In Today’s Deep Space Extra… NASA’s next International Space Station re-supply mission will include equipment to better characterize the orbital debris environment around the six person orbiting science laboratory.
Human Space Exploration
NASA sensor to study space junk too small to be seen from Earth
Science Magazine (11/29): NASA’s next contracted resupply mission to the International Space Station is to include sensors to characterize the orbital debris environment around the six person orbiting science laboratory. The SpaceX launched delivery is planned for a December 8 liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida,
Will Mars colonists snooze their way to the Red Planet?
NBCnews.com (11/29): Mars is the Earth’s solar system next door neighbor. But the journey for astronauts will require at least six months one way. Perhaps with oversight, astronauts could “sleep” through the journey, according to a proposal from Atlanta- based Space Works Enterprises, Inc’s president John Bradford.
Space Science
Clipper Slipper: Will NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) be ready to launch a Europa mission in 2022?
Planetary Society (11/28): NASA’s Europa Clipper mission is intended to determine whether Europa, an ice and ocean covered moon of Jupiter, might host habitable environments by conducting a series of spacecraft flybys. NASA is also exploring a possible launch atop the Space Launch System (SLS), which is under development to launch astronauts on future missions of deep space exploration. However, the launch date and the launch vehicle for the ambitious mission depend on agency resources.
NASA is gearing up a new rover for a mission to find evidence of life on Mars
ECHcrunch.com (11/29): NASA is preparing an enhanced version of its current Curiosity rover mission on Mars. The Mars 2020 mission will gather and cache rock and soil samples for a future return to Earth and studies that reveal whether they hold evidence of past or current biological activity. Other features include upgraded descent and imaging technologies as well as more rugged wheels.
Geminid meteor shower 2017: When, where & how to see it next month
Space.com (11/29): One of the best meteor showers of the year, the Geminids, peaks this year on December 13-14.
Other News
Orbital ATK shareholders approve Northrop deal
Coalition Members in the News (Northrop Grumman and Orbital ATK)
Washington Technology (11/29): Northrop Grumman has received shareholder permission to acquire Orbital ATK. With regulatory approvals the acquisition could close in the first half of 2018. “First announced in September, Northrop is paying $7.8 billion for Orbital ATK to further extend its footprint in the space and missile defense arenas,” according to the report.
NASA to reuse SpaceX rocket for next ISS cargo launch
Florida Today (11/29): For the first time, SpaceX plans to use a previously flown Falcon 9 first stage and Dragon cargo capsule to deliver supplies and science experiments to the International Space Station. The launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, is planned for no earlier than December 8.
Luxembourg, Japan team up to explore and mine space resources
Mining.com (11/29): Japan has joined Portugal and the UAE in signing agreements with Luxembourg to collaborate in the mining of resources from near Earth asteroids.
Booster Fregat may have been lost due to GLONASS equipment failure
TASS of Russia (11/29): The loss of a Soyuz rocket launched earlier this week from the Vostochny Cosmodrome with a Meteor weather satellite and 18 other small satellites may have been due to a failure of the on board global navigation system, according to the report.
Interplanetary-Internet test sends Antarctic selfie to Space Station
Space.com (11/29): Working from a remote science base in the Antarctic and using new data transmission technologies as well as NASA’s satellite communications network, engineers have managed to demonstrate a foundation for an interplanetary Internet.