November 2006

Space Watch
Week of November 6 - November 10, 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.

 

Civil Space

 

Mars Rover May Get Suicide Mission
NASA is considering a program for its Mars orbiter, Opportunity, which would send it into a large crater with a possibility that it would not be able to exit. The chief scientist of the NASA Mars rover project will decide whether or not to send Opportunity into the large Victoria Crater, a 60 meter deep crater on the surface of Mars. NASA is contemplating whether or not to send in the rover regardless of the possibility of an escape route. Currently, planners are looking for a way out of the bowl for the rover once it is in, but Steve Squyres, the chief scientist said that "even if we find there's no way out, we'll probably go in anyway, because there's just so much to be gained." The crater would shed a great amount of light on the planet's geological path as it has high walls with layers of exposed rock. Currently, Opportunity is circling the huge crater, hoping to scope out an exit route.
(Rincon, Paul. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6128594.stm, 11/6/06).

Egypt Will Launch First Satellite in 2007
An Egyptian minister has stated that the African country will launch its very first space satellite some time in late 2007. Egyptian minister Hani Hillal said that Egypt will be launched with the help of the Ukraine from the Baikonur Space Station in Kazakhstan. The new satellite, called the Egyptsat 1 has been jointly built by Egypt and Ukraine and will carry two remote sensing devices capable of providing information for many fields of developmental science. Egypt has undertaken several launches already for nonscientific purposes, including the Nilesat series of satellites which help bring digital television and multimedia services to countless people throughout North Africa.
(Xinhua, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-11/08/content_5302314.htm, 11/8/06).

India to Launch Manned Flight
The Indian Space Research Organization has decided to endorse a manned space mission. A study carried out by the ISRO which took four years to complete is suggesting that the country has the means and capability to overcome any obstacles that might stop them from sending up a manned mission in the future. The study highlights the fact that many of the technologies needed to pull this feat off are now reaching adequate maturity levels; however some of those technologies, including life-support systems and crew-escape systems still need some upgrading. The Indian manned mission will require the development of a new autonomous orbital vehicle that could be launched from one of India's launch vehicles, the GSLV-Mk II. "This community has proven itself time and time again. We need such a fabulous mission to retain good scientists and to attract the best of young talent," says Madan Lal, Deputy Director of one of the regional space centers.
(Srikanth, BR. http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1838420,0008.htm, 11/8/06).

NASA Loses Contact with Mars Probe
NASA is having problems communicating with its Mars probe, the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. It lost contact with the probe on November 5th and has not heard from it since. The Surveyor recently celebrated its 10th anniversary in space. It was launched back on November 7, 1996 and has been orbiting the red planet since September of 1997. Its original mission was designed to last only until 2000, but the mission has been continuously repeated on an annual basis since then. Communication problems began this week when mission managers attempted to move one of its solar arrays. NASA is currently going through a system of efforts to try and re-establish communication, but if nothing is heard until next week, they may try to have the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter attempt to take pictures of the MGS.
(Shiga, David. http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn10498-nasa-struggles-to-contact-lost-mars-probe.html, 11/9/06).

Storm on Saturn Confounds Scientists
Thanks to photographs from NASA's Cassini spacecraft, scientists have witnessed a strange storm on Saturn's surface that is nearly 5,000 miles wide with winds reaching upwards of 350 miles per hour and has an odd human-looking ‘eye' in its center. The storm, which is not considered to be a terrestrial hurricane, is unlike anything scientists have ever seen. "It looks like a hurricane, but it doesn't behave like a hurricane," said a member of Cassini's imaging team. The center of the storm is clear of clouds and has an eerie look to it as a result. The storm system, however, is not moving, and other storms like it in the past have not had these center eyes. Scientists are optimistic that this new storm will give them a better picture of the atmosphere and surface of the distant planet.
(Britt, Robert Roy. http://space.com/scienceastronomy/061109_monster_storm.html, 11/9/06).

Shuttle to Possibly Launch at an Earlier Date
The Space Shuttle Discovery was moved to the launching pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center this week without incident. The shuttle will be launched this December for an assembly mission at the International Space Station. The current schedule tentatively has the seven-astronaut crew lifting off on December 7th at night; however, managers are looking at possibly advancing that launch to December 6th. Discovery will embark on a 12-day mission, and it will be launched for the first time at night since the 2003 Columbia accident. The objective of the mission will be to attach an addition to the solar power generation system. This mission will be the first step in making the station capable of supporting six rather than three resident astronauts.
(Carreau, Mark. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/space/4322538.html, 11/9/06).

China and Russia to Cooperate on Lunar Project
The Russian Federal Space Agency, Roskosmos, today released information that they are seeking to cooperate with China on lunar exploration over the next three years. The deputy head of Roskosmos told a press conference in Beijing that Russia considers China a "partner" in space exploration and that the two countries are looking to work together on lunar exploration. "The two countries have different strengths that can supplement and benefit each other," he suggested. Currently, Russia plans to send a lunar probe to collect soil samples within the next half-decade, and China is hoping to launch a lunar satellite by 2010. The two countries are already cooperating on as many as 38 projects in space. Cooperation on a joint mission to Mars is also on the table, according to some reports.
(Dingding, Xin, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-11/10/content_729303.htm, 11/10/06).

 

 

Military

 

 

Pentagon Searches for Global Strike Option
As the Department of Defense begins to draft its 2008 budget request, it is examining several options for their goal of developing the capability of striking a target anywhere around the world in less than an hour. One of their options is to place non-nuclear conventional weapons on a submarine-launched Trident missile. Though this option would probably be easiest to develop, some in Congress did not support it suggesting that the launching of a conventionally-loaded Trident missile could be misinterpreted by others as a nuclear launch. Another option for global strike would be the Army's Advanced Hypersonic Weapon, an unmanned vehicle that leaves the atmosphere for a short period to travel and returns from space in order to strike. The Hypersonic Weapon could not be mistaken for an ICBM, according to supporters. One final option would be a warhead on top of a small space launch vehicle, but once again, Congress has been resistant to this idea as well.
(Singer, Jeremy. http://space.com/spacenews/businessmonday_061106.html, 11/6/06).

Defense Space Spending Tops $22 Billion
According to the recently released "State of Space Industry 2005," the United States defense industry spent nearly $22 billion on space-related defense projects that year. The report suggests that overall, "now is a good time to be involved in the space and satellite industry." The report cites the increase in government funding for space and the rise of commercial orders for satellites and launches. The report also suggests that the US export regulations under ITAR, which were originally a "nuisance to businesses" are now some of the space industry's "most serious issues."
(Research and Markets, http://home.businesswire.com/portal/&newsLang=en, 11/7/06).

 

 

Upcoming Space-Related Event

 

 

 

 

 

Boston University Hosts Space Symposium
Boston University will be hosting a symposium entitled "Future of Space Exploration: Solution to Earthly Problems" to take place from April 12-14th, 2007. From the Conference home page: "Join us at Boston University to plan the next 50 years of space exploration. We will consider scientific and technological issues resulting in discoveries such as Earth-like planets around Sun-like stars and observational evidence for dark energy. We will be interested in questions such as the viability of space tourism, entertainment, colonization and resource mining to solve problems on the Earth. We will discuss the need for, and maturity of, alternative propulsion systems within the next 50 years. We will debate the intriguing question of extraterrestrial intelligence, the tantalizing possibility of biological evolutionary paths that may be significantly different from those seen on the Earth and the theological and social implications of such discoveries." Registration is now open. (http://www.bu.edu/pardee/events/conferences/2007/SPACE/MASTER/index.html).

 

 

Space Watch
Week of November 13 - November 17, 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.

 

Civil Space

 

Democratic Congress May Mean More Oversight for NASA
Political analysts are predicting that the recent Democratic take-over of Congress may mean much more oversight and scrutiny of NASA's annual budget. Though few expect Congress to roll back the space agency's lunar exploration plans, many are suggesting that the Democrats will be more skeptical in the future of NASA manned exploration programs. However, not all of the programs in NASA are looking at increased challenges. Many close to Democrats in congress suggest that they may use federal spending to actually bolster a NASA science program that has fallen out of favor with past Republican Congresses. "NASA should expect...an increased emphasis on providing benefits to taxpayers through Earth and space science and aeronautics," says Lori Garver, a prominent Democrat and former senior NASA official. Under the new committee structure, Representative Bart Gordon (D,TN) is expected to take the reigns of the House Science Committee and Representative Mark Udall (D,CO) will likely be the chair of the House Science Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee.
(Berger, Brian. http://space.com/spacenews/businessmonday_061113.html, 11/13/06).

ESA Satellite Wins ‘Best of What's New' Award
Venus Express, the European Space Agency satellite giving us so many interesting views into the closest planet to the Earth, has been named one of the top 100 technological innovations of the year by the editors of Popular Science magazine. The award, given annually, was received on the one year anniversary of the mission's successful launch. The Venus Express has given us stunning pictures of Venus and the intriguing and largely perplexing forces operating on its surface. It was awarded based on these important observations but also on the speed with which the mission was put together. From approval to launch, the whole project took less than three years, an unprecedented amount of time for such a complex design. The spacecraft has put Venus back on the map in terms of planetary exploration. The magazine awards these honors for innovations that "not only influence the way we live today, but that change the way we think about the future."
(ESA, http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMD9K0CYTE_index_0.html, 11/14/06).

Shuttle Crew Preparing for Busy Mission
The next space shuttle mission, set to take off sometime next month, will be a crowded one. Seven astronauts will make up the next crew of the Space shuttle Discovery. They are currently undergoing an extremely busy training schedule in the lead-up to the launch date. NASA hopes to launch the shuttle on December 7th in the darkness of night, the first such night launch since the Columbia disaster. The crew has been training in an armored personnel carrier this week in the unlikely event that they would need to escape during the launch countdown. Other training events are still on tap including fire suppression training, equipment maintenance, landing training, and a practice countdown - all in the next two weeks.
(Florida Today, http://www.floridatoday.com/floridatoday/blogs/spaceteam/2006/11/shuttle-crew-faces-busy-training.html, 11/14/06).

NASA To Roll Out New Lunar Exploration Strategy
NASA is busy putting its final touches on a new US national strategy for lunar exploration, which it hopes to roll out sometime next month. The new strategy will outline a robotic exploration and also its rationale for putting humans back on the moon. The new strategy comes as a result of President Bush's 2004 Vision for Space Exploration which pledged to put humans back on the Moon's surface by 2020. Reportedly, the new strategy will plan on putting a robotic mission on the lunar surface starting in 2008. The robotic mission would attempt to prepare future astronauts to be capable of utilizing the Moon's resources for living purposes including oxygen, water, radiation shielding, and building materials.
(David, Leonard. http://space.com/businesstechnology/061115_techwed_moonplans.html, 11/15/06).

US, China, and Russia to Vie for Power in Space
The recent disclosure of the unclassified version of the United States National Space Policy by the Bush administration is likely to intensify fears in the international community that the United States intends to develop and deploy weapons into orbit. Especially leery of US action in space are Russia and China, who, for the last several years have tried to jointly propose UN resolutions aimed at preventing the weaponization of space. The new US policy is widely seen by critics as an intent to protect US space capabilities at all cost. In the past, China and Russia have issued veiled threats against US deployment of space weapons. In 2005, China's UN ambassador warned that China might reconsider its nonproliferation agreements if the US were developing space weapons which could disrupt their own space satellites. Russia's defense minister, too, threatened the US with retaliation against any country who sought to deploy weapons in space. In response to the recent criticism, a Bush administration representative stated that "the danger against which we all must be vigilant is not some theoretical arms race in space, but threats that would deny peaceful access to and use of space."
(Weitz, Richard. http://worldpoliticswatch.com/article.aspx?id=339#, 11/15/06).

NASA Contemplating Manned Asteroid Mission
NASA is currently examining the possibility of sending a manned mission to an orbiting asteroid. In the hopes of getting a better understanding of the composition of asteroids, the mission would also be helpful in determining whether or not NASA could help deflect a space rock if it were to ever be headed on a collision course with Earth. The agency is looking into possibly using their Constellation hardware for such a mission, an effort being headed up at NASA's Ames Research Center. Theoretically, the new Orion vehicle, designed to transport astronauts from lunar orbit to the Moon's surface, could be used to place an astronaut on an asteroid's surface and return him/her back to Earth safely. Chris McKay, deputy scientists in the Constellation office, understands that the possible mission is a long way off, but said that it would be worthwhile for many reasons. "Then there's the whole, what I call the ‘Bruce Willis factor'...the star in the movie Armageddon," says McKay.
(David, Leonard. http://space.com/news/061116_asteroid_nasa.html, 11/16/06).

 

 

 

 

Commercial

 

 

Virginia Space Industry Ready for Takeoff
On December 11th, the Virginia-based Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) will launch a Minotaur I rocket from its new spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia. With clear weather, the launch may be visible from Washington, DC. The launch will mark the culmination of a ten year effort to bring commercial space launch capabilities to the Commonwealth of Virginia. The launch, though seemingly routine, will be a historic one because of the low-budget and low-staff effort of MARS. The company supports a measly staff of four and works out of a tiny building in Virginia. The launch will propel into space satellites for NASA and for the US Air Force. As one of only six spaceports licensed in the United States, this launch will be the first for the Virginia company who hopes to one day take advantage of the growing interest in space tourism among other commercial space endeavors.
(Ruane, Michael. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/13/AR2006111301507.html, 11/14/06).

Highly Secretive "Blue Origin" Launches Successfully
Blue Origin, the highly secretive prototype rocket being developed by Amazon.com's founder Jeff Bezos, successfully launched from its West Texas spaceport this week. The launch was confirmed by air traffic controllers in the area as no representative in the Blue Origin project wished to make a comment on the recent launch. Because Blue Origin has proprietary information that they wish to protect, its development has been kept completely secret. It is difficult to determine how successful the launch was because of the secrecy; however, the test was the first step towards the company's goal of a rocket that can launch and land vertically while taking three passengers up into space. The Federal Aviation Administration has given the Blue Origin project a one-year experimental permit for its Van Horn, Texas facility, and they have worked closely with Blue Origin to ensure the public's safety. However, as to more information about the project, the FAA says, "It's up to them to decide to release that information."
(Boyle, Alan. http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/13/14521.aspx, 11/13/06).

 

 

 

 

Opinion

 

 

Opinion: Not Really Lost in Space - the New National Space Policy
In a recent Space Review opinion piece, Dwayne Day takes issue with pundits on both the left and the right who have been critical of the President's new National Space Policy when it is quite obvious that few of them have actually not even read the piece. He particularly takes issue with many of the international journalists who have said that the new policy sets up the United States as a "space cop" in outer space, when all the new policy states is that the US will not accept a situation "whereby other countries can deny America access to space." With a sober analysis of the new policy, Day suggests that the new policy is "not fundamentally different from the 1996 Clinton-era policy that it replaced." The rest of the opinion piece is a non-partisan view of the origins of the new policy, the changing national security climate of the international environment, and how space plays into our national security. He argues that "although documents such as the National Space Policy serve as an important function in guiding the activities of the federal bureaucracy, the role of senior space policy documents should not be overemphasized." In fact, the newest policy is likely to be moot at the end of the current administration in 2009.
(Day, Dwayne. http://www.thespacereview.com/article/745/1, 11/13/06).

 

 

 

Upcoming Space-Related Event

 

 

 

 

 

Boston University Hosts Space Symposium
Boston University will be hosting a symposium entitled "Future of Space Exploration: Solution to Earthly Problems" to take place from April 12-14th, 2007. From the Conference home page: "Join us at Boston University to plan the next 50 years of space exploration. We will consider scientific and technological issues resulting in discoveries such as Earth-like planets around Sun-like stars and observational evidence for dark energy. We will be interested in questions such as the viability of space tourism, entertainment, colonization and resource mining to solve problems on the Earth. We will discuss the need for, and maturity of, alternative propulsion systems within the next 50 years. We will debate the intriguing question of extraterrestrial intelligence, the tantalizing possibility of biological evolutionary paths that may be significantly different from those seen on the Earth and the theological and social implications of such discoveries." Registration is now open. (http://www.bu.edu/pardee/events/conferences/2007/SPACE/MASTER/index.html).

 

 

 

Space Watch
Week of November 27- December 1, 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.

 

Civil Space

 

China Confirms Satellite Failure
China's Sinosat-2 satellite, domestically built and orbited on October 29th of this year, suffered a malfunction and failed to deploy properly, according to China's SINO Satellite Communications company. According to the organization, the satellite reached its intended orbit but failed to properly open its solar panels and its communications antenna, rendering it useless. The satellite was designed to deliver television and broadband signals to homes across China. The company promises to launch its sister satellite, the Sinosat-3 sometime early next year. The Sinosat-1, build by a French company launched successfully back in 1998.
(AP, http://www.newsday.com/technology/wire/sns-ap-china-satellite,0,1504313.story?coll=sns-ap-technology-headlines, 11/28/06).

New Horizons Craft Spots Pluto
For the first time on its long journey, NASA's New Horizons space probe caught a glimpse of its future target, Pluto. As the craft flies through the solar system at nearly 50,000 miles per hour, it took is first picture of the smallest ‘planet' in our solar system, the controversy-causing Pluto. "Finding Pluto in this dense star field really was like trying to find a needle in a haystack," said New Horizons principal investigator, Alan Stern; however, scientists on the project ended up finding the small planet as it moved against the background of stars. The spotting will not yet produce any scientific findings, but by 2015, when the probe is set to swing by the planet, scientists expect to uncover answers to many questions.
(Malik, Tariq. http://space.com/scienceastronomy/061129_newhorizons_pluto.html, 11/29/06).

Russia Upset with New US Space Policy
As many pundits have predicted, Russia is apparently upset with the newest space directive issued by President Bush this past fall. A senior Russian official publicly criticized the new policy saying that it will increase tension and could lead to a space arms race. The Deputy Head of the Russian space agency, Vitaly Davydov said, "This document can be seen today as the first step toward a serious deepening of the military confrontation in space." The new policy guarantees US freedom of action in space, which is particularly grating on some in the international world. "Now the Americans are saying that they want not only to go to space, but they want to dictate to others who else is allowed to go there," said Davydov. He also suggested that the policy indicates that the US is indeed looking to deploy weapons into orbit and warned that the Russians will respond if provoked.
(AP, http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/29/europe/EU_GEN_Russia_US_Space.php, 11/29/06).

Shuttle Launch Planned for Next Week
NASA managers have given the ‘go' for a launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery next Thursday, December 7th at 9:35 pm. This will be NASA's first night launch since 2002. Though mission managers are ready for the launch, there are two problems that they are currently addressing that may hinder the upcoming target date. The ISS, this week, failed to raise itself the needed 7 kilometers while in orbit. Russian engineers are working to solve this problem. In addition, NASA engineers must resolve a glitch that occurred on Tuesday during tests of the new solar array on the ISS. Without the solar array, in a worst case scenario, the station would be unable to get any power. Managers are confident that both problems will be resolved by the target date.
(Harwood, William. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts116/061129frr/, 11/29/06).

ISS Maneuver is Unsuccessful, Could Hinder Shuttle Flight
Ground officials were unable to raise the orbit of the International Space Station when the engines on the Progress M-58 spacecraft stopped short of their intended thrust maneuver. The firing of the engine was supposed to last over 18 minutes and raise the station by 7.3 kilometers. Instead, the burn ended at only a minute and raised the station only a single kilometer. The maneuver was supposed to put the ISS in a position to capture the space shuttle Discovery, set for launch later next week. The Russians in charge of the Progress engines will attempt to pull off the maneuver again on December 2nd. Though planners are not sure whether this will set back the scheduled shuttle trip, a similar incident did occur back in 2005 when a similar Progress space vehicle failed to perform the planned engine burn.
(RIA Novosti, http://en.rian.ru/russia/20061130/56215705.html, 11/30/06).

Hawking Stresses Importance of Human Space Travel
Stephen Hawking, the world renowned mathematician, warned that the human race would need to explore and eventually inhabit other planets if it is to survive the next millennia. "The long term survival of the human race is at risk as long as it is confined to a single planet," said Hawking. His warning came as he accepted Great Britain's most prestigious scientific award this weekend. The Royal Society's Copley Medal has been granted to such thinkers as Charles Darwin and Michael Faraday. Hawking also expressed his most heartfelt desire during the interview: to go into space. "Maybe Richard Branson will help me," said Hawking.
(Akbar, Arifa, http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article2029276.ece, 12/01/06).

NASA to Build Telescope on Moon
According to plans currently under consideration, NASA is preparing to build the world's most powerful radiotelescope and do so on the moon's surface. According to the head of NASA, Michael Griffin, the construction of the yet-to-be-devised telescope is currently being "factored into" the mission set to take place by 2018. The new project would allow scientists to see further into the cosmos than ever before imaginable. According to the Department of Trade and Industry in Great Britain, the British may be interested in partnering with NASA on the project. The decision would be a rather stark departure from current British policy which focuses more on robotic exploration rather than human missions. "It is something that was mentioned by NASA," said a DTI spokeswoman. "They would be on for us to have as big a role as we can play. It will be examined by officials and ministers."
(Smith, Lewis. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-2480764,00.html, 12/1/06).

 

 

 

 

 

Commercial

 

 

Space Tourism Industries Compete in China
The United States has been the center of competition over the space industry's newest craze: space tourism; however, China is now also entering the picture in terms of market availability for the space tourist entrepreneur. As the world's biggest potential market, China is being fought over by industries like Space Adventures and Virgin Galactic. Space Adventures announced over a year ago that a Hong Kong-based businessman will pay over $100,000 for a suborbital flight while Virgin Galactic recently announced that a Chinese businessman will be a passenger aboard SpaceShip Two's suborbital flight. Both Virgin Galactic and Space Adventures, however, are not yet sure when their next flights will take off. Both groups are vying to launch the "first Chinese space tourist."
(MSNBC, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15921347/, 11/27/06).

 

 

 

 

Opinion

 

 

Opinion: X Prize Cup 2006; An Appreciation
In a Space Review opinion piece this last week, Alex Howerton gave accolades to a contest that has been labeled by many press outlets "a failure." He admits that all of the contestants in the two contests, the Lunar Lander Challenge and the Space Elevator Challenge, failed to win the prize as no one successfully met the standards of the contest. However, he claims that in a much broader sense, the X Prize contest was a "smashing success." Because of its energy and even the press coverage, the Space X Prize managed to gain a lot of followers and perhaps more contestants for next year. He suggests that even though the projects this year failed, who's to say what will happen in the future because of the energy and momentum created by the ongoing event? He blames this sense of failure on impatience and the need to go to space NOW. Citing the slow progress of the Apollo program, he argues that the X Prize will witness "steady, increasing progress" and it will "continue to build the community and the spirit that will carry us to the stars."
(Howerton, Alex. http://www.thespacereview.com/article/752/1, 11/27/06).

 

 

 

Upcoming Space-Related Event

 

 

 

 

 

Boston University Hosts Space Symposium
Boston University will be hosting a symposium entitled "Future of Space Exploration: Solution to Earthly Problems" to take place from April 12-14th, 2007. From the Conference home page: "Join us at Boston University to plan the next 50 years of space exploration. We will consider scientific and technological issues resulting in discoveries such as Earth-like planets around Sun-like stars and observational evidence for dark energy. We will be interested in questions such as the viability of space tourism, entertainment, colonization and resource mining to solve problems on the Earth. We will discuss the need for, and maturity of, alternative propulsion systems within the next 50 years. We will debate the intriguing question of extraterrestrial intelligence, the tantalizing possibility of biological evolutionary paths that may be significantly different from those seen on the Earth and the theological and social implications of such discoveries." Registration is now open. (http://www.bu.edu/pardee/events/conferences/2007/SPACE/MASTER/index.html).

 

Space Watch
Week of December 11 - December 15, 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.

 

Civil Space

 

Shuttle Shows No Damage
Space Shuttle Discovery mission managers have given the thumbs up for the shuttle to make the dangerous re-entry through Earth's atmosphere after its 12-day spaceflight. Discovery's heat shield was given a clean bill of health after managers were able to examine photographs of the underbelly of the shuttle. "The vehicle is extremely clean...The thermal protection system is ready to come home," said the shuttle program's deputy manager, John Shannon. The astronauts on board the International Space Station will make one last inspection of the heat shield next week before attempting a return home. After several reports of minor damage to the heat-resistant tiles earlier in the week, the photographs and an additional analytical assessment showed that the damage was nothing but some scuffed tiles and a small piece of cellophane which will likely burn up and cause no obstruction for the shuttle's return.
(Malik, Tariq. http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/061213_sts116_clear_heatshield.html, 12/13/06).

Solar Flares Worry ISS Astronauts
A large sunspot has set off a radiation storm of solar flares that are affecting some satellites and have even hit the International Space Station. This particular sunspot, a dark region of the sun where eruptions of magnetic activity result in visible solar flares, has caused an abnormally large amount of activity over the past several weeks. Just a few weeks ago, the spot generated what some astronomers called a "solar tsunami." The solar flares have affected some satellites in space, disrupted some telecommunications systems, and have even caused the astronauts aboard the International Space Station to retreat to the most protective part of the outpost to avoid solar exposure. Even though spacewalks are avoided during events like these, astronauts are in no danger of being harmed. The most visible solar flares are the ones that cause auroras. These are often visible from the northern United States or Canada. Scientists are keeping tabs on this sunspot as it continues to spark concern.
(Britt, Robert Roy. http://space.com/scienceastronomy/061213_radiation_storm.html, 12/13/06).

Pet Projects on Hold at NASA
The Democrats, in trying to fashion a viable budget structure next year, have inadvertently given NASA administrators exactly what it asked for - no more unasked pork projects. The Democrats, set to take over the appropriation process over the next Congressional term, have decided to put a ban on earmarks until reforms are adopted to fix a broken legislative process. For some time now, NASA has had to keep up with an increasing amount of congressional projects that it did not ask for, making it difficult to spend its budget on projects it deems more necessary to its core mission. Congress, since 2001, has appropriated more than $3 billion on earmark programs NASA had not asked for, programs that were designed to provide funding and jobs for lawmakers intent on bringing home pork and less intended to carry out NASA's objectives. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin earlier this year wrote a letter warning of the unintended consequences of these appropriations. "The growth of these unrequested congressional directions is eroding NASA's ability to carry out its mission of space exploration and...scientific discovery." There is no word yet on when an intended earmark reform is scheduled to pass through Congress.
(Wheeler, Larry. http://www.flatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061213/NEWS02/612130356/1007/news02, 12/13/06).

Prize Available For Tracking of Asteroid
The Planetary Society has offered a $50,000 prize to the organization that develops the best, most efficient plan to tag the famed Apophis asteroid. The 400 meter long asteroid is considered the biggest threat to hitting the Earth of any orbital rock in the universe. It will come close to the Earth as it passes in 2029, and scientists from the Planetary Society would like to confirm that it indeed is not going to hit the Earth. The prize money is for any group that develops an innovative way to tag the threatening asteroid. The Society is getting help from space agencies across the world in offering the prize, and the winning entry will be submitted to the various agencies to see if any of them would develop the idea.
(Amos, Jonathon. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6178225.stm, 12/14/06).

NASA Attempts Rewiring After Solar Panel Fails to Retract
Today, NASA is busy completing its third of four days of space walks on board the International Space Station, and so far today is going much better than yesterday. Today, two of the ISS astronauts were successful in rewiring a series of new solar panels to the ISS frame. The mission is part of a complex series of space walks designed to alter the electrical system of the ISS to draw power from a new array of solar panels that were brought up on a previous mission. The new power system will allow for increased electricity and the ability to add European and Japanese laboratories in coming missions. The rewiring mission encountered a glitch yesterday when one of the solar panels refused to retract into its storage box. Today's walk, however, yielded much better results, and astronauts will attempt one more day of space walks on Saturday to power up the remaining panels.
(Watson, Traci. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2006-12-14-spacewalk-2nd_x.htm, 12/15/06).

After Delay, Maryland Launch Scheduled for Saturday
After a number of delays, NASA has scheduled the launch of a spy satellite payload from Wallops Island on the Eastern Shore until tomorrow. The Minotaur 1 rocket, set to be the first launch from the Maryland facility in eleven years, was scheduled to take off on Monday, but software glitches postponed its launch. The only other launch to take place from the Wallops facility quickly veered off course and had to be destroyed over the ocean. The Minotaur design has a much better track record, and officials are confident that there will be no problems tomorrow.
(Richmond Times Dispatch, http://www.timesdispatch.com/BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149192197667, 12/15/06).

 

 

 

 

 

Commercial

 

 

Next Space Tourist Revealed
Charles Simonyi, a billionaire software tycoon, will reportedly be the next space tourist to board a Russian Soyuz rocket in the coming months. Simonyi, a Hungarian-born, ex-Microsoft founder, will become the fifth person to pay more than $20 million dollars to take the out-of-this-world journey. He will be a part of a three-person crew to the International Space Station in the spring and will spend ten days in space. Space Adventures, a US-based company, markets the seat and collects the money on behalf of the Russian Space Agency. "I have three goals," says Simonyi. "One of them is to advance civilian space flight, assist with the ISS research to the extent that I can, and I want to involve kids in science...meanwhile I plant to have a lot of fun."
(AFP, http://www.spacedaily.com/2006/061214031559.p3blvr4u.html, 12/13/06).

 

 

 

 

 

Military

 

 

State Department Defends US Space Policy
Robert Joseph, the Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security today defended the new United States space policy, which many critics have derided as overly aggressive and even hostile to other players in space. Joseph argued that free access to space is "vital" to US interests and that the US government will not enter into any agreements that might restrict that free access. "To ensure free access to space...we must continue to develop a full range of options to deter and defend against threats to our space infrastructure," he said. Some pundits think Mr. Joseph's warnings are directed toward China, which has been accused of firing of firing ground-based lasers at US satellites. Critics worry about how China and Russia may respond to what is seen as an aggressive new policy, while proponents argue that the new policy follows closely on the heels of the Clinton policy put forth back in 1996.
(Gertz, Bill. http://washingtontimes.com/national/20061214-124040-1562r.htm, 12/14/06).

 

 

 

 

 

Opinion

 

 

Opinion: Moonbase Why
In an opinion piece in this week's The Space Review, Jeff Foust argues that NASA's attempts to explain why the United States should embark on a journey to develop a moon base are failing to win over anyone in its attempts to appeal to everyone. The stated themes for the lunar base range from scientific exploration, international partnership, public engagement, and economic expansion to enhancing human civilization. Foust argues that the exhaustive justifications for developing this program are "as shallow as the themes are broad." He suggests that NASA's current explanations might be insufficient to satisfy the American public. He recommends that NASA should tighten this much too extensive list of themes by rejecting improving foreign relations and public engagement as justifications for the program. He argues that NASA should find a better way of ‘selling' the moon base, and that a failure to do so may result in its demise in a new Presidential administration.
(Foust, Jeff. http://www.thespacereview.com/article/764/1, 12/11/06).