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NASA, Grumman sign radar development pact

Wed, 27/02/2008 - 15:02 by MT Bureau

Washington -- The U.S. space agency and the Northrop Grumman Corp. signed an agreement to develop systems to explore life and climate on Earth and other planets.

Researchers from Grumman's electronic systems division and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Goddard Space Flight Center are to collaborate in developing advanced civil radar system architectures that can be leveraged into new space-based remote sensing instruments.

The new systems are expected to revolutionize the study of other planets and to provide a leap forward in helping scientists understand climate change and the carbon cycle on Earth, officials said.

"The current state of the art for measuring carbon biomass in forests involves measuring tree-trunk diameters with tape measures," said Peter Hildebrand, Goddard's lead investigator for the project. "Since forests are huge, we obviously have a sampling problem.

NASA issues draft of shuttle assessment

Tue, 26/02/2008 - 00:50 by MT Bureau

Washington-- The U.S. space agency has issued a draft environmental assessment on potential impacts resulting from the space shuttle's retirement in 2010.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's assessment concludes that, because of the use of shuttle components and facilities by that program's successor, the Constellation project, potential environmental impacts from disposing of the shuttle program's property will be minimal to moderate, depending on the property disposition method.

Federal law requires agencies to consider the potential environmental consequences of their proposed actions before deciding whether and how to proceed.

Options for disposal of property include reuse by other NASA programs, storing for future NASA use, demolition or release to the General Services Administration for disposition.

NASA names new space shuttle manager

Tue, 26/02/2008 - 00:19 by MT Bureau

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency has named John Shannon as its new space shuttle program manager.

Shannon succeeds N. Wayne Hale Jr., who becomes the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's deputy associate administrator for strategic partnerships. Shannon has been Hale's deputy since November 2005.

Hale has served as the manager of the space shuttle program since September 2005. In his new position, he will work in Houston as a senior NASA official in the space operations directorate, creating public and private sector alliances with the space agency, NASA said.

As the manager of the shuttle program, Shannon will be responsible for overall management, integration and operations. He began his NASA career as a flight control officer in 1988.

Japan Launches Internet Satellite

Sat, 23/02/2008 - 22:10 by MT Bureau

Tokyo -- Japan says a satellite launched into orbit Saturday could deliver Internet service many times faster than cable or DSL.

The WINDS satellite was launched aboard a rocket in a joint venture between the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, CNN reported.

The satellite will test new technology that aims to deliver "super high-speed Internet" service around the world, said a statement from JAXA.

Initially, subscribers with small dishes in the Asia-Pacific region close to Japan would connect to the Internet through the satellite, CNN reported.

"Among other uses, this will make possible great advances in telemedicine, which will bring high-quality medical treatment to remote areas, and in distance education, connecting students and teachers separated by great distances," the statement said.

China Accuses U.S. of Double Standards

Fri, 22/02/2008 - 23:54 by MT Bureau

Honolulu -- China accused the United States of double standards Thursday after the U.S. Navy destroyed a dying spy satellite before it fell to Earth.

The People's Daily newspaper was critical of the mission, accusing the U.S. government of trying to win a military advantage in space, while criticizing other nations for their space ambitions, the Financial Times reported.

The Financial Times said the United States rejected suggestions it was using the failed satellite as an excuse to conduct an anti-satellite weapons test. The United States was sharply critical of China last year for destroying an aging weather satellite in space without providing advance notice.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.

Greenland Ice Loss Linked with Air Temps

Fri, 22/02/2008 - 14:52 by MT Bureau

Greenbelt, Md. -- A U.S. space agency study has confirmed the surface temperature of Greenland's massive ice sheet has been rising, stoked by increasing air temperatures.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientists used satellite technologies to explore the behavior of the ice sheet, revealing a relationship between changes occurring at the surface and those below.

"The relationship between surface temperature and mass loss lends further credence to earlier work showing rapid response of the ice sheet to surface meltwater," said Dorothy Hall, a senior researcher in cryospheric sciences at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., and lead author of the study.

The scientists said they found the paired surface temperature and gravity data confirm a strong connection between surface melting in areas below 6,500 feet in elevation, and ice loss throughout the ice sheet's giant mass.

NASA Revises Discovery Launch Date

Thu, 21/02/2008 - 13:53 by MT Bureau

Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- The U.S. space agency has revised the date of the launch of space shuttle Discovery, targeting May 25 at 7:26 p.m. EDT for liftoff of the STS-124 mission.

The flight originally was targeted for an April 24 launch, but fuel sensor system repair work on STS-122 and STS-123 delayed final preparations of Discovery's external fuel tank, NASA said.

Officials also noted the shuttle cannot undertake a mission to the International Space Station May 7-25 because the angle of the sun with respect to the plane of the station's orbit is too high to generate sufficient solar power for the mission.

NASA said Discovery's revised launch date will not affect the remainder of the shuttle manifest. During the mission, the shuttle's seven-member crew will deliver the pressurized module and the robotic arm of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory.

GLAST Rocket Arrives at Cape Canaveral

Thu, 21/02/2008 - 13:49 by MT Bureau

Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- The first stage of the Delta II rocket to be used to launch the Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope, or GLAST, has arrived at Cape Canaveral, Fla.

GLAST will explore the most extreme environments in the universe, where nature harnesses energies far beyond anything possible on Earth, said Kevin Grady, the GLAST project manager. He said the telescope will be used to search for signs of new laws of physics and what composes the mysterious dark matter, explain how black holes accelerate immense jets of material to nearly light speed and help solve the mysteries of the enormously powerful explosions known as gamma-ray bursts.

GLAST is to be launched May 16 from the Kennedy Space Center.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration plans to rename the observatory and has invited the public to submit name suggestions that can be an acronym but it isn't a requirement. The suggestions can be submitted through March 31 at http://glast.sonoma.edu/glastname.

Private firm to create orbital services

Thu, 21/02/2008 - 12:53 by MT Bureau

Washington -- The U.S. space agency has selected the Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va., to develop and demonstrate commercial orbital transportation services.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said such services might open new markets and pave the way for contracts to launch and deliver crew and cargo to the International Space Station.

NASA and Orbital Sciences signed a contract under the Commercial Orbital
Transportation Services Project, known as COTS. Orbital will receive approximately $170 million in federal funds to supplement its privately funded efforts.

Through COTS, NASA said it is helping U.S. private industry develop reliable, cost- effective access to low Earth orbit. The intent is to create a market environment in which commercial space transportation services are available to government and private sector customers.

Mysterious Material Found on Saturn Moons

Wed, 20/02/2008 - 23:18 by MT Bureau

Denver -- U.S. space scientists are investigating an unidentified black material coating the surfaces of some of Saturn's moons.

Astronomers said there's mounting evidence some mechanism has spread the material found on several of the moons from one to another and the material might have a common cometary origin.

Roger Clark of the U.S. Geological Survey in Denver said the Cassini spacecraft found the same spectral signature on all the moons -- Phoebe, Iapetus, Hyperion, Epimetheus -- and Saturn's F-ring that have coatings of dark material.

But the scientists said they don't know where the material originated or what it is.

"It's a mystery, which makes it intriguing," said Clark. "The data keep getting better and better. We're ruling things out and figuring out pieces."

Space shuttle Atlantis returns to Earth

Wed, 20/02/2008 - 21:21 by MT Bureau

Cape Canaveral, Fla -- U.S. space shuttle Atlantis and its seven crew members safely returned to Earth Wednesday under what were described as virtually ideal weather conditions.

Four landing opportunities were available for the astronauts, but none except the first was needed at the 3-mile-long Kennedy Space Center runway with Atlantis touching down as scheduled at 9:07 a.m. Wednesday on orbit 202, National Aeronautics and Space Administration controllers said. The uneventful touchdown ended a 13-day mission to the International Space Station.

The landing occurred on the 46th anniversary of John Glenn's becoming the first American to orbit the Earth. Glenn's Feb. 20, 1962, flight lasted 4 hours, 55 minutes and 23 seconds.

STS-122 arrived at the ISS Feb. 9, delivering the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory. The shuttle and ISS crews installed Columbus Feb. 11 and conducted three spacewalks to prepare the laboratory for its scientific work. They also replaced an expended space station nitrogen tank.

Endeavor Ready for Terminal Countdown

Wed, 20/02/2008 - 13:15 by MT Bureau

Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- The U.S. space agency said shuttle Endeavour, now at its Kennedy Space Center launch pad, will undergo a terminal countdown test this weekend.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said the terminal countdown demonstration test is the next major milestone for the upcoming STS-123 mission to the International Space Station. It involves a full launch "dress rehearsal" to take place Friday through Monday.

Endeavour is scheduled for launch March 11 on a 16-day mission. NASA said the seven crew members will deliver the first section of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory and the Canadian Space Agency's two-armed robotic system, Dextre. Five spacewalks will be conducted during the flight.

The STS-123 astronauts and ground crews will participate in the terminal countdown demonstration test, providing the crews an opportunity to take part in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency training.