December 15 News Items

NASA Can Maintain 2008 Launch Schedule (Source: Florida Today)
Despite two launch delays last week, NASA could still pick up its original 2008 schedule by launching Atlantis on Jan. 10. A five-week turnaround between the launches of Atlantis and Endeavour would make that possible. "If we launched on the 10th (of January), it does not affect the ability to launch on Feb. 14," NASA spokesman Kyle Herring said. "All of that still fits." A Valentine's Day launch of Endeavour will return NASA to the schedule the agency proposed to complete the space station before the shuttle program ends in 2010. But if Atlantis' launch is delayed until Jan. 13 or 14, that would force a day-for-day slip in Endeavour's liftoff. Meeting the Jan. 10 launch date depends on finding and fixing the problem in the connections or wires that caused the suspect readings.

Astronaut Visits Northeast Florida School (Source: ClaySun.com)
They asked the kinds of questions most teenagers would ask an astronaut about his experiences in space. How did you sleep? What did you eat? Did you see aliens? And, of course, how did you go to the bathroom in zero gravity? The questions were aimed at Capt. Mike Baker, a NASA pilot who has flown four Space Shuttle missions. Baker recently addressed students at Lake Asbury Junior High, where his daughter Jane is an exceptional student education teacher. An astronaut since 1986, he is currently the International Space Station Program Manager for International and Crew Operations.

Get Ready for Traffic Jams on the Moon (Source: New Scientist)
It might be time to consider traffic lights on the moon. In the past week, governments, space agencies, and even a company from the Isle of Man announced plans to land on the moon. Marking the 35th anniversary of the Apollo program's last outing, NASA announced on Monday that its next crewed lunar mission is on track for 2020, despite an increasingly constrained budget. Meanwhile, China opened up its lunar program to private funding last week, planning a lander for 2012 and a crewed mission within 15 years. And Russia will begin a series of uncrewed landings in 2012, after a 30-year break from exploring the moon.

But it won't just be the big players adding to the traffic jam. Last week a private company called Odyssey Moon - based on the Isle of Man - became the first entrant in the Google Lunar X prize. The contest, announced in September, offers $20 million to the first privately funded mission to land a probe on the moon before 2012 and send back pictures.

Aiming for the Space Station (Source: Florida Today)
At least three teams are engaged in efforts to develop a spacecraft capable of delivering cargo to the International Space Station.
All three have said they would launch from Cape Canaveral. Visit http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071215/BUSINESS/712150321/1003 to view the article.

Indian Satellite ‘Disappears’, Loses Five Years of Life (Source: DNA)
Here is one of the best-kept secrets of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO): Insat-4CR, launched by a geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV-F04) on Sep. 2, 2007, “disappeared” in space about a month later. The satellite, which has 12 transponders meant for defense applications, direct-to-home (DTH) services and news gathering for television channels, was, however, “spotted” again with U.S. help and brought back to a near geosynchronous orbit (36,000 km above earth). This took 15 days of maneuvers, which consumed fuel normally meant for five years. This means the life of the satellite has come down from 10 years to five years.ISRO’s satellite communication program director Bhaskar Narayan, however, denied any glitches to Insat-4CR. When contacted, a Bharti spokesperson refused to confirm or deny information about the satellite.