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Monday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space-related activities from the weekend and the start of the new work week. In Japan, Friday’s earthquake interrupts activities at the Tsukaba Control Center, temporarily curbing science activities on the Kibo lab aboard the International Space Station. In Washington, the House proposes a new budget Continuing Resolution to keep the government running beyond March 18. The proposal continues funding for the all-but-cancelled Constellation Program. A United Launch Alliance Delta IV lifts off with a national security satellite. Last week’s solar activity wanes. The far side of the moon revealed. Praise for the feature film, Battle Los Angeles.
1. From Spaceflightnow.com, March 11: Japan’s Tsukaba Space Center was damaged by last Friday’s Earthquake. NASA’s Mission Control Center takes over after Japan manages a shutdown of experiment operations.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1103/11earthquake/
A. From Space.com, March 11: Workers evacuate the damaged Japanese space center.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/11110-japan-earthquake-tsunami-space-station.html
B. From the Los Angeles Times, March 12: NASA’s Terra satellite provides before and after images of Japan, following the March 11 earthquake.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fgw-japan-quake-nasa-images-20110312,0,9138.story
2. From Spacepolitics.com, March 11: The current federal budget Continuing Resolution for the 2011 fiscal year expires on Friday. House appropriators have proposed a new three-week CR that would require NASA to continue funding the all-but-cancelled Constellation program. Also, the House proposal trims $63 million from NASA’s cross agency account.
http://www.spacepolitics.com/2011/03/11/next-cr-cuts-nasa-earmarks-keeps-constellation-provision/
A. From the Washington Times: An op-ed from Rand Simberg criticizes Congress for its inaction on NASA’s budget, particularly the restrictions that force the agency to spend on the Constellation Program but not invest in new technologies.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/11/space-isnt-a-jobs-program/
B. From the Huntsville Times, March 13: In an op-ed, Brewster Shaw, the vice president and general manager of Boeing Space Exploration in Houston, applauds NASA’s designation of the Marshall Space Flight Center as lead for the development of the Space Launch System, a heavy lift rocket designed for human deep space exploration. The Congressional goal of developing a heavy lift rocket by the end of 2016 is possible with the workforce and design skill in Huntsville, Shaw writes.
http://blog.al.com/times-views/2011/03/oped_boeing_applauds_marshall.html
C. From Florida Today, March 13: In an op-ed, columnist John Kelly assesses a dilemma facing U. S. civilian and military space programs. They are facing the purchase of high cost launch services to keep domestic producers in business. Foreign competitors offer services at artificially lower costs because of government subsidies.
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011103130316
D. From Space News, March 11: NOAA Chief Jane Lubchenco warns of a lapse in polar orbiting weather satellite coverage because of the Congressional impasse over the budget. NOAA was counting on an substantial increase in funding for the Joint Polar Satellite System funding to begin launching in 2014.
http://www.spacenews.com/earth_observation/100311-noaa-forecasts-gap-weather-coverage.html
3. From Spacepolicyonline.com: A list of key space policy related forums and hearings this week. On Tuesday, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will host a hearing themed Realizing NASA’s Potential. Bill Gerstenmaier, Associate Administrator for Space Operations, and Doug Cooke, the AA for exploration, are scheduled to appear.
http://www.spacepolicyonline.com/pages/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1484:events-of-interest-week-of-march-14-18-2011&catid=67:news&Itemid=27
4. From NASAspaceflight.com, March 11: A United Launch Alliance Delta IV lifts off from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station with a National Reconnaissance Office payload.
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/03/live-delta-iv-nrol-27/
5. From Spaceweather.com, March 13: Last week’s solar flares were responsible for spectacular auroral displays. In Sweden, the Northern lights competed with campfires.
http://www.spaceweather.com/
6. From The Coalition for Space Exploration: NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter creates a photo mosaic of the moon’s far side.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/blog/moon-mosaic-creates-spectacular-view-of-lunar-farside
7. From Space News, March 11: NASA devises a worst case strategy to re-manufacture components for three imaging sensors on the James Webb Space Telescope, which is considered the future replacement for the Hubble Space Telescope.
http://www.spacenews.com/civil/110311-nasa-cost-jwst-hot-pixel-fix.html
8. From Discovery.com, March 13: Praise for Battle Los Angeles, the new feature film about alien invasion for its scientific realism.
http://news.discovery.com/space/in-praise-of-yes-you-heard-me-battle-los-angeles-110312.html
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