NOVEMBER 2009

In this issue:
1. SPACEFLIGHT PANEL TO FEATURE AUGUSTINE
2. MASSIMINO HUBBLE TALK ON MIT WORLD
3. HONORS AND RECOGNITION
4. QUOTED
5. IN PRINT
6. SAFETY FIRST
7. AA ALUM IS NASA AMBASSADOR
8. GIANT LEAPS DVDS AVAILABLE
9. CATCH US ON TWITTER

1. SPACEFLIGHT FORUM TO FEATURE AUGUSTINE

On Friday, December 11, AeroAstro and The MIT Space, Policy, and Society Research Group will sponsor the forum "The Future of Human Spaceflight: The Augustine Report and its Implications." The panel will include two prominent members of the US Human Space Flight Plans Committee: chairman Norman Augustine and committee member AeroAstro Professor Edward F. Crawley. The other panelists will be John Logsdon, Professor Emeritus of Political Science and International Affairs, George Washington University and Distinguished Visiting Professor Space, Policy, and Society Research Group, MIT; and Asif Siddiqi, Assistant Professor of History, Fordham University. The moderator will be AeroAstro Professor and Director of the MIT Program in Space, Technology, and Society David Mindell.

Human Spaceflight Committee Chairman Norm Augustine (left) and committee member Professor Ed Crawley at the public release of their report. (NASA)

At the request of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, NASA established the Review of US Human Space Flight Plans Committee to conduct an independent examination of ongoing US human space flight plans and programs, as well as alternatives. The committee's report, released on October 22, encourages NASA to expand human space presence beyond low earth orbit, but urges numerous revisions in plans and goals. The report and other related information are available on the committee's Web site.

The December 11 program will be held from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in the Bartos Theater, Bld. E15. It is open to the MIT community and there is no charge for admission.

2. MASSIMINO HUBBLE TALK ON MIT WORLD

On October 28, astronaut/alum Mike Massimino shared with MITers his experiences on the Shuttle as he facilitated the most recent repairs to the Hubble Space Telescope. The talk is now available on MIT World and "provides funny, personal, and insightful anecdotes from the mission including the competition amongst his team to be the last human to touch the Hubble."

Mike Massimino's talk about repairing the Hubble is on MIT World

Widnall

Castonia

Mindell

3. Honors and recognition

Professor Sheila Widnall has received the National Academy of Engineerings's Arthur M. Bueche Award for "a remarkable academic career in fluid dynamics combined with the highest levels of public service, and for championing the role of women in engineering."  She received $2,500 and a gold medallion in recognition of her active involvement in determining US science and technology policy, especially in relation to women and minorities, and contributing to the enhancement of the relationship between government and universities.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, has named Cadet Col. Ryan W. Castonia the 2009 United States Air Force Cadet of the Year. Castonia is a member of the Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps Detachment 365 in Cambridge, MA. Cadet Castonia, who served as the cadet wing commander at the time of nomination, is an AeroAstro student scheduled to graduate in June 2010 with a bachelor's and master's degree. The award recognizes the most outstanding cadet in one of the three Air Force commissioning programs — Officer Training School, the Air Force Academy, and Air Force ROTC.

The American Astronautical Society has awarded its Eugene M. Emme Astronautical Literature Award to Professor David Mindell's book "Digital Apollo." The book explores relationships between humans and computers associated with the Apollo program. The Emme Award is the society's award for a work of space history.

Congratulations to Space Systems Lab former Post Doc Dan Kwon, who, before leaving AeroAstro for Orbital Sciences last month, captured the International Astronautical Federation's 2009 Luigi G. Napolitano Award. The IAF annually presents the award to "a young scientist below 30 years of age who has contributed significantly to the advancement of the aerospace science and has given a paper at the International Astronautical Congress on the contribution." The award was won by another SSLer, Mitch Ingham, in 1998.

SSL's Dan Kwon receives the IAAF Napolitano Award

4. QUOTED

Professor Debby Nightingale spoke to The New York Times Business Section for its November 14 article "Seeking a Shorter Path to New Drugs," explaining how LEAN protocols used by the aviation industry can be applied to pharmaceutical development.

Professor Oli de Weck was quoted in an Oct 1 Boston Globe Space Investment Summit article. He told the Globe that the cost of spaces launches is a major hurdle to commercialized space access. “Unless we can get cheaper launch, anything people propose is science fiction,’’ he said.

The Futurist featured Professor Missy Cummings last month in an article about the growth of military UAV use. Among her comments: "Parts of the military think of robots or unmanned vehicles and people as being mutually exclusive ... The reality is, if we’re ever truly going to move forward, it’s going to have to be collaborative." The article can be read in its entirety on Cummings' Humans and Automation Lab Web site.

Leveson

5. IN PRINT

Lambert Academic has published "Mice in Space: The Story of the Mars Gravity Biosatellite," by AeroAstro alum Thaddeus Fulford-Jones (PhD '08). According to the publisher, "This book, authored by a former MIT team lead for the project, provides a true insider’s perspective on the design and validation of the payload module ... with stunning illustrations and outstandingly clear descriptions throughout, this title will appeal to the general reader and aerospace professional alike." Available from Amazon.com and academic bookstores.

Professor Nancy Leveson's book, "Safeware: System Safety and Computers" has been translated into Japanese by Japanese Space Agency engineers and is scheduled for publication this fall.

6. SAFETY FIRST

The AeroAstro lab and workshop safety video lecture, delivered by Senior Technical Instructor Dick Perdichizzi, is now online as part of the AeroAstro Tech TV Gallery. Viewing this lecture is a required element in the department's Environment, Health, and Safety procedure for principal investigators, graduate students, UROP students, postdocs, and other researchers beginning work with any potentially hazardous materials or activities in an MIT laboratory. For more info on these procedures, visit the AeroAstro EHS Web page. And check out other videos on AeroAstro Tech TV.

Danielle Wood in a NASA clean room

7. AA alum is NASA student ambassador

Former AA undergrad, and current ESD grad student, Danielle Wood is featured on a NASA Web site as a "student ambassador." She writes, "In 2009, I am representing NASA through the NASA Student Ambassadors Virtual Community at the International Astronautical Congress in Korea. NASA also sent me to the IAC in 2008 in Glasgow, Scotland. At both conferences, I presented results from my research on the use of satellite-based technology in developing countries."

Apollo astronaut Jack Schmitt (l.) and Apollo flight director Chris Kraft at the AeroAstro Giant Leaps symposium

8. Giant Leaps Apollo DVDs available

Perhaps the most remarkable event of this past summer's AeroAstro celebration of the Apollo Program was the Giant Leaps Forum. This confab featured many people involved in the program including Dick Battin, Aaron Cohen, Joe Gavin, Chris Kraft, Jack Schmitt, and Ted Sorenson. A DVD featuring highlights of the seminar was produced and distributed with this year's edition of AeroAstro, the department's annual publication. The DVD also includes the AeroAstro-produced video on Apollo, Giant Leaps. If you didn't receive the DVD and would like a copy, or you would like an extra, please email Bill Litant at wlitant@mit.edu. Also available is a DVD of the Robert Seamans Jr. Memorial video and celebration, another part of the Apollo celebration.

9. MITweets from AeroAstro

Don't wait for your enews and emails — keep up with AeroAstro news as it happens — follow the department at mitaeroastro on Twitter.

If you know of events, honors, activities, or other information you'd like to see in the next issue of AeroAstro enews, please send to wlitant@mit.edu — we'd be pleased to include your submissions.

Catch the latest AeroAstro news on Twitter.

© 2009 MIT Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. All rights reserved.