Coalition for Space Exploration » CSExtra

CSExtra – Friday, February 3, 2012

Julie — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:21:36 +0000

To subscribe to CSExtra via RSS feed click here.

If you would prefer to receive CSExtra in e-mail format, e-mail us at Info@spacecoalition.com with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Friday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space-related activities from around the world. NASA, the managing International Space Station partner, says a failed Russian ground test will add several weeks of delays to upcoming crew launches. Astronomers identify another habitable zone exo-planet. A strong space program makes economic sense, according to one advocate economist. United Launch Alliance makes strides in the human rating of the Atlas 5. The lure of NASA’s astronaut corps. Signs of a link between human activity and climate change. A new “Blue Marble” image of the Earth. Circular imprints on the Baltic Sea floor cause a stir.

1. From Spaceflightnow.com: A failed ground test leads to a six week delay in the new launch of crew to the International Space Station. The next three man U. S. and Russian team is scheduled to lift off on May 15, rather than March 30. Russia blames the setback on a failed pressure test that damaged the next Soyuz crew capsule. http://bit.ly/AtT9gf

A. From spacepolicyonline.com: The space station program’s NASA led managers believe station operations can accommodate current delays and return to normal scheduling by the end of 2012. http://bit.ly/x0w11d

B. From The Washington Post: The latest difficulties represent a second round of delays caused by Russian spacecraft issues in the last six months. http://wapo.st/x4KxY9

C. From Florida Today: NASA’s space station program manager expresses confidence Russian experts will diagnose and disclose the cause of the failed pressurization test and develop a remedy. http://on.flatoday.com/wE7VhS

2. From Space.com: Astronomers zero in on a potentially habitable exo-planet — a world where water on the surface could flow as a liquid. http://bit.ly/zxqU4L

3. From the Huffington Post: In an op-ed, economist Greg Autry examines the reasons for a strong U. S. space program with ties to a healthy commercial sector. The military GPS satellite navigation system, as an example, saves the long haul trucking industry an estimated $52 billion annually. Autry is the co-author of Death by China. http://huff.to/zBAzLO

4. From the Denver Post: United Launch Alliance, supplier of the Atlas 5 rocket, moves closer to a human rating — a reliability and safety status that would permit the launching of commercial space transports. http://bit.ly/z1ryVi

5. From the Houston Chronicle: Why have applications to NASA’s astronaut office openings soared? It’s the opportunity to rocket into deep space. http://bit.ly/yrvUgB

6. From Space.com: A study by NASA researchers, published in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, points to human rather than solar activity as the source of a rise in temperature. http://bit.ly/wmAavt

7. From Florida Today: More views of the “Blue Marble” Earth from the polar orbiting Suomi satellite. http://on.flatoday.com/xtAw2a

8. From Discovery.com: Two circular imprints on the Baltic Sea floor between Sweden and Finland are causing a stir. Crashed flying saucers perhaps? http://bit.ly/AbKTh8

Brought to you by the Coalition for Space Exploration, CSExtra is a daily compilation of space industry news selected from hundreds of online media resources. The Coalition is not the author or reporter of any of the stories appearing in CSExtra and does not control and is not responsible for the content of any of these stories. The content available through CSExtra contains links to other websites and domains which are wholly independent of the Coalition, and the Coalition makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or authenticity of the information contained in any such site or domain and does not pre-screen or approve any content. The Coalition does not endorse or receive any type of compensation from the included media outlets and is not responsible or liable in any way for any content of CSExtra or for any loss, damage or injury incurred as a result of any content appearing in CSExtra. For information on the Coalition, visit www.spacecoalition.com or contact us via e-mail at Info@spacecoalition.com.

CSExtra – Thursday, February 2, 2012

Julie — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:38:36 +0000

To subscribe to CSExtra via RSS feed click here.

If you would prefer to receive CSExtra in e-mail format, e-mail us at Info@spacecoalition.com with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Thursday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from around the world. U. S. experts spotlight 16 key technologies NASA will need to pursue strategic goals, including human deep space exploration. Russia considers a simulated Mars mission using the International Space Station and future human moon missions. Space Adventures looks to a commercial moon mission. NASA’s Ebb and Flow spacecraft deliver their first video of the moon’s far side, using the student MoonKAM. How much did a headline grabbing moon speech influence the outcome of Florida’s Republican presidential primary this week? SpaceX tests a powerful rocket. A meteor lights up the skies over North Texas. NASA astronaut Mike Massimino to guest on The Big Bang Theory tonight. Fighting fires in space. The U. S. Postal Service envisions a stamp for a Pluto-bound spacecraft. NASA readies NuSTAR, a black hole hunting spacecraft for a mid-March launching. NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to loose another round of shuttle workers.

1. From Spacepolicyonline.com: The National Research Council identifies 16 key technologies NASA should emphasize with future budget investments. The investments would nurture human activities beyond low Earth orbit, help to explain the evolution of the solar system and the potential for life elsewhere and enable a deeper understanding of Earth and the universe in which we live. http://bit.ly/zTrHqB

2. From Ria Novosti of Russia: Roscosmos chief Vladimir Popovkin says the Russian federal space agency is considering a repeat of the successful Mars500 experiment aboard the International Space Station. The experiment simulated the isolation of a 520 day journey to Mars in Moscow with six participates from Russia, Europe and China. The ground based exercise ended on Nov. 4. http://bit.ly/wWI9SI

A. From Ria Novosti of Russia: Russia is looking at launching cosmonauts to the moon by 2020, according to Vladimir Popovkin, head of Roscosmos. A new class of cosmonauts will be trained for lunar missions, he predicts. Russia is weighing either a moon or lunar orbiting base. http://bit.ly/y7JPFJ

B. From Ria Novosti of Russia: Observatories in Russia make plan search for extraterrestrial planets. http://bit.ly/ztaaOz

3. From the Houston Chronicle: Space Adventures, the U. S. travel adventure company, envisions a commercial passenger trip around the moon in 2017. http://bit.ly/woad7a

4. From Florida Today: Ebb and Flow, the two student named lunar satellites involved in NASA’s GRAIL mission, have transmitted their first video imagery of the moon’s far side. The imagery was taken on Jan. 19. The two spacecraft, launched last September are revealing new information about the moons subsurface. The “MoonKAM” on each probe is part of a student science project. http://on.flatoday.com/xps9qN

5. From Spacepolitics.com: Florida’s Republican presidential primary made national headlines last week. Mitt Romney emerged the winner. But how much did a widely assessed speech on space policy by challenger Newt Gingrich influence the outcome? http://bit.ly/zCSZVL

6. From Discovery.com: SpaceX reports a successful test of the SuperDraco, a compact rocket that will be part of the escape system on the company’s forthcoming Dragon orbital crew transport capsule. The rocket, fired at a Texas test site, could also be used to land spacecraft on the moon or Mars. http://bit.ly/yuzovK

7. From the Abilene Reporter News of Texas: A meteor streaked across North Texas and Oklahoma late Wednesday. Some reported the bright object was accompanied by a sonic boom. http://bit.ly/xwuM0A

8. From Space.com: NASA astronaut Mike Massimino, who twice assisted in upgrades to the Hubble Space Telescope, recently made a guest appearance on the CBS comedy The Big Bang Theory. The episode will air tonight, Feb. 2. http://bit.ly/y1S7JP

9. From the Coalition for Space Exploration: FLEX, or the Flame Extinguishment Experiment is underway aboard the International Space Station, where it promises to help improve fire fighting techniques on the Earth as well as on the space frontier. http://bit.ly/yBzM0O

10. From Collectspace.com: NASA’s Pluto-bound New Horizons mission is due a commemorative U. S. postal stamp. Launched in 2006, the mission is years away from its destination. http://bit.ly/ySeOdC

11. From Discovery.com: So, where are we? NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer spacecraft offers new perspective. The Earth is traversing a cloud of materials forged outside the solar system. http://bit.ly/wICEU0

12. From Spaceflightnow.com: NASA’s NuSTAR spacecraft, an observatory equipped to survey the sky for black holes, arrives at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., where it is undergoing preparations for a mid-March launching from the Marshall Islands. http://bit.ly/yWO8SV

13. From Florida Today: The Kennedy Space Center’s workforce will shrink by about 200 jobs this spring in a continued response to the retirement of NASA’s shuttle program. http://on.flatoday.com/xxywPi

CSExtra – Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Julie — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:11:58 +0000

To subscribe to CSExtra via RSS feed click here.

If you would prefer to receive CSExtra in e-mail format, e-mail us at Info@spacecoalition.com with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Wednesday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space-related activities from across the globe. In Russia, space officials say plans for the next Soyuz crew launch to the International Space Station will be delayed by a ground test failure. NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer makes the first detection of chemical elements from beyond the solar system. NASA astronaut Shannon Lucid, a space endurance record holder, retires. After weeks of speculation, Russian investigators point to poor computer hardware and lack of pre-launch testing as the cause of a recent Mars mission loss. Florida’s Space Coast shows signs of economic recovery. An advocate for the human exploration of Mars examines the issue of risk.

1. From Ria Novosti of Russia: Russian space officials say the next crew launch to the International Space Station will be delayed from late March to late April or mid-May. The postponement was blamed on the ground test failure of the Soyuz TMA-04M that was to launch an American and two Russians to the outpost. http://bit.ly/yqrWOt

2. From National Geographic Daily News: From its orbit 200,000 miles away, NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer detects the first chemical elements from interstellar space. The particles of hydrogen, oxygen and neon came from the space between stars, scientists report. http://bit.ly/zdTZb8

3. From Spaceflightnow.com: Veteran astronaut Shannon Lucid follows colleague Jerry Ross in to retirement. Lucid, a former world record spaceflight holder for women, announced her retirement Tuesday. She follows vet Jerry Ross, the first human to launch into space seven times. Lucid was selected in 1978, Ross in 1980. http://bit.ly/w58uk5

4. From Spacepolicyonline.com: Russian experts point to cosmic ray interference and/or computer chips that were not space qualified or adequately vetted before launch for the heavy publicized loss of the Phobos Grunt mission. The spacecraft was stranded in Earth orbit after an early November launch. Scientists hoped to retrieve soil samples from the Martian moon Phobos. http://bit.ly/xEZvFg

A. From Spacepolicyonline.com and RussianSpaceWeb.com: Investigators find interference from the radar of foreign sources, the United States, for instance, was not the source of the Phobos Grunt mission loss. http://bit.ly/xoafNS

5. From Florida Today: New data suggests Florida’s Space Coast has started to rebound from the economic hit that accompanied the retirement of NASA’s 30-year shuttle program in mid-2011. A general improvement in the regional economy is expected, including net job growth and more spending, the newspaper reports in an article that appeared Jan. 28. Unemployment peaked at 12.8 percent in January 2010. http://on.flatoday.com/zQYkTj

6. From Reason Magazine: In an op-ed, Robert Zubrin, president of the Mars Society, examines NASA’s approach to risk and the prospects for reaching the Red Planet with human explorers. http://bit.ly/ywzZcr

A. From Wired.com: Life in space could alter the genes of astronauts, a European study using fruit flies as subjects suggests. Fruit flies have long been subjects of genetic studies. http://bit.ly/xlIQqK

CSExtra – Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Julie — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:36:38 +0000

To subscribe to CSExtra via RSS feed click here.

If you would prefer to receive CSExtra in e-mail format, e-mail us at Info@spacecoalition.com with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Tuesday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from around the globe. NASA receives nearly 6,400 applications for the 9 to15 astronaut positions it plans to fill in 2013. Russian experts size up the impact of a Soyuz spacecraft test failure that could affect future launch plans. Russian experts look to computing and testing errors in the loss of their recent Mars probe. Two essays look at the rise and presumed fall of space as a presidential campaign issue as well as Russia’s initial public response to its Mars mission failure. NASA’s Mars bound Mars Science Laboratory mission detects a rush of solar radiation. NASA teams with Facebook for a new space trivia game. NASA leads an effort to digitally record the design and development history of the retired shuttle orbiters. Missing aliens.

1. From Florida Today: A chance to be a NASA astronaut attracts nearly 6,400 applicants. The application period, which opened in mid-November closed last Friday at midnight. NASA intends to hire from 9 to 15 new astronauts by early 2013. The next astronaut class will be the first of NASA’s post shuttle era. http://bit.ly/y4pYRq

2. From Florida Today: Scheduling for Russian missions to the International Space Station, slated for late March and May, could be affected by a recent pressure test failure involving the first of the two spacecraft. An inquiry is under way. For now, the incident is not a threat to crew staffing of the six-person orbiting science laboratory, according to NASA, the program’s managing partner. http://on.flatoday.com/zz88vj

A. Spacepolicyonline.com: Russian experts are looking at computing, testing errors as the cause of the Phobos-Grunt mission failure. Launched in early November, the probe crashed to Earth earlier this month. http://bit.ly/xoafNS

3. Two from The Space Review, of Monday, assess the surprise emergence of space as an issue in the race for the Republican presidential nomination and Russia’s finger pointing in the loss of the Phobos-Grunt Mars mission:

A. In “Campaign Lunacy,” TSR editor Jeff Foust predicts last week’s Republican presidential primary campaign dust up in Central Florida over space policy marked the start and the end of the nation’s future in space as an election issue. http://bit.ly/xR0QVd

B. In “The need for real rocket science to solve Russian spaceflight setbacks,” James Oberg, former NASA flight controller and Soviet space historian, sounds a warning over Russia’s handling of the Phobos-Grunt mission loss. Initial finger pointing, especially at the U. S. and its space radar arrays, suggests Russia’s space leadership was hesitant to dig into the causes. That may not bode well for the United States, which is depending on Russia for the transportation of astronauts to and from the International Space Station until it can nurture a space shuttle replacement, Oberg writes. http://bit.ly/AE71RS

4. From Discovery.com: NASA’s Mars bound Mars Science Laboratory detects radiation unleashed by a Jan. 22 solar storm. That’s a good thing. Scientists want to know what a spacecraft with astronauts aboard might expect on its way to the red planet. http://bit.ly/w4bRDN

5. From Space.com: NASA joins with Facebook to launch a new space trivia game. The answers to Space Race Blastoff are “out there”. http://bit.ly/y6jz81

6. From Collectspace.com: The design and development history of NASA’s retired shuttle orbiters, starting with Discovery, will be digitally archived by the space agency through the efforts of several state archivists and the National Park Service. An emphasis will be placed on changes made after the Columbia and Challenger tragedies. http://bit.ly/wnKKc9

7. From the Huntsville Times: Alabama Google Lunar X-prize contestants launch a lander competition for school students. Got a name? http://bit.ly/xeew3r

8. From Discovery.com: If there is life elsewhere in the universe, why hasn’t it been here? An old question gets a fresh look. http://bit.ly/w0235m

CSExtra – Monday, January 30, 2012

Julie — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:31:26 +0000

To subscribe to CSExtra via RSS feed click here.

If you would prefer to receive CSExtra in e-mail format, e-mail us at Info@spacecoalition.com with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Monday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from around the globe, including a roundup of weekend developments. In the Florida primary contest, a pledge from Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich to develop a human lunar base within eight years of his election draws fire. Well known members of the space community endorse opponent Mitt Romney. The first re-supply mission of 2012 reaches the International Space Station. Then, the orbiting lab maneuvers to avoid Chinese satellite debris. Some experts question the viability of NASA’s heavy lift rocket initiative. Canadian teens aim high with a camera toting Lego figure. Japan readies a second asteroid sample return mission. Boeing credits the success of the Boeing 787, in part, to engineers from civil and military space programs. A look at major space related activities scheduled for the week ahead.

1. From CNN: Jan. 27: A group of eight prominent space community members endorse Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney in the Jan. 31 Florida primary. The nod from Apollo 17 commander Gene Cernan and former NASA administrator Mike Griffin, among others, followed a widely reported campaign pledge by GOP rival Newt Gingrich on the nation’s space future. While in Cocoa Beach, Fla., last week, Gingrich pledged to establish a human lunar base within eight years of his election, while lodging criticism at NASA’s leadership. Competitive cash prizes would be a centerpiece of his space planning. http://bit.ly/wd9c8h

A. From Spacepolicyonline.com, Jan. 27: In a Cape Canaveral, Fla., campaign speech, GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney says he will consult closely with the aerospace industry, NASA leadership and the military before formulating specific space exploration goals. However, Romney lists deeper knowledge of the universe, commercial success, science and national security as value points for a future space strategy. http://bit.ly/xvguBx

B. From Spacepolitics.com, Jan. 29: Eric Anderson, one of Romney’s endorsers, elaborates on the space policy views of the former Massachusetts governor. Commercial advance would be a focus. “NASA has been kicked around like a pinball. We can’t keep stopping and starting,” said Anderson. A new plan “can’t break the bank like Constellation, and it can’t be directionless”. http://bit.ly/zCgsQl

C. From The New York Times, Jan. 28: A look at Newt Gingrich’s lunar colony proposal. The goal is technically feasible, but expensive and politically challenging, the Times reports. http://nyti.ms/xNPcnj

D. From the Washington Examiner, Jan. 28: A wider look at how U. S. space policy became a predictable issue in Florida’s Jan. 31 Republican primary. http://bit.ly/yYSWwe

E. From Florida Today, Jan. 28: Space policy is a tough issue for politicians, writes columnist John Kelly, one that can be prone to grandiose speeches that are short on details and a lack of understanding. http://on.flatoday.com/zZK0Iz

2. From Florida Today, Jan. 27: The six person International Space Station receives its first supply craft of 2012. An un-piloted Russian Progress capsule docks late Friday. http://bit.ly/wwkMuT

A. From Ria Novosti of Russia, Jan. 29: U. S. and Russian flight control teams boost the orbit of the International Space Station late Saturday to avoid debris from China’s 2007 anti-satellite weapons test. The 64 second maneuver raised the station’s orbit to avoid a series of overnight close passes. http://bit.ly/xVcQPm

3. From The Houston Chronicle, Jan. 28: NASA’s Space Launch System, a heavy lift rocket intended to deliver the new Orion/Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle on missions to deep space destinations, appears to be too expensive to survive the current budget environment, according to a Chronicle assessment. http://bit.ly/wQtOCw

4. From Space.com, Jan. 28: Two Canadian teens send a Lego man with flag into the stratosphere aboard a balloon. Equipped with cameras, the imaginative mission captured hundreds of photos and a pair of videos watched by nearly one million YouTube viewers. The cameras parachuted back to Earth. http://bit.ly/yBqaP5

5. From Spaceflightnow.com, Jan. 29: Japan makes plans for a second mission to recover rocks from an asteroid. The Hayabusa-2 mission would reach the small planetary body 1993 JU3 in 2014. http://bit.ly/A2k82H

6. From the Huntsville Times, Jan. 28: The popularity of Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner is due in part from the contributions of engineers once employed by civil and military space programs, say company officials. http://bit.ly/ywwJGL

7. From Spacepolicyonline.com, Jan. 29: A look at space policy related events scheduled for the week ahead: http://bit.ly/zfbmeT

CSExtra – Friday, January 27, 2012

Julie — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:28:53 +0000

To subscribe to CSExtra via RSS feed click here.

If you would prefer to receive CSExtra in e-mail format, e-mail us at Info@spacecoalition.com with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Friday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from around the world. President Obama participates in NASA’s Day of Remembrance, an annual tribute to fallen astronauts. In Florida, Republican presidential hopefuls respond to Newt Gingrich’s pledge to establish a human lunar base. An independent safety panel warns of the risks associated with life aboard the International Space Station in an annual report. A bus-sized asteroid will zip close to the Earth today. Kepler scientists announce 11 new extra solar planetary systems. NASA closes out its latest astronaut application process today. New evidence of a lunar magnetic field. Alan Shepard’s Freedom 7 Mercury capsule will make its way to a future display home in Washington D. C.

1. From Spacepolicyonline.com: Thursday marked NASA’s annual Day of Remembrance — an opportunity to memorialize the deaths of 17 astronauts who died aboard the shuttle’s Columbia and Challenger and the Apollo 1. President Obama paid tribute. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden led a wreath laying ceremony at the Arlington National Cemetery. http://bit.ly/xJzK61

A. From Space.com: NASA’s Day of Remembrance — a reminder that human spaceflight carries grave risks. http://bit.ly/AbxMRi

2. From Spacepolitics.com: In Florida, the Republican presidential hopefuls debated Thursday night Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul distanced themselves from Newt Gringrich’s pledge earlier this week to establish a human lunar base on the moon by 2020. Gingrich’s opponents questioned the expenditure. Florida’s primary is set for Jan. 31. http://bit.ly/zXsd2L

A. From the National Journal: In the GOP Florida primary contest, Rick Santorum disavows opponent Newt Gringrich’s proposal to establish a moon base by 2020 and possibly extend statehood. The nation’s deficit takes precedence, the former U. S. senator from Pennsylvania says in a campaign stop at Florida State University in Tallahassee. http://bit.ly/yrWjdS

B. From the Washington Post: A look at GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich’s pledge to establish a human lunar base by 2020, while campaigning this week in the Florida primary. Most say the plan is too expensive when the economy is troubled. Gringrich, however, embraces the vow, explaining he will work with the private sector to ensure a future lunar base is established by the U. S., not China or Russia. http://wapo.st/AwN5b9

C. From the Los Angeles Times: In an op-ed, Gingrich’s lunar colony plan is labeled “absurd” in difficult economic times. http://bit.ly/wnxCLd

D. From the Christian Science Monitor: Gringrich’s vision for a moon settlement took root decades ago. He outlined his plans as a young congressman in the early 1980s, both in legislation and in a book. http://bit.ly/we9D2J

3. From Florida Today: NASA’s Independent Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel warns of risks associated with the staffing of the U. S. led International Space Station. The panel, which reports to the NASA administrator, listed a greater than 30 percent chance that astronauts will have to abandon the station between now and the end of operations in 2020. The ASAP urged the space agency to improve its planning for an emergency descent to Earth as well as for ensuring an eventual controlled re-entry of the orbiting laboratory at the end of its orbital life. http://on.flatoday.com/wJfW4q

4. From Space.com: The newly discovered, bus-sized asteroid 2012 BX34 will pass within 40,000 miles of Earth before noon on Friday. The Earth faces no threat of impact, say experts. http://bit.ly/AznKR2

5. From Discovery.com: NASA’s Kepler science team announces a bounty of new extra solar planets. In all, 11 new planetary systems emerge. http://bit.ly/A6rIi5

6. From The Washington Post: NASA closes out its application process for a new class of astronauts today. It’s the first time since 2009 the space agency has sought new astronaut applicants. If flying in space is not your choice, NASA also needs legal and medical experts, project managers and financial experts. http://wapo.st/AwZgkJ

7. From Space.com: New studies of lunar rocks suggest the moon had a longer lasting and perhaps stronger magnetic field that previously believed. The findings are detailed in the current issue of the journal Science. http://bit.ly/ySMQZe

8. From Collectspace.com: The Freedom 7 Mercury capsule that carried Alan Shepard into space as the first American astronaut will leave the U. S. Naval Academy for eventual display at the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum in Washington D. C. Look for the famous spacecraft in the nation’s capitol around 2016. http://bit.ly/yWo8Hu

CSExtra – Thursday, January 26, 2012

Julie — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:09:58 +0000

To subscribe to CSExtra via RSS feed click here.

If you would prefer to receive CSExtra in e-mail format, e-mail us at Info@spacecoalition.com with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Thursday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from around the world. In Florida, Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich looks to a human moon base as part of a strategy to revive America’s vision. Russia successfully launches the first International Space Station re-supply mission of 2012. NASA presents startling images of the “blue marble” from a new Earth observing spacecraft. NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity marks its eighth year of operations this week. Russia pursues a Mars mission failure investigation without the help it sought from the U. S.

1. From Spacepolicyonline.com: Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gringrich unveils his space vision during a campaign stop on Florida’s space coast. The former House speaker pledges a permanently staffed moon base by the end of his second term, or about 2020. The science, space tourism and manufacturing communities will flourish in Earth orbit, Gingrich promises a Cocoa Beach audience. The candidate also looks to propulsion technologies that would drastically reduce the travel time to Mars. Florida’s primary is scheduled for Jan. 31.
http://bit.ly/x3nwRU

A. From POLITICO.com: Gringrich embraces a “visionary” high ground with his plans for a lunar base and insistence they be established ahead of Russian or Chinese settlements.
http://politi.co/w8LLqe

B. From Florida Today: Gringrich says he will shake up NASA’s bureaucracy and commit 10 percent of the agency’s budget to prizes that will spur technical innovation. Once the moon achieves a colony of 13,000, it could be eligible for statehood, according to the candidate’s plans.
http://on.flatoday.com/A4OOT3

2. From Spaceflightnow.com: Russia’s first Progress re-supply mission to the International Space Station lifts off late Wednesday. The Progress 46 spacecraft is on track to dock late Friday.
http://bit.ly/yPuVzn

3. From USA Today: NASA’s National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) satellite was re-named Wednesday for the father of satellite meteorology, Verner Suomie. Launched in October, NPOESS is a test bed for sensors that will be assigned to future weather and climate observing spacecraft. Suomie NPP has also taken some “blue marble” images of the Earth.
http://usat.ly/zXWKcX

4. From the Huffington Post: NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity marks its eighth anniversary on Mars this week. Opportunity has uncovered evidence supporting an ancient climate on Mars that was warmer, wetter and more conductive to life than the cold dry conditions of the present.
http://huff.to/ypSLnG

5. From Ria Novosti of Russia: Russia’s federal space agency says NASA declined to participate in testing to determine whether U. S. radar led to the recent demise of the Phobos-Grunt mission. The probe, stranded in Earth orbit following an early November lift off, was to retrieve soil samples from the Martian moon Phobos. A formal report on the causes of the mission loss is expected next week. Some say the Russian finger pointing is to cover their own mistakes.
http://bit.ly/zvI9j6

CSExtra – Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Julie — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:12:54 +0000

To subscribe to CSExtra via RSS feed click here.

If you would prefer to receive CSExtra in e-mail format, e-mail us at Info@spacecoalition.com with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Wednesday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from around the world: Russia readies its first Progress cargo mission of 2012 for launching to the International Space Station. An intense solar storm buffets the Earth on Tuesday. The U. S. Astronaut Hall of Fame will induct three new members. Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich to address space policy in Florida, the next primary state. The U. S. Air Force calls a halt to a troubled weather satellite program. NASA sets April 17 for the ferry flight of shuttle orbiter Discovery to the Washington D. C. area for public display. The youngest Americans can expect a new era of personal spaceflight, writes one aerospace expert. A famous Hubble Space Telescope image faces a challenge.

1. From Florida Today: Russia prepares for the year’s first Progress re-supply mission to the International Space Station. A late Wednesday lift off will place the cargo capsule on a course to dock with the space station on Friday evening. Lift off is set for 6:06 p.m., EST. http://on.flatoday.com/ApE5NI

2. From the Los Angeles Times: The Earth is buffeted Tuesday by an intense solar storm. http://lat.ms/xz0mNM

A. From Space.com: So far this week, the sun has been remarkably active, unleashing a pair of Coronal Mass Ejections and intense radiation toward the Earth. These storms illuminate the Northern Lights and can disrupt satellite communications or interrupt the distribution of electrical power. Experts have a system for classifying the intensity of solar activity. http://bit.ly/yHYZuo

3. From Collectspace.com: The U. S. Astronaut Hall of Fame selects three new members, physicist Franklin Chang-Diaz, U. S. Air Force Gen (ret)., Kevin Chilton and U. S. Air Force Col (ret) Charles Precourt. http://bit.ly/ApFrYc

4. From Spacepolicyonline.com: Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich heads for Florida’s Space Coast for a pair of campaign events to discuss space policy. . Florida’s primary is set for Jan. 31. http://bit.ly/ArwxUr

5. From Spaceflightnow.com: The U.S. Air Force halts work on future Defense Weather Satellite System spacecraft. It remains to be seen how the military will proceed with replacements beyond two spacecraft awaiting launch. The program’s roots extend to an effort to merge civilian and military satellite programs that did not materialize as originally envisioned. http://bit.ly/yPSRWH

6. From Florida Today: NASA targets April 17 for a ferry flight that will transport shuttle Discovery from the Kennedy Space Center to the Washington D. C. area, where it will go on public display at the Smithsonian Institution’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. — an arm of the Air and Space Museum. http://bit.ly/z84Cg4

7. From the Huffington Post: The doors to personal spaceflight are opening, writes Larry Bock, the founder of the USA Science and Engineering Festival. http://huff.to/AjRP3L

8. From USA Today: In 1998, astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope unveiled the first visible light image of an extra-solar planet. A re-examination of the imagery, however, suggests it there was not a planet in the image. http://usat.ly/zxYHD2

CSExtra – Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Julie — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:40:15 +0000

To subscribe to CSExtra via RSS feed click here.

If you would prefer to receive CSExtra in e-mail format, e-mail us at Info@spacecoalition.com with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Tuesday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from across the globe. During a Tampa, Fla. Debate, Republican hopefuls Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich hint at major differences on space policy. The Earth falls in the path of another strong storm. The White House looks to Feb. 13 for its 2013 budget release, which will include spending proposals on space initiatives. Two essays on space policy express “cautious optimism” over the commercial/NASA course of human spaceflight and outline guiding principles for future initiatives. An annual National Science Foundation expedition to Antarctica finds a rich bounty of meteorites. A Russian scientist finds Venus not so hospitable after all.

1. From Spacepolitics.com: Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich sound differing notes on space policy during a debate among Republican presidential hopefuls in Tampa, Fla., Monday night. Romney would consult with civil, military, commercial and academic experts to find a financial formula for NASA’s mission. Gingrich would dissolve NASA bureaucracy and ramp up prize offerings to send humans deeper into space. Ron Paul, the Texas congressman, and Rick Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator, were not questioned on the space issue. http://bit.ly/x44Z94

2. From Discovery.com: A major solar eruption early Monday unleashed a fast moving coronal mass ejection that should reach the Earth today, causing possible disruptions to power distributions, communications and GPS signals as well as spark impressive auroral displays at northern latitudes. The solar storm is the largest since 2005, say experts, and Mars too is in the patch. http://bit.ly/AyAHI8

A. From Universe Today: Fast moving radiation from the solar storm will not pose a hazard to astronauts aboard the International Space Station, as long as they remain inside. The Earth’s magnetic field and the hull of the space station offer protection. http://bit.ly/z4C6M9

B. From Space Weather.com: For updates on the current solar storm and future activities. http://bit.ly/s6ESNw

3. From The Hill: The Obama Administration plans to present of its 2013 budget proposal to Congress on Feb. 13, a week later than previously anticipated. Major cuts in discretionary spending are anticipated. http://bit.ly/xIhbn2

A. From Space News: NASA is readying significant contract decisions in 2012 to foster both the development of commercial crew transportation services to the International Space Station and the Space Launch System/Orion/Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle intended for future human deep space exploration. http://bit.ly/AAAClt

B. From Florida Today: NASA looks to Feb. 7 to seek proposals for its next round of commercial crew space transportation development activities. http://bit.ly/yrWWR6

4. From The Space Review:

A. In “Cautious optimism about the future of human spaceflight,” TSR editor Jeff Foust takes measure of the future of U. S. human spaceflight six months after the final NASA shuttle mission. Foust finds a “cautious optimism” among those forging NASA’s Space Launch System initiative and commercial space transportation services for suborbital and orbital passengers. No doubt, the unveiling of NASA’s 2013 budget proposal in February will soon influence the sentiment, he writes. http://bit.ly/wjtRq6

B. In “A vision for a for a new frontier basis for American spaceflight,” Robert Lancaster, a grass roots space advocate, urges a new over arching purpose for future human space exploration. Some key motives will likely involve preventing a disastrous impact with a near Earth object, expanding humanity’s influence and securing new resources. http://bit.ly/xgYFMD

5. From Space.com: This year’s National Science Foundation search for meteorites in the Antarctic uncovers 300 specimens. The annual bounty rises in significance when none of the global space powers has a sample return mission under way, which is currently the case. http://bit.ly/zMJflM

6. From Space.com: Claims by a Russian scientist that 30 year old images from a Soviet Venus probe hint at life prove far off the mark. http://bit.ly/yCLNyA

CSExtra – Monday, January 23, 2012

Julie — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:17:27 +0000

To subscribe to CSExtra via RSS feed click here.

If you would prefer to receive CSExtra in e-mail format, e-mail us at Info@spacecoalition.com with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Monday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary of space related activities from around globe, plus a roundup of weekend activities. Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, the ranking Democrat on the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, plans to resign this week to focus on her recovery from gunshot wounds. Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich plans a space policy speech this week in Florida. SpaceX looks to late March, rather than early February, for the launching of the first U. S. commercial re-supply mission to the International Space Station. Policy experts assess China’s recently unveiled space development strategy. Space science advocates urge the Obama administration to support their missions ahead of the upcoming 2012 budget release. A National Research Council study finds looming gaps in NASA and NOAA weather and climate satellite missions. An active solar cycle works helps to eliminate man made orbital debris. Hasn’t NASA’s mission been studied enough, a Florida newspaper columnist asks. The latest on the Pentagon’s marathon X-37B mission. A look at major space policy events scheduled for the week ahead.

1. From USA Today, Jan. 23: Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords announces Sunday she will leave Congress this week to focus on her recovery from the wounds she received during a January 2011 shooting spree in Tucson. Giffords serves as the ranking member of the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, a NASA oversight panel. Giffords is married to Mark Kelly, the former NASA shuttle astronaut. http://usat.ly/y0kqzJ

2. From Spacepolitics.com, Jan. 22: Fresh off his Republican primary victory in South Carolina, presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich will soon speak in Florida on space policy. Florida’s party primary is set for Jan. 31. The remarks may come as soon as Wednesday. http://bit.ly/wpr6JE

3. From Spaceflightnow.com, Jan. 20: SpaceX says it is looking to late March, at the earliest, for the launching of the Falcon 9/Dragon on the first U. S. commercial cargo mission to the International Space Station. The mission, previously targeted for a Feb. 7 lift off, was deferred to allow SpaceX more time to deal with hardware and software issues. SpaceX is one of two companies involved in NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program. http://bit.ly/yQeeYb

A. From Florida Today, Jan. 20: SpaceX looks to March 20 for a possible launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. http://bit.ly/wLNqaA

4. From Space.com, Jan. 20: A look at China’s future space development plans plan through the eyes of several U. S. policy experts. In a late December white paper, China said it was laying the ground work for human lunar missions. http://bit.ly/z9lRg4

5. From Spacepolitics.com, Jan. 20: President Obama will present his budget for 2013 to Congress in early February. Ahead of the annual presentation, some organizations concerned about funding for NASA space science projects are taking steps to protect future spending. http://bit.ly/xfxx1c

6. Spacepolicyonline.com, Jan. 20: A new National Research Council report finds potential gaps in satellite coverage for programs responsible for weather forecasting and the monitoring of climate change. NASA and NOAA are affected. Rising costs and the loss of two missions, Glory and the Orbiting Carbon Observatory, are factors. http://bit.ly/xIZsqK

A. From Space News, Jan. 20: The NPOESS Preparatory Project spacecraft, a satellite with prototype weather and climate sensors, has experienced a contamination problem with a key instrument that will delay the start of operations until March. An investigation of the problem is under way, a NASA spokesman says. NPP was launched in late October. http://bit.ly/xfhv3i

7. From Discovery.com, Jan. 20: An active period of the solar cycle is having a beneficial effect: The heat is causing the Earth’s atmosphere to expand and drag some of the debris in Earth orbit back to the ground. http://bit.ly/ypGOUG

A. From the Los Angeles Times, Jan. 22: At the nonprofit Aerospace Corp., a team of experts study space debris that has plummeted back to Earth over the years. The amount of debris accumulating in Earth orbit has grown to levels that alarm some. http://lat