The A4h NeWSSPRING 2013

1

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

ISSUE 4The A4h NeWS

2

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

newsletter@astronauts4hire.org

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

business@astronauts4hire.org

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

donate@astronauts4hire.org

Kavya K. ManyapuEditor-in-ChiefKavya.Manyapu@astronauts4hire.org

Gerry ManacsaDesignerGerry.Manacsa@astronauts4hire.org

Edwin VasquezContributorEdwin.Vasquez@astronauts4hire.org

Brian ShiroContributorBrian.Shiro@astronauts4hire.org

Paul McCallContributorPaul.McCall@astronauts4hire.org

thanks tO Our spOnsOrs

Erik SeedhouseContributorErik.Seedhouse@astronauts4hire.org

The A4h NeWSSPRING 2013

3

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

3

ISSUE 4The A4h NeWS

4

The A4h NeWSSPRING 2013

5

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,

5

PULLING EXPLORING thE scIENcEaNd thE thRILLs Of dEfyING GRavIty

by erik Seedhouse

ISSUE 4ThE A4h NEWS

6

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.

The A4h NeWSSPRING 2013

7

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.

7

ISSUe 4The A4h NeWS

8

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

The A4h NeWSSPRING 2013

9

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

9

ISSUE 4The A4h NeWS

10

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.

The A4h NeWSSPRING 2013

11

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.

ISSUE 4The A4h NeWS

12

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

The A4h NeWSSPRING 2013

13

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

ISSUE 4The A4h NeWS

14

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

15

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

imag

e: N

ASA

ISSUE 4The A4h NeWS

18

Imag

e: B

oein

g

18

The A4h NeWSSPRING 2013

1919

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

Imag

e: N

ASA

Imag

e: B

LM N

evad

a

ISSUE 4The A4h NeWS

20

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

Imag

e: B

oein

g

The A4h NeWSSPRING 2013

21

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.

Imag

e: B

oein

gIm

age:

Boe

ing

ISSUE 4The A4h NeWS

22

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.

The A4h NeWSSPRING 2013

23

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.

Imag

e: N

ASA

Imag

e: N

ASA

ISSUE 4The A4h NeWS

24

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.

Imag

e: N

ASA

Imag

e: N

ASA

Imag

e: S

pace

X

The A4h NeWSSPRING 2013

25

Imag

e: N

ASA

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.

Imag

e: S

pace

X

ISSUE 4The A4h NeWS

26

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.

Imag

e: G

olde

n Sp

ike

Imag

e: V

irgin

Gal

actic

B e l O W Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo takes another step closer to powered flight.

The A4h NeWSSPRING 2013

27

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.

ISSUE 4The A4h NeWS

28

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.