July 31 News Items

Northrop, Air Force Restructure NPOESS Contract (Source: SpaceToday.net)
The Air Force and Northrop Grumman have completed the restructuring of a contract for a new generation of weather satellites. As part of a $4.2 billion contract modification for the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS), the two sides agreed to a revised schedule that calls for the launch a prototype spacecraft, the NPOESS Preparatory Project, in 2009, and the first NPOESS satellite in 2013. The contract includes options for two additional NPOESS satellites. The NPOESS program has been beset by schedule delays and budget overruns and the government oversight of the program, a joint office run by the Air Force, NOAA, and NASA, has been criticized by Congress. Some sensors were removed from the NPOESS satellites to reduce cost and risk. NPOESS is designed to replace existing civil and military polar-orbiting weather satellites.

Endeavour Crew Cabin Leak Persists (Source: Florida Today)
Technicians will test Endeavour's cabin tonight to learn the cause and location of a leak that remained after an attempt to fix it during the weekend. "They are troubleshooting it right now," said Tracy E. Yates, spokeswoman for United Space Alliance. The leak was more than ten times allowable leak rate of .005 psi per hour. The leak rate was about .05 psi per hour. During the weekend, the cabin failed a similar leak test. A nut on a flexible hose was thought to be the cause. The leak at the same rate remained Monday night after the nut was tightened. "It was either not the problem or part of the problem," said Yates. "The issue is with the cabin."

US-Canadian Team on 4-Month Simulated Mars Mission (Source: Voice of America)
When the Phoenix Mars Lander reaches the Red Planet in 2008, the $386-million robotic mission will begin exploring the icy Martian soil. Meanwhile, in a remote field station here on Earth, Canadian and American scientists have been engaged in a simulated expedition to Mars. There is no place on Earth like Mars, except perhaps the arctic polar desert's Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station, 1400 kilometers from the North Pole on Devon Island.

Mars Phoenix Launch Delayed Until Saturday (Source: WKMG)
The planned launch Friday of NASA's Mars Phoenix lander is being pushed back to Saturday because stormy weather is expected to stall a crucial propellant-loading operation. Liftoff Saturday is scheduled for one of two single-second launch opportunities. The first will come 31 seconds after 5:24 a.m., and the second would be 55 seconds after 6:02 a.m. The general weather forecast for launch remains favorable, but the prospect for afternoon and early evening thunderstorms is complicating propellant-loading operations at Launch Complex 17A at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport.

Sirius Satellite Net Loss Narrows (Source: Reuters)
Sirius Satellite Radio posted a narrower quarterly loss that beat expectations as it added more subscribers and spent less to sign them to its pay radio service, sending shares up 3 percent. Sirius, the No. 2 satellite radio service which has agreed to purchase bigger rival XM Satellite Radio, said its second-quarter net loss was $134.1 million, compared with a loss of $237.8 million a year earlier. Revenue at Sirius, whose lineup includes the National Football League, shock jock Howard Stern, lifestyle guru Martha Stewart and the Catholic Church, jumped 51 percent to $226.4 million from $150.1 million.

Measuring Sea Level Rise from Space (Source: BBC)
Meteorologists and climate modellers are eagerly awaiting the launch of a satellite that will be able to measure sea level rise to an unprecedented degree of precision. Jason-2, scientists hope, will help shed light on the oceans' dynamics by measuring the topography - the "hills" and "valleys" - of the world's seas every 10 days. The satellite's radar altimeter, Poseidon-3, is designed to measure the sea level height to within a few centimetres. It will do this from its orbit more than 1,300km above the Earth. Data collected by Jason-2's instruments will help researchers develop more precise forecasts, improve hurricane path projections and reveal how climate change is affecting ocean currents.

Beer in Space: A Short but Frothy History (Source:
After allegations that astronauts flew drunk, NASA's rules on alcohol are under scrutiny. The agency currently doesn't allow its astronauts to imbibe in orbit, but over the years of crewed space travel, many astronauts have enjoyed a tipple. In 1969, Buzz Aldrin took communion after landing on the Moon, sipping wine from a small chalice. In the Moon's feeble gravity, he later wrote, the wine swirled like syrup around the cup. Small amounts of alcohol were apparently allowed on the Soviet space station Mir, and when Russian astronauts joined the International Space Station, there were some grumblings about the decree that it be dry.

That hasn't stopped some researchers from working on ways to brew and serve alcohol in space, however. Graduate student Kirsten Sterrett at the University of Colorado wrote a thesis on fermentation in space, with support from US beer behemoth Coors. She sent a miniature brewing kit into orbit aboard a space shuttle several years ago and produced a few sips of beer. She later sampled the space brew, but because of chemicals in and near it from her analysis, it didn't taste great by the time she tried it.

Radyne Shareholder Pushes Sale of Company (Source: Space News)
Satellite-ground equipment manufacturer Radyne Corp. plans to complete its purchase of small-satellite builder AeroAstro this week and has no plans to sell itself despite the urging of a major shareholder, Radyne Chief Executive Myron Wagner said July 30.

Editorial: NASA's Image Needs Repair (Source: Sun-Sentinel)
It hasn't been a great six months for the people at NASA. These folks have long been seen as the best and the brightest, and deservedly so. But lately they have become fodder for late-night TV comedians. You can't blame people if they pick up supermarket tabloids and expect to see astronauts alongside Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton. The problems started earlier this year, with the love triangle escapade of astronaut Lisa Nowak. That was essentially good for a smile. What has happened lately is a lot more serious, and NASA needs to work quickly to restore its credibility and image with the American public.

OSHA Continues to Examine Mojave Blast (Source: Bakersfield Californian)
Employees at Scaled Composites in Mojave were back at work Monday after Thursday's explosion that killed three of their co-workers. Meanwhile, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) officials are continuing to investigate what happened at the Mojave Air & Space Port that also injured three others. Airport officials hope the inquiry will be complete within a few weeks.