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SOFIA |
UF Scientist Exploring Novel Instrument for NASA’s Airborne Observatory
Dr. Chris Packham of the UF Astronomy Department is leading a program to design a new polarimeter for NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). SOFIA consists of a 2.5-meter telescope in a modified Boeing 747. Because it operates at a high altitude (~12.5km), SOFIA can make observations in an otherwise opaque part of the atmosphere. Packham is working with researchers at the University of Central Florida, Japan, and the UK, and is funded by the UCF-UF Space Research Initiative, to investigate materials and the optimal design for a SOFIA-based polarimeter. The instrument will allow SOFIA to study objects as diverse as galaxies and active galactic nuclei (i.e. quasars), star-forming regions, and planet-spawning debris disks around young stars. Packham is also collaborating with the University of Minnesota on a 6.5-meter telescope that will allow ground-based polarimetry with a resolution over two times better than that of the Hubble Space Telescope. Dr. Packham can be reached at packham@astro.ufl.edu.
UF Researcher Helps Bacteria Stow Away on NASA Mission
NASA’s launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis, STS-122, now planned for January, is currently manifested to fly a University of Florida experiment to examine how bacterial spores fare in the rigors of space, in preparation for a Mars-bound ship. “We’re pretty sure that it’s possible that this life could survive out there – but exactly how possible?” asked UF astrobiologist Wayne Nicholson, who worked on the project in NASA’s Space Life Sciences Laboratory at the Kennedy Space Center. The experiments will expose several types of living bacteria to space for over a year; on return to Earth the bacteria will be tested for survival, and genetic and physiologic changes. By knowing how bacteria react to the environment, researchers could distinguish between a genuine Martian bacterium and a space-altered one that had simply “stowed away” on a robotic lander to Mars. For more information on the NASA mission, click here. Nicholson can be contacted at wln@ufl.edu.
UF Engineering and Astronomy win Space Florida Funding
Space Florida's Board of Directors approved a $349,000 grant to researchers at the University of Florida for a "Precision Attitude Determination and Control System for Small Satellites". This effort combines two major areas of UF research, aerospace engineering and astronomical instrumentation, to produce a viable system for small spacecraft while also having commercial potential. UF proposes to work with industry partners so that technology transfer and commercialization of the research results will occur in Florida as soon as possible.
Dr. Norman Fitz-Coy, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Dr. Steve Eikenberry, Department of Astronomy, are the co-PI's for this effort. Kristen Riley led the definition of the technology commercialization aspects of the proposal and will work with the team to identify and secure industry partners during this 18 month effort.
Space Research Colloquium Held at UF
Through the Interdisciplinary Program Development Office, the Office of Research hosted a Space Research Colloquium on August 28-29, 2007. The event offered a multi-disciplinary forum for researchers and faculty to present and gain visibility for their research, as well as networking and research opportunities. Twenty-four presentations were given on topics such as life support systems, biological sciences, astronomy, and aerospace vehicles and systems. The faculty presentations have been posted on the UF Space Research website at http://www.ufspaceresearch.com/ppt.php. Faculty interested in teaming on future funding opportunities are encouraged to enter their research capabilities into the “Faculty Expertise” database located at www.ufspaceresearch.com.
For further information contact Kristen Riley at kjriley@ufl.edu.
UF Alumnus Named NASA’s Chief Engineer
University of Florida alum Michael Ryschkewitsch (B.S. Physics ’73, UF) was recently named the chief engineer of NASA. In his new position, Ryschkewitsch oversees the technical readiness of all the agency’s programs. The overarching goal of the Chief Engineer’s office is to ensure that operations are based on sound engineering and appropriate levels of risk. Previously Ryschkewitsch served as the deputy center director for NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. In addition, he has won various achievement awards. A more detailed biography of Ryschkewitsch can be found here.
Fall Seminar Series: Space Science at the University of Leicester
On October 30, 2007, Professor Alan Wells of the University of Leicester (England, UK) gave a seminar on the space-related activities undertaken by his institution. Leicester has one of the largest campus-based space research groups in Europe. Its main research areas include high-energy astrophysics, earth-observation science, and planetary research. The group has built a number of instruments at Leicester that are currently on orbit in four international spacecraft. In addition, Wells detailed the university’s outreach activities, including its foundation of the National Space Centre in Leicester, which attracts over 200,000 visitors annually.
Wells is the co-author of the original concept of the Space Centre – a £60-million project – for which he has served as non-executive director since 1998. For more on Professor Wells and his visit, click here. Wells can be contacted at aw@star.le.ac.uk. For more on Leicester’s Space Research Center, see the following page.
During his visit to the U.S., Professor Wells was invited to the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery on October 23 during which he was given the VIP treatment as a special guest of the Kennedy Space Center. As such he enjoyed the special tours and shuttle flight briefings, and was accommodated at the Banana River launch viewing site at KSC for the actual viewing of the launch.
Dean’s Seminar Series: Director of NASA’s Ames Research Center
On November 8, 2007, Dr. S. Pete Worden spoke at UF. Worden is the director of NASA’s Ames Research Center. Dr. Worden spoke on the U.S. vision for space exploration, which had been outline by President Bush in 2004. NASA Ames is also leading the agency’s efforts in small spacecraft, especially those that will be used for future space science payloads. For more on Dr. Worden and the vision for space exploration, see the following PDF.
New Addition to the Astronomy Department
Dr. Fred Hearty has officially joined the Department of Astronomy as a project manager for the MARVELS project. Dr. Hearty earned his Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Colorado in 2007, and specializes in IR instrumentation and gamma-ray-burst science. Hearty has over 20 years of management experience in industry, with stints at GE and Science Applications International Corp./Informatics Corp.
Sloan Foundation to Support AS2 Project (SDSS III)
The Sloan Foundation has officially agreed to support the AS2 project with funding of $7 million. Now, AS2 will be officially called the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III (SDSS) after its predecessors SDSS I and II. The third-generation SDSS will run from 2008-2014. One part of SDSS III, the MARVELS project, will search tens of thousands of stars to find and describe hundreds of giant planets. The SDSS III committee, which includes Dr. Jian Ge, the MARVELS principal investigator, is raising additional funds of $40 million to support the SDSS survey. Further details about SDSS III will be released in January during the American Astronomical Society meeting.
Recent analyses by Madrid et al. (2006) and Madrid and Macchetto (2006) rate the SDSS as the most productive astronomical observatory in 2003 and 2004, based on citations to high-impact papers published in those years. For more information, contact Dr. Jian Ge at jge@astro.ufl.edu.
MARVELS On Track To Become Official Member of SDSS III
The MARVELS planet survey is in position to become an official member of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III. As of now, the majority of MARVELS design work has been completed, and the entire project will undergo a critical design review in late December in Gainesville. Participating in the review are several SDSS notables, including Jim Gunn (SDSS I, project scientist) and Bruce Gillespie (SDSS II program manager). MARVELS is scheduled to complete the hardware development by the end of April 2008 and commission the survey instruments at Apache Point Observatory in May 2008. Once the survey instruments pass the observatory acceptance test in July 2008, UF will become an official member of the SDSS III consortium. Then, UF researchers will have access to the entire SDSS III data when the survey begins in September 2008. For more information, contact Dr. Jian Ge at jge@astro.ufl.edu.
Brain Cells Sensitive to Space Radiation
A team that included UF’s McKnight Brain Institute has discovered that space radiation targets a type of stem cell in the hippocampus that is thought to be used in learning and mood control. The researchers – from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Kennedy Space Center, and UF – used a mouse model that could reveal any change in the population of brain cells. The results were unexpected, and suggest that the understanding of stem cell susceptibility to radiation needs to be re-considered – for longer-distance space travel and even routine medical procedures. “Our discovery does not present any adverse issues for the astronaut program because the ground-based dose and application of radiation we used were not comparable to that seen for existing space travel,” said Dennis A. Steindler, executive director of the McKnight Brain Institute and co-investigator in the research. Philip Scarpa, a flight surgeon at Kennedy Space Center, added, “We need to better investigate this issue and assess the risk to the astronauts in order to know whether we need countermeasures such as medications or improved shielding. We should expect that within each organ system, there may be different cell sensitivities that need to be considered when defining space radiation dose limits.” For more information, click here.
Space Research at UF
A new website to keep faculty aware of "space" related activities at the university is now on-line. This new resource provides information on current research, open funding opportunities, upcoming events, and proposal assistance. There is also a faculty expertise database where individuals can enter their research expertise and share it with colleagues for potential collaboration opportunities. This site can be accessed at http://www.ufspaceresearch.com.
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