NASA : NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility Completes Initial Assessment after Orbital Launch Mishap

Hola amigos: VUELO DE UN QUINDE EL BLOG., La Agencia Espacial NASA, no pudo lanzar su proyecto Antares y esto nos dice: ..." La siguiente declaración es de William Gerstenmaier, administrador asociado de la Dirección de Exploración Humana y Operaciones de la NASA, en relación con el accidente que se produjo a las Pad 0A de la Regional de Puerto Espacial del Atlántico Medio en Wallops Flight Facility de la NASA en Virginia durante el intento de lanzamiento de Antares cohete Orbital Sciences Corp y nave espacial de carga Cygnus a 18:22 Martes, 28 de octubre.......

"Mientras que la NASA está decepcionado de que la tercera misión de reabastecimiento contratada Orbital Sciences 'a la Estación Espacial Internacional no tuvo éxito hoy en día, vamos a seguir para avanzar hacia el siguiente intento una vez que entendemos plenamente percance de hoy. La tripulación de la Estación Espacial Internacional no está en peligro de quedarse sin alimentos u otros suministros esenciales.
"Orbital(El cohete Orbital Sciences Corporation, Antares) ha demostrado capacidades extraordinarias en sus dos primeras misiones a la estación a principios de este año, y sabemos que pueden replicar ese éxito. El lanzamiento de cohetes es una empresa increíblemente difícil, y aprender de cada éxito y cada fracaso. Hoy intento de lanzamiento no nos disuadirá de nuestro trabajo para expandir nuestra capacidad ya exitosa para lanzar la carga de las costas estadounidenses a la Estación Espacial Internacional ".

 

Statement from NASA Administrator on Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo Mishap

The following is a statement from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden:

“On behalf of the entire NASA family, I offer our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the pilot lost in today’s accident involving Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo, and we are praying for a speedy recovery of the other pilot.

“While not a NASA mission, the pain of this tragedy will be felt by all the men and women who have devoted their lives to exploration. Space flight is incredibly difficult, and we commend the passion of all in the space community who take on risk to push the boundaries of human achievement.”

 

La siguiente es una declaración del administrador de la NASA Charles Bolden:
"En nombre de toda la familia de la NASA, ofrezco nuestras más profundas condolencias a la familia y seres queridos del piloto perdido en el accidente de hoy la participación de la SpaceShipTwo de Virgin Galactic, y estamos orando por una pronta recuperación del otro piloto.

"Aunque no es una misión de la NASA, el dolor de esta tragedia será sentido por todos los hombres y mujeres que han dedicado su vida a la exploración. El vuelo espacial es increíblemente difícil, y elogiamos la pasión de todos en la comunidad espacial que asumen el riesgo de empujar los límites de los logros humanos ".

Climate-related extreme events such as hurricanes, sea level rise, and wildfires are expected to increase in the future and pose hazards to NASA infrastructure.

Image Credit: 

NASA

A new study in the latest issue of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society provides an in-depth look at how NASA facilities have been affected by climate extremes and climate change in recent years and how the agency is preparing for the future.

Using a blend of weather data, global and regional climate model outputs, and advances in the understanding of the climate system, the study finds that many types of extreme events are expected to increase in frequency and magnitude in the future and pose hazards to NASA’s mission, infrastructure and workforce.

The study found that by the 2050s, sea level rise alone could lead to an increase of 50 percent or more in coastal flooding frequency with varying impacts to NASA facilities, a high percentage of which are located near coastlines. In total, the agency has approximately $32 billion in constructed assets and about 64,000 employees, contractors and partners.

“Risk management is central to continuity of NASA operations, and the agency is including potential climate extremes in its risk management framework,” said Calvin Williams, assistant administrator for NASA's Office of Strategic Infrastructure at the agency’s Headquarters in Washington.

A partnership between Earth scientists and institutional stewards is helping NASA prepare for a changing climate and increasing vulnerabilities to such change. The agency established the Climate Adaptation Science Investigator (CASI) working group as an important part of this effort. The CASI initiative brings Earth scientists together with facility managers, emergency management staff, natural resource managers and human capital specialists at each NASA center to discuss management of climate risks and resilience.

Workshops were held at five NASA centers that brought together climate scientists, mission operations personnel, human resource managers, and ecosystem specialists. Using the climate projections prepared by CASI scientists in conjunction with each center, risks were explored and adaptation strategies developed.

“NASA has cutting-edge climate science and world-class stewardship at its facilities,” said Cynthia Rosenzweig, a scientist at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, who led the study and the ongoing CASI initiative. “Now climate scientists and institutional stewards are working together to enhance resilience to climate extremes and change.”

The initiative strengthens the science community’s commitment to understanding climate impacts, targets research to the needs of the agency’s institutional stewards, and equips those stewards through workshops and ongoing knowledge sharing as a basis for proactive risk management.

“NASA science provides an important knowledge base that the centers and their surrounding communities can use in preparing for changing climate conditions,” said Jack Kaye, associate director of NASA’s Earth Science Division in Washington. “This integrated, science-based approach to climate risk management can provide a model for other agencies.”

Adaptation strategies underway and under consideration include: beach re-nourishment to minimize sea level rise and storm surge impacts; building designs that reduce reliance on the remote power sources that may become less reliable during extreme events; and, landscaping changes that reduce water use in dry regions and capture rain water to reduce flooding in wet regions.

NASA satellite products and climate models are being used to inform decision-making about energy and water use and other onsite assets. Representatives from nearby agencies, such as local water departments, are participating in the workshops to develop regional approaches.

The agency’s scientist-steward partnership reflects its commitment to deliver value locally, nationally and globally through the sharing of common resources such as water and infrastructure, as well as the exchange of risk information and coordinated planning in the communities where NASA facilities are located.

For details on specific impacts at many NASA facilities, go to:

 https://nex.nasa.gov/nex/projects/1204/resources/

NASA Statement Regarding Oct. 28 Orbital Sciences Corp. Launch Mishap

The following statement is from William Gerstenmaier, Associate Administrator of NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Directorate, regarding the mishap that occurred at Pad 0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia during the attempted launch of Orbital Sciences Corp’s Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo spacecraft at 6:22 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28.

“While NASA is disappointed that Orbital Sciences' third contracted resupply mission to the International Space Station was not successful today, we will continue to move forward toward the next attempt once we fully understand today's mishap. The crew of the International Space Station is in no danger of running out of food or other critical supplies.

“Orbital has demonstrated extraordinary capabilities in its first two missions to the station earlier this year, and we know they can replicate that success. Launching rockets is an incredibly difficult undertaking, and we learn from each success and each setback. Today's launch attempt will not deter us from our work to expand our already successful capability to launch cargo from American shores to the International Space Station.”

Updates will be posted as available on NASA’s Orbital page, at:

http://www.nasa.gov/orbital

 

An aerial view of the Wallops Island launch facilities taken by the Wallops Incident Response Team Oct. 29 following the failed launch attempt of Orbital Science Corp.'s Antares rocket Oct. 28.

Image Credit: 

NASA/Terry Zaperach

 

The Wallops Incident Response Team completed today an initial assessment of Wallops Island, Virginia, following the catastrophic failure of Orbital Science Corp.’s Antares rocket shortly after liftoff at 6:22 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Oct. 28, from Pad 0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

“I want to praise the launch team, range safety, all of our emergency responders and those who provided mutual aid and support on a highly-professional response that ensured the safety of our most important resource -- our people,” said Bill Wrobel, Wallops director. “In the coming days and weeks ahead, we'll continue to assess the damage on the island and begin the process of moving forward to restore our space launch capabilities. There's no doubt in my mind that we will rebound stronger than ever.”

The initial assessment is a cursory look; it will take many more weeks to further understand and analyze the full extent of the effects of the event. A number of support buildings in the immediate area have broken windows and imploded doors. A sounding rocket launcher adjacent to the pad, and buildings nearest the pad, suffered the most severe damage.

At Pad 0A the initial assessment showed damage to the transporter erector launcher and lightning suppression rods, as well as debris around the pad.

The Wallops team also met with a group of state and local officials, including the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, the Virginia Marine Police, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Wallops environmental team also is conducting assessments at the site. Preliminary observations are that the environmental effects of the launch failure were largely contained within the southern third of Wallops Island, in the area immediately adjacent to the pad. Immediately after the incident, the Wallops’ industrial hygienist collected air samples at the Wallops mainland area, the Highway 175 causeway, and on Chincoteague Island. No hazardous substances were detected at the sampled locations.

Additional air, soil and water samples will be collected from the incident area as well as at control sites for comparative analysis.

The Coast Guard and Virginia Marine Resources Commission reported today they have not observed any obvious signs of water pollution, such as oil sheens. Furthermore, initial assessments have not revealed any obvious impacts to fish or wildlife resources. The Incident Response Team continues to monitor and assess.

Following the initial assessment, the response team will open the area of Wallops Island, north of the island flagpole opposite of the launch pad location, to allow the U.S. Navy to return back to work.

Anyone who finds debris or damage to their property in the vicinity of the launch mishap is cautioned to stay away from it and call the Incident Response Team at 757-824-1295.

Further updates on the situation and the progress of the ongoing investigation will be available at:

http://www.orbital.com

and

http://www.nasa.gov/orbital

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Orbital Antares Rocket at the Launch Pad

The Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares rocket, with the Cygnus spacecraft onboard, is seen on launch Pad-0A, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2014, at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The Antares will launch with the Cygnus spacecraft filled with over 5,000 pounds of supplies for the International Space Station, including science experiments, experiment hardware, spare parts, and crew provisions. The Orbital-3 mission is Orbital Sciences' third contracted cargo delivery flight to the space station for NASA. Launch is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 27 at 6:45 p.m. EDT.

> Latest: Orbital Launch Blog

Image Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

NASA
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