May 31 News Items

Orlando Selected for National Space Society's 2009 Conference (Source: NSSFL)
The National Space Society (NSS) announced that Orlando, Florida, will be the location of the next International Space Development Conference (ISDC). The 2009 event, to be held on May 7-10, is well timed to focus on the space-related priorities of the next U.S. president, as well as the continued development of international projects that could usher in a new era of space enterprise and exploration. "The stage is being set for a very compelling ISDC 2009," said Tim Bailey, director of the NSS Space Coast Chapter. "We could not have asked for a more interesting convergence of events and issues, so we are very proud to host next year's conference." (5/31)

Which NASA? A Week of the Sublime and the Ugly (Source: What's New)
There is a bold, adventurous NASA that explores the universe. That NASA had a magnificent week. Having traveled 423 million miles since leaving Earth the Phoenix Mars Lander soft landed in the Martian arctic. Its eight foot backhoe will dig into the permafrost subsoil to see if liquid water exists. There is another NASA that goes in circles on the edge of space. That NASA is having a problem with the toilet on the ISS. I need not go into detail to explain what happens when a toilet backs up in zero gravity - it defines ugly. NASA rushed to get a special pump to fix the toilet loaded on Discovery before its Saturday launch. Discovery is set to deliver Japan’s Kibo module to the ISS next week. Kibo, which means hope, is described as a major expansion of the research capacity of the ISS. We can hope, but no field of science has been noticeably affected by previous research on the shuttle or the station. (5/31)

Antiscience: NASA Again Rejects Antimatter Test (Source: What's New)
According to today’s Science, a battle is shaping up over NASA’s refusal to send the Alfa Magnetic Spectrometer to the ISS on board the space shuttle. The experiment was agreed to by former NASA chief Dan Goldin more than a decade ago. However, Michael Griffin, NASA chief, claims every square centimeter of shuttle space is all needed just to finish the ISS on schedule. Otherwise the ISS would have to be dropped in the Pacific unfinished. The NASA authorization bill approved last week, however, proposes $150M for the launch. The bill will be considered by the full house this summer. (5/31)

SpaceX Rocket Tested in Central Texas (Source: KCEN)
A big rocket test lit up the Central Texas sky Thursday night. Space Exploration Technologies successfully conducted a 15 second 5 engine test of its Merlin Rocket that will eventually boost a Falcon One spacecraft into space. The testing in McGregor is part of a $278 million NASA contract to develop a next generation spacecraft for travel to the international space station. (5/31)

India To Up Commercial Launch Ante (Source: GasWorld.com)
Buoyed with the high success rate achieved with its commercial launches, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) plans to step up its commercial activities in order to earn larger revenues, negotiating with certain countries that restrict the use of Indian launch vehicles. ISRO Chairman, G Madhavan Nair said, “Our domestic requirement is four to five launches per year and we are trying to increase commercial launches. We are favorably placed since our costs are about 80% of international launching costs. But some countries have restrictions on launching their satellites from other countries, as well as Indian launch vehicles. The technology which we use is applicable for dual purpose - hence some of these countries have reservations.” (5/31)

Planet Similar to Earth Found (Source: Contra Costa Times)
Astronomers have discovered what may be the smallest alien planet yet - a rocky "super-Earth" only four times heavier than our home planet. It's orbiting a small star at a distance that puts it in the so-called "habitable zone" - a region neither too hot nor too cold for liquid water and therefore suitable for possible life. Scientists believe such Earth-like planets are the best hope for detecting evidence of living organisms beyond our solar system. The object is one of 45 potential new planets in the Milky Way galaxy recently discovered by the European Southern Observatory's 140-inch telescope in Chile. (5/31)

Space Florida and Spacehab Send Salmonella Vaccine Experiment to the Space Station (Source: Space Florida)
A partnership between Space Florida and Spacehab’s new biotech subsidiary BioSpace Technologies Inc. paves the way to develop multiple vaccine targets on the International Space Station (ISS). The venture showcases Space Florida’s efforts to drive growth in the state’s aerospace economy by leveraging existing expertise among its most innovative biotech industries in coordination with the state’s space program. (5/31)

Is China's Space Program Armed for Apollo 2.0? (Source: Popular Mechanics)
Space experts differ on whether China wants to compete directly with the U.S.—perhaps, given our slow and fumbling efforts, beating us back to the Moon—or simply displace Japan as the prime technological power in Asia. On the one hand, the U.S. retains a huge lead, while China is still building up spacecraft, like lunar probes and orbital docking equipment, that we mastered back in the 1960s. On the other hand, like America in the 60s, China is forging ahead, while the U.S. in the 21st century is, at best, standing still. Visit http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/air_space/4266340.html to view the article. (5/31)

Utah State University Researchers Aiming for Sun (Source: KSL.com)
Utah researchers are testing new-generation materials for a unique and historic spacecraft that will fly into the sun. In fact, it will not only go there, where no one has gone before, but it will return to Earth. It's hard to imagine we could build anything here on Earth that would survive a flight to the sun. But we've reached a point in the development of new materials that NASA now feels confident it's time to make the trip. It's one thing, this far on Earth, to stand and feel a summer heat of roughly 100 degrees. But try flying directly into the corona of the sun itself. (5/31)

NASA Partnering with Commercial Sector, Government on Space Station Research (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
NASA will partner with the commercial sector and government agencies to use the International Space Station for research. The U.S. section of the space station can be used as a "national laboratory," according to a NASA prepared statement. The space agency already has signed agreements with the University of Colorado's Bioserve Center, Spacehab of Texas, and Zero Gravity Inc. of Las Vegas. (5/31)

Technical Hitch Scrubs Ariane Rocket Launch (Source: Reuters)
A technical hitch scrubbed the launch of an Ariane rocket carrying a British military satellite and a Turkish telecoms satellite hours before its scheduled blastoff. "During final pre-launch checks for the Ariane 5 ECA's mission with Skynet 5C and Turksat 3A, the result of a launcher software test was not nominal," Arianespace said from its launch site in Kourou, French Guiana. A new launch date will be announced "as soon as possible." The Ariane-5 rocket was to have launched Skynet 5C for Britain's ministry of Defense and Turksat 3A for Turkish telecoms operator Turksat. (5/30)