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Today’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from across the globe. Boeing outlines new upper stage prospects for NASA’s Space Launch System. U.S. experts ponder but differ on goals of a deep space program. Sheer numbers complicate search for alien life. Super Earths, mini Neptunes most populous among planet types in Milky Way. Atmosphere on super Earth exo-planet observed for first time. Kepler observations reveal unlikely gas planet about the size of the Earth. Sun changes polarity. Orbital Sciences Corp readies Wednesday cargo launch to the International Space Station. Public urged to support NASA’s commercial crew initiative. SpaceX delivers satellite to orbit.
Human Deep Space Exploration
New mission concepts for SLS with use of large upper stage
America Space (1/6): New upper stage proposed for NASA’s Space Launch System, a heavy lift rocket intended to start U.S. explorers on new missions of deep space exploration, enlarges the envelope of possible missions, according to Boeing, the contractor. Among the prospects potentially enabled by the larger upper stage is Bigelow Aerospace’s proposed BA 2100 inflatable habitat, a commercial space station. The full range of new prospects studied by Boeing fall into four categories: orbital destinations, cislunar and lunar missions, Mars and Outer Solar System destinations.
What’s a deep space program for?
The Space Review (1/6): TSR editor Jeff Foust ponders the range of possible answers to his question and finds they represent the considered outlooks of experts who have not reached a consensus. “There’s little sign, though, that policymakers will adopt any those ideas any time soon” he concludes in an op-ed.
Unmanned Deep Space Exploration
Anybody out there? The how and what of alien life
New Scientist (1/6): A quick look at three recently published books on the topic. As a seminal observation, consider there are an estimated 100 billion galaxies in the observable universe, with about 100 billion stars in each. The latest observation suggest there are more planets than stars. Despite the hype about E.T., these estimates handicap speculation about life elsewhere.
‘Super-Earths’ and ‘mini-Neptunes’ abound among planets outside our solar system
Washington Post (1/6): More than three-quarters of the planet candidates discovered by NASA’s Kepler space telescope since its 2009 launching have sizes ranging from that of Earth to that of Neptune, which is nearly four times as big as Earth. Such planets dominate the galactic census but are not represented in our own solar system. Astronomers don’t know how they form or if they are made of rock, water or gas.
The forecast on GJ 1214b: Extremely cloudy
New York Times (1/6): University of Chicago astronomers spot cloudy conditions on “super Earth” alien planet GJ 1214b using the Hubble Space Telescope. It was the first observation of its type for a class of planets that is considered the most populous in the Milky Way galaxy.
Kepler finds an Earth-sized “gas giant”
Universe Today (1/6): Strange as it may seem, a gas ball of a planet about the size of Earth has been discovered orbiting a distant star. The findings were presented Monday in Washington at the 223rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society.
USA Today (1/6): The sun’s magnetic field has flipped North for South, according to solar physicists. The transformation occurred quietly over the last several months.
Low Earth Orbit
Station crew conducts research; Cygnus on track for Wednesday launch
NASA (1/6): Astronauts aboard the International Space Station begin the week with biomedical research. Week expected to end with arrival of Orbital Sciences’ Cygnus re-supply capsule
Orbital stands ready for mid-week launch of ORB-1 cargo mission
Americaspace.com (1/7): Orbital Sciences Corp. looks to Wednesday for the launching of its first cargo mission to the six person International Space Station under the terms of a NASA eight flight, $1.9 billion Commercial Resupply Services agreement. Planned prior to the Christmas holidays in the U.S., the launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Virginia was delayed for repairs to the station’s thermal control system.
Nosebleed seats: After dramatic spacewalks, astronauts savor Olympic view from orbit
NBC News (1/6): The U.S., Japanese and Russian crew aboard the International Space Station plans to watch the Winter Olympics from Soichi in Russia in real or delayed time. The winter games begin Feb. 7. Station astronauts tell NBC they’ve been photographing the site for the games from space.
Commercial to Low Earth Orbit
Op-ed urging U.S. citizens to demand maximum support for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
The Space Review (1/6): Despite under funding, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program has made significant strides in restoring a U.S. capability to launch American astronauts into Low Earth Orbit, writes Rick Boozer, author and astrophysics researcher in an op-ed. Without political support for the initiative, the U.S. faces continued humiliation at having to turn to the Russians for human launch services, notes Boozer.
SpaceX Delivers Thaicom-6 Satellite to Orbit
Space News (1/6): A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket places a Thai communication satellite in a geosynchronous transfer orbit Monday with a lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., at 5:06 p.m. EST.
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