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CU alumnus heading to the International Space Station
Mar 20th
But this time he will not be riding in the familiar confines of a NASA space shuttle — the fleet was retired in 2011 — but in a capsule atop a Soyuz TMA-12 rocket launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Not only will he blast off from there, he is slated to land in the capsule, which is somewhat similar to a NASA Apollo capsule, on the steppe of Kazakhstan in September after spending roughly six months in space.
Swanson, who earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering physics from CU-Boulder in 1983, will serve as flight engineer for Expedition 39, which already will be underway on the ISS when he arrives. In late May, Swanson, who considers Steamboat Springs, Colo., his hometown, will become space station commander as Expedition 40 begins.
Swanson will be launched to the ISS along with cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev of the Russian Federal Space Agency.
“We’ve trained extensively and I’m confident I can do all of the tasks assigned to me on the space station,” Swanson said. “The difficult part is being away from my family and friends for a long period. I’ll miss them, but at the same time we will be very busy up there, which makes the time pass quickly.”
The astronaut crew will be involved in dozens of research experiments in the low gravity of the ISS, including efforts related to protein crystal growth, capillary blood flow, gravity sensing by plants and muscle and bone loss changes in space.
As part of his duties, Swanson will operate hardware developed by BioServe Space Technologies located in CU-Boulder’s aerospace engineering department to conduct two experiments on the space station, both being launched later this year. One led by Dr. Timothy Hammond of the Department of Veterans Affairs will use a yeast-based assay system to evaluate known and novel anti-cancer drug therapies in the low gravity of space. A second led by Professor Cheryl Nickerson of Arizona State University will evaluate host-pathogen interactions to better understand the risk of in-flight infections by space explorers during long-term missions.
Swanson previously flew on the STS-17 mission aboard the space shuttle Atlantis to the ISS in June 2007, then flew again on the STS-19 mission aboard Discovery in March 2009. Swanson spacewalked for more than 26 hours during the two missions and is tentatively slated for two more spacewalks during Expedition 39 and Expedition 40.
What does Swanson, whose two shuttle landings were on a smooth NASA runway in Florida, think about drifting by parachute in the Soyuz space capsule on the way from the space station back to Earth, eventually banging onto the ground in Kazakhstan? “I know this landing will be much more wild and exciting than a shuttle landing,” he said. “It is going to be a very different experience, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Swanson will be packing several CU mementos, including a T-shirt, a flag and a small piece of sandstone from the engineering center that has been engraved with a picture of Ralphie the Buffalo and an image of the International Space Station.
What does he recall about his time at CU-Boulder? “I remember waking up and seeing the mountains right there,” he said. “It was a beautiful thing, and helped me get going every day. I really liked CU-Boulder — it is a good school, with good professors — and I love to ski, I love to hike. I like the culture.”
His favorite times on the space station? “One of the best things is when you have a moment to yourself where you can just look out the window,” he said. Swanson also said he will spend what little free time he has emailing with family and friends back on Earth, blogging about his space station experiences and hopefully participating in a Google Hangout, sharing messages and photos and video-chatting with CU-Boulder students.
Eighteen CU-Boulder astronaut-affiliates have flown 47 NASA space missions beginning with Scott Carpenter in 1962.
Former NASA astronaut Jim Voss, who received his master’s degree in aerospace engineering sciences from CU-Boulder in 1974, currently is a CU-Boulder Scholar in Residence. Former NASA astronaut Joe Tanner currently is a senior instructor in aerospace engineering.
To watch a video of Swanson talking about his NASA experiences and his passion for Colorado’s outdoors visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU53X7O7z7w.
-CU-
Tree work along creek path closures
Feb 28th
The City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department’s Urban Forestry Division will be working with Ironwood Earthcare to conduct safety-related tree maintenance along the Boulder Creek Path from Monday, March 3, to Thursday, March 6, and again on Tuesday, March 25. The work will require temporary closures of the Boulder Creek Path, and flaggers will be onsite to direct pedestrian and bicycle traffic around work zones.
Monday, March 3:
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. – temporary closures will be along the dirt trail south of the Justice Center, located at 1777 6th St.
Tuesday, March 4:
8 a.m. to 2 p.m. – temporary closures will be near the Evert Pierson Kids’ Fishing Pond, located at 6th Street and Canyon Boulevard.
2 to 4 p.m. – temporary closures will be near the Sculpture Park at 9th Street and Canyon Boulevard.
Wednesday, March 5:
8 to 11 a.m. – temporary closures will be near the Main Public Library, located at 1001 Arapahoe Ave.
11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – temporary closures will be near Central Park and Connecting Point Park, located at 13th Street and Arapahoe Avenue.
Thursday, March 6:
8 a.m. to 2 p.m. – temporary closures will be west of 17th Street along the Boulder Creek Path.
2 to 4 p.m. – temporary closures will be east of Folsom Street along the Boulder Creek Path.
Tuesday, March 25:
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. – temporary closures will be near Boulder High School, 1604 Arapahoe Ave., from 13th to 17th streets.
Please note, all tree maintenance project dates and times are weather-dependent and subject to change. For more information, call Patrick Bohin, parks and recreation department’s urban forester, at 303-519-8750.
–CITY–
Bad weather a-comin’ City gets ready
Dec 3rd
Like other Front Range communities, the city does not typically plow residential streets since most snow melts within a day or two and residential plowing would significantly increase costs, impacting other high-priority services. During most snowstorms, one “floater” snow plow responds to requests from the community and public safety personnel. When snowfall exceeds 12 inches, the city strategically services known problem areas on some residential streets. To request plowing on a specific residential street, make a “Snow Plow Request” online via www.inquireboulder.com or call Snow Dispatch at 303-413-7109.
Residential Street Plowing Pilot Program
In response to community feedback, the City of Boulder is also implementing a residential street plowing pilot program between Dec. 1, 2013, and March 1, 2014. Two snow plows will be sent to 10 pre-identified residential areas when both of the following criteria are met:
- eight inches or more of snow is predicted or actually accumulates (not including snowpack already on the road surface); and
- daytime temperatures are predicted to remain below freezing for the 72 hours after the snowstorm.
If both criteria are met and the pilot program is activated, the city will post a notification on the Snow and Ice Removal Web page. View the “Residential Street Plowing Pilot Program Map” atbouldercolorado.gov/links/fetch/18735 to see the specific neighborhood streets where snow plows may be deployed as part of the pilot program.
Safety Tips
To make winter travel safer:
- give snow plows and spreader trucks plenty of room to operate;
- allow for more stopping distance on icy or snowy roads;
- avoid making last-minute decisions;
- teach your children to be extra careful around traffic; and
- use extra caution as you walk and bike in icy conditions.
Do not pass snow plows or spreader trucks, which are both wider than one traffic lane. This will help you avoid potential accidents, windshield damage and limited visibility caused by flying snow and ice.
Sidewalk Snow and Ice Removal
Property owners, landlords and tenants must remove snow and ice from their sidewalks within 24 hours after snow stops falling. Clearing sidewalks in a timely manner makes travel safer for all pedestrians. Failure to remove snow from sidewalks before the 24-hour deadline may result in fines and/or abatement, which involves paying for a private snow removal contractor to clear the sidewalks. If the city incurs costs related to abatement, these will be passed on to the property owner.
Visit bouldercolorado.gov/links/fetch/9834 to view official snowfall reports from the National Weather Service. To report sidewalk violations, make a service request for “Sidewalk Snow & Ice Removal” online viawww.inquireboulder.com or call Code Enforcement at 303-441-3333.
Seniors and disabled residents who are physically unable to remove snow from their sidewalks may receive volunteer assistance through the Boulder County CareConnect Ice Busters program. Visit www.careconnectbc.org or call 303-443-1933 ext. 413 to volunteer or ext. 416 to request assistance.
For more detailed information about the city’s snow and ice removal operations, visitwww.bouldercolorado.gov/public-works and select the “Snow and Ice Removal” link.
— CITY —