August 2005

Space Watch
Week of August 1 - August 5, 2005

Welcome to Space Watch. This is a weekly update compiled by The Eisenhower Institute of the most significant news items in civil, military and commercial space.

If you are interested in receiving a weekly email update version of Space Watch, please send an email to spacewatch@eisenhowerinstitute.org with the word "subscribe" in the subject line. Space Watch will be sent out every Friday.

 

Return to Space: Discovery

 

Astronauts Aiding Engineers to Prevent Another Columbia
During Discovery's first of three planned spacewalks, astronauts Stephen Robinson and Soichi Noguchi performed practice repairs on sample shuttle heat shields, broken by NASA prior to launch. NASA is hoping to prevent another Columbia disaster by allowing astronauts to practice repairs they would have to perform if damage was ever sustained by the craft. The spacewalk repair mission lasted seven hours in which Robinson and Noguchi used caulking guns and putty knives to patch cracked and gashed thermal tiles. The astronauts also took notes on the effectiveness of the sealants, a paint-type substance for the thermal tiles and a paste-type substance used on reinforced carbon panels. Engineers will use their notes to improve the quality of the repair substances and make them better suited for space environment.
(AP, http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/07/30/spacewalk.banter.ap/index.html, 7/30/05).

Oops... NASA Did It Again
On Sunday, July 30, the head of NASA announced that the agency had "goofed" when performing key safety checks on the space shuttle Discovery. It is still yet to be determined as to whether or not the shuttle can return safely to Earth. The damaged areas of Discovery still under analysis by NASA include the protective coverings on the nose and wing leading edges. The astronauts may or may not be asked to fix filler pieces hanging from the underside of the spacecraft. The fillers prevent hot gas from seeping between tiles on thermal protected surfaces. There had been worry last week that tiles had been damaged during the launch, but NASA has confirmed that all tiles are in tact. As a result of mounting problems and speculation surrounding falling debris, NASA decided last week to ground the entire shuttle fleet. Discovery, now docked at the International Space Station, will return a day later than originally scheduled in order to complete assignments that will be affected by that grounding of future missions. Close to 11 tons of waste and old equipment, accumulated during three years, will be removed from ISS and brought back to Earth in Discovery's cargo containers when Discovery returns on Monday, August 8th.
(Santini, Jean-Louis, AFP, Space Daily, http://www.spacedaily.com/news/shuttle-05zzzo.html, 8/01/05).

Russia Basks in Troubled Discovery Developments
While NASA attempts to solve problems with its space shuttle fleet, Russia is making sure it takes the time to adulate its Soyuz spacecraft for four decades of service. The accolades continued as a senior Russian space agency official offered the services of the Soyuz if the Discovery space shuttle crew needed to be rescued from space. The last fatalities suffered by a Russian manned space mission was in 1971 when three cosmonauts died during re-entry.
(AP, http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/08/01/russia.space.ap/index.html, 8/01/05).

Astronauts Repair ISS Gyroscope
During the second spacewalk of the Discovery mission, which took place on Monday, astronauts repaired a broken gyroscope aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The spacewalk astronauts, Soichi Noguchi and Stephen Robinson replaced one of the four control movement gyroscopes (CMG). The CMGs are used to adjust the position of ISS in space. Only two CMG's are needed to allow ISS to run normally, but in the future, all four will be needed to accommodate for expansion of the station. One of the gyroscopes broke in 2002 and the second backup gyroscope stopped working following a circuit breaker failure in 2004 and again in March 2005. During the Saturday spacewalk, Robinson was able to prevent future failure due to circuit breaker failure by rerouting the power lines. The entire spacewalk mission lasted seven hours and fourteen minutes.
(Malik, Tariq, Space.com, http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/050801_sts114_eva2.html, 8/01/05).

Unprecedented Spacewalk to Save Discovery
In order to repair fillers located beneath the space shuttle Discovery, NASA has authorized its first in-flight repair. In what NASA believes will prevent another disaster, such as the Columbia explosion, astronaut Stephen Robinson will embark on what could be a seven hour mission. Robinson and Soichi Noguchi, the Japanese astronaut aboard Discovery, will first install a tool platform on the International Space Station before the spacewalk turns into NASA's repair mission. The space station's fifty-foot robotic arm will maneuver Robinson towards the underbelly of the shuttle where he will cut away or gently pull out the excess filler protruding from between the thermal tiles. The astronaut and crew must be vigilant in order to keep Robinson in a position where his hands can reach the shuttle to make the repairs without his helmet or feet causing any additional damage to the shuttle.
(AP, http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/08/02/space.shuttle.ap/index.html, 8/02/05).

Unprecedented Repair Goes Off Without A Hitch
Wednesday's spacewalk concluded NASA's first ever in-flight repair. Astronaut Stephen Robinson removed gap filler from between thermal tiles located on the underside of the shuttle. The filler was sticking out from between tiles in two different locations and NASA feared that the overhanging objects could cause overheating during the shuttle's re-entry phase. Robinson was prepared to use forceps and a makeshift hacksaw, but neither was necessary as he was able to easily pull the filler out from both locations.
(CNN, http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8813311/, 8/03/05).

Second Repair Contemplated for Space Shuttle Discovery
After successfully completing the first ever in-flight space repair yesterday, NASA is considering making a second repair to Discovery. The concern this time surrounds a thermal blanket located beneath a cockpit window. The damaged blanket could potentially rip off the craft and collide with another part of the orbiter during re-entry. In order to further investigate the problem, NASA has tested samples of the thermal blanket in wind tunnels at the Ames Research Center in California. NASA officials are expected to make a final decision on the possible repair by late Thursday.
(CNN, http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/08/04/space.shuttle/index.html, 8/04/05).

Astronauts Urge Environmental Safety
During a conference with the Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Commander Eileen Collins commented on the astronauts' ability to view environmental damage from space. She said, "sometimes you can see how there is erosion, and you can see how there is deforestation. It's very widespread in some parts of the world." Collins also noted that, from space, the atmosphere looks as though it could use more protection.
(Reuters, http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/08/04/shuttle.earth.environment.reut/index.html, 8/04/05).

 

 

Civil Space

 

Claims of A Tenth Planet Spark Debate
Nine billion miles away there could be a tenth planet in our solar system. While the object has not yet been officially classified as a planet by the International Astronomical Union, the pursuit of its title as a "planet" has created controversy. Some astronomers believe that this object is nothing but a mere Kuiper object, or piece of icy debris in the outer edges of the solar system. The object is larger than Pluto, leading astronomers in support of the classification of the object as a planet to argue "if Pluto is a planet, it seems reasonable that something that's bigger than Pluto, and farther away than Pluto should be called a planet too." The same astronomers who believe that this object is not a planet also believe that Pluto has been misclassified as a planet.
(CNN, http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/07/30/new.planet/index.html, 7/31/05).

Supernova Recorded By Hubble
The Hubble Space Telescope has taken images to reveal a supernova in the Whirlpool galaxy. While supernovas occur about every second in space, the remarkable aspect of this recording is that scientists were able to identify the star before and after it exploded. This is only the sixth time in which scientists have been able to do so. Hubble documented the supernova on July 11th and the star was identified from a Hubble archive photo taken in January. The progenitor star was a red supergiant with a mass that dwarfed the Sun by about seven to ten times. The events of the supernova coincide with current scientific theory that states supernova explosions are caused by these massed red supergiants. This particular explosion was classified as a "Type II plateau" and the evidence gathered from it allows scientists to reinforce the theory that Type II plateaus are the result of the low-mass end of massive stars.
(Space.com, CNN, http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/08/01/supernova/index.html, 8/01/05).

Whatever Happens to Space Junk?
When the space shuttle Discovery entered Earth's orbit last week, it was not only facing impact danger from its own debris, but also space debris. With space shuttle crews too busy to monitor surrounding space junk, it is the job of the 1st Space Control Squadron of the US Air Force Space Command to catalogue and track all debris to ensure there will not be a collision with Discovery. The squadron traces all manmade objects in Earth's orbit, larger than 10 centimeters. Of the 13,400 objects currently being tracked, 8,800 have been identified to their specific launch. The rest still await identification. Carefully observing all space debris allows the squadron to provide NASA with "collision avoidance analysis," by making NASA aware of any objects that enter a 10x10x40 kilometer space around the shuttle. If an item were to enter the shuttle's surrounding space, NASA would then determine if a change in the shuttle's flight path was warranted. Since the squadron began providing NASA with its collision avoidance analysis in 1981, NASA has authorized 12 shuttle course changes. The squadron also provides its service to the International Space Station, which has changed course six times after reviewing its collision avoidance analysis.
(Wood, Douglas S., CNN, http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/08/02/space.junk/index.html, 8/02/05).

Another Man on the Moon
Plans have been made for the US to send four astronauts to the Moon by 2018. A mission to the Moon would serve as a forerunner to NASA's hopeful mission to Mars. The Moon expedition anticipates possible "lunar outposts, complete with living quarters and a power plant."
(AFP, http://ww.spacedaily.com/news/lunar-05zi.html, 8/02/05).

Russia Investigates Meteorite Crash Site for A Fourth Time
Russian scientists will once again investigate the crash site of a September 2002 meteorite, which struck near the Vitim River in eastern Siberia. This will be the fourth research expedition conducted by scientists to this site. During the previous three expeditions, scientists were only able to recover cosmic dust. This time, however, they are hoping to uncover information vital to understanding the cosmic impact threat using seismic wave data recorded at the time of the impact by local monitoring stations.
(Batalin, Alexander, RIA Novosti, http://en.rian.ru/science/20050801/41067182.html, 8/02/05).

Fleeting Detection of Liquid On Titan
Data from the Keck II telescope in Hawaii is reducing hopes of finding liquid pools on the surface of the Saturn moon, Titan. Images sent back to Earth via the Cassini spacecraft led scientists to suggest that liquid features may exist on the surface of Titan and radar studies hinted at pools of methane. New data reveals the flat, pool-like surfaces are probably dry. Images, radar, and infrared data have led scientists in different directions over the moon's surface qualities, but they may not be entirely wrong on the liquid. While scientists cannot determine a liquid substance existing now, the liquid could have frozen or evaporated in the past.
(BBC News, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4745009.stm, 8/04/05).

 

 

Commercial

 

Workers Worry About Layoffs Amid Foam Malfunction
Workers at the Michoud Assembly Facility, the plant where NASA's infamous foam is manufactured, worry that the problems caused by foam debris could put their jobs at risk. After the space shuttle challenger disaster in 1986, hundreds of workers were given pink slips, and following the space shuttle Columbia explosion in 2003, 65 workers were laid off. Employees wonder if the same thing might happen following NASA's suspension of the space shuttle program. Dwaine Payne commented, "I'm very concerned. If they ground the shuttle program, we're going to lose a lot of people over this." Lockheed Martin, contracted by NASA, employs most of the workers at the foam plant.
(AP, http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/07/28/shuttle.layoffs.ap/index.html, 7/28/05).

 

 

Op-Ed

 

Opinion: "All progress involves risk."
In an opinion piece in the New York Times, Eugene Kranz writes; "risk is essential to renew American's fundamental spirit of discovery so we remain competitive with the rest of the world." During last week's launch of Discovery, mission managers said that when compared to any past launch, this launch had 80 percent less foam break away from the external tank. Kranz notes, "Only in the news media, apparently, is an 80 percent improvement considered a failure." He goes on to write of his more than thirty years working for the space program and the risks taken to set the foundation for today's modern space shuttle program. Risk is inherent with progress, and Kranz grants praise to NASA's professionals who are working to reduce risk and at the same time push the envelope to set new standards in the global exploration of space. With the announcement of the space shuttle program being retired in the near future, he asks, "Does the ‘quit now' crowd really believe that abandoning the shuttle and International Space Station is the way to keep America the pre-eminent space-faring nation?" Kranz does not believe so and wants to remind us that new discovery will not come without risk.
(Kranz, Eugene F., New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/03/opinion/03kranz.html, 8/03/05).

 

Oddly Enough

 

Name That Planet...Anything But "XENA"
Readers of Britain's New Scientist magazine are being asked to help name what could become the solar system's 10th planet. The planet, which has yet to be officially recognized as a planet by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), is temporarily being called 2003 UB313. US astronomer Mike Brown, of the California Institute for Technology, led the group who announced their discovery of the planet last week and has been informally referring to the 2003 UB313 as "Xena," from the TV show "Xena: Warrior Princess." Brown, commenting on the name "Xena" stated that the name was "never intended for public consumption." The IAU has several rules for naming new planets, some of which include: names should be pronounceable, non-offensive, no more than 16 characters, non-commercial, and preferably not in reference to a pet.
(AFP, http://www.spacedaily.com/2005/050802153054.3eb77bsx.html, 8/02/05).

 

 

Credits

Compiled by Mary Holloway
Edited by Chad Kreikemeier

 

Space Watch
Week of August 8 - August 12, 2005

Welcome to Space Watch. This is a weekly update compiled by The Eisenhower Institute of the most significant news items in civil, military and commercial space.

If you are interested in receiving a weekly email update version of Space Watch, please send an email to spacewatch@eisenhowerinstitute.org with the word "subscribe" in the subject line. Space Watch will be sent out every Friday.

 

Return to Space: Discovery

 

NASA Delays Discovery Landing for 24 Hours
Mission control had delayed Discovery's return to Earth after reviewing Monday morning's weather conditions. Although conditions were within NASA's safety limits, the delay was authorized nonetheless. The next possible landing is scheduled for Tuesday morning at 5:07am. In case of continued foul weather at the Florida landing site, alternative sites, including Edwards Air Force Base in California and White Sands in New Mexico, have been reviewed.
(Patterson, Thom, CNN, http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/08/08/space.shuttle/index.html, 8/08/05).

Mission Complete
After Monday's landing was delayed, space shuttle Discovery successfully returned to Earth Tuesday at 5:11am PT at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The initial delay had been triggered by ominous weather in Florida, where the primary landing site is located at the Kennedy Space Center. NASA authorized the landing at the secondary site due to stormy weather still surrounding the landing site in Florida. This was the 50th space shuttle landing at Edwards Air Force Base. Space shuttle Discovery will be returned to the Kennedy Space Center on the back of a specially designed airplane after a 10-day waiting period.
(Patterson, Thom, CNN, http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/08/09/space.shuttle/index.html, 8/10/05).

Atlantis Unlikely to Launch in September
NASA shuttle managers have stated publicly that they believe a September launch for the shuttle Atlantis is highly unlikely. They cite the continuing investigation into the foam shedding problem that is currently plaguing the shuttle mission engineers. Atlantis had been scheduled to launch no later than September 22nd. The external tank may require a slight redesign in order to solve the problem that has afflicted the last two shuttle launches. If no launch occurs in September, the next available launch window is from November 7th to the 10th. That window will be the last available launch window in 2005.
(Harwood, William. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts114/050811foam/, 8/12/05).

 

 

 

Civil Space

 

NASA Brings Down Former Space Race Launch Tower
On Saturday, August 6th, NASA used 171 pounds of explosives to bring down its "Complex 13" tower. During the moon race in the 1960s, the 179-foot tower was used for rocket launches to send unmanned Lunar Orbit missions to the moon. These missions mapped 99% of the moon's surface in preparation for the Apollo moon landing. The tower has stood erect since 1963 and was last used to launch a Department of Defense rocket on April 6, 1978. In recent the years, the tower had begun to shed contaminated paint chips and chunks of metal, necessitating its demolition.
(AP, http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/08/08/atlas.tower.ap/index.html, 8/08/05).

Mars Orbiter Set to Launch
NASA plans to launch its fourth Mars orbiter on Wednesday from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will scope the surface of the Red Planet to record possible landing sites for Mars rovers launched in the next ten years. While three crafts are currently circling Mars, the mission of this launch is to search for "evidence of water and other signs that the planet could once have hosted life." The camera installed on the orbiter will deliver the sharpest images to date, allowing scientists to view more of Mars at a higher resolution. Currently, only 2% of the Red Planet has been viewed at high resolution. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will reach Mars by March of 2006.
(AP, http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/08/09/mars.orbiter.ap/index.html, 8/09/05).

Meteors and Early Life
While meteors striking Earth have long been associated with causing the extinction of the dinosaurs, new research may provide exculpatory evidence to exonerate meteors. Geologists in Canada's Nunavut Territory, studying the Haughton crater, released a report on Monday proposing that meteors may actually have contributed to life on Earth. At the Haughton site, evidence shows that the impact created hydrothermal springs in the cracked ground making it easier for microbes to survive. Gordon Osinski, of the Canadian Space Agency, commented, "The impact sites are actually more favorable than the surrounding terrain," when it comes to fostering life.
(Reuters, http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/08/09/meteors.reut/index.html, 8/09/05).

Topex/Poseidon Still Going Strong
Launched on August 10, 1992, the Topex/Poseidon spacecraft is still reporting valuable data back to Earth. Operating as a joint NASA/French Space Agency effort, the craft measures the heights of the world's oceans (within 4 centimeters). The fourteen year-old craft has given scientists invaluable data to research "ocean circulation, seasonal cycles, year-to-year global climate events, and decade-long changes in global mean sea level." After the predecessor craft, Jason, was launched in 2001, scientists kept Topex/Poseidon in commission and now they receive data from twice the coverage area.
(SPX, Space Daily, http://www.spacedaily.com/news/pacific-05c.html, 8/10/05).

Second Delay for NASA's Mars Probe
For the second day in a row, NASA has scrubbed the launch of its $500 million Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). The orbiter, originally set to launch on Wednesday was first delayed to Thursday and now the launch will be set for Friday. Just minutes before scheduled liftoff, NASA made the postponement. While loading a hydrogen fuel tank, sensors on the tank read "dry" when they should have read "wet." NASA officials stated they would continue to troubleshoot the problem before Friday's launch attempt.
(BBC, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4134300.stm, 8/11/05).

After Delays, NASA Mars Probe Launched Without Problem
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter finally lifted off today on board an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral. The launch went flawlessly after several delays pushed back the launch date throughout the week. The $720 million mission will provide NASA with knowledge of the history of ice on Mars. The Orbiter is equipped with the largest telescopic camera ever sent to another planet. It will also serve as a communications messenger between the explorers currently on Mars' surface and Earth. The MRO is expected to reach Mars in March, 2006.
(MSNBC, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8907350/, 8/12/05).

 

 

Commercial

 

Boeing/Lockheed Martin Launch Joint Venture Cleared by EU
"The European Union's executive commission said Tuesday that it has cleared a joint venture in space launch services between US defense contractors Lockheed Martin and Boeing. The commission, which polices competition issues in the EU, said the creation of the partnership - named the United Launch Alliance - would not "significantly impede competition" in the 25-nation block.
(AFP, Space Daily, http://www.spacedaily.com/news/industry-05zf.html, 8/09/05).

Space Business Booming
On Tuesday, the International Space Business Council (ISBC) released its annual report titled, "State of the Space Industry," and the numbers are looking good. The report states that, "now is a good time to be involved in the space and satellite industry." All aspects of space industry are growing. Military, civil government, and commercial industries are proving to offer numerous new opportunities. Among the statistics cited in the report, the total turnover generated from commercial services and government programs reached $103 billion in 2004 and are expected to surpass $158 billion by 2010. Scott Sacknoff, President of ISBC, commented on the growth of the industry, "With the diversity of the sector ranging from Wal-Mart's IT network to NASA Mars mission to the military's hunt for Al Qaeda, the size of the industry should not be a surprise."
(SPX, Space Daily, http://www.spacedaily.com/news/industry-05zg.html, 8/10/05).

Heaviest Commercial Satellite Launched
From the European Space Agency's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, the world's heaviest commercial satellite was launched on Thursday. The craft is a Thiacom 4 (Ipstar) and was launched by an Ariane 5-Generic rocket. The satellite is operated by Thailand's Shin Satellite and will provide net access across the Asia-Pacific region. The launch puts the satellite into Geostationary Transfer Orbit and will have a life expectancy of 12 years. The successful launch is evidence of the growing commercial satellite industry, which has expanded due to greater demand for satellite radio, satellite TV, as well as Global Positioning Satellite systems and services.
(BBC, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4142088.stm, 8/11/05).

Another Opportunity for Aspiring Space Tourists
The Arlington, Virginia based Space Adventures announced on Wednesday that it would be offering a $100 million space trip around the moon for two passengers. The firm has made the space travel deal with Russian space officials and passengers will be taken to space in a Russian Soyuz rocket. The trip will last anywhere from ten to twenty-one days, depending on whether or not the itinerary will also include a stop at the International Space Station. The research department at Space Adventures says that at least 500 to 1,000 people around the world are capable of affording this vacation package.
(BBC, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4139188.stm, 8/11/05).

 

 

 

Op-Ed

 

Op-Ed: "The Shuttle Returns Safely"
In a New York Times editorial, NASA is congratulated for returning the space shuttle Discovery safely to Earth, but criticized for taking two and a half years to not fix the foam problem. As the article lists all of Discovery's accomplishments during its two-week mission, it ends with a concern. The article states, "Successful as it was, this flight and the visible uncertainties of its managers left the unsettling impression that there is a lot NASA doesn't know about the performance of the spacecraft it has relied on for the past quarter-century."
(Editorial, New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/10/opinion/10wed1.html?, 8/10/05).

 

Oddly Enough

 

Violent Shooting or Space Shuttle Landing?
Two sheriff's offices in Antelope Valley, just north of Los Angeles, were inundated with phone calls early Tuesday morning to report a shooting. When the offices looked into the calls it was discovered that no shooting had taken place and that residents had mistook the sonic boom of Discovery returning to Earth as gunfire. Due to inclement weather, NASA switched space shuttle Discovery's landing site a couple of hours before its 5am scheduled reentry. The landing was moved from Florida's Kennedy Space Center to California's Edwards Air Force Base. The switch was unknown by many Californians as it had been made in the middle of the night.
(AFP, Space Daily, http://www.spacedaily.com/2005/050809192622.op9ntxju.html, 8/09/05).

 

Credits

Compiled by Mary Holloway
Edited by Chad Kreikemeier

 

Space Watch
Week of August 15- August 19, 2005

Welcome to Space Watch. This is a weekly update compiled by The Eisenhower Institute of the most significant news items in civil, military and commercial space.

If you are interested in receiving a weekly email update version of Space Watch, please send an email to spacewatch@eisenhowerinstitute.org with the word "subscribe" in the subject line. Space Watch will be sent out every Friday.

 

Civil Space

 

ESA in Talks to Design Russian Clipper Cockpit
The European Space Agency (ESA) is negotiating with Energia, the Russian Rocket and Space Corporation, about the possibility of ESA designing the cockpit of the Clipper, the next-generation Russian spacecraft. The Clipper is a joint project of Russia's aviation and space rocket industries, and will be designed to carry a 6 person crew. The spacecraft is being designed to orbit the Earth, reach the International Space Station, and fly to the Moon. The decision will not be final until the council of ESA member states meets at the end of 2005.
(http://en.rian.ru/business/20050816/41164615.html, 8/16/05)

Jules Verne Cargo Spacecraft Set to Debut in 2006
The European Space Agency has announced that the new European unmanned cargo spacecraft will be ready for its first launch in early 2006. The date, however, is highly dependent on NASA's uncertain launch schedule.
(http://en.rian.ru/science/20050816/41166463.html, 8/16/05)

Krikalev Sets New Space Record
Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev, currently onboard the International Space Station (ISS), has surpassed fellow cosmonaut Sergei Avdeyev for the record of most days in space. The record was broken on Tuesday, as Krikalev clocked in at 748 days over his twenty years as a cosmonaut. He has spent time on the previous Russian space station, Mir, the ISS, the Russian Soyuz spacecraft and the US Shuttle. He is scheduled to remain onboard the ISS until October 2005.
(Reuters, http://today.reuters.com/news/-DC.XML, 8/16/05)

China Plans Unmanned Moon Mission for 2007
China is planning three stages of unmanned lunar missions, beginning in 2007 with the launch of Chang'e-1 to orbit the Moon for nearly a year and collect information on the Moon's surface for mapping and mineral content studies. The second and third stages will involve an unmanned lunar vehicle deployed on the Moon in 2012 and another vehicle to land in 2017 that will return to Earth with Moon rocks. The goal of the three-stage mission is to ultimately help China plan for a manned lunar landing.
(http://www.spacedaily.com/news/lunar-05zk.html, 8/17/05)

Russia Schedules First Flight of New Clipper Spacecraft for 2011
Russia has decided the first unmanned flight test for its new Clipper space shuttle will be in 2011, with the first manned flight to be in 2012. Intended as a replacement for the Russian Soyuz, the Clipper is being designed to reach the ISS carrying a 6 person crew. While docked, the Clipper could potentially double or triple the station's capacity.
(UPI, http://www.spacedaily.com/news/rocketscience-05zz.html, 8/18/05)

Task Force Minority Report Accuses NASA of Compromising Safety
A subsection of the Stafford-Covey Task Force, put together to verify that the Columbia Accident Investigation Board's recommendations on increasing shuttle safety had been implemented, issued a scathing minority report on Wednesday. In the report, 7 of the 25 voting members of the task force accused NASA of compromising the safety of the shuttle and the crew to allow for the scheduled return to flight. According to the report, NASA managers "lack the crucial ability to accurately evaluate how much or how little risk is associated with their decisions, particularly decisions to sidestep or abbreviate any given procedure or process." A spokesman for NASA responded to the report, saying that the issues raised in the report have been acknowledged and are being addressed in part through the current management shakeup.
(John Schwartz, http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/18/science/18shuttle.html, 8/18/05)

No More Shuttle Launches This Year
NASA managers announced this week that, due to the complexities of fixing the external tank foam shedding problem, there will be no space shuttle launches until at least March of 2006. Bill Gerstenmaier, the new head of space operations at NASA headquarters explained that pushing back the launch to March was inevitable due to physical and NASA-imposed restrictions. NASA has required that the next shuttle launch in daylight so that they are able to photograph the trouble areas during launch. Because of this, there were only two windows available this year: in late September or early November. Although there is another window in January, Gerstenmaier believes the following March window is the most likely.
(William Harwood, http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts121/050818delay/, 8/18/05)

ISS Spacewalk Ends Early
The two residents of the International Space Station made a 4 hour, 58 minute trip outside the station to accomplish a number of tasks. Originally slated to be a 6 hour spacewalk, the two men were ordered back inside early because the last task would have taken two hours, when they only had a little over an hour of consumables left on them. The two men retrieved radiation experiments from the exterior of the Zvezda service module and installed a backup video camera. This latest spacewalk was the eighth extravehicular activity (EVA) for cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev and the first for astronaut John Phillips.
(Tariq Malik, http://space.com/missionlaunches/050818_exp11_eva1.html, 8/18/05)

 

Commercial

 

U.S. Consents to Virgin Galactic -Scaled Composites Partnership
The U.S. Department of State's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) has decided to permit the sharing of advanced space technologies between Scaled Composites of Mojave, CA and Virgin Galactic of the United Kingdom. The two companies plan to collaborate on building a fleet of passenger-carrying suborbital spaceliners. Scaled Composites had requested a Technical Assistance Agreement from the DDTC so it can "export" technical information to Virgin Galactic, the foreign entity. Now that the green-light has been granted, Virgin Galactic and Scaled Composites can begin development of SpaceShipTwo, the next generation of SpaceShipOne, winner of last year's Ansari X Prize.
(Leonard David, http://www.space.com/news/050815_virgingalactic_itar.html, 8/15/05)

Europeans and Russians Enhance Space Launch Alliance
Starsem, an enterprise made up of the European launch company, Arianespace; its parent company, EADS; Roskosmos, the Russian Space Agency; and Russia's Samara space center, launched Galaxy-14, a two-ton US telecommunications satellite on a Soyuz rocket from Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome on Sunday. Starsem was created in 1996 and holds exclusive rights to international operations for Soyuz rockets. By 2008, Starsem will be able to launch Soyuz rockets from the Arianespace launch site in Kourou, French Guiana. Closer to the equator than Baikonur, it is a better location for placing satellites into geostationary orbit. The new arrangement will allow the joint enterprise to offer more availability than its competitor, International Launch Services.
(Emmanuel Angleys, http://www.spacedaily.com/news/industry-05zh.html, 8/15/05)

US and Russia Plan Joint Commercial Trip to the Moon
Space Adventures, a US company, has signed a memorandum of intent with the Russian Space Agency, to jointly plan commercial trips to the Moon. The two organizations plan to offer those who can afford it a trip around the Moon in a Soyuz spacecraft. The US company is to be in charge of marketing and selection of passengers and investors, while Russia will take charge of the technical aspects of the project.
(http://en.rian.ru/science/20050816/41165339.html, 816/05)

 

Military

 

New Director of National Intelligence Reviews Spy Satellite Programs
One of the first major decisions of the new National Intelligence Director, John Negroponte, is whether or not to proceed with two controversial spy satellite programs. The systems under review are a contentious and over-budget program to develop a fleet of stealth satellites and also the over-budget development of the next generation of non-stealth spy satellites known as Future Imagery Architecture. The House and Senate have objected to both these programs in the past both due to the out-of-control costs and their ineffectiveness against new adversaries such as terrorist networks.
(Walter Pincus, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-.html, 8/16/05)

 

 

Op-Ed

 

Op-Ed: Space Weapons Unlikely to Lead to US Space Dominance
In this opinion piece Giuseppe Anzera argues that US moves toward space weaponization, which seem inevitable, will end up creating more difficulties for the United States. He argues that although the US will start out with a period of space dominance after deploying space weapons, other states will inevitably catch up by deploying unsophisticated weapons that the US will find nearly impossible to defend against. This would eventually lead to the eventual destruction of what the US seeks to gain by weaponizing space - its own unfettered use of and access to space.
Giuseppe Anzera, http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/GH18Aa01.html, 8/18/05)

Op-Ed: Retire the Shuttle Fleet ASAP
The New York Times Editorial Page believes that the latest report from the Columbia Task Force and the inability of the NASA engineers to control the foam shedding during liftoff necessitate a hard look by the administration at how long the shuttles should keep flying. They argue that the shuttles should be retired quickly, both because they seem ever more dangerous, and they consume resources that could be used toward newer and more innovative space enterprises.
(http://nytimes.com/2005/08/19/opinion/19fri1.html, 8/19/05)

 

 

Oddly Enough

 

Podcast Is Out of this World
Mission Specialist Steve Robinson has become the first person to send a podcast from space. He recorded a message on the last day of Discovery's mission and discussed his thoughts on his successful spacewalk to remove two pieces of gap filler from Discovery's belly. "That was, I would have to say, the most fantastic experience of my life," Robinson commented. The message is available for download from NASA's website (follow the link below).
(Iain Thomson, http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2141204/first-podcast-received-space, 8/16/05)
PODCAST LINK: http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/crew/robinson_podcast.html

 

 

Credits

Compiled and Edited by Suzy Vogel

 

Space Watch
Week of August 22 - August 26, 2005

Welcome to Space Watch. This is a weekly update compiled by The Eisenhower Institute of the most significant news items in civil, military and commercial space.

If you are interested in receiving a weekly email update version of Space Watch, please send an email to spacewatch@eisenhowerinstitute.org with the word "subscribe" in the subject line. Space Watch will be sent out every Friday.

 

Civil Space

 

Russia Sets Price for US to Buy Soyuz Spacecraft
In the face of another long delay in shuttle launches, Russia has told NASA it will sell the US a Soyuz spacecraft, and a Russian cosmonaut as commander, for $65 million. Russia's commitments to deliver astronauts and goods to the International Space Station is set to expire in Spring 2006, and, without a Shuttle launch, the US will be unable to fulfill its commitment to the ISS partnership. If the US does not purchase a Soyuz, which it currently cannot under the Iran Nonproliferation Act, or launch a shuttle, Russia will stop ferrying US astronauts to the ISS in April 2006 and sell the seat to a space tourist or the European Space Agency.
(http://www.spacedaily.com/news/iss-05zzzp.html, 8/19/05)

New System to Monitor Space Weather Successfully Tested
The Advanced Modular Incoherent Scatter Radar (AMISR) system was field tested successfully earlier this month, taking scientists closer than ever to developing technology that can accurately measure space weather conditions. Space weather is the term used to describe conditions in space that can have an effect on Earth such as solar flares and disturbances in Earth's and interplanetary magnetic fields. Unlike previous space radar systems, AMISR can view multiple directions at once and can change directions almost instantaneously.
(Missy Frederick, http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/050822_business_monday.html, 8/22/05)

Russia Looks Forward to Greater Space Cooperation with China
At Moscow's International Air Show, Russian Federal Space Agency chief, Anatoly Perminov, told China's Xinhua newspaper that he hopes for greater cooperation in space with China. He commented that if China wishes to participate in the development of the Clipper shuttle, Russia will consider it. Earlier in the week, Perminov invited Yang Liwei, China's first taikonaut, to fly to the Moon onboard the Clipper shuttle.
(http://www.spacedaily.com/news/china-05zzzzzzg.html, 8/23/05)

Japanese Satellites Launched by Russian Missile
Two Japanese satellites were launched atop a converted SS-18 ballistic missile from Baikonur Cosmodrome. It was the fifth time the SS-18, renamed Dnepr for its use as a commercial launch vehicle, has been used for this purpose. The converted missiles are marketed by the Kosmotras corporation for launch of small and medium size satellites to low Earth orbit.
(Stephen Clark, http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0508/23oicets/, 8/23/05)

Russians Use RS-20 ICBM as Launcher
Russia's RS-20 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was used to launch a spacecraft into orbit from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome. This model of ICBM has been in use by the Russian military for over 25 years, and demonstrated the reliability of the RS-20 and the feasibility of the military continuing to use it.
(http://en.rian.ru/russia/20050824/41215682.html, 8/24/05)

 

 

Commercial

 

Satellite Business Expected to Boom in Coming Years, Especially in U.S.
According to a recently released report by Forecast International entitled "Commercial Communications Satellites: 20005-2014," the commercial communication satellite market is expected to top $25.4 billion over the next 10 years. They also anticipate that the market will strongly rebound over the next few years, fueled by government reliance on commercial companies and an increase in applicable technologies used by consumers.
(http://www.spacedaily.com/news/industry-05zk.html, 8/23/05)

 

Military

 

Russia Reiterates Opposition to Space Weapons
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov repeated the Russian position on space weaponization to reporters last Tuesday. "We've categorically opposed and will continue to oppose the deployment of armaments in space," Ivanov said. He added that, should weaponization occur, the Russian Federation would certainly respond.
(http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=2342912&PageNum=3, 8/23/05)

Australia Gains Access to SBIRS Data
The U.S. has been given access to information about the development of the Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS), to which Australia has contributed over $200,000 annually since 1996 for research and development. In addition to being a park of the U.S. missile defense program, it will also give advance warning of missile attacks on Australia.
(Australian AP, http://www.nti.org/d_newswire/issues/2005_8_24.html#83816899, 8/23/05)

Missile Defense Agency Chief Expresses Support for Space-Based NMD Layer
General Henry "Trey" Obering, head of the Department of Defense's Missile Defense Agency, conveyed his support for the development of space-based interceptors as a necessary part of the national missile defense system at the annual Space and Missile Defense Conference. As evidence for its necessity he remarked, "A Chinese general said a couple of weeks ago that [in the future] there will not be such a thing as a limited regional war...We have to move away from reliance on fixed-site interceptors and sensors." He also observed that such a move is likely to provoke opposition, stating, "...there's a lot of religious feelings about that. We need to start the debate."
(Martin Sieff, UPI, http://www.spacewar.com/news/abm-05g.html, 8/25/05)

 

 

 

Credits

Compiled and Edited by Suzy Vogel

 

Space Watch
Week of August 29 - September 2, 2005

Welcome to Space Watch. This is a weekly update compiled by The Eisenhower Institute of the most significant news items in civil, military and commercial space.

If you are interested in receiving a weekly email update version of Space Watch, please send an email to spacewatch@eisenhowerinstitute.org with the word "subscribe" in the subject line. Space Watch will be sent out every Friday.

 

Civil Space

 

Asteroid's Path Frightens Some Officials
Scientists are starting to debate whether or not Apophis, a 1,000 foot wide asteroid will hit the earth in 2029 or 2036. The chances of the asteroid hitting earth are approximately 1 in 8,000, but the asteroid's trajectory could be affected by its 2029 expected passing through what astronomer's call a "keyhole." If the asteroid's trajectory is skewed even a little bit, it could strike earth on its second pass in 2036. To stop this from happening, scientists suggest that a program like NASA's recent Deep Impact mission might be capable of deflecting the oncoming asteroid. If it were to hit, its impact would be felt from Japan to the Caribbean and would create a 2 mile wide crater and a possible tsunami.
(Vergano, Dan.http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2005-08-28-asteroid-impact_x.htm, 8/28/05).

NASA To Scratch Deorbit Module for Hubble
According to reports, NASA is close to a final decision on the Hubble Space Telescope. The final decision rests with NASA Administrator Mike Griffin. According to sources, the special deorbit module would likely be deleted from NASA's plans for the mission. The Hubble is the size of a school bus, and NASA regulations do not allow the satellite to re-enter Earth completely on its own. The Hubble is not likely to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere until 2020, so there is plenty of time to make a final decision. Deleting the deorbit module does not eliminate the need for a controlled deorbit, and Griffin is not expected to make a decision until the second successful shuttle launch.
(Berger, http://space.com/spacenews/businessmonday_050829.html, 8/29/05).

China Launches Science Satellite, Again
For the second time in a month, China has launched a recoverable satellite on the same day as a similar one returned. The FSW 22 satellite was successfully launched into low-earth orbit onboard a Long March 2D rocket from northwestern China on Monday. The FSW 21, a similar satellite launched on August 2nd, had just returned earlier in the day. Chinese officials have described the function of the satellites as carrying out remote sensing and other scientific experiments. The launch was not publicly announced prior to its take-off.
(CRI Online, http://en1.chinabroadcast.cn/2238/2005-8-29/51@268832.htm, 8/30/05).

Japan to Develop New, Improved Rocket
In light of its troubled H-2A rocket booster, Japan is reportedly planning on developing a new rocket which will be capable of carrying double the payload of the H-2A. The new rocket will be called the H-2B and will hopefully be launched in 2008 with a payload of nearly 8 tons. The H-2B will have two engines instead of the H-2A's one and will mainly be responsible for launching the H-2 Transfer Vehicle to the International Space Station without the help of the US space shuttle. The HTV will carry food, clothes, and scientific equipment to the station.
(Yahoo News, http://news.yahoo.com;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl, 8/30/05).

Hot Spot on Saturn's Moon Stumps Scientists
According to scientists, there is a hot spot on Enceladus, one of Saturn's moons, that simply should not be there. The spot is reportedly on the south pole of the moon, which is highly unusual because the hottest part of most planets or moons is on the equator. The finding suggests that the heat is coming from within, but scientists have no explanation of how that could be. "It's like flying past Antarctica and finding that it's warmer than the earth's equatorial regions. It's that strange," says John Spencer, one of the scientists on the project.
(Long, Gideon. http://today.reuters.com/news/-DC.XML, 8/30/05).

NASA Facilities Damaged by Katrina
Hurricane Katrina has reportedly caused modest damage to two NASA facilities near New Orleans. The damage could actually affect the next shuttle mission. The shuttle's external tanks are assembled at these facilities, and considering that the workforce could be months away from full operations, the damage might affect the anticipated March, 2006 launch of the next mission. NASA officials have said that it is too soon to speculate about the impact of the hurricane damage.
(Carreau, Mark. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/space/3332158, 8/31/05).

Program ‘Trains' Tourists as Astronauts
The American Museum of Natural History is offering a travel program that allows you to do almost everything needed to become an astronaut, except actually being launched into space. The program is a two-week ‘Earth Orbit' immersion which ‘trains' 15 space tourists to be astronauts. For $30,000 a person, the tourist gets to work side by side with Russian and American astronauts, visit three space centers in the US, experience a zero-gravity flight for up to five minutes, and take a ride on the world's largest centrifuge. The program culminates with a trip to Moscow's Russia Star City, a space facility only recently opened to non-military personnel.
(Butler, Sana. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9108642/site/newsweek/, 9/2/05).

 

 

 

Commercial

 

Intelsat to Acquire Rival Satellite Operator PanAmSat
Intelsat is reportedly set to acquire their rival satellite operator, PanAmSat. The agreement was reached this week and comes at a price tag of $3.2 billion. According to the terms of the agreement, Intelsat will pay $25/share for PanAmSat and will assume an additional $3.2 billion in debt from the communications satellite company. The deal is expected to close in six to twelve months.
(Noguchi, Yuki. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/28/AR2005082801185.html, 8/28/05).

 

Military

 

Air Force Chief of Staff Pushes for Near Space Systems
In an interview in this week's Space News, Air Force Chief of Staff, General John Jumper, explained his hope that the US military continues to expand the use of near space systems (those that operate at about 20,000 kilometers) for its communications and intelligence needs. Near space systems are generally much lighter and much less susceptible to enemy fire than aerial reconnaissance assets. A near earth system is also capable of hovering over its target for longer periods of time. Set to retire from the service on September 2nd, Jumper also indicated that he doesn't see the need to use near space for strike missions. Citing the fact that the military already has "lots of ways to deliver weapons," he said that we "certainly don't need to do it from 20,000 kilometers."
(Singer, Jeremy. Space News, 8/29/05).

China Opposes Space Weapons
In a white paper entitled China's Endeavors for Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, released this week, China recommended that the international community should take preventive measures to prohibit the deployment of weapons in outer space and the threat or use of force against objects in outer space. The white paper suggested that deploying weapons in space would lead to an arms race there and make it a "new arena for military confrontation."
(People's Daily Online, http://english.people.com.cn/200509/01/eng20050901_205772.html, 9/1/05).

 

Op-Ed

 

Opinion: Too Many Players Still Shadow Satellite Industry
According to Ken Belson, the recent purchase of the PanAmSat satellite company by Intelsat is an important movement for the satellite industry, but he thinks that there are still too many satellite providers operating worldwide. Belson argues that the three dozen satellite providers now operating are simply too many and that the market demand for these services are simply not growing fast enough to accommodate each of them. At this time, the satellite industry needs to focus their ability on driving down prices, but with transoceanic fiber networks gaining ground in the communications business, these satellite companies will find it harder and harder to offer low-priced options. "Consolidation is not only necessary, but inevitable," says Joseph Wright, the chief executive of PanAmSat.
(Belson, Ken. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/30/business/30place.html, 8/30/05).

 

 

Credits

Compiled by Chad Kreikemeier

Edited by Suzy Vogel