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Today’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from across the globe. NASA lines up Cubesat payload for first unpiloted test flight of the Space Launch System heavy lift rocket. Work underway to transition the Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building from the shuttle to the Space Launch System/deep space exploration era. NASA finds Arctic suitable for tests of vehicles that could stretch future human presence on Mars. Private sector experts favor attempt to establish property rights for asteroid miners. A European-Russian Mars rover mission faces possible delays over financial and technical problems. European Space Agency launches final re-supply mission to the International Space Station. NASA will include Russian cosmonauts as passengers on future U.S. commercial crew missions to the International Space Station. Crisis in Ukraine slows U.S./Russian deliberations on 2024 extension of International Space Station. U.S. and Russia overcome terrestrial tensions to sustain the six person space station. Astronaut Mike Massimino departs NASA for Columbia University post. Aerojet Rocketdyne helps place U.S. Air Force surveillance satellites in Earth orbit. SpaceShipTwo takes flight for test following hiatus. Europe looks to November for test flight of reusable space vehicle prototype.
Human Deep Space Exploration
NASA lining up Cubesats for heavy-lift rocket’s debut
Space News (7/29): NASA lines up Cubesat payloads for the first unpiloted test flight of the Space Launch System heavy lift rocket. The SLS, when paired with the NASA’s Orion crew capsule, is designed to start human explorers on future missions of deep space exploration. The Cubesats will head for the moon, an asteroid and other destinations. Launch is currently planned for late 2017.
Modifications are underway in Vehicle Assembly Building for NASA’s Space Launch System
Technology.org (7/29): At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, contractors are altering the Vehicle Assembly Building to accommodate NASA’s Space Launch System heavy lift rocket. The VAB was used to prepare NASA’s space shuttle fleet and the Apollo program’s Saturn V rocket for flight.
NASA testing vehicles in high Arctic to use on Mars
CBC, of Canada (7/29): NASA scientists gather in Canada to test the vehicles that could support the future human exploration of Mars.
Panel sees asteroids act as step in right direction for space property rights
Spacepolitics.com (7/29): Private sector experts offer early support for pending legislation establishing property rights to resources extracted from asteroids.
Unmanned Deep Space Exploration
Life-searching Mars rover might face a two-year delay
Russian Space Web (7/29): Exo-Mars, a European and Russian partnership mission to the Martian surface will likely miss its 2018 launch window because of technical and financial difficulties, say sources familiar with the initiative. NASA pulled out of the partnership and was replaced by Russia after the U.S. grew concerned about mission resources.
Low Earth Orbit
Ariane 5 launches final ATV mission to International Space Station
Space News (7/29): The European Space Agency launched the last in its series of five Automated Transfer Vehicles to the International Space Station late Tuesday atop an Ariane V rocket from Kourou, French Guiana. The capsule and its seven ton cargo of fuel, water and other supplies should dock with the station on Aug. 12.
Hartman: U.S. and Russian crews to fly both Soyuz and U.S. commercial vehicles
Spacepolicyonline.com (7/29): Future U.S. commercial spacecraft flying astronauts to the International Space Station will include Russian cosmonauts as passengers, a high ranking NASA station program official tells a space agency advisory panel. U.S. astronauts will continue to be flown to the station on Russian Soyuz crew transports as well, according to Dan Hartman, NASA’s deputy space station program manager.
Russia’s ISS boss says Ukraine crisis slowing Moscow’s renewal of ISS partnership
Space News (7/29): Tensions between Moscow and the West over Russia’s activities in Ukraine are slowing consideration of President Obama’s request to extend operations of the International Space Station from 2020 to 2024, according to Russian space official.
No issues between space programs from Russia, U.S.: ‘We’re just guys working together’
Huntsville Times (7/29): U.S. astronauts offer assurances that tensions between Moscow and Washington over Ukraine have not spilled over into teamwork aboard the six person International Space Station.
Popular Astronaut Mike Massimino departs NASA for position at Columbia University
AmericaSpace.com (7/29): NASA Astronaut Mike Massimino, who twice flew aboard the shuttle to overhaul the Hubble Space Telescope, departs NASA for Columbia University in New York. Massimino was an early advocate of social media and made guest appearances on the popular TV show, The Big Bang Theory.
Commercial to Low Earth Orbit
Aerojet Rocketdyne part of space ‘neighborhood watch’ satellite mission
Sacramento Business Journal (7/29): Three U.S. Air Force satellites designed to monitor spacecraft and manmade debris in Earth orbit launched this week aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket with propulsion help from GenCorp’s Aerojet Rocketdyne.
Suborbital
SpaceShipTwo takes flight for first time in six months
NBC News (7/29); Test glides of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo resumed early Tuesday, following a hiatus.
Europe to launch robotic space plane prototype in November
Space News (7/29): The European Space Agency looks to November for an unpiloted launch of the Intermediate Experimental Vehicle, the prototype for a future reusable orbital vehicle. The test will follow a suborbital trajectory.
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