September 2 News Items

Astronaut Named Hhead of Canadian Space Agency (Source: Space Daily)
Astronaut Steve MacLean was appointed president of the Canadian Space Agency on Tuesday as the nation prepares for a new era of space exploration, Industry Minister Jim Prentice announced. MacLean "is a modern hero and is very highly respected among academic, industrial and international partners," said Prentice. "His appointment as president is evidence of the government's commitment to leverage Canada's space science and technology to position Canada as a leading space faring nation." (9/2)

Storms Squeeze Hubble Repair Mission Schedule (Source: New Scientist)
NASA's last mission to upgrade and repair the Hubble Space Telescope may be delayed by a tropical storm and a tight schedule in preparing the telescope's replacement parts for launch. The shuttle is inside its vehicle assembly building at the Kennedy Space Center, on the eastern coast of Florida. It was originally set to leave the building on Monday to be transported to a launch pad roughly 5 kilometers away. The agency aims to launch the space shuttle Atlantis on 8 October so astronauts can fix the telescope and give it unprecedented observing power. But that launch date may slip. An approaching tropical storm called Hanna will probably delay the trip to the launch pad until Saturday. This could potentially affect NASA's plan to launch a second shuttle mission before this year's launch window closes in November. (9/2)

GeoEye Set for Launch of $500M Imaging Satellite (Source: AIA)
Following two postponed launches, GeoEye plans to send its latest imaging satellite into space on Thursday -- a "Hail Mary" attempt to turn around the troubled company. GeoEye CEO Matthew O'Connell says he attempted to lessen the risk by choosing the most reliable partners and suppliers for the $500 million project. "We've got General Dynamics, who has a 100% success rate with this kind of launch; Kodak, with a 100% success rate building the camera for us; and the Boeing Delta II rocket -- they have a 98.5% mission-success rate," he says. (9/2)

European Freighter Set to Leave Space Station on Friday (Source: AFP)
A robot freighter that docked with the International Space Station (ISS) in April will detach this week prior to be being destroyed in a controlled operation over the Pacific, the European Space Agency (ESA) said on Tuesday. ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) brought 7.5 tons of equipment, water and air to the ISS crew on its maiden flight, and has been used as a temporary leisure centre and sleeping area for the past five months. Carrying refuse, it will automatically undock from the station at 2130 GMT on Friday, ESA said in a press release. (9/2)

South Korean Rocket Launch Delayed to Next Year (Source: Korea Times)
South Korean ambitions to launch the country’s first space rocket by the end of the year will have to wait another few months. In a much-anticipated announcement Friday, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), the country’s space agency, said the rocket launch would be pushed back to sometime during the second quarter of next year due to the late delivery of components for the launch pad and the decision to strengthen pre-flight system checks. KARI had planned to send its Korea Space Launch Vehicle (KSLV-1), a carrier rocket designed for transporting satellites, into orbit on Dec. 21 from Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province. (9/2)

Editorial: NASA Needs a Boost (Source: Waco Tribune)
The United States is in danger of falling permanently behind in space exploration. This must not happen. Russia’s incursion into democratic Georgia and its belligerence against other democracies threatens the agreement that sends hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars to Russia as payment to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station. If that agreement dissolves, NASA would be earthbound in the years between the shutdown of the space shuttles and the launch of Orion, the replacement spacecraft. Congress should support Sen. Barack Obama’s plan that calls for $2 billion in new funding for NASA to reinvigorate the U.S. commitment to space exploration. (9/2)

Russian Progress Module Undocks from ISS, Converted Into Space Lab (Source: RIA Novosti)
The Russian space freighter Progress M-64 has undocked from the International Space Station and has been turned into an orbital laboratory. The craft will be used for the the Plazma-Progress program to study engine characteristics. It is expected to work for at least two weeks before re-entering the atmosphere and being dropped into the Pacific Ocean. (9/2)

China to Launch Third Manned Space Flight in September (Source: Space Daily)
China has brought forward the launch date of its third manned space flight to late September. The launch of Shenzhou VII is now expected to take place between September 17 -- the end of the Beijing Paralympics -- and China's National Day on October 1, Hong Kong newspaper Wen Wei Po said. The period offered the best launch window for Shenzhou VII, the source told the Chinese-language newspaper, without giving any more details. The mission will blast off from China's Jiuquan launch center in northwest Gansu province and land in northern Inner Mongolia province, Wen Wei Po said. (9/2)

The Spacecraft and the Submarine (Source: Space Review)
Deep sea explorers are often dismissive or disparaging of space exploration. However, Dwayne Day explains how the two fields, which initially took different paths, are starting to look like, and influence, each other. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1202/1 to view the article. (9/2)

Alternatives for Human Space Access (Source: Space Review)
Geopolitical tensions have created concern that US astronauts may not be able to access the International Space Station after the shuttle is retired in 2010. Taylor Dinerman reviews the alternatives for getting people to and from the station, from commercial developments to extending the life of the shuttle. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1201/1 to view the article. (9/2)

On the Technical Study of USA 193's Fuel Tank Reentry (Source: Space Review)
Did the hydrazine fuel tank on the USA 193 spacecraft really pose a risk to people and property, as the US government claimed when it made the decision to intercept the satellite before reentry? Yousaf Butt discusses some newly-released studies that suggest that the tank would have broken up in the atmosphere harmlessly. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1200/1 to view the article. (9/2)

Market Romanticism and the Outlook for Private Space Development (Source: Space Review)
Many people have all but given up on governments to explore and develop space, putting their hopes instead on entrepreneurs. Nader Elhefnawy warns that this could be a bad strategy, given the risks and long wait for returns associated with space ventures. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1199/1 to view the article. (9/2)

A Real Ministry of Space (Source: Space Review)
The common perception of Britain when it comes to space is one of apathy. Andrew Weston argues that there is considerable public interest in space in the UK, waiting to be harnessed by the British government in the form of a coherent policy. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1198/1 to view the article. (9/2)

Securiguard Wins Security Contract for Cape Canaveral, Related Sites (Source: DOD)
Securiguard Inc. is being awarded a firm-fixed price contract for $95,382,517. The purpose of this contract is to provide a comprehensive security force to effectively execute and manage security operations on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) and its associated Florida Annexes (Jonathan Dickinson Missile Tracking Annex, Cocoa Beach Tracking Annex, Fort Pierce Microwave Relay Annex, Malabar Transmitter Annex, Melbourne Beach Optical Tracking Annex, Stuart Microwave Relay Annex, Port Canaveral Cable Terminal Annex, Wabasso Microwave Relay Annex). The contractor will be required to provide a fully trained, armed, and uniformed security force whose capability and quality meets Air Force standards. (8/30)