News Summaries for December 16

Minotaur Launches Satellites from Virginia Spaceport (Source: SpaceToday.net)
A Minotaur rocket launched two satellites for the Air Force and NASA from a new commercial spaceport in Virginia Saturday morning. The Minotaur 1 rocket lifted off from Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at Wallops Island, Virginia and placed the TacSat-2 and GeneSat-1 spacecraft into low Earth orbit. TacSat-2 is an experimental military satellite designed to test means of providing tactical imagery directly to troops on the ground. GeneSat-1 is a microsatellite built by NASA Ames Research Center to test the effects of the space environment on a strain of E. coli bacteria. The launch is the first from MARS, a commercial spaceport co-located with NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, and is the first orbital launch from Wallops in general in over a decade.

Democratic Budget Proposal Dims Hopes for NASA Funding Increase (Source: Space News)
NASA likely will be denied a budget increase for next year under a Democratic plan to make short work of all unfinished spending bills for 2007 when the new Congress convenes in January. When the Republican-controlled 109th Congress adjourned Dec. 9 having finished only two of the 11 annual bills that fund the U.S. federal government, NASA’s 2007 budget was among those left in limbo. Rather than try to deal with the unfinished bills one at a time or fold them into a catch-all omnibus package, the incoming Democratic leaders say they instead intend to pass a yearlong spending resolution that could force all agencies besides the Defense and Homeland Security departments to stay within their 2006 spending levels in the year ahead.

U.S. Military Acquisition Shows Signs of Recovery (Source: Space News)
If 2005 was the year that Congress lost patience with cost growth and schedule delays on military space programs, 2006 may be remembered as the year the Pentagon turned the corner. The Air Force appears to have steadied the ship on its most notoriously troubled program, the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) missile warning satellites. Meanwhile, the service’s back-to-basics approach in space acquisition has raised hopes for success on challenging new programs like the Transformational Satellite (T-Sat) communications system.

Astronauts to Finish Rewiring (Source: Florida Today)
Discovery's astronauts aim to finish a complex rewiring job at the International Space Station today after a balky solar panel failed to fold up despite an all-day effort on Earth and in orbit. With the massive American mast only half retracted, ground controllers on Friday first transmitted computer commands to wiggle it, just a little bit. Then they shook it, repeatedly. A European astronaut worked out vigorously with an orbital weightlifting machine, but the resulting vibration failed to send a wave strong enough to tighten a slack guidewire that appeared to be the problem. The array must be retracted to complete outpost construction. The problematic panel is attached to a solar wing that must be moved to the left end of the station's central truss next fall. But the wing can't be relocated if the panel still is jutting out because its mast could break.

U.S. Says Passengers on Space Trips Must Know Risks (Source: Reuters)
Passengers on privately run rockets to space must be warned of the risks before blastoff including the possibility they may not return. The Federal Aviation Administration finalized regulations for passengers and crew aboard commercial space flights that originate in the United States, requiring that crews be experienced pilots and passengers know how to respond to various emergencies, like fire or loss of cabin pressure. The agency will limit flights to the edge of orbit and all passengers must be over 18. Before being allowed to fly, customers must be told of the risks, including the possibility of not surviving. While the FAA recommends that passengers meet minimum physical standards, the agency will leave it up to space flight companies to ensure they are fit enough for the trip.