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A Lexan box (left) from the original candle experiment and a wire-mesh box later used on Mir.
Human Spaceflight and Science

By Howard Ross   Intentionally igniting a fire inside the Space Shuttle might seem like a bad idea, but done safely and correctly, it could answer all sorts of seemingly simple questions, such as, “Would a candle burn in zero gravity?”

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Elevation of Ulyxis Rupes created using a digital terrain model obtained from the high-resolution stereo camera on ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft.
From Masters with Masters: Rob Manning and Rudi Schmidt

In February 2011, Academy of Program/Project and Engineering Leadership Director Ed Hoffman sat down with Rudi Schmidt, from the European Space Agency (ESA), and NASA’s Rob Manning at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) as part of the Academy’s Masters with Masters series.

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Knowledge Web
Weaving a Knowledge Web

By ASK Editorial Staff   In March 2011, some two dozen representatives from space agencies and related organizations around the world meet in the top-floor conference room of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Paris headquarters.

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Forged in the Stars (Jay O’Callahan)

On October 7, 2010, award-winning storyteller Jay O’Callahan presented a captivating story about NASA entitled Forged in the Stars: A NASA Story, at the NASA Headquarters Auditorium. Compellingly told through the viewpoints of three main characters and a wonderful supporting cast—all portrayed by O’Callahan—his performance of a “love letter” to NASA has been received with […]

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International Partnerships for Space Exploration
International Partnerships for Space Exploration

By Kathy Laurini   The year is 2050. The vicinity around Earth has become a vibrant economic sphere. Physical sciences and medical research in space are driving innovations that enable companies to offer new products that improve our quality of life.

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Steven Smith
Interview with Steven Smith

By Don Cohen   As a NASA astronaut, Steven Smith has flown on four shuttle missions and taken seven spacewalks to carry out Hubble telescope repairs and install the S-Zero Truss in the International Space Station (ISS).

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Masters with Masters 2 (John Mather and Dennis McCarthy)

The Academy’s second Masters with Masters event featured Dr. John Mather and Dennis McCarthy, who shared critical learning experiences related to the Cosmic Background Explorer, the James Webb Space Telescope, and other complex science projects. John Mather and Dennis McCarthy sat down with the Academy’s Ed Hoffman in the NASA Auditorium on October 28, 2009 […]

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From the Academy Director: On the Importance of Values

By Ed Hoffman   “If you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn.” —Charlie Parker In the early 1980s, I was involved in conducting a study to determine the effectiveness of a new initiative promoting a more participative organization, interviewing employees and managers.

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In This Issue by Don Cohen
In This Issue (ASK 43)

Don Cohen, Managing Editor   Every NASA project is a collaboration. A few, like the microsatellite development at Marshall Space Flight Center (see “FAST Learning”), are carried out by a small group at one location, but still depend on the cooperative efforts of engineers, scientists, and managers with different skills and responsibilities.

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