Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/485686
BySethBorenstein The Associated Press WASHINGTON NASA is aiming to launch a rocket to an asteroid in five years and grab a boulder off of it — a stepping stone and training mission for an eventual trip sending humans to Mars. The space agency Wednesday unveiled details of the $1.25 billion plan to launch a solar-powered un- manned spaceship to an as- teroid in December 2020. The ship would spend about a year circling the large space rock and pluck a 13- foot boulder off its surface using robotic arms. It would have three to five opportu- nities to grab the rock, said Robert Lightfoot, NASA's associate administrator. The smaller rock would be hauled near the moon and parked in orbit around the moon. Using a giant rocket ship and the Orion crew capsule that are still being developed, two as- tronauts would fly to the smaller rock in 2025 and start exploring. Astro- nauts aboard Orion would dock with the robotic ship, make spacewalks, climbing around the mini-asteroid to inspect and document, and even grab a piece to return to Earth. The smaller rock might not even be big enough for the two astronauts to stand on; it would have fit in the cargo bay of the now-retired space shuttles. The mission will "dem- onstrate the capabilities we're going to need for fur- ther future human missions beyond low Earth orbit and then ultimately to Mars," Lightfoot said. Lightfoot also identified the leading target. It's a 1,300-foot wide space rock discovered in 2008 called 2008 EV5, making it some- what larger than most of the asteroids that circle the sun near Earth. Two other space rocks are being considered, called Itokawa and Bennu. NASA managers chose this option over another plan that would lasso or use a giant bag to grab an entire asteroid and haul it near the moon. The selected plan is about $100 million more expensive but it was picked by managers in a meeting Tuesday because it would test technologies and tech- niques "we're going to need when we go to another plan- etary body," Lightfoot said during a telephone press conference. Those include "soft landing" and grabbing technologies, he said. A few years ago, the ad- ministration proposed sending astronauts to an asteroid and landing on it, but later changed that to bringing the asteroid closer to Earth. The$1.25billionpricedoes not include the larger costs of the rockets launching the spaceshipstotheasteroidand the smaller boulder. The entire project called ARM for Asteroid Redirect Mission would also test new spacesuits for deep space, as opposed to Earth orbit, and may even help compa- nies look at the idea of min- ing asteroids for precious metals, said NASA spokes- man David Steitz. Steitz said by getting closer to the large asteroid, the mission will help with "planetary defense" tech- niques, learning how to nudge a threatening space rock out of harm's way. TRAINING MISSION NASAdetailsplantopluckrockoffasteroid By Lolita C. Baldor The Associated Press WASHINGTON U.S. mil- itary leaders have ex- pressed reservations about any move to lift the Pen- tagon's ban on transgen- der people serving in the armed forces, an issue since Defense Secretary Ash Carter's suggestion that he is open to the idea, officials say. Carter told troops in Afghanistan that he was open-minded when asked if the Defense Department was planning to remove one of the last gender- or sexuality-based barriers to military service. But some defense officials have said they have broad concerns about the impact of such a change. The officials spoke only on condition of anonym- ity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Much of the opposi- tion centers on questions of where transgender troops would be housed, what berthing they would have on ships, which bath- rooms they would use and whether their presence would affect the ability of small units to work well to- gether. There also are ques- tions about whether the military would conduct or pay for the medical treat- ment and costs associated with any gender transi- tion, as well as which physical training stan- dards the troops would be required to meet. The military has dealt with similar questions as it has integrated the ranks by race, gender and sexual orientation. And in many cases comparable worries have been raised, includ- ing whether the changes would hinder small units that often have to work to- gether in remote, confined locations for long periods of time. Transgender people, who believe their gender identity is different from the one they were born with — and who some- times take hormone treat- ments or have surgery to change — are banned from military service. But stud- ies and surveys estimate 15,000 transgender people serve in the active duty military and the reserves, often in secret but in many cases with the knowledge of their unit commanders or peers. Carter, who became Pentagon chief just five weeks ago, told troops in Afghanistan last month that the key question should be: "Are they go- ing to be excellent ser- vice members? And I don't think anything but their suitability for service should preclude them." What he didn't know at the time was that one of the troops in attendance was a transgender individ- ual who is serving with the full knowledge of the per- son's commander. People familiar with the event would not iden- tify the transgender ser- vice member or say if that person met or had a photo- graph taken with the sec- retary, saying it could put the person's job in jeop- ardy. That transgender ser- vice member lives in bar- racks for that person's cho- sen gender identity, not the one listed on the troop's identification card, said Al- lyson Robinson, policy di- rector for an association of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender military per- sonnel called Service mem- bers, Partners, and Allies for Respect and Tolerance for All, or SPARTA. Rob- inson said the person is "acknowledged as one of the top performers in the unit," and is known to be a transgender individual by others in the unit. The transgender issue has come to the fore as the military has struggled with how to deal with con- victed national security leaker Chelsea Manning's request for hormone ther- apy and other treatment for her gender dysphoria while she's in prison. Man- ning, arrested as Bradley Manning, is the first trans- gender military prisoner to request such treatment, and the Army recently ap- proved the hormone ther- apy, under pressure from a lawsuit. Manning would have been discharged, but she first has to finish her 35- year sentence at the mili- tary prison at Fort Leaven- worth, Kansas. While there are no sep- arate, formal Defense De- partment studies on the transgender question, there is an ongoing review that looks at the broader issue of standards for en- listment, which includes a 40-page list of medical conditions that preclude service. Recruits must be free of any contagious dis- eases or medical, phys- ical, mental or psycho- logical conditions that would limit the person's ability to perform, to serve in various places and environments, wear required equipment or require absences due to needed hospitalization or treatment. Such conditions include heart problems, cancer, night blindness, sleep ap- nea, schizophrenia, serious cases of hemorrhoids and eating disorders. It also refers in several places to sexual conditions or dis- orders, including trans- gender. That review, to be com- pleted next year, could provide a mechanism for changing the ban. Meanwhile, small teams within the services are gathering information on the issue. And the Army has announced that deci- sions to discharge trans- gender service members will now be made at a higher level than unit com- mander to ensure consis- tency. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT US officials: Military worries about easing transgender ban By Kristin J. Bender and Paul Elias The Associated Press SAN JOSE A man threaten- ing to commit suicide un- leashed a barrage of gunfire on Northern California offi- cers called to check on him, killing a 14-year veteran of the San Jose Police Depart- ment. Scott Dunham, 57, fa- tally shot Officer Michael Johnson, 38, Tuesday night, launching an hours-long manhunt for the gunman and forcing nearby apart- ments to be evacuated. The search ended when Dun- ham was found dead early Wednesday on his apart- ment balcony, San Jose po- lice spokesman Albert Mo- rales said. Police had no commu- nication with the suspect between the time Johnson was shot about 6:45 p.m. Tuesday and when Dunham was found dead more than eight hours later, at 3:20 a.m. Wednesday. It was un- clear if he killed himself or died when officers returned fire. Police Chief Larry Es- quivel said at a news confer- ence early Wednesday that it was difficult to pinpoint Dunham's motive or mind- set. A neighbor told KRON (http://bit.ly/1DZGCcz ) that Dunham had recently lost his job. A niece also told the television station that her uncle had untreated mental health issues. Po- lice classified him as intox- icated at the time. "It's unfortunate that this person had the nerve, the audacity, to shoot at our of- ficers that were responding to a call for service, for as- sistance," Esquivel said. Officers approaching Dunham's apartment build- ing were met with gunfire. After Johnson was shot, au- thorities swarmed the area in search of the shooter. Johnson was a field train- ing officer, but he did not have a trainee with him at the time he was shot. Officers, armored vehi- cles and a helicopter came from neighboring law en- forcement agencies and the California Highway Patrol. At 1:30 a.m. officers used ex- plosives to breach the apart- ment and then used a robot with a camera to check in- side. Dunham was found dead about two hours later. Police were called to the apartment because Dun- ham reportedly threatened his wife and said he would kill her if "she didn't leave," according to the 911 police tapes. The woman left the apartment and called one of her children, who called po- lice, according to the tapes released by police. The police recordings show that officers told dis- patchers Dunham was thought to be in possession of one or two handguns. A neighbor, Steve Helmer, his wife and young daugh- ter heard the gunfire and then later ran into Dun- ham's wife outside their apartment building. "She was surprisingly calm," Helmer said of the wife. A few hours later, she rang the Helmers' door- bell and asked if she could borrow a blanket because she was cold and wasn't al- lowed into her apartment. She was accompanied by two police officers. Helmer said he never spoke to Dunham, but saw him around the complex of- ten. "He was quiet," Helmer said. "He kept to himself." Laurie Richmond lives in the trailer park directly across the street from Dun- ham's apartment. Rich- mond said she knew Dun- ham, but not well. She would bump into him at the liquor store a half block away every couple of weeks or so, and they would ex- change pleasantries. "He seemed normal," Richmond said. "I never saw anything out of the or- dinary." Richmond said she was leaving the liquor store with her dog when she heard the gunshots. She didn't see the shooting but was concerned enough to seek cover in the store. She said that after she emerged about 15 minutes later, the area was "flooded with cops." Johnson is the 12th offi- cer to be killed in the San Jose Police Department's 166-year history. The last San Jose officer killed in the line of duty was Jeffrey Fontana, who was shot during a vehicle stop in 2001. DeShawn Campbell was convicted in the case. Johnson and Fontana were in the same police academy class. Mayor Sam Liccardo expressed sympathies to Johnson's family, telling re- porters: "This has been San Jose's darkest hour." The officer's family is- sued a statement Wednes- day afternoon. "Last night Officer Michael Johnson of the San Jose Police Depart- ment was shot and killed while trying to help the community he loved. We are deeply saddened by his loss and cannot express in writing how deep a hole in our hearts we are left with by his passing," the state- ment said, in part. Gov. Jerry Brown issued a statementWednesdaysaying Capitol flags will be flown at half-staff in his memory. "Anne and I extend our deepest condolences to Officer Johnson's family, friends and fellow officers. Officer Johnson will be re- membered for his courage and dedicated service and we join the entire San Jose community in mourning this tragic loss." He is survived by his wife, Nicole, and parents, Katherine Decker and Dan- iel Johnson. Johnson was one of two law officers to die in inter- actions with suspects Tues- day. In eastern Wisconsin, State Patrol Trooper Trevor Casper, 21, was killed in a shootout with a bank rob- bery suspect. Casper was just three months out of the academy. The suspect, who is also believed to have killed a motorist, died in the shooting in Fond du Lac. 14-YEAR VETERAN Ma n sh oo ts , ki ll s Ca li fo rn ia officer checking on him NHATV.MEYE—SANJOSEMERCURYNEWS San Jose police Chief Larry Esquivel, center, speaks during a news conference Tuesday in San Jose. At right is San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo. By Rick Callahan The Associated Press SCOTTSBURG, IND. Faced with a growing HIV out- break tied to intravenous drug use, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said Wednesday he's considering a needle-ex- change program as part of a public health emergency he's preparing to declare in a county that's at the epi- center of the cases. Pence, a Republican, said he generally opposes nee- dle exchanges but is listen- ing to health officials to de- termine the best way to stop the outbreak in Scott County in southern Indiana. Health officials say 72 cases of HIV have been confirmed in southern Indiana and seven other people have prelim- inary positive HIV infec- tions. All of those infected either live in Scott County or have ties to the county. Pence, who plans to issue an executive order Thurs- day morning outlining a range of state actions, noted Scott County typically sees five HIV cases each year. "What I'm thinking about carefully and thoughtfully is what's needed in a pub- lic health emergency, what's necessary to really get con- trol of this in the immediate future," Pence said. Needle-exchange pro- grams allow people to turn in used hypodermic needles and get clean ones in an ef- fort to keep diseases such as HIV and hepatitis from spreading. Such programs are illegal in Indiana, but a measure being debated in the Legislature would al- low them on a limited basis. IV drug use has been de- termined as the mode of in- fection in nearly all of the cases in the outbreak, said state epidemiologist Pam Pontones said. The number of cases is ex- pected to rise. Officials are trying to contact as many as 100 people tied to those with confirmed infections. The state has launched an awareness campaign that in- cludes billboards and social media. State health commis- sionerDr.JeromeAdamssaid a mobile unit will be sent to Scott County with resources to help combat the outbreak. Pontones said state health officials and staff from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who arrived in the county about 30 miles north of Louisville, Ken- tucky, on Monday agree that the outbreak "is an indicator of a larger problem," which is rampant IV drug use in the economically depressed region. 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