(CNN) -- NASA Stennis Space Center has started using commercial fiber-optic modems to digitally record and send data during rocket propulsion tests, solving the problem of how to remotely monitor an explosion.

Omni Technologies, based in New Orleans, built the small modems or "transceivers" especially for NASA, tailoring technologies that have been around for about 10 years.

As NASA's lead center for rocket propulsion testing, Stennis has always needed a way to collect accurate data from the extremely hot and violent environment of rocket engine tests.

Until now, remote recording of high-speed digital data was impossible, with engineers relying instead on copper wires that vibrated so much during firings that data often were distorted.

The fiber-optic approach, used to transmit data from test stands to control rooms, allows for more accurate data recordings over greater distances, and it solves the vibrational problem.

"These transceivers are a key component in our data acquisition and have proven to be an extremely reliable and robust solution," said Joey Kirkpatrick, a NASA engineer at Stennis and co-developer of the fiber-optic transceiver.

"This technology has allowed us to provide a high-speed data capability that is truly state-of-the-art."

Through the NASA Technology Transfer Office at Stennis, Omni was granted the exclusive license to commercialize the device, called FOTR-125.

Omni plans to offer the FOTR-125 to other facilities that perform hazardous testing, such as explosives, nuclear, rocket engines and some combustion turbine engines.

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NASA interviews astronaut candidates

(CNN) -- A batch of 20 aspiring astronauts reported to NASA's Johnson Space Center on Monday for orientation, interviews and medical evaluations that could land them highly coveted jobs in space.

The group is the first of several that made the first cut from an initial pool of some 3,000 applicants. All 120 candidates will be interviewed at some point between September and January 2000 for the astronaut class of 2000.

The initial group at JSC includes Mark H. Anderson, Ph.D., of Wisconsin; Michele A. Brekke, of Texas; Jose M. Hernandez, of Maryland; David M. Klaus, Ph.D., of Colorado; K. Megan McArthur of San Diego; Jeffrey E. Moersch, Ph.D., of California; Rick Mooday, Ph.D. of New Mexico; Gurpartap S. Sandhoo, Ph.D., of Maryland; Scott D. Vangen, of Florida; and Shannon Walker, Ph.D., of Texas.

Candidates from various branches of the military include USN Lt. Troy G. Anderson, of Florida; USN Lt. Beau Duarte of Maryland; USN Lt. Commander J. Scott Calvert, of Virginia; USAF Major Kevin T. Christensen of California; USAF Capt. Trevor M. Clark of Washington state; USN Lt. Commander Nancy Fechtig of Maryland; US Navy Lt. Dale Feddersen of Japan; USAF Major Ronald J. Garan of Florida; US Army Major Timothy L. Kopra of Texas; US Navy Lt. Commander David Woodbury of Florida.

NASA selects a new astronaut class about every two years with the number of candidates depending upon the rate of space shuttle flights, space station requirements and astronaut attrition rates.

China to launch research satellite in October

(CNN) -- China plans to launch a research satellite in October to monitor natural resources, environmental pollution and climatic changes, the Science and Technology Digest, said Tuesday.

It said the satellite, a joint venture between Brazil and China, would be launched on a Long March 4B rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in the northern province of Shanxi.

The satellite, the sixth Chinese launch this year, would help scientists monitor soil change, predict crop failures and bad weather, the digest said.

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