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Today’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from across the globe. Primed to move up in the U.S. House appropriations process, Texas congressman John Culberson likes Europa, the Space Launch System and Orion as well as Commercial Crew. Editorial urges U.S., Chinese cooperation in space at a measured pace. NASA, India sign Mars, Earth space cooperation agreement. Don’t forget chlorophyll in search for alien life. Island forming rapidly on Saturn’s moon Titan, say puzzled scientists. Europe, Japan and Canada in no rush to advance U.S. proposal for a 2020 to 2024 extension of International Space Station operations. Future space station espresso machine on display. Sierra Nevada looks for Dream Chaser support beyond U.S. United Launch Alliance, Aerojet Rocketdyne continue work on domestic alternative to Russia’s RD-180 rocket engine. California’s congressional delegation calls on the Pentagon to buy domestic rather than Russian rocketry for national security missions. Russian workmanship said to blame for underperforming commercial Soyuz rocket.
Human Deep Space Exploration
Space News (9/29): U.S. Rep. John Culberson, a Texas Republican, is in line to chair the House appropriations subcommittee responsible for NASA’s budget. Culberson champions a new NASA robotic mission start to Jupiter’s ice covered moon, Europa. Also a proponent of NASA’s Space Launch System, Orion and Commercial Crew Program developments, Culberson believes there is bipartisan support for increasing NASA’s budget. Foremost, however, he favors an appointment process for the administrator with terms that extend across presidential elections and a budget process that does not include the White House Office of Management and Budget.
Editorial: U.S., China should cooperate in space
Aviation Week & Space Technology (9/30): It’s time for the U.S. to begin a careful partnership with China in space, according to an Aviation Week editorial. “The upsides can be significant,” the publication posits. “The downsides can be managed.”
Unmanned Deep Space Exploration
NASA and ISRO team up for Mars exploration and Earth observing missions
Spaceflightinsider.com (9/30): Leaders of NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization agree to cooperate on future Mars and Earth observing missions, while attending the 2014 International Astronautical Congress in Toronto this week.
Search for alien life should target water, oxygen and chlorophyll
Space.com (9/30): Future space telescopes in search of planets with alien life would do well to identify the presence of water, oxygen and chlorophyll, according to a new study from the Princeton Institute for Advanced Study.
Weird ‘island’ on Saturn moon Titan puzzles scientists (video, photos)
Space.com (9/30): NASA’s long running Cassini mission spots a growing feature on the surface of Saturn’s moon Titan. The island like feature was spotted in a sea of hydrocarbons. The growth in the feature unfolded between July 2013 and August 2014, according to Cassini mission officials.
Low Earth Orbit
Space Station partners in no rush to decide on extension
Space News (9/30): Earlier this year, the Obama Administration announced plans to extend operations aboard the International Space Station from 2020 to 2024. At a “Heads of Agencies” panel at the 2014 International Astronautical Congress, representatives from major partner space agencies in Canada, Europe and Japan said their responses may not be ready until 2016. Making the most of the station now is higher priority. Earlier, Russia indicated it would end its role in the station in 2020, but has since indicated it favors the additional time.
Lattes in space! Espresso machine will launch to Space Station
Space.com (9/30): Developers demonstrate the strong coffee brewing device that will be launched to the 2014 International Space Station in April. The demonstrations are underway at the 2014 International Astronautical Congress in Toronto.
Commercial to Low Earth Orbit
Commercial space dominates IAC2014 day two
Spacepolicyonline.com (9/30): Sierra Nevada’s winged Dream Chaser could be adapted for launch and use by space agencies around the world, according to company officials attending the 2014 International Astronautical Congress in Toronto. The company lost out to Boeing and SpaceX on the final stages of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program development in September, but is working on multi-national agreements in an effort to move beyond a test flight of the spacecraft without a crew in late 2016.
ULA to help fund Aerojet Rocketdyne engine studies
Space News (9/30): Aerojet Rocketdyne will continue its pursuit of a kerosene fueled main engine for the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5. Last week, ULA announced plans to back a new Blue Origin first stage rocket engine. Either could become a domestic alternative to imports of Russia’s RD-180. Enthusiasm for alternatives was sparked by Russia’s interference in Ukraine, including the annexation of Crimea.
California lawmakers criticize Pentagon’s purchase of Russian rockets
Los Angeles Times (9/30): The state’s congressional delegation calls on U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to buy domestic rocketry for national security space missions. Aerojet Rocketdyne and SpaceX, two California companies, are offering alternatives to the import of the Russian RD-180.
Fregat workmanship blamed for Soyuz failure that stranded Galileo satellites in wrong orbit
Space News (9/30): The troubled August launch of a European version of the Russian Soyuz rocket placed a pair of global navigation system satellites in a useless low altitude orbit. The reason for the failure, traced to the rocket’s Fregat upper stage, appears to be an improper installation of hydrazine and helium plumbing that was subsequently also detected in rocket hardware at a Moscow production facility.
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