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Monday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from across the globe, plus a look back at weekend events. Three win trips to NASA space centers in a Coalition for Space Exploration/NASA Visitor Consortium-sponsored video contest, Why Space Matters to the Future. Orbital Science Corp’s Antares rocket lifts off from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport of Virginia Sunday, advancing the company’s bid to become a re-supply service for the International Space Station. Spacewalking cosmonauts deploy experiments and prep the space station for the arrival of a European Space Agency un-piloted supply ship in June. Former NASA astronauts Eileen Collins, Curt Brown and Bonnie Dunbar enter the U. S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. North Korea moves two short range missile launchers, suggesting a test flight is near. Russia launches a Bion space experiment with dozens of small animals. Looking for signs of life on alien planets. In letters, Congressional hearings and op-eds top U.S. policy makers debate the merits of NASA’s proposed 2014 budget. The U. S. General Accountability Office offers NASA a pat on the back and a caution in efforts to reform the management of major programs. Bigelow Aerospace eyes the moon for future commercial ventures. A look at major space policy activities scheduled for the week ahead.
1. From The Coalition for Space Exploration, April 19: Addie Augsburger, Clyzzel Samson and Elizabeth Paddock win the Coalition for Space Exploration/NASA Visitor Consortium-sponsored “Why Space Matters to the Future,” contest. Their winning videos creatively address the contest theme with visions of space colonization, heroic explorers and new worlds. Winners receive trips to the U. S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama; Kennedy Space Center Complex Visitor Center in Florida; and Space Center Houston in Texas. The winning productions will be featured on contest sponsored websites and social media.
A. From The Huntsville Times, April 19: “Contestants were asked to share their vision of why space matters to the future and focus on three questions: How has space affected, influenced or inspired you? What are the values and benefits of space exploration? Why should we continue to explore space?”
http://blog.al.com/breaking/2013/04/why_space_matters_in_two_minut.html
B. From the Wall Street Journal, April 19: http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20130419-911204.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
C. From NASAwatch.com, April 19: http://nasawatch.com/archives/2013/04/why-space-matte.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nasawatch%2FAekt+%28NASA+Watch%29
D. From Mlive.com, April 19: http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2013/04/twin_3-year-olds_love_for_spac.html
2. From Spaceflightnow.com, April 21: Orbital Sciences Corp., achieves a successful test launch of the company’s Antares rocket from Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Sunday. At just under 19 minutes, the test featured a flawless flight of the two stage rocket and deployment of a mock Cygnus cargo capsule. Orbital Sciences, a participant in NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program, is developing a U. S. re-supply service for the International Space Station. The test launch was postponed twice last week because of a technical problem and a wind constraint.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/antares/demo/130421launch/#.UXT8vKLQq6o
A. From Discovery.com, April 21: Orbital Sciences “aces” Antares test flight.
http://news.discovery.com/space/private-spaceflight/antares-rocket-aces-first-test-flight-130421.htm
B. From The Washington Post, April 21: Photos of the Antares test launch.
3. From Space.com, April 19: During a spacewalk on Friday, Cosmonauts Pavel Vinogradov and Roman Romanenko prep the International Space Station for the June arrival of an un-piloted European Space Agency re-supply ship and retrieve external science experiments.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/20735-russian-cosmonauts-spacewalk-station.html
A. From The Associated Press via The Houston Chronicle, April 19: Cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov, at 59, becomes the world’s oldest space walker. He eclipsed former NASA astronaut Story Musgrave, who led repairs to the Hubble Space Telescope at 58 during a 1993 shuttle mission.
http://www.chron.com/default/article/Russian-becomes-world-s-oldest-spacewalker-at-59-4447486.php
4. From AmericaSpace.com, April 20: The U. S. Astronaut Hall of Fame inducts former NASA astronauts Eileen Collins, Curt Brown and Bonnie Dunbar in ceremonies on Saturday. Collins was the first woman to pilot and command space shuttle missions. Brown served as the pilot or commander of six shuttle flights, including missions to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. Dunbar flew aboard five shuttle missions, including the first to dock with Russia’s former Mir space station.
http://www.americaspace.com/?p=34444
A. From Florida Today, April 20: Hundreds attend the annual U. S. Astronaut Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
5. From Reuters via The New York Times, April 21: North Korea moves two short range missile launchers, a sign of plans to proceed with a test mission, according to South Korean news sources.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/21/world/asia/north-korea-is-said-to-move-missile-launchers.html?_r=0
6. From Spaceflightnow.com, April 19: Russia’s Bion M1 orbital mission takes flight on a Soyuz rocket with mice, geckos, gerbils, snails, micro organisms and plants. The orbital mission is planned for 30 days.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1304/19bionm1/#.UXQZ16LQq6p
7. From Space.com, April 19: Last week, scientists announced the discovery of new “habitable zone” planets using the Kepler space telescope. More capable space observatories could examine the atmospheres of these distant planets for signs of oxygen, carbon dioxide and other gases indicative of biological activity, they say.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/20733-alien-life-search-next-phase.html
8. From Spacepolitics.com, April 19: U. S. Rep. Lamar Smith, chair of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, challenges White House science policy adviser John Holdren on President Obama’s proposed mission for NASA — the corralling of a small asteroid close to the moon, where it can be explored by U. S. astronauts. Holdren testified in behalf of the administration’s wider research and development budget.
http://www.spacepolitics.com/2013/04/19/smiths-continued-skepticism-about-nasas-asteroid-mission/
A. From The Los Angeles Times, April 19: California lawmakers urge NASA Administrator Charles Bolden to maintain spending on planetary science.
9. From The Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 21: “NASA has played an indispensable role in the progress of America,” writes NASA Administrator Charles Bolden in an op-ed. “and as our global village transforms itself into a highly competitive, technology-driven 21st-century community, the business of space is increasingly becoming the business of America.”
http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/04/todays_nasa_support_will_stren.html
10. From Florida Today, April 20: The U. S. General Accountability Office, the watchdog arm of Congress, expresses cost, schedule concerns for the James Webb Space Telescope in a new report that finds NASA improving overall in project management. The JWST is slated for a late 2018 lift off. The GAO is cautious about development efforts for the Space Launch System and Orion crew vehicle as well.
11. From NBC News.com and Cosmic Log, April 19: NASA and Las Vegas-based Bigelow Aerospace look toward a role for the private sector in destinations as distant as the moon in a Space Act Agreement. Bigelow eyes lunar bases and in space fuel depots.
12. From Spacepolicyonline.com, April 21: A look at the major space policy events scheduled for the week ahead.
http://www.spacepolicyonline.com/news/space-policy-events-for-the-week-of-april-21-26-2013
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