News releases

June 24, 2004

TO: Editors/News Directors
FROM: Emily Carlson (608) 262-9772, emilycarlson@wisc.edu
SUBJECT: TIP/UW-Madison Space Science

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced today, June 24, a transformation in the agency's structure to better align itself with President Bush's Vision for Space Exploration. Priorities include the development of safe space technologies; research focusing on the exploration of the earth, moon, Mars and beyond; development of capabilities and knowledge to sustain human and robotic exploration; and inspiring a new generation of explorers through education and outreach.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison has a rich history in space science, much of which already is in alignment with NASA's new organization. Campus scientists and educators are available to discuss their research and outreach programs.

Experts include:

--Hank Revercomb, director of the Space Science and Engineering Center, (608) 263-6758, hankr@ ssec.wisc.edu, uses remote sensing to study the atmosphere of the earth and other planets for weather and climate applications. He can also discuss the center's involvement in current and future NASA research missions.

--Weijia Zhou, director of the Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robotics, (608) 262-5526, wzhou@wisc.edu. WCSAR is an interdisciplinary research center that works with NASA, academia and industry to develop and commercialize technologies, products and processes used for space- and terrestrial-based applications. The center currently is involved in developing in-situ and in-space fabrication and repair techniques using robotic-assisted material-joining technology.

--Theodore Tibbitts, emeritus professor of horticulture, (608) 233-7746, twt@wisc.edu, has researched the use of plants for life support on long-term space bases, such as a station on the moon or Mars. With his help, a payload of red potatoes sprouted on a 1995 shuttle mission. He can discuss what plants might be utilized in space, conditions under which they would grow and issues of recycling the plant and human waste.

--Gerald Kulcinski, director of the Fusion Technology Institute, professor of nuclear engineering and associate dean for research in the College of Engineering, (608) 263-1601, kulcinsk@engr.wisc.edu. He is currently involved in the effort to mine helium-3 from the moon and teaches the course, "Resources from Space." He can discuss exploration programs.

--Harrison (Jack) Schmitt, adjunct professor of engineering physics and former Apollo 17 astronaut, (505) 823-2616, hhschmitt@earthlink.net. An expert in lunar and planetary science with firsthand knowledge of space, he conducts research with the Fusion Technology Institute on using resources from space, particularly helium-3 from the moon, to supply energy on Earth. He can compare NASA management during the Apollo era with the current environment.

--Edward Churchwell, astronomy professor, (608) 262-4909, churchwell@astro.wisc.edu, leads the "Galactic Legacy Science" project to image the inner two-thirds of the Milky Way and to catalog about 100 million stars, many of which have never been seen before.

--Wilt Sanders, senior scientist at the Space Science and Engineering Center and physics department, (608) 262-5916, wtsander@wisc.edu. He and his colleagues build instruments to be flown on space probes to study the x-rays from large bubbles of hot, million-degree gas located far beyond our solar system. This gas influences the structure and evolution of our galaxy.

--Jim Lattis, director of UW Space Place and space science historian, (608) 263-0360, lattis@sal.wisc.edu. Space Place is an education center open to the public that specializes in astronomy and space science.

--Bradley Grzesiak, undergraduate student in "Engineering Mechanics and Astronautics" and computer science, (608) 262-9772, bjgrzesiak@students.wisc.edu. Grzesiak helped design a third-generation free-flying robot to aid astronauts in a pressurized, weightless environment. He and his team tested the device last spring on board NASA's KC-135 Weightless Wonder (informally known as the "Vomit Comet"), flown by NASA's Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program at Johnson Space Center in Houston.