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Today’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from across the globe. NASA to update Asteroid Redirect Mission planning. U.S. House Science Committee to host hearing on 2021 Mars flyby prospects. NASA suspends Orion recovery trials. Delta IV rocket components head for Florida and September Orion launch. Dr. Robot. China’s Jade Rabbit, with mechanical issues, hibernates for a third time on the moon. U.S. Air Force reveals new space surveillance system details. Salvaging old satellites may best suit unmanned approach. Central Florida faces competition over commercial launches, environmental opposition. Russia to place post Olympics construction focus on Vostochny launch site in Far East. NASA engineers demo remote satellite refueling techniques at Kennedy Space Center. UrtheCast turns on International Space Station cameras. Russian government looks at Sea Launch purchase. Mojave Air and Space Port supports commercial lander launch and touchdown. A look at major space related activities planned for the week ahead.
Human Deep Space Exploration
NASA to hold public forum with update on asteroid initiative next month
Spacepolicyonline.com (2/21): NASA plans a March 26 Washington forum to update plans for the agency’s Asteroid Redirect Mission, which would launch an unpiloted mission in the 2018 time frame to capture and maneuver a small asteroid into lunar orbit. U.S. explorers would visit the asteroid for the first time as soon as 2021. Hearing topics will cover new studies, technology concepts, commercial and international roles, capture systems, rendezvous sensors, secondary payloads and the Asteroid Grand Challenge.
House Science Committee plans hearing on “Mars Flyby 2021” SLS/Orion mission concept
Spacepolicitics.com (2/21): House Science Committee plans Thursday hearing entitled Mars Flyby 2021, regarding a proposed mission using NASA Space Launch System heavy lift rocket and Orion crew vehicle components. The session may involve an emerging strategy from Inspiration Mars involving the launch of an astronaut couple for a trip around Mars in 2021, rather than 2018, Space Politics reports.
NASA suspends space capsule recovery test in ocean
Associated Press via USA Today (2/21): Problems with U.S. Navy ship board cable restraints prompts NASA to suspend an Orion capsule ocean recovery exercise off San Diego on Friday. “Even though the testing didn’t go as we had planned, we’re learning lessons that will help us be better prepared to retrieve Orion,” Bill Hill, of NASA, said in a statement.
Orion testing provides lessons and data for splashdown recovery operations
NASA (2/21): “The Orion testing we do is helping us work toward sending humans to deep space,” explains Bill Hill, NASA’s assistant deputy associate administrator for exploration systems development.
Boosters for Orion spacecraft leaving Decatur for Florida
WAAY-TV, of Decatur, Alabama (2/21): United Launch Alliance prepares Delta IV rocket boosters for trip to Cape Canaveral, Fla., to prepare for September test flight of NASA Orion capsule. The first unpiloted space launch of Orion will boost the capsule to altitudes of 3,600 miles for a re-entry assessments of the heat shielding and recovery systems.
Scalpel. Check. Robot. Check. NASA bots, one day, may operate in space
Computerworld (2/21): Houston medical researchers look at roles NASA engendered robots could fill in terrestrial medical settings as well as human deep spaceflight. Dr. Zsolt Garami, of the Houston Methodist Research system, works with a sibling of Robonaut 2, now aboard the International Space Station. “Robonaut is learning extremely fast,” he told Computerworld. “His motions, without shaky hands, are very precise and gentle. There were no sudden motions.”
Unmanned Deep Space Exploration
China’s Jade Rabbit moon rover goes into hibernation again to survive lunar freeze
South China Post (2/23): China’s Chang’e-3 lander and Yutu, or Jade Rabbit, rover returns to hibernation mode for its third lunar night. The hibernation begins with Yutu still facing mechanical issues.
China focus: Uneasy rest begins for China’s troubled Yutu rover
Xinhuanet (23): China’s lunar lander begins third two week dormancy with potentially crippling mechanical issues unresolved.
Low Earth Orbit
Shelton discloses previously classified surveillance satellite effort
Space News (2/21): The U.S. Air Force plans launches of two satellites this year for space surveillance from Earth orbit, Gen. William Shelton, commander of Air Force Space Command, announces. The previously classified surveillance strategy affords warning of possible collisions between satellites and of orbital debris with the six person International Space Station. The new spacecraft will reside in geosynchronous orbit. Previous tracking has been focused on ground based radar and observatories.
How we will retrieve dead satellites in the future? Hint: it likely won’t be using astronauts
Universe Today (2/21): Robot spacecraft and technologies offer maturing strategies for disposing of and/or restoring aging Earth orbiting satellites.
That’s the way the cookie crumbles: Canadian Space Agency wins hockey bet with NASA
Canadian Press (2/21): NASA loses friendly bet with Canadian Space Agency over Olympic Games hockey encounter on Friday. Cookies go to Canada.
Commercial to Low Earth Orbit
Brevard facing strong competition for space ventures
Florida Today (2/22): Central Florida faces challenges from Maryland/Virginia and South Texas in efforts to attract new commercial space activities.
Ron Littlepage: Don’t plop spaceport into a Florida wildlife refuge
Florida Times Union (2/23): Columnist opposes Space Florida plans for a new commercial spaceport in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. He suggests a move to the Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Russia to boost manpower on new space center construction
Ria Novosti, of Russia (2/24): With the Winter Games now over, work on Russia’s new Vostochny space center in the country’s far east will become a priority, says Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who oversees the space and defense industries. The current 5,000 member workforce will be tripled. Vostochny is to host Russia’s new Angara rocket to reduce its reliance on its main Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan.
Remote satellite repair service tested
Florida Today (2/24): NASA engineers demonstrate robotic refueling techniques in a Kennedy Space Center lab. The tests carried out in cooperation with the Goddard Space Flight Center could be used to refuel, and repair, communications satellites high above the Earth, adding new operational life. The work with hazardous fuels is being carried out with similar activities aboard the International Space Station.
UrtheCast cameras outside Space Station send first data home
Space.com (2/21): Medium and high resolution cameras installed outside the International Space Station by spacewalking cosmonauts in late January transmit test data back to Earth.
Russian government mulls takeover of Sea Launch
Space News (2/21): Sea Launch, owned principally by contractor RSC Energia, has key assets in California.
Suborbital
Masden accomplishes successful free flight in Mojave
Parabolic Arc (2/21): Mojave Air and Space Port supports suborbital test flight in which commercial vehicle rises to 300 meters from one launch pad and descends to another.
Major Space Related Activities for the Week
Major space related activities for February 24-28, 2014
Spacepolicyonline.com (2/23): Plans include Congressional proceedings, speeches and mission updates.
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