November 3 News Items

Manned Mission to Mars Boost After British Breakthrough (Source: Telegraph)
A manned mission to Mars is a step closer to reality after British scientists overcame one of its biggest obstacles - shielding astronauts from deadly solar storms. Putting a man on the Red Planet has been the favorite subject of science fiction writers and the dream of scientists ever since space travel was first envisaged. But, the vast distances aside, the greatest challenge facing explorers has been how to protect astronauts and their space ships from solar storms - radioactive clouds of particles that shred human DNA and destroy electronic instruments.

Now British researchers believe they have come up with a practical solution by mimicking the Earth's own protection - a mini magnetic field that deflects the fatal particles. The British scientists based at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and universities of York and Strathclyde have applied kinetic theory, borrowed from experiments into nuclear fusion, to the problem. They have tested it in the laboratory with a model space craft and discovered that it offers almost total protection. (11/3)

Economic Impact Of Arms Race In Space (Source: Space Daily)
The present U.S. policy of space dominance could transform outer space into a military battleground, according to a just-issued report from Economists for Peace and Security. The report, Space, Security and the Economy, focuses on the Bush administration's outer space policy that asserts the right to deny any nation access to space if its actions are "perceived" to be hostile.

This policy, the report explains -- together with other actions such as withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty and the ongoing development of weapons intended to attack objects in space -- could lead to the deployment of weapons in space. Furthermore, if the U.S. positions weapons in space, other nations are likely to pursue the same action and spur an arms race in space. No one, the report concludes, can prevail...and all stand to lose in an arms race in space. (11/3)

Shuttle Mission Focuses On ISS Crew Expansion Preparations (Source: Space Daily)
For years, STS-126 has been planned as the mission that will give the International Space Station the ability to support twice the crew currently living there. But since the most recent inspection of the station's solar alpha rotary joint, it's also become the mission that will ensure the station can generate the power those extra crew members will require. All together - and with a few other tasks thrown in for good measure - there will be a busy four days of spacewalking outside the station. But that doesn't mean a break for those left inside. (11/3)

Is There an Economic Downturn in Space? (Source: VentureBeat)
Over the last several years, an entrepreneurial space industry has started to flourish in the shadow of NASA, Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Collectively referred to as NewSpace, this flock includes recognizable names — Virgin Galactic and SpaceX among them — as well as small companies toiling in the obscurity of the California desert. What they have in common is the drive to develop better and cheaper approaches to spaceflight. But now, with the economic downturn shaking the faith of many venture capitalists, will NewSpace have the traction to ride out the storm?

Some companies, like Virgin Galactic, SpaceX and Blue Origin (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ secretive launch vehicle venture) are funded primarily or exclusively by extremely wealthy founders, and are less susceptible to market forces that could dry up outside investors. For other, less fortunate NewSpace players, the downturn has come at exactly the wrong time. Lining up the ten or even hundred million dollars just got a whole lot harder. Without the money, these companies’ visions of reusable rockets, lunar rovers and the like will probably remain just that — visions — and the organizations themselves will either go into hibernation or out of business entirely. (10/22)

Shuttle Extension Would Cost $2 Billion Per Year (Source: Florida Today)
NASA would need an extra $2 billion a year to keep the shuttle fleet flying between 2010 and 2015, but doing so would impact plans to begin launching Ares 5 moon rockets by 2018, officials said. Since both presidential candidates have expressed a desire to keep the shuttle fleet flying beyond 2010, NASA over the past two months has been studying what it would take to do just that. Both have said they would add $2 billion to NASA's budget to minimize the gap between the last shuttle flight and the inaugural flights of its replacement vehicle. NASA shuttle program manager John Shannon said the agency studied two different scenarios. One would simply extend the shuttle program through 2012 by flying out all external tanks and other hardware NASA already intends to build. The other would call for NASA to keep the shuttle fleet flying three shuttle missions per year. (11/3)

US Isolated by Space Militarization Plans (Source: Prensa Latina)
The US plans to take advantage of its technical-military supremacy to gain ground in outer space, Russian expert Alexei Arbatov said. He said Washington's strategy has isolated the US, as proved last week at the United Nations, where 166 of 192 member countries voted in favor of Russia's draft resolution. Only the US opposed the document, which is aimed at preventing the deployment of new destabilizing weapons in outer space and, above all, preventing the arms race to expand to a new technological level, the Voice of Russia reported.

For the third year straight, nearly 30 countries, including the allies from the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the European Union, supported Russia's initiative, the source added. The Iraq war, bad management that caused a global financial crisis and the National Outer Space Policy doctrine have made George W. Bush the most unpopular president in US history. With that strategy, the White House violates other countries' right to use the cosmos, and reserves the prerogative to take action against others in outer space, the sources said. (11/3)

Authorizing and Stimulating NASA (Source: Space Review)
The current economic crisis has led to calls for a new stimulus package to revive the American economy. Taylor Dinerman explains why it's important that a little bit of any such initiative include some additional funding for NASA. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1244/1 to view the article. (11/3)

Time for a New Vision (Source: Space Review)
Whomever is elected president this week will face some tough choices upon taking office, including their approach to space. Eric Hedman argues for the need to refine NASA's current exploration vision to be more effective and sustainable. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1243/1 to view the article. (11/3)

Progress and Contrast on the Commercial Space Frontier (Source: Space Review)
Entrepreneurial "NewSpace" and established "OldSpace" companies don't interact much, and have differing perspectives on emerging markets and their development. Jeff Foust reports on these contrasting viewpoints as discussed as a recent conference, as well as some NewSpace developments that were discussed at the event. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1242/1 to view the article. (11/3)

Embry-Riddle Plans Astronomy Open House (Source: ERAU)
Embry-Riddle’s Physical Sciences Dept. invites the campus community and the public to attend its Creekside Observatory Astronomy Open House, which will be held on Nov. 7 from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., weather permitting. Objects on view through a 20-inch telescope in its new and improved dome will include the waxing gibbous moon, the colorful double star Alberio, the gas giant Uranus, the Wild Duck star cluster (M11), the deep-red carbon star T Lyrae, and the Ring Nebula (M57). The evening also includes star and constellation tours and answers to your astronomy questions. For more information on the observatory, including directions, please visit http://observatory.db.erau.edu. (11/3)

Hubble Delay Hurts NASA's Budget, Schedule (Source: AIA)
The delay in launching a rescue mission for the Hubble Space Telescope is having ripple effects throughout NASA's schedule and budget. A key component for fixing the telescope long-term won't be delivered until April, meaning the space shuttle will continue to occupy launch facilities needed for a test flight of the Ares I rocket. Officials say the delay in launching Ares is costing precious budget resources. "With every month it slips, it's going to cost a little bit more, because I've got to keep the engineering team that surrounds it," says Jeff Hanley, the Constellation program manager.

Boeing Hit With Penalty in Suit Over Satellites (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Boeing was hit with $236.1 million in punitive damages, ending a protracted lawsuit in state court in Los Angeles that featured allegations of fraud and breach of contract by ICO Global Communications Holdings, a former Boeing customer. The jury agreed on the damages less than two weeks after awarding ICO at least $370 million in compensatory damages. In all, Boeing faces potentially more than $700 million in total damages, depending on interest and other issues. Boeing previously said it will appeal the verdict, contending that the judge in the case made mistakes. (11/3)

London-New York Via Space (Source: Flight Global)
As competition for space tourism heats up, a market projection for suborbital point-to-point (SPTP) transport has been published with a predicted seat cost of at least $70,000 and initial routes between London, New York and Tokyo. A study by the US consultancy company Futron found that by 2020 space tourism could be a $700 million industry, but the SPTP market could be far larger. While there are no entrants for SPTP yet, the market for suborbital tourism has become more crowded with the announcement of a joint venture between NASA prize-winning rocket developer Armadillo Aerospace and the Rocket Racing company.

While the London, New York, Tokyo triangle was determined from population growth projections for 2020, the report recommends that spaceports should be evolutions of existing airports, that for noise and safety considerations they should be coastal and that space vehicles' flights must be integrated into existing air traffic operations. For international air traffic control, a new subdivision of the International Civil Aviation Organisation should be the rulemaking body. The ICAO oversight was first proposed by the International Association for the Advancement for Space Safety. Coastal spaceports also avoid overland supersonic flight, as the ISU report says, "noise is a potential showstopper for suborbital transport" Click here for the article. (11/3)