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Friday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from around the world. In the U. S., a week of tributes to the astronauts who perished aboard three NASA missions draws to a close on Friday — the 10th anniversary of shuttle Columbia’s fatal breakup. Overnight, Sea Launch loses a Zenit booster and its Intelsat communications satellite. NASA and the Canadian Space Agency team up aboard the International Space Station to demonstrate a robotic capability to re-fuel aging satellites. NASA to host a workshop for experts to discuss how a pair of U. S. spy satellites might be transformed into space observatories. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield photographs the Earth.
1. From The Houston Chronicle: Friday, marks the 10th anniversary of the shuttle Columbia tragedy. In an editorial, the Chronicle urges the nation to honor the loss of the astronauts’ lives by forging ahead with the human exploration of space.
http://www.chron.com/default/article/Remembering-space-shuttle-Columbia-4240968.php
A. From Wayne Hale’s blog: The former NASA flight director, now retired, rose to deputy shuttle program manager, then manager after the Columbia tragedy. In his blog, Hale draws some lessons learned from Columbia’s crash. No one is too good to fail.
http://waynehale.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/after-ten-years-enduring-lessons/
B. From The Associated Press via The Washington Post: Friday marks the 10th anniversary of shuttle Columbia’s fatal breakup, a tragedy that claimed seven lives. NASA wrestled with what to tell the Columbia crew after tracking cameras revealed a piece of debris striking the ship’s heat shield as the shuttle lifted off. The agency offered the astronauts reassurance, though some engineers were troubled.
C. From USA Today: At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, shuttle managers and the families of the astronauts lapsed into shock as they waited for Columbia to land.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/31/columbia-shuttle-anniversary/1878635/
D. From Florida Today: NASA’s Kennedy Space Center will host a memorial Friday for Columbia’s astronauts.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20130131/SPACE/130131014/-
E. From Space.com: A decade after Columbia’s loss, the experts agree, human space flight is risky. It’s an equation that will not change quickly.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/19567-columbia-shuttle-disaster-spaceflight-risk.html
F. From The Orlando Sentinel: A decade ago, Nacogdoches in East Texas was a focal point in the search for the astronauts and debris from Columbia’s fatal breakup. Efforts to establish an national memorial have yet to materialize. However, the community has moved ahead with its own plans to commemorate what its residents considered their patriotic duty: find the remains and the wreckage with the clues to explain how the tragedy occurred.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/space/os-columbia-10-years-nacogdoches-20130131,0,6653683.story
2. From Ria Novosti, of Russia: Early Friday, a Sea Launch Zenit booster carrying an Intelsat communications satellite fails seconds after lifting off.
http://en.rian.ru/science/20130201/179166542/Zenit-Rocket-Launch-Fails-as-Engine-Shuts-Down.html
3. From Aviation Week & Space Technology: Using robotic hardware aboard the International Space Station, NASA and Canadian flight controllers join forces to demonstrate a satellite refueling capability. The efforts that unfolded in January could pave the way for future commercial efforts to prolong the lives of aging satellites.
http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/AW_01_28_2013_p16-537986.xml
4. From Spacepolicyonline.com: NASA will host a workshop to discuss possible astronomy missions for a pair of surplus National Reconnaissance Agency spy satellites.
http://www.spacepolicyonline.com/news/nasa-to-hold-workshop-on-best-use-of-its-two-free-telescopes
5. From Space.com: The Earth as photographed by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield from the International Space Station.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/19558-chris-hadfield-earth-from-space-photos.html
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