The Inland Northwest Space Alliance E-News May 2005 – INSA West Opens its Doors in Silicon Valley

INSA News is a monthly publication that provides information about the Inland Northwest Space Alliance, the Northern Rockies Consortium for Space Privatization, public education and outreach, research and development and INSA’s ongoing projects and partnerships.

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INSA WEST OFFICE OPENS ITS DOORS

There is now a fully furnished and functional Western branch of the Inland Northwest Space Alliance located at NASA Ames Research Park, positioned at the center of the technology world in Silicon Valley.

The office will serve as a base camp for INSA employees who are working with Inovomar, LLc, Defouw Engineering, NASA Space Technology Center (STC) and other west coast partners.

Inovomar and Defouw have been working with John Hines’ NASA STC group for some time and are critical players in both the GeneSat program and the Lifeguard project.

The site is also close to Stanford University and its ground station for the GeneSat program. George Bailey, Mike Britzius, and Eric Smith were able to tour the ground station facilities, which INSA is working to replicate in Philipsburg, MT to extend the capabilities of the program.

The Ames Research Center dates back to 1939 in its location at Moffett Field in the heart of California’s famous Silicon Valley in Palo Alto, CA. Through the years NASA has assumed increasing responsibilities, and real estate at the location.

Some of the neighbors that INSA will rub elbows, and brains, with are: the University of California Santa Cruz, Carnegie Mellon University, San Jose State University, and the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education.

Center Director G. Scott Hubbord summed up the goals of the NRP, "By partnering with academia and industry, we will revolutionize the future, here, today. Our goal is to forge lasting alliances to do cutting-edge research and develop unique educational outreach tools and venues for teachers, students and the general public. What better place to bring these partners together than at the NASA Ames Research Park, nestled in the birthplace of America’s high-tech revolution."

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INSA SECURES DEFENSE SUBCONTRACT

The Inland Northwest Space Alliance was awarded a subcontract to DCS Corporation for a U.S. Department of Defense project to develop a mobile command and control system.

INSA will work with Washington D.C.- based DCS Corporation, a leading technology services company specializing in military combat systems technologies, to develop the Land Tamer- based Command Control and Display System for the Naval Research Laboratory’s Optical Sciences Division.

The project’s goal is to provide a system for emergency personnel that offers real-time communications and information support in situations such as border protection, drug intervention, firefighting, and search-and-rescue operations.

"There really isn’t a better place than Montana to develop this type of technology," said INSA President George Bailey. "Much of Montana is remote and rugged and we regularly have fires, floods and blizzards. It provides the perfect scenarios."

A demonstration of the system is scheduled in Aberdeen, Maryland in June. INSA is looking at holding a demonstration in September near Helena.

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INSA TO WELCOME UM COLLEGE OF TECH PROGRAMS

INSA and the University of Montana-Missoula College of Technology announced plans for the movement of the COT’s allied health program to INSA’s Missoula building in late March.

Scheduled for fall 2005, the Dinny Stranahan Research Institute will serve as a satellite campus for the COT’s nursing and radiology programs.

The move will take advantage of the currently unused medical facilities in the building. It will also free up classroom space at the COT’s South Ave. "East Campus" location for the Associate of Arts, Business, Computing and Electronics, Health Core and general education programs.

"This is an ideal collaboration for INSA," said George Bailey, INSA President. "We recognize the significant role that the College of Technology is playing in healthcare workforce development in our region. I see opportunities for extensive technological and educational collaboration with the College in the future and look forward to supporting their healthcare education mission by involving the students and faculty in our cutting edge research."

The COT move will provide allied health students the opportunity to take part in clinical trials for biomedical devices that INSA is developing and work with INSA’s prestigious partners such as NASA Ames Research Center and Stanford University.

"We are pleased to be able to work with INSA and expand the quality of our facilities to meet the needs of our faculty and students," said R. Paul Williamson, Dean of the College of Technology. "What our faculty and area healthcare facilities do to turn out world-class students has been unbelievable. This move will continue to broaden horizons for the College and provide much needed space for other programs while we continue to move forward with our H2 Futures Park Planning."

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BIOMEDICAL TEAM HOLDS LIFEGUARD FOCUS GROUP

A group of Montana health care professionals and representatives from NASA and Stanford University met with INSA’s biomedical research team to discuss a biomedical device developed by NASA on Tuesday, April 26, 2005.

The group of physicians, ER nurses, ambulance and Life Flight personnel met for a demonstration of the LifeGuard Vital Signs Monitoring System and to discuss potential opportunities for use of the device in Montana.

LifeGuard is a wearable wireless physiological monitoring system developed for astronauts by NASA Ames Astrobionoics and the Stanford National Biocomputation Center.

"This valuable interaction with the medical community enables us to evolve the NASA Lifeguard prototype into a fully functional FDA approved medical device that will be easy to use and will significantly improve the level of care provided to rural and remotely located sick or injured people," said Phil Davies, one of the engineers with NASA Ames.

INSA has been working with NASA to find commercial applications for LifeGuard. INSA is preparing to take over the technology development of the device and has already helped S&K Electronics of Ronan secure a contract to manufacture 40 prototype LifeGuard devices.

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MISSION TO MARS GOLF TOURNAMENT JUST AROUND THE CORNER

For those interested in raising money for a worthy cause while perfecting their golf swing, the fourth annual Mission to Mars Golf Tournament is right around the corner.

The tournament will be held in Billings, Montana at the Lake Hills Golf Club on Saturday, June 25, 2005 with a dinner and auction on Friday, June 24.

Team sponsorship is $500 and includes dinner for four on Friday evening, greens fees, 2 carts, lunch and prizes. Each team will also have the opportunity to golf with a UM football player.

Proceeds from the tournament and auction benefit aerospace education for teachers and students in Montana through the Mission to Mars Foundation.

Contact Amy Fisher to secure your team’s spot, (406) 541-3130 ext. 3015 or [email protected].

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MISSOULA CHOSEN TO HOUSE CHALLENGER LEARNING CENTER

In early May, Challenger Center for Space Science Education chose the Inland Northwest Space Alliance to be the site of the "Challenger Center of Western Montana."

The Challenger Learning Center of Western Montana will join the growing network of over 52 Challenger Learning Centers in the United States, Canada, and England. As the first in CLC in Montana, it will serve the entire state and inland northwest region.

The learning centers offer people of all ages the opportunity for hands-on computer simulations of space flight through a teamwork curriculum that explores comets, Mars, the moon and Earth in an exciting educational experience.

Dr. Bill Gutsch, President and Chief Operating Officer of Challenger Center for Space Science Education, announced that the Board of Trustees for Challenger Center formally approved the application for a Challenger Learning Center in Missoula at its April Board meeting.

"We are pleased to welcome Inland Northwest Space Alliance in Missoula, Montana, to the growing network of Challenger Learning Centers. With its prestigious reputation in America’s space association, INSA and its partnership with Challenger Center will make a positive impact on the students, teachers, and citizens of Western Montana and its outreach area," said Dr. Gutsch.

The families of the Challenger astronauts founded Challenger Center for Space Science Education in 1986 to continue the crew’s educational mission. With her educational credentials and commitment to the mission of the crew, Dr. June Scobee Rodgers became the leading force for the Challenger Center organization and its mission. Challenger Center’s strength comes from an international network of educators, scientists, and corporate and community leaders assembled by the Challenger families. The Challenger Center experience has become a model for change and a tool for excellence in communities striving to achieve our nation’s educational goals.

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MISSION TO MARS CAMP TO BE HELD IN EASTERN MONTANA

The Mission to Mars camp program is expanding to include a camp in Laurel, Montana this summer. A group of Laurel teachers are organizing students of all ages to participate and INSA will provide the Mission to Mars curriculum.

On June 21, INSA will hold a teacher training day to familiarize teachers with the curriculum and the camp will be held June 22-24.

The first Mission to Mars camp was held last summer in Missoula in conjunction with the YMCA. This summer, three week-long camps will be held in Missoula. INSA’s mission is to expand the program to include camps throughout the state and region and encourage communities to utilize local resources to make the camps sustainable.

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SPACE DAY INSPIRES MISSOULA STUDENTS

Over 500 Montana student signatures will fly aboard a U.S. Space Shuttle next fall thanks to NASA’s Student Signatures in Space program, Space Day and the Inland Northwest Space Alliance.

Montana’s first ever Space Day celebration on May 5, 2005 allowed students at Target Range School and Chief Charlo Elementary School in Missoula to take part in the nation wide educational initiative sponsored by NASA and Lockheed Martin.

Space Day aims to inspire young people to explore careers in mathematics, science, engineering and technology.

"Space Day is a great opportunity to have students consider themselves a part of our effort to go to the moon, Mars and beyond," said Ned Penley, INSA’s resident NASA expert.

Space Day 2005 festivities included a presentation for second through eighth grade students at Target Range School and third, fourth and fifth grades at Chief Charlo Elementary School.

Students heard INSA’s NASA Expert, Ned Penley, talk about the history of space exploration and signed a giant poster that will later be flown aboard a U.S. Space Shuttle mission as part of the Student Signatures in Space program.

NASA’s Student Signatures in Space program selects 500 schools each year to sign a poster that is collected following Space Day, digitally photographed and launched on an upcoming NASA space shuttle mission. After the flight returns, the original poster is returned for display, along with a flight certificate and a photograph of the space shuttle crew that carried the signatures. Since the program began in 1997, more than 2.5 million student signatures have flown in space.

email: [email protected]

phone: (406) 541-3130

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