(Space Daily) US shuttle Endeavor ready for second lift-off attempt
Cape Canaveral, Florida (AFP) Feb 8, 2010 - The US space shuttle Endeavour and its crew of six astronauts were set Monday to make another launch attempt on a mission to deliver a module dubbed Tranquility to the International Space Station. (Space Daily) US shuttle Endeavour blasts off for space station
Cape Canaveral, Florida (AFP) Feb 8, 2010 - The US space shuttle Endeavour and its crew of six astronauts blasted off Monday and headed for the International Space Station to deliver a module dubbed Tranquility. (Space Fellowship) Color Between Saturn's Moons
Two of Saturn's moons straddle the planet's rings in this color view. Mimas (396 kilometers, or 246 miles across) is closest to the Cassini spacecraft here. Epimetheus (113 kilometers, or 70 miles across) is on the far side of the rings. Saturn's shadow cuts across the middle of the rings. This view looks toward the sunlit side of the rings from just above the ringplane. Images taken using red, green and blue spectral filters were combined to create this natural color view. The images w [...]
(Space Fellowship) Satellite View of "Snowmageddon"
Nicknamed “snowpocalypse” and “snowmageddon,” an exceptionally severe winter storm dropped several feet of snow around the Washington, DC area in early February 2010. Crashed and abandoned cars littered roads as airlines canceled hundreds of flights. Even the DC Metro underground train system stopped functioning in places. Authorities urged residents to stay indoors, but hundreds of thousands lost electricity. The Washington Post reported that the snow-induced standstill might last u [...]
(Space Fellowship) Launch of NASA's Shuttle Endeavour Sparks Early Monday Sunrise
Space shuttle Endeavour lit up the predawn sky above Florida's Space Coast on Monday with a 4:14 a.m. EST launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The shuttle's last scheduled night launch began a 13-day flight to the International Space Station and the final year of shuttle operations. Endeavour's STS-130 mission will include three spacewalks and the delivery of the Tranquility node, the final major U.S. portion of the station. Tranquility will provide additional room for crew members and ma [...]
(Space Fellowship) Picture of the Day - STA Over the Launchpad
During the early morning countdown for the launch of space shuttle Endeavour today, it was back and forth, yes and no, red and green, no and no-go. And all because of weather. As per standard procedure, an astronaut flies the Shuttle Training Aircraft to monitor weather conditions around the launchpad. Today it was especially important in helping make the decision if the weather was acceptable for launching the shuttle. Amazingly, photographer Romeo Durscher captured this beautiful shot a [...]
(Space Fellowship) Solar Dynamics Observatory: The 'Variable Sun' Mission
For some years now, an unorthodox idea has been gaining favor among astronomers. It contradicts old teachings and unsettles thoughtful observers, especially climatologists. "The sun," explains Lika Guhathakurta of NASA headquarters in Washington DC, "is a variable star." But it looks so constant... "Understanding solar variability is crucial," says space scientist Judith Lean of the Naval Research Lab in Washington DC. "Our modern way of life depends upon it." Enter the Solar Dynam [...]
(Space Fellowship) Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report
(NASA) - Spacecraft: Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Launch Vehicle: Atlas V-401 Launch Pad: Complex 41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Date: Feb. 9, 2010 Launch Window: 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. EST At Launch Complex 41, preparations for the launch of SDO aboard the Atlas V continue to go well and are on schedule. Connection of launch vehicle ordnance was done today, and launch vehicle closeouts for flight are under way. The SDO team has also performed its ordnance activities and has [...]
(Space Fellowship) First journey for Alphabus
(ESA) - The service module of the new Alphabus generation of telecommunication satellites has completed its first journey – from Cannes to Toulouse, in France. The three-day trip was completed last Friday. The exceptional convoy was made up of a 20 m-long lorry carrying the satellite container, several escort cars and a police escort to close off streets and redirect traffic as they passed through urban areas. This platform will be used for the Alphasat I-XL satellite being built by [...]
(Space Fellowship) Boeing's 4th WGS Satellite Passes Key Integration Milestone
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., (Boeing) -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] in late December successfully integrated the satellite bus and payload module for the fourth of six Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellites the company is building for the U.S. Air Force. WGS-4's broadband communications payload was mated with a high-power Boeing 702 platform at the company's Satellite Development Center in El Segundo, the world's largest satellite-manufacturing facility. Over the next few months, the WGS team will conduct fin [...]
(Space Fellowship) Launch campaign activity moves into full swing for another active year with Ariane 5
(Arianespace) - Arianespace is laying the groundwork for another busy year with its workhorse Ariane 5, as the first mission of 2010 moves into its second phase of preparations and the follow-on flight’s launch vehicle is delivered to French Guiana. The heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA for Arianespace’s kick-off mission of 2010 was transferred from the Spaceport’s Launcher Integration Building to the Final Assembly Building this morning, readying it to receive a dual-satellite payload. [...]
(Space Fellowship) This Week On The Space Show
The Space Show, hosted by David Livingston under www.TheSpaceShow.com, will have the following guests this week: 1. Monday, February 8, 2010, 2-3:30 PM PST (20-21:30 GMT) Robert Zimmerman returns to discuss the new proposed space policy as part of the 2011 U.S. budget. Robert Zimmerman is a well known and respected space historian and author. He also wrote a weekly UPI column which can be found by doing a Google for "Zimmerman bibliography" and click on "A Zimmerman Bibliography". [...]
(NASA Press Release) Endeavor (STS-130) Blasts Off With Last ISS Crew Module Before Completion
The Aurora module allowing crew observations has now been launched to the ISS and is the last crew module to be added before completion. It was a spectacular night launch reminding us that the Space Shuttle is nearing the end of its life.(Space Daily) Progress Docks With ISS
Moscow, Russia (SPX) Feb 08, 2010 - Approach to the space station, its fly-around, stationkeeping and docking were performed in automatic mode. The initial contact with the docking port on the instrumentation and propulsion compartment of the Zvezda Service Module of the ISS Russian Segment (RS) occurred at 07:26 Moscow Time. (Space Daily) Solar Dynamics Observatory: The 'Variable Sun' Mission
Huntsville AL (SPX) Feb 08, 2010 - For some years now, an unorthodox idea has been gaining favor among astronomers. It contradicts old teachings and unsettles thoughtful observers, especially climatologists. (Space Daily) Quasar Pair Captured In Galaxy Collision
Pasadena CA (SPX) Feb 08, 2010 - This composite image shows the effects of two galaxies caught in the act of merging. A Chandra X-ray Observatory image shows a pair of quasars in blue, located about 4.6 billion light years away, but separated on the sky by only about 70 thousand light years. (Space Daily) Soyuz 100 Times More Reliable Than Shuttle
Moscow, Russia (Pravda) Feb 08, 2010 - Richard Garriott, a videogame developer, who once boarded Russia's Soyuz rocket for a space flight said that the Russian-made ship was much more reliable than its foreign analogues. (Space Daily) Poor weather delays launch of US shuttle Endeavour
Cape Canaveral, Florida (AFP) Feb 7, 2010 - The launch of the US space shuttle Endeavour was delayed by 24 hours early Sunday due to bad weather over the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA officials said. (Space Daily) 'NASA, ESA Want To Be Part Of Chandrayaan-II Mission'
Bangalore, India (PTI) Feb 08, 2010 - NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) want to be part of Chandrayaan-II, the next Indian mission to Moon, by sending their instruments, ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan said here today. (Space Daily) No Soup For You
London UK (SPX) Feb 08, 2010 - For 80 years it has been accepted that early life began in a 'primordial soup' of organic molecules before evolving out of the oceans millions of years later. Today the 'soup' theory has been over turned in a pioneering paper in BioEssays which claims it was the Earth's chemical energy, from hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor, which kick-started early life. (Space Daily) An Answer To Another Of Life's Big Questions
Monash, Australia (SPX) Feb 08, 2010 - Monash University biochemists have found a critical piece in the evolutionary puzzle that explains how life on Earth evolved millions of centuries ago. (Space Daily) US shuttle to bring Tranquility to space station
Washington (AFP) Feb 6, 2010 - The US space shuttle Endeavour and its crew of six astronauts are preparing for a weekend mission to deliver a space module dubbed Tranquility to the International Space Station (ISS). (Space Daily) ISS Primed For New Era Of Scientific Discoveries
Cape Canaveral FL (SPX) Feb 08, 2010 - NASA and its international partners are looking forward to unprecedented scientific opportunities aboard the International Space Station, or ISS. With station assembly nearing completion, the ISS Partnership is looking forward to using the station to its fullest capacity. (Space Daily) US book publishers smiling again as Kindle rivals emerge
New York (AFP) Feb 7, 2010 - US book publishers are smiling again, after years of watching digital versions of their titles sell for below what they thought they were worth. (Space Daily) Renewable Oil Companies
St Paul MN (SPX) Feb 08, 2010 - The entry of oil companies into the realm of renewable energy could present major obstacles for the development of a sustainable economy that is not based on carbon resources, according to a report in the International Journal of Green Economics. (Space Daily) First Journey For Alphabus
Toulouse, France (SPX) Feb 08, 2010 - The service module of the new Alphabus generation of telecommunication satellites has completed its first journey - from Cannes to Toulouse, in France. The three-day trip was completed last Friday. (Space Politics) “Snowmageddon” cancels advocacy event
The historic snowstorm that hit the Washington DC area over the weekend with over two feet of snow in many locations (I measured 24″ as of mid-afternoon Saturday and just got my power back at home after being without it for over a day) has claimed a space advocacy casualty: the Space Frontier Foundation’s “Take [...](Space Politics) Briefly noted (Snowmageddon edition)
As Washington hunkers down for a snowstorm of epic proportions (20-30 inches of snow forecast through Saturday), some reading material to help you to put off the shoveling: When word came yesterday that Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) had placed a hold on all current Obama Administration nominees awaiting Senate confirmation, some wondered if this was a [...](Space Calendar) 2 FAA Meetings Highlight Enhanced Role Of Commercial Space In USA Space Policy
"USA commercial space companies stand to play an increasingly important role with the revision of the America space policy. Along with cancelling the Constellation program, President Obama's proposed direction for NASA provides US$6B over 5 years in support of commercially built spaceships to transport NASA astronauts to the ISS. This new plan brings added importance to 2 events this week sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). A public meeting will be held in Washington DC on February 9 to discuss the plan to establish a new FAA Center of Excellence (COE) for Commercial Space Transportation (CST). The meeting will include a discussion on the COE Program and CST technical requirements. On Feb 10-11, the FAA Office for Commercial Space Transportation and AIAA will host the '13th FAA Commercial Space Transportation Conference' in Arlington VA. Policy makers and technical experts will come together to share insights and discuss developments in the field, while focusing on the theme 'Igniting the Space Economy.' Keynote speakers include FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt (BL) and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden (BR). (Credit: AIAA, FAA, SpaceX, NASA)"(Space Fellowship) NASA, GM Take Giant Leap in Robotic Technology
NASA and General Motors are working together to accelerate development of the next generation of robots and related technologies for use in the automotive and aerospace industries. Engineers and scientists from NASA and GM worked together through a Space Act Agreement at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston to build a new humanoid robot capable of working side by side with people. Using leading edge control, sensor and vision technologies, future robots could assist astronauts during [...]
