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Today’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from across the globe. President Obama urges NASA on in the pursuit of the agency’s deep space exploration initiatives. Star Trek actor Patrick Stewart narrates a new documentary that outlines human space exploration planning. The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation sets April 11 to commemorate the 45th anniversary of Apollo 13. President Obama’s 2016 budget proposal is expected Feb. 2. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center lines up science payloads for first Space Launch System heavy lift rocket flight test. NASA’s Dawn spacecraft is closing in on the unexplored dwarf planet Ceres. NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover mission welcomes a new project scientist. NASA and Microsoft team up on innovation to explore Mars with holographic telepresence. Storms on Uranus puzzle astronomers. Moon Express strikes agreement with Florida to test private mission hardware. Russia reorganizes its space program management, combining Roscosmos with the United Rocket and Space Corporation. U.S. astronaut Terry Virts snaps comet Lovejoy images from the International Space Station. United Launch Alliance CEO Tony Bruno finds a social media presence. Washington, Moscow tensions could define the future of Russian rocket development.
Human Deep Space Exploration
Mars, Orion spacecraft, NASA, NOAA spotlighted in State of the Union
Coalition for Space Exploration (1/21): President Obama calls for a re-energized space program in his State of the Union address. The speech Tuesday night noted the successful Dec. 5 unpiloted test flight of NASA’s Orion capsule, which is to start astronauts on future missions of deep space exploration. The president also introduced veteran NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who is to launch of a one year mission to the International Space Station on March 27. The long mission with Russian Mikhail Kornienko will help define the health impacts of future long duration spaceflight. Obama also praised NASA and NOAA for their work on climate change research.
CollectSpace.com (1/21): Actor Patrick Stewart, famous for his role as Jean-Luc Picard in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, will narrate a new documentary outlining the people, plans and hardware that are making future human deep space exploration possible. Journey to Space is set to open with a world’s premier in March.
Astronaut Scholarship Foundation to celebrate Apollo 13’s 45th anniversary
AmericaSpace.com (1/21): The anniversary of one of the most dramatic human spaceflights ever is approaching in April. Surviving Apollo 13 crew members James Lovell and Fred Haise will be joined by flight controllers and support personnel who managed to save the Apollo astronauts after an on board explosion. The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation is hosting the 45th anniversary activities on April 11.
The President’s 2016 budget is coming
The Planetary Society (1/21): Look to Feb. 2 for the release of the U.S. president’s 2016 federal budget request. NASA received $18 billion in 2015. The proposed 2016 spending plan is expected to reveal much about White House interest in such initiatives as a mission to the Jovian moon Europa, development of U.S. commercial crew capabilities and the fate of the Asteroid Redirect Mission, according to the Planetary Society.
Unmanned Deep Space Exploration
Marshall plans to send asteroid scout, lunar observer on first SLS flight
WAAY TV, of Alabama (1/21): NASA is selecting 11 missions to fly as payloads on the first launch of the Space Launch System heavy lift rocket in 2018. Exploration Mission 1 will also mark the first SLS mission with an unpiloted Orion crew exploration capsule. So far, three of the 11 auxiliary science payloads have been selected.
Spacecraft set to reveal first look at dwarf planets
National Geographic (1/21): NASA’s Dawn and New Horizons spacecraft are closing in on a pair of unexplored worlds, Ceres, the largest planetary body in the asteroid belt, and distant Pluto. Both are considered icy dwarf planets, possibly much like they were when the solar system formed 4.6 billion years ago.
NASA’s new Curiosity rover science chief takes charge on Mars
Space.com (1/21): At NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Ashwin Vasavada takes over as project scientist for NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover. Curiosity has been exploring the Martian surface since August 2012.
NASA and Microsoft using HoloLens to make it possible to work remotely on Mars
Tech Crunch (1/21): NASA partners with Microsoft on HoloLens to create a 3-D virtual tele presence as a tool that could be useful in the exploration of Mars.
Mystery storms rage across face of Uranus
New Scientist (1/21): Astronomers say the source of storms raging on distant Uranus are mystifying. They surfaced last year.
Private moon firm to sign deal for test flights at Cape
Florida Today (1/21): Moon Express, of California, reaches an agreement with Space Florida for the use of state run facilities on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to test the company’s privately developed lunar vehicle.
Low Earth Orbit
Russia reorganizes space program again, Ostapenko out
Spacepolicyonline.com (1/21): Russia has reorganized its space program management, uniting the federal space agency Roscosmos and the United Rocket and Space Corp., a state run company, reports Itar-Tass, Russia’s official news agency. Igor Komarov, formerly head of the URSC, will lead the new organization, replacing Oleg Ostapenko. The previous structure contended with launch failures and questions of financial corruption, the website reports. The new organization will represent Russia’s participation in the International Space Station.
Most extreme photo of comet snapped by astronaut
Discovery.com (1/21): NASA astronaut Terry Virts, one of six crew members living aboard the International Space Station, captures an image of the fuzzy green comet Lovejoy.
Commercial to Low Earth Orbit
Meet the most interesting space CEO you’re not following on Twitter
Ad Week (1/21): He’s Tony Bruno, CEO of United Launch Alliance, the Boeing Lockheed Martin launch services joint venture. A strong competitor, Tory Bruno offered this to AdWeek on his approach to the use of social media and its potential to inform: “I am a newcomer to social media,” said Bruno. “I find this medium very exciting. It has the potential to reach so many people almost instantly. My goals were simply to let the space enthusiast community become aware that this great company, the world’s premier launch provider, ULA, was out there.”
Russia-U.S. space cooperation may fall victim to politics, scientist says
Sputnik News (1/21): The fate of Russian rocket engine production will succeed or fail based on the outcome of political tensions between Washington and Moscow, according to Aleksandr Zheleznyakov, a member of the Russian Cosmonautics Academy.
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