To subscribe to CSExtra via RSS feed click here.
If you would prefer to receive CSExtra in e-mail format, e-mail us at Info@space.com with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.
Monday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space-related activities from around the world as well as a roundup of weekend developments. In Washington, lawmakers avoided a U. S. government shutdown, but the details of agreements to cut billions in spending before the end of the 2011 fiscal year are yet to be revealed. Tuesday, April 12, will mark two key space anniversaries, the 50th anniversary of Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin’s history making first spaceflight and the first mission of NASA’s space shuttle. Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, recovering from a gunshot wound, makes plans to witness the planned April 29 launching of shuttle Endeavour on a mission led by her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly. A detailed look at steps to prepare shuttle Atlantis for NASA’s final shuttle mission.
1. From The Hill, April 9: The latest budget Continuing Resolution agreed to by the White House, Senate and House on Friday and Saturday and lasting just one week avoided a government shutdown. The week long agreement cuts $2 billion from 2010 level spending limits that have been in place since the Oct. 1 start of the 2011 fiscal year. Details of what will be cut from the second part of a broader agreement that will extend through Sept. 30 have not been agreed upon. However, the goal is to cut $37.7 billion more from the 2010 spending levels spending currently in place.
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/155015-lawmaker-a-deal-has-been-reached
A. From Spacepolicyonline.com: Nothing specific on NASA funding reductions under the first part of the new agreement has been announced.
http://www.spacepolicyonline.com/pages/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1516:shutdown-averted-at-last-moment&catid=67:news&Itemid=27
B. From Spacepolitics.com, April 9: The Senate Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee moves up its hearing on NASA’s 2012 budget to Monday at 4:00 PM EDT. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden is the only witness. The session, rescheduled several times, was most recently set for May. 5.
http://www.spacepolitics.com/2011/04/10/nasa-fy12-budget-hearing-monday/
C. From Spacepolicyonline.com, April 10: Space-related activities planned for the week ahead. The Space Foundation’s annual National Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colo., shares top billing.
http://www.spacepolicyonline.com/pages/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1517:events-of-interest-week-of-april-11-15-2011&catid=67:news&Itemid=27
2. From the Los Angeles Times, April 10: Tuesday, April 12 is Yuri’s Night, a fairly recent celebration commemorating the first human space flight, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin’s 108 minute orbital shot on April 11, 1961. The popular celebration was the brainchild of Loretta Whitesides who makes her home in suburban Pasadena, Calif. “I wanted an event that would be hip and youthful,” explained Whitesides, who initiated the event in 1999. “I wanted to attract the art and musical communities.”
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-yuris-night-20110410,0,4759929.story
A. From the New York Times, April 9: In an op-ed, author Mary Roach attempts to separate myth from fact about Gagarin. He was chosen to make the first spaceflight because of his good nature and willingness to follow orders, Roach writes.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/10/opinion/10Roach.html?_r=1
B. From Reuters via the Los Angeles Times, April 10: A half century after carrying out the first human space flight, Russia has lost its edge, according to a Reuters assessment of the country’s space flight future. The conclusion comes even though Russia will become the only nation capable of launching humans to the International Space Station as soon as NASA’s shuttle program is retired by mid-summer.
http://www.latimes.com/sns-rt-russia-spacegagarilde7370ip-20110410,0,2707671.story?page=1
C. From Space.com, April 8: Yuri’s night could have been “Al’s night” and honor NASA Mercury Astronaut Al Shepard Jr. NASA launched Shepard’s brief suborbital flight on May 5, 1961. But with less caution on NASA’s part, the U. S. could have been first into space with an astronaut.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/11336-space-race-united-states-soviets-spaceflight-50years.html
D. From Florida Today, April 9: Worldwide, April 12 will be recognized as the 50th anniversary of the first human spaceflight, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin’s trip around the Earth on April 12, 1961. However, April 12 will also mark the 30th anniversary of NASA’s first space shuttle flight, a bold test flight of the reusable spacecraft by NASA astronauts John Young and Bob Crippen.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110410/NEWS02/104100320/30-years-later-space-shuttle-s-maiden-trip-remains-marvel?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Home
E. From the History News Service via the Birmingham News of Alabama, April 10: In an Op-ed Johnathan Coopersmith, a Texas A&M University historian, examines the achievements of the first 50 years of human space flight. The next steps, opening orbital space to more than the 500 or so who have traveled there so far on U. S. Russian or Chinese spacecraft, will be expensive and take decades, Coopersmith predicts.
http://blog.al.com/birmingham-news-commentary/2011/04/viewpoints_our_future_in_space.html
3. From Xinhua.net of China, April 10: China successfully launches the eighth in the series of satellites that are part of an independent global positioning navigation system called Beidou.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/sci/2011-04/10/c_13821174.htm
4. From Politico.com, April 8: Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, recovering from a gunshot wound at a Houston rehabilitation facility, is making plans to attend the April 29 launching of the shuttle Endeavour. Endeavour’s 14-day mission to the International Space Station will be led by Giffords’ husband, veteran NASA astronaut Mark Kelly. Giffords was shot at a Tucson political rally in early January. Giffords’ doctors have yet to grant their approval for the trip to Cape Canaveral, Fla.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/52813.html
5. From Spaceflightnow.com, April 10: Atlantis will be the final NASA shuttle orbiter to fly, under current planning. Spaceflightnow.com offers a detailed look at the preparations under way to get Atlantis to the launch pad in order to lift off on June 28 in a 12-day supply mission to the International Space Station.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts135/110410flow/
Brought to you by the Coalition for Space Exploration, CSExtra is a daily compilation of space industry news selected from hundreds of online media resources. The Coalition is not the author or reporter of any of the stories appearing in CSExtra and does not control and is not responsible for the content of any of these stories. The content available through CSExtra contains links to other websites and domains which are wholly independent of the Coalition, and the Coalition makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or authenticity of the information contained in any such site or domain and does not pre-screen or approve any content. The Coalition does not endorse or receive any type of compensation from the included media outlets and is not responsible or liable in any way for any content of CSExtra or for any loss, damage or injury incurred as a result of any content appearing in CSExtra. For information on the Coalition, visit www.space.com or contact us via e-mail at Info@space.com.