NASA, Japan Release Most Complete Topographic Map of Earth
June 30, 2009
WASHINGTON, June 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — NASA and Japan released a new digital topographic map of Earth Monday that covers more of our planet than ever before. The map was produced with detailed measurements from NASA’s Terra spacecraft.
The new global digital elevation model of Earth was created from nearly 1.3 million individual stereo-pair images collected by the Japanese Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer, or ASTER, instrument aboard Terra. NASA and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, known as METI, developed the data set. It is available online to users everywhere at no cost.
“This is the most complete, consistent global digital elevation data yet made available to the world,” said Woody Turner, ASTER program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “This unique global set of data will serve users and researchers from a wide array of disciplines that need elevation and terrain information.”
According to Mike Abrams, ASTER science team leader at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., the new topographic information will be of value throughout the Earth sciences and has many practical applications. “ASTER’s accurate topographic data will be used for engineering, energy exploration, conserving natural resources, environmental management, public works design, firefighting, recreation, geology and city planning, to name just a few areas,” Abrams said.
Previously, the most complete topographic set of data publicly available was from NASA’s Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. That mission mapped 80 percent of Earth’s landmass, between 60 degrees north latitude and 57 degrees south. The new ASTER data expands coverage to 99 percent, from 83 degrees north latitude and 83 degrees south. Each elevation measurement point in the new data is 98 feet apart.
“The ASTER data fill in many of the voids in the shuttle mission’s data, such as in very steep terrains and in some deserts,” said Michael Kobrick, Shuttle Radar Topography Mission project scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “NASA is working to combine the ASTER data with that of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission and other sources to produce an even better global topographic map.”
NASA and METI are jointly contributing the ASTER topographic data to the Group on Earth Observations, an international partnership headquartered at the World Meteorological Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, for use in its Global Earth Observation System of Systems. This “system of systems” is a collaborative, international effort to share and integrate Earth observation data from many different instruments and systems to help monitor and forecast global environmental changes.
NASA, METI and the U.S. Geological Survey validated the data, with support from the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and other collaborators. The data will be distributed by NASA’s Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Earth Resources Observation and Science Data Center in Sioux Falls, S.D., and by METI’s Earth Remote Sensing Data Analysis Center in Tokyo.
ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched on Terra in December 1999. ASTER acquires images from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, with spatial resolutions ranging from about 50 to 300 feet. A joint science team from the U.S. and Japan validates and calibrates the instrument and data products. The U.S. science team is located at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
NASA Selects Nine New Astronauts For Future Space Exploration
June 30, 2009
HOUSTON, June 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — After reviewing more than 3,500 applications, NASA has selected nine people for the 2009 astronaut candidate class. They will begin training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston this August.
“This is a very talented and diverse group we’ve selected,” said Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “They will join our current astronauts and play very important roles for NASA in the future. In addition to flying in space, astronauts participate in every aspect of human spaceflight, sharing their expertise with engineers and managers across the country. We look forward to working with them as we transcend from the shuttle to our future exploration of space, and continue the important engineering and scientific discoveries aboard the International Space Station.”
The new astronaut candidates are:
Serena M. Aunon, 33, of League City, Texas; University of Texas Medical Branch flight surgeon for NASA’s Space Shuttle, International Space Station and Constellation Programs; born in Indianapolis. Aunon holds degrees from George Washington University, University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston and the University of Texas Medical Branch.
Jeanette J. Epps, 38, of Fairfax, Va.; technical intelligence officer with the Central Intelligence Agency. Born in Syracuse, N.Y., Epps holds degrees from LeMoyne College in Syracuse and the University of Maryland.
Jack D. Fischer, major, U.S. Air Force, 35, of Reston, Va.; test pilot; U.S. Air Force Strategic Policy intern, Joint Chiefs of Staff, at the Pentagon. Born in Boulder, Colo., Fischer is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Co., and MIT.
Michael S. Hopkins, lieutenant colonel, U.S. Air Force, 40, of Alexandria, Va.; special assistant to the Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, at the Pentagon. Born in Lebanon, Mo., Hopkins holds degrees from the University of Illinois and Stanford University.
Kjell N. Lindgren, 36, of League City, Texas; University of Texas Medical Branch flight surgeon for NASA’s Space Shuttle, International Space Station and Constellation Programs. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Lindgren has degrees from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado State University, the University of Colorado, the University of Minnesota and the University of Texas Medical Branch.
Kathleen (Kate) Rubins, 30, of Cambridge, Mass.; principal investigator and fellow, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research at MIT. Born in Farmington, Conn., Rubins conducts research trips to the Congo and has degrees from the University of California-San Diego and Stanford University.
Scott D. Tingle, commander, U.S. Navy, 43, of Hollywood, Md.; test pilot and assistant program manager-Systems Engineering at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. Born in Attleboro, Mass., Tingle holds degrees from Southeastern Massachusetts University (now the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth) and Purdue University.
Mark T. Vande Hei, lieutenant colonel, U.S. Army, 42, of El Lago, Texas; flight controller for the International Space Station at the Johnson Space Center as part of the U.S. Army NASA Detachment. Born in Falls Church, Va., Vande Hei is a graduate of Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minn., and Stanford University.
Gregory R. (Reid) Wiseman, lieutenant commander, U.S. Navy, 33, of Virginia Beach, Va.; test pilot; department head, Strike Fighter Squadron 103, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, in Oceana, Va. Born in Baltimore, Wiseman is a graduate of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Johns Hopkins University.
GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes Becomes UATP Shareholder
June 30, 2009
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American Airlines Completes Enhancements to Sao Paulo, Admirals Club Lounge
June 30, 2009
FORT WORTH, Texas, June 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — As the latest example of American Airlines commitment to reinvest in its products and services to enhance the travel experience for customers, American has completed extensive renovations to its Admirals Club at Sao Paulo Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) in Brazil.
The lounge, located in Terminal 2, Wing D on the mezzanine level, now has 6,621 square feet, an expansion of more than 1,200 square feet, with seating for more than 220 visitors. The renovated space mixes luxury and convenience by offering an upgraded, multi-functional business center, flat-panel TVs, self-serve complimentary food and beverage selections, and a children’s room.
“Business and leisure travelers alike will appreciate the enhancements we’ve made to our Sao Paulo Admirals Club lounge,” said Nancy Knipp, President – Admirals Club for American Airlines. “The club renovations enable our members and guests to relax and to conveniently and efficiently fulfill their personal and professional obligations while traveling.”
In addition to enhancing existing amenities, American added spa-like shower facilities with two private showers, towels, shampoo, body gels and blow dryers.
Other offerings include:
- Multi-functional business center with six work stations and three PCs with high-speed Internet access, printer and copier, free local calls, and fee-based fax service
- Complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi access for all Admirals Club visitors
- Complimentary self-serve food and beverage area with a wide selection of wines, liquors and other beverages, as well as expanded food offerings including hot and cold selections
- Assistance with ticketing, re-booking flights or upgrades from Admirals Club representatives
The GRU Admirals Club operates on a seasonal schedule. It is now open daily, 6:30 a.m. – 10:30 p.m., through October. From November through February, the club is open daily, 7:30 a.m. – midnight. One-year Admirals Club memberships for new members range from just $350 to $500. AAdvantage miles can also be used to purchase Admirals Club memberships. One-day passes are available for $50 and may be purchased online, at self-service check-in machines, or at any Admirals Club location.
Pratt & Whitney Power Systems Agrees to Purchase Majority Interest in Turboden S.r.l.
June 30, 2009
EAST HARTFORD, Conn., June 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Pratt & Whitney Power Systems has agreed to purchase a majority interest in Turboden S.r.l. (Turboden), an Italian manufacturer of high efficiency turbogenerator systems. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company.
Based in Brescia, Turboden designs and produces Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) systems including turbines and turn-key turbogenerator units for distributed power generation in biomass, geothermal, solar and industrial heat recovery applications. The agreement with Turboden is an important extension of Pratt & Whitney Power Systems’ presence in renewable power generation through its PureCycle(R) product line.
“The Turboden partnership complements Pratt & Whitney Power System’s PureCycle offering and expands its product portfolio into high temperature and higher power applications,” said Peter Christman, president, Pratt & Whitney Power Systems. “It reflects UTC’s commitment to energy efficiency and adds to a growing renewable energy portfolio with enhanced technical capabilities and geographic footprint.”
“For almost 30 years, Turboden has developed efficient, environmentally friendly turbogenerators for renewable energy generation throughout Europe. Now the challenge is worldwide,” said Mario Gaia, president of Turboden “We are excited about our new partnership with Pratt & Whitney and look forward to working with them on this next phase of Turboden’s growth.”
Raytheon-Led Team Wins NASA Award for NextGen Research
June 30, 2009
WASHINGTON, June 29, 2009 /PRNewswire/ — NASA has selected a team led by Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) to develop enhancements to the system-wide modeling and simulation capability in the Airspace Concepts Evaluation System, or ACES.
The plug and play models will help NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration and other researchers better understand the tools and concepts needed to support the impacts of NextGen on the National Airspace System. Simulations will increase efficiency by evaluating and analyzing new concepts for future air traffic management operations.
“Raytheon innovation is propelling industry efforts to deliver the NextGen solutions that modernize and transform the National Air Space,” said Andy Zogg, vice president of Raytheon Network Centric Systems Command and Control Systems. “Our partnership with NASA will lead to transformational results that accelerate the benefits of increased safety and maximized airspace capacity.”
ACES is NASA’s real-time computer simulation tool that analyzes local, regional and nationwide factors that contribute to the dynamics of aircraft operations from gate departures and flight paths to landings and gate arrivals. The result is a flexible environment for researchers to identify and test new NextGen air traffic management concepts.
The total contract value of this competitively bid, cost-plus-fixed-fee award is $29.1 million.
The Raytheon team includes Intelligent Automation Inc., Sensis Corporation, Mosaic ATM, Aerospace Computing Inc. and PDA Associates.
Boeing Joins the Wing to Body for First 747-8 Freighter
June 30, 2009
EVERETT, Wash., June 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Boeing (NYSE: BA) has completed another milestone in the assembly of its first 747-8 Freighter by joining the wing to the fuselage. Workers attached the 40-foot (12 m) fuselage section to the center wing box in the final assembly bay at the factory in Everett, Wash. The wing and center section are now being prepared for final body join, when the assembly will be connected to the forward and aft fuselage sections.
“We continue to gain momentum on the assembly of the first 747-8 Freighter,” said Mo Yahyavi, vice president and general manager of the 747 Program. “The airplane is coming together well and will be ready to fly later this year as planned. This will be a great freighter, which will build on the 747 family’s leadership in the cargo market.”
The 747-8 Freighter is the new high-capacity 747 that will give cargo operators the lowest operating costs and best economics of any freighter airplane, while providing enhanced environmental performance. The 747-8 Freighter will offer 16 percent more revenue cargo volume than the 747-400 Freighter. The airplane will carry forward its predecessor’s efficiency, with nearly equivalent trip costs and 16 percent lower ton-mile costs than the 747-400 Freighter. In fact, the 747-8 Freighter will enjoy the lowest ton-mile costs of any freighter.
The 747 Program has secured 78 orders from leading cargo operators for the new 747-8 Freighter. Cargolux, Nippon Cargo Airlines, AirBridgeCargo Airlines, Atlas Air, Cathay Pacific, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, Emirates SkyCargo, Guggenheim and Korean Air all have placed orders for the airplane.
United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches NASA/NOAA Weather Satellite
June 30, 2009
CAPE CANAVERAL AFS, Fla., June 28 /PRNewswire/ — United Launch Alliance, on behalf of Boeing Launch Services, successfully launched the second of three next-generation Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The satellite, designated GOES-O, was launched aboard a Delta IV expendable launch vehicle from Space Launch Complex-37, Saturday, at 6:51 p.m., EDT. The first GOES satellite in the series, designated GOES-N, was launched here on May 24, 2006. This was the 8th ULA launch of 2009.
Following a nominal four hour, 21-minute flight, the Delta IV deployed the spacecraft. The multi-mission GOES series of satellites will provide NOAA and NASA scientists with data to support weather, solar and space operations, and will enable future science improvements in weather prediction and remote sensing. Additionally, GOES-O will provide data on global climate changes and capability for search and rescue.
“ULA congratulates Boeing and its NASA and NOAA customers for the successful launch of GOES-O, which will improve weather forecasting across the globe,” said Jim Sponnick, ULA vice president, Delta Product Line. “Millions of people a year are adversely affected by weather ranging from localized thunderstorms to tornados and hurricanes. GOES-O will significantly improve the data collection scientists need to learn more about our planet’s weather and will better prepare people all over the world for significant weather events.”
The Delta IV Medium+ (4,2) configuration launch vehicle used a single common booster core with a Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RS-68 main engine, two Alliant Techsystems GEM 60 solid rocket motors, a PWR RL10B-2 upper stage engine and a four-meter diameter upper stage and composite payload fairing. The GOES-O launch marked the fourth flight of the Delta IV medium+ (4,2) configuration and the 10th flight of the Delta IV family of launch vehicles.
ULA’s next launch, currently scheduled for no earlier than Aug. 12, is the PAN mission for the Department of Defense aboard an Atlas V from Space Launch Complex-41 at CCAFS.
ULA program management, engineering, test and mission support functions are headquartered in Denver, Colo. Manufacturing, assembly and integration operations are located at Denver, Colo.; Decatur, Ala.; Harlingen, Texas; and San Diego, Calif. Launch operations are located at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., and Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
GOL Anuncia Parceria com Bradesco e Banco do Brasil e Cria o Cartão de Crédito SMILES
June 30, 2009
30 de junho de 2009 10:12 HORALOCAL
Os cartões de crédito que compartilharão a marca SMILES serão o mais
novo canal para acúmulo e utilização de milhas do maior programa da
milhagem da América Latina
São Paulo, 30 de junho de 2009 – A GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes
S.A. (“Companhia”, Bovespa: GOLL4 e NYSE: GOL), a maior companhia
aérea de baixo custo e baixa tarifa da América Latina, anuncia que sua
controlada VRG Linhas Aéreas S.A. concluiu uma parceria com Banco
Bradesco S.A. e Banco do Brasil S.A. (“Instituições Financeiras”),
por meio de um Acordo Operacional (“Acordo Operacional”) para emissão
e administração de cartões de crédito no formato “Co-Branded”.
Por meio dessa parceria, as Instituições Financeiras poderão emitir a
seus clientes cartões de crédito com a marca. O SMILES atualmente,
possui mais de 6,2 milhões de clientes, é o maior da América Latina e
vem registrando até 100 mil novos cadastramentos por mês.
Como parte do acordo, inicialmente a GOL receberá aproximadamente
R$252,0 milhões, relativos à compra de milhas do programa SMILES,
direito de acesso e de utilização do cadastro pelas Instituições
Financeiras e participação no faturamento registrados nos cartões
emitidos. Desse total, aproximadamente 60% serão recebidos até 31 de
julho de 2009, 22% até 31 de janeiro de 2010 e 18% parcelado em
mensalidades a serem pagas durante 5 anos.
Com as novas parcerias e venda de pacotes de milhas para instituições
financeiras e redes varejistas, o SMILES, ativo advindo da aquisição
da VRG, terá seu potencial econômico melhor explorado. O mercado
brasileiro de programas de fidelidade é estimado em R$ 1,2 bilhão por
ano e o objetivo da Companhia é que o SMILES corrobore com seu
crescimento ao mesmo tempo em que também aumenta sua participação.
Salt Finding From NASA’s Cassini Hints at Ocean Within Saturn Moon
June 24, 2009
PASADENA, Calif., June 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — For the first time, scientists working on NASA’s Cassini mission have detected sodium salts in ice grains of Saturn’s outermost ring. Detecting salty ice indicates that Saturn’s moon Enceladus, which primarily replenishes the ring with material from discharging jets, could harbor a reservoir of liquid water — perhaps an ocean — beneath its surface.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO )
Cassini discovered the water-ice jets in 2005 on Enceladus. These jets expel tiny ice grains and vapor, some of which escape the moon’s gravity and form Saturn’s outermost ring. Cassini’s cosmic dust analyzer has examined the composition of those grains and found salt within them.
“We believe that the salty minerals deep inside Enceladus washed out from rock at the bottom of a liquid layer,” said Frank Postberg, Cassini scientist for the cosmic dust analyzer at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany. Postberg is lead author of a study that appears in the June 25 issue of the journal Nature.
Scientists on Cassini’s cosmic dust detector team conclude that liquid water must be present because it is the only way to dissolve the significant amounts of minerals that would account for the levels of salt detected. The process of sublimation, the mechanism by which vapor is released directly from solid ice in the crust, cannot account for the presence of salt.
“Potential plume sources on Enceladus are an active area of research with evidence continuing to converge on a possible salt water ocean,” said Linda Spilker, Cassini deputy project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. “Our next opportunity to gather data on Enceladus will come during two flybys in November.”
The makeup of the outermost ring grains, determined when thousands of high-speed particle hits were registered by Cassini, provides indirect information about the composition of the plume material and what is inside Enceladus. The outermost ring particles are almost pure water ice, but nearly every time the dust analyzer has checked for the composition, it has found at least some sodium within the particles.
“Our measurements imply that besides table salt, the grains also contain carbonates like soda. Both components are in concentrations that match the predicted composition of an Enceladus ocean,” Postberg said. “The carbonates also provide a slightly alkaline pH value. If the liquid source is an ocean, it could provide a suitable environment on Enceladus for the formation of life precursors when coupled with the heat measured near the moon’s south pole and the organic compounds found within the plumes.”
However, in another study published in Nature, researchers doing ground-based observations did not see sodium, an important salt component. That team notes that the amount of sodium being expelled from Enceladus is actually less than observed around many other planetary bodies. These scientists were looking for sodium in the plume vapor and could not see it in the expelled ice grains. They argue that if the plume vapor does come from ocean water the evaporation must happen slowly deep underground rather than as a violent geyser erupting into space.
“Finding salt in the plume gives evidence for liquid water below the surface,” said Sascha Kempf, also a Cassini scientist for the cosmic dust analyzer from the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics. “The lack of detection of sodium vapor in the plume gives hints about what the water reservoir might look like.”
Determining the nature and origin of the plume material is a top priority for Cassini during its extended tour, called the Cassini Equinox Mission.
“The original picture of the plumes as violently erupting Yellowstone-like geysers is changing,” said Postberg. “They seem more like steady jets of vapor and ice fed by a large water reservoir. However, we cannot decide yet if the water is currently ‘trapped’ within huge pockets in Enceladus’ thick ice crust or still connected to a large ocean in contact with the rocky core.”
The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Cassini cosmic dust analyzer was provided by the German Aerospace Center. The Cassini orbiter was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. JPL manages the mission for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
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