NASA Solicitation: NASA Independent Verification and Validation Services
Source: NASA HQPosted Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Synopsis - Sep 21, 2010
General Information
Solicitation Number: NNG11310421R
Posted Date: Sep 21, 2010
FedBizOpps Posted Date: Sep 21, 2010
Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No
Original Response Date: Nov 05, 2010
Current Response Date: Nov 05, 2010
Classification Code: R -- Professional, administrative, and mgmt support services
NAICS Code: 541330 - Engineering Services
Contracting Office Address
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Headquarters Acquisition Branch, Code 210.H, Greenbelt, MD 20771
Description
NASA plans to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) Services in support of NASA's IV&V Facility in Fairmont, WV. NASA anticipates issuing an RFP for a full and open competition which will result in a single, Cost Plus Award Fee (CPAF) contract.
The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. The NAICS Code and Size Standard are 541330 and $27M, respectively.
NASA is not requesting proposals at this time. The anticipated release date of the Draft RFP is on or about November 5, 2010 with comments due on or about December 5, 2010.
NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The installation Ombudsman is Nancy A. Abell who can be contacted at Nancy.A.Abell@nasa.gov or (301) 286-5867.
The draft solicitation and any documents related to this procurement will be available over the Internet. These documents will reside on a World Wide Web (WWW) server, which may be accessed using a WWW browser application. The Internet site, or URL, for the NASA Business Opportunities home page is http://procurement.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/EPS/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin= .
It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor the Internet site for the release of the draft solicitation and amendments (if any). Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the draft solicitation and amendments (if any).
All contractual technical questions must be submitted in writing to Laura.e.freeman@nasa.gov. Telephone questions will not be accepted.
Point of Contact
Name: Laura E Freeman
Title: Contracting Officer
Phone: 304-367-8246
Fax: 304-367-8203
Email: laura.e.freeman@nasa.gov
2010/09/16
Be a researcher for an evening on European researchers’ night
Friday 24 September
Geneva, 16 September 2010. On Friday 24 September, CERN[1] will be one of 260 European locations involved in the 5th edition of the European Researchers’ Night, an initiative funded by the European Union’s Science and Society programme aimed at highlighting the appeal of being a researcher and promoting scientific research among young Europeans. CERN is taking part in the BEST project - Being a European Scientist Today – organized in partnership with project coordinator, Frascati Scienza[2], the Erasmus Medical Centre[3] in Rotterdam and EFDA-JET[4].
In keeping with previous editions of the event, scientific research will be presented to the public in an engaging and original way. In Frascati, the entire city with its historical buildings provides the location for an intense programme including science cafés, concerts, debates with scientists and interactive exhibitions, along with visits to the numerous laboratories based in the area, for an entire week starting on September 18 and culminating on the Researchers’ Night.
During the night, a rich parallel programme will engage the public in Frascati, Rotterdam and Geneva from 17:00CEST to 01:00 the following morning. At CERN, some 150 young students from local schools will be given the opportunity to sit side by side with scientists and operators in the LHC accelerator and detectors’ control rooms, experiencing the excitement of research at the high-energy frontier with the world’s most powerful particle accelerator.
The main focus of this 5th edition will be international networking, demonstrated through a live webcast – the Globe Show. From 17:00 to 01:00, the Globe Show will come live from CERN’s Globe of Science and Innovation, Frascati’s main square, the JET laboratory and the Erasmus Medical Centre. The Globe Show will bring together scientists involved with the latest advancements in particle physics, astrophysics, medicine and research on new forms of energy, thanks to an unprecedented network of high-quality teleconferences put together by Tandberg for the project partners. Audiences at all the project’s locations will be able to ask questions of physicists in the control rooms at CERN, scientists from the Ice Cube experiment at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica, Nobel laureate Sam Ting at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, where he is preparing the AMS detector for its journey to the International Space Station, and ESA astronaut Roberto Vittori.
Among the highlights of the webcast is the participation of Nobel Laureate Georges Smoot, (Physics 2006), who will relate how research into the infinitesimally small, such as particle physics at the LHC, is intimately connected to cosmology, the science of the infinitely large.
All the sites involved will keep their permanent exhibitions and visitor centres open until midnight.
For more information and to follow the live webcast:
English: www.researchersnight.net
French: www.nuitdeschercheurs.eu
Italian: www.nottedeiricercatori.eu
Dutch: www.nachtvandeonderzoeker.eu
Contact :
CERN Press Office, press.office@cern.ch
+41 22 767 34 32
+41 22 767 21 41
Geneva, 16 September 2010. On Friday 24 September, CERN[1] will be one of 260 European locations involved in the 5th edition of the European Researchers’ Night, an initiative funded by the European Union’s Science and Society programme aimed at highlighting the appeal of being a researcher and promoting scientific research among young Europeans. CERN is taking part in the BEST project - Being a European Scientist Today – organized in partnership with project coordinator, Frascati Scienza[2], the Erasmus Medical Centre[3] in Rotterdam and EFDA-JET[4].
In keeping with previous editions of the event, scientific research will be presented to the public in an engaging and original way. In Frascati, the entire city with its historical buildings provides the location for an intense programme including science cafés, concerts, debates with scientists and interactive exhibitions, along with visits to the numerous laboratories based in the area, for an entire week starting on September 18 and culminating on the Researchers’ Night.
During the night, a rich parallel programme will engage the public in Frascati, Rotterdam and Geneva from 17:00CEST to 01:00 the following morning. At CERN, some 150 young students from local schools will be given the opportunity to sit side by side with scientists and operators in the LHC accelerator and detectors’ control rooms, experiencing the excitement of research at the high-energy frontier with the world’s most powerful particle accelerator.
The main focus of this 5th edition will be international networking, demonstrated through a live webcast – the Globe Show. From 17:00 to 01:00, the Globe Show will come live from CERN’s Globe of Science and Innovation, Frascati’s main square, the JET laboratory and the Erasmus Medical Centre. The Globe Show will bring together scientists involved with the latest advancements in particle physics, astrophysics, medicine and research on new forms of energy, thanks to an unprecedented network of high-quality teleconferences put together by Tandberg for the project partners. Audiences at all the project’s locations will be able to ask questions of physicists in the control rooms at CERN, scientists from the Ice Cube experiment at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica, Nobel laureate Sam Ting at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, where he is preparing the AMS detector for its journey to the International Space Station, and ESA astronaut Roberto Vittori.
Among the highlights of the webcast is the participation of Nobel Laureate Georges Smoot, (Physics 2006), who will relate how research into the infinitesimally small, such as particle physics at the LHC, is intimately connected to cosmology, the science of the infinitely large.
All the sites involved will keep their permanent exhibitions and visitor centres open until midnight.
For more information and to follow the live webcast:
English: www.researchersnight.net
French: www.nuitdeschercheurs.eu
Italian: www.nottedeiricercatori.eu
Dutch: www.nachtvandeonderzoeker.eu
Contact :
CERN Press Office, press.office@cern.ch
+41 22 767 34 32
+41 22 767 21 41
2010/09/15
More Companies to Take Advantage of Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service
To view this document on the department website, please click on the following link:
http://www.international.gc.ca/media_commerce/comm/news-communiques/2010/293.aspx
International Trade Minister Urges More Companies to Take Advantage of Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service
Recent study shows trade commissioners give their clients’ exports an 18-percent boost
(No. 293 - September 15, 2010 - 11:45 a.m. ET) The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of International Trade, today met with members of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters to promote the benefits of using Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) and update them on the government’s trade and investment agenda.
A recent study shows Canadian exporters are more successful when they use the TCS, a network of trade and investment professionals who help businesses succeed abroad.
Entitled The Impact of Trade Promotion Services on Canadian Exporter Performance, the study found that:
TCS clients export 18 percent more by value than non-TCS clients;
TCS clients export to 36 percent more markets; and
for every tax dollar spent on the TCS, Canadian exports increased $27.
“This study shows that the Trade Commissioner Service is an essential link for Canadian companies who are looking to do business beyond our borders,” said Minister Van Loan. “With offices in more than 150 cities throughout the world and 18 offices in Canada, our trade commissioners offer an unparalleled network of contacts and are making a difference in helping Canadian business expand abroad.
“Canada’s trade commissioners are highly effective in assisting small and medium-sized companies to access new markets, overcome trade barriers and diversify their products. The TCS offers its business clients the right formula for success, and it is helping create jobs and prosperity for Canadians.”
“I am not surprised at the results of this study, as many of our members benefit from the Trade Commissioner Service,” said Jayson Myers, President and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters. “The TCS network is like having an office abroad where Canadian companies can obtain hands-on service, real-time advice and solid after care.”
The TCS serves some 10,000 clients a year. Over half the clients have 50 or fewer employees. During the study period from 2000 to 2006, Canadian companies exported $360 billion a year, which supported 3.4 million jobs, about a quarter of all Canadian employment.
This new study also provides a benchmark in time that will help to improve services for Canadian business in the future. A follow-up study will be conducted in 2013 to measure ongoing success and identify new opportunities.
The TCS helps companies succeed globally and lowers the costs of doing business through four key services: preparing for international markets, assessing market potential, finding qualified contacts and solving problems.
In addition to highlighting the findings on the TCS, Minister Van Loan told the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters that in less than four years, the Government of Canada had concluded new free trade agreements with Colombia, Peru, Jordan, Panama and the European Free Trade Association states of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Canada has also launched discussions on economic partnerships with two of the world’s largest economies, the European Union and India.
“The TCS puts boots on the ground to give muscle to our aggressive free trade agenda,” said the Minister.
A special feature on the study can be found at Canada’s State of Trade: Trade and Investment Update 2010.
- 30 -
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Monika Bujalska
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Peter Van Loan
Minister of International Trade
613-992-9304
Trade Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-996-2000
http://www.international.gc.ca/media_commerce/comm/news-communiques/2010/293.aspx
International Trade Minister Urges More Companies to Take Advantage of Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service
Recent study shows trade commissioners give their clients’ exports an 18-percent boost
(No. 293 - September 15, 2010 - 11:45 a.m. ET) The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of International Trade, today met with members of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters to promote the benefits of using Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) and update them on the government’s trade and investment agenda.
A recent study shows Canadian exporters are more successful when they use the TCS, a network of trade and investment professionals who help businesses succeed abroad.
Entitled The Impact of Trade Promotion Services on Canadian Exporter Performance, the study found that:
TCS clients export 18 percent more by value than non-TCS clients;
TCS clients export to 36 percent more markets; and
for every tax dollar spent on the TCS, Canadian exports increased $27.
“This study shows that the Trade Commissioner Service is an essential link for Canadian companies who are looking to do business beyond our borders,” said Minister Van Loan. “With offices in more than 150 cities throughout the world and 18 offices in Canada, our trade commissioners offer an unparalleled network of contacts and are making a difference in helping Canadian business expand abroad.
“Canada’s trade commissioners are highly effective in assisting small and medium-sized companies to access new markets, overcome trade barriers and diversify their products. The TCS offers its business clients the right formula for success, and it is helping create jobs and prosperity for Canadians.”
“I am not surprised at the results of this study, as many of our members benefit from the Trade Commissioner Service,” said Jayson Myers, President and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters. “The TCS network is like having an office abroad where Canadian companies can obtain hands-on service, real-time advice and solid after care.”
The TCS serves some 10,000 clients a year. Over half the clients have 50 or fewer employees. During the study period from 2000 to 2006, Canadian companies exported $360 billion a year, which supported 3.4 million jobs, about a quarter of all Canadian employment.
This new study also provides a benchmark in time that will help to improve services for Canadian business in the future. A follow-up study will be conducted in 2013 to measure ongoing success and identify new opportunities.
The TCS helps companies succeed globally and lowers the costs of doing business through four key services: preparing for international markets, assessing market potential, finding qualified contacts and solving problems.
In addition to highlighting the findings on the TCS, Minister Van Loan told the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters that in less than four years, the Government of Canada had concluded new free trade agreements with Colombia, Peru, Jordan, Panama and the European Free Trade Association states of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Canada has also launched discussions on economic partnerships with two of the world’s largest economies, the European Union and India.
“The TCS puts boots on the ground to give muscle to our aggressive free trade agenda,” said the Minister.
A special feature on the study can be found at Canada’s State of Trade: Trade and Investment Update 2010.
- 30 -
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Monika Bujalska
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Peter Van Loan
Minister of International Trade
613-992-9304
Trade Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-996-2000
Basel III is threatening loses to small and medium companies
The following text is in German and meant for German companies, translate using your browser.
Folgeschäden für den Mittelstand drohen bei Basel III
BVMW schlägt Mittelstandsklausel bei Eigenkapitalunterlegung vor
Berlin – Für die Einführung einer Mittelstandsklausel bei Basel III hat sich Mario Ohoven, Präsident des Bundesverbandes mittelständische Wirtschaft (BVMW) und des europäischen Mittelstandsdachverbands (CEA-PME), ausgesprochen. „Mit den neuen Eigenkapitalregeln für Banken drohen dem Mittelstand erhebliche Folgeschäden. Hier muss die Bundesregierung zum Schutze der deutschen Wirtschaft aktiv werden.“
Basel III löse nicht das Grundproblem der Ungleichbehandlung, so der deutsche und europäische Mittelstandspräsident. Kredite an kleine und mittlere Unternehmen würden nach wie vor mit höheren Risikogewichten bemessen als risikoreichere Investitionen, etwa in griechische Staatsanleihen. „Eine Erhöhung der durchschnittlichen Eigenkapitalunterlegung durch die Banken geht daher überproportional zu Lasten des Mittelstands“, so Ohoven.
Dies müsse durch eine Senkung der Risikogewichte für Kredite an den Mittelstand kompensiert werden. Ohoven schlug vor, im Standardansatz für ein Portfolio von kleinteiligen Mittelstandskrediten nur noch ein Risikogewicht von 50 statt bisher 75 Prozent vorzuschreiben. „Die Klein- und Mittelbetriebe haben die Bankenkrise nicht verschuldet, sondern das System stabilisiert. Deshalb muss das Basel III-Regelwerk das geringere Risiko für Mittelstandskredite entsprechend berücksichtigen.“
Folgeschäden für den Mittelstand drohen bei Basel III
BVMW schlägt Mittelstandsklausel bei Eigenkapitalunterlegung vor
Berlin – Für die Einführung einer Mittelstandsklausel bei Basel III hat sich Mario Ohoven, Präsident des Bundesverbandes mittelständische Wirtschaft (BVMW) und des europäischen Mittelstandsdachverbands (CEA-PME), ausgesprochen. „Mit den neuen Eigenkapitalregeln für Banken drohen dem Mittelstand erhebliche Folgeschäden. Hier muss die Bundesregierung zum Schutze der deutschen Wirtschaft aktiv werden.“
Basel III löse nicht das Grundproblem der Ungleichbehandlung, so der deutsche und europäische Mittelstandspräsident. Kredite an kleine und mittlere Unternehmen würden nach wie vor mit höheren Risikogewichten bemessen als risikoreichere Investitionen, etwa in griechische Staatsanleihen. „Eine Erhöhung der durchschnittlichen Eigenkapitalunterlegung durch die Banken geht daher überproportional zu Lasten des Mittelstands“, so Ohoven.
Dies müsse durch eine Senkung der Risikogewichte für Kredite an den Mittelstand kompensiert werden. Ohoven schlug vor, im Standardansatz für ein Portfolio von kleinteiligen Mittelstandskrediten nur noch ein Risikogewicht von 50 statt bisher 75 Prozent vorzuschreiben. „Die Klein- und Mittelbetriebe haben die Bankenkrise nicht verschuldet, sondern das System stabilisiert. Deshalb muss das Basel III-Regelwerk das geringere Risiko für Mittelstandskredite entsprechend berücksichtigen.“
2010/08/22
New Mercedes SLS E-Cell
Mercedes subsidiary AMG has allowed us a first peek at its new e-cell car with rather fantastic performance. For good sales figures are responsible 4 synchron motors with combined power of 392kW and max. torque of 880 Nm, they revolve at 12000 max. revolutions per min. Each electro motor is built into each wheel, making unsuspended masses much smaller than usually making the ride very smooth.
The power comes from a set of Lithium-Ion high voltage batteries. The can hold up to 48kWh and release current up to 40A. No new how long takes recharging. So far the cars I have seen like the Tesla, or Nissan Leaf are ridiculously short on driving, and long on charging. If someone uses his or hers car for commuting only, it could make sense to own one as only a second car.
From Chinese sources (Ernest & Young China)we get info that around 60% of persons/drivers surveyed have great interest in electric car and especially in a hybrid one.
We get several news that in Japan, Nissan started to sell recharging stations for its Leaf, and in Germany, an E.ON an energy supplier and TUV Bayern opened its first inductive recharging station in Starnberg.
The power comes from a set of Lithium-Ion high voltage batteries. The can hold up to 48kWh and release current up to 40A. No new how long takes recharging. So far the cars I have seen like the Tesla, or Nissan Leaf are ridiculously short on driving, and long on charging. If someone uses his or hers car for commuting only, it could make sense to own one as only a second car.
From Chinese sources (Ernest & Young China)we get info that around 60% of persons/drivers surveyed have great interest in electric car and especially in a hybrid one.
We get several news that in Japan, Nissan started to sell recharging stations for its Leaf, and in Germany, an E.ON an energy supplier and TUV Bayern opened its first inductive recharging station in Starnberg.
2010/08/19
AMS experiment takes off for Kennedy Space Center
Geneva, 18 August 2010. The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), an experiment that will search for antimatter and dark matter in space, leaves CERN1 next Tuesday on the next leg of its journey to the International Space Station. The AMS detector2 is being transported from CERN to Geneva International Airport in preparation for its planned departure from Switzerland on 26 August, when it will be flown to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on board a US Air Force Galaxy transport aircraft.
A press conference to mark the occasion will be held at the press room of Geneva International Airport at 9:00 CEST on 25 August, and journalists will have the opportunity to visit the AMS detector and the aircraft. Those wishing to attend to the visit should contact the CERN press office by 12:00 CEST on Monday 23 August at the latest, providing their nationality, date of birth and passport or identity card number. This document must also be presented before the visit. Please note that only the people who have registered will be able to go on the apron to visit the AMS detector and the aircraft. Journalists who would like to see the arrival of the AMS detector at Kennedy Space Center on 26 August are invited to apply until 19 August. Details are available from ESA: http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM0R65OJCG_index_0.html.
AMS will examine fundamental issues about matter and the origin and structure of the Universe directly from space. Its main scientific target is the search for dark matter and antimatter, in a programme that is complementary to that of the Large Hadron Collider.
Last February the AMS detector travelled from CERN to the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk (Netherlands) for testing to certify its readiness for travel into space. Following the completion of the testing, the AMS collaboration decided to return the detector to CERN for final modifications. In particular, the detector’s superconducting magnet was replaced by the permanent magnet from the AMS-01 prototype, which had already flown into space in 1998. The reason for the decision was that the operational lifetime of the superconducting magnet would have been limited to three years, because there is no way of refilling the magnet with liquid helium, necessary to maintain the magnet’s superconductivity, on board the space station. The permanent magnet, on the other hand, will now allow the experiment to remain operational for the entire lifetime of the ISS.
Following its return to CERN, the AMS detector was therefore reconfigured with the permanent magnet before being tested with CERN particle beams. The tests were used to validate and calibrate the new configuration before the detector leaves Europe for the last time.
“The entire AMS collaboration is delighted by this departure, because it marks a crucial milestone for the experiment. We are getting close to the space shuttle launch and the moment when our detector will finally be installed on board the ISS,” explained Professor Sam Ting, Nobel laureate and spokesman for the experiment. “The detector’s construction phase is now finished and we are eager for the data collection phase to begin.”
“The launch of AMS detector is very timely,” added Roberto Petronzio, President of the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics. “Today we are well aware of our ignorance of Universe’s most abundant constituents and we still challenge the puzzle of matter-antimatter asymmetry. Furthermore, recent results from the Pamela experiment suggest scenarios for important discoveries for AMS. The experiment stems from a large international collaboration joining the effort of major European funding agencies with the US and China.”
Upon arrival at the Kennedy Space Center, AMS will be installed in a clean room for a few more tests. A few weeks later, the detector will be moved to the space shuttle. NASA is planning the last flight of the space shuttle programme, which will carry AMS into space, for the end of February 2011.
Once docked to the ISS, AMS will search for antimatter and dark matter by measuring cosmic rays. Data collected in space by AMS will be transmitted to Houston (USA) and on to CERN’s Prévessin site, where the detector control centre will be located, and to a number of regional physics analysis centres set up by the collaborating institutes.
"We are proud that this detector, which will play such an important role, will be flown from Geneva International Airport to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida," said Robert Deillon, General Manager of Geneva International Airport.
Contact
CERN Press Office, press.office@cern.ch
+41 22 767 34 32
+41 22 767 21 41
1.CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is the world's leading laboratory for particle physics. It has its headquarters in Geneva. At present, its Member States are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. India, Israel, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United States of America, Turkey, the European Commission and UNESCO have Observer status.
2.The AMS detector components were produced by an international team, with substantial contributions from CERN Member States (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland), and from China (Taipei) and the United States. The detector was assembled at CERN, with the assistance of the Laboratory’s technical services.
A press conference to mark the occasion will be held at the press room of Geneva International Airport at 9:00 CEST on 25 August, and journalists will have the opportunity to visit the AMS detector and the aircraft. Those wishing to attend to the visit should contact the CERN press office by 12:00 CEST on Monday 23 August at the latest, providing their nationality, date of birth and passport or identity card number. This document must also be presented before the visit. Please note that only the people who have registered will be able to go on the apron to visit the AMS detector and the aircraft. Journalists who would like to see the arrival of the AMS detector at Kennedy Space Center on 26 August are invited to apply until 19 August. Details are available from ESA: http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM0R65OJCG_index_0.html.
AMS will examine fundamental issues about matter and the origin and structure of the Universe directly from space. Its main scientific target is the search for dark matter and antimatter, in a programme that is complementary to that of the Large Hadron Collider.
Last February the AMS detector travelled from CERN to the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk (Netherlands) for testing to certify its readiness for travel into space. Following the completion of the testing, the AMS collaboration decided to return the detector to CERN for final modifications. In particular, the detector’s superconducting magnet was replaced by the permanent magnet from the AMS-01 prototype, which had already flown into space in 1998. The reason for the decision was that the operational lifetime of the superconducting magnet would have been limited to three years, because there is no way of refilling the magnet with liquid helium, necessary to maintain the magnet’s superconductivity, on board the space station. The permanent magnet, on the other hand, will now allow the experiment to remain operational for the entire lifetime of the ISS.
Following its return to CERN, the AMS detector was therefore reconfigured with the permanent magnet before being tested with CERN particle beams. The tests were used to validate and calibrate the new configuration before the detector leaves Europe for the last time.
“The entire AMS collaboration is delighted by this departure, because it marks a crucial milestone for the experiment. We are getting close to the space shuttle launch and the moment when our detector will finally be installed on board the ISS,” explained Professor Sam Ting, Nobel laureate and spokesman for the experiment. “The detector’s construction phase is now finished and we are eager for the data collection phase to begin.”
“The launch of AMS detector is very timely,” added Roberto Petronzio, President of the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics. “Today we are well aware of our ignorance of Universe’s most abundant constituents and we still challenge the puzzle of matter-antimatter asymmetry. Furthermore, recent results from the Pamela experiment suggest scenarios for important discoveries for AMS. The experiment stems from a large international collaboration joining the effort of major European funding agencies with the US and China.”
Upon arrival at the Kennedy Space Center, AMS will be installed in a clean room for a few more tests. A few weeks later, the detector will be moved to the space shuttle. NASA is planning the last flight of the space shuttle programme, which will carry AMS into space, for the end of February 2011.
Once docked to the ISS, AMS will search for antimatter and dark matter by measuring cosmic rays. Data collected in space by AMS will be transmitted to Houston (USA) and on to CERN’s Prévessin site, where the detector control centre will be located, and to a number of regional physics analysis centres set up by the collaborating institutes.
"We are proud that this detector, which will play such an important role, will be flown from Geneva International Airport to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida," said Robert Deillon, General Manager of Geneva International Airport.
Contact
CERN Press Office, press.office@cern.ch
+41 22 767 34 32
+41 22 767 21 41
1.CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is the world's leading laboratory for particle physics. It has its headquarters in Geneva. At present, its Member States are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. India, Israel, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United States of America, Turkey, the European Commission and UNESCO have Observer status.
2.The AMS detector components were produced by an international team, with substantial contributions from CERN Member States (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland), and from China (Taipei) and the United States. The detector was assembled at CERN, with the assistance of the Laboratory’s technical services.
2010/08/18
Swiss post under the criticism of Privacy Groups
Swiss Privacy Foundation and the SKS (Swiss consumer protection authority)protest against the new law authorizing continuous surveillance of the traffic, which (it is new) includes schools, hospitals, and hotels.
It obliges not only providers, but also third parties to invest heavily in surveillance hardware. Especially hotels in Switzerland are heavily under capitalised, and according to industry spokesman some 30% of the qualify for closing.
It obliges not only providers, but also third parties to invest heavily in surveillance hardware. Especially hotels in Switzerland are heavily under capitalised, and according to industry spokesman some 30% of the qualify for closing.
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