September 16 News Items

Problem Could Delay Shuttle Discovery's Launch (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
Engineers are assessing an apparent hydraulic leak in the shuttle Discovery's right-side main landing gear strut. If internal seals have to be replaced, launch on a space station assembly mission could slip a few days, but it's not yet clear how long such repairs might actually take. As of Friday, rollout to launch pad 39A was targeted for Sept. 27, setting the stage for launch Oct. 23. But work to replace the hydraulic seals, if required, would delay rollover and rollout. Even with several days of contingency time in the schedule, launch could be delayed a few days if repairs are ordered.

To Compete, Houston Must Tout Space Leadership (Source: Houston Chronicle)
In the early 1960s, when a group of Houstonians caught wind of a possible new manned flight project that needed a home, we sold Houston like Mattress Mac selling an Armani sectional. We sent men with slideshows. We schmoozed NASA reps, sent brochures and worked every political connection we had in orbit. Today it's hard to imagine Houston without Johnson Space Center — ground zero for NASA's human space travel efforts and global space thought leadership in general.

But soon it will be time to polish our shoes for a new phase in selling Houston. New Mexico-based space missions will include everything from mission and launch control to training and passenger terminal facilities, beginning as early as 2010. Comparing Spaceport America to Johnson Space Center is like comparing a handful of very small, unripe apples to a grove of thriving oranges. But it brings up a challenging question: How long can Houston maintain the benefits of being a national center for manned space travel leadership in a world where NASA is no longer the only player? Visit http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/5137133.html to view the article.

Space: The Scottish Frontier (Source: Sunday Herald)
There can be no question that attempting to keep pace with the monolithic space programs run by the US and China is a task that most men would quail at, but the head of the European Space Agency's Research and Technology Center has set himself an even loftier goal: persuading Scotland that it needs a space program of its own. "Why shouldn't Scotland have a space industry? You already have proven expertise and the demand for research and services is increasing all the time," he says.

"People might imagine that America and China are the only serious space race contenders, but across Europe there are many countries contributing to our work and yours has already produced one of the top examples of this. I see no reason why there should not be more." He is sending a delegation to Dundee this week in an effort to drive home his message. The city is hosting the first international SpaceWire conference, and over 100 top scientists will be flooding into the city to discuss the latest developments in this cutting-edge sector.