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Today’s Deep Space Extra for Wednesday, February 3, 2016

February 3rd, 2016

In Today’s Deep Space Extra… The inaugural test flight of NASA’s Space Launch System exploration rocket will introduce 13 CubeSats to deep space while propelling an unpiloted Orion crew capsule around the moon.

Human Deep Space Exploration

NASA picks tiny satellites to ride on giant rocket’s 1st flight 
Space.com (2/2): NASA’s looking to 2018 for the inaugural launch of its Space Launch System exploration rocket on a test flight around the moon with an uncrewed Orion crew capsule. The SLS is powerful enough to launch additional payloads, an assortment of 13 science mission CubeSats announced by NASA on Tuesday. Some will observe the moon. One powered by a solar sail will attempt to survey an asteroid.

Space Science

NASA is running out of plutonium for spacecraft, but a new plan could help out
Popular Science (2/2): After a production hiatus, the U.S. Department of Energy is again producing plutonium 238 as a radioactive power source for NASA planetary missions. Physicists are looking at improvements in the production process to produce more of the radioactive material of a higher quality.

Odd star’s dimming not aliens’ doing
Science News (2/2): Mystery solved? KIC 8462852, a star about 1,480 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus, exhibited an unusual flickering behavior in observations with NASA’s Kepler space telescope. Some experts suggested the flickering might be the signature of a hypothesized structure assembled by an intelligent alien civilization to trap energy generated by a host star, a swarm of comets or even poor observing technique. The mystery, however, lives on, though astronomers believe the cause is something natural.

Low Earth Orbit

Shuttle commander, space walker to enter Astronaut Hall of Fame
Collectspace.com (2/2): NASA astronaut Brian Duffy led the space agency’s 100th space shuttle mission. Scott Parazynski, a medical doctor and spacewalking NASA astronaut, also found an opportunity to summit Mt. Everest. Both men will be inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame on May 14. All together, they launched on nine shuttle missions.

South Korea, Japan condemn planned North Korea satellite launch
CNN (2/3): North Korea has disclosed plans to launch an Earth observation satellite between Feb. 8 and 25. Others nations view the announcement as cover for a ballistic missile test. Neighboring South Korea and China condemned and expressed deep concerns over the launch.

Japan military on alert over North Korea’s planned rocket launch
Reuters (2/3): Japan placed its military on alert Wednesday over North Korea’s plans to launch a satellite between Feb. 8 and 25 and vowed to shoot down the launcher if it poses a threat.

Carter: Pentagon budget will do “even more” for space protection
Space News (2/2): The Pentagon intends to step up efforts to protect U.S. national security satellites in orbit, U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter said Tuesday in remarks previewing the 2017 budget. “Last year we added over $5 billion in new investments to make us better postured,” according to a transcript of his remarks before the Economic Club of Washington. “And then in 2017 we’re doing even more, enhancing our ability to identify, attribute and negate all threatening actions in space.”

Commercial to Low Earth Orbit

Arianespace prepares for ownership and operational overhaul
Space News (2/2): Major change is coming to Arianespace, the French launch services company, as it becomes a 74-percent-owned subsidiary of Airbus Safran Launchers. The pressure is on in the European rocket industry to reduce costs.

Russia’s chief research institute doubts effectiveness of reusable rockets
TASS, or Russia (2/1): TsNIIMash, the chief research institute for the Russian space corporation Roscosmos, has cast doubts on the economic value of reusable launch hardware.  “First and foremost it will depend on how often launches will be made. At the moment it is hard to forecast which way the market of launch services will go when reusable space rockets become available,” according to a TsNIIMash spokesman.

 

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