Download - The A4H News - Issue 4
The A4h NeWSSPRING 2013
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ISSUe 4 SPRING 2013ASTRONAUTS4hIRe.ORG YOUR SPAceflIGhT cReW SOlUTION
The A4h Beat • A4h in the News • What’s hot in commercial Space • A4h Reaching Out
Meet an A4H Dr. Mindy HowardDefining her own path to space
Industry Leader Christopher FergusonFrom Space Shuttle to commercial space
Science + Thrills Pulling GSurviving the demands of high G flight
A4H The VideoVenturing ahead to commercial spaceflight
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FOLLOW @astrOnauts4hire
the eDItOR’s spaceThe past six months proved to be very successful both for A4H and the commercial spaceflight industry. While the first private spacecraft delivered cargo to the orbiting ISS, A4H members have been hard at work completing their commercial astronaut training to prepare for future spaceflight opportunities on private space vehicles. We have triumphed over many obstacles, and now as we head into 2013, the only thing that I know for certain is that there will stand many more challenges. Yet, this is when we look forward to new opportunities to make giant leaps in the year ahead.
On behalf of the A4H leadership team, I want to thank you for a great year and wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year. The future our generation foresees for humankind’s progress in space is that of an innovative, robust, and sustainable space industry that is accessible to everyone. It is this future that I see A4H being instrumental in helping create!
If you have any questions, com-ments or suggestions regarding this newsletter or want to advertise with us, please contact us at
abOut astROnauts4hIReAstronauts for Hire is a 501(c) (3) non-profit formed in April 2010 to recruit and train qualified scien-tists and engineers for the rigors of spaceflight. Commonly referred to as “Astronauts4Hire” or just “A4H,” the
organization conducts a range of activities related to commercial astro-naut workforce development. A4H’s principal service is to train its mem-bers as professional astronaut can-didates who can assist researchers, payload developers, and spaceflight providers with mission planning and operations support.
Interested in hiring A4H for a re-search project, training your work-force on scientific suborbital flight, or partnering with A4H? Contact us at
All contributions to A4H are tax-deductible (EIN: 27-2360828). If you are interested in supporting A4H’s inspiring mission at the forefront of the commercial space frontier, please contact us at
Kavya K. [email protected]
Gerry [email protected]
Edwin [email protected]
Brian [email protected]
Paul [email protected]
thanks tO Our spOnsOrs
Erik [email protected]
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r i g h T The video includes footage from training at Survival Systems USA.
B e L O W A4H Members outside the NASTAR Center altitude chamber. Click the image to view the full video on the A4H YouTube channel.
The Video Venturing ahead to commercial spaceflight
Astronauts4Hire released a new video highlighting
the organization’s ground-breaking mission: to develop
a next-generation space workforce that can bridge the
gap between researchers and the new commercial space
industry. The four-minute feature includes interviews
and a behind-the-scenes look at the rigorous training
regimen undertaken by A4H members as they prepare
to become professional commercial astronauts.
video | http://bit.ly/a4h-video
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GPerforming in a high G environment is extremely demanding on the body. G
forces blood to the body’s extremities, putting the pilot, astronaut or driver at
risk of G-Induced Lack of Consciousness (G-LOC). In his tenth book, Pulling G,
A4H Training Officer Dr. Erik Seedhouse describes what it feels like to pull 7 G’s
in a fighter plane, the G pressures on the body when driving a Formula 1 car,
and many other gravity-defying vehicles. The book relates, for the first time,
the effects of G in hyper-gravity and microgravity. It describes
the human response to increased and decreased G
and the potentially dangerous effects of high G, with
particular reference to dynamic injuries sustained in
high acceleration environments. Pulling G provides an
overview of G-related research and the development of
intervention methods to mitigate the effects of increased
and reduced G. The book also considers how artificial
gravity can be used to prevent bone demineralization and to
reduce the effects of de-conditioning in astronauts.
BiodynamicsFrom 1946 through 1958, Colonel Stapp pioneered biodynam-
ics investigations, performing quantitative stress analysis of the
human body to limits of voluntary tolerance of crash type impacts
and deceleration. Stapp’s first project was analyzing why pilots were
crashing planes. Throughout the Second World War, aircraft engineers
and designers decided that humans could survive a maximum of 18G;
airplane cockpits were therefore designed to withstand 18G impacts.
Just how this figure was achieved, why, from whom, etc. immediately
came into question by Stapp who had been carefully reviewing accident
reports that revealed contradictory evidence against this number. What they
found was that sometimes this G-tolerance number was too high, and some-
times it was too low. In a series of well-documented accidents involving Navy
pilots, the statistics and G-loads predicted that pilots would die from the G’s
they experienced. However, they lived through crashing into aircraft carriers
and other aircraft at very high speeds. On the other end of the spectrum,
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PULLING EXPLORING thE scIENcEaNd thE thRILLs Of dEfyING GRavIty
by erik Seedhouse
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there were many low magnitude and fatal crash landings that according to
the numbers should have been survivable. It became Stapp’s theory that in
many of these cases, the pilots probably survived the impact; however the
seats, harnesses, and cockpits around them did not and were the real killers.
G-LOCAn article published in 1919 by Dr. Head observed the phenomenon of “faint-
ing in the air.” Prior to 1920, experiments had shown these blackouts lasted
about 20 seconds and occurred when 4.5-4.6G was reached vertically. What
was being described became known as G-induced Loss of Consciousness
(G-LOC). Subsequent research showed the human body could tolerate a sig-
nificant amount of force in short amounts of time, such as in crash situations.
The physiological effects of G-loads vary with the magnitude of the acceler-
ation, the duration, what axis of the body the G acts against and where on
the body they are applied. Such forces impact the body in different ways. A
body can be impacted either positively or negatively in each directional axis.
First, when a body is accelerated in the headward position, it experiences +Gz.
Positive Gz pushes the body into the seat and drains the blood from the head
toward the lower parts of the body. It becomes difficult to breathe as the
ribs and internal organs are pulled down, which empties air from the lungs.
Blood has to be forced harder to get to the brain. The eyes, being right below
the brain, are affected as well. The brain and eyes require
oxygen and glucose to function properly; they both
have a very small stored amount of glucose and almost
no stored oxygen. The bloodstream delivers a constant
supply of both of these nutrients which are essential
for normal brain and eye function. Blood is constantly
pumped to the head — against gravity — by the heart.
This arrangement works well until the body is exposed
to increased +Gz which forces blood away from the head,
no matter how hard the heart works. At 2-3G, low arterial
pressure in the eyes results in loss of peripheral vision,
creating a tunnel vision effect. Slowly, cone vision disap-
pears until complete vision loss and blackout. The body
tries all it can to maintain cerebral blood pressure, so
individuals are usually still conscious. If duration of the
G continues, unconsciousness follows shortly thereafter,
resulting in G-LOC. A B O V E Flight Member Erik Seedhouse being fitted for a G-Suit before his Hawk Jet flight.
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the FiGhter piLOtAerobatic flying demands the best of both aircraft and pilot. The aircraft must
be highly maneuverable, yet tolerant of G-loads. The pilot must possess skill
and physiological stamina. That the aircraft must be of high quality makes
sense, but why exactly are these maneuvers so demanding of the human
body? At the most basic level it’s because the body’s circulatory system works
based on the ability of the heart to pump blood, which is affected by partial
pressure gradients, the aortic valve/eye column height, baroreceptors and
the effects of gravity or accelerations. All of these mechanisms normally work
in a +1Gz environment, but when the G environment is changed so are the
foundations of how blood is pumped, thus altering the nutrient supply to the
brain. Without this supply, the brain may cease to function properly or at all
in a conscious manner. If the initial statement is true, then it is clear why the
effects of the high G environment can be so important to study and under-
stand, because without proper functioning of the brain it is quite hard to
perform in a highly demanding manner.
Another situation that can cause G-LOC is the “push-pull” effect. From the
pilot’s perspective, this is an effective reduction to +Gz tolerance following
an exposure to -Gz and may lead to GLOC or visual effects of +Gz at a loading
that the pilot usually may not have any difficulty with – as low as +4G even for
only short exposures. This push-pull effect is due to conflicting time constants
in compensatory mechanisms when experiencing relatively negative G’s and
then experiencing positive G’s in a short period of time. Because these two
situations have physiologically opposite responses; when
starting the +G period, the starting position is much farther
from what is needed to compensate for the +G experi-
ence and so it takes much longer for the body to recover.
the G MaChineJohn Glenn called it a “dreaded” and “sadistic” part of
astronaut training. Apollo 11’s Michael Collins called it
“diabolical.” Time magazine referred to it as “a monstrous
apparatus,” a “gruesome merry-go-round,” and, less orig-
inally, a “torture chamber.” The human centrifuge —the
machine pilots love to hate—is operated by many of the
world’s militaries, but its use isn’t restricted to indoctri-
nating pilots to G. It also happens to be the world’s most
B e l O W Ham the Astrochimp who was subjected to > 10G for space research.
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powerful and versatile tool for studying the G forces that are an inescapable
part of flight. In Chapter 4 of Pulling ‘G’, Erik explains how the centrifuge is
used as a dynamic flight simulator, capable of accurately reproducing the
sensations experienced by pilots in various flight maneuvers. The chapter also
takes a step back in history and describes the use of the centrifuge at the be-
ginning of America’s space program, and how a spin in the machine was, and
still is, viewed as a rite of passage and an invaluable training tool.
FeeLinG the G in FOrMuLa 1On a Formula 1 track, drivers constantly fight inertia to keep their vehicles
from careening wildly off the track, often coping with 3 to 5G on every corner.
Fighter pilots withstand higher levels of G, but only on a vertical axis, and
driving a Formula 1 car can create tougher G pressures for the body. While
military pilots experience greater G loads typically aligned with the spine, an
F1 driver endures these loads almost at right angles to the spine.
punChinG OutWhile traveling at Mach 3.17 at an altitude of nearly 78,000 feet, Bill Weaver
guided the SR-71 through a 35° bank turn. Suddenly, a loud bang signaled an
unstart on the right engine, and the airplane rolled into a 60° right bank and
pitched up. Weaver jammed the control stick to the left as far forward as it
would go but got no response. He knew instantly that he would have to eject
but didn’t think it would be survivable at that speed and altitude. Several
seconds after the unstart, the aircraft suddenly disintegrated, and Weaver
blacked out. Weaver gradually came to a hazy awareness and thought he was
having a bad dream. His next thought was that he must be dead and that it
wasn’t so bad. In reality, Weaver had survived perhaps the most extraordinary
ejection in history.
LaunCh and re-entryThe first challenges faced by humans entering space are encountered during
the acceleration and de-acceleration periods of lift-off and re-entry. Crew-
members on the Russian Soyuz endure four times the force of gravity. The
Mercury capsules launched by the Atlas booster reached a peak acceleration
of 8G during ascent, then decelerated during re-entry at loads as high as 7.8G.
The Titan rockets launched the Gemini’s at 7.25G, the Saturn 5 peaked at 4G,
and the Apollo capsules returning from the Moon re-entered the atmosphere
at over 6G. During ballistic re-entries, crewmembers may experience more
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than 8G, a level that can cause compacted bladders, bursting red blood cells,
subdural hematomas, the inability to breathe, and the cessation of circulation.
microgravityAboard a specially modified Boeing 727, weightlessness is achieved by flying
aerobatic maneuvers known as parabolas. Specially trained pilots perform
these aerobatic maneuvers allowing passengers to experience true weight-
lessness. Before starting a parabola, the aircraft flies level to the horizon at
an altitude of 24,000 feet. The pilots then pull up, gradually increasing the
angle of the aircraft to about 45° to the horizon reaching an altitude of 34,000
feet. During this pull-up, passengers feel the pull of 1.8 Gs. Next the plane is
“pushed over” to create the zero gravity segment of the parabola. For the next
20-30 seconds everything in the plane is weightless.
artificial gravityArtificial gravity is a common technology in science fiction movies. For exam-
ple, in the Star Trek universe, artificial gravity is achieved by the use of ‘gravity
plating’ embedded in a starship’s deck, while the science fiction classic 2001:
A Space Odyssey features a rotating centrifuge in the Discovery spacecraft.
While astronauts would love to have gravity plating, it’s likely this technology
won’t be available for some time, whereas the technology depicted in Stanley
Kubrick’s classic is much closer to the horizon.
Pulling G (ISBN 1461430291) is available for purchase on Amazon now.
Imag
e: N
AS
A
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Word has gotten out that Astronauts4Hire is an exciting,
vibrant organization offering a supportive community
to aspiring astronauts. A4H has grown tremendously
over the past year from just a few dozen people to over
100 members. Members are involved in a wide array of
professional activities, making notable accomplishments
in recent months.
Two Associate Members have earned high-profile
research flights. In November 2012, Bill Tandy flew
aboard ZERO-G’s Weightless Lab through Space Florida’s
Sub-Orbital Incentive Program. His Ball Aerospace
research team studied control of objects in both nominal
and reduced gravity environments. Akram Abdellatif’s
experiment “Egypt against Hepatitis C virus” will fly as
the first Microcapillary Protein Crystallization System
payload on the ISS through Space Florida’s ISS Research
Competition. It is slated for a March 2013 launch from
Cape Canaveral, FL on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Akram’s
partners include the German Aerospace Center and
University of Munich.
In November, Flight Members Brian Shiro and
Christopher Altman attended the 2012 Pacific
International Space Center for Exploration Systems
(PISCES) forum in Hawaii. The meeting focused on
developing a research park devoted to planetary analog
research to enable sustainable space exploration beyond
Low Earth Orbit (LEO). During the conference, they had
the opportunity to interact closely with Dr. Buzz Aldrin
regarding his plan for establishing a permanent Mars
settlement. In 2012, Shiro participated in a PISCES field
project assisting NASA in its field operations test of the
RESOLVE lunar rover.
Flight Member Amnon Govrin completed an aircraft
ditching, sea survival and underwater egress training
course at ProAviation in Canada in November. This puts
him a step closer to earning his Research Specialist wings.
A b o v e Associate Member Kavya Manyapu and her dive buddy explore Palancar Reef, Cozumel.
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Amnon also had the opportunity to attend the Wings of
Hero Gala at the Museum of Flight Seattle in September,
where he spoke with commercial space industry repre-
sentatives, NASA astronauts, and spaceflight participants.
You can read more about his experiences on his blog at
http://www.spacepirations.com
Associate Members Kavya Manyapu and Garry Livesay
have likewise been busy with their training. Kavya com-
pleted NAUI Open Water Scuba certification in Septem-
ber. She has accumulated over 5 hours of aerobatic flight
training in a Super Decathlon practicing Rolls, Loops, Half
Cuban eights, Hammerheads and inverted flight. Also in
September, Garry completed his Night Diving and Lim-
ited Visibility certifications with SDI as he works towards
completing his Master Diver rating. Garry blogs his prog-
ress at http://www.bronzeastronautwings.com
Flight Member Erik Seedhouse’s tenth book, Pulling
G: Human Responses to Increased and Decreased Gravity,
came out in September 2012, and his eleventh book,
SpaceX: Making Commercial Spaceflight a Reality, will be
released in February and is available for preorder on
amazon.com. Word has it that Erik’s popular fifth book,
Prepare for Launch: The Astronaut Training Process, contin-
ues to sell well, and quantities have nearly run out.
Flight Member Jon-Erik Dahlin was recently elected
chairman of the Swedish Space Society, which ad-
vocates space activities in Sweden. The organization
teamed up with the Swedish National Museum of Science
and Technology to offer regular public presentations by
invited speakers on a variety of space topics. For more
information, go to http://www.svenskarymdsallskapet.se
On the educational front, Associate Member Ann-Sofie
Schreurs recently completed her PhD in Biochemistry
from the University of Sussex, UK and is now a postdoc
studying the effects of microgravity and radiation on
bone loss at NASA Ames. In November, she presented
a paper titled “Exogenous Superoxide Dismutase
potentially protects osteoblast progenitors from ionizing
radiation” at the American Society for Gravitational and
Space Research meeting in New Orleans.
Associate Member Paul McCall continues his studies as
a PhD candidate at Florida International University where
he researches EEG signal processing and brain-machine
interfaces for space-based applications. He was recently
honored with the “Outstanding Scholar Award” for his
work at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Schol-
ars Program at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico.
Associate Member David Wassell completed a Master’s
degree in Process Engineering in December 2012, adding
to his previous PhD in chemistry.
b e L o W Flight Member Christopher Altman with Buzz Aldrin at the PISCES Conference.
A b o v e A4H Associate Member Paul McCall receives the Outstanding Scholar Award.
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Associate Member Karina Descartin was recently
awarded the Wright Fellowship for her studies at Wright
State University’s Boonshoft School of Medicine, where
she is working on an MS in Aerospace Medicine to add to
her previous MD. Karina plans to pursue research in long-
term spaceflight fatigue countermeasures along with
parallel applications in terrestrial wellness.
Finally, we would like to congratulate Associate Member
Eduardo Llama for the patent he was granted by the US
Patent and Trademark Office on November 27 pertaining
to navigation algorithms he developed that determine the
aerodynamic angles of a spacecraft capsule during atmo-
spheric entry. The algorithms will help to increase the
probability of flying a successful emergency ballistic entry
in emergency situations.
SEND IT TO THEMOON
Send your Payloads Experiments Creations Memorabiliato the lunar surface.
Visit www.earthrise-space.org for details.
Dr. MinDy HOwarD
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Dr. Mindy Howard is the Founding
Director and Lead Trainer of Inner
Space Training (IST), the first space
training company to psychologically
prepare commercial astronauts for
their space flights. With a dream of
becoming an astronaut, Dr. Howard
obtained her BSc and MSc in Indus-
trial Engineering in the United States
(SUNY Buffalo and University of
Massachusetts at Amherst) and a PhD
in Industrial Engineering from the
Technical University Eindhoven in the
Netherlands.
An American by birth and a resident
of the Netherlands, she began her
career at the Royal Dutch Shell
Group in The Hague in 1994, and
has held numerous technical and
leadership roles there. Dr. Howard
has completed her Suborbital
Scientist certification at the National
AeroSpace Training and Research
(NASTAR) Center and presented
several papers at recent Next
Generation Suborbital Researchers
Conferences (NSRC). In addition, she
is a certified PADI open water SCUBA
diver and has taken an emergency
egress course in helicopter ditching.
Her hobbies include playing drums
in a band, cooking, skydiving, bungy
jumping, skiing, and animals.
Meet an a4hDr. MinDy HOwarD
Defining Her Own patH tO space
L e F T A snapshot into the future — Dr. Howard at the Holland Space Center.
Image: ESA/NASA “Be in Space” Holland Space Center 2012
by Kavya Manyapu
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Tell us about yourself and how you ended up in A4H.
As many people in A4H, I had a dream to become an
astronaut since I was a little girl, specially being inspired
by the TV show—The Six Million Dollar Man. I seriously
wanted to be bionic (who doesn’t, right?)! After practicing
running in slow motion more times than you can count
as a kid, as a young adult I started to investigate what it
takes to become an astronaut, understanding what the
requirements were and doing whatever was necessary to
get there. During my Master’s degree in Industrial Engi-
neering, I managed to get a NASA Student Researcher’s
Grant and did my research at NASA Langley with NASA
research pilots as subjects in my experiment. The thesis
was about predicting fault diagnosis errors for pilots by
understanding their mental models of the aircraft. Al-
though I was doing my work in the aerospace division at
NASA, I still got lots of positive reinforcement from the pi-
lots I was working with, who knew other astronauts, and
told me that ‘I was the right stuff’ to become an astronaut.
Looking back now, I realize how important it is to give
these kind words of encouragement to others, because
those words can mean a lot, as they did with me.
After my MSc in Industrial Engineering I decided to go
to Europe to see the world from a different perspective
and get my PhD in Industrial Engineering at the Eind-
hoven University of Technology in the Netherlands. Later,
I applied to NASA’s astronaut selection and have been on
their ‘Highly Qualified Astronaut Candidate’ list several
times in the last 18 years, but have yet to make it to the
‘interview’ stage. I decided to stay in the Netherlands
after getting a good job in Royal Dutch Shell Group, and
worked there for 17 years in different positions. As a re-
sult, I got a chance to see the world and travel to over 50
countries on various projects. In my last position in Shell, I
was the Global Sustainability and Environmental Manag-
er for one of our major businesses.
Two years ago, Shell went through reorganization, and I
volunteered to leave the company to focus myself in the
space industry. When I expressed my interest of becom-
ing an astronaut as my “next” job, Shell agreed to cover
my costs for the NASTAR Suborbital Scientist Training
Program in 2010. It was there that I first heard about
Astronauts for Hire, and knew that I wanted to become a
member. Within a week of going to NASTAR, I made some
inquiries about when the next selection for A4H flight
members would be and expressed my interest. I think I
might have been the only person who had completed the
NASTAR course in A4H at the time, so I think that helped in-
crease my chances of getting accepted as a flight member.
Q&ADr. MinDy HOwArDMeet an a4h
fligHT MeMber
A b o v e Dr. Howard prepares for NASTAR suborbital scientist training.
The A4h NeWSSPRING 2013
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what’s your role in a4h and how are you contributing to the goals of a4h?
I am currently a flight member and in the Training Com-
mittee at A4H. I participate in the monthly telecoms with
my “two cents”. I enjoy being in the training committee
and offering my expertise because it also ties into my
new business, IST. Although I don’t have an official role in
A4H, I do like to observe and facilitate group interaction
especially when I see things going pear-shaped, or if I
notice any individuals who are feeling left out, who don’t
feel invited enough to make a contribution. Sometimes
that happens in groups, even though it’s not the inten-
tion of the group members. Because there are always
new people coming onboard into A4H, I think we all need
to make an active effort to watch out for each other and
show respect to people and their insights as individuals
rather than only focusing on a task that needs to get
done. In general, I find that we are pretty good at being
cognizant of this, but I think most groups can always im-
prove. So when we do actually have a face to face meet-
ing, say at a conference or training, I volunteer (implicitly
or explicitly) to facilitate team building activities.
what training have you completed with a4h?
I have completed several trainings which are necessary
for the Research Specialist A4H Requirements: I have
an MSc Degree, FAA Class II Medical, hypoxia training,
acceleration training in a centrifuge, egress training,
distraction factors and time management training, and
PADI Open Water SCUBA. So I am pretty close to becom-
ing a Winged A4H Member. I just need an aerobatic flight
(I have actually done unusual attitude training in a fixed
simulator this past year), a parabolic flight, motion sick-
ness assessment and completion of the academic mod-
ules. I was hoping to complete disorientation training this
year, but because most of the training is offered in the US,
I needed to combine it with another trip to the states for
financial reasons, so it didn’t end up working out in 2012.
But I will try and find another opportunity to go in 2013! I
also plan on doing my parabolic flight in 2013 as well.
tell us about the Inner space training you created to prepare commercial astronauts for their space flights?
While at the Suborbital Research Scientist course at NAS-
TAR, I noticed that there were individual differences be-
tween the 8 people in terms of how people performed on
the various tasks and the degree that they were nervous
about going into the centrifuge. Some of the differences
in performance (e.g. who was more likely to black out, or
lose their peripheral vision), could be explained, in terms
of anthropometric (body shapes and sizes) differences.
For example, people who are tall and have a large dis-
tance between their brain and heart are more likely to
lose blood supply to the brain in the centrifuge compared
with shorter people. But what was interesting for me to
observe were the different reactions people gave when
they were nervous (e.g. panic, or freeze). Sometimes the
person whom you would think would be least likely to
freeze or panic (usually the one with the ‘big mouth’) was
B e l O W Dr. Howard with the MindSpa Brainwave device, “Entrainment Technology for Peak Performance in Athletes”.
ISSUE 4The A4h NeWS
16
actually the one who did. So it struck me as strange that
in the entire astronaut training which exists, there was
no training out there on the market to psychologically
prepare astronauts for their spaceflights (NASA and ESA
included). There must be a need for this, especially when
you are talking about commercial flights that will only be
about an hour long with only 4 minutes of weightless-
ness. Astronauts must be calm and fully aware (i.e. not in
a panic) or else their experience will be over before they
know it!
apart from a4h training, what other training have you completed, and how are you preparing yourself to be a commercial astronaut?
Preparing to be a commercial astronaut is not only about
training oneself psychologically and physically. To me, it’s
also learning about the commercial space environment in
terms of being a researcher, tourist, crew member and an
ambassador. Currently, I am getting involved with all of
these aspects. I am presently working on a few research
projects with the Dutch Air Force and the International
Space University together with IST. In overseeing this
research, using the technology that we use at IST, I hope
I’ll be able to learn how to perform well in a microgravity
environment. In addition, by providing training at IST, I
am able to network with other (commercial) astronauts
and learn about their motivations and expectations to
go into space, which is quite important, especially if you
want to satisfy your customers. Lastly, I am involved in
“ambassadorial” duties by giving talks about commercial
space for special interest groups, writing technical papers
for conferences and being a ‘space correspondent’ for
Dutch radio. All of these activities will help in making me
more knowledgeable and credible in the commercial
space community. And of course, being an active mem-
ber in A4H is preparing and exposing me to the chal-
lenges ahead in building my experience and skills to be a
competent commercial astronaut.
A B O V e Dr. Howard demonstrates the MindSpa Brainwave with A4H co-founder and Associate Member Ryan Kobrick.
The A4h NeWSSPRING 2013
17
eyes on the Stars
A4H President Brian Shiro was a guest on NPR’s All
Things Considered, discussing his personal quest to
become an astronaut through both NASA and commer-
cial space opportunities. The story covered NASA’s future
and the private endeavors ushering in a new era of space
exploration. Others interviewed included astronauts John
Grunsfeld and Michael López-Alegría.
ARTiCLe ANd AudiO | http://bit.ly/a4h-on-npr
Astronauts and Radiation Risk
A4H President and Flight Member Brian Shiro repre-
sented astronauts’ views on spaceflight risk in light of
research linking cosmic radiation to accelerated onset
of Alzheimer’s disease. “Astronauts are very much aware
of the risks associated with space travel, but they have a
strong drive to explore and discover, even if the job can
be hazardous,” Brian Shiro told TechNewsWorld.
ARTiCLe | http://bit.ly/radiation-risk
SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch Coverage
A4H Public Relations Officer and Flight Member Ben
Corbin was quoted in TechNewsWorld’s report on
the successful October 2012 SpaceX mission to the
international Space Station. “despite one of its engines
failing in mid-launch, the first commercial resupply
mission to the international Space Station continues.
‘i think what they experienced was as bad as it could
get, or pretty close, which is good, because even with
that engine failure they succeeded,’ said Ben Corbin,
spokesperson for Astronauts4Hire.”
ARTiCLe | http://bit.ly/falcon9-anomaly
A4h and the Future of Commercial Spaceflight
A4H Training Officer and Flight Member Dr. Erik Seed-
house appeared on The Space Show to speak about his
book, Astronauts for Hire, which covers the A4H’s origins
and its role in commercial spaceflight. This followed erik’s
September 30 appearance on The Space Show, where he
discussed his other recent book Ocean Outpost.
AudiO | http://bit.ly/spaceshow-a4h
Radio Interview: Dr. Mindy howard
Flight Member Dr. Mindy Howard spoke on den Haag
FM 92.0 about A4H and her company inner Space
Training in an October 21 interview. Mindy appeared
again on december 23 to recap the year in space for
dutch listeners.
AudiO (in dutch) | http://bit.ly/howard-a4h
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Christopher J. Ferguson is a retired NASA astronaut and a US Navy Pilot. He commanded Atlantis on STS-135, which was the final mission of the Space Shuttle program. In 2006, he served as a pilot on his first mission to space on STS-115 and later commanded STS-126 aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour. Fer-guson currently works for The Boeing Company as the Director of Crew and Mission Operations designing the CST-100 for the Commercial Crew Program.
what do you think makes the cst-100 spacecraft and boeing stand out from the commercial space competition?
Well, it’s hard to know, because we don’t know what they
(other companies) are doing, which actually makes this
competition part fun. You are allowed to be innovative,
and you are allowed to also retain your proprietary work.
But what makes the Boeing vehicle good? I like the fact
that it’s simple, very redundant, and low cost which
sometimes doesn’t necessarily go hand in hand with each
other. We (Boeing) made the vehicle elegantly simple,
yet [as] redundant as I think you possibly can. Generally
pilots want really cool things, so from that perspective it’s
not a Cadillac but it’s kind of like a really nice Honda. It’s a
proven design that does not have a lot of low Technology
Readiness Level (TRL) type systems in it. We are using a
proven concept for return from orbit.
Flying planes is great, but from a simplicity standpoint it’s
great to have a capsule. Capsules are inherently stable;
they can come back with no power, so you can incur a
lot of faults and still be able to get back home safely.
We can land just about anywhere if we have to. We are
targeting some specific areas in the United States, but
the spacecraft has the ability to land anywhere. I like the
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booster we are flying on; United Launch Alliance (ULA) is taking great mea-
sures to make the already existing reliable Atlas booster even more foolproof
in the form of an Emergency Detection System that will detect faults. This is
very parallel to the Gemini program where we had a reliable booster that was
designed and then was layered with another level of safety to make itself rec-
ognize dangerous fault conditions and initiate an abort. I like the fact that we
are using a foolproof abort system that we do not jettison when you’re done
with it; we don’t just retain the motors, but we retain the fuel that we use
on orbit. It seems like a very foolproof, yet simple design that serves a point
function. Its not designed to be all things to all people, but it is designed for a
short, specific mission to a destination in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and to return,
and we are doing it at a fraction of the cost that Shuttle was done.
Is nasa presently boeing’s only customer for the cst-100? who are your other potential customers, and how do you plan to reach out to them?
Right now, NASA is funding our development. We are building this vehicle
to NASA’s specifications. They are a big investor, and we are building a vehi-
cle that they are ultimately looking for. That said, are there other potential
customers whose needs would be met by the vehicle we build for NASA? Yes
there are, and one of them is the Bigelow Aerospace. Bigelow is a very innova-
tive company that wants to build a Space Station that can be used for micro-
gravity research domestically and for foreign government perhaps. We have
been approached by them to provide a transportation method to service
their space station. We have also enlisted the services of Space Adventures,
which is a contracting company that did a lot of negotiations for some of the
Soyuz commercial flights to the ISS. Once we begin to demonstrate our ca-
pability, I completely foresee that there will be not just one or two customers
but a number of customers will be brokered through some third party.
Do you think the public will ever ride on a boeing spacecraft?
That’s one thing that Boeing really brings to this game. People ride on Boeing
airplanes everyday. Boeing is the biggest airplane manufacturer, and there are
more Boeing products flying than anything else in the world today; people
feel comfortable getting on that airplane. Air travel has become so safe that
people have come to expect that kind of service no matter what Boeing
product it is. If it is not good, Boeing isn’t going to fly it because we don’t
want to suffer the repercussions of an incident or accident when Boeing is in
charge. Hence, you know that it is going to be held to the highest rigors of
safety and reliability if there is a Boeing name on the side, and we expect that
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scrutiny from within the Boeing organization as well as from our potential
customers — NASA and Bigelow.
What in your opinion are some of the major challenges the commercial space industry faces, and how do you think we can overcome them?
In addition to getting the hard stuff done, that is putting a mission together,
putting a system together that works, one of the big things that people don’t
think about is liability. We are very sensitive to liability in this country. Boeing
is very sensitive to creating third party injury where Boeing could be held ac-
countable for an accident. We don’t anticipate things like that to happen, but
we insure ourselves, just like we do when we drive a car. We insure ourselves
when we fly a rocket, and that kind of insurance is very expensive. So these
little things that the companies don’t think about when they go into this
business, these added costs are very significant. Therefore liability is a major
challenge.
We are doing this whole operation without the global reach that NASA had.
When we flew the Shuttle or the Apollo missions, you could land anywhere in
the world, and you were sure that a Navy vessel was not too far away to come
and get you. You have this exposure to the world wide network of ground
based satellites that were all government owned and airborne satellites that
could relay communications for you that were government owned. Now, we
are buying these services on the open market in terms of ground services and
satellite coverage. Government had an incredible resource from which they
could choose, whereas commercial companies need to pick and choose these
services, and it gets expensive. Therefore, we have to work very efficiently
and maybe forgo some things that NASA routinely did, or maybe get NASA
to assume the responsibilities for global outreach services such as worldwide
rescue. So these are these some of the challenges that the commercial space
operations might be facing.
Apart from Commercial Crew where do you envision commercial procurement supporting future space endeavors?
Two things specifically come to my mind, and of course we are not limited to
these. Fuel is a precious commodity in space, and we are just not making any
of it in space. If we put our minds to it, we probably will be able to make a lot
of it on the surfaces of Moon and Mars. But what can we do commercially to
advance NASA’s mission is we can probably haul their fuel to space for them
and be their tankers. To provide an analogy, it’s like the commercial maritime
ships providing support to warships for forward operations. I don’t view this
o p p o S i T e Boeing’s CST-100 spacecraft is designed to be “simple, very redundant, and low cost.”
M i D D L e The CST-100 is shown docking with the proposed Bigelow space station.
B o T T o M Parachutes are deployed from the CST-100 as Boeing conducts its first parachute drop test at Delamar Lakebed, NV.
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as any different to what we want to do. Let NASA be the forward deployed
exploration arm discovering what life is like living at L2 for six months, or go
to a Martian orbit, but we will be there to provide support services to make
these missions successful.
There is a lot to be gained doing things outside the influences of the
atmosphere that we normally think of as only being performed on earth.
One of them that I think is just going to be key for future exploration is
stereolithography — the manufacturing of goods off the planet. We are never
going to get beyond LEO for a very long time unless we can fix the things that
we take with us. Right now, we bring spares with us to orbit, and if a computer
breaks we just replace it with a whole new computer. We should get better
at these kinds of things and fix them as we go — be able to make a new part,
bring your pocket 3D sintering machine, and make yourself a new widget for
whatever it is that broke. I think as commercial providers we can bring these
things to market and offer them up. NASA may develop them in house, but
it would be feasible if we could offer the government survival kits for space.
That’s how we (Boeing) and the commercial space industry can innovate
to make NASA’s business easier. There are a couple of areas out there, such
as in situ manufacturing and building a facility on the surface of the Moon,
that I think will be commercial ventures. It is not a question of ‘if’, but it is a
question of ‘when’ these will take shape, and it is inevitable. Space is just such
an unforgiving environment that the more you can prepare yourself for the
eventualities of things breaking down, the better you can explore.
Being a former NASA Astronaut and the commander for the last shuttle mission STS-135, how in your opinion would training compare for commercial verses NASA astronauts?
That’s a good question, and we are thinking about that now. We are trying to
make the commercial vehicle a lot simpler to operate than the space shut-
tle. The shuttle was wonderful but was labor intensive and required a lot of
intervention by a human, and there are a lot of different facets of the mission
that we think you can automate. Now, that’s not to say automation is always
better. Automation has a lot of overhead too, as it requires a lot more plan-
ning on the ground. And this is what I struggle with—if you had the ability
to automate something, does the pilot not provide a level of redundancy to
whatever it is you have automated? Can you not always use the pilot as a way
to recover from whatever automation has failed, and if you need to prepare
the pilot to take over in any case, then don’t you have to train the pilot just
as much if not more to cover an automatic vehicle than if you let the pilot
T O P Ferguson and the crew of STS-135.
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fly himself? So we are going to struggle as we approach flying operations
here; we are going to have to get very comfortable with the way our vehicle
works automatically to say we really don’t need to train our pilot that heavily
because the automation works. But, until we get comfortable, we are going
to train our pilots just as much in how to do things like perform an orbital
burn, or avoid a piece of space debris, or how to come back manually from
the ISS, in case our vehicle has a failure and has to do a manual deorbit burn
or the like. So there will be some training involved, but ideally several years
from now we will get so comfortable with automation that we will limit the
training the pilot receives to specific events. The pilot would be more of a sys-
tems’ monitor but would still need to know how to maneuver the spacecraft.
The CST-100 is completely autonomous from launch to landing. For an ideal
mission the pilot should never have to get involved other than to monitor the
systems and just to be there in case something unexpected may happen. We
will always have the ability to take over, fly manually, perform an abort, and
execute an orbital burn manually.
As a former NASA Astronaut and a current leader in the Commercial Space sector, what advice can you offer to commercial astronauts-in-training, such as the members of Astronauts4Hire?
Well, I’ll give you the first answer, what was the secret of my success? I’m
not really sure. I think that having the ability to spatially orient yourself is
really kind of the key. You wouldn’t think it is, but generally those who were
successful astronauts and pilots were the ones who made very successful
robotic arm operators and also performed well in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab
(NBL). There is something inherent about that ability to visualize things in
three dimensions, understanding the spatial relationship of things regardless
of which attitude you are in. I think being a pilot helps you develop those
skills. It does not mean you cannot be an astronaut if you are not a pilot,
but there is an intrinsic ability in some people to be successful in that realm,
and being a pilot actually fosters that development. Another important
aspect is getting close to the space program. I encourage folks to get into
the space program. You may really want to be an astronaut, but it would be
harder to become an astronaut if you are not working in the space program.
You may consider doing a co-op or an internship with NASA when you are
a student, or work for a company that specializes in space products, etc. The
closer you are to the space program, the more you will understand, and the
more you will appreciate the qualities that are inherent in those who have
become astronauts.
B O T T O M Ferguson trains in the Space Shuttle simulator.
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expandable Module on Space Station
NASA announced the terms of a landmark deal that will
allow Bigelow Aerospace, a private company based in
North Las Vegas, to attach one of its inflatable habitats to
the ISS. The deal gives the company, founded by hotelier
Robert Bigelow, the opportunity to test a new type of
space dwelling that would stay attached to the station
for at least two years. Under the agreement, NASA would
pay Bigelow Aerospace nearly $18 million for the module,
which is about the size of a large bedroom. It would be
used to increase the amount of living space aboard the
station, which itself is about as big as a football field.
READ | http://bit.ly/Bigelow-ISS
commercial Test Pilots to launch to leO by 2015
Garret Reisman from SpaceX stated at a NASA news
conference in Kennedy Space Center, “the commercial
crew program is
to certify systems
that will fly NASA
astronauts to the
space station”, but
within the safety
panel’s concern
is the option that
NASA could ask its commercial partners to fly the pre-
liminary orbital flights with their own crew before NASA
Astronauts can be aboard the commercial crew vehicle.
READ | http://bit.ly/SpaceX-humans-2015
liftoff! SpaceX Dragon launches first Private ISS cargo Mission
The unmanned Dragon space capsule, built by commercial
spaceflight firm SpaceX, roared to orbit atop the
company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station, beginning a three-day flight to the space station.
A B O V e NASA Astronaut Rex Walheim stands inside the Dragon Crew Engineering Model at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California.
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On October 7, 2012, SpaceX landed in the history books as
the first private company to launch a spacecraft on a cargo
mission to ISS. The mission is the first of a dozen SpaceX
cargo flights under a $1.6 billion deal with NASA for its
Commercial Resupply Services program. Dragon returned
to earth safely splashing down in the Pacific carrying return
cargo from ISS in the morning hours on October 28.
ARTICle | http://bit.ly/SpaceX-Dragon-launch
SpaceX Tests Reusable Rocket, Lucky Dummy Cowboy Goes for an exciting Ride
On December 17, 2012, SpaceX documented a successful
29 second test flight of the reusable rocket Grasshopper in
efforts to colonize Mars, Mr. Musk said “ reusable rockets
like the Grasshopper are the ‘pivotal step’ in achieving
that”, the cowboy dummy rose 131ft and hovered until
safely landed on the launch pad using closed loop thrust
vector and throttle control.
ARTICle | http://bit.ly/spacex-reusable-rocket
Smell Good in Space with the AXe Apollo™
Space Academy (AASA)
Buzz Aldrin has joined the team of AXe
to send 22 explorers to a suborbital
flight more than 100 kilometers into
space, achieving astronaut status. Space
expedition Corporation (SXC) secured
the seats in the lynx Spacecraft from XCOR. All you have
to do is sign up at axeapollosweepstakes.com and create
your astronaut profile and let the world know why you
deserve to go to space.
ARTICle | http://bit.ly/Aldrin-AASA
Space Insurance
Members of the congress extended the government
risk-sharing for commercial launch companies, which
require the commercial launch companies to purchase
insurance for any probable damage to third parties. But,
what about personal space travel insurance? Aon Risk
Solutions partnered with Space expedition Corporation
for an insurance policy providing comprehensive and
customized protection for space travelers. If you have
purchased a ticket on the lynx Spacecraft and for any
reason is cancelled, delayed or even it doesn’t come back
on time from space for your Monday morning meeting,
Aon has you covered!
ARTICle | http://bit.ly/space-travel-insurance
A B O V e Perspective: The six-foot tall cowboy dummy that rode the Grasshopper rocket all the way - and survived.
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Private company aims for Manned Moon Mission by 2020
Golden Spike, a new private venture, aims to sell manned
trips to the moon by the end of this decade. Alen Stern,
the Golden Spike’s CEO, and Chairman of the Board
Gerry Griffin, a former Apollo flight director and NASA
Johnson Space Center director, announced their plans
on December 6, 2012. For the same price as many
unmanned robotic missions, Golden Spike will provide a
round trip for two humans to the moon.
ARTICLE | http://bit.ly/Golden-Spike
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceshipTwo Passes Key flight TestOn December 19, 2012, Virgin Galactic suborbital Space-
shipTwo completed a key flight test at the Mojave Air and
Space Port in California — an on-the-fly appraisal that
serves as an important precursor to upcoming hot-en-
gine flights using its hybrid rocket motor.
“Today was a big step closer to first powered flight,” said
George Whitesides, CEO and president of Virgin Galactic,
a spaceliner firm backed by British entrepreneur Richard
Branson. “We still have a bit more work to do before we
will be ready to ignite the rocket, including two more
glide flights. 2013 will be a big year,” Whitesides said.
ARTICLE | http://bit.ly/SpaceShip-Two-Flight-Test
A B O V e Golden Spike announced its plans to offer round trips to the moon aboard commercial spacecraft like this lunar lander concept.
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by Paul McCall
Astronauts4Hire has experienced significant
growth in the last year. With membership
increasing to over 100, the platform for
A4H to engage the public with educational
and outreach activities has grown as well.
Many members take time to contribute to
various Science, Technology, Engineering,
Mathematics (STEM) related activities, both
at the educational and professional level. The
following are highlights of recent outreach
activities of A4H members all over the world.
Flight Member Luis Zea has taken time to give STEM
presentations to Eagle Rock High School in Estes Park,
CO as well as MI-EL Christian School in Santo Domingo,
Dominican Republic. For his talk in the Dominican
Republic, Luis was brought in to speak via Skype, further
demonstrating his passion and resourcefulness when
it comes to inspiring future scientists, engineers, and
astronauts. Both talks focused on the importance and
significance of human spaceflight, STEM-based careers, as
well as his involvement and training activities in A4H.
Flight Member Brian Shiro has continued his contribu-
tions both to A4H and future spacewalkers by volun-
teering his time at Pali Preschool in Honolulu. During his
talk, Brian spoke about space exploration and astronaut
training; both topics mesmerized and captured the full
attention of the young audience. Brian also has a unique
opportunity through his work at National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to regularly devote
time towards educating various student groups as well as
interested public. For example, Brian was recently able to
speak at the Kawananakoa Middle School career day.
A B O V e Brian Shiro talking to kids at Pali Preschool in Honolulu.
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Associate Member Kavya Manyapu presented at the
100 Year Starship Public Symposium held in Houston
in September. Kavya gave a presentation titled “Rocket
Science 101-Simple steps to designing a Spaceship” with
the goal to inspire the public and teachers about space
exploration and
give an overview
of what is involved
in designing a
spaceship. The 100 Year Starship Public Symposium was
attended by thought leaders, experts, trendsetters, space
advocates and space enthusiasts, international space
agencies, and numerous others of all ages and interests.
Flight Member Dr. Mindy Howard had the opportunity
to volunteer at the European Space Agency (ESA) Open
Day. More than 8500 people visited and were able to
inspect model spacecraft, see space exhibits, and talk
to dozens of ESTEC volunteers about past, present and
future ESA activities, along with representatives from
ESA’s industrial partners and the Dutch National Space
Office. Mindy volunteered to assist Holland Space Center
in giving children a chance to picture themselves in the
ISS as they got their pictures taken “in orbit”. (To view a
sample picture, see “Meet an A4H” in this issue).
Astronauts4Hire members strive to continuously give back
to their communities with idea sharing and outreach,
recognizing the key role of education in nurturing young
minds and a far-seeing outlook that goes beyond
the horizon.