Cabana to Receive Debus Award
(Source: Florida Today)
Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana has been named the 2013
recipient of the National Space Club Florida Committee’s Debus Award
for significant achievements and contributions made in Florida to
American aerospace efforts. A four-time shuttle flyer, Cabana is the
10th director of KSC, where he manages a workforce of roughly 8,000
civil servants and contractors. (2/13)
The Space Station Is The Final
Frontier Of Biological Research (Source: Forbes)
The frontier of biomedical research is inside an unassuming green box
with a black-and-white touchscreen mounted on a rack in the
International Space Station. Within that green box is a microplate
reader, a workhorse appliance in labs on Earth but the first of its
kind to work in the near-zero gravity at 250 miles up. A microplate
reader screens hundreds of liquid samples at once for drug candidates
or infectious disease, but fluids at zero Gs can float around or settle
in unwanted ways.
This barred scientists from using microplates in space, where
researchers prize the absence of gravity for its insights into how
crystals, bacteria and drug agents behave. Solving that problem was one
small step for a tiny company called NanoRacks, which has carved out an
unusual niche (and a monopoly, for now) adapting lab gear to the U.S.
National Lab on the ISS. Since 2010 it has designed and built all 36 of
the modular labs there. Click here.
(2/13)
CASIS and MassChallenge Partner to
Send Research to the ISS (Source: CASIS)
The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), the
nonprofit organization promoting and managing research on board the
International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory, will
provide up to $100,000 in grant funding for qualified research projects
as part of its partnership with the “MassChallenge Startup
Accelerator.”
MassChallenge is the largest-ever startup accelerator, and the first to
support high-impact, early-stage entrepreneurs without taking any
equity. Its four-month program offers world-class mentorship, free
office space, $1 million in cash awards, and up to $10 million through
in-kind support. To date, MassChallenge alumni have collectively raised
over $360 million in outside funding, generated nearly $100 million in
revenue, and created nearly 3,000 jobs since 2010. (2/13)
Kennedy Space Center to Act on Aging
Facilities (Source: Florida Today)
Kennedy Space Center will take steps to mothball, abandon or demolish
unneeded shuttle facilities unless new tenants are found by next month,
according to an audit report released Tuesday. The report by NASA’s
Inspector General, an internal watchdog office, reviewed NASA’s
progress reducing a vast and aging property footprint as the agency’s
missions change and budgets tighten.
It identified eight Kennedy facilities among at least 33 that NASA “was
not fully utilizing or for which Agency managers could not identify a
future mission use.” They include launch pad 39A, two unoccupied
shuttle processing hangars, the former shuttle runway, a parachute
refurbishment facility and several involved in the recovery and
refurbishment of solid rocket boosters.
Their annual operations and maintenance costs total $30.4 million,
including $21.4 million for pad 39A, the audit shows. In partnership
with Space Florida, NASA has been negotiating with potential commercial
or other government users for many KSC facilities left “underutilized”
after the shuttle’s retirement in 2011. The center has said it plans to
transfer the runway to a new operator this year. March is a key time
because that’s when NASA’s shuttle Transition and Retirement program
will stop paying to maintain former shuttle facilities. Click here.
(2/13)
Nelson and Cruz to Head Space
Subcommittee, But Heated Exchange Yesterday Points to Rift
(Source: Space Policy Online)
Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) will continue to chair the Science and Space
Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
Committee in the current Congress. Newly-elected Senator Ted Cruz
(R-TX) will be the top Republican ("Ranking Member") on the
subcommittee, replacing John Boozman (R-AK) who was Ranking Member last
Congress.
What type of working relationship Nelson and Cruz will have is
uncertain following a heated exchange between the two yesterday during
markup of Chuck Hagel's nomination to be Secretary of Defense. Although
the subcommittee can recommend funding levels for agencies like NASA,
only the appropriations committee can establish/appropriate actual
funding amounts.
Cruz's appointment as Ranking Member of the Science and Space
Subcommittee will keep Texas in a strong position to affect Senate
policy on NASA, though a freshman Senator cannot hope to have the same
level of influence as his predecessor, Kay Bailey Hutchison. Now
retired, Hutchison was the Ranking Member of the full Senate Commerce
Committee as well as the Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations
CJS subcommittee, putting her in a uniquely powerful position on NASA
issues. (2/13)
CSF President to Lead Space Coast
Panel Discussion on Space Transport (Source: SEDC)
The Space Coast Economic Development Commission (SEDC) is pleased to
announce that the President of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation,
Michael Lopez-Alegria will host a panel discussion on Commercial
Spaceflight for its annual winter luncheon program. The panel
discussion will provide an overview of the commercial space industry,
its key players and how the area can prepare itself to embrace and
capitalize on this exciting emerging-market. The event will be held on
Feb. 20 in Titusville. Click here.
(2/13)
Spaceport Designation Backed in House for Space Coast Airport (Source: Sunshine State News)
With officials on the Space Coast searching for private firms to help bridge the gap between the now retired space shuttle program and rollout of the Space Launch System, a bill designed to expand where space-related incentives can be obtained by the private sector cleared its first hurdle in the state House. Members of the Economic Development & Tourism Subcommittee on Wednesday backed House Bill 135 sponsored by Rep. Tom Goodson, R-Titusville, which would designate the Space Coast Regional Airport and Industrial Park in Titusville as spaceport territory.
New and expanding businesses involved in aerospace activities within set “spaceports” are eligible for tax exemptions on machinery and equipment. The Titusville facility would join areas within Patrick Air Force Base, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Eglin Air Force Base, Cecil Airport and Cecil Commerce Center among Florida’s spaceports.
Editor's Note: The Space Coast Regional Airport will soon be home to RocketCrafters Inc. (a company focused on point-to-point commercial space transport) and has submitted a bid to NASA to take over operations at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF). Space Florida also seeks to take over the SLF. The airport could be renamed the "Neil Armstrong International Air & Space Center." (2/13)
Israeli Space Cadets Say Moon Shot is
No Fantasy (Source: Times of Israel)
If the idea of an Israeli spaceship on the moon sounds risible to you,
you’re actually not alone, said Enon Landenberg, the head of commercial
marketing at SpaceIL. “People did think it was a joke when we started
two years ago, and even now we get that to some extent,” Landenberg
said. “But SpaceIL is not only not a joke, it will set the agenda for
science education and research in Israel in the future, we believe.”
It seems that the SpaceIL project has more believers every day; in fact
on Monday, Bezeq — Israel’s biggest communications company — officially
announced that it, too, believed in Israel’s space future, as put forth
by SpaceIL. Bezeq has signed on as the project’s first major corporate
sponsor and, at a press conference in Tel Aviv, described how it would
provide infrastructure, manpower, and financial support to the project
that many people hope will be the biggest scientific achievement in
Israel’s young history.
The inspiration for the project actually came from a contest being run
by Google, called LunarX, which promises to award $30 million to a team
that can land an unmanned, robotic craft on the moon and carry out
several missions, such as taking a high-definition video and beaming it
back to earth; and exploring the surface of the moon by moving 500
meters along the moon’s surface or, alternatively, sending out a
vehicle that will traverse that distance. (2/12)
Shooting Gallery of Asteroids Prompts
Former Astronauts’ Venture (Source: Bloomberrg)
The asteroid that will hurtle past Earth this week at eight times the
speed of a bullet is being viewed by a group of former astronauts as
more than a celestial curiosity. It’s a warning shot from the heavens.
Former Apollo astronaut Rusty Schweickart said, “This asteroid is a
reminder that we live in a shooting gallery.”
The asteroid, DA14, was discovered by a Spanish dental surgeon and
space enthusiast using a high-end camera. The rock will pass within
17,000 miles (27,300 kilometers) of Earth on Feb. 15, closer than the
moon and many orbiting satellites. It is half the size of a U.S.
football field and represents the closest recorded approach of an
object of its size.
Schweickart is a founder of a non-profit group called B612 that is
trying to raise $400 million to launch a telescope into Venus’ orbit to
find space objects that could collide with Earth. So far, B612 has
teamed with NASA and raised “several million dollars” from donors such
as Steve Krausz, a general partner at U.S. Venture Partners; James
Leszczenski, engineering manager for Facebook Inc.; and Shervin
Pishevar, managing partner of Menlo Partners. (2/13)
Companies Say War Between 'Old Space'
and 'New Space' is Over (Source: Huntsville Times)
The war between "old space" and "new space" forces that broke out when
President Obama killed most of NASA's post-space shuttle launch plan
has cooled off, experts said at a space conference in Huntsville
Tuesday, but the peace that followed has left two cash-needy programs,
not just one. "Hostilities have declined," Michael Lopez-Alegria,
president of the Commercial Space Federation, told a panel discussion.
He added, "Neither side can afford to shoot at each other. We need each
other."
The two sides were NASA and its legacy contractors, representing the
long history of government-managed, contractor-built rocket systems
like Apollo and the shuttle (old space), and the new companies such as
SpaceX promising cheaper access to space (new space). The challenge for
some key commercial companies is that they still need government
funding to get to space. "We say it's commercial, but it's really just
another way NASA is contracting for services," said Peter McGrath,
director of business development and space exploration for Boeing.
(2/12)
The Myths and Truths of Death by Space
Radiation (Source: Astrowright)
There are persistent groves of misinformation taking root about the
lethality of radiation doses for astronauts, particularly for those who
are bound for the Moon and/or Near-Earth-Objects, (such as asteroids
for research or mining). Most people are unprepared to distinguish
technically-compelling pseudoscientific fluff from interpretations of
actual data.
After nearly a half-century of dedicated research, it has been found
that there is no detectable increase in the incidence of cancer (the
primary threat of penetrating gamma-ray radiation exposure) for people
who receive an annual radiation dose of 5,000 millirem (5 rem) or less.
You would also need to receive 1,000 chest x-ray scans before worrying
about definitely having increased your risk of developing cancer later
in life by a single percentage point.
The time the Apollo astronauts spent traveling through the highest
radiation zone of the inner Van Allen belt (at a screaming 11,000+
miles per hour) was fractional – their doses averaged 120 millirem per
day. So, it is clear that the Apollo astronauts’ radiation doses in
this case were much less than a common CT scan and far less than what a
modern astronaut on the International Space Station receives during a
6-month tour (~7,000 millirem). Hence, simply passing through the Van
Allen Belts is anything but lethal. Click here.
(2/13)
Posey to Deliver Keynote to Space
Coast Chapter of Women In Defense Forum (Source: Rep. Posey)
Congressman Bill Posey (R-Rockledge) will deliver the keynote address
to the next meeting of the Space Coast Chapter of Women In Defense
(WID), a National Security Organization and affiliate of the National
Defense Industrial Association. The event will take place on Tuesday,
Feb. 19 at 5:30 PM at the Courtyard Marriott in Cocoa Beach. (2/13)
Navy Uses Raytheon SM-3 and Space
Sensor to Destroy Missile Target (Source: Raytheon)
In a first-of-its-kind test, a Raytheon Standard Missile-3 Block IA
fired from the USS Lake Erie destroyed a medium-range ballistic missile
(MRBM) target using a remote cue from a satellite sensor system. The
test marks the 22nd successful intercept for the SM-3 program. (2/11)
Golden Spike Launches Lunar
Exploration Crowdfunding Campaign (Source: Golden Spike)
Golden Spike, a private company led by former NASA executives offering
human expeditions to the Moon for nations, corporations, and
individuals, has kicked off a 10-week Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign
to raise $240,000 (representing each mile on the way to the Moon) to
help fund Golden Spike’s Lunar expedition studies and other activities.
The drive aims to raise awareness about Golden Spike, accelerate Golden
Spike’s plans for innovative public participation in its activities,
and give the global community of space enthusiasts and the general
public a chance to help fuel Golden Spike’s human Lunar exploration
mission. Indiegogo contributions will allow Golden Spike to create
interactive media products, apps, and an Olympics Movement-style
membership program for children and adults to take part in Golden Spike
activities as insiders. Click here.
(2/13)
Kazakhstan, Russia Compromise on New
Spaceport (Source: RIA Novosti)
The new Kazakh-Russian space launch facility, Baiterek, will be
modified for the launch of Zenit carrier rockets, This is the result of
a compromise that the two sides have reached on the project. Russia and
Kazakhstan are building Baiterek at the Baikonur spaceport, originally
designed to launch Angara carrier rockets capable of delivering up to
40 metric tons of payload to low-Earth orbits. Russia intends to
eventually leave Baikonur and conduct its launches from the Vostochny
space center in the Far East.
Kazcosmos said in January it will pull out of the project if Russia
goes ahead with its plans to build a launch facility for Angara rockets
at Vostochny, which will make it a direct competitor to Baiterek.
Musabayev earlier said Kazakhstan would have to abandon the Angara
project due to rising costs, which have reached almost $2 billion −
more than seven times the original estimate.
Baikonur has 15 launch pads for launching both manned and unmanned
space vehicles and supports several generations of Russian spacecraft
including the Soyuz, Proton, Tsyklon, Dnepr and Zenit. It was the site
of the first launch into orbit of a spacecraft in 1957, when Sputnik
was launched, and also Yury Gagarin's first manned space flight in
1961. (2/13)
Report on NASA's Efforts to Reduce
Unneeded Infrastructure and Facilities (Source: SpaceRef)
NASA has released a report evaluating its efforts to reduce unneeded
Agency infrastructure. NASA is the ninth largest Federal real property
holder, with over 124,000 acres and 4,900 buildings and other
structures that have a replacement value of more than $30 billion.
Primarily located at 10 Centers in Alabama, California, Florida,
Maryland, Mississippi, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia, this property
includes such technical facilities as wind tunnels, rocket test stands,
and launch complexes and such non-technical facilities as office
buildings, roads, fences, and utility systems.
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) identified 33 facilities - wind
tunnels, test stands, thermal vacuum chambers, airfields, and
launch-related infrastructure - that NASA was not fully utilizing or
for which Agency managers could not identify a future mission use. The
need for these facilities, which cost the Agency more than $43 million
to maintain in fiscal year 2011, has declined as a result of changes in
NASA's mission focus, the condition of some of the facilities, and the
advent of alternative testing methods using supercomputers.
The OIG found that NASA's efforts to manage and reduce the number of
underutilized facilities in its portfolio have been hindered by several
longstanding and interrelated challenges: 1) fluctuating and uncertain
strategic requirements; 2) Agency culture and business practices; 3)
political pressure; and 4) inadequate funding. To its credit, NASA has
underway a series of initiatives the OIG views as positive steps toward
"rightsizing" its real property footprint. Click here. (2/12)
A Long March Into Space
(Source: Cairo Review)
In the mid-1980s China began to open its theretofore closed space
program internationally, offering commercial launches and seeking
opportunities for cooperative programs, even though it still had a
steep learning curve to climb in terms of its capabilities. China
already had the foundations of a launch vehicle family, the Long March
(LM), itself based on the Dong Feng ballistic missile first launched in
1964.
Long March launched China’s satellite, East is Red, in 1970 but the
political extremism of the Cultural Revolution between 1966−1976
devastated the scientific and engineering communities, dramatically
slowing satellite and launcher development. Qian Xuesen, considered the
father of the Chinese space program, was actually educated in America
and employed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory before being caught up in
McCarthyism. He was deported in 1955 and thereafter, was unsurprisingly
bereft of warm feelings toward the United States. Click here.
(2/13)
Spaceport Field Guide Provides Details
on Launch Sites (Source: FastForward)
The Spaceport Field Guide (SpFG) is a KMZ data file for Google Earth
originally developed by SpaceWorks Commercial that identifies worldwide
launch sites and associated facilities. The tool offers information
about global spaceports including location, current and potential
facilities, current and potential launch vehicles, and a rating of
operational readiness (as defined by a Spaceport Readiness Level or
SpRL). Click here.
(2/13)
Third Accelerated Progress Docking
Sets Stage For Soyuz (Source: Aviation Week)
A Russian Progress cargo capsule carried out a flawless accelerated
launch and docking with the six-man International Space Station on Feb.
11, setting the stage for the first same-day launch and docking of a
human crew on March 28. The Soyuz TMA-08M crew, led by veteran
cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov, includes NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and
Russian Alexander Misurkin.
The Progress flight marked the third successive accelerated four-orbit,
or 6 hr., transit from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan within the
last seven months. Prior to this, trips typically took place over a
32-33 orbit, 50-hr. timeline. The unpiloted 50 Progress, carrying
nearly 3 tons of propellant, research gear, spare parts, water,
compressed air and other supplies, successfully executed an automated
docking with the station’s Russian segment Pirs docking port at 3:35
p.m. EST.
The fast-track Soyuz crew missions would lessen considerably the time
station astronauts must spend in the cramped Soyuz capsules and
eliminate the discomfort some fliers report with the “barbecue roll,”
or rotations of the spacecraft as a thermal control measure. However,
the faster missions may require Soyuz crews to spend the entire transit
in their restrictive Russian pressure suits. (2/12)
Earth-Buzzing Asteroid Could Be Worth
$195 Billion if We Could Catch It (Source: Network World)
The asteroid NASA say is about the half the size of a football field
that will blow past Earth on Feb 15 could be worth up to $195 billion
in metals and propellant. That's what the scientists at Deep Space
Industries, a company that wants to mine these flashing hunks of space
materials, thinks the asteroid known as 2012 DA14 is worth - if they
could catch it.
The lack of a rocket and spacecraft that could actually catch such as
asteroid of course is a big problem. There are a few other major issues
as well. The path of asteroid 2012 DA14 is tilted relative to Earth,
requiring too much energy to chase it down for mining. Deep Space
believes there are thousands of near Earth asteroids that will be
easier to chase down than this one. (2/12)
Cryosat Reveals Major Loss of Arctic
Sea Ice (Source: ESA)
An international team of scientists using new measurements from ESA’s
ice mission has discovered that the volume of Arctic sea ice has
declined by 36% during autumn and 9% during winter between 2003 and
2012. Satellite records show a constant downward trend in the area
covered by Arctic sea ice during all seasons, but in particular in
summer. The past six years have seen the lowest summer ice extent in
three decades, reaching the lowest last September at about 3.61 million
sq km.
A team of scientists led by University College London has now generated
estimates of the sea-ice volume for the 2010–11 and 2011–12 winters
over the Arctic basin using data from ESA’s CryoSat satellite. This
study has confirmed, for the first time, that the decline in sea ice
coverage in the polar region has been accompanied by a substantial
decline in ice volume. (2/13)
New Mexico County Balks at Plan for
Southern Spaceport Road (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
More problems surrounding a proposed southern road to reach Spaceport
America from Las Cruces could boost the cost or delay its completion,
county officials heard in a Tuesday meeting. At issue is that Sierra
County officials are concerned about the recently released road design,
and that once built, it would be too expensive to maintain.
Spaceport officials have said a paved, 23.7-mile road is needed for
Doña Ana County businesses and workers to benefit from Spaceport
America, the proposed launch site for space tourists in southern Sierra
County. Now, the only paved access is from Truth or Consequences.
Specifically, Sierra County wants the elevation for the proposed road
to be raised, spaceport officials said. But doing that would add an
another $6 million, at least, to the pricetag of the project, county
officials estimated.
That's on top of an extra $3 million that's already being sought from
legislators for recent unexpected costs. After hearing about the new
problems, Doña Ana County commissioners voted Tuesday 5-0 to direct
county staff to go back to the table and sort out possible options,
based on information presented Tuesday. They asked for the item to be
placed on a late February Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners agenda
for a final decision about how to proceed. (2/12)
Quebec Group Preparing to Compete with
Virgin Galactic for Would-Be Astronauts (Source: MacLeans)
Canadians who dream of going to the final frontier will soon be able to
find cheaper flights. Last week, Quebec tourism agency Uniktour
announced it will be collaborating with Space Expedition Corp. and XCOR
Aerospace to offer private space travel by 2014. Uniktour will be
selling two different space packages, for $95,000 and $100,000, which
includes hotel stays and astronaut training. That’s about half the
price of the flights offered by main rival Virgin Galactic.
Trips booked via Uniktour will blast off from California’s Mojave
desert and the Caribbean island of Curaçao. Unlike Virgin, which plans
to take six tourists into space once a day, Space Expedition will be
taking one tourist into space four times a day. Because the shuttle is
so small, the tourist will be seated like a co-pilot. The flights will
last about an hour, with several minutes spent at the edge of space,
100 km up: just long enough for passengers to experience weightlessness
while admiring the blackness of space and the curvature of the Earth.
(2/12)
NASA Accused of Unlawful Technology
Transfers (Source: Washington Times)
One of NASA’s renowned research centers has been under a four-year FBI
investigation for the possible transfer of secret weapon-system
technology to foreign countries, including China, two Republican
congressmen have disclosed. Reps. Frank Wolf of Virginia and Lamar
Smith of Texas are citing unnamed sources to accuse employees at the
NASA’s Ames Research Center of possibly violating International Traffic
in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Northern California wants to bring
criminal charges against NASA employees, but has been blocked by the
Justice Department in Washington, the congressmen say. Melinda Haag,
the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California, denies that
her office had sought an indictment.
“I am aware of allegations our office sought authority from [the
Justice Department] in Washington, D.C., to bring charges in a
particular matter and that our request was denied,” Ms. Haag said.
“Those allegations are untrue. No such request was made, and no such
denial was received.” (2/13)
FSDC Membership Tops 50
(Source: SPACErePORT)
The Florida Space Development Council (FSDC), a recently renamed
chapter of the National Space Society, now has exceeded 50 members,
both individual and corporate. The FSDC's president and vice president
will both be featured on WMMB Radio's Space Talk program on Feb. 16,
where they will discuss the group's programs and priorities. Membership
for individuals is $5 per year, and $50 for corporations. Click here.
(2/13)
FAA Space Transportation Research
Group Expands Membership (Source: FAA)
The FAA's Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation
(COE-CST) aims to address current and future challenges for commercial
space transportation. To fully develop the network of organizations
from academia and industry with similar and complementary interests in
the research conducted under the COE CST, the FAA invites organizations
to join the COE as Affiliate University or Affiliate Industry Members.
An Affiliate University Member or Affiliate Industry Member (generally
referred to as an Affiliate Member) is distinguished by bringing their
own self-funded, unique research activities to the COE CST network.
Affiliate Members are defined as a public or private organization that
conducts research or educational activities that fall within the four
COE CST research areas. (2/10)
Astrobotic Wins NASA Work on Robotic
Exploration (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Astrobotic will lead a NASA-funded study to figure out how robots, such
as the Mars rover Curiosity, can avoid becoming stuck by sinking in
loose sand or similarly hard to distinguish terrain hazards. The study
is one of eight advanced robotics projects funded by NASA as part of
the Obama administration’s National Robotics Initiative.
Astrobotic is partnered with Carnegie Mellon University to develop this
technology over three years. (2/11)
Brazil Chases ISU Back to France
(Source: Parabolic Arc)
The International Space University has decided to shift its summer
session from Brazil to its main campus in Strasbourg, France, due to a
sudden and unexpected increase in hotel costs. The university was to
have held the event at the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais
(INPE) campus in São José dos Campos, Brazil, beginning on June
17. (More like a winter session, actually, if I understand the
Earth’s rotation around the sun.)
The hotel that had been booked for participants decided to raise its
rate significantly, according to a message sent out by ISU. There isn’t
sufficient time to raise the money needed to hold the session there,
officials said. It’s a shame because of the ISU SSP is a great program,
and it would have brought much to Brazil’s emerging space program. But,
they can always host in the future. (2/12)
Super Telescope Costs Inflate
(Source: Space Daily)
The estimated cost of the first construction phase of the world's
largest radio telescope has jumped to 400 million euros ($530 million).
The increase of 50 million euros takes six years of accumulated
inflation into account, and the figure could escalate further once
additional costs of splitting the project between Africa and Australia
are factored in.
The Square Kilometer Array (SKA) will be the world's largest and most
sensitive radio telescope, with thousands of receptors spread over an
area of a square kilometre (0.4 square miles). The project's original
cost estimate, 1.5 billion euros in total for phases one and two, was
made in 2007, and "we decided we should update the numbers to 2013
euros", said Philip Diamond.
Members of the SKA decided last May to split the project between South
Africa and Australia, which had both been bidding to be the host. The
decision has additional cost implications, which Diamond declined to
specify but said was "not a significant increase". Construction of
Phase 1, which has yet to be approved, should start by 2016. (2/12)
Microbes Survive a Mixed Bag of Mars
‘Biocidals’ (Source: Astrobiology)
For the first time, scientists find that microbes from Earth can
survive and grow even in the mix of drastically low pressure, freezing
temperatures and oxygen-starved conditions seen on Mars. In recent
years, scientists have discovered many life forms on Earth capable of
surviving extremes of heat, cold, radiation, dryness, acidity and
numerous other trying conditions. These "extremophiles" raise the
possibility that alien life might dwell in similarly harsh environments
on distant worlds. Click here.
(2/12)
NASA's New Spaceship Tech Could Help
Take Astronauts to Mars (Source: Space.com)
The new spaceflight technology behind NASA's new deep-space capsule
could one day take astronauts to Mars, space agency officials say. NASA
showcased its new deep-space exploration technology in a recent tour at
its Kennedy Space Center spaceport here Florida to present the first
prototype of the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV). This capsule
is due to launch on its maiden test flight in 2014, paving the way for
flights in the future that could take astronauts back to the moon, and
on to asteroids and Mars. (2/12)
NASA'S Orion Lands Safely on Two of
Three Parachutes in Test (Source: NASA)
NASA engineers have demonstrated the agency's Orion spacecraft can land
safely if one of its three main parachutes fails to inflate during
deployment. The test was conducted Tuesday in Yuma, Ariz., with the
parachutes attached to a test article. Engineers rigged the parachutes
so only two would inflate, leaving the third to flag behind, when the
test capsule was dropped from a plane 25,000 feet above the Arizona
desert. (2/12)
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