September 5 News Items

Shuttle Manifest Acceleration Could Speed Ares Timeline (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
The shuttle program is finalizing the approval of a manifest acceleration that will shake-up the remaining flights of the shuttle, to ease the Constellation schedule. NASA has been holding meetings to approve the changes, which include flying Atlantis for an additional two flights, adding STS-131 and STS-133 logistics flights to the confirmed schedule, and ending the shuttle program earlier - at the end of March, 2010. The possibility of Atlantis avoiding retirement in 2008 was proposed as early as last year, when documentation was provided to the PRCB (Program Control Requirements Board) showing that the Orbiter Maintenance Down Period (OMDP) requirements could allow critical overhaul elements to be carried out during normal processing flows.

Space Exploration Does Not Come Cheap (Source: New Scientist)
Space travel is 50 next month. In this relatively short time, we have put people in orbit, walked on the moon and created a permanent encampment in space. We have surrounded Earth with satellites looking inwards and outwards, our spacecraft have visited every planet in the solar system and a probe is even now heading for ex-planet Pluto. Has it all been worth it? Some think not. Through the decades, one question has repeatedly sprung to the lips of opposing politicians: would the money invested in exploring space be better spent helping the poor here on Earth?

Killer Asteroid Traced in Space (Source: Discovery Channel)
The extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago can be traced to a collision between two monster rocks in the asteroid belt nearly 100 million years earlier, scientists report on Wednesday. The smash drove a giant sliver of rock into Earth's path, eventually causing the climate-changing impact that ended the reign of the dinosaurs and enabled the rise of mammals — including, eventually, us. Other asteroid fragments smashed into the Moon, Venus and Mars, pocking their faces with mighty craters, the researchers believe.

India To Build Constellation Of Seven Navigation Satellites (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
Bangalore, India (PTI) Sep 05, 2007 - India plans to build a constellation of seven geo-stationary satellites at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore to meet the navigational system requirements in cars, trains and aircraft. "Design (of the satellites) is more or less complete. We are in the process of building the first proto model," Secretary in the Department of Space G Madhavan Nair said. "First launch will take place around 2010.

Stringent New California Rules Govern Cleanup at Rocket Testing Site (Source: LA Times)
Boeing and two federal agencies face daily fines if they violate the terms of the California consent decree. State regulators monitoring cleanup of contaminants at a former nuclear research and rocket engine testing facility near Simi Valley have set new rules and deadlines for the contractor and the two government agencies responsible. The Aug. 16 consent decree requires Boeing Corp., owner of the Santa Susana Field Lab; the U.S. Department of Energy; and NASA to submit reports by Nov. 14 detailing how they plan to complete the cleanup by June 30, 2017. The reports must provide a schedule of analysis on the extent of contamination as well as cleanup operations.

Norman F. Riley, the substance control department's project director for the field lab cleanup since April, said this order supersedes a 15-year-old agreement, which was far more general and didn't establish penalties. "It's more stringent; it's much more detailed," Riley said of the new order. "If they find that they are out of compliance, there will not be any arguing: It will be flat out $15,000 a day for every day they are out of compliance." A Boeing representative said the company would meet its responsibilities.

Florida Students Speak to Astronauts (Source: Naples News)
Clayton Anderson was happy to show about 200 middle-school students his room. As they watched on a large television screen, Anderson floated to a pair of padded doors and pulled them open. Sure, the kids had seen bedrooms before, but not one orbiting the Earth. Anderson, an American astronaut, and Russian cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov spoke to the students from Pine Ridge and Immokalee middle schools from their home in the International Space Station on Tuesday. Only 30 schools have ever had the opportunity to speak to astronauts working in the International Space Station. Three Florida schools preceded Pine Ridge and Immokalee for the honor.

First Astronaut, Space Mission to Help Boost Korean Aerospace Research (Source: Korea Times)
South Korea has chosen an artificial intelligence engineer as its first astronaut to fly to the International Space Station next April. The man basking in the limelight is Ko San, a 30-year-old researcher at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). Ko’s planned space travel is a great honor and achievement not only for himself but also for the nation. His mission will open a new chapter in the country’s space exploration history. People have high expectations that the first astronaut will carry out their long-cherished dream of space exploration. The public has shown strong interest in the astronaut selection process that started in April last year. A total of 36,206 Koreans applied to be the nation’s first person to venture into space.