July 2006

Space Watch
Week of July 3 - July 7, 2006

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.

Shuttle Update

Shuttle Launches Successfully on Independence Day
On its third try in as many days, NASA successfully launched the space shuttle Discovery into space for the first time in almost a year. Discovery launched at 2:38 pm (EDT) on the nation's birthday and reached orbit almost nine minutes later. The launch came on the heels of two weather-related launch delays over the weekend. The weather stayed surprisingly acceptable for the 4th of July launch. "For all the folks in the Florida east coast, we hope to very soon get you an up-close-and-personal look at the rocket's red glare," said Discovery commander Steve Lindsey before launch time. The astronauts' mission will bring them to the International Space Station and back in nearly twelve days, with a probable return landing on July 16th.
(Young, Kelly. http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn9462-shuttle-blasts-into-orbit-on-third-try.html, 7/4/06).

Shuttle Docks with ISS
After successfully completing a back-flip in orbit, the space shuttle Discovery docked with the International Space Station, completing its first leg of its return-to-space journey. The Discovery crew performed the in-space maneuver in order to give ISS crew members a chance to examine the bottom of the shuttle for any structural problems which occurred during lift-off. The Columbia disaster was caused by an undetected hole in the left wing. After officials closely examined the under-belly of the shuttle, they determined that no structural issues would keep the Discovery shuttle from returning successfully to earth. An hour after the back-flip, Colonel Steven Lindsey of the Discovery crew signaled to mission control that they had successfully docked with the International Space Station nearly 220 miles above the earth. Shortly after that the hatch was opened, and all of the astronauts were safely on board the ISS. Everything, according to NASA officials, has proceeded exactly as planned. "It's boring to us that it's quiet," said Anthony J. Ceccacci, the lead flight director, "but that's a good thing."
(Schwartz, John. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/06/science/space/06cnd-shuttle.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin, 7/6/06).

Discovery Mission Far From Over
An extremely busy schedule awaits the crew of the space shuttle Discovery after its successful launch this week on Independence Day. According to mission administrators, the work has only begun with 16-hour days planned for the astronauts during the remainder of the 12 day mission. On the agenda for the Discovery crew is the dropping off of a third ISS astronaut, the delivery of much needed supplies, two manned spacewalks to make critical repairs to the station's construction crane, and replacing a power cable to the electrical rail car that serves as the mobile base for the station's robotic arm. The aggressive agenda will most likely be completed over the course of the next 12 days, but mission managers have not ruled out the possibility of extending the shuttle flight. Currently, the plan is for Discovery to depart the ISS on July 14th.
(Carreau, Mark. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/space/4024621.html, 7/4/06).

Civil Space

Russian Spy Satellite Falters
According to Russian news sources, a Russian spy satellite has failed in orbit. Though Russia's space forces ministry has denied the failure, Kommersant daily reported that the Kosmos-2421, a Russian navy satellite for intelligence gathering failed to open one of its solar panels on board and is suffering from a lack of power. Unable to produce enough power, the satellite is incapable of deploying its equipment. The Kosmos satellite had been launched on Sunday from Baikonur space station in Kazakhstan. Russian sources have stipulated that the satellite "was successfully put into orbit and has passed under the navy's command."
(AFP, http://www.spacedaily.com/2006/060703125145.7snktr3c.html, 7/3/06).

India Has Plans to Build Its Own Navigation System
Officials from the Indian Space Research Organization have stated their intention of developing their own satellite-based navigation system over the next several years. India hopes that the new constellation of eight satellites would be built in the next five to six years. The new system will be paid for and operated solely by the Indian government with the hopes of providing positioning, navigation, and timing services throughout the country.
(PTI, http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200607041821.htm, 7/4/06).

Putin Wants More Satellites
The Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin called on its country to launch more satellites into orbit over the next decade. The call to launch came at a government strategy meeting in Moscow this week. President Putin hopes that increasing the number of satellites can become a part of a space development strategy being pursued by the Kremlin. The demand for more satellites came even as Sergei Ivanov, the Russian Defense Minister, suggested that Russia should focus on the "quality and not the number" of its satellites. Putin countered by suggesting that "their number is also extremely important."
(AFP, http://www.spacedaily.com/2006/060703161909.61bcilsu.html, 7/6/06).

Experts Advise NASA to Change Mars Plans
A panel of outside experts commissioned by the National Academies has released a report which calls on NASA to rethink its Mars exploration plans after 2010. The new suggestions are offered given new understandings which have come to the surface about the planet. According to the 15-person ad hoc committee, the space agency would garner much greater scientific and economic impact if it slightly modified its plans. Among the recommendations, the panel suggested that NASA adds a Mars Sample Return mission, delays the launch of the Astrobiology Field Laboratory until 2018, ensure that the primary role of the Mars Science and Telecommunications Orbiter is to for science purposes, and to move forward on rovers that are more capable, but less complicated than the Spirit and Opportunity rovers. In addition, the panel calls on NASA to grow its own ability to analyze the likely data that will flow from the new Mars programs. Overall, the assessment is focused more towards increased robotic missions, spotlighting science rather than exploration.
(David, Leonard. http://space.com/news/060706_mars_report.html, 7/6/06).

Commercial

Russia Wants to Double Its Share of Space Services by 2015
According to Russia's top space official, the Russian Federation intends to nearly double its market share of world space services by the year 2015 to 21%. The current total world space services market stands at approximately $20 billion with Russia having a 11% share of that number. Anatoly Perminov, the head of Russia's Federal Space Agency, said this week that this commercial development strategy has been approved by the Kremlin. "The strategy is based on the ambition to create high-tech industry that will produce competitive high-tech products on the global market," said Perminov. Perminov also suggested this week that Russia would focus on space exploration, higher quality and quantity defense products, and an increase in their share of civil space products.
(RIA Novosti, http://en.rian.ru/science/20060706/50983130.html, 7/6/06).

Opinion/Editorial

Editorial: Time to Mothball the Space Shuttle
In a recent editorial in the Salt Lake City Tribune, the paper compared NASA's shuttle program to an old car. One that "used to be the envy of the neighborhood, but now 25 year after you first took it out for a spin, people just shake their heads on the rare occasions you get it out of the garage." Recalling the "sad history" of the American space shuttle program, the newspaper suggested that even the successful recent launch of Discovery does nothing to change the fact that it is "well past time for the shuttle program to be retired." Suggesting that the only reason for the shuttle's continued existence is the unfinished International Space Station, the paper suggests that perhaps science and discovery can be better accomplished with robotic technology instead of manned space flights.
(SLTribune, http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_4016486, 7/5/06).

Editorial: Badly Needed Success
In its Editorial pages this week, the Florida Today newspaper submitted that the success launching of the space shuttle Discovery could not have come at a more needed and opportune time. The paper, however, does not paint the success in a completely positive light. It warns that this launch is only the first in a long line of launches which need to be finished by the shuttle program before its retirement in 2010. The editorial staff goes on to suggest that ever mission from here on out faces one unforgiving standard: "An accident or potentially lethal mistake will lead to [the program's] demise." In light of this, NASA must continue to make safety its top priority and not make any short-cuts that might prove more efficient and less pricey. The paper believes that the continued success of the shuttle program is important but also realizes that they have become more the minority in this debate.
(Florida Today, http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060705/OPINION/60705014/1004, 7/5/06).