Today’s Deep Space Extra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from across the globe. Though a challenge, humans will reach Mars with more assets than the Apollo astronauts had as they stepped to the surface of the moon, says Apollo 11’s Buzz Aldrin. NASA has been prepping for Mars for a half century, says Dava Newman, the agency’s deputy administrator. NASA calls out Congress for funding issues associated with the Commercial Crew Program, while declaring a likely two year delay in the first piloted flight of the Orion crew exploration capsule. NASA’s New Horizons mission team releases new images of Pluto, revealing unexpected complexity and beauty. A NASA sponsored competition is preparing CubeSats for deep space missions launched aboard the new Space Launch System exploration rocket in late 2018. Russia’s space legacy goes on display in London. NASA’s inspector general questions the agency’s response to the Oct. 28 launch loss of Orbital ATK’s third NASA contracted re-supply mission to the International Space Station.
Human Deep Space Exploration
Buzz Aldrin wants humans on Mars by 2040
Wisconsin Public Radio (9/17): The first human explorers will reach Mars with more assets than the first Apollo astronauts had when they reached the moon, predicts Apollo 11’s Buzz Aldrin. Aldrin is developing a Mars settlement strategy at the Florida Institute of Technology that includes the pre-staging of Martian habitats, and contributions from the private sector. His envisions a human landing by 2040.
Montana to Mars: Newman guides NASA effort
USA Today via the Great Falls Tribune (9/17): Just four months into her new job as NASA’s deputy administrator, Montana native Dava Newman is convinced the space agency can overcome the obstacles of reaching Mars with astronauts within 20 years, including the radiation, isolation and supply requirements. “It’s important to remember we are already at Mars, with five rovers, landers and orbiters,” she points out. “Great science is being done at Mars every single day.”
In simmering war over NASA’s commercial crew program, Congress strikes back
Houston Chronicle (9/17): NASA has a message for Congress regarding its human spaceflight priorities: Fund the Commercial Crew Program initiative to establish competing U.S. private launch transportation services for astronauts traveling to and from the International Space Station, according to the report. At the same time, NASA said the first piloted flight of the Orion crew exploration capsule will likely slip from 2021 to 2023, citing management, technical and budget uncertainties.
Why NASA is pushing back Orion first manned spaceflight
Christian Science Monitor (9/17): NASA points to a combination of management, technology and budget concerns for a likely delay in the first human test flight of the new Orion crew exploration capsule. As envisioned, the combination of challenges will move that launch from 2021 to 2023. The flight will send astronauts looping around the moon and returning to Earth. The Exploration Mission-2 test flight would mark an important milestone for NASA’s Space Launch System exploration rocket as well.
Unmanned Deep Space Exploration
Pluto spectacular! Glaciers, hazes, majestic peaks revealed in new photos
Universe Today (9/17): New photos from NASA’s New Horizons mission, released Thursday, reveal distant Pluto’s icy plains, rugged mountains, glacier sculpted terrain and hazy atmosphere. New Horizons carried out the first ever flyby of Pluto on July 14.
Stunning new Pluto pictures are “a scientific bonanza”
CBS News (9/17): New images of Pluto from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft indicate the presence of some sort of active cycle reminiscent of Earth’s water-based hydrologic cycle. But on Pluto, the cycle is based on the transport of exotic ices and not the water ice found on Earth. New Horizons is transmitting imagery back to Earth from its July 14 flyby.
5 teams share first round of NASA Cubesat prizes
Space News (9/17): Competing teams from academia and professional engineering groups receive NASA grants of $20,000 to develop CubeSats for deep space missions. Three of competitors could see their creations launched on Exploration Mission-1, the first unpiloted test flight of NASA’s Space Launch System exploration rocket, in late 2018.
Low Earth Orbit
The crown jewels of the Soviet space age
Motherboard, of Great Britain (9/17): Russian space treasures go on public display in London at the Science Museum, including Vostok 6, the capsule that housed Valentina Tereshkova as she became the first woman in space in 1963. Tereshkova circled the Earth for almost three days.
Commercial to Low Earth Orbit
NASA could have cut costs after botched Orbital launch: watchdog
Reuters (9/17): In a report released Thursday, NASA’s inspector general questions NASA’s handling of Orbital ATK’s Oct. 28, 2014 launch loss of a re-supply mission to the International Space Station. Technical and operational risks loom as Orbital plans a recovery from the explosion of the Antares launch vehicle moments after liftoff from Wallops Island, Va., according to the auditors. The recovery strategy includes the use of United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 launch vehicles as well as a modified version of the Antares rocket and a larger Cygnus cargo capsule to meet the company’s cargo delivery obligations under a NASA re-supply contract.