November 21 News Items

South Korea Outlines Space Program (Source: UPI)
South Korean space officials said Tuesday they plan to send an unmanned probe to the moon's orbit in 2020 and land a probe on the moon's surface in 2025. The country's Ministry of Science and Technology also announced it will develop a large-sized rocket capable of carrying 300 tons of freight into space by 2017, and will begin construction on a space shuttle launching system in 2020. Officials said the country's space institute expects to complete construction of a space research center and a rocket launching pad next year. They will also pay roughly $21 million to Russia to send a South Korean astronaut to the International Space Station in April, hoping the event will increase public interest in the country's space exploration efforts.

Spacehab Announces Stock Changes (Source: Spacehab)
Spacehab has amended its articles to increase the number of authorized shares of the Company’s common stock from 70,000,000 shares to 750,000,000 shares. Also approved by Spacehab's shareholders was a reverse stock split of the Company’s common stock in the ratio of one share of new common stock for each ten shares of old common stock and to decrease the number of authorized shares of common stock from 750,000,000 shares to 75,000,000 shares.

DOD Warns of Layoffs if War Funding is Not Approved (Source: AIA)
The Defense Department warned it might lay off thousands of contractors and civilian employees if lawmakers do not act on the president's $196 billion war funding request. Senior Democrats say they will not approve the funds until the White House changes its policy on Iraq.

Florida Firm Wins NASA Dryden Engineering, Technical Services Contract (Source: NASA)
NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center has awarded a multi-year competitive contract to Tybrin Corporation of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, for engineering and technical services. The award-term contract covers a four-year base period with six one-year award-term periods and could have a total value of $149 million if all award term periods are exercised. The agreement takes effect Feb. 1, 2008. The contract is indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity, and includes cost-plus-award-fee and cost-no-fee line items.

China to Launch 3rd Manned Space Mission After Olympics (Source: AP)
China will launch its third manned space mission after next year's Beijing Olympics. The Shenzhou 7 launch is on track for October 2008 to carry three astronauts and will feature China's first space walk. Also Tuesday, official media reported that China's first moon probe, called Chang'e 1 after a mythical Chinese moon goddess, had positioned its directional antenna toward Earth to allow data to be transmitted home later this month.

Conerns Persist over Chinese Anti-Satellite Test: US Military (Source: AFP)
US concerns about China's military buildup have only been heightened by a Chinese anti-satellite test in January that has yet to be explained, a top US military leader said Tuesday. Admiral Michael Mullen, the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he raised the test with Chinese leaders when he visited the country in August, as have other senior US officials. "It speaks to a higher level of concern that many of us in the United States have about what is the strategic intent of the investment, the high tech investment the Chinese government is making with respect to its military capability in the future," Mullen said.

Govt Offers 100 Acres of Land for India's Space Institute (Source: Economic Times)
Seeking to end the long-drawn row over the land for ISRO's Space Institute, the Kerala Government offered 100 acres of land free-of-cost close to the Ponmudi, a hill station in the district, to the space agency. "There is no dispute over the land. It comes under the Revenue department and not at the disposal of the Forest department," the Chief Minister said when his attention was drawn to reports that Divisional Forest Officer in charge of the area had raised objections to the transfer of the land. To a question that if he thought that this decision would bring all the related controversy to an end, he said "there has never been any dispute between ISRO and the state government." He had a dig at the media saying "so long as you (journalists) are there, controversies will keep coming up."

Russia's New Spaceport to Launch First Manned Spacecraft in 2018 (Source: Interfax)
A new dual-purpose space center in the Amur region will be ready for its first manned spacecraft launch by 2018. "On November 6 this year, the Russian president signed a decree to set up a new Russian space center - its name will be Vostochny [Eastern], and it will be located in the Amur region," said Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov.