January 18 News Items

Time to Put the Red Planet Off Limits (Source: What's New)
Plumes of methane have been observed in the atmosphere of Mars. Since methane is destroyed by sunlight, there must be a renewable source. Could it be living organisms? Methane seems to be a pheromone to Mars Trekkies, who immediately called for a human mission to check it out. Very bad idea; astronauts are huge bacteria cultures that must dump their contents daily for the 18 months the mission must remain on Mars. Humans on Mars are certain to discover bacteria but they may look familiar. Astronauts resist being autoclaved, but methane plumes certainly justify a sample return mission. Remember the 1976 Viking lander that scooped up Martian soil, plopped it into a nutrient broth, and monitored the evolved gas for evidence of life? And behold! There it was. However, NASA later backed down saying it was most likely an inorganic reaction. (1/17)

Stimulus Bill Includes Space Funds for NASA, NOAA (Source: Space News)
NASA's budget stands to get a $600 million boost if the $825 billion economic stimulus bill introduced Jan. 15 in the U.S. House of Representatives becomes law. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009 also includes $600 million for NOAA, specifically earmarked for "satellite development and acquisitions, including climate sensors and climate modeling."

The bulk of the additional NASA money — some $400 million of the $600 million specifically allocated in the bill — would be used to "put more scientists to work doing climate change research. As for the remainder of the $600 million, $150 million would go toward NASA's work on the next-generation air traffic control system and $50 million would be provided to repair NASA centers damaged by hurricanes and floods last year. (1/17)

Stimulus Plan May Not Have Much for NASA (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
A report being circulated within the Washington space community -- and provided to the Orlando Sentinel -- offers purported details of what's likely to be in President-elect Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan. While we can't verify it as gospel, it indicates that there's not a lot of money in there for NASA -- and none for the troubled Ares rocket that's reported to be over budget and maybe behind schedule. Most of it is for climate-change research, which means Kennedy Space Center isn't likely to come in for much either. Here's the little that's said about NASA:

"NASA: $600 million, including $400 million to put more scientists to work doing climate change research, including Earth science research recommended by the National Academies, satellite sensors that measure solar radiation critical to understanding climate change, and a thermal infrared sensor to the Landsat Continuing Mapper necessary for water management, particularly in the western states; $150 million for research, development, and demonstration to improve aviation safety and Next Generation air traffic control (NextGen); and $50 million to repair NASA centers damaged by hurricanes and floods last year." The claim is that the money will "support" about 4,000 jobs. (1/16)

PlanetSpace Files Protest of ISS Commercial Resupply Contract (Source: SpaceToday.net)
PlanetSpace, the one bidder of three that failed to win a NASA contract last month to transport cargo to the International Space Station, filed a protest of the award. PlanetSpace lost out to SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corp. PlanetSpace said that its proposal received a higher "Mission Suitability" score and had a lower cost than one of the proposals selected by the government, a reference to the Orbital contract. NASA source selection documents indicated that NASA officials had more confidence in Orbital's ability to manage such a contract than PlanetSpace. The protest will be adjudicated by the GAO, with a decision to be made by April. (1/16)

Kosmas Named to Science Committee (Source: Daytona Beach News Journal)
First-term U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, D-New Smyrna Beach, was selected today to serve on the House Committee on Science & Technology. The committee has jurisdiction over NASA funding and operations and will Kosmas to fulfill her commitment to protecting the jobs and local economy spurred by Kennedy Space Center. "Serving on the Science & Technology Committee will give me the opportunity to fight to fully fund Kennedy Space Center's operations," Kosmas was quoted as saying in a press release. "The Space Center is an economic engine for my district. I will do all that I can to protect the jobs it creates." (1/16)

Space Technology Takes Flight, Pushes Industry Forward (Source: New Mexico Business Weekly)
Major milestones achieved by commercial space companies in the past six months are fueling optimism that space tourism will, indeed, take flight in New Mexico by 2010. "After many years of development, commercial space technology reached a turning point last year," said Steve Landeene, executive director of the New Mexico Spaceport. "We saw hardware actually take to the air."

Both Virgin Galactic and the Rocket Racing League (RRL) — which plan to send their first paying passengers to space next year from southern New Mexico — flew craft in 2008 that will either be used in upcoming space flights, or that contain key technology to enable the launch of new vehicles, Landeene said. (1/16)

Advertisers Discuss the Marketing of Spaceport America (Las Cruces Sun-News)
Officials from New Mexico's Spaceport America have no intention of flying under the radar. In fact, they're hoping to create as much positive attention as possible for the venture. Already, Spaceport America carries big buzz among the circles of commercial space flight. "Spaceport America is a "powerhouse brand name.' You go to these meetings (on commercial space flight), and Spaceport America is on everyone's agenda."

The easiest things to market for the spaceport, near Upham, about 40 miles north of Las Cruces and east of I-25, have been touted since the project was conceived — great weather for flights, lots of available air space (thanks to the restrictions of adjacent White Sands Missile Range), a history of space technology and "the first mile's free." (1/17)

Europe Budgets 45% Increase for Earth Observation (Source: Space News)
The 18.6 percent budget increase at the European Space Agency (ESA) this year reflects the gradual shift of focus away from launch vehicles and toward Earth observation and long-delayed spending on operations related to the international space station. The budget also features a new emphasis on space exploration as distinct from ESA's regular science program, and the first slice of funding for what ESA officials say will almost certainly become major new efforts in the coming years in space situational awareness.
The total 2009 budget planned at the 18-nation agency is about 3.6 billion euros ($4.85 billion). (1/18)

OHB to Study Ship Identification Constellation (Source: Space News)
OHB System of Germany will lead a consortium to study design options for a constellation of five small satellites in low orbit that would provide Automatic Identification System (AIS) data from global maritime traffic to coastal authorities, OHB announced Jan. 16. (1/16)

Korea, Japan to Team Up for Space Technology (Source: Korea Times)
South Korea, a latecomer in the Asian space race, is constantly looking to tap technology and experience of more advanced nations, and Japan seems to be the latest target. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), the country’s space agency, said it is talking with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) over possible collaboration on several experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The experiments will be conducted on Japan’s Kibo ISS module -- which will be completed during the first half of this year -- sometime around 2012, a year after the ISS is expected to be totally outfitted. (1/18)

Gazprom Orders Three Satellites; Two from Thales Alenia (Source: Space News)
Russian satellite-fleet operator Gazprom Space Systems, the former Gascom, has selected Thales Alenia Space of France and Italy to build two Yamal-400 telecommunications satellites for launch in 2011, Gazprom announced Jan. 16. The decision marks the first time Gazprom has ordered a satellite that does not have substantial Russian content. (1/16)

Did Dark Energy Give Us Our Cosmos? (Source: NewScientist.com)
Our universe may have arisen from seeds preserved in a universe that existed before the big bang - all thanks to dark energy. One of the models put forward to explain how the universe began proposes that it is just the latest phase in a never-ending cycle. Proposed in 2002, the model argues that our universe exists on a 3D region called a "brane" separated from similar branes by a fourth spatial dimension. Under the right conditions, these branes collide, triggering a big-bang-like event. After the collision, the branes bounce apart, before another collision occurs many billions of years later. (1/16)

Glitch Takes Astra 5A Out of Service for Good (Source: Space News)
The Astra 5A commercial telecommunications satellite suffered an apparently sudden "technical anomaly" that has put an end to its in-orbit service life, and the spacecraft will be moved immediately into a graveyard orbit, owner SES of Luxembourg said Jan. 16. (1/16)

Experimental TacSat Craft Struggling to Reach Space (Source: SpaceflightNow.com)
The Pentagon's ambition to develop inexpensive and responsive satellites, a program already riddled with setbacks, is facing a new delay due to a technical problem with a grounded satellite. Tactical Satellite 3, or TacSat 3, was originally scheduled for launch in 2007. But the mission has endured problems with spacecraft equipment that caused cascading delays totaling nearly two years. (1/17)

Delta 4 Launches Classified Satellite (Source: SpaceToday.net)
After several days of delays, a Delta 4 Heavy successfully launched a classified satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) on Saturday night. The Delta 4 Heavy lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. Because of the classified nature of the launch, a blackout on launch activities was put into place several minutes after liftoff. Analysts believe the spacecraft is a new electronic eavesdropping satellite. (1/18)

Boeing Awarded $234 Million to Complete Military Satellite (Source: Boeing)
Boeing announced that the Air Force has authorized the Commonwealth of Australia's provision of US$234 million for Boeing to complete production of the sixth Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellite. With this authorization, Boeing is now fully funded for the production of all three WGS Block II satellites, and is on track to deliver the first in this new series in 2011. The first of three WGS Block I satellites went into service in April, and the second is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2009.

Raytheon Sensor Passes Space Simulation Test (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
A sensor developed by Raytheon to increase understanding of how aerosols affect climate has shown in a test it would neither emit nor experience interference from electromagnetic impulses it might encounter in space. Also having completed vibration testing satisfactorily, the Aerosol Polarimetry Sensor has begun another test regimen intended to prove it can operate successfully for at least three years in the rigors of temperature and vacuum in space. (1/18)