To subscribe to CSExtra via RSS feed click here.
If you would prefer to receive CSExtra in e-mail format, e-mail us at Info@space.com with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.
Today’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from across the globe. NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover establishes presence of methane in red planet’s atmosphere—the source could be biological. Kepler Space Telescope receives second chance to search the Milky Way for Earth-like planets in 2014. Experts debate merits of galactic gamma ray threat. Europe’s long running Venus Express mission runs low on fuel, nears mission end. Boeing looks to CST-100 for International Space Station commercial cargo deliveries as well as astronaut transportation. Orbital Sciences looks to new rocket engine for Antares launch vehicle.
Unmanned Deep Space Exploration
‘A Great Moment’: Rover Finds Clue That Mars May Harbor Life
New York Times (12/16): Concentrations of methane, a carbon-based gas with biological as well as geological sources, reaches temporary high concentrations in the Martian atmosphere, according to scientists associated with NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover mission. Scientists say the source is a mystery, but biological activity cannot be ruled out.
Alien Life on Mars? NASA Rover Spots Methane, a Possible Sign of Microbes
National Geographic (12/16): Methane measurements on Mars by NASA’s Curiosity rover cannot rule out biological activity, past or present, as a source of the organic gas.
Curiosity readings point to mysterious, pulsing source of methane on Mars
Washington Post (12/16): NASA’s Curiosity rover detects curious a 10-fold spike in background atmospheric methane concentrations on the floor of Gale Crater, plus long-sought confirmation of organic compounds in Martian soil and rock once exposed to fresh water.
Year in review: Kepler gets second chance at life
Science News (12/16): Changes to exoplanet observation strategy gives NASA’s five year old Kepler mission new life in 2014.
Fact or Fiction?: The Explosive Death of Eta Carinae Will Cause a Mass Extinction
Scientific American (12/16): Eta Carinae, a massive star 7,500 light years distant, is nearing super nova. Some alarmists believe it could deliver a lethal wave of gamma ray radiation to nearby planetary systems.
Gamma ray bursts may repeatedly wipe out life
Science News (12/6): Gamma ray bursts may occur in 90 percent of all galaxies, report scientists in the Physical Review Letters. The high energy blasts are powerful enough to sterilize a planet, say scientists.
Venus Express to Flame Out in Blaze of Glory
Discovery News (12/16): The European Space Agency spacecraft orbiting Venus for the past 8 1/2 years is ready to make a destructive entry into the atmosphere. Venus Express has likely exhausted its propellant.
Commercial to Orbit
Boeing Offers CST-100 For ISS Cargo Contract
Space News (12/16): Boeing proposes that the company’s CST-100 NASA Commercial Crew Program vehicle compete for cargo deliveries to the International Space Station.
Antares Upgrade Will Use RD-181s In Direct Buy From Energomash
Aviation Week (12/16): Orbital Sciences selects a new Russian rocket engine for its Antares launch vehicle. On Oct. 28, the most recent Antares mission ended within seconds after a first stage explosion. Orbital is one of two U.S. companies that launch re-supply missions to the International Space Station.
Brought to you by the Coalition for Space Exploration, CSExtra is a daily compilation of space industry news selected from hundreds of online media resources. The Coalition is not the author or reporter of any of the stories appearing in CSExtra and does not control and is not responsible for the content of any of these stories. The content available through CSExtra contains links to other websites and domains which are wholly independent of the Coalition, and the Coalition makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or authenticity of the information contained in any such site or domain and does not pre-screen or approve any content. The Coalition does not endorse or receive any type of compensation from the included media outlets and is not responsible or liable in any way for any content of CSExtra or for any loss, damage or injury incurred as a result of any content appearing in CSExtra. For information on the Coalition, visit www.space.com or contact us via e-mail at Info@space.com.