January 23 News Items

Kosmas Editorial: Funding NASA Will Boost Economy (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
One of the keys to job growth and economic recovery is to fully fund NASA so that we can restore funding to science programs, repair hurricane damage and minimize our space-flight gap by extending the shuttle program and accelerating Constellation. Kennedy Space Center is an economic engine for the 24th District as well as the entire state, employing tens of thousands of Floridians. But like many others, KSC and surrounding local businesses are feeling the economic strain. In order to ensure a robust Space Coast economy, we must do all that we can to protect the highly skilled workforce at KSC and the small businesses that support the center's operations. Click here to view the editorial by Congresswoman Kosmas. (1/23)

Japan Launches Rocket with Greenhouse-Gas Probe (Source: AP)
The first satellite dedicated to monitoring carbon dioxide emissions was launched into space Friday from a center in Japan, where officials hope to gather information on climate change — and help the country compete in the lucrative satellite-launching business. The satellite — named "Ibuki," which means "breath" — was sent into orbit along with seven other piggyback probes on a Japanese H2A rocket. Ibuki, which will circle the globe every 100 minutes, will store information on greenhouse gas levels around the globe for the next five years. The data will be shared with NASA in the United States and other space and scientific organizations. (1/23)

One Launch Pad or Two? No Decision for Hubble Mission (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
With preparations for the Feb. 12 launch of shuttle Discovery on a space station assembly mission in high gear, NASA managers met today and agreed to press ahead with plans to launch the shuttle Atlantis as early as May 12 on a final mission to service and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.

But Bill Gerstenmaier, director of space operations at NASA headquarters, deferred a decision on whether to require use of launch pad 39B for a potential emergency rescue mission. A final decision will be made in mid March, after safety analysts fully assess the pros and cons of the single-pad vs dual-pad rescue scenarios and after engineers with NASA's Constellation program report back on the feasibility of making a critical test flight from 39B in July as currently planned. (1/23)

House Subcommittee Chairs, Democratic Members Named (Source: House Science Committee)
The Democratic Caucus of the Committee on Science and Technology met to elect Subcommittee Chairs and select Subcommittee assignments. The selections will be official after they are approved by the full Committee at the Organizational Meeting on Jan. 28. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) was elected Chair of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics. This subcommittee includes nine other Democratic members from Alabama, Ohio, Oregon, Maryland, New Jersey, Indiana and Florida. The two Florida members are Rep. Alan Grayson and Rep. Suzanne Kosmas. (1/23)

Other Moons: Where Should We Look Next? (Source: What's New)
Nature this week examined the question of where we should go next in the solar system, Europa or Titan. We don’t get many major missions to the outer planets and their Moons, although 3 or 4 billion dollars no longer sounds like much. It would hardly allow a banker to redecorate his office. In an editorial, Nature came down slightly on the side of Titan. Hey, I’m just a subscriber, but while the lakes of Titan are nice, the search for life to which we are not related has got to be the greatest quest in science. Is there another way evolution could have done it? (1/23)