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Monday’s space news scan offers the latest reporting and commentary on space developments from around the globe, plus developments from the weekend. In orbit, the astronauts assigned to NASA’s final shuttle mission finish stocking the International Space Station with supplies and retrieving unneeded hardware. They prepare to undock from the orbiting science laboratory early Tuesday. President Obama commends NASA’s shuttle program workers in a talk with the crew of Atlantis and the International Space Station. Over the weekend, NASA’s Dawn probe maneuvers into orbit around the asteroid Vesta. U. S. and Russian companies launch navigation and communications satellites. What’s next for NASA’s astronaut corps, as the shuttle program retires? Support for NASA’s troubled James Webb Space Telescope. At auction, scraps from the U. S. flag that was planted on the moon by the Apollo 11 astronauts draws a disappointing price. A look at major space policy related events for the week ahead.
1. Spaceflightnow.com, July 18: The Atlantis astronauts finish stocking the International Space Station on Sunday. The orbiting science lab should be set for six person operations through 2012 — long enough for NASA’s commercial re-suppliers to take over in the post shuttle era. Atlantis is scheduled to land Thursday, ending a 13-day mission and NASA’s 30-year shuttle program. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts135/110717fd10/index2.html
2. From Florida Today, July 16: President Obama calls the crews of the shuttle Atlantis and the International Space Station to commend NASA for the achievements of the winged orbiters and the station. The shuttle crew leaves a U. S. flag on the station that initially flew aboard STS-1, the first shuttle mission. The historic banner awaits claim by the astronauts launched on the first commercially launched U. S. spacecraft to reach the orbiting lab.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110716/NEWS02/107160323/Obama-calls-crews-say-thanks
A. From Collectspace.com, July 15: President Obama is impressed with NASA’s “capture the flag” strategy. A U. S flag flown aboard NASA’s first shuttle mission will remain aboard the space station, where it can be re-claimed by the first U. S. commercial astronauts to reach the orbital outpost. http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-071511a.html
B. From Spacepolicyonline, com, July 15: The President’s remarks to the astronauts, a link.
http://www.spacepolicyonline.com/pages/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1706:president-obama-speaks-with-orbiting-crews&catid=67:news&Itemid=27
3. From The Coalition for Space Coalition, July 17: NASA’s Dawn probe maneuvers into orbit around the asteroid Vesta, a first in robotic exploration. After a year at Vesta, Dawn will steer toward Ceres, another large occupant of the asteroid belt. http://www.exploredeepspace.com/blog/asteroid-arrival-dawn-spacecraft-slips-into-orbit-around-vesta
A. From the San Francisco Chronicle, July 16: NASA’s Dawn spacecraft maneuvers into orbit around the asteroid Vesta. The orbital study will last about a year before Dawn will head for Ceres a larger member of the asteroid belt. Scientists expect to learn more about how the planets formed through studies of the two rocky objects. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/07/16/MN0J1K7KOI.DTL&type=science
4. From Spaceflightnow.com, July 16: United Launch Alliance successfully launches a Global Positioning System Satellite for the U.S. Air Force. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d355/
A. From Spaceflightnow.com, July 15: A Russian Proton rocket launches a pair of communications satellites that will service North America and Kazakhstan. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/proton/ses3/index.html
5. From the Associated Press via the Houston Chronicle, July 18: What’s next for NASA’s astronaut corps? It’s not at all clear. The corps is shrinking to its lowest count in decades. NASA intends to hire more, even if it’s just a few astronauts to keep the International Space Station staffed. Who will be going to deep space and when? That’s not yet clear.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/science/7657106.html
6. From the Huffington Post, July 17: SETI astronomer Seth Shostak makes the case for NASA’s over budget James Webb Space Telescope, the designated successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. You can’t put a price tag on a mission designed to unveil the earliest epoch of the universe, writes Shostak.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/seth-shostak/american-space-research-a_b_900851.html
7. From the Huntsville Times of Alabama, July 17: In an editorial, the newspaper blames the White House for what it calls “foot dragging” on efforts to develop a new heavy lift rocket for future human exploration. The Obama Administration is not really interested in developing the rocket, according to former NASA administrator Mike Griffin, who is quoted in the editorial. http://blog.al.com/space-news/2011/07/nasa_heavy-lift_rocket_support.html
A. From Spacepolicyonline, July 16: U. S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas finds the Obama Administration foot dragging over plans to develop a new heavy lift rocket for future human exploration.
http://www.spacepolicyonline.com/pages/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1707:sen-hutchison-obama-administration-footdragging-puts-jobs-and-industries-at-risk&catid=67:news&Itemid=27
8. From Florida Today, July 16: Former Florida space workers navigate life after layoffs, and it’s a struggle more will soon face. http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110717/NEWS01/110717001/Former-shuttle-workers-lend-insight-life-after-layoffs?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Home
9. From the New York Times, July 17: Scraps from the U. S. flag that were planted on the moon during Apollo 11 sell for $45,000 at a California auction. However, the owner envisioned more.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/18/science/space/18moon.html?_r=1
10. From Florida Today, July 15: NASA hones the art of the celebrity wakeup call with the final space shuttle mission. So far, the lineup includes Paul McCartney, Elton John and Beyonce.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110716/NEWS02/107160322/NASA-rolls-out-red-carpet-final-shuttle-crew?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Space%20News
11. From Spacepolicyonline.com, July 18: Space policy related events scheduled for this week.
http://www.spacepolicyonline.com/pages/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1710:events-of-interest-week-of-july-18-22-2011&catid=67:news&Itemid=27
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