January 16 News Items

Giuliani Talks Space in Florida (Source: Florida Today)
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is scheduled to return to Brevard County on Friday as he campaigns for the Republican presidential nomination. Giuliani will participate in a roundtable discussion on the space program at the Radisson Resort at the Port in Cape Canaveral, beginning at 5 p.m. After poor showings in Iowa and New Hampshire, Giuliani has been criss-crossing Florida recently for campaign stops in advance of the state's Jan. 29 primary.

International Space Station: OK, So Give it to Britain (Source: What's New)
I have always admired the British for remaining aloof from the ISS. Now, however, a group in the UK proposes a project to build and launch what they think the ISS needs most: a spacious common room where they can all sit around the table. I now add them to the list of countries we should offer to give the ISS to. Perhaps we could pay them to take it.

Sen Martinez: Don't Trust The Russians, Close The Space Gap (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Florida's Republican Sen. Mel Martinez said it would be a mistake to entrust Russia with flying U.S. astronauts to the International Space Station after the retirement of the space shuttle in 2010. Speaking in Melbourne on Tuesday before a meeting of the Space Coast Tiger Bay Club and the National Space Club Florida Committee, Martinez reiterated the view of many Florida lawmakers that space is a national security imperative for the United States. 'I believe the United States should not be dependent on anyone else," he said. "Relying on the Russians to put a person in space for us? C'mon, this is the United States of America! We can't have that because we can't trust them, plain and simple."

He said the funding was critical to speeding the development of Constellation as well as keeping jobs at KSC, which employs about 14,500 civil service and contractor workers. As many as 6,000 jobs could be lost in the transition, and more if the time between the shuttle and Constellation grows further. He said that officials throughout Florida must work together to convince the nation that the space industry is important to national security. He suggested combining efforts with other states with space centers, such as Texas and Alabama. But he noted that so far presidential candidates have not found space policy to be a burning issue.

Satellite Insurers Might Not Boost Premiums Significantly (Source: AIA)
The successful launch of a Middle Eastern communications satellite might prompt satellite insurers to back off of plans to boost rates. Insurance and launch costs often approach one-third of total spending for smaller satellite buyers, and a decrease could help make it easier for startups to launch new technologies.

Yahsat Awards Launch Contract to Arianespace (Source: SpaceToday.net)
A new Middle Eastern satellite operator will launch its first satellite on an Ariane 5. Yahsat signed an agreement with Arianespace to launch the Yahsat 1A spacecraft in late 2010 on an Ariane 5; terms of the deal were not disclosed. The satellite is one of two that European manufacturers Thales Alenia Space and EADS Astrium are building for Abu Dhabi-based Yahsat. The other Yahsat satellite will be launched in late 2010 or early 2011 on a Proton under a separate agreement with International Launch Services.

Sea Launch Returns To Flight (Source: Aviation Week)
Sea Launch successfully launched Boeing's Thuraya-3 communications satellite in a much-anticipated return to flight of the Zenit 3-SL rocket after a pad explosion last year. The rocket lifted off the Odyssey Launch Platform at 3:49 a.m. Pacific Time Jan. 15. The mission ended with the upper stage separating from the Thuraya-3 Geo-mobile satellite, placing it into geosynchronous transfer orbit. Communications were established with a ground station in Fillmore, Calif., about 1 hour and 51 minutes after liftoff.

Kazakhstan Agrees to Protons Launches in 1st Quarter (Source: Itar-Tass)
Kazakhstan’s government has agreed to launches of Proton boosters from the Baikonur spaceport in the first quarter of the year. According to the Kazakh space agency Kazkosmos’ press service, “32 spacecraft will be launched from Baikonur this year, which is a record number for the past decade." The spacecraft Ekspress-AM33 is planned to be launched by a Proton-M booster on January 28. “Eight launches are scheduled for the first and third quarters of the year, five, for the second quarter, and eleven, for the fourth quarter,” the press service said.

Atlantis Retirement Delayed (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
The official decision on the future of Atlantis has finally been made, as she avoids early retirement in 2008 - gaining STS-128 and STS-131 in the process via new planning documentation. Atlantis' flagship mission - STS-125's trip to service the Hubble Space Telescope - has been delayed by one month, to September 5, as the bulk of the manifest moves to the right by around 30 days, due to the slip of STS-122 to February 7.

NASTAR Center Launches New Air and Space Adventure Programs (Source: ETC Corp.)
Environmental Tectonics Corporation's National Aerospace Training and Research (NASTAR) Center has launched its Air and Space Adventure Programs, a series of programs designed to provide realistic flight experiences for astronaut and fighter pilot enthusiasts alike. The NASTAR Center is now offering 2-hour, half-day, full-day, and 2-day combo programs that simulate fast jet flights and space voyages. NASTAR is doing this with the same technology it uses to train military fighter pilots and Virgin Galactic space passengers. With these programs, the general public can come to the NASTAR Center and find out what it is like to fly a high-performance jet or blast off into outer space. They can do this just for fun, or to enhance their knowledge and test their aptitude pulling G's for those interested in signing up for a real space launch or becoming a fighter pilot.

Spacewalking Repair Work Set for Jan. 30 (Source: Florida Today)
Two U.S. astronauts will venture outside the International Space Station on Jan. 30 on what will be a first step toward restoring full power-generation capability at the orbiting outpost. NASA set the date after flight controllers and the astronauts -- station commander Peggy Whitson and Dan Tani -- worked out the steps the spacewalkers will take to remove and replace a faulty solar array drive motor. Whitson and Tani are tentatively set to exit the U.S. Quest airlock at 4:30 a.m. EST that day. They'll crawl hand-over-hand to a solar wing at the starboard end of the station's central truss. Once there, the astronauts will use pistol-grip power tools to unbolt the broken motor drive and the replace it with a spare.

Florida Wine Festival Scraps Space-trip Auction Prize (Source: Naples News-Press)
Forget that trip to outer space. Bidders at Naples Winter Wine Festival will have to keep their feet planted on Earth, instead. The festival's Jan. 26 auction boasts swanky lots, including four tickets to the Academy Awards and a 19-day trip to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. But the suborbital space trip just seemed too dangerous, said festival chairman Don Gunther. "I just didn't think it was a good idea." The winning bidder would have received astronaut training and a trip on Virgin Galactic's fledgling commercial spaceship, SpaceShip Two.

Officials From Kansas Space Center Share Ideas with Sheboygan (Source: Sheboygan Press)
A team from the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, which draws 175,000 visitors annually and has done spacecraft restoration for the Smithsonian Institution, met Tuesday with Sheboygan civic leaders to exchange ideas about the aerospace complex planned for the city's lakefront. The Cosmosphere, based in Hutchinson, Kan., is said to have a U.S. space artifact collection second only to the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. The Cosmosphere does not yet have a contract with the Great Lakes Aerospace Science and Education Center at Spaceport Sheboygan, a $21 million project designed to transform the 65-year-old Sheboygan Armory into a tourist and educational attraction by late 2009. About $4 million of Spaceport's $21 million price tag has been raised.

Editorial: There's Room for China in Space (Source: Los Angeles Times)
The U.S. shouldn't turn a cold shoulder to Beijing's emerging efforts. It's another giant leap for mankind that China has become the third nation with the capability to send people to and from space. Unfortunately, the Bush administration has reined in any ambitious efforts at cooperation with China in space. In discussing the Chinese program, a senior NASA official, speaking on background, stated, "There are still lots of differing opinions in Washington about whether we are going too slow or too fast." Legitimate concern about China's military space efforts has led the administration to take petty actions against the Chinese civil program, and as a result, the United States is losing out to other space programs.

Arizona Space Industry Generates Over $250M, Creates 3,300 Jobs (Source: UA News)
Arizona is known around the world as a haven for astronomy and space aficionados, featuring some of the world's preeminent observatories, state-of-the-art telescopes and leading contributors to space exploration. The University of Arizona is the state’s largest contributor to the development of astronomy, planetary research and optics endeavors in Arizona. A new study by researchers at the UA’s Eller College of Management indicates that astronomy, planetary and space sciences research also has a significant impact on the state's economy.

The study, which researchers cited as the first report of its kind in Arizona, concluded that astronomy, planetary and space sciences research had more than a $252 million impact on Arizona's economy in the 2006 fiscal year. Their research also reported that these industries generated more than 3,300 jobs in the same time period. Also during that time, The University of Arizona, long an international leader in these areas, contributed more than $120 million and nearly 1,900 jobs. UA research activity accounts for 57 percent of all the industry jobs and 48 percent of the financial impact referenced in the study.

Space Station Modules Proposed by UK Scientists (Source: Space.com)
Two habitation modules emblazoned with the United Kingdom's Union Jack could launch to the International Space Station (ISS) by 2011 under a new plan devised by British scientists and engineers. The proposal — not yet official with the ISS partnership — would not only improve living conditions on board the space station, but would also allow the United Kingdom to join other nations that have a foothold in space.

The proposed Habitat Extension Module (HEM) would consist of two modules attached to the ISS Node 3 segment, a hub-like connecting module slated for a 2010 launch. The British addition would provide additional room and equipment for a permanent space station crew of six, as opposed to the current crew of three. The station is scheduled to shift to six-person crews in 2009, NASA officials have said.

US Presidential Candidates and Their Views on Scientific Issues (Source: AAAS)
What are the United States presidential candidates positions on scientific topics ranging from evolution to global warming? A special news report, published in the 4 January issue of the journal Science, addresses these questions and profiles the nine leading candidates on where they stand on important scientific issues. The 10-page special report, - Science and the Next U.S. President - profiles Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Mitt Romney, and Fred Thompson and offers voters a glimpse at each candidate's views on science. Visit http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.nl.html?pid=24500 for information.

Astronaut Hall of Fame Adding 4 Names (Source: Florida Today)
Four veteran shuttle mission commanders will be inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in May, raising to 70 the number of space explorers so honored. Joining the likes of John Glenn, Neil Armstrong and Sally Ride will be an astronaut who served on the Russian Mir space station, one who started construction of the International Space Station, another who is NASA's safety chief and the commander of the mission that hauled up the storied Hubble Space Telescope. The 2008 inductees: John Blaha, Robert Cabana, Bryan O'Connor and Loren Shriver. The quartet will join during a public ceremony to be May 3 at Kennedy Space Center.

Funding Edict for Mission has NASA Over a Barrel (Source: Nature)
Astronomers in the United States are up in arms after Congress told NASA that it must spend $60 million next year building a controversial planet-hunting telescope. NASA says the money, nearly three times the $22 million it had earmarked for the project, will have to be siphoned from the budgets of other missions. "I hope this is what you want," an inflamed Mike Griffin told the community, "because it appears likely to be what you will get." Griffin, the NASA administrator, was speaking on 8 January at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Austin, Texas.

With the agency forced to beef up its financial commitment to the Space Interferometry Mission (SIM), there may be a two-year delay to Hubble's successor, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). And other future flagship missions to study dark energy, gravity waves and X-ray astronomy might be cancelled altogether, warns Jon Morse, director of the agency's astrophysics division.

NASA Announces Study Proposal on Design of Human Lunar Lander (Source: NASA)
NASA is soliciting study proposals to evaluate human landing craft concepts for exploring the moon. The Altair spacecraft will deliver four astronauts to the lunar surface late in the next decade. NASA plans to establish an outpost on the moon through a sustainable and affordable series of lunar missions beginning no later than 2020. NASA is seeking responses in two primary areas before the release of a prime contract for lunar lander design, development, test and evaluation. Those areas include an evaluation of NASA's current developmental concept and innovative safety improvements, and recommendations for industry-government partnerships.

California Spaceport Lifts North Santa Barbara Economy (Source: Pacific Coast Business Times)
Last year, Vandenberg Air Force Base hosted eight launches, including the first two Italian space launches. There is potential for 15 to 17 launches this year, including the base’s first Atlas V, several Delta IIs and Minuteman IIIs, and another Italian satellite. Base officials are also excited about the X-37B unmanned test vehicle, expected to launch in 2008 from Florida and land at Vandenberg.

Add the range, expeditionary and installation activities – as well as other groups based here that are not part of the 30th Space Wing – and it comes to significant employment numbers: 2,919 military members, 941 civilians and 2,835 contractors. The 2007 budget included $462 million in wages, $134 million for services, $41 million for facility projects, $26 million in utilities and $29 million in environmental issues. A 2007 study by the University of California, Santa Barbara, Economic Forecast Project estimated that the wing’s 2004 budget of $300 million accounted directly and indirectly for approximately 7 percent of the county’s gross economic output, or $1.7 billion.

Russian Spacecraft to Lift Off to ISS Two Days Early (Source: RIA Novosti)
The launch of Russia's Progress M-63 to the International Space Station has been rescheduled from Feb. 7 to 5. "The launch of the cargo spacecraft would have coincided with the launch of the U.S. space shuttle [Atlantis], which is why NASA asked us to launch Progress two days before schedule, because the docking of two spacecraft, albeit to different ports of the ISS, is undesirable," a spokesperson said. The spokesperson added that the launch time had been fixed for 4:03 p.m. Moscow time (1:03 p.m. GMT). The rocket will lift off from the Baikonur spaceport, which Russia leases in Kazakhstan.

European Agency Plans 10 Space Missions in 2008 (Source: AFP)
The European Space Agency (ESA) plans 10 major missions this year, including long-delayed trips to the space station, new explorations of Earth and deep space, and a joint unmanned trip to the Moon with India. The missions on ESA's 2008 roster include the dispatch next month of two key components of the International Space Station (ISS), the orbital outpost being assembled by a US-led consortium of five partners. They are a science module, Columbus, scheduled to be taken aloft on February 7 by the US space shuttle, and a robot freighter, due to be placed in orbit by ESA's Ariane rocket in the third week of February and then automatically rendezvous with the ISS. At least two billion euros ($2.9 billion) have been spent on Columbus and the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV).

Russian Fuel Flows in Jules Verne’s Veins (Source: ESA)
Fueling of the Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle has started at Europe’s Spaceport. The ATV is being loaded with Russian refuelling propellant destined for the International Space Station. After a month of fuelling operations, the launch and maiden voyage of the first European resupply spaceship is scheduled for the second half of February.