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 and its contractor team make strides in 2013 with development of the Space Launch System and Orion crew capsule for future human deep space exploration. Targets emerging for NASA asteroid retrieval mission. MIT touts alternate space suit approach with touch of style. Struggle by scientists for a place in U.S. space began long ago. Hubble, Spitzer space telescopes reveal cosmic dawn. “Mini-Neptunes” abound. Sun flares away with Earth in the path. Astronomers push strategy to revive NASA’s Kepler planet hunter. Chilean observatory pioneering direct observations of alien planets. NASA’s WISE mission revived for asteroid search. White House backs four-year extension of International Space Station operations by NASA and its global partners. Orbital Sciences Corp. space station resupply mission set for Wednesday lift off, with experiments, ant farms, small satellites and books for kids. Former NASA chief Sean O’Keefe to retire from Airbus post.
Human Deep Space Exploration
NASA SLS and Orion industry teams progress toward deep space missions
Aerojet Rocketdyne (1/7): NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion government/contractor development teams made significant strides in 2013 toward their objective of developing the propulsion and crew hardware to send Americans on new missions of deep space exploration. “In 2013 significant progress was made building and testing hardware that will make human exploration of deep space a reality, and 2014 will be even better,” said William Gerstenmaier, NASA’s associate administrator of human exploration and operations. Boeing, Aerojet Rocketdyne and ATK are at work on the propulsion, Lockheed Martin on the Orion crew vehicle.
NASA slowly amassing list of potential targets for asteroid retrieval mission
Space News (1/7): NASA Asteroid Redirect Mission planners identify a dozen possible near Earth object candidates that could be corralled and steered into a stable lunar orbit for exploration by U.S. astronauts. The visit by astronauts launched aboard the Space Launch System and Orion capsule could unfold as early as 2021. Planners say they do not expect to settle on an asteroid target until 2017.
This spacesuit for exploring Mars is a form-fitting math problem
Wired.com (1/7): MIT professor Dava Newman advances a new vision in space suit utility — skin tight garb. A mission to Mars will require frequent use of a rugged space suits.
JFK put space scientists firmly in their place
Houston Chronicle (1/7): Science’s struggle for a place in U.S. space exploration began early, as excerpts from discussions between President John Kennedy and the agency’s second administrator, James Webb, in 1962, illustrate.
Unmanned Deep Space Exploration
Hubble telescope probes cosmic dawn, sees big stars, faint galaxies
Washington Post (1/7): The Hubble Space Telescope teams with NASA’s Spitzer infrared space telescope to capture a glimpse at the cosmic dawn. The observations, presented before the American Astronomical Society convention under way this week in Washington, were assisted by gravitational lensing.
Most common exoplanets are weird ‘mini-Neptunes’
New Scientist (1/7): Surveys of alien planets point to “mini-Neptunes” as most the common type, but a category not found in the solar system. Some “mini-Neptunes” are apparently rocky, others gas balls, according to a pair of independent assessments presented before the 223rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Washington this week.
Spaceweather.com (1/7): An active sun unleashes the first powerful X-class flare of 2014. The powerful flare is almost certainly headed toward the Earth.
Kepler scientist pushes extended mission for crippled space telescope ahead of NASA senior review
Space News (1/7): Astronomers advance plan to provide NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope with an extended mission through 2016. Launched in 2009, Kepler experienced a crippling reaction wheel failure in early 2013.
Discovery.com (1/7): The search for alien planets gets a boost from the new Gemini Planet Imager (GPI), an instrument affixed to the powerful Gemini South telescope in Chile. Unlike Kepler and older planet detection techniques, the South American observatory uses adaptive optics to make direct observations of its targets.
Recently reactivated NASA spacecraft spots its first new asteroid
NASA (1/7): In September, NASA brought the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer out of retirement to resume its identification of near Earth objects, or asteroids. NASA announced the first discovery on Tuesday.
Low Earth Orbit
NASA gets White House backing to extend space station by 4 years
Orlando Sentinel; Los Angeles Times; Houston Chronicle and others (1/7): According to documents obtained by the Orlando Sentinel, NASA plans to announce this week that it has White House approval to extend the station’s operations by four years, or until 2024. Operations of the six person orbiting science laboratory are currently slated to end in 2020.
Physics research aboard station; Cygnus “Go” for Wednesday launch
NASA (1/7): Orbital Sciences Corp. received a green light from NASA’s Launch Readiness Review to proceed with the launch Wednesday of an Antares/Cygnus cargo mission to the International Space Station. The lift off is set for 1:32 p.m., EST. Favorable weather is forecast for the launching from Virginia’s eastern shore.
Orb-1 mission ready for launch tomorrow, ants and antibiotic experiment aboard
Spacepolicyonline.com (1/7): Orbital Sciences’ cargo mission to the International Space Station will carry lots of experiment cargo, including student ant farms, investigations into bacterial growth and the effectiveness of antibiotics as well as dozens of small satellites.
Kids’ books flying on space station resupply ship to launch ‘Story Time from Space’
Collectspace.com (1/7): New NASA educational project Story Time from Space, will feature video and audio recordings of astronauts reading aloud from books while in orbit. New International Space Station supply mission will include author Jeffrey Bennett’s Max Goes to the Space Station. Max is a dog.
Spaceflight Now (1/7): The website offers updates on the Orbital Sciences countdown and launch of its first commercially contracted cargo mission to the six person International Space Station. The rendezvous should take three days.
Commercial to Low Earth Orbit
O’Keefe to step down as Airbus chief
Washington Post (1/7): Former NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe will depart Airbus Group in Virginia to concentrate on recovering from the lingering effects of injuries sustained in a 2010 Alaskan plane crash.
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.
