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Today’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activity from across the globe. U.S. in need of effective leadership to back deep space exploration, says Apollo 17’s Harrison Schmidt. On this day: in 1965, the U.S. House appropriated a NASA budget that today would be the equivalent of $38 billion to pursue a U.S. moon landing. NASA to establish Space Launch System test stand at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Earth closing in on ‘new’ comet debris this month. Not all habitable planets likely to resemble Earth. Curiosity bores into Martian sandstone. Future NASA rover may deliver greenhouse to Mars. Astronomers call on Hubble Space Telescope to identify celestial destinations beyond Pluto for NASA’s New Horizon’s mission. European space observatory charts Milky Way’s magnetic fingerprint. Father, son astronaut duo urge acceleration of U.S. human launch system development. U.S. Air Force close to contract award on new orbital debris tracking sensors. Russia launches military satellite. U.S. government appeals ban on Russian rocket engine imports in response to SpaceX suit. Houston’s Oceaneering, an offshore energy services company, finds merit in NASA under water lab for equipment testing. FAA’s commercial space office appears to face small budget cut.
Human Deep Space Exploration
Moonwalker Jack Schmitt and the future of U.S. space exploration (exclusive interview)
Space.com (5/6): Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmidt, also geologists and former U.S. Senator, offers his assessment of the way forward in space. “Political leadership of the country has to decide that, geopolitically, it’s important for the U.S. to be dominate in deep space, or at least competitive, but dominate would be better,” says Schmidt in part. “Until the political leadership makes that decision there’s not much else we can do except try to make sure that the science community at least is prepared. Hopefully, the technology community is going to be prepared too. Both need to be ready, given a challenge by some new leadership of the country that recognizes the geopolitical significance of deep space.”
House votes $5.1 billion for NASA, May 6, 1965
Politico (5/6): “On this day in 1965, the House voted, 389 to 11, to appropriate $5.1 billion to NASA. The funds — about $38 billion in today’s dollars — served as down payment to send astronauts to the moon under what was known as the Apollo program,” Politico reports.
Space Launch System structural test stands to be built at Marshall Space Flight Center
Space Fellowship (5/6): Space Launch System test stand to be assembled at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, with oversight by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Stand will reach 215 feet high.
Unmanned Deep Space Exploration
Dud or delight? ‘New meteor shower could hit us May 24
Discovery.com (5/6): Earth en route to encounter a new meteor stream on May 24. The trail left by Comet 209P/LINEAR could out dazzle the better know Perseid shower in August.
Habitable planets may not look exactly like the Earth
NPR (5/6): With the discovery that most stars are encircled by planets, astronomers are learning that not every habitable planet will be like the Earth.
NASA’s Curiosity rover drills deep into 3rd Martian rock for sampling analysis
Universe Today (5/6): On Mars, the Curiosity rover drills into a rock dubbed Windjamma earlier this week. It was only the third bore since Curiosity landed on Mars in August 2012. The rover stopped to examine the sandstone on its way to the base of Mount Sharp.
NASA may put greenhouse on Mars in 2021
Space.com (5/6): Plant growth experiment could accompany NASA’s Mars 2020 rover, a copy of Curiosity, that will cash samples of Martian soil and rock for eventual return to Earth.
New Horizons needs Hubble to find a Kuiper Belt target
Aviation Week & Space Technology (5/6): NASA’s New Horizons probe is barreling toward the first ever encounter with distant Pluto in July 2015. After the fly by, scientists would like a close encounter with a small Kuiper Belt Object, but they’ve yet to identify a suitable target. A search with Hubble may help.
Space telescope spies galaxy’s magnetic ‘fingerprint’
Discovery.com (5/6): The European Space Agency’s Planck space observatory reveals a vast finger print from the magnetic fields embedded in the Milky Way galaxy. The curving field lines are populated with interstellar dust.
Low Earth Orbit
It’s time to push for U.S. human spaceflight independence (op-ed)
Space.com (5/6): Owen and Richard Garriott, the first father/son or generational astronauts, urge an accelerated effort to develop U.S. human commercial space transportation systems in an op-ed. The two men note that U.S. sanctions against Russia over the annexation of Crimea are exposing an over reliance on Russian space systems. “After more than two decades of development, it is essential that the United States keeps the ability to visit, work and return from the ISS within its national capabilities,” they write “Yet, it is surprising to see how little discussion, much less pressure, is being applied to accelerating plans to regain an independent capability for human spaceflight.”
Air Force to award ‘Space Fence’ contract to track orbital debris
Washington Post (5/6): U.S. Department of Defense close to contract award for new sensors to monitor the growing level of orbital debris around the Earth that poses a collision threat to operating satellites. Some say, though, it’s also time for an active effort to reduce space trash.
Russia launches military satellite in to orbit
Ria Novosti, of Russia (5/6): Undisclosed spacecraft launched from the northern Plesetsk Cosmodrome.
Commercial to Low Earth Orbit
Government files motion to lift RD-180 injunction
Spacepolitics.com (5/6): U.S. government files appeal with U.S. Court of Federal Appeals to lift ban on purchase of Russian rocket engines for Atlas V rocket. Ban was imposed last week in response to SpaceX law suit against U.S. Air Force award of launch services contract to United Launch Alliance. Appeal documents contend lifting of ban would not contravene U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia over tensions in Ukraine.
Q&A: Former astronaut looks to the sea
Houston Chronicle (5/6): Mike Bloomfield, former NASA shuttle commander, now leads the space systems wing of Oceaneering, an offshore oil field services company. NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Lab, a large enclosed swimming pool used to prepare astronauts for spacewalks, is now finding utility in the evaluation of undersea equipment for the energy industry.
House appropriators propose small cut to FAA’s commercial space office
Spacepolicyonline.com (5/6): House appropriators look to a small reduction in funding for the FAA’s Commercial Space Office.
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