| *** OCTOBER 2006 *** |
| UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ARE HELPING NASA WITH GENESAT MISSION |
| Dozens of university students are helping NASA to prepare, monitor and analyze the science from a 'nano' satellite scheduled to launch in December. NASA's GeneSat-1 satellite is scheduled to ride aboard an Air Force rocket being launched into Earth orbit on Dec. 11, 2006. The small satellite will carry bacteria that researchers will analyze to determine the effects of space flight on microscopic living things. News media are invited to view the small satellite facility at NASA's Ames Research Center located in California's Silicon Valley, on Thursday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. PDT. Reporters also may see a GeneSat satellite being tested, and will be able to interview students from Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, Calif. Ames' John Hines, GeneSat project manager, and Bruce Yost, GeneSat mission manager, will also be on hand for interviews. |
| NASA AND M2Mi CORP. TO DEVELOP 'AUTOMATED M2M INTELLIGENCE' |
| To help enable machines to make choices and efficiently communicate with one another without human intervention, NASA and M2Mi Corp. have agreed to work together to develop automated 'machine-to-machine (M2M) intelligence.' An agreement between NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., and M2Mi Corp. calls for the two organizations to cooperate to evolve 'automated M2M intelligence' for space missions. A satellite that would repair itself in low orbit is an example of how the new, automated M2M intelligence could be used in the very near future. M2Mi is located in NASA Research Park, a dynamic research and education community adjacent to NASA Ames that cultivates collaborative partnerships with academia, industry and non-profits to stimulate innovation and education in science and research disciplines critical to space exploration. "We are delighted to cooperate with the M2Mi Corp. to develop automated intelligence for computers, spacecraft and robots so they can 'mind-meld,' enabling them to make their own decisions," said S. Pete Worden, director of NASA Ames, who recently signed the agreement. "In turn, M2Mi intends to spin off automated intelligent software to industry to help make business and factories more efficient," Worden said... |
| NASA HELPS AIRCRAFT GLIDE INTO A MORE EFFICIENT LANDING |
| NASA is saving jet fuel by helping aircraft achieve the ideal glide path as they approach a crowded airport for landing. NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., and The Boeing Company, Chicago, Ill., in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Washington, United Airlines, Chicago, and the San Francisco International Airport (SFO), have completed trials to study the effectiveness of the Oceanic Tailored Arrivals (OTA) concept for aircraft landing at SFO. Currently, the ideal landing approach, an even continuous descent, often is interrupted with course changes and altitude level-offs. These deviations can result in increased fuel use, noise and environmental emissions. The study is investigating the customization of aircraft descent procedures using the latest in communications and aircraft navigation technology and NASA air traffic management algorithms to maintain the ideal approach. "The goal of the Oceanic Tailored Arrivals initiative is to allow aircraft to descend in a manner that is both fuel efficient and environmentally friendly," said Rich Coppenbarger, lead investigator for the Oceanic Tailored Arrivals Initiative at NASA Ames. "We are prototyping automation tools and procedures to help controllers strategically anticipate and solve arrival problems well in advance, allowing for more ideal descent operations, especially during busy traffic periods where potential benefits are greatest."... |