Future of Exploration

Speakers
David A. Mindell PhD '96 - Dean, School of Engineering; Jerome C. Hunsaker Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Presentation of XCOR Student Showcase Awards
Jeff Greason - Founder and Chief Executive Officer, XCOR Aerospace

Great Ages of Exploration and Discovery Panel

Fri, 13 May 2011 14:46:13 GMT

MIT150 Symposium
Earth, Air, Ocean and Space: The Future of Exploration

A historical perspective of exploration and discovery with leading authors.

Welcome
David A. Mindell PhD '96 - Chair of the MIT150 Steering Committee; Dibner Professor of the History of Engineering and Manufacturing; Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and of Engineering Systems; Head, MIT Program in Science, Technology, and Society

Speakers
Stephen J. Pyne - Author and Regents' Professor, Arizona State University
Rosalind H. Williams - Bern Dibner Professor of the History of Science and Technology, MIT
David A. Mindell PhD '96 - Chair of the MIT150 Steering Committee; Dibner Professor of the History of Engineering and Manufacturing; Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and of Engineering Systems; Head, MIT Program in Science, Technology, and Society

MIT Astronaut Alumni Panel: Exploration and Discovery

Fri, 13 May 2011 14:46:11 GMT

MIT150 Symposium
Earth, Air, Ocean and Space: The Future of Exploration

MIT alumni astronauts discuss spaceflight experiences that range from Gemini to Apollo through the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station missions.

Moderators
Jeffrey A. Hoffman, Professor of the Practice of Aerospace Engineering, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT; STS-51-D, STS-35, STS-46, STS-61, STS-75

Laurence R. Young '57 SM '59 ScD '62, Apollo Program Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics; Professor of Health Sciences and Technology, MIT; STS-58 (alternate)

Panelists
Buzz Aldrin ScD '63 - Gemini 12, Apollo 11
Timothy J. (TJ) Creamer SM '92, Soyuz TMA-17, Expedition 22/23
Terry J. Hart SM '69 - STS 41-C
Frederick H. (Rick) Hauck SM '66 - STS-7, STS-51-A, STS-26
Byron Lichtenberg SM '75, ScD '79 - STS-9, STS-45

Welcome - Day 1

Fri, 13 May 2011 14:39:45 GMT

MIT150 Symposium
Earth, Air, Ocean and Space: The Future of Exploration

Speakers
W. Eric L. Grimson PhD '80 - MIT Chancellor; Bernard Gordon Professor of Medical Engineering; Professor of Computer Science
David A. Mindell PhD '96 - MIT150 Steering Committee; Dibner Professor of the History of Engineering and Manufacturing; Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and of Engineering Systems; Head, MIT Program in Science, Technology, and Society
Dava J. Newman SM '89 PhD '92 - MIT150 Exploration Symposium; Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and of Engineering Systems; Director, Technology and Policy Program, MIT

Investments in our Future: Exploring Space through Innovation and Technology

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 04:00:00 GMT

04/20/2011 4:00 PM 26"100Dr. Robert D. Braun, Chief Technologist, NASADescription: "I don't remember Apollo at all," confesses Robert Braun, NASA's chief technologist. "I feel really bad about it." Nevertheless, he has spent a lot of time reading and thinking about the mission to the moon, and its significance not just for space exploration, but for the nation's innovative edge and economy. Braun wonders, "What is my generation's space race?." Braun offers not one but a handful of "game"changing civil space possibilities" that he feels certain could be accomplished in his lifetime. These include an asteroid defense system, forecasting major storms in time to move entire populations out of harm's way; and finding life in space. Braun notes that many others embrace these "lofty goals," but that NASA has been hampered in approaching them by a lack of investment in technology. When Braun first graduated from Penn State decades ago, he worked on "human to Mars" programs. There were huge technological obstacles then that persist today. Says Braun, "We need a series of technological advances crossing multiple disciplines to make a human Mars mission feasible." The recently minted NASA Space Technology Program (STP), under Braun's wing, intends to seed R&D ventures -- whether in early stage innovation, experimentation or pilot demonstrations -- that may ultimately solve the kinds of problems hampering human space exploration. The program will also yield numerous other benefits, Braun predicts, in many other areas of science and engineering. These investments in disruptive technologies will pay off in turn by creating spinoff high tech industries, spurring new jobs, economic growth and global competitiveness. Initial STP R&D money is headed for the International Space Station, which offers unique opportunities to explore long"term human degradation in space, water reclamation, and human"robot collaborations. Other projects include different kinds of space telescopes that could be assembled in space. STP hopes to nurture many ideas, selecting the most promising for larger investment and potential mission status. But the R&D itself "will pay large dividends for scientists," he promises. As evidence, Braun points to NASA"spawned technology that has proved useful if not essential on our home planet: spacecraft tracking the Gulf oil spill; the capsule used to rescue Chilean miners trapped underground; protective armor for police and firefighters; nutritional supplements in baby formula. "Down"to"earth applications help us, and also create jobs, companies, products, and stimulate the economy," says Braun. The Apollo program was "actually all about technological leadership," he concludes, and "that's what it's still all about today." About the Speaker(s): Robert D. Braun was named NASA Chief Technologist by NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden on Feb. 3, 2010. Braun serves as the principal advisor and advocate on matters concerning agency"wide technology policy and programs. Braun has more than 20 years experience performing design and analysis of planetary exploration systems as a member of the technical staff at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., and the Georgia Institute of Technology. His research has focused on systems' aspects of planetary exploration, where he contributed to the design, development, test and operation of several robotic space flight systems. Braun was a member of the Mars Pathfinder design and landing operations team from 1992 to 1997 and has been part of development teams for the Mars Microprobe, Mars Sample Return and Mars Surveyor 2001 projects. He also has provided independent assessment and served on NASA review boards for the Mars Polar Lander, Mars Odyssey, Mars Exploration Rover, Phoenix Mars Scout, Genesis, and Mars Science Laboratory flight projects. Braun joined the Georgia Institute of Technology in Oct 2003. At Georgia Tech, he led a research and educational program focused on the design of advanced flight systems and technologies for planetary exploration. Recent research projects included the development of entry, descent and landing concepts and technologies for human Mars exploration. Host(s): School of Engineering, Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium

Technology Day 1993 - "Riding the Wave of Innovation: The Ocean and MIT"

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 20:51:49 GMT

MIT's 1993 Technology Day, on the theme "Riding the Wave of Innovation: The Ocean and MIT," takes place on June 4, 1993. Speakers featured in the morning symposium include Sylvia Earle, "Exploring the Ocean with Unmanned Vehicles;" Robert Spindel, "Measuring the Ocean Environment;" Carl Wunsch '62, "Effects of the Ocean on Global Climate;" William Koch '62, "Technology for the America's Cup." Francis Ogilvie is the moderator. The event concludes with Paul Gray accepting for MIT two gifs from America's Cup winner Bill Koch '62: a boat model of "America [Cubed]" (the winning boat designed at MIT) given to the MIT Hart Nautical Collections, and a half-scale silver model of the America's Cup Trophy given to the MIT Athletic Department. [ T3051, T3052, T3053]

An Engineering Career - 50 Years Out

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 05:00:00 GMT

12/01/2010 4:45 PM 10"250Kent Kresa, '59, '61 MS, '66 EAA, Chairman Emeritus, Northrop Grumman CorporationDescription: Returning to his freshman physics classroom after half a century, Kent Kresa still feels passionate about MIT: "It's a place I love; I feel good when I come back, and it's been very much a part of my life for the past 50 years." In his talk, Kresa describes how an MIT education helped shape his professional path, leading to a topflight career in the aviation and defense industry. Kresa came to MIT "in love with airplanes," but had no sense where he'd end up. Fascinated by fluid dynamics, he found student work at Boeing in the wind tunnel group. After witnessing "huge open rooms that had acres of engineersall grinding away on numbers," he left Boeing with "serious questions about his future career" in aeronautics engineering. He was so soured that he contemplated leaving MIT for a business degree at Harvard. MIT professors persuaded him that the engineering world was about to change dramatically, and Kresa decided to stick it out. This decision paid off, for Kresa soon found opportunities that were both exciting and cutting edge. He got an early taste of digital computing at a firm developing a commercial parachute system for satellite capsules. He worked at MIT Lincoln Lab in ballistic missile defense. One of his most "phenomenal life experiences" unfolded on a tiny atoll in the Marshall Islands, where he and a team of 100 MIT researchers toiled for two years on a missile reentry project. Cut off from the rest of the world, there wasn't "a lot to do other than to work and drink and party." After completing an advanced MIT engineering degree in the mid"60s, Kresa went to work for DARPA. He saw the first stirrings of the internet, and the evolution of infrared technology, precision weapons guidance, GPS, stealth technology and unmanned vehicles. After seven years in this innovative environment, Kresa feared he "had peaked before he was 35." But his next job "fortunately proved there was plenty left to do." He headed to Northrop as lead researcher, which led to a series of increasingly senior positions, culminating in company chairman in 1990. At Northrop, Kresa weathered the downsizing of the nation's defense industry, which spurred his company's acquisition of Grumman and other affiliated tech companies. He says he came to recognize that "engineering"related activities that emphasize broad thinking and innovation have the best chance of delivering good solutions and giving self"fulfillment and social value as well." These insights, he says, powerfully evoke his MIT experiences, where he first learned that "the most successful problem"solving stretches and crosses boundaries," and that the ideal environment for this involves "interaction with smart teammates, where everybody has mutual excitement about work, and the commitment to try out ideas." About the Speaker(s): Kent Kresa was elected CEO of Northrop Grumman in January 1990 and chairman of the board in September 1990. He joined Northrop Grumman in 1975 as vice president and manager of the company's Research and Technology Center, developing new proprietary processes and products. From 1976"82, he served as corporate vice president and general manager of the Ventura Division, a leader in the production of unmanned aeronautical vehicles. In 1982, he was appointed group vice president of the company's Aircraft Group and in 1986 was named senior vice president"Technology Development and Planning. Kresa was elected president of the company in 1987. Before joining Northrop Grumman, Kresa served with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, where he was responsible for broad, applied research and development programs in the tactical and strategic defense arena. From 1961"68, he was associated with MIT's Lincoln Laboratory, where he worked on ballistic missile defense research and reentry technology. Kresa has also served as Chairman of the Board of Avery Dennison Corporation, a director of General Motors Corporation, and was appointed by President Obama as interim board chair of GM during the company's recovery. Host(s): School of Engineering, School of Engineering

Looking Ahead to the Future of NASA

Mon, 10 May 2010 04:00:00 GMT

05/10/2010 3:00 PM 32"123Gen. Charles Bolden, NASA AdministratorDescription: From the MIT News Office: NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden Jr. defended President Barack Obama's controversial plans for the U.S. space agency's future and touted the president's plan to invest billions of dollars in basic science research. Some in Congress have criticized Obama's proposal to cancel the Constellation program, which would have sent humans to the moon by 2020, saying such a move will effectively cede U.S. space leadership to other nations. But Bolden noted that the White House's plan would also invest an additional $6 billion in NASA over the next five years, including a 60"percent increase in earth sciences research funding, as well as a 20"percent increase in planetary sciences research. Such an expansion could revitalize NASA's ties with institutions like MIT, which has played an instrumental role in the agency since NASA was founded in 1958. Bolden said NASA was going through what he called a "difficult, but very interesting" period. As a former astronaut who completed four space flights, Bolden expressed sadness about the prospect of ending NASA's space"shuttle fleet, admitting he is "emotionally attached" to the shuttle program. But he insisted that NASA is "committed" to Obama's new era of space exploration, which calls for a flexible path approach for NASA to gain progressively more experience, such as a lunar fly"by or exploration of asteroids, before making a trip to Mars. The plan also calls for developing a "heavy"lift" system to launch spacecraft into deep space, as well as technologies to protect humans from long"term radiation. In the future, NASA would lease vehicles from private companies to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station. "The president, with my full agreement, made a change - a big change," Bolden said of Obama's decision to undertake a new direction for NASA, adding that the agency's fundamental goal "to boldly advance the human presence beyond the cradle of Earth," has not changed, and that Mars remains an "especially compelling target." Bolden outlined several tracks that NASA has proposed to achieve its goals, such as developing robotic technologies to scout new targets and test precision landings. He said the agency remains focused on using the International Space Station to learn more about human health issues, referring to ongoing work by ISS researchers to develop a salmonella vaccine. He pledged NASA's commitment to develop a commercial launch industry for carrying humans into low Earth orbit, but said that the agency was still fine"tuning specific operations details, such as whether a crew would be trained at NASA facilities. He also said the agency was honoring Obama's request to collaborate with other countries like Saudi Arabia to foster science research. When pressed to name a timetable for a manned mission to Mars, Bolden said it was "pretty vague," but that if NASA started to develop the architecture for a heavy"lift launch vehicle right now, it could be as soon as the early 2020s that a spacecraft orbits the moon, and maybe 2025 for a spacecraft or robot to land on an asteroid. Those advances could make travel to Mars a reality by 2030, he said. Host(s): School of Engineering, Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium

Humans in Space

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:00:00 GMT

12/08/2009 6:00 PM MuseumDava Newman, Sm '89, PhD '92, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Engineering SystemsDescription: The future of space exploration is "the Moon, Mars, and beyond." For the human scientist"astronaut, "the issue is one of location and locale," according to Dava Newman. The argument is no longer whether it's man vs. robot; rather it's how humans and robots will work together in missions throughout the solar system. Where exploration-getting out of a spacecraft and moving around-is the primary reason, humans will be sent. Otherwise, they may be tele operating a robot on a distant planet, carrying out experiments on an international space station, or working at Mission Control as experimenters and investigators. But humans will always be involved. Nothing on Earth can truly mimic the environmental vagaries the astronauts will face on that distant planet or the challenges in getting there. Much of Newman's work in astronaut performance focuses on creating the BioSuit that will provide the necessary mobility, protection, and life support. The space travel itself creates further physiological deconditioning effects such as bone loss and other ravages of extended weightlessness. Newman cites four significant show stoppers to future space travel: radiation/exposure, bone loss, psychological effects ("playing well together") and immunology "because so little is known about what's out there." Of additional interest to her audience were the issues of expense and time needed to get to a distant planet such as Mars and commercial applications here on Earth. Newman refers to NASA's $400 billion price tag and points to a lower $20 billion cost if supported by both government and private monies but run by non"governmental organizations. Commercial space flight offers similar exciting opportunities as well as risks and dangers. Medical/pharmaceutical applications such as growing crystals in the weightlessness of space or studying locomotion that would assist people with cerebral palsy are currently being considered. Collaboration with other nations will ultimately provide on"going program funding since the future of space travel is more about human space travel and less about an individual nation's ability to build an entire program. About the Speaker(s): Professor Dava Newman is currently the director of the Technology and Policy Program and a MacVicar Faculty Fellow at MIT. She is professor of Aeronautics and the Astronautics and Engineering Systems Division as well as an affiliate faculty in the Harvard"MIT Health, Sciences and Technology Division. Professor Newman's research contributes to the fundamental knowledge of human performance in extreme environments by interweaving biomechanics, human factors engineering, modeling, and design. In the space environment, she quantifies astronaut motion and studies the subtle mechanisms underlying neuron"musculoskeletal adaptation, which are not easily studied on earth. She is currently developing her fourth space flight experiment, the MICRO"G experiment, which will fly on the International Space Station in a few years. Newman is concurrently designing a revolutionary, advanced spacesuit for future exploration missions, the BioSuit System, which she targets for 2020. She has been honored with a NASA Manned Flight Awareness Team Award and a NASA Group Achievement Award. She is a recognized AIAA Distinguished Lecturer and recently received the National Aerospace Educator Award. In addition to teaching classes in leadership and engineering at MIT, she has published and presented more than 200 papers in refereed journals and at conferences and other professional groups. She is a regular speaker and participant at engineering conferences given by groups such as the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and International Design for Extreme Environments Assembly (IDEEA) among many others. In 2001, she published her first book entitled Interactive Aerospace Engineering and Design. Host(s): Office of the Provost, MIT Museum

Apollo: Reflections and Lessons

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:00:00 GMT

06/11/2009 9:30 AM KresgeDr. Jeffrey A. Hoffman, former Space Shuttle astronaut, Professor of the Practice, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT ; Dr. Richard Battin, '45, PhD '51, Director of Apollo guidance, navigation and control system, Senior Lecturer, MIT ; Dr. Aaron Cohen, Manager of Apollo Command and Service Module, former Director of NASA/JSC, Professor Emeritus Texas A&M University ; Joseph G. Gavin, Jr., '41, SM'42, Director of the Lunar Module Program, retired President, Grumman Corporation ; Dr. Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., Director of Flight operations for Apollo, former Director, NASA/JSC; The Honorable Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo astronaut, scientist, former U.S. Senator; ; Theodore Sorensen, Esq., President Kennedy's Special Counsel & Adviser, and primary speechwriter; James Shields, '71, SM 72, President and CEO, Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc.Description: In this first of three symposium events to mark the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, an extraordinary cast of luminaries recount the parts they played in the Apollo program, and celebrate MIT's unique role in getting humans to the moon. Theodore Sorensen believes President Kennedy chose him to oversee the U.S. response to the Soviet's first space flight because he was "a skeptic a Unitarian raised asking questions." The U.S. space program had been lagging, "a joke with late night TV comics," so the Kennedy administration figured only the "the drama of a moon landing" would spur an improved space effort. When Kennedy announced the plan to Congress, the reaction was "stunned disbelief," so he deviated from the official text, reminding congressmen that "all of us will be on that trip to the moon." Today, Kennedy would be disturbed by the militarization of space, Sorensen believes. The next great scientific breakthrough Sorensen would like to see involves "the abolition of weapons of mass destruction." Richard Battin describes the work of MIT's Instrumentation Laboratory, headed by Charles "Doc" Draper, to develop a Mars probe in 1957 following the Sputnik launch. The device had solar panels, a thruster, an attitude control system with gyros, and an onboard digital computer designed to survive a three"year roundtrip to Mars. NASA declined to support the entire project, but liked the computer. In 1961, NASA chief Jim Webb asked his good friend "Doc" Draper to develop guidance navigation and control for Apollo. Battin believes this relationship, and the need for a functioning onboard navigation system (in case the Soviets jammed communication links from Earth) landed MIT the contract. Aaron Cohen remembers how rocket scientist Wernher Von Braun was puzzled by Cohen's Apollo assignment, which was "to define and resolve interfaces between all elements of the Apollo program." He also describes the tragic fire on the launch pad in January 1967, which killed three crewmembers. This episode triggered months of self"examination, leading to a safer command service module, and a series of reliable flights leading to the moon landing. "When I look back on Apollo 11, I go through each subsystem and marvel at how we managed to form the mission." Joseph Gavin, Jr. started as a graduate student in "Doc" Draper's lab, but ended up leading the development of the lunar module, which "worked every time. I'll say that again. It worked every time." His long association with the program left him with some insights: there's no such thing as random failure; one should take absolutely nothing for granted; and do not change anything that works. He recalls NASA bugging him about overtime, but the young men working for him were under great pressure, so Gavin pushed back, allowing "group leaders to take care of their people." Harrison "Jack" Schmitt takes the audience through the history of the Apollo program, including his own historic trip to the moon. "That's not bad, leaving footprints in the sands of time for a million, might be two million years." He believes the keys to the mission's success included having a sufficient base of technology and a reservoir of young engineers and skilled workers; the "pervasive environment of national unease" due to the Cold War, Sputnik and the missile gap; a persuasive president who unleashed adequate funding; and "tough, competent and disciplined management to let people do their jobs." In flight control, says Christopher Kraft, Jr., "you have to fly what you've got. There's not time to stop and fix something." This legend of the early days of space flight recalls chimpanzee testing and concerns about human adaptation to zero gravity. When Kennedy announced the moon mission, "I thought he'd lost his mind." As flight director, Kraft suddenly "had to come up with the orbital mechanics of going back and forth to the moon. That to me was a hell of a challenge." Kraft witnessed the entire nation get behind the Apollo effort, which convinced him "we could do anything we set our mind to in this country, if we know what we want to do, where we want to go and have the commitment to get it done." About the Speaker(s): Jeffrey Hoffman is an astrophysicist and a veteran of five space missions. He was the first astronaut to log 1000 hours aboard the Space Shuttle. During his fourth flight, he was one of four crew members who captured the Hubble Space Telescope, serviced it, and restored it to full capacity. He is engaged in several research projects using the International Space Station and teaches courses on space operations and design. Prior to joining NASA, Hoffman was a scientist with the MIT Center for Space Research in charge of the orbiting HEAO"1 A4 hard x"ray and gamma ray experiment. He is currently the Director of the Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium. Hoffman earned his B.A. at Amherst College, an M.S. from Rice University and his Ph.D. from Harvard University.Host(s): School of Engineering, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics

The Next Giant Leaps in Energy, Environment, & Air Transportation

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:00:00 GMT

06/11/2009 1:00 PM KresgeThe Honorable John P. Holdren, '65, SM '66, Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President; Dr. Ian A. Waitz, Jerome C. Hunsaker Professor and Department Head, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT ; Michael B. Bair, SM '93, Vice President, Business Strategy & Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes; Dr. David Danielson, Ph D '08, Program Manager of the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency; Founder, MIT Energy Club; Dr. Alan H. Epstein, '71, SM '72, Ph D 75, Vice President for Technology and Environment, United Technologies Pratt & Whitney, and R.C. MacLaurin Professor, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT; Dr. Lourdes Q. Maurice, Chief Scientific and Technical Advisor for Environment, FAADescription: It's no exaggeration to say John Holdren's job involves tackling the most critical issues of our age: economic recovery and growth, health care, energy, climate change, global pandemics, national security, ecosystem preservationthe list goes on. As President Obama's science and technology advisor, Holdren leverages the resources and collective acumen of the nation's researchers and innovators to address these complex and urgent matters. To an MIT audience, Holdren makes the case that aerospace science, technology and education will provide a "crucial contribution to and driver of many relevant capabilities" the U.S. will need to meet this century's challenges. He cites in particular the relevance of "nitty"gritty things like infrastructure" in aerospace research and industry -- -- including military and civilian satellites enabling earth observation and tracking for national security purposes or weather forecasting. These technologies engender "spin"offs into other domains of the economy, health care and the environment." In addition, the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station are inspiring students to pursue science and engineering. Holdren hopes these young researchers will eventually pave the way to clean energy and a revitalized economy. President Obama has put science and technology "front and center," and these priorities are reflected in a budget that provides big boosts for science, and also for transportation infrastructure and applied energy technologies. Government agencies are trying to resolve the "budget"vision disparity" in the space program; air traffic control problems resulting from the steady expansion of civil air traffic; and the problem of greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy of aircraft. But Holdren worries about maintaining the administration's ambitious space and aeronautics agenda, in the face of ballooning government programs, and ongoing military commitments. Aviation and space communities must work together across government, industry and academic sectors to overcome these obstacles -- "a giant leap requiring giant partnerships." A group of aerospace leaders respond to Holdren's talk. Michael Bair notes that the aviation industry is growing faster than GDP, but challenged by "an awful business model" and an expanding carbon footprint. He sees hope in fuel efficiency improvements, especially biofuels, and new air traffic policies. David Danielson believes young entrepreneurs, inspired by 9/11, the economic crisis, and the 90's internet boom, will rally to transform our energy economy, with the help of new policies and funding, a firm embrace of "thinking big," and an acceptance that "it's OK to fail." Seeking a less polluting hydrocarbon to power his airplanes, Alan Epstein needs a big infusion of capital from the financial community to help attract biofuel producers to aviation, and looks to places like MIT for "ingenuity and invention" to make biofuels a practical, cost"effective reality. A key lesson learned in kindergarten -- 'tell the truth' -- will serve the aerospace community well, counsels Lourdes Q. Maurice. This means admitting "tradeoffs between noise and emissions," for instance. She also argues for inclusivity among decision"makers around energy and environment issues, and decisions informed by science. About the Speaker(s): John P. Holdren, President Obama's "Science Czar," previously served as Teresa and John Heinz Professor of Environmental Policy and Director of the Program on Science, Technology, and Public Policy at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, as well as professor in Harvard's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Director of the independent, nonprofit Woods Hole Research Center. From 1973 to 1996 he was on the faculty of the University of California, Berkeley, where he co"founded and co"led the interdisciplinary graduate"degree program in energy and resources. Holdren holds advanced degrees in aerospace engineering and theoretical plasma physics from MIT and Stanford and has specialized in energy technology and policy, global climate change, and nuclear arms control and nonproliferation. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, as well as foreign member of the Royal Society of London. A former president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, his awards include a MacArthur Foundation Prize Fellowship, the John Heinz Prize in Public Policy, the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, and the Volvo Environment Prize. He served from 1991 until 2005 as a member of the MacArthur Foundation's board of trustees. Ian A. Waitz also serves as the Director of the Partnership for AiR Transportation Noise and Emissions Reduction (PARTNER), an FAA/NASA/Transport Canada"sponsored Center of Excellence. His principal areas of interest are the modeling and evaluation of climate, local air quality and noise impacts of aviation. Waitz has written approximately 75 technical publications, including a report to the U.S. Congress on aviation and the environment. He holds three patents and has consulted for many organizations. During 2002"2005 he was Deputy Head of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He has also served as an associate editor of the AIAA Journal of Propulsion and Power. In 2003, Waitz received a NASA Turning Goals Into Reality Award for Noise Reduction. He was awarded the FAA 2007 Excellence in Aviation Research Award. He is a Fellow of the AIAA, and an ASME and ASEE member. He was honored with the 2002 MIT Class of 1960 Innovation in Education Award and appointment as an MIT MacVicar Faculty Fellow in 2003. Waitz received his B.S. in 1986 from the Pennsylvania State University; his M.S. in 1988, from George Washington University; and his Ph.D.in 1991, from the California Institute of Technology.Host(s): School of Engineering, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics

The Next Giant Leaps in Space Exploration

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:00:00 GMT

06/11/2009 3:00 PM KresgeDr. Maria T. Zuber, E.A. Griswold Professor of Geophysics, Head of the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, MIT ; ; Dr. Edward F. Crawley, Ford Professor of Engineering, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Engineering Systems, MIT; James H. Crocker, Vice President and General Manager, Sensing & Exploration Systems, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co.; Richard Garriott, private astronaut, Vice Chairman of Space Adventures ; Dr. James Garvin, Chief Scientist, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA ; Dr. David W. Thompson, Chairman & CEO of Orbital Sciences Corporation ; Dr. Erika Wagner, Lecturer, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MITDescription: From satellite"enabled radio and TV to climate tracking, space has become a "ubiquitous capability in our lifetime," as Edward Crawley puts it. But he also notes there is uncertainty about the future of U.S. spaceflight, which closely follows the "cadence" of political elections. Symposium panelists both predict and suggest directions the nation's public and private space programs might take. As a child, keynote speaker Maria Zuber "wrote long letters to the Apollo astronauts," and her early enthusiasm never waned. A geophysicist involved in missions investigating distant worlds, Zuber's take on space exploration is both pragmatic and adventurous. She seeks "an achievable future in space," with an exploration program that is "reality based." She advocates a "bold, diverse agenda" that includes extended use of the International Space Station for conducting science on human physiology and behavior; exploring the impact of the sun on Earth climate and space weather; gathering data on the constitution of the universe; detailed characterization of terrestrial planets; a renewed commitment to Earth observation (we have better data on Mars' ice caps than on our own); and seeking extra"terrestrial life. This ambitious portfolio means we may send humans to space for "objectives that are worth the risk." NASA should mix big and small missions, remembering that it's "crucial to inspire and train the next generation." Ultimately, says Zuber, "It's great to be a dreamer, but the only good space mission is one that really works, and is practical and implementable." NASA scientist James Garvin describes his agency's plans to pursue the legacy of Apollo, by developing new capabilities to carry people into space, and supporting significant research, such as tracking carbon in Earth's atmosphere and oceans. Says Garvin, "Somewhere there is a sweet spot between robotic spaceflight that does grand science ... and human spaceflight that enables those" missions. The private space industry will play an increasing role in fulfilling the spaceflight dreams of ordinary people, believes Richard Garriott, one of the few lucky citizens to take the ride (via a Soyuz craft). He cites the surge in space plane companies, which may ultimately make spaceflight routine. While there's "a reasonable probability there will be fatalities," Garriott accepts the risks. "Ultimately only by democratizing access to space, by having multiple vendors competing to keep the price down, and safety up, will we ultimately find the best access to space." To engage American youth in space exploration, Erika Wagner says we "need to take back the storyline and discuss challenging things." 18"24 year olds are not captivated by the Apollo mission to the moon, and to inspire them about the future, they need to understand we "go to space because it's a difficult thing." To get this point across means using social media such as Flickr and YouTube, as well as flying students into space. "It's time for space exploration to become interactive again." Commercial space ventures, built on a series of incremental improvements, have become a phenomenally successful industry in the last 40 years, says David Thompson. Customers spend between $15"25 per month on such products and services as direct broadcast TV and handheld satellite navigators. This dwarfs the per capita expenditure on government space exploration or defense activities. Thompson looks for more of an intersection between the well"financed commercial, and needier public, sectors of space enterprise, with anticipated benefits for both. The problem is not how we build space vehicles, "but how we procure them," states James Crocker. Purchasing and launching such expensive devices one at a time continues to inhibit capability. Crocker's company, Lockheed, is trying to economize through smarter software, weight" and volume"reduction of space"bound technology, and reuse of expensive parts (including some avionics in NASA's new Ares rocket). He hopes that innovative ways to bring down costs "while not as cheap as flying from here to Europe on an airliner," might get to the point where "we can do more with the dollars the public is willing to spend." About the Speaker(s): Edward Crawley is also the director of the Bernard M. Gordon _ MIT Engineering Leadership Program. His research focuses on the domain of architecture, design, and decision support in complex technical systems. He is currently engaged with NASA on the design of its lunar and Earth observing systems, and with BP on oil exploration system designs. Crawley is a former head of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and was a finalist in the NASA astronaut selection in 1980. He received an S.B. (1976) and an S.M. (1978) in Aeronautics and Astronautics, and an Sc.D. (1981) in Aerospace Structures from MIT. Crawley is a Fellow of the AIAA and the Royal Aeronautical Society (UK), and is a member of three national academies of engineering: the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Science, the (UK) Royal Academy of Engineering, and the US National Academy of Engineering. He was awarded a Doctor Honoris Causa by Chalmers University, Sweden in 2006.Host(s): School of Engineering, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Transitioning from the Space Shuttle to the Constellation System

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:00:00 GMT

04/15/2009 3:00 PM 4"370William Gerstenmaier, NASA Associate Administrator for Space OperationsDescription: William Gerstenmaier knows the U.S. space program inside out -- both literally and figuratively. As a 30"plus year veteran of NASA, Gerstenmaier has managed the operational dimensions of the space shuttle, international space station, and other space flight missions. For this talk, he dissects a problem that recently grounded the shuttle, coming at it from the perspective of both an engineer, and a top"level manager with responsibility to the highest levels of government. Gerstenmaier presents his case "as it unfolded," for a behind"the"scenes view of how NASA keeps its aging shuttles aloft. His account begins in 2008, after a shuttle flight revealed something wrong with flow control valves essential to the shuttle's hydrogen system. These valves are connected in a closed loop to the main engines, via a 170"foot length of pipe, through all manner of twists and turns, and frequently subjected to very high pressures. Gerstenmaier describes the series of tests his engineering teams performed, over long days, weekends and holidays, to determine what precisely had gone wrong, and the risks posed by potentially faulty equipment. NASA engineers ruled out wiring problems, but discovered during an "x"ray of the plumbing" a chunk missing from one of the valves. They examined the problem from a structural dynamics standpoint: could the "flow through the plumbing" have made the valves vibrate violently? The same valves had been in use since 1981, but perhaps a "failure associated with an extremely resonant condition that could occur periodically" was responsible. Gerstenmaier's team shot particles through a simulated piping system and then used a scanning electron microscope to detect valve damage. They also analyzed historical failure data, which suggested that valve cracks might be a "high cycle fatigue problem," and could therefore possibly occur during any flight. Gerstenmaier felt bound to "ground the fleet," until engineers figured out a way of screening for damage in the valves pre flight. A flash of unorthodox thinking led engineers (unbeknownst to Gerstenmaier) to buy a common bolt tester, which permitted them to get a comprehensive picture of the valves in working shuttles without removing or damaging them. After running numbers around flight risk, and many discussions with his engineers, Gerstenmaier felt they'd arrived at a rationale to resume flying. Says Gerstenmaier, "I can tell you, I wasn't looking out the window in Florida. At the shuttle launch, I was looking at data of the flow control valves and watching the pressures I knew what I needed to look at in terms of the data. An engineer's tendency comes through." About the Speaker(s): William H. Gerstenmaier directs NASA's human exploration of space. He also has programmatic oversight for the international space station, space shuttle, space communications and space launch vehicles. Formerly Gerstenmaier was the program manager of the International Space Station Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. In 1977, Gerstenmaier began his NASA career at the Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, performing aeronautical research. He was involved with the wind tunnel tests that were used to develop the calibration curves for the air data probes used during entry on the space shuttle. Beginning in 1988, Gerstenmaier headed the Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV) Operations Office, Systems Division at Johnson Space Center, where he was responsible for all aspects of OMV operations. Subsequently, he headed Space Shuttle/Space Station Freedom Assembly Operations Office, Operations Division and was Chief, Projects and Facilities Branch, Flight Design and Dynamics Division. Gerstenmaier also served as Shuttle/Mir Program Operations Manager from 1995 to 1997. During this time he was the primary liaison to the Russian Space Agency for operational issues and negotiated all protocols used in support of operations during the Shuttle/Mir missions. In addition, he supported NASA 2 operations from Russia, January"September 1996. In 1998, Gerstenmaier became manager of Space Shuttle Program Integration, where he was responsible for the overall management, integration, and operations. In December 2000, he was named deputy manager of the International Space Station Program. Gerstenmaier received a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from Purdue University in 1977 and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toledo in 1981. In 1992 and 1993, he completed course work for a doctorate in dynamics and control with emphasis in propulsion at Purdue University. Gerstenmaier is the recipient of numerous awards, including three NASA Certificates of Commendation, two NASA Exceptional Service Medals, a Senior NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, and the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executives. He also was honored with an Outstanding Aerospace Engineer Award from Purdue University. Additionally, he was twice honored by Aviation Week and Space for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Space. Host(s): School of Engineering, Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium

A New Age of Exploration: From Earth to Mars

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

06/07/2008 10:30 AM KresgeDava Newman, Sm '89, PhD '92, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Engineering SystemsDescription: Happily for human spaceflight, Dava Newman and her students enjoy working in such laboratories as NASA's "Vomit Comet." Newman's work aims to provide a better understanding of how humans can withstand the rigors of space missions. Her decades studying human physiology and performance in extreme environments may prove key not just to the success of reaching Mars this century, but to improving the quality of life for people disabled by disease or accident on Earth. Studies of astronauts in flight, training on Earth, and on long engagements at the International Space Station, reveal "significant physiological deconditioning," Newman says. Microgravity produces musculo"skeletal loss, especially in the vertebrae and leg bones, as bipeds become "more like snakes, using a swimming type of motion." Muscles also atrophy from 20"30%. It's possible some of this loss could be restored once on the moon (where people are 1/6th their weight), or on Mars (3/8th their Earth weight). But Newman wants to do something about these conditions before humans reach these destinations. She's working on such countermeasures as unique spaceflight exercises, special drugs, human augmentation, next"generation spacesuits, and creating artificial gravity. She shows a nifty, pedal"powered artificial gravity device on which an astronaut spins, to combat deleterious physiological effects. Newman says it takes the brain around 30 days to adapt to zero gravity, and to switch back to Earth gravity. Our astronauts don't get the hang of being home right away. Says Newman, "The funny thing is when a crew comes back, and they let go of their toothbrush and it just falls down." Newman provides a fast history of the spacesuit (including a giant, white spherical ball from the '60s and a shrink"wrap version from the 70s), before introducing her bio suit, the result of many experiments, including hanging people from the ceiling, to simulate moon walking. Her outfit comes with a mechanical counter pressure system, and biosensors to maximize mobility and minimize energy consumption. Newman hopes to modify this gear into a smart suit to help children with cerebral palsy achieve more normal locomotion. What fires Newman up the most is exploration, something she's passionate about, having circumnavigated the globe on a 1 1/2 year voyage. Mars is within reach --"We're up to the task" -- but we may have to accept that maybe everyone doesn't come back alive, says Newman. Yet, "what's it worth if we can really find evidence for the origins of life three to four billion years ago on Mars. That's huge!" About the Speaker(s): Dava Newman specializes in investigating astronaut performance across the spectrum of gravity. She is currently the Principal Investigator (PI) on the MICR0"G space flight experiment to quantify astronaut intravehicular activity (IVA) onboard the International Space Station. Previously, she has been the PI for Space Shuttle experiments dealing with load sensors and astronaut workloads. Newman earned a Ph.D. from MIT in Aeronautics, Biomed and Engineering.Host(s): Alumni Association, Alumni Association

Dava Newman

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 23:07:53 GMT

"Astronaut Performance: From Earth to Mars:" Dr. Dava Newman addresses students from the MIT Summer Research Program (MSRP). She discusses human performance in space, and introduces the BioSuit, an advanced spacesuit design.

Space Shuttle Discovery Mission to the International Space Station

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 04:00:00 GMT

09/14/2006 4:30 PM Walker Morss HallStephanie WilsonDescription: The sign-up sheet for astronaut school is likely to grow even longer after viewing Stephanie Wilson's reality video about her 13 days in space. Wilson, a self-described -robo chick," served as a specialist in July 2006 on one of NASA's return-to-flight test missions following the Columbia accident. She narrates a video account -- a day-to-day diary _ of the work, and fun, she and fellow astronauts engaged in. Much of Wilson's job involved using a robotic arm to help unload supplies onto the International Space Station, to which the shuttle Discovery was docked for several days. When she wasn't helping transfer 28,000 pounds of food, gear and experiments, she was assisting crew members on space walks, during which they assembled another piece of the space station and tested a putty-like material for repairing cracks and holes in the shuttles delicate heat tiles. Wilson, who was operating an extremely 50-foot long robotic boom arm for these jobs, describes the challenge of functioning in -45 minutes of day and 45 minutes of night," as the astronauts swiftly circled the earth. -It got very cold and dark, and my colleagues said it was very lonely to be at the end of a bendy stick." Wilson's video clearly demonstrates the awesome solitude of these spacewalkers, as well as the mundane, almost household nature of their chores: Astronauts used tools resembling cordless drills to assemble new hardware onto the space station. Her footage also reveals the camaraderie and joy of life above earth. She takes us spinning like a fish through the submarine-narrow chambers of the attached shuttle and space station, and we view astronauts in zero gravity play with floating balls of water containing air bubbles, and attempt to catch myriad M&Ms in their mouths. Wilson herself performs a flipping sequence, admitting, -There's a child in all of us." To Wilson's clear regret, this may be her last shuttle flight. After a mission, an astronaut goes to the bottom of a long list of flight aspirants. But more to the point: NASA, facing budget cuts and the mandate of lunar and Mars missions, will retire the shuttles in 2010, with the goal of sending a new vehicle up in 2014. During the interim years, Russia's Soyuz space ships will exclusively bear the burden of transport to the space station. About the Speaker(s): Stephanie Wilson was accepted into the astronaut training program by NASA in April 1996. She received a B.S. in Engineering Science from Harvard University in 1988, and a M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas, in 1992. After graduating from Harvard, Wilson worked for two years for the former Martin Marietta Astronautics Group in Denver, Colorado as a Loads and Dynamics engineer for Titan IV. Following the completion of her graduate work, she began working for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, in 1992. As a member of the Attitude and Articulation Control Subsystem for the Galileo spacecraft, Wilson was responsible for assessing attitude controller performance, science platform pointing accuracy, antenna pointing accuracy and spin rate accuracy. Host(s): School of Science, Department of Mathematics

Developing the Hardware for Future Human Space Exploration

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 05:00:00 GMT

03/08/2006 3:00 PM E51-115 WongMichael Griffin, NASA AdministratorDescription: While Michael Griffin sees a wealth of reasons for space exploration in general and returning to the moon in particular, NASA must still manage on a tiny portion of "the national treasure." This 7/10th of a percent of the national budget _ the equivalent of each American paying 15 cents every day _ "is not an expenditure we should do without," Griffin asserts. We are driven to investigate beyond earth because curiosity and the desire to master new territory are "wired into our DNA." But Griffin finds great value in the "opportunity for benign cooperative American leadership." Space exploration strengthens the nation, society and the human species, he says. Developing a foothold on the moon will afford humans experience in operating away from earth's environment, helping to develop the technology needed for opening the space frontier -- practice for Mars and beyond. Griffin provides details on emerging models for a new crew exploration vehicle and booster rockets. NASA is attempting to take advantage of earlier designs for the sake of economy and speed _ "architecture with as little fuss and bother as possible, maximizing the use of things we already own." There will be plenty of commercial opportunities in these public missions, with NASA seeking to purchase launch and communication services as soon as available. And he envisions promoting international cooperation by offering seats in the lunar lander in exchange, in one example, for help in setting up a lunar habitat. "We don't want to return to the days where NASA does everything," says Griffin. About the Speaker(s): Prior to being nominated as NASA Administrator, Griffin served as Space Department Head at Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory. He was previously President and Chief Operating Officer of In-Q-Tel, Inc., and also served in several positions within Orbital Sciences Corporation. Earlier in his career, Griffin served as Chief Engineer and as Associate Administrator for Exploration at NASA, and as Deputy for Technology at the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization. Griffin received a bachelor's degree in Physics from Johns Hopkins University; a master's degree in Aerospace Science from Catholic University of America; a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland; a master's degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California; a master's degree in Applied Physics from Johns Hopkins University; a master's degree in Business Administration from Loyola College; and a master's degree in Civil Engineering from George Washington University. Host(s): School of Engineering, Massachusetts Space Grant ConsortiumTape #: T21025

Robotics in Space Exploration

Tue, 10 Jan 2006 05:00:00 GMT

01/10/2006 6:00 PM MuseumRodney A. Brooks, Founder, Chairman and Chief Technical Officer, Heartland RoboticsDescription: As eager as he is to invent robots that can travel to a moon of Saturn or Jupiter, and function autonomously in these hostile environments, Rodney Brooks would love a shot to explore space himself. "I made an offer to Jeff Bezos, Larry Page and Sergei Brin that if they would fund a one-way mission to Mars, I'd go on it," says Brooks. But he knows that robots are cheaper to send than us, "big bags of skin with biological processes requiring replenishment of all sorts." Under the Bush Administration, NASA first laid out an ambitious program in robotic technology, involving sending machines to reconnoiter the moon and Mars and prepare habitation sites for humans. "Robots would dig channels, then lower habitation modules into them, and when people come, they'd live like moles underground," says Brooks. But why send people at all if these robots can accomplish so much? It turns out that there's a dangerously long lag time between sending a command to a robot and having the machine perform a function. Ultimately, human senses and timing will be needed on site. But now NASA's grand robotic research plans are on hold, says Brooks, blocked by the difficulties and enormous expense of designing a new launch vehicle. The future of sophisticated robotic work seems earthbound, says Brooks. First, there are military innovations -- Congress has mandated that by 2015, 1/3rd of all US military missions should be unmanned. Also, the oil industry is pushing for machine-based solutions to such gritty problems as deep-ocean drilling and oil-well maintenance. And don't forget the new billionaire space cowboys, who dream of mining platinum fields on asteroids (for fuel cells on earth), or building space tourism businesses. But, Brooks reminds us, we have a way to go: After 40 years of research, "the generic object recognition that a two-year-old child could do, we can't do with our robots." Download this video at Apple's iTunesU siteAbout the Speaker(s): In addition to his multiple roles at MIT, Rodney Brooks is Chairman and Chief Technical Officer of iRobot Corporation. He received degrees in pure mathematics from the Flinders University of South Australia and the Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stanford University in 1981. Brooks is a Founding Fellow of the American Association for Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Host(s): Office of the Provost, MIT MuseumTape #: 20818

Mission Control Operations

Tue, 08 Nov 2005 05:00:00 GMT

11/08/2005 9:00 AM 37-252Dr. Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., Director of Flight operations for Apollo, former Director, NASA/JSCDescription: Chris Kraft manages to present in a single event the ultimate in engineering case studies, as well as an insider's history of 20th century space missions and a pep talk for Aero-Astro students. This blunt raconteur describes the challenges of the earliest space pioneers. His story begins with Project Mercury in the 1950s, whose space task group of 35 included eight secretaries. "We were capable people but didn't know a damn thing about how to fly in space," recalls Kraft. How would they communicate with a man in orbit, or assess his health? Most doctors thought when an astronaut left earth's atmosphere, "he'd be a blithering idiot." Air to ground communication in those days consisted of 20 words of teletype. "How do you make real time decisions in those circumstances?" muses Kraft. He proudly describes assembling the Mission Rules book, "probably the smartest thing we ever did," which attempted to address all conceivable malfunctions on a space mission. This was an early example of systems engineering, says Kraft. When President Kennedy challenged NASA to get a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s, "Chris Kraft did not know how to determine orbital mechanics from 30 seconds of radar at Cape Canaveral. I thought the president was a little daft." Suddenly, there were a whole new set of problems, such as how to make sure a craft aimed at the moon did not just hit it. In the Gemini and then Apollo programs, Kraft's team solved innumerable and breathtakingly difficult issues. "We did a lot of things by the seat of our pants because we didn't know any other way. We did it by feel, by having seen the past and doing things the right way." Kraft has some harsh words for the current state of space exploration. He can't countenance NASA's abandoning the space shuttle. "We seem to have a great propensity in this country for building something wonderful, great and high performance and throwing it away '.Golly, my mother would have gone bananas!" He believes that NASA could have made the shuttle much more efficient to fly, and used it as a key element in the new race back to the Moon and to Mars. Kraft doesn't believe this program will get off the ground mainly because NASA hasn't built anything new in 25 years, "and they've forgotten what it takes to do it." The next space mission, whatever it turns out to be, will depend on the current crop of young aerospace engineers. "Go do it, don't be frightened to fail," exhorts Kraft. "You learn more from your failures than from your successes." About the Speaker(s): Christopher C. Kraft, Jr. received a B.S. in aeronautical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic University in 1944 and joined the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) the next year. In 1958, still at Langley, he became a member of the Space Task Group developing Project Mercury and moved with the Group to Houston in 1962. He was flight director for all of the Mercury and many of the Gemini missions and directed the design of Mission Control at what became the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in 1973. He was director of the JSC from 1975 until his retirement in 1982. Since then he has remained active as an aerospace consultant. Host(s): School of Engineering, Department of Aeronautics and AstronauticsTape #: T20571

From Space to Energy: Changing the World. For Good.

Thu, 27 Oct 2005 04:00:00 GMT

10/27/2005 12:00 pm E51-345Peter H. Diamandis, '83, SM' 88, Chairman and CEO; The X Prize FoundationDescription: What does it take to achieve the impossible? The lure of a lucrative payoff or of worldwide fame, and a talented team who simply say, "Enough is enough, we're going to change things." That's the perspective of Diamandis and the X Prize Foundation, whose original $10-million award went to Bert Rutan's SpaceShipOne, which on October 4, 2004, became the first private manned spacecraft to exceed an altitude of 100 km twice in as many weeks. The X Prize Foundation's goal is to make space flight a near-commonplace human activity. NASA's current costs to launch each shuttle run $1 billion. Diamandis imagines it should cost "100 bucks per person in the future on a space elevator, or through some breakthroughs in physics." Commercial ventures will help drive this revolution -- whether they are rides on the Soyuz craft, or the acquisition of vast mineral resources in space. A small asteroid, Diamandis notes, is worth "20 trillion dollars in the platinum group metal marketplace". While the X Prize Foundation believes "human destiny is in space," it also aims to achieve comparable breakthroughs on earth, deploying cash rewards and generating an international buzz around conquering such global problems as the environment and energy. You put up a prize to get "unconstrained thinking," says Diamandis, and you create inspiration and hope, as people "risk everything for something they believe in." About the Speaker(s): Peter H. Diamandis also serves as the Chairman of Zero Gravity Corporation, a commercial space company developing private, FAA-certified parabolic flight. He was a co-founder of Space Adventures. In 1987, Diamandis co-Founded the International Space University (ISU) where he served as the University's first Program Director and Trustee. Prior to ISU, Diamandis served as Chairman of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) an organization he founded at MIT in 1980. Diamandis received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in aerospace engineering from MIT, and his M.D. from Harvard Medical School. He has conducted research in a number of fields, including molecular genetics, space medicine, and launch vehicle design. Diamandis' awards include MIT's Kresge Award, the 1986 Space Industrialization Fellowship, the 1988 Aviation Week & Space Technology Laurel, the 1993 Space Frontier Pioneer Award, and the Russian 1995 K. E. Tsiolkovsky Award.Host(s): Sloan School of Management, MIT Sloan School of ManagementTape #: T20460

Progress in the Study of the X-Ray Background

Wed, 07 Apr 2004 04:00:00 GMT

04/07/2004 3:00 PM 37-272 Marlar LoungeRiccardo Giacconi; , Research Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University ; President, Associated Universities, Inc.; 2002 Nobel Prize in PhysicsDescription: Riccardo Giacconi has probably seen deeper into the universe than any other human being. He has conducted his explorations not with the naked eye, but with a series of increasingly sensitive detectors, relentlessly searching for the source of cosmic x-ray radiation. In this first-person account of pursuing one question for 40 years, what emerges most clearly is the kind of focus, determination, and invention required to make discoveries in the Nobel Prize league. Giacconi confesses that "X-ray astronomy is not easy" _ an admirable understatement _ but he succeeds in proving three key points: from the Uhuru satellite to the Hubble and Chandra telescopes, the success of experiments depends as much on brilliant instrument design as on data analysis; individual, identifiable galaxies are the source of the universe's x-ray radiation background; and so we are now "looking at objects whose nature we do not know" _ objects that the next generation of astronomers will understand only if they have the resources to build new instruments. About the Speaker(s): Over a span of 40 years, Giacconi has helped create the field of X-ray astronomy. In 1962, a team of researchers led by Riccardo Giacconi detected the first extrasolar X-ray source, and in 2002, Giacconi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics (with Raymond Davis, Jr. and Masatoshi Koshiba) "...for pioneering contributions to astrophysics, which have led to the discovery of cosmic X-ray sources." Giacconi received his Ph.D. from the University of Milan in 1954, and went on to postdoctoral work at Indiana and Princeton Universities. In the late 1960s, he joined a private venture to build space hardware and instruments for NASA and the Department of Defense. Giacconi became Associate Director of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics High Energy Astrophysics Division in 1973. He later became Director of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), which operates the Hubble Space Telescope. In 1992, Giacconi was named Director General of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), which runs a number of observing facilities in Chile. In 2001, the ESO completed construction of the Very Large Telescope (VLT), the most advanced and largest system of telescopes in the world. In 1999, Giacconi became President of Associated Universities, Inc., which operates the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. Host(s): School of Engineering, Department of Aeronautics and AstronauticsTape #: T18507

The Columbia Tragedy: System Level Issues for Engineering

Tue, 04 Nov 2003 05:00:00 GMT

11/04/2003 4:00 PM 1-190Sheila Widnall, '60, SM '61, ScD '64, MIT Institute ProfessorDescription: Among the "tragedy of errors" that doomed the space shuttle Columbia, perhaps the most damning were NASA's organizational blunders. Sheila Widnall served on the board investigating Columbia's destruction in February, 2003, and she can describe the technical failures that led, moment by moment, to the ghastly trail of debris across the western United States. But the investigation board traced the roots of this disaster to NASA's "culture of invincibility," years in the making. Well-intentioned people, Widnall states, became desensitized to deviations from the norm. NASA managers treated repeated anomalies -- such as foam smashing into shuttle tiles on take off -- as "maintenance turnaround events." Foam striking protective tiles on the leading edge of Columbia's wing led to the horrors of re-entry: gases in excess of 5000 degrees F entered through a possibly 10-inch-wide breech in the wing, melting sensors and internal structure, sending the shuttle out of control. The failures that led to this moment, are both engineering system failures, and human communication failures. Widnall and the investigation board recommend independent safety oversight for shuttle flights; NASA leadership that heeds minority points of view and doesn't let scheduling or budget pressures define space missions; and routine inclusion of engineers who have the right to address both technological and operational issues of a flight. FURTHER READING: For a recent article on the Columbia tragedy by William Langewiesche in The Atlantic Monthly, go to Columbia's Last Flight: The Inside Story of the Investigation and the Catastrophe it Laid Bare Link to TranscriptAbout the Speaker(s): Sheila Widnall received her B.Sc. (1960), M.S. (1961), and Sc.D. (1964) in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT. She was appointed Abby Rockefeller Mauze Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1986 and Institute Professor in 1998. She served as Associate Provost, Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1992-1993 and as Secretary of the Air Force from 1993-1997. Widnall stepped down from her position as Secretary of the Air Force on October 31, 1997 to return to her faculty position at MIT. Since returning to MIT, she has been active in the Lean Aerospace Initiative with special emphasis on the space and policy focus teams. Widnall is Vice President of the National Academy of Engineering and a member of the Executive Committee of the National Research Council of the National Academies. She is a trustee of the Sloan Foundation and the Institute for Defense Analysis. She has been a trustee of the Carnegie Corporation and Vice Chair of its Board, a consultant to the Macarthur Foundation, a Director of the Aerospace Corporation, Draper Laboratories, ANSER Corp., GenCorp, Inc., Chemical Fabrics Inc., and a trustee of the Boston Museum of Science, and a member of the Council, Smithsonian Institution of Washington. She was a member of the Carnegie Commission on Science, Technology and Government and the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. She is a past president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.Host(s): School of Engineering, Engineering Systems DivisionTape #: T17816

Space Exploration: The Next 100 Years

Thu, 23 Oct 2003 04:00:00 GMT

10/23/2003 7:00 PM 34-101Dava Newman, Sm '89, PhD '92, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Engineering Systems; Andrew Chaikin, Author, Air and Space: The National Air and Space Museum Story of Flight; Supriya Chakrabarti, Director, Center for Space Physics; Boston University ; ; Richard Binzel, Professor, Earth, Atmospheric & Planetary Sciences, MITDescription: High hopes meet high frustration in this panel, whose participants collectively yearn for a new vision to guide our space program. Andrew Chaikin recommends a three-step self-help regimen to move the program forward: lowering the cost of access to space (the going rate is 10 thousand dollars per pound!); embracing "outside-the-box" ideas; and engaging in a national conversation about space. Supriya Chakrabarti predicts that in around 30 years, NASA will be deploying robotic terrestrial planet finders and using the moon for both tourism and commercial development like mining. This will be possible if in the short term space scientists look for low-cost launch options, which might include exploiting existing missile technology. Richard Binzel puts the odds of a civilization-threatening asteroid impact in the next 100 years at one in a million, but believes the odds are a whole lot better that human beings will be exploring asteroids in space. We've got a leg up since we've already sent robot reconnaissance to the moons of Jupiter. If we're worried about catastrophic asteroid strikes, Binzel says, we should start taking incremental steps, such as putting nuclear reactors in space to power vehicles for long inter-planetary journeys. Host(s): Dean for Student Life, Technology and Culture ForumTape #: T17680 and 17681

Trip to the Moon and the Legacy of Apollo

Tue, 30 Sep 2003 04:00:00 GMT

09/30/2003 4:00 PM BartosThe Honorable Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo astronaut, scientist, former U.S. Senator; Description: Thirty years after he served on the final Apollo mission, Harrison Schmitt has turned once more to the moon _ as a critical resource for scientists and as a potential source of unlimited clean energy. He shows NASA footage of his moon walks, as he and Eugene Cernan contend with low gravity to collect soil and rocks. These samples have enriched three decades of research on the origins of our solar system and even life on earth. Schmitt, a geologist by training, collected orange glass-like material from the Grand Canyon-sized Valley of Taurus-Littrow, one of the many enormous impact craters pocking the moon a similar cratering period on earth billions of years ago left deposits of clay minerals that may have catalyzed the synthesis of the first organic molecules the beginning of life. Some moon rocks have registered abundant amounts of helium 3. Recent experiments on this form of helium suggest it might prove to be a source of radiation-free, fusion-generated energy. Schmitt believes that private investors, tantalized by the possibility of mining the moon, will usher in a new era of lunar exploration.About the Speaker(s): Harrison Hagan "Jack" Schmitt possesses a remarkably diverse biography. He studied at Caltech, as a Fulbright Scholar at Oslo, and at Harvard, receiving his Ph.D. in geology in 1964. Schmitt trained as an Air Force jet pilot in 1965 and received Navy helicopter wings in 1967. Selected for the Scientist-Astronaut program in 1965, Schmitt organized the lunar science training for the Apollo Astronauts and served as lunar module pilot for Apollo 17. In 1972, he was the only scientist and the last of the 12 men to walk on the Moon. In 1975, Schmitt became a U.S. Senator for his home state of New Mexico, a position he held through 1982. He later served on the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Committee and the President's Commission on Ethics Law Reform. Today, Harrison Schmitt consults, speaks, and writes on business, public, and governmental initiatives, particularly in the fields of space, risk, geology, energy, technology, and policy issues of the future. He also contributes nonfiction articles on space and the American Southwest to numerous books and magazines. He is a member of the Independent Strategic Assessment Group for the U.S. Air Force Phillips Laboratory. Schmitt's corporate board memberships include Orbital Sciences Corporation and the Draper Laboratory.Host(s): School of Engineering, Department of Aeronautics and AstronauticsTape #: T17519.

The Quest for Mars: Scientific and Human Destiny?

Wed, 02 Apr 2003 05:00:00 GMT

04/02/2003 3:00PM 37- 252 Marlar LoungeDr. James Garvin, Chief Scientist, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Description: NASA's present program of science-driver exploration of Mars involves an intensive robotic campaign of increasingly sophisticated missions. While funding for Mars exploration has increased dramatically, Garvin gives an overview of what to expect in the next decade with great hope that human beings will be the agents of the great discoveries about the Red Planet. He shows a brief animated film at 1:26:00 that shows how we may land on Mars, with an air bag delivery system for a Mars exploration land rover and exploratory aircraft as well. Simply put, this is a must-see 6-minute film. About the Speaker(s): Dr. Jim Garvin currently serves as Lead Scientist for Mars Exploration at NASA Headquarters for the Space Science Enterprise. Prior to this position, he was with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center where he served as a Senior Earth and Space Scientist for 15 years. Garvin was educated at Brown and Stanford Universities, receiving his Ph.D. in 1984. His research focused on the sedimentary geology of the Viking Lander sites on Mars, as well as impact cratering processes. Upon arrival at Goddard, Garvin spearheaded development of planetary orbital laser altimetry as a tool for measuring landscapes on Mars and Earth. Garvin served as Chief Scientist for the Shuttle Laser Altimeter (SLA), which flew in Earth orbit in 1996 and 1997 on STS-72 and STS-85, respectively. He was recently awarded NASA's Outstanding Leadership Medal for his work developing the scientific strategy for Mars Exploration and for chairing the NASA Decadal Planning Team. Host(s): School of Engineering, Department of Aeronautics and AstronauticsTape #: T15210.

The Black Hole at the Center of Our Galaxy

Mon, 23 Apr 2001 04:00:00 GMT

04/23/2001 10"250Charles H. Townes, HM, Professor of Physics, The University of California, Berkeley; 1964 Nobel Laureate in PhysicsDescription: The Nobel Prize"winning physicist talks about various aspects of our galaxy, and discusses new methods in astronomy and astrophysics that make possible explorations deep into the heart of the Milky Way. About the Speaker(s): Charles H. Townes was awarded the Nobel Prize for his role in the invention of the maser and laser. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Royal Society of London. He has received numerous honors, including NASA's Distinguished Public Service Medal; the Medal of Honor of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; and the Founders' Award of the National Academy of Engineering. Townes also holds the 2005 Templeton Prize and the 2006 Vannevar Bush Medal. Townes earned his B.S. in Physics and a B.A. in Modern Languages from Furman University. He received an M.S. in Physics at Duke University and a Ph.D. at the California Institute of Technology. He worked at Bell Labs, Columbia University, and MIT, among other places, before starting at Berkeley. Host(s): Office of the President, Ford/MIT Nobel Laureate Lecture Series

Recent Videos tagged 'Exploration' on MIT Video

River networks on Saturn's moon Titan

Mapping the Moon's Shackleton Crater

Sarah Garlick: "Wild Stone: Climbing the unclimbed, from the Arctic to Arabia"

Keynote Address: Future Exploration Opportunities

Exploration Visions Panel II

Closing remarks

XCOR Student Showcase Competition: Great Exploration Ideas for the Future

Nanosatellite Ready to Search for Another Earth

Explorers' Panel

Exploration Visions Panel I

Welcome - Day 2

Great Ages of Exploration and Discovery Panel

MIT Astronaut Alumni Panel: Exploration and Discovery

Welcome - Day 1

Investments in our Future: Exploring Space through Innovation and Technology

Technology Day 1993 - "Riding the Wave of Innovation: The Ocean and MIT"

An Engineering Career - 50 Years Out

Looking Ahead to the Future of NASA

Humans in Space

Apollo: Reflections and Lessons

The Next Giant Leaps in Energy, Environment, & Air Transportation

The Next Giant Leaps in Space Exploration

Transitioning from the Space Shuttle to the Constellation System

A New Age of Exploration: From Earth to Mars

Dava Newman

Space Shuttle Discovery Mission to the International Space Station

Developing the Hardware for Future Human Space Exploration

Robotics in Space Exploration

Mission Control Operations

From Space to Energy: Changing the World. For Good.

Progress in the Study of the X-Ray Background

The Columbia Tragedy: System Level Issues for Engineering

Space Exploration: The Next 100 Years

Trip to the Moon and the Legacy of Apollo

The Quest for Mars: Scientific and Human Destiny?

The Black Hole at the Center of Our Galaxy