October 24 News Items

China Launches First Lunar Probe (Source: SpaceToday.net)
Long March 3A launch of Change-1 (Xinhua) China successfully launched its first lunar orbiter mission on Wednesday. A Long March 3A rocket lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern China at 6:05 am EDT (1005 GMT, 6:05 pm Beijing time) and placed the Chang'e-1 spacecraft an elliptical Earth parking orbit shortly thereafter. Chang'e-1 is scheduled to remain in that parking orbit until October 31, when it will go into a translunar trajectory and enter lunar orbit on November 5. Chang'e-1 carries a number of cameras and other sensors to study the Moon's surface and composition. The mission, highly anticipated within China, is the first in a three-stage robotic exploration plan that also includes a lander with rover and a sample return mission. Chang'e-1 is the second spacecraft launched to the Moon in as many months, after Japan's launch of the Kaguya lunar orbiter in September.

FAA: NASA Study Methodology Questionable (Source: AIA)
The FAA weighed in on the controversy surrounding the NASA study that purportedly shows a greater prevalence of aviation safety issues than generally is reported. FAA officials have not seen the study, which NASA has declined to release, but say they have questions about its methodology and whether the data collected actually are usable.

Lockheed Space Systems Unit Sees Increased Sales, Profit (Source: SpaceToday.net)
Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin's space division reported increased revenues and profits in the fiscal third quarter of 2007. The Space Systems division reported net sales of $2.21 billion and an operating profit of $222 million for the quarter, compared to net sales of $1.85 billion and operating profit of $176 million for the same quarter of 2006. The company said that increases in its satellites product line, both commercial and government, as well as missile systems, were largely responsible for the increase, offsetting declines in space transportation caused by Lockheed's divestiture of its stake in International Launch Services and the creation of United Launch Alliance. The company did warn, though, that it anticipates commercial satellite sales to slow in in 2008. The company overall reported net sales of $11.1 billion and an net earnings of $766 million for the quarter.

Boeing 3Q Profit Up, Warns on Revenue (Source: AP)
Boeing posted its best profit in nearly four years as its third-quarter earnings climbed 61 percent because of higher commercial airplane deliveries and growth in its defense business. The results beat Wall Street expectations, but the company warned that delays in the launch of its new 787 "Dreamliner" plane would lower its 2008 revenue. For the quarter ending Sep. 30, Boeing's profit rose to $1.1 billion, up from $694 million a year ago. Revenue rose 12 percent to $16.5 billion from $14.7 billion a year ago. Boeing said its backlog reached another record, climbing to $295 million.

A Piece of the Moon Lands in Broward County Library (Source: Miami Herald)
In Susan Eisele Black's life there have been what she calls "moments when the whole world stops and watches." "Two of them were very sad -- when President Kennedy was shot and the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001," she said. "Then there's when Buzz [Aldrin] and Neil [Armstrong] walked on the moon." Eisele Black was part of that memorable moment. "It was incredible," she said. "They didn't just get on a space shuttle and land on the moon. It took years of planning." Her late husband was astronaut and Ret. Air Force Col. Donn Eisele, the command module pilot for the 11-day flight of Apollo 7 in 1968.

NASA is honoring the astronaut's involvement in the space program by presenting Eisele Black with a small piece of history -- a moon rock encased in Lucite, called the Ambassador of Exploration Award. The rock is part of the 842 pounds of lunar samples collected during the six Apollo lunar expeditions from 1969 to 1972. Eisele Black accepted the award Tuesday at the Broward County Main Library, which she chose as the place to display her piece of history.

Gov. Crist Shows Support for Space Program (Source: Florida Today)
Wowed by the launch of shuttle Discovery, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist said NASA and the space program are vital to the state's economic future. "NASA in Florida is a huge economic engine and creates tremendous vibrancy for the state, and so we have to show the appreciation for what this program does for our state," Crist said. Crist and an entourage traveled to Kennedy Space Center for the launch, which was the third of four planned this year. It was the fifth time Crist has been to KSC for a shuttle launch. "I know the economic import, particularly to the Space Coast. I get it," he said.

NASA business resulted in a total economic impact of $3.6 billion in 2006. The agency managed some 1,731 contracts in the state, and the 13,630 people working at Kennedy Space Center earned an average of $72,000. Crist said the state government already is looking for ways to offset any job loss that might come in the wake of the shutdown of the shuttle program in September 2010.

Science Award Winners Inspired by Discovery (Source: Florida Today)
Lucie Guo and Xianlin Li got to watch Tuesday's launch from the coveted Banana River grandstands, next to the Saturn-Apollo Museum. "We thought it was awesome!" said Guo. "We both thought it was actually really moving." The women are the Siemens Westinghouse Science and Technology 2004-2005 Competition winners. They put their $100,000 scholarships to use at Harvard, where they are both undergraduates. Guo said her weekend at Kennedy Space Center, sponsored by Siemens, and viewing of the launch has inspired her to return to her childhood love of space and astrology. While she is considering taking a break after graduation to participate in Teach for America, she said she might also pursue a graduate degree in astrobiology. They were just two among more than 10,000 people at Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex for launch day.

Heat Shield Has Astronauts Wary (Source: USA Today)
The astronauts aboard space shuttle Discovery will do a routine inspection Wednesday of their ship's heat shield, taking extra care because of worries that some heat shield panels may be defective. Three of the panels contain possible weaknesses hidden deep below the surface. NASA's engineers don't have enough data to rule out a catastrophic "burn through" of the panels when the shuttle endures searing heat as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere. A preliminary analysis showed no worrisome debris during the shuttle's launch Tuesday, said a NASA manager.

Malaysia to Build Own Communications Satellite (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
Malaysia's government will build its own communications satellite, to be used for internal security and defence purposes. Science and Technology Minister Jamaludin Jarjis told the official Bernama news agency that the satellite project was a natural progression after Malaysia entered the space age this month. Its first astronaut, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, blasted off aboard a Soyuz space craft and visited the International Space Station in a program linked to the billion-dollar purchase of Russian fighter jets.

Spaceflight Symposium Takes Off in New Mexico (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
The general public got a history lesson, an update and a chance to ask questions about Spaceport America as the first of almost a week's worth of New Mexico space-related activities kicked off Tuesday. Spaceport officials gave a presentation to several dozen at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, site of the third annual International Symposium for Personal Spaceflight, which began Wednesday. Those in attendance received a full overview of the spaceport project from its origins more than two decades ago to today, only months away from a groundbreaking ceremony at a remote site in southern Sierra County.