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Today’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from across the globe. President Obama spotlighted NASA’s one year astronaut Scott Kelly during Tuesday night’s State of the Union address. Kelly’s one year aboard the space station will test astronaut stamina for deep space exploration. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden urges continued support for White House space policies that foster commercial cargo and crew launch services supporting the International Space Station. The world’s ocean floors are revealing traces of dying stars. Large asteroid 2004 BL86 should be visible with binoculars as it passes by the Earth on Jan. 26. France to emphasize climate research. United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 delivers U.S. Navy communications satellite to orbit. British pop singer Sarah Brightman discusses preparations for September trip to the International Space Station. Planet Labs raises millions to back commercial small satellite business.
Human Deep Space Exploration
NASA gets two shout outs in State of the Union Address
Spacepolicyonline.com (1/21): President Obama recognized NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who was an invited guest, during Tuesday night’s State of the Union address in Washington. Kelly will join Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko on March 27 as they launch to the International Space Station for a one year stay. The long flight is to help life sciences researchers meet the challenges of future human missions of deep space exploration. The president also praised the work of NASA and NOAA for climate change research.
Air and Space Museum Magazine (March 2015): Months of weightless promise to test NASA astronaut Scott Kelly’s physical and mental stamina. The results will help point the way for future astronauts prepared to venture beyond low Earth orbit to destinations including near Earth asteroid and Mars as well as the lunar environs.
Bolden: Hold the line on U.S. space policy
Space News (1/20): Hours before President Obama delivered the annual State of the Union address Tuesday night, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden addressed the Maryland Space Business Round table, seek support for the chief executive’s space initiatives. Those include emerging commercial resupply and crew transportation services for the International Space Station and Earth science research. “The key is we’re moving the ball forward bit by bit,” Bolden told his audience.
Unmanned Deep Space Exploration
Supernova mystery found at bottom of the sea
Discovery.com (1/20): Ocean sediments are revealing the secrets of past stellar explosions.
Giant asteroid is headed our way, but NASA says no worries
Huffingtonpost.com (1/18): Asteroid 2004 BL86 stretches one third of a mile in diameter. On Jan. 26, it will pass close but harmlessly past the earth. At just under 750,000 miles distance, the asteroid should be visible to observers with binoculars, or online.
Low Earth Orbit
French space agency to focus on climate science in 2015
Space News (1/20): CNES president Jean-Yves Le Gall said that his space agency has adopted climate as its major theme for 2015, emphasizing the role that spacecraft play in monitoring the planet’s climate. Paris is to host a major climate change conference later this year.
Recap story: 200th Atlas-Centaur launching delivers Navy satellite
Spaceflightnow.com (1/20): A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 lifts off Tuesday night with a U.S. Navy communications satellite. The geostationary spacecraft is the third of five in a network of similar satellites. The Atlas 5 was equipped with a Centaur upper stage to boost the 7 1/2 ton satellite.
Commercial to Low Earth Orbit
Singer Sarah Brightman answers questions before her trip to space (video)
Sputnik International, of Russia (1/21): British pop singer Sarah Brightman discusses her preparations for a 10 day journey to the International Space Station in September. After training, Brightman is scheduled to become the eighth space tourist to make the trip. “There is nothing more beautiful than the launch, and there is nothing more beautiful than seeing cosmonauts in space,” said Brightman, who is also the UNESCO Artist for Peace.
Planet Labs announces $95 million investment
Space News (1/20): San Francisco-based Planet Labs obtains $95 million in investments for future rounds of small satellites. The startup is launching fleets of small satellites equipped to image the Earth around the clock.
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