NASA/HQ is hereby soliciting information about potential sources to provide support for study and report on radiation standards for lunar sortie missions. This will consist of an Ad Hoc committee to perform an independent assessment of the program's technical quality, relevance to exploration objectives, and effectiveness in maturing and infusing technologies. This work will assist the Government in overseeing the Constellation, human research, exploration technology development and lunar precursor robotic programs as well as the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Project.

Continue reading "NASA Solicitation: Exploration Systems Mission: Radiation Standards for Lunar Sortie Missions" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cosmic rays represent one of the most fascinating research themes in modern astronomy and physics. Significant progress is being made toward an understanding of the astrophysics of the sources of cosmic rays and the physics of interactions in the ultrahigh-energy range. This is possible because several new experiments in these areas have been initiated. Cosmic rays may hold answers to a great number of fundamental questions, but they also shape our natural habitat and influence the radiation environment of our planet Earth. The importance of the study of cosmic rays has been acknowledged in many fields, including space weather science and astrobiology.

Continue reading "Cosmic Rays: A Review for Astrobiologists" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 2:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

NASA has selected four proposals for research to help understand space radiation's affects on human living in space. NASA selected proposals from the New York University School of Medicine in New York, the University of Texas Medical Branch in Houston, Loma Linda University in California and Georgetown University in Washington. The universities will work with collaborating organizations around the country.

These institutions will become NASA Specialized Centers of Research. They will consist of teams of investigators who have complementary skills and work together to solve a closely focused set of research questions. The proposals support the space radiation program element within NASA's Human Research Program.

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Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) has released NASA Research Announcement (NRA) NNJ09ZSA001N, entitled "Ground-Based Studies in Space Radiobiology." This NRA solicits ground-based proposals for the Space Radiation Program Element (SRPE) components of the Human Research Program (HRP). Proposals are solicited by the SRPE in the area of Space Radiation Biology utilizing beams of high energy heavy ions simulating space radiation at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL), at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) in Upton, New York.

The full text of the solicitation is available on the NASA Research Opportunities homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com under menu listing "Open Solicitations." Potential applicants are urged to access this site well in advance of the proposal due date to familiarize themselves with its structure and to register in the system. Proposals solicited through this NRA will use a two-step proposal process. Only Step-1 proposers determined to be relevant with respect to the Research Emphases outlined in Section (I)(F) of this NRA will be invited to submit full Step-2 proposals. Step-2 proposals must be compliant with respect to all sections of this NRA or they will be declined without review. Proposals must be submitted electronically. Step-1 proposals are due April 23, 2009. Step-2 proposals are due June 25, 2009.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Research Announcement (NRA) solicits proposals for NASA Specialized Centers of Research (NSCOR) in support of the Space Radiation Program Element within the Human Research Program. NNJ08ZSA003N, entitled, " NASA Specialized Centers of Research (NSCORs): Carcinogenesis and Central Nervous System Risks from Space Radiation."

The central focus of this solicitation is research that will provide the basis for improved estimation and uncertainty reduction for solid cancer, leukemia and central nervous system (CNS) risks from space radiation. In addition the discovery of biological countermeasure approaches to reduce solid cancer risks from galactic cosmic rays (GCR) is a focus. To be responsive to this research solicitation, proposed studies should be hypothesis-driven using cutting edge approaches that will lead to new knowledge within accepted scientific standards. Purely phenomenological approaches with no significant mechanistic basis or likely gain in scientific knowledge will not be funded.

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Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Report: Managing Space Radiation Risk in the New Era of Space Exploration

"For astronauts, however, there is one danger in space that does not end when they step out of their spacecraft. The radiation that permeates space-- unattenuated by Earth's atmosphere and magnetosphere--may damage or kill cells within astronauts' bodies, resulting in cancer or other health consequences years after a mission ends."

Drug protects mice, monkeys from radiation damage, Reuters

"An experimental drug helped protect mice and monkeys from the damaging effects of radiation, researchers said on Thursday, in a finding that may lead to less toxic cancer treatments or an emergency treatment for radiation exposure."

An Agonist of Toll-Like Receptor 5 Has Radioprotective Activity in Mouse and Primate Models, Science (subscription)

"... Supported by grants CA75179 and AI066497 from NIH and grants from NASA (U.S. National Aeronuautics and Space Administration)"

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) has released NASA Research Announcement (NRA) NNJ08ZSA001N, entitled "Ground-Based Studies in Space Radiobiology." This NRA solicits ground-based proposals for the Space Radiation Program Element (SRPE) components of the Human Research Program (HRP). Proposals are solicited by the SRPE in the area of Space Radiation Biology utilizing beams of high energy heavy ions simulating space radiation at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL), at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) in Upton, New York.

Continue reading "NASA Research Announcement (NRA) NNJ08ZSA001N Ground-Based Studies in Space Radiobiology" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 7:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As an extension of the "Radiation Biology Educator Guide" developed by the Space Biosciences Outreach Office in FY06, we are currently adapting the material to provide three hands-on activities that meet middle school national standards. This task is part of a Marshall Space Flight Center Education Affairs Office project entitled Radiation and Human Space Flight. We completed a significant component in the current project by presenting the material to an educator audience for review and evaluation.

Continue reading "Radiation Biology Educators Guide" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NAI graduate student Irene Schneider from Jim Kasting's group at Penn State has been selected by NASA/Mars Society as crew physicist for the upcoming expedition 61 for the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS). MDRS Crew 61/Spaceward Bound Crew Five is a two week mission simulation carried out in the dessert of Utah where NASA, in collaboration with The Mars Society, runs simulations for future manned missions to the red planet. There she will be developing and helping implement the first EVA emergency radiation protocols. Congratulations Irene! [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)