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Friday’s space news scan offers the latest in reporting and commentary on space related activities from around the world. NASA’s Glory climate research satellite falls short of orbit early Friday, after the Taurus XL shroud fails to separate. Discovery’s astronauts receive a call from an inspired President Obama on Thursday, after their mission is extended for a second day. In Washington, a House appropriations panel is not pleased with the commercial space transportation priorities in NASA’s proposed 2012 budget. The General Accountability Office warns that NASA continues to have difficulty with the cost and schedule of its projects. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden says April 12, the 30th anniversary of the first shuttle launch, is the day he expects to announce where the retired shuttle orbiters will be displayed.
1. NASA’s Glory Climate Research mission fails to reach orbit after lifting off from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on Friday at 2:09 a.m. PST. The spacecraft shroud fails to separate from the Taurus XL launcher, preventing Glory from reaching orbital velocity. The incident seems a replay of the loss of NASA’s Orbital Carbon Observatory in 2009.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/taurus/glory/status.html
2. From Spaceflightnow.com: President Obama congratulates Discovery’s astronauts and those aboard the International Space Station on Thursday for their efforts to finish the assembly of the orbiting science lab. The commander in chief jokes about Robonaut 2, a Discovery passenger and new tenant of the space station. The president’s call to the station follows a decision by NASA’s Mission Management Team to add a second extra day to Discovery’s flight.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts133/110303fd8/index3.html
A. From Bloomberg News: President Obama finds the efforts of NASA’s astronauts to bring the world’s nations together in space inspiring. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-03/obama-tells-shuttle-astronauts-their-work-is-an-inspiration.html
B. From Space.com: President Obama, in a jocular moment, urges the astronauts to unpack Robonaut 2, the newly arrived humanoid that will take up residence in the station’s Destiny lab. http://www.exploredeepspace.com/11023-obama-shuttle-discovery-astronauts-robot.html
C. From the Associated Press via the Washington Post: NASA ekes out yet another day in space for Discovery’s six astronauts. Discovery’s final flight, now set to last 13 days, is expected to end with a landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, just before noon EST. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/04/AR2011030400472.html
3. From Space News: In two House hearings, one Thursday and the other on Wednesday, lawmakers question commercial space spending priorities in President Obama’s proposed 2012 budget. Some legislators say the emphasis on commercial space transportation systems will come at the expense of a new NASA heavy lift rocket and multipurpose crew vehicle for the human exploration of deep space. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden appeared before the House Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee on Thursday and the House Science, Space and Technology Committee on Wednesday. http://www.spacenews.com/civil/110303-lawmakers-question-nasa-budget-request.html
A. From Spacepolitics.com: Democratic leaders on the House science committee suggest the President’s spending plan is just a “starting point” in the discussion over NASA’s 2012 budget. http://www.spacepolitics.com/2011/03/03/a-question-of-priorities/
B. From Spacepolicyonline.com: The General Accountability Office issues two reports affecting NASA project cost and schedule management. The studies examine 21 projects with a total value of $68 billion. Auditors found that 16 of the projects experienced an average project cost growth of nearly 15 percent and the average schedule slip was eight months. The GAO notes that NASA faces hard choices in the current budget environment and needs to be more transparent with Congress on oversight and project costs.
http://www.spacepolicyonline.com/pages/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1465:gao-issues-pair-of-reports-on-nasa-program-management-challenges&catid=67:news&Itemid=27
4. From Florida Today: NASA Administrator Charles Bolden informs the House Commerce Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee that he will announce the deployment of NASA’s retired orbiters on April 12, the 30th anniversary of the first shuttle flight. Discovery will head for the Smithsonian Institution’s Air and Space Museum in Washington. The competition among 29 locations is fierce for Endeavour and Atlantis.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110304/NEWS02/103040316/April-12-day-we-ll-learn-spots-where-shuttles-will-retire?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Home
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