Found Dog (Source: Space Review)
On Friday, the UK Space Agency announced that the Beagle 2 lander had
been found on the Martian surface, at least partially intact, in images
from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft. Dwayne Day
discusses what we can learn from the discovery of the spacecraft more
than a decade after it disappeared. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2680/1
to view the article. (1/19)
Debating the Future of Exoplanet
Missions Concepts and Community (Source: Space Review)
While astronomers are discovering ever more exoplanets, including some
that may be like Earth, there's a perception that the scientific
community can't agree on future goals and missions. Jeff Foust reports
on efforts by astronomers to develop greater consensus on the direction
of exoplanet research, and what some of the missions to achieve those
goals might be. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2679/1
to view the article. (1/19)
Why Humans Should Go to Mars and Other
Places in Space (Source: Space Review)
In a recent newspaper op-ed, a university scientist argues against
human exploration of Mars, claiming the money would be better spent on
other scientific activities here on Earth. John Strickland argues
against that mindset, provided human Mars missions are done in a more
affordable, sustainable way. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2678/1
to view the article. (1/19)
Iran Cancels Space Program
(Source: Medium)
After six years of massive expenditures and lurid propaganda, on Jan. 9
Tehran shut down its troubled space program. The unceremonious
cancellation occurred without notice in the Iranian press. Authorities
are spreading the space agency’s manpower and assets across four
ministries including the telecoms ministry and the ministry of defense.
Iran had dabbled in space exploration since the early 1970s. In 2002,
reformist president Mohammad Khatami ordered the ministries of science
and telecommunications to establish a national program for achieving
space capabilities, mainly focusing on the design and development of
satellites with Russian cooperation.
But the Iranian Space Agency, in its current form, actually formed on
Sept. 27, 2010, when then-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad brought the
national space consul and several small research institutes under the
direct supervision of his presidential office, this time mainly
focusing on space launchers. The program consisted of six launch
vehicles—three of which the space agency actually completed—plus
subvariants of the vehicles. (1/18)
Ted Cruz and the Ice Giants
(Source: National Review)
With the GOP in charge of the Senate, Ted Cruz has taken charge of the
Science, Space, and Competitiveness subcommittee. Which means Ted Cruz
now oversees NASA. On Wednesday, Cruz issued a statement saying that
“Our space program marks the frontier of future technologies for
defense, communications, transportation and more, and our mindset
should be focused on NASA’s primary mission: exploring space and
developing the wealth of new technologies that stem from its
exploration."
A return to launching our own astronauts into space should be at the
top of the agenda, and a return to Apollo-style deep-space exploration
should be just below it. We’ve already got the unmanned side of things
pretty well covered: NASA has ongoing unmanned missions to Mercury,
Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto. The European Space Agency is handling
Venus. I’d like to make a plea for the forgotten planets — the Ice
Giants.
There are no ongoing or planned missions to Uranus or Neptune. And
believe me, there should be. Earth chauvinism makes us forget,
sometimes, that we aren’t the only blue planet. But out beyond Saturn
are two of the most charming, gigantic, gaseous blue spheres in the
solar system. (1/17)
Florida Space Industry to Visit
Capitol on March 25 (Source: Space Florida)
Representatives from Florida’s aerospace industry will visit
Tallahassee on March 25, 2015, to participate in Florida Space Day and
share with legislators the opportunities the industry brings to Florida
and the nation’s space program.
“Florida continues to transform the business of space,” said Andy
Allen, former astronaut and chair of Florida Space Day 2015. “Space
operations and facility upgrades are progressing at Kennedy Space
Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), including
commercial operations in suborbital and low-Earth orbit, as well as
national program initiatives involving Orion and the Space Launch
System for deep space human exploration.”
“This transition in the space business arena impacts all of Florida,
not just the Space Coast,” added Allen. Florida has almost 500
aerospace companies employing over 30,000 high-tech professionals; it
has the third largest space industry in the nation. (1/16)
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