November 23 News Items

Buran - The Soviet 'Space Shuttle' (Source: BBC)
Some 20 years ago, on 30 Sep. 1988, many readers of the Pravda newspaper could not believe their eyes. Published somewhat inconspicuously on the second page was a photo depicting the familiar shape of the US space shuttle, but with Soviet insignia on its wings. Finally, years of rumours about a Soviet "copy" of the shuttle had been confirmed. However, the Soviet press was quick to point out that despite its superficial resemblance to the US counterpart, the Russian shuttle, dubbed Buran or "snowstorm", was better and more capable. Within days, the new ship got a chance to prove it.

On Nov. 15, 1988, as snowy clouds and winds were swirling around the Baikonur spaceport, the Buran orbiter, attached to its giant Energia rocket, thundered into the gloomy early morning sky. Three hours and two orbits later, the 100-ton bird glided back to a flawless landing just a few miles from its launch pad. Despite the kind of strong winds that would rule out any launch or landing attempt by the US space shuttle, Buran touched down just 3m off the runway centerline. And this planet-wide ballet was performed with its "pilots" safely on the ground.

Soviet newspapers promised a new era in space exploration, but few could predict it would be Buran's only mission. Unlike NASA, Soviet developers never had any grand illusions about replacing traditional rockets with a reusable space truck. Instead, the Soviet shuttle was conceived primarily as a "symmetrical response" to the perceived military threat from America's winged orbiters. Years after a sceptical Pentagon had given up on the shuttle, even as a delivery truck for spy satellites, the Russian officials continued whispering to journalists that the US orbiter had a secret capability - to make an undetected "dive" into the Earth's atmosphere and suddenly glide over Moscow dropping nuclear bombs. Click here to view the article. (11/20)

Massive Rocket Test Shakes up Texas Town (Source: Waco Tribune)
The orange glow seen over McGregor late Saturday night wasn’t a bomb explosion or a Martian invasion. Around 10:30 p.m., SpaceX, a private space exploration technologies company, tested its nine-engine Falcon 9 rocket at nearby test facility. The 177-second-long, nine-engine “mission duty cycle” was a complete success. “We ran the engines just like they would run during flight,” said a SpaceX spokesperson. “But instead of being up in the air, they were held down. They weren’t moving.” A Waco police spokeswoman said her department received dozens of calls from concerned citizens inquiring about the test, but Dreyer said SpaceX had been working with the McGregor community during the week, placing a notice in the McGregor Mirror and on the marquee in front of McGregor High School. (11/23)

Mission to Mars Next Ambition of India (Source: MyNewsIndia)
Kochi: A mission to Mars will be the next ambition of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) after its prestigious Chandrayaan Project, ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair said. "The study for Mars exploration has already started. It is expected to take at least four years to complete the initial studies to take up the Mars Mission," Mr Nair said. (11/23)

South Korea to Launch Maritime Weather Satellite Next Year (Source: Xinhua)
South Korea plans to launch a maritime communication and weather satellite into space in June 2009, South Korea's Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs said. According to the ministry, the satellite was developed jointly by Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) and France's Astrium. It will be placed in a geo-synchronized orbit over the Korean Peninsula and be tasked with various roles. Astrium has developed the maritime monitoring component of the satellite and the KARI will attach the French-made part to a locally developed satellite before the satellite is launched from French Guiana in South America. (11/23)

Britain's First Moon Mission to Probe Moonquakes (Source: Telegraph)
Britain is to launch its first mission to the Moon to try and understand the cause of mysterious quakes which vibrate through the lunar rock. Ministers will give their approval next month to push ahead with the project which will help engineers to build a lunar base which can withstand the force of the moonquakes. The £100 million mission involves putting an unmanned spacecraft into orbit around the Moon before firing a series of probes into the lunar surface. Scientists hope to use the penetrators to examine the chemical composition of the rocks and even search for water if they are fired into the lunar poles.

The existence of Moonquakes has puzzled scientists because the Moon does not have the tectonic plate activity that causes quakes on the Earth. The launch of Britain's moon mission, known as the Moon Lightweight Interior and Telecommunications Experiment or MoonLITE, will be announced next month. Scientists and engineers will begin work on the technical designs, calculations and costs with the aim of launching the satellite between 2012 and 2014. (11/23)

Red Tape, Cost Overruns Ground U.S. Weather Satellites (Source: Houston Chronicle)
It seems unlikely that one of the world's most sophisticated weather sensors would be built amid the craggy peaks of northern Utah. Scientists say it has the power to predict tornadoes, enhance hurricane forecasts and help airlines save millions in expensive jet fuel, all by providing precise readings of the swirling winds and vapors that churn severe weather systems. But instead of orbiting 20,000 miles above Earth, this $100 million atmospheric camera, known as GIFTS, spent part of last summer tucked in the corner of a drab storeroom here, covered in tarp. For the sensor's creators, it has been a humbling anticlimax: Despite seven years of development and testing, millions in taxpayer dollars, and support from think tanks and governments around the world, GIFTS may never fly in space.

Two other large weather satellite projects, NPOESS and GOES-R, will together cost more than $20 billion by some estimates. And according to federal audits, both are already years behind schedule and billions over budget. Another widely publicized project known as DSCOVR, was scrapped in 2006 despite more than $100 million being spent to develop it. "It's fair to say that the (earth) science situation is as bad as it's ever been in recent years," said Rick Anthes, president of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and co-chair of a government-sponsored study to determine the country's earth science priorities.

A 2005 report by a government-commissioned panel of earth scientists warned Congress that the nation's network of Earth-observing satellites was "at risk of collapse." In 2006, the testimony of former astronaut and retired Marine Corps Gen. Charles F. Bolden Jr. likened NASA's attempts to adequately support its myriad directives to "trying to fit 15 pounds of stuff into a 5-pound sack." A 2007 report sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences estimated that 40 percent of nation's more than 100 climate sensors could go dark by 2010 — not enough to blind forecasters, but enough to weaken the data used by researchers who rely on history to gauge trends. (11/23)

Enter ESSA? New Agency Could Improve Earth Observation and Science (Sources: ERAU)
The Center of American Progress, a think tank run by Obama transition leader John Podesta, advocates in a "blueprint" document that a new Earth Systems Science Agency (ESSA) should be considered to combine the Earth observation and science responsibilities of NASA, NOAA, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The ESSA concept was first put forward in July 2008 by a group of senior officials from these and other federal agencies. They expressed concern that federal environmental research, development, and monitoring programs are not presently structured to address such major environmental problems as global climate change, declines in freshwater availability and quality, and loss of biodiversity. One former FDA commissioner said "It isn't often that we are offered a real opportunity to make government work better. But the modest, sensible reorganization proposed here brings a new science-rich focus on some of our biggest contemporary challenges." Click here for information. (11/23)

Bigger Budget for Ares, Smaller Gap (Source: Florida Today)
NASA likely would stage an extra Ares 1 test flight and accelerate a crucial engine-development project if President-elect Barack Obama makes good on a campaign promise to inject an extra $2 billion into the agency's budget. The added test flight would blast off from KSC in 2012, enabling NASA to move up the debut of the nation's next-generation spacecraft to early 2014 -- a year ahead of schedule. Click here to view the article. (11/23)