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Friday’s CSExtra features the latest reporting on global space activities. The countdown for shuttle Discovery’s last flight begins Friday, leading to a lift off on Monday at 4:40 p.m., EDT. Some speculate a strong showing by Republicans in the Nov. 2 election could lead to a NASA budget cut. Astronomers find evidence that Earth-sized planets may be more common than thought. NASA and DARPA initiate a study of one-way missions to settle distant worlds.
1. From Spaceflightnow.com: The countdown for shuttle Discovery’s final mission begins Friday at 3 p.m., EDT. The 11-day mission is scheduled to lift off Monday at 4:40 p.m., EDT. Steve Lindsey leads a crew that includes pilot Eric Boe, and mission specialists Alvin Drew, Tim Kopra, Mike Barratt and Nicole Stott.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts133/101028arrival/index.html
A. From Florida Today: As Discovery’s astronauts arrive in Florida, Air Force pilots perform an impromptu “fly over.”
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20101029/NEWS02/10290316/All+votes+for+Monday+liftoff
2. From the Orlando Sentinel, the Los Angeles Times and others: NASA’s budget as well as the agency’s recently formulated plans for future exploration could be in jeopardy with a strong Republican showing in the Nov. 2 elections, some speculate. Some in Congress want to hold spending at 2008 levels, which was $17.3 billion for NASA. Pending appropriations spending for NASA in 2011 total $19 billion. An extra flight for shuttle Atlantis could be an early casualty.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/space/os-nasa-budget-woes-20101030,0,7466533.story
3. From Space.com: Earth-sized planets may be more common than previously thought, according to a five-year study of sun-like stars conducted with the Keck telescopes in Hawaii. The survey of stars within 80 light years suggest that one in four of them may have Earth-sized planets.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/scienceastronomy/earth-sized-planets-solar-system-common-101028.html
4. From the Daily Telegraph of London: Scientists find evidence that NASA’s Spirit Mars rover became stuck in April when one of the wheels broke through a surface crust and into wet soil. The finding suggests the notion of water on Mars is not so ancient.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/8095368/Nasa-uncovers-new-life-on-Mars-evidence-after-rover-got-stuck-in-the-mud.html
5. From CBS News.com: NASA’s Ames Research Center and the Defense Research Advanced Project Agency, or DARPA, team to study the prospect for one way human missions to Mars and other destinations as a means of settling other worlds. The project is called the One Hundred Year Starship.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-20020658-501465.html?tag=channelMore;pop
6. From the Los Angeles Times: SpaceX opens a small office in Huntsville, Ala., The Los Angeles area company is producing a commercial rocket to carry supplies and astronauts to the International Space Station.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/10/spacex-huntsville-nasa-elon-musk.html
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