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Friday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from across the globe. In Russia, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin takes control of the federal space program, ordering a report on a succession of Russian launch failures in 2011. China releases a space white paper with an ambitious five-year forecast. SpaceX streamlines plans for the first U. S. commercial cargo mission to the International Space Station flown under the NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program banner. The U. S. human spaceflight program has reached a crossroads as the New Year approaches, according to a Florida newspaper editorial. NASA’s shuttle retirement earns top Florida news ranking for 2011. Texas A&M University inherits NASA’s shuttle motion simulator. Venus and Jupiter star in the night sky.
1. From Spacepolicyonline.com: Dmitry Rogozin, Russia’s deputy prime minister, assumes oversight of Russia’s troubled space program, directing the head of Roscosmos, Russia’s federal space program, to quickly prepare a report on a succession of recent launch failures. Six failures have been recorded over the past 12 months, the most recent on Dec. 23. http://bit.ly/uRspxR
A. From Itar-Tass of Russia: Dmitry Rogozin, Russia’s deputy prime minister, instructs Roscosmos, the Russian Federal Space Agency, to complete a report on a rash of rocket mishaps in 2011 by Jan. 25. The report is to include a list of recommended actions. http://bit.ly/rsvYjQ
B. From Space.com: Russian authorities check reports of intrusions at a rocket engine factory in northern Moscow. Energomash produces rocket engines for military as well as civilian rockets. A group of bloggers made the intrusion claims, prompting Russian authorities to impose higher security. http://bit.ly/uCChO4
2. From The New York Times: China issues a 17-page white paper on Thursday entitled, “China’s Space Activities in 2011.’’ The report broadly outlines China’s civil space plans for the next five years, linking them to recent strides. China’s goals include work on three new launch vehicles, technologies enabling a future space station as well as efforts contributing to a human lunar landing. Other elements of the white paper emphasize broader international cooperation, steps to mitigate space debris and greater commercial applications for its space technologies. U.S. planning is much more driven by changes in political leadership, the Times reports. http://nyti.ms/tYghxs
A. From The Coalition for Space Exploration: China draws the moon into focus for future human as well as robotic exploration. The outlook includes plans to soft land rovers to survey the lunar environment within five years. http://bit.ly/thMdxE
B. From Spacepolicyonline.com: China’s space white paper offers little new, according to the Washington website. Similar white papers were issued in 2006 and 2001. http://bit.ly/uCF1h7
3. From Florida Today: In a joint announcement, SpaceX and Orbitcom say they will not include the deployment of two Orbitcom satellites in the NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services mission to the International Space Station planned by SpaceX in February. SpaceX is preparing for a Feb. 7 lift off. NASA had expressed concerns earlier the satellite deployments could pose an impact threat to the space station. http://bit.ly/suQQxT
4. From the Orlando Sentinel: In an editorial, the Orlando Sentinel warns that NASA’s future U. S. human spaceflight plans stand at a crossroads, vulnerable to the level of Washington commitment. Without high level support, NASA could become a “ripe target” for budget cutting, according to the Sentinel. http://thesent.nl/u50iKg
A. From the Smithsonian’s Air & Space Museum Magazine: What’s ahead in space for 2012? Air & Space comments on a dozen possible areas. Predictions include a big year for SpaceX as it launches the first U. S. commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station, an August landing on Mars for NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity rover and suborbital test flights by Virgin Galactic and XCOR. http://bit.ly/s8xR1h
5. From the Associated Press via pnj.com: The AP ranks the retirement of NASA’s shuttle program as the top story in Florida for 2011. http://on.pnj.com/srIh6Q
6. From Collectspace.com: The space shuttle mission simulator in use at NASA’s Johnson Space Center will be transferred to Texas A&M University under a Space Act Agreement. The university plans to use the motion simulator as a teaching and research aid as well as an educational incentive. http://bit.ly/uNICFm
7. From Space.com: Planets Venus and Jupiter join the moon as the brightest objects in the night sky, well into 2012. http://bit.ly/vFbNWo
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