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Today’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from across the globe. Congressional auditors raise possibility that NASA’s Space Launch System will not have the funding necessary to achieve 2017 flight test despite technical progress. Are U.S. policymakers honest about the cost of spaceflight? Forty five years after the Apollo 11 moon landing, NASA looks to new destinations, while rising space powers focus on a human lunar return. NASA asks private sector to consider commercial Mars communications satellites. Satellite observations lead to new Mars map. New alien planet discovery sets record for loop around its host star. Russian Progress supply ship docks with International Space Station late Wednesday. Conflict in Middle East visible to space station astronauts. Sierra Nevada, Japan strike deal on piloted Dream Chaser development. U.S. Air Force looks to step up Delta IV rocket production for U.S. national security missions.
Human Deep Space Exploration
GAO warns NASA $400 million short to finish SLS by 2017
Spacepolicyonline.com (7/23): After praising NASA and its contractors for their technical progress in the development of NASA’s Space Launch System, the U.S. Congressional General Accountability Office raises concerns of a funding shortfall. The SLS is intended to launch human explorers on missions of deep space exploration.
Coopersmith: U.S. must take honest look at costs of spaceflight
Houston Chronicle (7/24): U.S. policymakers must be more honest with themselves about the cost of spaceflight, writes Texas A&M University’s Johnathan Coopersmith, who teaches the history of technology. “Congress, the president and NASA need to be honest with each other and the American people about the cost of space exploration,” he writes in an op-ed. “Underfunding projects usually results in higher total costs, delays and even cancellations, wasting the talents of skilled engineers, scientists and managers.”
New space race? U.S. eyes asteroids as other Nations shoot for the Moon
Space.com (7/24): NASA’s Apollo 11 mission, the first to place humans on the surface of the moon, drew to a close 45 years ago this week. While the U.S. looks to the asteroids and eventually Mars as new human destinations, China, Russia and India favor the moon as a goal for their emerging space programs.
Unmanned Deep Space Exploration
No human has ever been to Mars. But NASA wants to put commercial satellites there.
Washington Post (7/23): NASA seeks proposals for commercial communications satellites in orbit around Mars. The new spacecraft could feature laser communications, enabling faster transmission rates and more data for science and possible future human missions.
Brand new look at the face of Mars
New York Times (7/23): U.S. Geological Survey generates new maps of the Martian terrain, the first comprehensive global view since 1987.
704 days: Exoplanet discovered with longest known year
USA Today (7/24): NASA’s alien planet search reveals a distant world that circles its star once every 704 days, a record. Kepler 421-b is 1,000 light years from the Earth and four times as large.
Planetary scientists welcome NASA call for Europa concepts
Science Insider (7/23): Scientists excited over opportunity to propose science instruments for a future NASA mission to Europa, the ice covered moon of Jupiter.
Low Earth Orbit
Russian Progress M-24M cargo spacecraft docks with ISS
Ria Novosti (7/24): Loaded with nearly three tons of fuel, food, research gear and other supplies, a Russian Progress freighter docks with the six person International Space Station on Wednesday at 11:30 p.m., EDT. The spacecraft was launched six hours earlier.
Astronaut sees ‘explosions and rockets’ over Gaza and Israel
Discovery.com (7/23): Conflict in the Middle East evident to astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
Commercial to Low Earth Orbit
SNC enlists Japan for Dream Chaser study
Space News (7/24): Sierra Nevada Corp. enlists Japan for development work on the company’s Dream Chaser crew transport spacecraft. The company is partnered with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program for possible missions to and from the International Space Station with astronauts. New ties to Japan could lead to missions that launch and land from the Asian country. Sierra Nevada signed similar agreements with the European Space Agency and Germany
U.S. Air Force ponders accelerating Delta 4 rocket production
Space News (7/23): U.S. Air Force examines stepped up production of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket to handle U.S. national security payloads. The study responds to concerns that Russian may halt the export of the RD-180 rocket engine that powers the Atlas V first stage for the launch of national security payloads.
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