Vom Rajje Ge Addu
Labels: Under Mp3.
posted by Theawaykid coporation @ 4:16 AM
:: A tribute to our friend, Jw.
JW came to my attention in July of 1999 when he was appointed 
official helper to come work on regteam. As is often the case with someone
we don't know, I was curious about who he was, where he was from, how old he
was, what his nick meant.
I didn't find out for several years that he was a man my age from
the same area in the country as I was, and that his nick meant what it
sounded like; a victim of a terrible accident that broke his back, JW was
substantially paralized.
It took even longer for me to find out that he lived with
constant pain and regular difficult physical therapy. It's not uncommon for
a victim like JW to seek to expand his compromised life style in the magical
medium of IRC.
However it *is* uncommon to find a person like JW anywhere at
all. I don't think anyone ever heard JW complain about his personal physical
predicament. I personally never heard JW "complain" about anything. I never
heard a negative phrase about anyone or anything from his keyboard.
Certainly such discipline in the face of adversity such as his is very rare.
When some of think of JW they think "work horse". He had the time
certainly to apply to the drudging thankless tasks we must accomplish to
keep this service running. But JW won't be remembered for that. JW had the
time to chat. And he did, a lot.
Making friends, mentoring newbies, sharing feelings and
experiences were JW's tools to fill a void in his life and indeed addressing
voids in the lives of others. Unavoidably, he touched many with his courage,
his calm and his compassion.
When JW warned us that he had a necessary surgery coming up that
would take him off IRC for up to two months, it was a pretty casual
statement. And the day he had to go he finished up as much work as he could,
apologized for his upcoming absence, and said "back in a bit". Well he knew
more than he was letting on.
So now that we know he isn't coming back, the fact is
incomprehensible. He was a best friend to many, which is a hard thing to do.
No one disliked him for any reason, even harder. The quality of the work
that he did will not be surpassed.
We must remember JW and his special philosophy and demeanor as we
proceed with life on IRC and off. You can make the best of what you have. In
fact you can take what you have and make a real difference in peoples'
lives.
JW did this and it's going to take a long time to realize the
extent of his effect on all of us. If we could all do just a little bit of
what JW did, the world would be a better place.
It's human nature to experience a loss such as this as personal.
JW would prefer that it not be perceived as a loss. You can still chat with
JW in your mind because he's already made his mark and you know what he
would say.
So enough loss and on with a legacy. While JW is too humble to
acknowledge that he might become a legacy in our minds, we must acknowledge
JW and his effect on our lives.
And as we go back to work, that's exactly what we're going to do.
You can feel your pain, but for JW, celebrate the experience that he gave us
and that will endure in his absence.
saralee...
thanks Doc
Hi, I like to share a bit of background info about JwPara.
He was John Walker, from Wilmington, North Carolina, USA. He was
47, divorced, has two kids, John and Nikki, ages 19 and 24. He was very
proud of both of them, I might add.
At the age of 28, in Sept '85, he had fallen from a height of 30
feet, a 3-story building while doing construction work.
He landed on his feet, but the impact broke his back.. and as a
result, he was paralyzed from the waist down.
He was a paramedic by training and knew how much his life would
change on that eventful day.
As Doc had mentioned, he was in constant pain, but he never talked
about it much. He was that kind of guy.
Last October, he had surgery preformed on his spine/neck to
relieve some of the pressure that was causing him to loose strength in his
arms and fingers.
The operation would fuse 4 of his neck bones and he would, quite
literally, have a "stiff" neck.
While the surgery was a success, the doctors found that he wasn't
recovering the way they expected, and did more tests. More visits to the
hospital were needed.
Several weeks later they found something much more serious.. a
bone fungus that would spread rapidly.
On Dec 26, he was told that he only had 6 months to live.
He kept this a secret, even from his closest friends and family as
long as possible.
On Monday, he was looking forward to being back online very soon
and getting his computer up and running (it was in the shop for repairs on
his hard drive).
He especially missed working with all of us and I don't think he
knew himself what little time he had left.
John passed away peacefully on Jan 26th at 2:15 am at home, with
his mother, children, brother and love ones at his bedside (new york time)
John was my mentor on CService and my dear friend. He was a
remarkable teacher and taught me many things.
He always looked for the best in people. I don't remember a time
when he was angry.
He enjoyed helping when he could, but most of all, he had
unbelievable patience with little regard for his own discomfort.
He paid attention to details as only a good listener can. There is
a big hole in CService and in many of our hearts right now.
People like John are not so easy to clone.
For John, and others who dedicate their time to Undernet so
unselfishly, thank you. Your continued support, patience and understanding
will not be easily forgotten.
official helper to come work on regteam. As is often the case with someone
we don't know, I was curious about who he was, where he was from, how old he
was, what his nick meant.
I didn't find out for several years that he was a man my age from
the same area in the country as I was, and that his nick meant what it
sounded like; a victim of a terrible accident that broke his back, JW was
substantially paralized.
It took even longer for me to find out that he lived with
constant pain and regular difficult physical therapy. It's not uncommon for
a victim like JW to seek to expand his compromised life style in the magical
medium of IRC.
However it *is* uncommon to find a person like JW anywhere at
all. I don't think anyone ever heard JW complain about his personal physical
predicament. I personally never heard JW "complain" about anything. I never
heard a negative phrase about anyone or anything from his keyboard.
Certainly such discipline in the face of adversity such as his is very rare.
When some of think of JW they think "work horse". He had the time
certainly to apply to the drudging thankless tasks we must accomplish to
keep this service running. But JW won't be remembered for that. JW had the
time to chat. And he did, a lot.
Making friends, mentoring newbies, sharing feelings and
experiences were JW's tools to fill a void in his life and indeed addressing
voids in the lives of others. Unavoidably, he touched many with his courage,
his calm and his compassion.
When JW warned us that he had a necessary surgery coming up that
would take him off IRC for up to two months, it was a pretty casual
statement. And the day he had to go he finished up as much work as he could,
apologized for his upcoming absence, and said "back in a bit". Well he knew
more than he was letting on.
So now that we know he isn't coming back, the fact is
incomprehensible. He was a best friend to many, which is a hard thing to do.
No one disliked him for any reason, even harder. The quality of the work
that he did will not be surpassed.
We must remember JW and his special philosophy and demeanor as we
proceed with life on IRC and off. You can make the best of what you have. In
fact you can take what you have and make a real difference in peoples'
lives.
JW did this and it's going to take a long time to realize the
extent of his effect on all of us. If we could all do just a little bit of
what JW did, the world would be a better place.
It's human nature to experience a loss such as this as personal.
JW would prefer that it not be perceived as a loss. You can still chat with
JW in your mind because he's already made his mark and you know what he
would say.
So enough loss and on with a legacy. While JW is too humble to
acknowledge that he might become a legacy in our minds, we must acknowledge
JW and his effect on our lives.
And as we go back to work, that's exactly what we're going to do.
You can feel your pain, but for JW, celebrate the experience that he gave us
and that will endure in his absence.
saralee...
thanks Doc
Hi, I like to share a bit of background info about JwPara.
He was John Walker, from Wilmington, North Carolina, USA. He was
47, divorced, has two kids, John and Nikki, ages 19 and 24. He was very
proud of both of them, I might add.
At the age of 28, in Sept '85, he had fallen from a height of 30
feet, a 3-story building while doing construction work.
He landed on his feet, but the impact broke his back.. and as a
result, he was paralyzed from the waist down.
He was a paramedic by training and knew how much his life would
change on that eventful day.
As Doc had mentioned, he was in constant pain, but he never talked
about it much. He was that kind of guy.
Last October, he had surgery preformed on his spine/neck to
relieve some of the pressure that was causing him to loose strength in his
arms and fingers.
The operation would fuse 4 of his neck bones and he would, quite
literally, have a "stiff" neck.
While the surgery was a success, the doctors found that he wasn't
recovering the way they expected, and did more tests. More visits to the
hospital were needed.
Several weeks later they found something much more serious.. a
bone fungus that would spread rapidly.
On Dec 26, he was told that he only had 6 months to live.
He kept this a secret, even from his closest friends and family as
long as possible.
On Monday, he was looking forward to being back online very soon
and getting his computer up and running (it was in the shop for repairs on
his hard drive).
He especially missed working with all of us and I don't think he
knew himself what little time he had left.
John passed away peacefully on Jan 26th at 2:15 am at home, with
his mother, children, brother and love ones at his bedside (new york time)
John was my mentor on CService and my dear friend. He was a
remarkable teacher and taught me many things.
He always looked for the best in people. I don't remember a time
when he was angry.
He enjoyed helping when he could, but most of all, he had
unbelievable patience with little regard for his own discomfort.
He paid attention to details as only a good listener can. There is
a big hole in CService and in many of our hearts right now.
People like John are not so easy to clone.
unselfishly, thank you. Your continued support, patience and understanding
will not be easily forgotten.
Labels: under Undernet and mIRC
posted by Theawaykid coporation @ 1:18 PM
:: Coder Committee web page redesign contest
Greetings.The Undernet Coder Committee would like to announce a contest:
We are seeking entries for a redesign of the Coder Committee web page.
Contestants should place their design on a publicly accessible
web server and submit the URL to coder-com@undernet.org no later than
June 15, 2005.
Entries may include the author's name or nickname in a page footer. The
Undernet logo and button bar need not be a part of your design, as they
will be added.
Each entry will be linked to the current coder-com page, and a winner will
be announced by June 25th.
For a list of entrants, see http://coder-com.undernet.org/.
Note: For all those that entered the previous contest about a year and a
half ago, we are extremely sorry for our lack of diligence in completing
the contest at that time. If you would like, just resubmit your site
and/or change/rework it, and it will be added to the list of entrants.
Labels: under Undernet and mIRC
posted by Theawaykid coporation @ 1:17 PM
:: Forum Additions
Hiya All,We have installed some additions to the Undernet Forum for all of you to enjoy, and hopefully to encourage you to use the Undernet Website and forums more often.
We now have a "Cyber Pet" installed called Rabbitoshi, a virtual pet which you can purchase in the forum and take care of its needs.
We also have a casino where you can play games such as slots, blackjack and other similar games.
The way these new features work are based on a points / cash system. The more active you are in the Undernet Forum, the more cash / points you gain and are able to spend this in the "Casino" or on your CyberPet.
I hope you enjoy the new features and please tell your friends online about our wonderful website :-)
http://forum.undernet.org
Support channel for this game is #Rabbistoshi
Shaun Okeefe
Undernet User-Committee
Webmasters / Translators / Promotions
simba@user-com.undernet.org
Labels: under Undernet and mIRC
posted by Theawaykid coporation @ 1:16 PM
:: New Server
The website is back as we can all see. That's good news! But, there is more. Undernet has granted a TESTLINK to a new server again. This time the server name is: SanJose.CA.US.Undernet.orgCongrats to their team, and hope to see it permanently linked very soon.
Labels: under Undernet and mIRC
posted by Theawaykid coporation @ 1:14 PM
: Another server granted a TESTLINK to the Undernet
On 5th of April 2006 Miami.FL.US.Undernet.Org server granted TESTLINK on Undernet, let's hope it grants PERMLINK and one more server will be available from now. The name of server might sound familiar, but the old Miami server was renamed in Montreal.QC.CA.Undernet.org a few months ago, so same name but new server and staff.Labels: under Undernet and mIRC
posted by Theawaykid coporation @ 1:10 PM
New US Server
|
Labels: under Undernet and mIRC
posted by Theawaykid coporation @ 1:05 PM
: New Mexican Server !
|
Labels: under Undernet and mIRC
posted by Theawaykid coporation @ 1:04 PM
mIRC 6.21 has been released!
As always this new version of mIRC addresses many of the issues reported since the last release. A lot of time was spent tweaking features and fixing bugs. We worked on the installer, logfile handling, script error handling, as well as a handful of other things. Only a few new features and functions have been added, making this mainly a bugfix release.
The mIRC installer has improved a lot! The installer now offers several pre-defined modes that allow you to choose between an Upgrade, Full or Custom install. It ensures that backups of old files are successful, reports error and aborts the installation if it failed for some reason.
The IRC Servers dialog now uses a treeview to display the servers list. In response to this change the format of the servers.ini file has changed to accomodate for a larger amount of servers. The DNS routines have changed so that on connect the retrieved pool of IP addresses is randomised to spread the load across connections.
Preparing for a fully Vista (the new Windows) compliant version of mIRC several changes have been made. These incluse minor cosmetic issues, icons, a new help file in .chm format, etc. Also a command line option has been created that makes mIRC avoid all use of the registry. If this switch is used, mIRC stores registry information in the mirc.ini file in a [user] section, and does not modify registry to support irc:// links etc. This comes handy when you want to run mIRC from a memory stick or similar device.
A lot of changes have been made to the way mIRC names and stores logfiles. This is mainly done to prevent file corruption and loss of data when you open multiple server connections. mIRC tries to name and rename logfiles as smart as possible. Also, when settings are changed in the logging dialog, the logging state of windows and any open log filenames are now immediately updated to reflect the new settings. In previous versions new settings were only applied when a new window was created.
We hope to have smashed the confusing 'flash' and 'beep' options by adding a "Default" menu item to System Menu Flash/Beep items, allowing channel/query/chat windows to use the default settings as set in the Options/Sounds dialog. And disabling sounds in the Sounds dialog now does actually disable -all- sounds, even those using /splay or /beep. ;-)
For experienced users and scripting enthousiasts this new version has heaps of fixes, changes and other little thingies to play with. Some of the more useful changes for scripters are: an extension to the /toolbar command that allows you to customize your toolbar, it now has a new switch that makes mIRC remember your current toolbar settings and reload them automatically the next time you run mIRC; the /window -h behaviour has been fixed so that you can hide Status windows from the switchbar; the on WAVEEND event now triggers as it should; Regular expression support has been improved and resolves gpf and speed issues in the previous version; script $error handling should work better now; and /drawrot is now much faster. We encourage you to explore the versions.txt file for all changes. Some changes are obvious, some need getting used to - please take your time to play with them and see how they work.
In total there have been over 80 changes in this version and although most of them are bug fixes or small tweaks, we hope that they result in a more useful and stable mIRC for you.
Labels: under Undernet and mIRC
posted by Theawaykid coporation @ 1:02 PM
New server
 On Jul 26, 2006Calgary.AB.CA.Undernet.org located in Alberta, Canada was granted a TESTLINK on the 26th of July. A big welcome, and we hope to see them in permlink soon. |
Labels: under Undernet and mIRC
posted by Theawaykid coporation @ 12:59 PM
mIRC 6.21 has been released!
 By www.mirc.com on Nov 23, 2006As always this new version of mIRC addresses many of the issues reported since the last release. A lot of time was spent tweaking features and fixing bugs. Only a few new features and functions have been added, making this mainly a bugfix release. |
Labels: under mIRC File.
posted by Theawaykid coporation @ 12:58 PM
Testing Important for Flawless Mission
Ninety tons of International Space Station hardware currently is being processed in the high bay of the Space Station Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center. It will eventually join the 198 tons of Station elements that now compose the orbiting space research platform.
Among the huge elements on stands spanning the high bay floor is Node 2, the final element for finishing the phase of the Station called "core complete." That element, expected to be launched sometime in 2005, recently arrived at the SSPF and now is being tested. After testing and trouble shooting is complete, it will be subject to multi-element testing with the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) to determine if the elements work together.
U.S. Node 2 and the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) are being tested in the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF)
Previous multi-element integration tests (MEIT's) on Station hardware have proven invaluable for solving problems inexpensively on the ground. "You don't want to wait until you're on orbit to find a problem. It's much more difficult to make repairs," said Tim Honeycutt, NASA technical integration engineer. "These tests are extremely important to the success of the program."
On Earth in the SSPF, hundreds of NASA and Boeing engineers and technicians are available to tweak the systems until they work perfectly. On orbit, the astronauts would have to make repairs, perhaps during a space walk.
During the Node 2 testing, activity in the high bay at Kennedy gives a deceptive picture of the testing process. While some engineers and technicians are on the floor supporting the test, many more are in control rooms behind the scene monitoring the tests and making critical judgment calls.
At right: The Italian-built U.S. Node 2 is being attached to the end of the U.S. Lab
Boeing Communication and Tracking engineer Marty Hall has worked on both types of testing. For the past 15 years he has tested video systems used for on-orbit science experiments requiring a video link. He began working with video systems for Spacelab and later was assigned to the Station program as it ramped up.
"We make sure that scientists are able to view their experiments on orbit," Hall said. "Considering that researchers often wait many years to finally get a chance to launch their experiments, it's critical to get things right."
After core complete, NASA will launch the International Partners' laboratories, Japan's JEM and the European Space Agency's Columbus. JEM is being processed in the high bay and Columbus is being tested and completed in Europe.
Space Station processing at Kennedy won't end with the final module. Science experiments and supplies will continue to be delivered and returned via the multi-purpose logistics modules, nicknamed Leonardo, Raffaello and Donatello.
Testing of payloads follows a similar pattern.
At left: Testing is ongoing on the U.S. Node 2, second of three Space Station connecting modules
"We'll continue to support Station after construction is complete, but we'll be focusing our energies on processing science experiments, which is what Station is about, " said Steve Cain, NASA's advance planning manager for ESA at KSC. "At that point the international community will have access to a phenomenal research platform, allowing for long-term space research able to pass the toughest standards of science. That has never been possible before."
For further information please visit: http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/iss/index.htm
Among the huge elements on stands spanning the high bay floor is Node 2, the final element for finishing the phase of the Station called "core complete." That element, expected to be launched sometime in 2005, recently arrived at the SSPF and now is being tested. After testing and trouble shooting is complete, it will be subject to multi-element testing with the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) to determine if the elements work together.U.S. Node 2 and the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) are being tested in the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF)
Previous multi-element integration tests (MEIT's) on Station hardware have proven invaluable for solving problems inexpensively on the ground. "You don't want to wait until you're on orbit to find a problem. It's much more difficult to make repairs," said Tim Honeycutt, NASA technical integration engineer. "These tests are extremely important to the success of the program."
On Earth in the SSPF, hundreds of NASA and Boeing engineers and technicians are available to tweak the systems until they work perfectly. On orbit, the astronauts would have to make repairs, perhaps during a space walk.
During the Node 2 testing, activity in the high bay at Kennedy gives a deceptive picture of the testing process. While some engineers and technicians are on the floor supporting the test, many more are in control rooms behind the scene monitoring the tests and making critical judgment calls.
At right: The Italian-built U.S. Node 2 is being attached to the end of the U.S. LabBoeing Communication and Tracking engineer Marty Hall has worked on both types of testing. For the past 15 years he has tested video systems used for on-orbit science experiments requiring a video link. He began working with video systems for Spacelab and later was assigned to the Station program as it ramped up.
"We make sure that scientists are able to view their experiments on orbit," Hall said. "Considering that researchers often wait many years to finally get a chance to launch their experiments, it's critical to get things right."
After core complete, NASA will launch the International Partners' laboratories, Japan's JEM and the European Space Agency's Columbus. JEM is being processed in the high bay and Columbus is being tested and completed in Europe.
Space Station processing at Kennedy won't end with the final module. Science experiments and supplies will continue to be delivered and returned via the multi-purpose logistics modules, nicknamed Leonardo, Raffaello and Donatello.
Testing of payloads follows a similar pattern.
At left: Testing is ongoing on the U.S. Node 2, second of three Space Station connecting modules"We'll continue to support Station after construction is complete, but we'll be focusing our energies on processing science experiments, which is what Station is about, " said Steve Cain, NASA's advance planning manager for ESA at KSC. "At that point the international community will have access to a phenomenal research platform, allowing for long-term space research able to pass the toughest standards of science. That has never been possible before."
For further information please visit: http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/iss/index.htm
posted by Theawaykid coporation @ 12:56 PM
Smoking Out Space Fires: NASA Study Helps Prevent Fires in Space
if you've ever burned your dinner, you know how startling a smoke alarm can be. Now, imagine you're 220 miles away from Earth in an orbiting lab when the alarm sounds.
Fires are no laughing matter on Earth, but in space they could be even more devastating.
"If a chair is on fire in your home, you have time to get out. In a spacecraft, you don't," said NASA scientist Dr. David Urban. "You have to detect smoke in an early pre-fire state, so you can stop it before it starts."
Urban and a team of scientists and engineers at NASA's Glenn Research Center are developing a space station experiment to help engineers design smoke detectors that are sensitive enough to catch fires early, but not so sensitive that they cause false alarms.
Image right: Astronaut Jeffrey N. Williams works with the Dust and Aerosol Measurement Feasibility Test (DAFT) on the International Space Station. Credit: NASA
This may not sound like a major challenge. After all, household smoke detectors are mass produced and inexpensive. But detecting smoke in space isn't quite so simple.
Smoke detectors work by looking for particles in the air that are about the same size as the particles normally found in smoke. However, a 1996 NASA Glenn study showed that smoke particles in space are bigger than those on Earth.
"Smoke particles form differently in microgravity than they do on the ground," said William Sheredy, project manager for the Smoke Aerosol Measurement Experiment (SAME). "When smoke is created in microgravity, the particles have more time to gather together, producing larger particles or particle chains than in normal gravity."
So far, nobody knows exactly how big those particles are. That's why the NASA Glenn team created SAME. This space station experiment will burn samples of materials normally found in space -- like Teflon, silicon, cellulose and Kapton -- and then measure the size of the particles in the smoke. Engineers will use this information to design the next generation of spacecraft smoke detectors.
As NASA often does, the team used several commercial parts to build the experiment. One of those parts, the P-Trak, was made by Minnesota company TSI. Designed to measure air quality, this small handheld device is capable of counting individual smoke particles. It's also the perfect size and weight for a space station experiment. There's just one catch: It wasn't designed for space.
Image left: Photo of the P-Trak air quality measurement device made by TSI. Credit: NASA
P-Trak works by passing air through a heated chamber of vaporous alcohol. When the air is cooled, the alcohol condenses around dust particles much like water condenses on a cold glass. This makes the particles large enough that an optical sensor can detect them as they scatter light from a laser beam.
"We were concerned because gravity assists in the circulation of the alcohol inside the device," Sheredy said.
"We weren't sure it would work properly in the absence of gravity."
So the scientists modified the device by carving tiny grooves inside its chambers to improve the flow of alcohol in microgravity. Of course, the scientific method requires every theory to be tested, and this experiment was no exception.
Before they could use the device in SAME, the team had to be sure the modification would work. To do so, they created another space station experiment called the Dust and Aerosol Measurement Feasibility Test (DAFT), to test the modified P-Trak.
In September, astronaut and Expedition 13 Flight Engineer Jeff Williams operated DAFT on the station. Urban, Sheredy and other DAFT team members watched in real time as Williams called in the recordings to Payload Communications. The results showed that the commercial particle counter works in space.
"It was really exciting. For people who work on projects like we do, days like this are highlights in our careers," said Sheredy. "From beginning to end, DAFT took about 3.5 years, and it all came down to about six hours of operation."
Those crucial six hours brought the team one step closer to understanding the nature of space smoke and improving NASA's detectors. They look forward to another career highlight next summer when their primary experiment, SAME, is scheduled to travel to the station aboard the space shuttle.
Jan Wittry (SGT, Inc.)
NASA's Glenn Research Center
Fires are no laughing matter on Earth, but in space they could be even more devastating.
"If a chair is on fire in your home, you have time to get out. In a spacecraft, you don't," said NASA scientist Dr. David Urban. "You have to detect smoke in an early pre-fire state, so you can stop it before it starts."
Urban and a team of scientists and engineers at NASA's Glenn Research Center are developing a space station experiment to help engineers design smoke detectors that are sensitive enough to catch fires early, but not so sensitive that they cause false alarms.Image right: Astronaut Jeffrey N. Williams works with the Dust and Aerosol Measurement Feasibility Test (DAFT) on the International Space Station. Credit: NASA
This may not sound like a major challenge. After all, household smoke detectors are mass produced and inexpensive. But detecting smoke in space isn't quite so simple.
Smoke detectors work by looking for particles in the air that are about the same size as the particles normally found in smoke. However, a 1996 NASA Glenn study showed that smoke particles in space are bigger than those on Earth.
"Smoke particles form differently in microgravity than they do on the ground," said William Sheredy, project manager for the Smoke Aerosol Measurement Experiment (SAME). "When smoke is created in microgravity, the particles have more time to gather together, producing larger particles or particle chains than in normal gravity."
So far, nobody knows exactly how big those particles are. That's why the NASA Glenn team created SAME. This space station experiment will burn samples of materials normally found in space -- like Teflon, silicon, cellulose and Kapton -- and then measure the size of the particles in the smoke. Engineers will use this information to design the next generation of spacecraft smoke detectors.
As NASA often does, the team used several commercial parts to build the experiment. One of those parts, the P-Trak, was made by Minnesota company TSI. Designed to measure air quality, this small handheld device is capable of counting individual smoke particles. It's also the perfect size and weight for a space station experiment. There's just one catch: It wasn't designed for space.
Image left: Photo of the P-Trak air quality measurement device made by TSI. Credit: NASAP-Trak works by passing air through a heated chamber of vaporous alcohol. When the air is cooled, the alcohol condenses around dust particles much like water condenses on a cold glass. This makes the particles large enough that an optical sensor can detect them as they scatter light from a laser beam.
"We were concerned because gravity assists in the circulation of the alcohol inside the device," Sheredy said.
"We weren't sure it would work properly in the absence of gravity."
So the scientists modified the device by carving tiny grooves inside its chambers to improve the flow of alcohol in microgravity. Of course, the scientific method requires every theory to be tested, and this experiment was no exception.
Before they could use the device in SAME, the team had to be sure the modification would work. To do so, they created another space station experiment called the Dust and Aerosol Measurement Feasibility Test (DAFT), to test the modified P-Trak.
In September, astronaut and Expedition 13 Flight Engineer Jeff Williams operated DAFT on the station. Urban, Sheredy and other DAFT team members watched in real time as Williams called in the recordings to Payload Communications. The results showed that the commercial particle counter works in space.
"It was really exciting. For people who work on projects like we do, days like this are highlights in our careers," said Sheredy. "From beginning to end, DAFT took about 3.5 years, and it all came down to about six hours of operation."
Those crucial six hours brought the team one step closer to understanding the nature of space smoke and improving NASA's detectors. They look forward to another career highlight next summer when their primary experiment, SAME, is scheduled to travel to the station aboard the space shuttle.
Jan Wittry (SGT, Inc.)
NASA's Glenn Research Center
posted by Theawaykid coporation @ 12:52 PM
Expedition 15 Crew Docks with Space Station
Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and cosmonaut Oleg Kotov of the 15th International Space Station crew docked with the orbiting laboratory at 3:10 p.m. EDT Monday to begin a six-month stay aboard.
Image to right: Expedition 15 crew launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in their Soyuz spacecraft. Photo credit: NASA TV
With them is Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi. He is an American flying under contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency.
He will return to Earth with Expedition 14 crew members, Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin, on April 20. Expedition 14 launched to the station last Sept. 18.
Expedition 15 crew members were welcomed by the Expedition 14 crew, including astronaut Sunita Williams, their third Expedition 15 crew member. She launched to the station aboard the STS-116 mission of Discovery on Dec. 9. She joined Expedition 14 in progress and will provide Expedition 15 with an experienced flight engineer for the early part of its increment.
Williams, 41, is a Naval Academy graduate and a Navy commander. She flew helicopters and was a helicopter test pilot before being selected as an astronaut in 1998.
Yurchikhin, 48, is making his second flight into space. He was a member of the STS-112 crew which launched to the station aboard Atlantis on Oct. 7, 2002, with the Starboard 1 Truss. He holds a Ph.D. in economics and was named a cosmonaut-candidate in 1997.
Kotov, 41, is making his first spaceflight. He graduated from the Moscow Medical Academy in 1988, and was named a cosmonaut-candidate in 1996.
Astronaut Clayton Anderson is scheduled to replace Williams as a flight engineer during Expedition 15. Anderson, 48, holds a master's degree in aerospace engineering from Iowa State University. He was selected as an astronaut in 1998 and will be making his first spaceflight.
Two Expedition 16 crew members are expected to arrive next fall to replace Yurchikhin and Kotov.
Image to right: Expedition 15 crew launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in their Soyuz spacecraft. Photo credit: NASA TV With them is Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi. He is an American flying under contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency.
He will return to Earth with Expedition 14 crew members, Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin, on April 20. Expedition 14 launched to the station last Sept. 18.
Expedition 15 crew members were welcomed by the Expedition 14 crew, including astronaut Sunita Williams, their third Expedition 15 crew member. She launched to the station aboard the STS-116 mission of Discovery on Dec. 9. She joined Expedition 14 in progress and will provide Expedition 15 with an experienced flight engineer for the early part of its increment.
Williams, 41, is a Naval Academy graduate and a Navy commander. She flew helicopters and was a helicopter test pilot before being selected as an astronaut in 1998.
Yurchikhin, 48, is making his second flight into space. He was a member of the STS-112 crew which launched to the station aboard Atlantis on Oct. 7, 2002, with the Starboard 1 Truss. He holds a Ph.D. in economics and was named a cosmonaut-candidate in 1997.
Kotov, 41, is making his first spaceflight. He graduated from the Moscow Medical Academy in 1988, and was named a cosmonaut-candidate in 1996.
Astronaut Clayton Anderson is scheduled to replace Williams as a flight engineer during Expedition 15. Anderson, 48, holds a master's degree in aerospace engineering from Iowa State University. He was selected as an astronaut in 1998 and will be making his first spaceflight.
Two Expedition 16 crew members are expected to arrive next fall to replace Yurchikhin and Kotov.
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