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Today’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from across the globe. Astronauts test tools, space suits for future U.S. asteroid missions. Astronomer Geoffrey Marcy and professional competitors recall their early search for alien planets. Earth chilled quickly, then warmed after momentous asteroid strike that claimed dinosaurs. Spokes in Saturn’s signature ring system persist. Space station’s first Japanese commander, Koichi Wakata, prepares to return to Earth with U.S., Russian crew mates. China raises concerns over orbital debris. Remembering International Space Development Conference, past and present. Op-ed finds sustained competition critical to NASA’s Commercial Crew Program initiative. AT&T looks to merger with DirecTV. U.S. national security likely to drive efforts to import or domestically replace Russia’s RD-180 rocket engine. U.S. sanctions over Ukraine so far not slowing movement of space hardware to Russia for launch services.
Human Deep Space Exploration
NASA’s bold plan: Landing people on asteroids
CNN (5/13): U.S. astronauts experiment with tools, space suits as NASA looks to a future mission to a small asteroid. Large NASA swimming pool provided the setting for the test last week.
Unmanned Deep Space Exploration
The New York Times (5/12): Astronomer Geoffrey Marcy, et. al. and the not so distant early days of the alien planet search. Now, it seems, we can be confident there are more planets than stars in the Milky Way.
Asteroid strike spurred quick chill that led to dinosaurs’ demise
Science News (5/12): A global cooling led to the demise of the dinosaurs and other life in the aftermath of a collision with a massive space rock 66 million years ago, according to new research effort. The asteroid impacted the Chicxulub region of Mexico causing a temp drop that was followed by a period of global warming.
Mysterious ‘spokes’ in Saturn’s rings are still there
Space.com (5/12): Spokes in the famous ring structures surrounding Saturn persist, photos from NASA’s long running Cassini mission reveal.
Low Earth Orbit
Expedition 39 trio wrapping up six months on Station
NASA (5/12): Aboard the International Space Station, commander Koichi Wakata, of Japan, relinquishes command to NASA’s Steve Swanson. Wakata will join NASA’s Rick Mastracchio and Russian Mikhail Tyurin for a return to Earth late Tuesday. The three men will descend aboard a Soyuz spacecraft into Kazakhstan, ending a six month mission. Wakata served as the station’s first Japanese commander.
Spaceflightnow.com (5/13): Updates from the website on the scheduled landing of International Space Station astronauts Soichi Wakata, of Japan; Rick Mastracchio, of the U.S.; and Mikhail Tyurin, of Russia. The Soyuz TMA-11M capsule in which the three men are seated is scheduled to undock on Tuesday at 6:36 p.m., EDT, touchdown in Kazakhstan, at 9:58 p.m., EDT.
China aids in cutting down space debris
Xinhuanet, of China (5/13): China pledges new measures to prevent and mitigate the accumulation of manmade debris in Earth orbit. In 2007, China instigated one of the largest known space debris events in history with an anti-satellite weapons test. The 32nd Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee Plenary Meeting opened in Beijing on Monday.
Commercial to Low Earth Orbit
Remembrances of conferences past
The Space Review (5/12): This week will mark the opening of the 33rd International Space Development Conference, an annual wide ranging gathering of the influential in the space community to examine topics ranging from exploration, to space commerce and public engagement. In his essay, TSR editor Jeff Foust urges a healthy skepticism for any predictions coming from the session on space solar power, asteroid mining and space tourism. His caution is based on a look back at the program from the 1985 meeting.
Commercial crew needs competition
Space News (5/12): Competing U.S. companies are a must for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program as it selects participants for its final round of development and flight testing, according to an op-ed from two members of the National Space Society’s policy committee. Two technically independent approaches will strengthen orbital access for the space industry, write the committee’s chair and deputy chair.
AT&T could become a television giant with a $50 billion DirecTV merger
Washington Post (5/12): AT&T looks to merger with DirecTV, the U.S. satellite television service provider, in possible $50 billion deal.
The Space Review (5/12): The Russian made RD-180 rocket engine stands as a focus of tensions between the U.S. and Russia over the annexation of Crimea in Ukraine as well as a fading focus of a lawsuit brought by SpaceX against the U.S. Air Force over a major rocket purchase agreement with United Launch Alliance. Last week, as a momentary injunction against ULA RD-180 purchases for the Atlas V rocket fell away, it appeared that U.S. national security decisions will determine whether the U. S. seeks an expensive domestic alternative to the RD-180 or continues to make the purchases.
Satellite operators to proceed with launches from Russia
Spaceflightnow.com (5/12): U.S. sanctions against Russia over tensions with Ukraine so far not having major impact on U.S. components and satellites moving to Russian for launch services. However, the threat of sanctions loom for enterprises like Inmarsat, SES, Intelsat and Iridium, the website reports.
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