鈥淲here do you think robotic surgery came from?鈥� asked Esther Beltran, a medical doctor who鈥檚 treated astronauts at Johnson Space Center and an advisor to 麻豆原创鈥檚 Institute of Simulation and Training. 鈥淚t came from the robotic arm that Canada developed for the International Space Station.鈥�

In order for space research to continue to help our everyday living, more joint projects that cross multiple disciplines are needed, organizers said. That鈥檚 why the Florida Space Institute sponsored Space Day at 麻豆原创 on Tuesday.

The half-day program, which included 12 speakers and a question-and-answer session, was crafted to help stimulate new ideas for future KSC/麻豆原创 research and technology-development partnerships. The event drew about 40 researchers and students from across the state.

The message was clear. KSC is open for business and there is a lot of room for interested companies and entrepreneurs with good ideas.聽Attendees wasted no time in starting those cooperative conversations.

Scientists, some who had never met before, began exchanging business cards and sharing ideas for joint work during the breaks in the program.

Imagination is the limit, some said after hearing about several 麻豆原创 projects and one UF project. A UF researcher explained how a specialized camera on a small satellite his team developed is part of a pilot program that will help a Mexican oil company monitor network of oil pipelines to help deter theft.

And the opportunities are not limited to non-manned missions. Alan Stern, a former associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and the CEO of a private start-up company called Golden Spike, talked about the commercial effort his company is undertaking to provide lunar orbital and surface expeditions to the moon at affordable prices.

The former FSI director outlined how the company plans to execute routine trips to the moon for less than $7 billion, a huge sum for individuals, but not necessarily for governments, Stern said.

鈥淲e believe we will have plenty of customers,鈥� Stern told the audience. 鈥淲e crunched the numbers.鈥�

It takes NASA about $7 billion to send out robotic missions into the solar system. Golden Spike can deliver manned missions for that amount, he said. KSC is especially well situated for those moon trips because of its experience in launching manned and unmanned spacecraft through the years.

Aside from U.S. corporations, Stern believes other countries will want to be part of the exclusive club that鈥檚 placed people on the moon. By giving those countries an opportunity to do so, the company will help build some passion for space again.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to treat space like NASCAR, we鈥檙e going to make it exciting,鈥� Stern said.

He admitted some might think the plan sounds like science fiction, but he said that it was doable and pointed to journal articles some of the company鈥檚 researchers have published showing how it is possible by adapt current technology.

鈥淲e鈥檝e started the engineering studies,鈥� Stern said. 鈥淲e could be talking about two to four missions out of Florida, that鈥檚 a lot of jobs.鈥�

FSI is an institute of the State University System and is housed at 麻豆原创. It supports space research, development, and education activities. In addition, it supports the development of Florida鈥檚 space economy.

鈥淲e at the Florida Space Institute support the goals of the Google Lunar X-Prize and are proud to be helping Earthrise Space accomplish its ambitions,鈥� said Florida Space Institute Director Dr. Alan Stern.

The equipment, already installed at ESI鈥檚 facility in Research Park near the 麻豆原创, will be used to test hardware for the company鈥檚 GLXP mission to get to the moon. The 80 square foot class 100k clean room will be used for spacecraft assembly. The cylindrical 2ft x 2ft vacuum chamber will be used to outgas spacecraft components and to test the full scale flight rover. The thermal chamber, capable of producing temperatures between -300oF and +600oF, will be used to ensure that spacecraft components can withstand the extreme temperatures found in outer space.

鈥淲e are excited to welcome the Florida Space Institute as our latest partner in the Omega Envoy project,鈥� said Joseph Palaia, Chief Operating Officer for ESI. 鈥淭he equipment they have provided will be put to direct use by our student team members as they build and test hardware for our GLXP mission. We also look forward to exploring additional areas for collaboration with FSI to pursue our very synergistic corporate objectives.鈥�

The Florida Space Institute, located next to the 麻豆原创 in Research Park, is one of Florida鈥檚 premier technical education centers, and a growing leader in space research in Florida. Located near NASA鈥檚 Kennedy Space Center, FIT is perfectly situated to channel highly-trained professionals and cutting-edge technology into the classroom.

Earthrise Space, Inc. is a Florida-based non-profit corporation dedicated to developing space technology in collaboration with industry and academic institutions. ESI’s Omega Envoy Project is creating a key set of lunar spacecraft infrastructure, which will fulfill the requirements of the Google Lunar X PRIZE and provide a platform for the delivery of commercial payloads to the lunar surface. All ESI efforts involve significant numbers of students and young professionals through paid internships, providing them with hands on experience building real spacecraft, and preparing them for future employment in the entrepreneurial space industry.

For more information, visit https://lunar.xprize.org/teams/omega-envoy.

Scientists from the 麻豆原创 and the University of Florida are involved in the various projects, which involve experts in chemistry, physics, electrical engineering, planetary science, computer science, and nanotechnology.

鈥淎s NASA focuses more on its research and technology mission we need to continue to support the science that will propel space innovation,鈥� said M.J. Soileau, the vice president for research & commercialization at 麻豆原创.

The money was made available through the Space Research Initiative (SRI), a collaborative program between 麻豆原创 and UF started to support joint efforts between the two universities in space-related research.

The winning proposals are expected to draw additional funding from NASA, industry, and other federal and state agencies, said S. Alan Stern, who is serving as director of the Florida Space Institute.

鈥淭he proposals were selected to broaden 麻豆原创 and UF鈥檚 future space research portfolios and keep Florida at the forefront of space exploration,鈥� Stern said.

Individual awards range from $9,500 up to $100,000. Funding will begin in July. And this is just the beginning.

鈥淲e expect to be looking for more cutting-edge research proposals later this year,鈥� Stern said pleased at the quality of the 41 proposals submitted during this grant period.

The selected projects are:

1. Image-Based Motion Estimation and Tracking for Collaborative Space Assets: Led by Aman Behal, of the 麻豆原创 NanoScience Technology Center and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department.
2. Improved RTGs With Refractory Nanoelectroceramic Composites: Led by Richard Blair of the 麻豆原创 department of chemistry.
3. Dust Detection in Low-Medium Earth Orbit via Single or Cooperative Pico-Scale Satellites, led by Eric Bradley fom 麻豆原创鈥檚 department of physics.
4. Maximizing the Science Return from Small Body Lightcurves, led by Daniel Britt from the 麻豆原创 department of physics
5. Ultraviolet Transmission Filters for Cubesat Photometer, led by Richard Eastes of the Florida Space Institute at 麻豆原创.
6. Searching for Signatures of Recent Asteroid Disruptions in the WISE dataset led by Ashley Espy of the 麻豆原创 department of physics.
7. Phase Shifters: New Space System Antennas, led by Xun Gong, of the electrical engineering department.
8. Graphene鈥怋ased Uncooled Far-Infrared Spectrometer On a Chip, led by Masahiro Ishigami of the NanoScience Technology Center at 麻豆原创.
9. New Hydrogen Sensor Systems, led by聽Lei Zhai from聽the NanoScience Technology Center and the chemistry department.聽

鈥淭he primary purpose of the event was to give greater insight into future collaborative opportunities between 麻豆原创 and Kennedy Space Center’s research and technology office 鈥� and it was well received,鈥� said Alan Stern, the director of The Florida Space Institute, which sponsored the event.

Karen Thompson, NASA KSC Chief Technologist kicked off the morning by talking about past NASA-麻豆原创 collaborations and sharing a vision for the future. The storage, distribution and conservation of fluids, materials for life cycle optimization, advancing habitation systems, space launch, and suborbital technology are among some of the key topics that NASA discussed.

The Florida Space Institute is a collaboration among Florida universities and colleges. FSI鈥檚 goal is to develop a strong synergistic space program for 麻豆原创 and it鈥檚 partners.

麻豆原创 has a long and unique history tied to the space program at Kennedy Space Center. 麻豆原创 was formed in 1963, first as Florida Technological University in part to train workers for the Apollo program. Since then, 麻豆原创鈥檚 faculty members and students have continued to feed the space industry with talented graduates, innovative research projects, and educational opportunities.

鈥溌槎乖粹�檚 Florida Space Institute is in an excellent position to leverage Florida, 麻豆原创 and the State University System into new research and education roles with NASA, with other space agencies and with the budding commercial space industry,鈥� Stern said. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to lead FSI into this new era.鈥�

The institute, located at Kennedy Space Center, is a collaboration among 10 universities that combine their educational programs, facilities, engineering support and grants to create a strong synergistic structure for space research and education. In his new role at 麻豆原创, Stern will lead the institute and coordinate industry, research and administrative efforts in space science, engineering and education.

Stern, who has a doctorate in astrophysics and planetary science from the University of Colorado, has the perfect blend of experience to lead such a unique institute.

The former NASA science chief is an experienced researcher with more than 200 publications, and he also is a specialist in space science instrumentation. Stern has been involved as a researcher in 24 suborbital, orbital and planetary space missions, and he has led the development of eight scientific instruments for NASA space missions. In 2010, he became a suborbital payload specialist trainee. Time Magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in 2007.

Stern hasn鈥檛 slowed down since leaving NASA.

He is training to fly a series of suborbital space research missions with Virgin Galactic and XCOR Aerospace in 2013-2014. They are among the companies working to give citizens a chance to fly in space along with scientists who need regular access to space to complete important research.

Stern also is principal investigator of the NASA New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, and he is the chief scientist and mission architect for the Moon Express Google Lunar X-Prize Team. He also continues to serve as a vice president for the Southwest Research Institute.

鈥淲e are thrilled to have someone of Dr. Stern鈥檚 caliber,鈥� said M.J. Soileau, vice president for research and commercialization. 鈥淗e will help us more effectively develop projects to support the space industry in the state and the nation.鈥�

麻豆原创 has a long and unique history tied to the space program at Kennedy Space Center. 麻豆原创 was formed in 1963, first as Florida Technological University in part to train workers for the Apollo program. Since then, 麻豆原创鈥檚 faculty members and students have continued to keep close ties to the space industry.

Today’s announcement is notable not just because it represents a rare update from Blue Origin, but also because it marks a step forward for suborbital science. “This is the first time that a next-gen suborbital company has selected payloads to fly in space,” Alan Stern, planetary scientist and former NASA science official told me.

The three experiments are:

* “Three-Dimensional Critical Wetting Experiment in Microgravity.” Principal investigator: Stephen Collicott of Purdue University. Collicott’s research focuses on how fluids behave in zero-gravity environments. Such studies are crucial for propulsion system design.

* “Microgravity Experiment on Dust Environments in Astrophysics” (MEDEA). Principal investigator: Joshua Colwell, of the 麻豆原创. Colwell’s experiment is aimed at shedding light on the process by which space dust builds up to form planets, or the rings around those planets.

* “Effective lnterfacial Tension lnduced Convection” (EITIC). Principal investigator: John Pojman, of Louisiana State University. Pojman concentrates on the interaction of fluids in zero-G.

Blue Origin has said that the first experiments could fly during New Shepard’s unmanned testing phase in 2011, and that experiments requiring human tending could be taken up starting in 2012. That schedule is still operative, but it’s too early to be more specific about the launch timing, Stern told me.

Posted: Monday, November 23, 2009 8:45 PM by Alan Boyle. To read the entire article titled, Suborbital Science Goes Public, visit the Web site.