February 2005

Space Watch
Week of February 7 -11, 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

Sudan Spends $60 Million To Put Its First Satellite In Orbit
War-torn Sudan is expected to launch its first satellite by the end of the year to the tune of $60 million dollars. The satellite, to be used for communications, broadcasting, and distance education, is set to be launched by either Europe or China.
(AFP, http://www.spacedaily.com/news/microsat-05c.html, 2/6/05)

$16.5 Billion Proposed for NASA
The Bush administration has released their fiscal year 2006 budget proposal. They have requested nearly $16.5 billion for the space agency, and as expected, are attempting to provide no funding for a Hubble repair mission. Also excluded from the request is the nuclear-powered Jupiter probe, the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO), scheduled to launch in 2015. Project Prometheus, designed to develop nuclear power systems for space technologies, however, survived the Bush chopping block. Receiving less money than expected, the Crew Exploration Vehicle program is still projected to be able to continue its efforts on schedule.
(Berger, Brian. http://space.com/news/nasa_budget_050207.html, 2/7/05)

Debate Over NASA Safety Begins to Heat Up
As NASA prepares to return its shuttle to flight this spring, debate over whether or not the fleet is safe has begun to brew inside and out of the space agency. Directly after the Columbia disaster in 2003, NASA grounded all shuttle flights and undertook a series of initiatives designed to dramatically increase mission safety. Though these plans have been largely followed, critics suggest that they haven't gone far enough, suggesting that NASA hasn't even made the improvement they had committed to after the disaster. NASA officials have balked at the assumed necessity to completely fulfill every recommendation. Critics are concerned about in-space repair abilities, foam uncertainties, and the use of the ISS as a ‘safe haven' for damaged shuttle missions.
(Schwartz, John. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/07/science/07nasa.html?oref=login&oref=login, 2/7/05)

Planets Might Be Diamond Producing
A new study has revealed that planets outside of our solar system may be composed of mostly carbon, as opposed to the rock that comprises the planets in our general vicinity. Inside these carbon-based celestial bodies, constant pressure may produce layers of diamonds that could perhaps be miles thick. Scientists have discovered the occasional tiny diamond in meteorite samples that contain large quantities of carbon compounds. The findings suggest that these carbon, diamond-laced planets are more likely to be found near the center of the galaxy where stars are known to contain more carbon.
(Britt, Robert Roy. http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/diamond_planets_050208.html, 2/8/05)

ESA Finally Set To Deploy Mars Express Radar
The European Space Agency has decided to deploy the MARSIS radar by the middle of May. The MARSIS radar, consisting of three radar booms, was supposed to be deployed nearly a year ago, but a last-minute computer simulation suggested that the system might suffer a whiplash effect and hit the spacecraft. The radar's mission will be to search for subsurface water reservoirs on Mars and to examine the Martian ionosphere.
(Space.com, http://www.space.com/astronotes/astronotes.html, 2/8/05)

NASA Seeks Help with ISS Responsibilities
NASA is attempting to employ some commercial spacecraft to help complete the International Space Station on time. The space agency had planned to send twenty-eight more shuttle flights for the mission, but now, with plans to retire the shuttle fleet by 2010, managers are trying to minimize the number of flights to be taken. At this time, NASA is also looking to the commercial industry to provide innovative solutions as alternatives for transportation to the ISS. Eight different companies are currently competing for the next innovative project, the Crew Exploration Vehicle. Hoping to launch by 2014, the CEV is considered a vital step in the President's new vision to return to the moon by 2015.
(Young, Kelly. http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6979, 2/8/05)

Russia Space Agency Sets Its Agenda, Critics Wary of Adherence to American Goals
The head of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Anatoly Perminov, recently enumerated Russian priorities in space. First on the priority list is the International Space Station, followed by manned exploration of the Moon, and lastly, a manned trip to Mars. Critics of these new priorities suggest that cooperating with American ambitions to the moon would be a waste of resources and should be directed towards Mars exploration. Roald Sagdeev, a fellow at the Eisenhower Institute, was quoted as suggesting that America, which forms nearly 75 of the global space budget, would not necessarily need Russian help to implement its space plans. Even if Russia were involved, they would have to follow American conditions. Some critics suggest that a focus on a Mars landing would be a more sensible approach for the Russian space agency.
(Pravda, http://english.pravda.ru/science/19/94/379/14942_space.html, 2/9/05)

Japan's Space Agency Prepares To End Space Grounding
Japanese space officials are preparing to launch their domestically built H2-A rocket on February 24th. The decision to launch, risky due to the Japanese year-long grounding, is designed to pave the way for future ambitious space missions. The grounding was due, in part, to a November 2003 failure in which an H2-A rocket veered off course and was destroyed by mission controllers in mid-flight. A successful launch, integral to the future of the Japanese program, would carry on it a multipurpose weather and communications satellite.
(Hayashi, Aiko. http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/ap_jaxa_h2a_050209.html, 2/9/05)

Congress Announces Senator Kay Hutchison as Chair of Science/Space Subcommittee
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison out of Texas has been selected as the chair of the Science and Space Subcommittee. A member of the panel for the past ten years, her duties will include overseeing NASA programs and non-military aeronautics and science policy. Considering the recent rededication of NASA's mission and the President's new Exploration Vision, the position is a considerable appointment.
(AP, http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/space/3031282, 2/9/05)

Second-In-Command to Step in as Interim NASA Chief
Veteran shuttle astronaut Frederick Gregory, currently second-in-command, will take over as NASA's acting chief administrator next week when Sean O'Keefe steps down. Gregory will step in until President Bush nominates, and the Senate confirms, a replacement. O'Keefe is expecting to step down after three years as NASA's chief due to financial and personal reasons. He will become the chancellor of Louisiana State University. Gregory is a former Air Force colonel and has flown on three shuttle missions. He was the first black astronaut to command a shuttle mission.
(Wheeler, Larry. Florida Today, 2/10/05)

Commercial

Volvo Super Bowl Spot Announces Chance to Win Free Ride on Spaceship
Volvo Cars of North America, teaming up with Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic, has announced during a recent Super Bowl spot that it plans to give away a seat on the world's first commercial space flight. Branson's Galactic team is planning to launch that flight sometime in the next two or three years. Hopeful contestants are being asked to log onto www.boldlygo.com in order to apply. The companies will unveil the winner of the estimated $200,000 seat on the sub-orbital flight on March 24th.
(SPX, http://www.spacedaily.com/news/tourism-05d.html, 2/4/05)

Satellite Industry Looks to Digital Broadcasting to Boost Market
The struggling Asia-Pacific satellite service market is looking to digital multimedia broadcasting to boost market demand. The industry is hoping that small hand-held electronic devices capable of receiving digital content from a satellite will open new streams of revenue for the already-overcrowded satellite-use market. Most satellite systems industries in Asia are losing money, according to Koh Eui-Kon, president of the Asia Pacific Satellite Communications Council. Koh suggests that though the market continues to grow, there are simply "too many satellite operators and regulatory barriers need to be lowered or removed."
(AFP, http://www.spacedaily.com/news/satellite-biz-05x.html, 2/7/05)

Commercial Leaders Organize New Space Federation
Commercial space leaders have recently announced their intention to organize a federation designed to protect the commercial spaceflight industry and ensure public safety. The new federation will set up a Voluntary Personal Spaceflight Industry Consensus Standards Organization which will help implement the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004. The Act, passed by Congress, was designed to establish a group of laws to protect the uninvolved passengers of any commercial space flights. The group hopes that their efforts will indicate to the rest of the country their intent to help protect and police their own industry. They believe that the federation and the Standards Organization will help promote the safety and the growth of the commercial industry.
(SPX, http://www.spacedaily.com/news/industry-05b.html, 2/9/05)

Air Force Move Signals Possible End to Boeing Sanctions
The Air Force has recently announced its intent to hold a competition between Boeing and Lockheed Martin for future launch contracts worth upwards of $4 billion dollars. This is the first indication that the Pentagon will lift a ban on Boeing rocket launch contracts since July 2003. Boeing was initially barred from competing on these contracts due to the illicit acquisition of trade secrets from Lockheed in an attempt to obtain a 1998 Air Force bidding contest. Boeing and Lockheed have been the only providers of rockets intended to lift government satellites into orbit.
(O'Dell, John. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-boeing9feb09,1,5701583.story?coll=la-headlines-business&ctrack=1&cset=true, 2/9/05)

Space Tourism Industry Warns of Likely Fatalities
Many key players in the nascent space tourism industry predict that there will inevitably be fatalities throughout the process of making space tourism a viable industry. Virgin Galactic President Will Whitehom states, "What we have before us is what existed before aircraft were developed in the early 1900's." Several space tourism boosters met with a Congress panel on Wednesday to consider regulations for the new industry. Industry officials are fearful of overly stringent, unwieldy safety regulations which could make space tourism unfeasible. Some of the tourism moguls suggest that space vacations could be available within two decades.
(AP, http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/02/10/space.vacations.ap/index.html, 2/10/05)

Military Space

Air Force War Game Tests Space Assets
The U.S. Air Force has invited nearly 250 military and civilian experts from around the world to Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado in order to conduct a five-day war game designed to measure the capabilities and coordination of space-based assets. The game is a hypothetical, classified tabletop war game fought in the year 2020. Pitting friendly "blue" forces against enemy "red" forces, the game is comprised of actors from various different agencies including officials from Canada, Australia, and Great Britain. This is the third such war game focused primarily on space. The first occurred in 2001 and the second in February of 2003.
(Shalal-Esa, Andrea. http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=OFDS4ZXC5RCKUCRBAE0CFFA?type=scienceNews&storyID=7547895, 2/5/05)

Bush Budget Proposal Slashes Missile Defense Budget Plan
The Bush Administration has released its FY2006 Budget proposal, and the Pentagon, which itself received an increase in funds, is planning to cut funds on the missile defense program by five billion dollars over the next six years. Hardest hit in the program is the Kinetic Energy Interceptor program. Designed to intercept missiles in the boost phase of launch, the program has long been criticized for its technological difficulty. The Missile Defense Agency, however, has expressed confidence that the White House and Congress still support the overall Missile Defense program. Though it slashed some programs from the Missile Defense Agency, the proposal calls for increasing funds for its more mature missile defense systems.
(AFP, http://www.spacedaily.com/news/bmdo-05f.html, 2/7/05)

DOD Plans to Double Launch Support Spending
The recent Pentagon budget request has asked to double the funding for the Air Force's two main launch vehicle programs, signaling the Pentagon's intent to continue the aggressive development of space capabilities. The proposal can be seen as a direct result of the new U.S. Space Transportation Policy. The policy was enacted to direct the Air Force to cover all costs associated with the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program. The Air Force has asked Congress for $864 million to fund the program, a number that is decidedly more than the $533 million approved for 2005.
(Singer, Jeremy. Space News, p1, 2/7/05)

Canadian Bill Seeks To Modernize Canada's Remote Sensing Laws
A bill aligning remote sensing laws with those of the U.S. has completed the first steps on its way through the Canadian parliament. The bill is designed to simultaneously promote commercial satellite operations while allowing the government the power to curb those operations to protect national security. The act will regulate the commercial remote sensing satellites in order to ensure that the information they produce are not used against the Canadian people. The bill will also fulfill Canada's obligations under a treaty signed with the U.S. in 2000, intended to regulate the commercial satellite industry so as not to harm the two nations. The bill will have to pass both houses of parliament. No speculation about how long the bill will take has been provided.
(Bates, Jason. Space News, p16, 2/7/05)

EADS Considers Offering Services Outside of Europe
EADS Space, the European based satellite and telecommunications corporation, is considering expanding its military telecommunications satellite services beyond Europe to other foreign governments. EADS, aware that its position in the commercial satellite and launch markets is tenuous because of the rising euro, wants to be able to compete more fully with U.S. groups such as Lockheed Martin. EADS is also concerned about a possible thawing of commercial relations between China and the U.S. Currently, Chinese commercial-launch markets have been frozen by U.S. restrictions, but Francois Auque, the EADS Space C.E.O., suggests that "the situation could change overnight," leaving EADS as the odd person out.
(de Selding, Peter. Space News, p9, 2/7/05)

Op-Eds

Op-Ed: Critics Caution Space Agency's ‘Go fever' and Stress Change in Culture
As the tentative date for the first launch since the Columbia disaster begins to creep up on us, some critics have suggested that NASA has not undergone the change in culture that led to the Challenger and Columbia disasters. These critics suggest that it is not a matter of the shuttle being technically able to safely fly, but rather, whether or not NASA officials have learned from the errors of the past, "errors that grew out of a management culture that discouraged criticism and sacrificed safety for image-puffing and budget-cutting." NASA officials suggest that the culture has undergone a dramatic shift since the shuttle disaster, yet, whether this is true or not remains to be seen. There is no doubt that the agency has worked out many of the technical flaws of the system, including a new fuel tank "guaranteed" not to shed insulation and a special tool to detect damage while in orbit. Whether or not officials down the chain of command are comfortable in speaking up about possible negative safety assessments is another issue entirely.
(NewsDay.com Opinion, http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vpnasa054135614feb05,0,5979821.story?coll=ny-editorials-headlines, 2/5/05)

Op-Ed: Nuclear Safety and Space Safety Do Not Coincide
Jeffrey Bell suggests that the nuclear reactor safety culture under the leadership of Admiral Rickover would not have coincided with the intended goals of a manned space program. He is critical of Jim Oberg's reference to the Navy's nuclear submarine safety program as a contrast to the dysfunctional safety culture at NASA. He suggests that the naval reactor safety program of the 50's was not an appropriate model for safety at NASA because of two very different environments. Political factors, including funding and support for the nuclear program, gave the Navy a strong incentive and the ability to produce a viable safety culture, an advantage that has not been made available to NASA managers in recent years. Also, military and technological factors made for a conducive safety environment for the Navy's nuclear submarine program, an environment that NASA has found hard to encourage and promote. Bell does not, however, abandon hope that the future space environment will be favorable for a stronger safety culture.
(SPX, http://www.spacedaily.com/news/oped-05zd.html, 2/8/05)

 

Credits

Compiled by Chad Kreikemeier
Edited by Suzanne Vogel

 

Space Watch
Week of February 14-18, 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

New Shuttle Crew Will be Prepared to Repair Tiles
NASA announced a plan to test three methods to repair holes in the space shuttle's exterior while in space. Among the possible methods are one to repair dings and minor thermal tile damage, another utilizes a small caulking gun for wing panel cracks, and a plan for plugging larger gashes on the wings is also involved. NASA conceded, however, that none of these techniques could repair the size hole that led to the explosion of the Columbia. The seven astronauts could take off aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery as early as mid-May. (Dunn, Marcia. http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/sts114_tilerepair_050211/html, 2/ 11/05)

2006 White House Budget Leaves out Filler Satellite
The most recent budget request failed to provide funding for the launch of a satellite intended to bridge a time-gap before a new launch should current Landsat satellites fail. Despite the deteriorating condition of the satellites, government officials insist they will continue to function until 2009 when the new polar orbiting satellite instrument is launched. Should the satellites fail beforehand, however, Landsat earth observation data will be unavailable until the next launch. (Bates, Jason. http://www.space.com/spacenews/businessmonday_050214.html, 02/14/05)

Asteroid to Come Closer to Earth than Any its Size
On Friday, 13, 2029 at approximately 10:00PM GMT, asteroid 2004 MN4 will make the closest flyby for an object its size in recorded history. The calculated path of the asteroid brings it 22,600 miles from earth's surface - closer than many telecommunications satellites. Astronomers have ruled out the chance of a collision, and expect it to put on quite a show. 2004 MN4 will be the first modern asteroid to be visible to the naked eye. (Connor, Steve. http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/story.jsp?story=611219, 2/15/2005)

Russian Solar-Sail Spacecraft Launch Delayed
The test launch of the Russian Cosmos-1, meant to test whether spacecraft can be controlled using pressure from sunlight, was pushed back until April due to the large amount of preparation required. The spacecraft, being built under contract to the US Planetary Society, has eight triangular, 16.5 yard long, blades.
(UPI, http://www.space-travel.com/news/solarsails-05a.html, 2/16/05)

Scientists say Methane Signatures Could Be Proof of Life on Mars
NASA scientists Carol Stoker and Larry Lemke announced findings they believe indicate that life currently exists on Mars to a small group of space officials. Methane signatures found on Mars are similar to those found in caves on earth that indicate biological activity. The two scientists believe life could reside underground, and point to the presence of acidic conditions like those of the Rio Tinto in Southwestern Spain that is known to have an entire microbial ecosystem.
(Berger, Brian. http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/mars_life_050216.html, 2/16/05)

NASA Awards $9.8 Million Grant to Study Cancer Risks from Space Travel
In preparation for future long term human space flight, NASA awarded a grant to the University of Texas' Southwestern Medical Facility in Dallas to study the effects of space radiation on living tissues. The study, which will be conducted over five years, will use animal models and examine tissue on a cellular and molecular level.
(SPX, http://www.space-travel.com/news/radiation-05d.html, 2/16/05)

Second-In-Command To Step In As Interim NASA Chief
Veteran shuttle astronaut Frederick Gregory, currently second-in-command, will take over as NASA's acting chief administrator next week when Sean O'Keefe steps down. Gregory will step in until President Bush nominates, and the Senate confirms, a replacement. O'Keefe is stepping down after three years as NASA's chief due to financial and personal reasons and will become the chancellor of Louisiana State University. Gregory is a former Air Force colonel and has flown on three shuttle missions. He was the first black astronaut to command a shuttle mission.
(CNN, http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/02/17/new.nasa.chief.reut/index.html, 2/17/05)

European Conference Calls for Enhanced Cooperation in Space
Over forty nations gathered together in Brussels this past week in order to discuss increasing international cooperation in space. The conference intended to bring together the supply side (those states capable of providing space technology) and the demand side (those states wanting to make use of it). European Commission Vice President Gunter Verheugen stated that all European entities, including the EU and its member states "should optimize their relations and respective resources," including increasing transparency between the groups. (Brown, Josh. http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/02/17/new.nasa.chief.reut/index.html, 2/17/05).
(At the summit, the EU also issued its Space Policy which can be found on the web at http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/05/53&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en)

Russia Wants Joint Effort on Earth Observation System
The head of the Russian Space Agency, Anatoly Perminov, called for united international efforts in order to create a joint Earth Observation System. Perminov called for this pooling effort at the recent space summit in Brussels, which resulted in the signing of a resolution on the observation system and a 10-year plan for its creation. The summit concluded its work on Thursday, however an additional conference, the International Conference for Cooperation in Space, is expected to also pursue the issue of international cooperation in space. Its main aim is to define the destination of the Unified European Space Program and will open with a direct communication session with the astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
(RIA Novosti. http://en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm?prd_id=160&msg_id=5423890&startrow=21&date=2005-02-17&do_alert=0, 2/17/05)

Commercial

Space Tourism Entrepreneurs Form Group to Self-regulate
In an effort to avoid stifling government regulation of the space tourism industry, entrepreneurs have formed the Industry Consensus Standards Organization. This organization will allow standards to be set for commercial space flight by those who are actively involved in the industry. While this plan will allow the industry to blossom unimpeded, critics argue it does not protect the lives of potential tourists. (Miller, Leslie. http://www.space.com/news/tourism_hearing_050210.html, 2/11/05)

Ariane 5 Launch a Success
Two years after the European Ariane 5 rocket failed in its inaugural flight, a new and more powerful Ariane 5 was launched successfully. The rocket can launch two telecommunications satellites into geostationary orbit. This launch put the Spanish Xtar-Eur satellite and a dummy satellite into orbit and helps reassert European dominance of the commercial launch market. The Ariane 5 can carry a payload of 10,000 kilograms. (Selding, Peter. http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/050212_ariane5.html, 2/12/2005)

Lockheed Martin Announces 425 Layoffs at Cape Canaveral
The closure of Lockheed Martin's Atlas 3 and Titan 4 operations will mean the end of 425 rocket jobs in the coming months. The last Atlas 3 launched earlier this month, and Titan 4 will officially end in April. 38 workers have already received notification. Employees have foreseen layoffs for years as the rocket programs came to an end.
(Kelly, John, http://www.flatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050212/news02/502120327/1007, 2/13/05)

African Satellite Business about to Soar, Say Experts
As African governments deregulate telecom markets, experts expect companies to seek satellite alternatives to inefficient ground phone lines. Today, almost 400 million Africans have never made a phone call. That could change very soon, however, as governments seeking foreign investment will encourage telecommunications advances. (Harrison, Rebecca, http://www.reuters.co.za/locales/c_newsarticle,jsp?type=businessnews&localkey=enza&storyid=7619448, 2/14/05)

Draft Safety Guidelines for Commercial Space Transportation Released
The FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation released draft safety guidelines for space tourism. The guidelines require tourists be informed of the risks of flight and given safety records of the vehicle they will take and of other manned space vehicles. Passengers would then be required to submit a consent form and receive safety training in case of emergency. For those passengers undergoing more than 3 Gs during flight, a medical exam will be required. The final FAA expects finalized guidelines to be in place in 2006. (Morris, Jefferson. http://aviationnow.ecnext.com/freescripts/comsite2.pl?page=aw_document&article=spacereg02145, 2/14/05)

AERA Will Be First Commercial Provider to Launch Passengers Into Space
AERA Corporation has announced its intent to become the first commercial provider to launch passengers into space. AERA expects that its Altairis spacecraft will be able to take its first flight in 2006, nearly two years ahead of its competition. The company has stated that it has completed the design of the spacecraft and that it is the "safest space flight system ever created." Bill Sprague, chairman and CEO of AERA suggests, "Passengers can expect the ultimate luxury space travel adventure will a full service package that includes astronaut training and culminates with a sub-orbital journey."
(SPX, http://www.space-travel.com/news/tourism-05g.html, 2/16/05)

Military Space

Pentagon Investigating 8 More Air Force Contracts
The Pentagon is investigating an additional eight air force contracts as part of its inquiry into Darleen A. Druyun's special treatment with Boeing. These contracts include a $400 million dollar contract for a polar satellite sensor system and two that actually went to Lockheed Martin.
(Wayne, Leslie. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/15/business/15boeing.html, 2/15/05)

Missile Defense Rocket Launch Fails Again
The Pentagon's Missile Defense launch test failed for the second time in two months. An interceptor designed to shoot down an incoming target missile did not take off from the Ronald Reagan Test Site on the Marshall Islands in the central Pacific. Pentagon officials are investigating the failure. They suppose that the misfire was most likely caused by some malfunction on the ground, not with the missile itself. This is the second failure in two months. The first came in December when a missile shut itself down due to a supposed "anomaly."
(AFP, http://www.spacewar.com/news/bmdo-05g.html, 2/15/05)

Russians to Launch German Military Satellites
Russia is set to launch the first of five German military satellites form the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in December of 2005. Taking them into space will be the Russian rocket Kosmos-3, which has the capability of delivering payloads of nearly 1300 kilograms. This is an important contract for the Polyot office, where the Kosmos rockets are manufactured. The rest of the spacecraft will be radar reconnaissance military crafts and will all be launched before March, 2006.
(ITAR-TASS, http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=1754308&PageNum=0, 2/17/05)

 

 

Credits

Compiled by Chad Kreikemeier and Ivy Fitzgerald
Edited by Suzanne Vogel

 

Space Watch
Week of February 14-18, 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

NASA Sets Discovery's Launch Date
NASA has set May 15th as the target date for its return to space. More than two years after the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, NASA has decided to resume shuttle missions. They hope to follow that success up with another launch on July 12th of Atlantis. Commander Eileen Collins is set to lead the Discovery crew. If anything goes wrong with either launch, the other shuttle will act as its rescue shuttle to pick them up from the International Space Station. After undertaking many of the recommendations put forth by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, however, NASA officials expect both missions to be successful and safe.
(Santucci, Dave. http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/02/18/space.shuttle/index.html, 2/18/05).

Outgoing NASA Chief Being Investigated for Potential Misuse
The Government Accountability Office, Congress' investigative arm, is exploring whether or not NASA's outgoing administrator, Sean O'Keefe, misused government airplanes while heading the agency. The focus is not a case of fraud, but rather, of waste. The probe was requested last June by Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) in order to investigate "serious financial management problems." The one issue that investigators will closely scrutinize is O'Keefe's costly proclivity for using government airplanes and taking many expensive trips with subordinates. In principle, government employees are asked to fly commercial airlines, but O'Keefe rarely did so. O'Keefe has defended his use of government airplanes as a necessary part of his job.
(AP, http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/02/18/nasa.o.keefeinvestiga.ap/index.html, 2/18/05).

ISS Crew Prepares for Fresh Supplies
The International Space Station crew is preparing to welcome fresh supplies being sent from home aboard the Russian cargo ship, Progress. The seventeenth Progress to go to the station is set to launch on February 28th from Baikonur, Kazakhstan and will dock on March 2nd. In order to prepare for the new supplies, the crew is working at jettisoning the Progress spacecraft that is currently attached to the Station. The ship will undock and burn up on reentry into the atmosphere on February 27th. The astronauts, American Leroy Chiao and Russian Salizhan Sharipov are in their fifth month of a six month stay in orbit.
(SPX, http://www.spacedaily.com/news/iss-05t.html, 2/21/05).

Cosmic Explosion Hits Earth from Halfway Across the Galaxy
An extraordinarily large gamma-ray flare erupted on December 27 from an isolated, exotic neutron star nearly 50,000 light-years away from the Earth. Despite its distance from Earth, the flare disrupted the ionosphere. Scientists suggest that if such a blast occurred within 10 light-years of earth, it would destroy much of the ozone layer, causing massive extinctions due to radiation. At nearly one hundred times more powerful than any flare in the past 35 years, this one is considered to be the most powerful that has ever been observed. At one time, it briefly outshone the full moon.
(SPX, http://www.spacedaily.com/news/gamma-05b.html, 2/21/05).

Summit Agrees on Earth Observation Action Plan
At the recently concluded Third Earth Observation Summit in Brussels, nearly sixty nations and forty international organizations made history by formally agreeing on a ten-year plan to implement a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). The plan is designed to greatly enhance interoperability and information sharing and aims to increase responsiveness. The creation of this single, comprehensive earth observation system will help all countries involved address global environmental and economic challenges including climate change and natural disasters. US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez welcomes the decision and is encouraged by the new system's ability to help in natural disaster areas including hurricane and forest fire prediction and its ability to "zero in on our climate with complete accuracy."
(ESA, http://www.spacedaily.com/news/eo-05u.html, 2/21/05).

Evidence Suggests a Frozen Sea on Mars
Scientists observing Mars from Europe's Mars Express spacecraft suggest that a frozen sea of water, surviving as blocks of pack ice, may lie just beneath the planet's surface. Images from the spacecraft show raft-like ground structures that appear quite similar to formations found on Earth's poles, indicating a "compelling" amount of evidence for underground ice formations nearly 45 meters deep. There has been an abundant amount of indirect evidence which supports the presence of water in the past, but evidence to suggest the current presence of water on Mars has so far been inconclusive. The Mars Express spacecraft is set to launch its MARSIS experiment in May. It is a ground-penetrating radar instrument which will be able to determine whether or not there is water beneath the planet's surface.
(Young, Kelly. http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7039, 2/21/05).

China to Help Nigeria Launch Telecom Satellite
The Nigerian National Space Research Development Agency has announced that China's state-owned space hardware manufacturer has won a contract to build and launch a telecommunications satellite for the country. As China's first export sale, the deal was reportedly around $311 million dollars. The spacecraft will be used to harvest contracts from Nigeria-based telecommunications operators. The oil-rich nation says it is employing space technology, not in spite of its poverty, but because of it. The open competition had garnered bids from U.S., European, Russian, Israeli, and Chinese companies. The Nigerian Space Agency director indicated that U.S. companies may have hesitated because of concerns about U.S. technology export laws.
(de Selding, Peter. Space Today, 2/21/05).

Representative Boehlert Questions NASA's Budget Increase
The chairman of the House Science Committee, Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), has stated that he is opposed to giving NASA a budget increase that is significantly larger than most other federal government agencies. He is supportive of the agency's long-term plans but suggests that NASA should not be the top budget priority in this Congress. Considering the Administration's tight budget, Boehlert does not think that a 2.4% increase in NASA's budget is justifiable. Though he has many questions about the specifics of NASA's budgetary plans, he does personally support NASA's exploration plans including the retiring of the shuttle by 2010, the development of the Crew Exploration Vehicle, and the returning of humans to the moon by 2020.
(Berger, Brian. Space Today, 2/21/05).

Critics Think NASA's Broken Safety Culture Still Not Fixed
Just three months prior to the first shuttle launch since the Columbia disaster, there is still some doubt as to whether or not NASA has instituted the changes necessary to fix what some called a "broken safety culture." A new report is suggesting that the change has not been easy, and it is raising more and more concern about NASA's readiness to resume flight. On the surface, the new survey says that NASA has made impressive progress during the past year improving the safety mindset, with more employees saying that the "shoot-the-messenger mentality" is going away. However, the study shows a sharp divide between managers and rank-and-file workers, many of them saying that they haven't seen any discernible changes to the safety culture. Many suggest that their concerns continue to get brushed aside by upper-level employees. (http://www.flatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050223/OPINION/502230319/1004/opinion, 2/23/05).

Opportunity Receives Mobility Tune-up Software
The Mars Rover Opportunity has received and booted up a new software tune-up that should improve its mobile capabilities. Officials have tested the new software and received promising results. If it is successful, agency officials plan to load the program onto Opportunity's sister craft, Spirit. Both rovers appear to remain in excellent health this week.
(JPL, http://www.marsdaily.com/news/mars-mers-05t.html, 2/23/05).

Engineers Attempting to Extend Hubble's Life
Engineers are considering ways to extend the life of the Hubble Telescope from here on earth. Due to the Administration's attempts to cut servicing efforts for the Hubble, best estimates suggest that the space telescope may survive until 2007. Scientists have determined that they might be able to extend that estimate by an extra year if they can manipulate the telescope to run on the energy provided by two of its gyroscopes instead of the usual three. The Hubble only has four working gyroscopes left. No one is yet certain as to when the telescope may shut down. "It's like predicting when your car might die," says Rodger Doxsey, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute.
(McKee, Maggie. http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7051, 2/24/05).

Japan to Launch First Rocket Since 2003 This Saturday
After postponing the launch of Japan's domestically developed H-2A rocket on Thursday due to inclement weather, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) plans to launch the rocket this Saturday. The payload is a multitasking satellite that will be used for airplane navigation and weather monitoring. The H-2A rocket was grounded in 2003 after one of the rocket's boosters failed to separate from the body and JAXA was forced to destroy it minutes into flight. A JAXA spokesperson reports that the rocket has been completely redesigned and they are confident of success.
(AFP, http://www.space-travel.com/news/launchers-05o.html, 2/25/05)

 

Commercial

Boeing Sells Its Rocket Engine Subsidiary
In a deal announced Tuesday, the Boeing Company has sold its rocket engine subsidiary, Rocketdyne, to United Technologies, the owners of Pratt & Whitney, for $700 million in cash. The deal had been rumored to be in the works for several weeks. United Technologies is planning on combining the two rocket manufacturers into one company, particularly because Rocketdyne focuses primarily on larger engine rocket technology and Pratt & Whitney mostly concentrates on the smaller engines. This lack of overlap will limit the number of layoffs and closings, according to United Technologies.
(Pae, Peter. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-boeing23feb23,1,4594356.story?coll=la-headlines-business&ctrack=2&cset=true, 2/23/05).

U.S. Government Says Space Tourists at Their Own Peril
The FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation recently released its first guidelines for private suborbital space flight. In it, the FAA suggests that since the commercial space flight industry is in its infant stages, regulation is based "on principles of informed consent and voluntary assumption of risk by space flight participants." The Agency has long been working on the document, and its primary concern is public safety. They require space travel operators to fully inform the passengers of the risks that are associated with suborbital and orbital space flight. Space tourists will be required to sign a document stating that they understand the risks and that they have been fully informed, in writing, of the known hazards associated with their trip. The FAA is also interested in banning passengers from carrying on knives, firearms, explosives, and any other weapons.
(Klotz, Irene Mona. http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20050221/spacetourism.html, 2/23/05).

Loral Reaches Agreement with Chinese Telecommunications Corporation
Loral Space and Communications has reached a settlement with ChinaSat which resolves all outstanding differences between the two regarding the ChinaSat 8 satellite. Under the agreement, Loral will continue to seek State Department approvals in order to export the satellite while ChinaSat will agree to withdraw all claims filed against the company. Loral has no obligation to deliver the ChinaSat 8 satellite until all export policies have been met and licenses have been received.
(SPX, http://www.spacemart.com/news/china-05v.html, 2/24/05).

Military Space

U.S. Air Force Says T-Sat to Provide Split-Second Data
The U.S. Air Force is counting on the new Transformational Satellite Communications systems to drastically alter the way troops think about communication and how they talk to each other on the battlefield. The first launch of these satellites is expected to be in 2013. The satellites will rely on advanced technology that allows them to communicate with high-altitude aircraft, such as the Global Hawk, and back to earth within less than a second. The T-Sat system will allow troops to communicate instantaneously without having to stop their vehicles to erect antennas. The system will be critical to the U.S. Army's Future Combat System. "Our goal is to remove communications as a constraint," says Christine Anderson, director of the Military Satellite Communications Joint Program Office.
(Singer, Jeremy. Space News. 2/21/05).

Top U.S. Space Commander Won't Rule Out Attacking Enemy Satellites
The Vice-Commander of the U.S. Air Force, Daniel Leaf, has stated that the U.S. cannot afford to rule out attacking satellites and spacecraft of enemy nations in the future. The current focus, however, has been on protecting its own space capabilities in the event that other nations decide to target U.S. satellites and spacecraft. . Commander Leaf indicates that their active plans right now revolve around "denying access to space capabilities, protecting our own access, and having space situational awareness to know what's going on." Others are skeptical of the Pentagon's plans suggesting that the U.S. is preparing to fight a war in orbit and this is just one of the first steps. The Air Force claims that all plans are purely defensive in nature.
(http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=5ac3c3f8-ce3f-4e53-bf05-b7567df24b02, 2/21/05).

Canada Set to Decline Help with U.S. Anti-Missile Shield Program
Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin is expected to announce his decision that Canada will not take part in a controversial U.S. sponsored anti-missile shield program. The decision is expected to further cool relations between the two countries, relations that had somewhat soured when Canada refused to take part in the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. The Canadian PM leads a minority government, and his party's lawmakers have pushed him to turn down the missile shield program which is highly unpopular inside Canada. Last week, the two countries agreed to extend NORAD's aerospace warning function to support missile defense. However, the agreement required no actual participation by Canadian forces.
(AFP, http://www.spacewar.com/2005/050223185023.91xdwl1e.html, 2/23/05).

Israeli Military Redeveloping Its Spy Satellites after Crash
Israel is reportedly redeveloping its Ofek 6 spy satellite. This comes six months after its prototype crashed into the Mediterranean Sea due to a technical malfunction with the launcher. The new satellite, the Ofek 7, is said to be capable of identifying objects by night or day and regardless of weather conditions from a distance of 400 miles. The country's prototype model did not have those abilities. The recent failure of the Ofek 6 cost Israel nearly $50 million dollars, while the Ministry of Defense is expected to ask for an additional $140 million for construction of the new spy satellite model. The Ofek 7 should be available for operation within 18 months and stands as one of the most advanced satellite systems in the world.
(AFP, http://www.spacewar.com/news/spysat-05e.html, 2/23/05).

 

Op-Ed

Op-Ed: Is Anyone Paying Attention?
In this week's Space News, the editorial staff warns that current "ill-considered" export policies will continue to "erode the U.S. share of the international satellite market, put a damper on trans-Atlantic space cooperation and do little if anything to protect U.S. national security." The editorial details the ill-conceived U.S. crackdown on satellite exports which began in 1998 amid allegations that China was benefiting militarily from launching American-made spacecraft. The crackdown has led to highly stringent export policies which have been quite bothersome to many European space companies to the point that they have begun to cease using American parts on their satellite systems. Even with the weight of the Defense Department's satellite spending, the satellite market cannot continue to survive without opening up its potential markets, especially in China, which remains one of the world's largest telecommunications markets in terms of potential. China is completely off limits to U.S. satellite and satellite-component makers. Space News suggests that these destructive impacts will continue unabated unless Washington "takes its head out of the sand and implements meaningful export reform."
(Editorial, Space News, 2/21/05).

 

Credits

Compiled by Chad Kreikemeier
Edited by Suzanne Vogel