March 6 News Items

Technology Export Rules 'A Risk to ISS' (Source: Flight International)
The US government's technology export rules threaten the safe operation of the International Space Station (ISS), a Congressionally mandated report has concluded. The US International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR) hampers the ability of US companies that operate NASA space station elements on behalf of the agency to exchange and discuss technical data with ISS international partners. The report's recommendation is for the US state department to "grant NASA immediate relief from the [ITAR] restrictions" from mid-2007, "in the form of an exemption to allow NASA contractors direct interaction with ISS partners and their contractors". Mid-2007 is specified due to the planned 25 July 2007 launch of the European Space Agency's Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) ISS supply spacecraft.

Golden Knights to Salute Project Mercury During World Space Expo (Source: WSE)
The World Space Expo, at Kennedy Space Center in Florida from November 3-11, will host a weekend Aerial Salute by the U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights as part of a 45th Anniversary tribute to Project Mercury. Project Mercury was the United States’ first manned space program. The program successfully launched six of the original “Mercury 7” into space including Alan Shepard, the first American in space, and John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth on February 20, 1962. Visit http://www.WorldSpaceExpo.com for information.

Chinese Spacemen Could Reach Moon in 15 Years (Source: Xinhua)
China has possessed the technical capacity to send spacemen to the moon in 15 years, a leading rocket expert said. Huang Chunping, the chief launch vehicle designer of the country's manned space flight program, told Xinhua that China is well capable to send manned spacecraft to the moon in 15 years given an adequate funding and punctual project launching. The expert said China is among the world's leading rocket club together with the United States, Russia and Europe. While admitting there is still gap between China's Long March launchers and the carrier rockets of the United States and Russia, Huang said the Long March series are "slightly" better than the European Space Agency's Ariane rockets.

India: Satellite-Based Navigation System in 2008 (Source: Chennai)
India is on the verge of entering 'big league' in the world aviation scene with the launch of satellite-based navigation system – GAGAN - next year, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said today. The GAGAN (Global Navigation Satellite System-aided Geo Augmented Navigation), being developed jointly by the Airports Authority of India and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), would be launched in 2008.

SpaceX Launch Delayed (Source: MSNBC)
SpaceX's millionaire founder, Elon Musk, reported today that the launch window for his company's second Falcon 1 rocket has been moved back from this week. You might recall that the first rocket failed last March, due to a corroded nut that led to a fire during launch. According to SpaceX's Web site the launch window is now March 19-22. During ground testing in February, a second stage thrust vector control board indicated a problem and will be upgraded and requalified.

Bigelow Launch Delayed (Source: MSNBC)
Bigelow Aerospace hasn't yet nailed down a date for the follow-up to last July's successful launch of its Genesis 1 inflatable orbital module - but in the past, the company has said it's aiming for a launch from Russia's Dombarovsky missile base sometime around April 1. Now Russia's Federal Space Agency says Genesis 2 is on the schedule for an April 26 launch - on the same day that physicist Stephen Hawking is due to take a weightless airplane flight.

Europe Moves to Safeguard Galileo Frequencies (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
The European Space Agency said on Monday it had awarded a contract to a British satellite firm to help safeguard frequencies allotted to the Galileo satellite navigation system. Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. has been awarded the contract for preliminary work for building a satellite to permanently secure Galileo's frequencies, the Paris-based ESA said. "From now on, there will always be a European navigation satellite in space," the agency promised.

NASA Can't Pay for Killer Asteroid Hunt (Source: AP)
NASA officials say the space agency is capable of finding nearly all the asteroids that might pose a devastating hit to Earth, but there isn't enough money to pay for the task so it won't get done. The cost to find at least 90 percent of the 20,000 potentially hazardous asteroids and comets by 2020 would be about $1 billion, according to a report NASA will release later this week. Congress in 2005 asked NASA to come up with a plan to track most killer asteroids and propose how to deflect the potentially catastrophic ones. "We know what to do, we just don't have the money," said Simon "Pete" Worden, director of NASA's Ames Research Center.