January sci-tech newsletter available

The latest issue of Alliance Insight, a quarterly newsletter highlighting science and technology in South Mississippi, is now available. The January issue takes a look at what's in store for South Mississippi in 2011. Also included: feature stories about NASA's Stennis Space Center, the Infinity Science Center, South Mississippi's airports and the Tradition planned community. The newsletter is produced by the Mississippi Gulf Coast Alliance for Economic Development. (Source: Alliance Insight, January 2011)

January Messenger available

The January issue of Michoud Messenger, a monthly newsletter about activities at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, is available for download. The issue includes reports about the next step for the Orion crew vehicle; the recognition of award recipients; a rundown of the November industry day in New Orleans; the retirement of Frances Celino and more. (Source: Michoud Messenger, January 2011)

NASA awards agency contract

NASA awarded a 10-year contract to HP Enterprise Services of Herndon, Va., for agency consolidated end-user services, or ACES, with a maximum value of $2.5 billion and four-year base period with two three-year option periods. The contract will be managed at the NASA Shared Services Center at Stennis Space Center, Miss. The ACES contract will develop a long-term outsourcing arrangement with the commercial sector to provide and manage most of NASA's personal computing hardware, software, mobile information technology services, peripherals and accessories, associated end-user services, and supporting infrastructure. HP Enterprise Services will provide, manage, secure and maintain these essential IT services for the agency. The NSSC is a partnership among NASA, Computer Sciences Corp. and the states of Mississippi and Louisiana. The NSSC performs selected business activities for all 10 NASA centers. (Source: NASA, 12/27/10)

PW completes subassembly

CANOGA PARK, Calif. - Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne completed another major subassembly for NASA's first J-2X rocket engine. The turbopump assembly follows the successful assembly of the oxidizer turbopump, which delivers high-pressure liquid oxygen to the main injector. The engine’s first hot-fire tests are planned for early 2011 at Stennis Space Center, Miss. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is headquartered in Canoga Park and has facilities in Huntsville, Ala.; Kennedy Space Center, Fla.; West Palm Beach, Fla.; and Stennis Space Center. (Source: PRNewswire, 12/21/10, NASA, 12/22/10) Previous story

NASA partners with school on project

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - Researchers at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center have partnered with students at Hancock High School in Kiln, Miss., to study the intrusion of saltwater into vital coastal fresh water areas. The Salinity Drifter Project conducted by the Stennis Applied Science and Technology Project Office focuses on collecting valuable data about salinity variations that could impact vegetation and various species located in coastal fresh waters. Stennis researchers are helping students at Hancock High School assemble and deploy a floating sensor module, a drifter, that will measure salinity and temperature and transmit this information via cell phone and Internet connections. (Source: NASA, 12/21/10)

AJ26 performs second test fire

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - NASA conducted a 55-second test fire Friday of the liquid-fuel AJ26 engine that will power the first stage of Orbital Sciences' Taurus II space launch vehicle. Taurus II uses a pair Aerojet AJ26 rocket engines to provide first stage propulsion. The test on the E-1 test stand involved a team of Orbital, Aerojet, and Stennis. The test was the second in a series of verification tests. A third hot-fire test also is planned to verify tuning of engine control valves. The AJ26 engine is designed to power the Taurus II space vehicle on flights to low Earth orbit. NASA's partnership with Orbital was formed under the agency's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services joint research and development project to enable commercial cargo flights to the International Space Station. The company is under contract with NASA to provide eight cargo missions to the space station through 2015. (Sources: PRNewswire, NASA, 12/17/10)

December Lagniappe available

The December issue of Lagniappe, a monthly newsletter about NASA activities at Stennis Space Center, is available for download. This issue has a stories about the test firing of a new AJ26 rocket engine; the topping out of the Infinity project; a recap of 2010 at NASA; a Pratt & Whitney safety milestone and more. (Source: Lagniappe, December 2010)

NASA, Navy help teachers

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - The Education Office at NASA' Stennis Space Center teamed with the Naval Research Laboratory Dec. 10-11 to offer a group of science educators a no-cost training opportunity to build and operate underwater robots. Teachers from Louisiana and Mississippi spent two days at Stennis learning how to build and use Sea Perch, a remotely operated underwater robot. The teachers now can take the Sea Perch Program back to their students, offering a hands-on activity designed to inspire continued studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. (Source: NASA, 12/15/10)

NASA picks projects for development

NASA is negotiating contracts with 350 small businesses that had the best proposals to address critical research and technology needs for agency programs and projects. The proposals are part of NASA's Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer program (STTR). Eight awards will develop technologies for the Innovative Partnership Program at NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center, five through the STTR program, three through SBIR. (Source: NASA, 12/09/10)

NVision manager gets certification

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. - NVision Solutions Inc. GIS Manager Joel Herr was recently awarded the new Esri Technical Certification. Herr was awarded the "ArcGIS Desktop Professional Certification" based on the first exam administered at the 2010 Esri International User Conference in San Diego, Calif. The Esri Technical Certification Program recognizes qualified individuals who are proficient in best practices for using Esri software. (Source: NVision Solutions, 12/09/10)

Commercial launch, recovery a success

The first attempt by a commercial company to launch a space capsule into orbit and bring it back is being praised as a milestone in the future of space travel. SpaceX's unmanned Dragon spacecraft left Cape Canaveral, Fla., Wednesday atop a Falcon 9 rocket and entered orbit 10 minutes later. It circled Earth twice before splash-down in the Pacific. The next step is a fly-by of the International Space Station, then a cargo and crew mission to the ISS, both in 2011. NASA signed a contract with SpaceX in December 2008 under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program to provide 12 spacecraft to resupply the ISS through 2016. NASA also signed a contract with Orbital Space Corp. for eight launches of its Taurus II rocket starting in 2011. Wednesday's flight was important for the Obama administration's hopes to expand commercial space efforts as a way to free up NASA funds for missions to send astronauts much deeper into space and ultimately to Mars. (Sources: AFP via Space Travel, Washington Post, 12/08/10) Gulf Coast note: Stennis Space Center, Miss., is testing the AJ26 propulsion systems for the Orbital Space Corp. program.

PW completes key J-2X assembly

CANOGA PARK, Calif. - Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne successfully completed assembly of the oxidizer turbopump on NASA's J-2X rocket engine, moving the next-generation, human-rated rocket engine a step closer to testing at Stennis Space Center, Miss., in 2011. The oxidizer turbopump delivers high pressure liquid oxygen to the engine's main injector, pumping more than 80 percent of the propellant consumed by the engine. It's driven by a turbine that uses the products of the gas generator after it has driven the engine's fuel turbopump. The J-2X engine was developed with heavy-lift capabilities in mind, and could play an important role as a powerful upper-stage engine for future missions to low-Earth orbit, Mars or an asteroid. (Source: PRNewswire, 12/07/10)

MsET service seminar scheduled

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - The Mississippi Enterprise for Technology, an incubator and technology transfer operation at Stennis Space Center, Miss., is beginning a new series of seminars as a result of feedback from client companies. Called "service seminars," the first one will be held Dec. 13 at noon at the Herman Glazier Conference room. The speaker will be Clay Gaskamp of Adminstaff, a professional employer organization (PEO). He’ll describe what a PEO is and the services it can provide to a company. For more information, contact MsET's Belinda Gill by e-mail or by calling 228-688-3144. (Source: MsET, 12/06/10)

December Messenger available

The December issue of Michoud Messenger, a monthly newsletter about activities at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, is available for download. The issue includes items about the visit of Energy Secretary Steven Chu to Michoud; Hahnville Career Day; a Safety and Health Fair; a technology expo; NASA and LSU day and more. (Source: Michoud Messenger, December 2010)