October 2006

Space Watch
Week of October 2 - 6, 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

 

NASA Accelerates Launch Schedule
NASA's space shuttle program has decided to accelerate its launch schedule over the next several months. In moving its next launch date up a week to December 7th, NASA's ambitious move will not only require an accelerated work schedule for the Discovery and Atlantis teams, it will also require a number of crucial elements in their processing flow to come together in a near perfect fashion. The change, though approved by all areas of the shuttle program, is making some program officials a bit leery. The change itself was designed so that workers will not have to sacrifice large parts of their Christmas holidays, yet the change also requires most workers to work on the Thanksgiving holiday. The new changes will leave the program with no contingency days left in the launch flow, and any small impact may throw the December 7th date in doubt.
(Bergin, Chris. http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=4843, 10/1/06).

House Committee Wants NASA to Stay on Track
Members from the House Science Committee grilled NASA recently on the agency's ability to keep the new Crew Exploration Vehicle, dubbed Orion, on schedule and on budget. "NASA has to move ahead with Orion deliberately, but also cautiously, and Congress has to keep a keen and constant eye on the project," says House Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert. Critics pointed to the International Space Station as an example of what not to allow, as the ISS calendar and costs have ballooned in recent years. The hearing was called in response to a recent GAO report that called on NASA to change its acquisition strategy from one based on long-term development contracts to one of shorter, more reachable contract objectives. The meeting, chaired by Representative Boehlert, was likely his last dealing with NASA as he is retiring at the end of this session.
(Berger, Brian. http://space.com/spacenews/businessmonday_061002.html, 10/2/06).

NASA Scientist Takes Home Nobel Prize
NASA scientist John C. Mather and his colleague, George Smooth, have won the 2006 Nobel Prize for physics for their work on cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB). CMB, which is light that was born nearly 14 billion years ago, is considered the oldest light in the Universe. The two scientists have found ways to interpret CMB and in turn, have been able to discover new information about the evolution of the cosmos. CMB is considered the ‘echo' from the Big Bang and is the radiation that cooled to a strong enough degree to allow hydrogen atoms to form. To a certain extent, CMB can be considered the moderating agent that allowed matter to eventually form. The two scientists helped develop the first satellite capable of measuring the CMB.
(BBC News, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5401972.stm, 10/3/06).

New European Weather Satellite to Launch this Month
The MetOp-A satellite, a European craft that will help improve weather forecasting and climate monitoring, is expected to now launch on October 17th. The launch date was set after several previous delays. It will be launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The past delays occurred because of a slight mechanical shock caused by a mistake unloading the satellite onto the transport train. The satellite, once in polar orbit, will provide extremely rapid data on wind speed, humidity, temperature, and other important weather and climate measurable data.
(BBC News, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5411476.stm, 10/5/06).

Significant Shuttle Damage Caused by Debris
After a thorough inspection of Space Shuttle Atlantis' exterior, NASA inspectors found a tiny but significant hole which apparently resulted from a collision with space debris. The debris apparently punched through a radiator panel, but yet did not damage the delicate thermal panels that protect the ship on its return from space. According to a NASA spokesman, the hit was major, "the second most-damaging particle that we've encountered in the program." Yet, the damage posed no threat to the crew or the mission. Debris continues to be one of the major risks of spaceflight.
(Schwartz, John. http://www.nytimes.com/.html?_r=2&ref=science&oref=slogin&oref=slogin, 10/6/06).

 

 

 

Military

 

Concerns over Chinese Satellite Jamming Won't Abate
Recent reports that China has been beaming lasers at US spy satellites loom large given the US near-dependence on satellite-based imagery and intelligence. The Defense Department, though it has yet to release information about the details of the incidents, have confirmed that it has happened. The Pentagon's National Reconnaissance Office has acknowledged the incident, but has said that the lasers did not damage the satellite permanently. "It makes us think," says the NRO Director, Donald Kerr. Some, like Theresa Hitchens from the Center for Defense Information, are urging the DOD against jumping to any conclusions. She counsels that China may have been testing tracking technology, and that there is no guarantee that Beijing is looking to disable our satellite capabilities.
(Shalal-Esa, Andrea. http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2006-10-05T212246Z_01_N02361333_RTRUKOC_0_US-ARMS-SPACE.xml&WTmodLoc=SciNewsHome_C2_scienceNews-2, 10/5/06).

 

 

Commercial

 

Survey Shows Space Tourism Hurt by Significant Costs Involved
A new survey released by Spaceport Associates suggests that one of the most prohibitive obstacles for increasing space tourism is its exorbitant cost. The appraisal, done in August and September, provides some much needed customer feedback about the possible commercial space tourism market. It found that although spaceflight is regarded by many as the "ultimate" adventure experience, the prices of current space tours are generally too high. Only 4% of those surveyed would register for an orbital flight at current price levels. If the flight costs were reduced to $500,000 from its current levels, however, demand would reportedly take off. The report comes soon after the first female space tourist, Anousheh Ansari, returned to earth after paying nearly $20 million for a ride in space.
(David, Leonard. http://space.com/news/061003_tourism_survey.html, 10/3/06).

Malaysia Opens Space Center
In what is hailed on Southeast Asia's first space center, the Malaysia Space Center was opened for business just outside the capital Kuala Lumpur this week. It is a nearly 400-acre facility chosen for its flat geography and minimal radio interference. The opening marks a milestone for the country which will add to its space prestige when it also blasts off its first astronaut next year. The Malaysian Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, hopes the new structure will boost his country's national prestige and spur economic activities with regard to the space industry. The first function for the new spaceport will be to communicate with the Malaysian astronaut when he is in space.
(AFP, http://www.spacedaily.com/2006/061004125844.2t4pstw8.html, 10/4/06).

After Long Wait, Merger is Approved
The Federal Trade Commission this week approved of the merging of Lockheed Martin and Boeing's launch services on the basis of national security concerns and not on its monopolistic threat to business concerns. The merger creates United Launch Alliance will merge the Atlas and Delta program productions and will save $150 million annually. The Defense Department has argued that this savings will not offset the loss of competition created by this decision. "It does, however, present very unique national security benefits that in the Department's analysis clearly outweigh the loss of competition," says Pentagon acquisition chief Kenneth Krieg. Chief among those benefits is the ability of the Air Force to reassign payloads from one rocket to another, thereby creating a more responsive space environment.
(Morris, Jefferson. http://www.aviationnow._story.jsp?id=news/ULA10056.xml, 10/5/06).

 

 

 

Editorial/Op-ed

 

Editorial: Our View, NASA's Brightest Star
In an editorial this week, the Florida Today newspaper argues that the repair mission to the beleaguered Hubble Space Telescope should be approved by NASA. Suggesting that nothing can rival the Hubble for its past discoveries, including nailing down the age of the universe, proving the existence of black holes, and allowing astronomers to see how stars are born, among others. For this and for its public relations appeal provided by the majestic pictures it takes, Hubble has become a cultural icon that needs to be preserved. This month, NASA officials will be making a decision on whether or not to send up a final shuttle mission to the telescope in 2008. The repair would keep Hubble running until around 2012.
(Florida Today, http://www.flatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=//opinion, 10/2/06).

 

 

Oddly Enough

 

Armstrong Proven Grammatically Correct Forty Years Later
In a stunning development, technology has proven Neil Armstrong correct nearly forty years after his supposed grammatical gaffe during his first steps on the moon. For many years now, there has been some controversy over Armstrong's famous speech. The original tape records Armstrong's speech as "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." In essence, his supposed removal of the article ‘a' in front of ‘man' changes the meaning of his famous words. New evidence acquired from technology which allows investigators to hear what was originally recorded indicates that Armstrong did indeed say the word ‘a.' Apparently, the missing ‘a' was blotted out by transmission static. Armstrong supports the results of the newest revelation.
(BBC, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5398560.stm, 10/5/06).

 

Space Watch
Week of October 9-13, 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

 

New Space Policy Released by Bush Administration
President George Bush has finally released his version of the US National Space Policy this weekend. The newest policy, released last Friday, is designed to supersede the previous policy released in 1996 by President Clinton and govern the conduct of American activity in space. The new directive supports the Moon, Mars and Beyond civilian space vision and also stresses the absolute need for American freedom of action in space. The policy, which some critics claim is more unilateralist in approach than previous policies, is designed to "ensure that space capabilities are available in time to further US national security, homeland security, and foreign policy objectives" and to "enable unhindered US operations in and through space to defend our interests there." Drawing most of its wording from Clinton's 1996 directive, the policy goes on to spell out US space policy goals in the civilian and commercial space worlds with an emphasis on "innovative human and robotic exploration programs" and the use of nuclear power systems to "enhance space exploration or operational capabilities."
(David, Leonard. http://space.com/news/061007_bush_spacepolicy.html, 10/7/06).

Soyuz Successfully Re-Docks on ISS
The International Space Station crew of three astronauts took a short trip on board the Russian Soyuz rocket today in order to clear a berth for a cargo ship to be launched later this month. The Soyuz trip, led by commander Michael Lopez-Alegria, spent twenty minutes switching docking ports. "Everything is clean, everything is fine," said Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin, after the maneuver was successfully accomplished. The move frees up a docking port for a Progress 23 unmanned Russian cargo ship carrying 4,800 pounds of food, fuel, and other supplies. The Progress ship is expected to reach the ISS on or around October 26th.
(Malik, Tariq. http://space.com/missionlaunches/061010_exp14_soyuzmove.html, 10/10/2006).

ISS Shuts Down Station Gyro
One of the International Space Station's four control movement gyroscopes was taken off line this week because of repeated problems with excessive vibrations. The gyro is one of the space station's four control devices designed to keep the structure in its proper orientation in orbit around the Earth. Though the gyro itself has not been officially declared as failed, engineers are now determining whether the damage may impact the upcoming Discovery launch in December. According to station managers, the ISS can maintain its orientation with only two gyros in a worst-case scenario. Depending on the final prognosis, the gyro may have to be replaced by an upcoming shuttle or Soyuz mission.
(Harwood, William. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts116/061010cmg/, 10/11/06).

Northrop Grumman Sponsors Lunar Challenge
The Northrop Grumman Corporation has signed on with the X Prize Foundation to be the title sponsor for the upcoming Lunar Lander Challenge, an engineering contest set up by NASA. The contest is designed to motivate private companies to develop space vehicles that can safely transport humans and cargo from the lunar surface to lunar orbit. The first stage of the Challenge will be held on October 20-21 in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The winner of the first challenge will be required to perform a series of maneuvers simulating a trip from the moon's surface and back from lunar orbit. The total prize award will reach $2 million, with the top finisher in the most difficult level receiving $1 million. Any prize not won this year can be won in any subsequent year, and the prize will stand until all of the challenges have been met.
(PRIMEZONE, http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/news.html?d=106475, 10/11/06).

US, China Agree to Meet on Annual Basis
The United States and China have agreed to meet annually to discuss possible bilateral cooperative efforts in space, according to Sun Laiyan, the administrator of China's National Space Administration this week. According to Sun, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin agreed to expand on his own trip to China and make it an annual event. Each year, the two countries will reportedly come together to discuss possible avenues of cooperation including space debris mitigation, geo-science, and space science. The hope on both sides is that the scheduled meetings will be the first step in a mutual trust-building relationship with regard to each country's space program.
(Xinhua, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-10/12/content_5194958.htm, 10/12/06).

China Hopes to Land Lunar Probe by 2010
China has reportedly finished constructing its first lunar probe this week. The probe is expected to launch sometime in 2010 for a trip to the lunar surface. At this time, officials say China is working on the designing of pollution-free rockets to get the probe, called the Chang'e 1, to the surface of the moon. Sun Laiyan, administrator for the China National Space Administration hopes to launch the Chang'e 1 sometime next year in order to "test the technical feasibility and reliability of the technology." The report was released as China celebrates the 50th anniversary of the founding of the country's space program.
(Taipei Times, http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2006/10/13/2003331570, 10/13/06).

 

 

 

Commercial

 

Lockheed Sells Off Its Stake in ILS
This week, Lockheed Martin completed the sale of its stake in commercial launch services provider International Launch Services. Lockheed transferred its majority stock in the company to Space Transport, Inc. Terms for the sale have not yet been disclosed. ILS, which currently markets Russia's Proton launch vehicle to commercial consumers throughout the world, still has 11 missions that are currently on backlog, which it hopes to launch by 2008. ILS is a US-Russian joint venture between Russia's Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center and now Space Transport, Inc. It is headquartered in Washington, DC.
(ILS Launch announcement, http://www.ilslaunch.com/media/newsarchives/newsreleases/rec335/, 10/11/06).

 

 

 

Editorial/Op-ed

 

Opinion: Future of Space Exploration Depends on International Cooperation
In an opinion piece in the State Department electronic journal, Global Issues, Scott Horowitz argues that a growing spirit of international cooperation in space science and exploration will provide the framework for great accomplishments in the future. Arguing that over the past 50 years, some of the most significant strides in space exploration were made possible by an environment of cooperation and international collaboration. Two examples include the Inter-Agency Consultative Group collaboration which was invaluable in studying Halley's Comet and the International Space Station which continues to be a testament to international cooperation. Dr. Horowitz argues that even as nations begin to expand their space exploration efforts separately, each should look at the benefits of possible cooperation in these endeavors. "Although humankind's first steps onto another world were taken by a dozen early explorers from America, it will take all of our nations, working together, to accomplish the great endeavor of space exploration that lies before us."
(Horowitz, Scott. http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=October&x=20061011113830lcnirellep0.9637567, 10/11/06).

Opinion: New Space Policy is More Unilateralist
Commenting on the recently released Bush administration Space Policy, Theresa Hitchens argues that the new policy is much more unilateralist than previous Presidential directives, and is "dismissive of not only the rights of other space-faring powers, but actively hostile to the concept of collective security." Hitchens admits that much of the new policy borrows language from Clinton's 1996 directive, but suggests that there are several subtle, but important differences. When one takes all of these differences together, Hitchens argues that the directive offers a much more unilateralist vision of the US role in space. She also notices a blatant "distrust of international instruments or efforts to establish collective security in space" with regard to the wording of the document. Hitchens concludes by suggesting that although the words of the policy are geared towards a military approach to space, the US administration as a whole has shown little effort to fight "in, from, and through space." As such, she does not see the need to raise tensions with the other space-fairing powers of the world while at the same time, due to budgetary concerns, being unable to actually carry out its threats.
(Hitchens, Theresa. http://www.page=../index.cfm, 10/13/06).

 

Space Watch
Week of October 16-20, 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.

 

US National Space Policy

 

New Policy Sets Up Turf Battle
The new US space policy ushered in by President Bush last week sets the stage for a major turf battle between the intelligence communities and the military, according to experts following the issue. Steve Aftergood, an expert on government transparency, suggests that the new White House policy creates "overlapping and possibly conflicting responsibilities" for the chief officers of the US intelligence and military communities. According to the document, the policy gives the Secretary of Defense responsibility over "space situational awareness" while in the same section, he/she is to "support the space situational awareness requirements for the director of national intelligence." The amorphous nature of the direction here is prevalent throughout the document and will lead to different interpretations of the differences in responsibilities and duties between the two agencies.
(UPI, http://www.upi.com/SecurityTerrorism/view.php?StoryID=20061016-015256-6838r, 10/17/06).

New Policy Emphasizes Security, Possible Shift Towards Arms
Though the Bush administration denies that the newly released US National Space Policy is a prelude to on-orbit weapons systems, some are arguing that the shift in policy will reinforce international suspicions that the US may develop and deploy them in the near future. The policy does indeed focus on security issues in space and in so doing rejects future arms control agreements that might limit US flexibility in its space systems. Asserting the absolute need for "freedom of action" in space, the Bush administration argues that the new policy was needed as an update "to reflect the fact that space has become an even more important component of US economic, national, and homeland security." The policy follows closely on past policies adopted by the various military doctrines that have been published, including the 2004 Counterspace Operations Doctrine. The Bush administration also claims that the newest policy is not a far off departure from President Clinton's policy, which also allowed for the US to develop and operate "space control capabilities to ensure freedom of action in space."
(Kaufman, Marc. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/17/AR2006101701484.html, 10/18/06).

Space Policy Prioritizes Defense Over Exploration
According to some interpretations, the new US space policy released by President Bush last week gives priority to national security issues in space over exploration and discovery. The new policy abrogates the policy put forth by President Clinton in 1996 which put the number one goal of US space policy as exploration and the enhancement of knowledge of the Earth and its solar system; President Bush has decided to make exploration its number three policy goal well behind national security. The new policy does not ever mention the moon mission or the rest of Bush's Vision for Space Exploration. The sentence getting the most heat from critics seems to be the line that the US "will take those actions necessary to protect its space capabilities; respond to interference; and deny, if necessary, adversaries the use of space capabilities hostile to US national interests."
(Wheeler, Larry. http://www.floridatoday.com/apps//1007, 10/19/06).

Editorials: Torrent of Worldwide Speculation on Space Policy
Nearly a week and a half after the quiet release of President Bush's new US National Space Policy, the international community has begun to show signs of quite critical speculation as to what the new policy means for the rest of the world. Though the administration would argue that the new policy does not diverge far from Clinton's policy, the international community has turned a skeptical eye to the new policy. This stems from both the content of the policy and the very quiet way by which it was released (on Friday afternoon before a three-day weekend). Headlines in this week's newspapers included "Space: America's New War Zone" (The Independent), "America wants it all - life, the Universe and everything," (The Times of London), "US policy opens door to space weapons" (Discovery Channel Canada), and "US Says Keep Out of My Space" (ABC News). Though the language is very similar, the world seems to be much more skeptical of a policy ushered in by this US administration more than the previous one.

 

 

 

Civil

 

India to Quit Galileo Project
India has been rumored to be discussing possibly removing itself from the European Galileo satellite project. The Galileo project, designed to be a rival to the United States' Global Positioning System, is being developed by the European Space Agency and has found partners throughout the world, including China and India. However, according to some rumors, India fears that the sharing of sensitive data might not be adequately protected from other nations involved in its development and may remove itself from the contingent of nations involved in the project. India's participation was to have been cemented during the recent summit meeting between Prime Minister Singh and EU leaders in Helsinki, but little progress was made in that regard.
(Deshpande, Rajeev. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2172710.cms, 10/16/06).

Space Elevators to Debut at X Prize Cup
The newest prototypes for space elevators will be unveiled this weekend at the Wirefly X Prize Cup in Las Cruces, New Mexico. NASA is holding two annual competitions, called the Power Beaming and Tether Challenges, which will award any group that can prove technologies capable of making a space elevator a reality. The future objective for the elevator will be to try and send humans and cargo cheaply into space. The Beam Power competition challenges teams to create a robotic climber that is capable of scaling a tether at a minimum speed of 1 meter per second without the use of fuel, batteries, or electrical extension cords. The climber must use solar energy in order to pull off the feat. The other test, the Tether Challenge aims to spark the development of new lightweight materials capable of extending into space, yet strong enough to stay in tact. The two tests were conducted last year, but no one was able to win the prize. The competitions will continue to be held until 2010, even if no one is successful.
(Young, Kelly. http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn10311-space-elevators-to-heave-themselves-skyward.html, 10/16/06).

Mars Orbiter Takes Unprecedented Pictures
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has begun to return some pictures of the Red Planet which offer unprecedented details of its topography. "Oh, the pictures are better even than I expected," said Harold Reitsema, director of the Ball Aerospace Corporation, where the MRO's camera was built. The camera is the most powerful camera sent to another planet in the history of the space program, and the pictures are so clear and detailed that it has picked up the faint tracks of the two Mars rovers still on the planet's surface. Though all of this has come at a price. The MRO costs nearly $720 million, which is NASA's most expensive mission to Mars ever.
(Human, Katy. http://www.denverpost.com/technology/ci_4502716, 10/17/06).

FAA May Bring End to NASA Challenge
At this year's X Prize Cup challenge in Las Cruces, New Mexico, Armadillo Aerospace will attempt to win the Lunar Lander Challenge sponsored by NASA, unless of course, the FAA puts a nix on that. According to officials, the FAA will determine this week whether or not Armadillo's liquid oxygen, ethanol powered space lander is safe enough to test in front of the 10,000 people expected to be in attendance at the event. The Lunar Lander Challenge was sponsored by NASA and Northrop Grumman in the attempt to motivate private companies to develop vehicles that could ferry humans between the moon's orbit and the lunar surface. The Armadillo group is the only team attempting to win the Lunar Lander prize this year. The winner will get $1 million if it can ascend 50 meters, hover for 180 seconds, then land precisely on a simulated lunar surface.
(Coppinger, Rob. http://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/+to+NASA+lunar+lander+challenge.html, 10/18/06).

Weather Satellite Successfully Launches
Russia has successfully launched Europe's most sophisticated weather and climate satellites this week. The Metop satellite, a joint project of the European Space Agency and Eumetsat, the intergovernmental organization responsible for a number of weather satellites, was set to be launched on board a Soyuz rocket much earlier in the year, but for a variety of reasons was scrubbed on five separate occasions. The craft will monitor temperature, humidity, wind velocity, and ozone cover around the whole globe, and it will do so, for the first time for a European satellite, in an orbit which will circle the Earth via its poles. "The spacecraft's in very good shape; it's a big relief," said Mikael Rattenborg, the director of operations for Eumetsat.
(BBC News, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6067704.stm, 10/19/06).

 

 

 

 

Commercial

 

 

Spaceports Looking to Cooperate, But Not Too Much
The competition between spaceports in the United States is growing at an extremely fast pace. With a limited number of possible spaceship operating suitors, the ports (even the ones that have yet to be built) are racing against one another to draw the tens of millions of dollars presented by the commercial space travel industry. Spaceports across the country, from California, Alaska, Oklahoma, Virginia, and Florida, are attempting to replicate the success of the spaceport in New Mexico. Studies are indicating that the New Mexican spaceport in Las Cruces could bring the state around $1 million and 5,000 new jobs by 2020. Though the competition is fierce, the cooperation must also be sustained in the long run if the commercial space business is to ever get off the ground. The complex nature of the relationship has been dubbed "coopetition" by some pundits. Eventually, the spaceport and spaceline industry could look similar to the airport and airline industry, with organizations competing for dollars but also cooperating on flight paths and take-off times.
(Boyle, Adam. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15320942/, 10/18/06).

 

Space Watch
Week of October 23 -27, 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

 

Hubble Decision Expected Soon
This Friday, NASA engineers will debate whether or not they will send a fifth and final manned shuttle flight to one of the nation's most famous orbiting spacecrafts, the Hubble Space Telescope. The "people's telescope" is now sixteen years old, and NASA is inquiring whether it should use up one of its few remaining shuttle flights to service the aging telescope. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin will be making the final call on the Hubble decision soon after the debate this weekend. If nothing is done, the Hubble is likely to stop functioning sometime in 2009 or 2010. Griffin has expressed a willingness in the past to service what he calls "one of the greatest scientific instruments of all time," but he is worried about the safety of his astronauts in undertaking the repair. "If we can do it safely, we want to do it," said Griffin.
(Schneider, Mike. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061023/ap_on_sc/shuttle_hubble, 10/23/06).

China Launches Two Satellites
China successfully launched two scientific satellites on board a Long March carrier rocket this week. The two crafts were launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in China's Shanxi province. Both satellites are designed to explore the space environment, conduct experimentation on radiation in space, and explore the parameters of the physical environment of space. The launch marked the 50th consecutive successful launch of the Long March rocket for China, a stretch that goes back to October 1996.
(Xinhua, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-10/24/content_5240968.htm, 10/24/06).

NASA's STEREO Project Successfully Launches
This week, NASA successfully launched its STEREO project into orbit around the sun. The system consists of two spacecraft - one in front of and one behind the Earth in orbit around the sun. The project is designed to study solar eruptions in three dimensions and figure out what triggers the enormous blasts. These solar blasts can be as powerful as 10 billion tons of the sun's atmosphere and can reach speeds of 1 million miles per hour in space. They have been known to damage satellites, disrupt communications, and threaten astronauts. One of the goals for the STEREO program is to allow scientists to predict and forecast these solar blasts. The $550 million program was launched on board a Delta 2 rocket into orbit on Wednesday. The two crafts will fly past the moon by December 15th with one of them catching the moon's gravity and flinging itself into position ahead of the Earth's orbit. This will all be accomplished by the end of January, and the program will give readings for the next two years.
(Harwood, William. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d319/, 10/25/06).

No Winner in Space Elevator Contest
The X Prize Space Elevator prize went unclaimed yet again this year. This is the second attempt to claim the Beamed Power and Tether Challenges sponsored by NASA. The goal of the Beamed Power challenge was to develop a crawler capable of climbing a 55-meter long ribbon at a speed of at least one meter per second using external power. This year's closest attempt went to the University of Saskatchewan which made the climb in 57 second, nearly two seconds short of its goal. The prize rolls over to $500,000 for next year. The Tether challenge also produced no winners. Its objective is to produce a lightweight two-meter tether capable of exceeding the strength of a "house" tether. This year's best tether, developed by Astroaraneae, broke at a force of 1330 pounds compared to the house tether which withstood 1660 pounds of force. Both of these challenges are being sponsored by NASA in the hopes of someday developing a space elevator capable of ferrying people and cargo into orbit. According to the LiftPort Group, if materials continue to develop at this rapid pace, a functioning space elevator might be possible by the year 2031.
(Leahy, Bart. http://space.com/news/061026_xprize_nowinners.html, 10/26/06).

Armadillo Crash Means no X Prize Lunar Lander
This year's X-Prize Lunar Lander challenge ended with the destruction of its one and only challenger. This year's challenge was entered by only one contestant, John Carmack's Armadillo Aerospace. They submitted two attempts to successfully complete the Lunar Lander challenge, and both failed. The goal of the challenge is to have your rocket take off, climb 50 m, come back and land on a pad 100 meters away from the original point, and then fly back to your original launch pad - an extremely challenging goal. Armadillo's first attempt with the Texel rocket looked good until it had to land. Its legs broke off on the landing. It ended on the desert floor in pieces. Carmack was disappointed with the results but will compete again. "We are going to take a little break to recuperate and catch up on our other responsibilities, then get back at it to nail all the known issues and proceed on to bigger and better things," says Armadillo's chief, John Carmack.
(Sherrif, Lucy. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/26/armadillo_crashes/, 10/26/06).

After Glitch, Russian Ship Successfully Docks with ISS
A Russian Progress cargo ship successfully docked with the International Space Station this week after a tense three and a half hour struggle. The delay came about because Russia's mission control received word that one of the ship's antennas had failed to retract, making it impossible to properly dock. After determining that there was a glitch and that the antenna was fine, the spaceship completed the maneuver with no further incident. The ship was carrying more than 5,000 pounds of cargo including oxygen, fuel, food, and water. Russian officials are indicating that at no point were the astronauts aboard the ISS in any danger whatsoever. The next shuttle mission to the ISS is currently scheduled for December 7th.
(Stepchenkov, Valery.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2006-10-26T215611Z_01_L26657508_RTRUKOC_0_US-SPACE-RUSSIA-DOCKING.xml&pageNumber=1&imageid=&cap=&sz=&WTModLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage1, 10/26/06).

 

 

Commercial

 

 

Government Report Warns of Oversight over Space Tourism
A recently released Government Accountability Office report warns the Federal Aviation Administration that more regulations need to be in place if they hope to provide safety for the quickly blossoming space tourism industry. According to the report, six spaceports in five states have already obtained launch operator's licenses from the FAA, and as many as eight additional spaceports are in the offing. "To carry out these responsibilities and address the serious safety implications of the industry's expansion...FAA will need sufficient expertise...to evaluate a range of highly complex launch technologies," warns the GAO report. FAA officials have responded by suggesting they will seek more federal funding as soon as "they can be justified through the annual budget process."
(Wheeler, Larry. http://www.flatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061025/BREAKINGNEWS/61025033/1007/NEWS02, 10/25/06).

 

 

Opinion

 

 

Opinion: The Race for Space
In an article published in this month's Foreign Policy magazine, Theresa Hitchens argues that the Bush administration's new space policy might inadvertently fuel a space arms race with countries like China. She argues that the new policy is much more US-centric than past releases, and that it should be seen as giving the ‘ok' to the military to develop space weapons. She argues that though an arms race has not yet manifested itself, there is definitely a "rhetorical space race" brewing between China and the United States. She also argues that the US is probably 10 years away from an actual, working space weapon; however, we could currently take out enemy satellites with missiles and/or mini-satellites designed to maneuver into a larger, target satellite. She warns that the new policy is upsetting our allies and others in the international community. "We are now the bad guy in space. We want to dominate and claim rights for ourselves that we don't want to give to other people."
(Foreign Policy, http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3624, 10/2006).

Editorial: Spacing Out
A recent editorial in the National Review argues that the new space policy was right to protect American interests in space. Citing Reagan's protection of the Strategic Defense Initiative as a success against an enemy that was attempting to limit its options in space, the National Review argues that the US shouldn't let anyone tie our hands. "We shouldn't let the enemies of American space power limit our options now." The National Review defines the debate as a conflict of visions between "hawks who recognize the importance of space power in the 21st century and doves who think international treaties restricting America's technological advantages in space would make the world safer." They go on to say that a ban on space weapons would be "devastating to American interests," especially with regard to our ability to intercept ICBM's in space.
(The National Review. http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MTcwNDIzZGIwNDNlODVjZmU4YmE3MDQ0ODE2OGFjYjc=, 10/24/06).

 

Space Watch
Week of October 30 -November 3, 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

 

Hubble Decision Expected Soon
This Friday, NASA engineers will debate whether or not they will send a fifth and final manned shuttle flight to one of the nation's most famous orbiting spacecrafts, the Hubble Space Telescope. The "people's telescope" is now sixteen years old, and NASA is inquiring whether it should use up one of its few remaining shuttle flights to service the aging telescope. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin will be making the final call on the Hubble decision soon after the debate this weekend. If nothing is done, the Hubble is likely to stop functioning sometime in 2009 or 2010. Griffin has expressed a willingness in the past to service what he calls "one of the greatest scientific instruments of all time," but he is worried about the safety of his astronauts in undertaking the repair. "If we can do it safely, we want to do it," said Griffin.
(Schneider, Mike. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061023/ap_on_sc/shuttle_hubble, 10/23/06).

China Launches Two Satellites
China successfully launched two scientific satellites on board a Long March carrier rocket this week. The two crafts were launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in China's Shanxi province. Both satellites are designed to explore the space environment, conduct experimentation on radiation in space, and explore the parameters of the physical environment of space. The launch marked the 50th consecutive successful launch of the Long March rocket for China, a stretch that goes back to October 1996.
(Xinhua, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-10/24/content_5240968.htm, 10/24/06).

NASA's STEREO Project Successfully Launches
This week, NASA successfully launched its STEREO project into orbit around the sun. The system consists of two spacecraft - one in front of and one behind the Earth in orbit around the sun. The project is designed to study solar eruptions in three dimensions and figure out what triggers the enormous blasts. These solar blasts can be as powerful as 10 billion tons of the sun's atmosphere and can reach speeds of 1 million miles per hour in space. They have been known to damage satellites, disrupt communications, and threaten astronauts. One of the goals for the STEREO program is to allow scientists to predict and forecast these solar blasts. The $550 million program was launched on board a Delta 2 rocket into orbit on Wednesday. The two crafts will fly past the moon by December 15th with one of them catching the moon's gravity and flinging itself into position ahead of the Earth's orbit. This will all be accomplished by the end of January, and the program will give readings for the next two years.
(Harwood, William. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d319/, 10/25/06).

No Winner in Space Elevator Contest
The X Prize Space Elevator prize went unclaimed yet again this year. This is the second attempt to claim the Beamed Power and Tether Challenges sponsored by NASA. The goal of the Beamed Power challenge was to develop a crawler capable of climbing a 55-meter long ribbon at a speed of at least one meter per second using external power. This year's closest attempt went to the University of Saskatchewan which made the climb in 57 second, nearly two seconds short of its goal. The prize rolls over to $500,000 for next year. The Tether challenge also produced no winners. Its objective is to produce a lightweight two-meter tether capable of exceeding the strength of a "house" tether. This year's best tether, developed by Astroaraneae, broke at a force of 1330 pounds compared to the house tether which withstood 1660 pounds of force. Both of these challenges are being sponsored by NASA in the hopes of someday developing a space elevator capable of ferrying people and cargo into orbit. According to the LiftPort Group, if materials continue to develop at this rapid pace, a functioning space elevator might be possible by the year 2031.
(Leahy, Bart. http://space.com/news/061026_xprize_nowinners.html, 10/26/06).

Armadillo Crash Means no X Prize Lunar Lander
This year's X-Prize Lunar Lander challenge ended with the destruction of its one and only challenger. This year's challenge was entered by only one contestant, John Carmack's Armadillo Aerospace. They submitted two attempts to successfully complete the Lunar Lander challenge, and both failed. The goal of the challenge is to have your rocket take off, climb 50 m, come back and land on a pad 100 meters away from the original point, and then fly back to your original launch pad - an extremely challenging goal. Armadillo's first attempt with the Texel rocket looked good until it had to land. Its legs broke off on the landing. It ended on the desert floor in pieces. Carmack was disappointed with the results but will compete again. "We are going to take a little break to recuperate and catch up on our other responsibilities, then get back at it to nail all the known issues and proceed on to bigger and better things," says Armadillo's chief, John Carmack.
(Sherrif, Lucy. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/26/armadillo_crashes/, 10/26/06).

After Glitch, Russian Ship Successfully Docks with ISS
A Russian Progress cargo ship successfully docked with the International Space Station this week after a tense three and a half hour struggle. The delay came about because Russia's mission control received word that one of the ship's antennas had failed to retract, making it impossible to properly dock. After determining that there was a glitch and that the antenna was fine, the spaceship completed the maneuver with no further incident. The ship was carrying more than 5,000 pounds of cargo including oxygen, fuel, food, and water. Russian officials are indicating that at no point were the astronauts aboard the ISS in any danger whatsoever. The next shuttle mission to the ISS is currently scheduled for December 7th.
(Stepchenkov, Valery.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2006-10-26T215611Z_01_L26657508_RTRUKOC_0_US-SPACE-RUSSIA-DOCKING.xml&pageNumber=1&imageid=&cap=&sz=&WTModLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage1, 10/26/06).

 

 

Commercial

 

 

Government Report Warns of Oversight over Space Tourism
A recently released Government Accountability Office report warns the Federal Aviation Administration that more regulations need to be in place if they hope to provide safety for the quickly blossoming space tourism industry. According to the report, six spaceports in five states have already obtained launch operator's licenses from the FAA, and as many as eight additional spaceports are in the offing. "To carry out these responsibilities and address the serious safety implications of the industry's expansion...FAA will need sufficient expertise...to evaluate a range of highly complex launch technologies," warns the GAO report. FAA officials have responded by suggesting they will seek more federal funding as soon as "they can be justified through the annual budget process."
(Wheeler, Larry. http://www.flatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061025/BREAKINGNEWS/61025033/1007/NEWS02, 10/25/06).

 

 

Opinion

 

 

Opinion: The Race for Space
In an article published in this month's Foreign Policy magazine, Theresa Hitchens argues that the Bush administration's new space policy might inadvertently fuel a space arms race with countries like China. She argues that the new policy is much more US-centric than past releases, and that it should be seen as giving the ‘ok' to the military to develop space weapons. She argues that though an arms race has not yet manifested itself, there is definitely a "rhetorical space race" brewing between China and the United States. She also argues that the US is probably 10 years away from an actual, working space weapon; however, we could currently take out enemy satellites with missiles and/or mini-satellites designed to maneuver into a larger, target satellite. She warns that the new policy is upsetting our allies and others in the international community. "We are now the bad guy in space. We want to dominate and claim rights for ourselves that we don't want to give to other people."
(Foreign Policy, http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3624, 10/2006).

Editorial: Spacing Out
A recent editorial in the National Review argues that the new space policy was right to protect American interests in space. Citing Reagan's protection of the Strategic Defense Initiative as a success against an enemy that was attempting to limit its options in space, the National Review argues that the US shouldn't let anyone tie our hands. "We shouldn't let the enemies of American space power limit our options now." The National Review defines the debate as a conflict of visions between "hawks who recognize the importance of space power in the 21st century and doves who think international treaties restricting America's technological advantages in space would make the world safer." They go on to say that a ban on space weapons would be "devastating to American interests," especially with regard to our ability to intercept ICBM's in space.
(The National Review. http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MTcwNDIzZGIwNDNlODVjZmU4YmE3MDQ0ODE2OGFjYjc=, 10/24/06).