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NASTAR Center and Special Aerospace
Services Commence Research Study on Emergency Detection and Human
Response of Atlas V Profile
-Press
Release-
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FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Southampton, PA, USA. August 16,
2010 - The NASTAR® Center, the premier commercial space
training and research center in the world, has completed the
initial phase of a research effort focused on commercial human
spaceflight and systems development related to emergency detection
and response using an Atlas V flight profile, under a contract with
Special Aerospace Service (SAS) on August 16, 2010.
SAS used the capabilities of NASTAR Center's unique Space Training
Simulator (STS-400) to accurately simulate the ascent G
accelerations of an Atlas V rocket in Atlas 402 configuration.
Nominal scenarios were performed with three subjects in order to
understand crew reaction times. Subjects are medically monitored
and tested at NASTAR Center. One subject, Jeff Ashby, is a former
NASA Space Shuttle commander.
Under current funded efforts with NASA's Commercial Crew
Development (CCDev) program, SAS is supporting United Launch
Alliance's Emergency Detection System (EDS) development program.
EDS is the key technology to enable use of the flight-proven Atlas
V and Delta IV fleet as part of a potential 'crewed' launch system
for commercial spaceflight. The Emergency Detection System monitors
key systems parameters and provides warnings and crew instructions
on failures. Several potential crewed space craft providers are
interested in using the Atlas V with their spacecraft.
The NASTAR Center has trained over 220 spaceflight participants and
researchers for upcoming commercial space flights. NASTAR's space
training programs are safety approved by the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA).
Brienna Henwood, Director of Space Training Programs and Research
at the NASTAR Center remarked, "We are proud to team with SAS on
this high profile research opportunity. The data and information
collected will provide insight for commercial space players as to
how the Atlas V can be used to provide safe, reliable
flights."
"The data collected exceeded our expectations. The flight profiles
and simulated launch and flight duration experiences were in family
with existing human rated launch systems. STS will utilize this
crucial data to provide better crew interaction times with ULA's
EDS and offer system solutions for future spacecraft", said Tim
Bulk, Director of Technical Operations for Special Aerospace
Services.
For additional
information on research capabilities, contact Brienna Henwood at bhenwood@NASTARCenter.com or (866)
482-0933 x1504
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Summer
Education Programs this Summer at NASTAR
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During the
months of July and August, the NASTAR Center became a classroom for
more than 100 middle school students and 30 teachers. Students in
grades 4 - 8 attended NASTAR Camp, an aerospace-themed day camp
program. Participants built model airplanes, weather
instruments and air powered rockets; piloted the NASTAR Center GAT
II aircraft simulator; and experienced a suborbital space flight
simulation. Campers and parents alike were enthusiastic about
NASTAR Camp. One student later wrote "Thank you for teaching us at
NASTAR Camp. Just wanted to let you know we had tons of fun and
learned a lot." Another said "I had a great time this week." and
"I learned so many cool things."
Teachers were
just as enthusiastic in their response to the "Experiencing
Newton's Laws of Motion" program. "This program is out of this
world! Not to be missed!", which is how educator Andrea Triner
summed up her two days at the NASTAR Center. Other participants
were equally enthusiastic, with comments like "Thrilling, exciting,
fun," and "one of the best workshops I've attended. Truly
inspiring." The Pennsylvania Department of Education
approved granting participants 15 classroom hours towards their Act
48 continuing education requirements. During this two-day
workshop, educators practiced hands-on demonstrations they can
apply in their classrooms and participated in a 3-G space flight
launch and reentry simulation in the STS-400. Teachers received a
DVD of their flight experiences to share with their students and a
CD-ROM containing educational resource materials. Thirty teachers
from Pennsylvania and New Jersey attended the first two
sessions.
Thanks to
support from the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium, both
NASTAR Camp and Experiencing Newton's Laws of Motion programs were
offered at no charge to participants.
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Suborbital Scientist Training
What to Know To Design and Fly Experiments in Space
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Congratulations Suborbital
Scientists! Three classes and nearly 30 eager scientists
are now ready to perform experiments in space using suborbital
vehicles.
The NASTAR Suborbital
Scientist Training Program provides researchers,
professors, and graduate students with hands-on space flight
physiology training to prepare them to design and perform
experiments in space. August 2-4th, 2010.
Researchers look
forward to low-cost, repeatable access to space with 2-5 minutes of
microgravity offered by commercial suborbital vehicles. By
performing the NASTAR Suborbital Scientist Training Program,
researchers understand what a spaceflight will be like, how to
handle the physiological stresses during launch and reentry, and
learn to manage multiple distractions while operating their
experiment in this extreme environment.
"Prior to taking the training course, it was easy to underestimate
the requirements for suborbital science missions. NASTAR showed me
solutions to problems and issues that I didn't know would exist",
said Gregory Delory, researcher at
the University of California, Berkeley.
Anthony Case, grad student at
Boston University said "I really can't imagine undergoing
the physiological stresses of spaceflight without training like
that provided by NASTAR. Amazingly helpful and enlightening."
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NASTAR Training, Research, and Education
Opportunities
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Training opportunities still
available!
Sign up for our 2-Day Space Training Program!
Participate in our Suborbital Scientist Program!
Teachers earn 15 hours of Act 48 Continuing Education!
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Become a FAN on
Facebook!
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The NASTAR
Center is on Facebook!
Look
for upcoming events, watch videos, post comments, view photos, and
more.
Click here to
go to Facebook and become a Fan of NASTAR
Center!
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Upcoming
Events, Trade Shows, and Conferences
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September
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Space Grant - MidAtlantic Region Meeting
Lewis, DE
Sept. 16-18, 2010
October
Orange Flag 2010
International & Domestic Military
Oct. 20-22, 2010
www.etcorangeflag.com
International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight
(ISPCS)
Oct. 18-22, 2010
www.ispcs.com
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February
Next-Generation Suborbital Researcher Conference (NSRC)
Feb. 28-March 2, 2011
http://nsrc.swri.org/
To learn more about an event or to sign up for a
training program, contact The NASTAR Center at
(215) 355-9100
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