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Monday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from around the globe, plus a roundup of weekend activities. Tuesday brings the close approach of asteroid 2005 Yu55. China includes two women among potential astronauts for a pair of 2012 missions to the recently launched Tiangong-1 orbiting space lab. In the U. S. and Europe, budget troubles force unpopular changes in space science plans and throw uncertainty into the future of an environmental monitoring program. Russia launches navigation satellites. The U. S. Air Force turns to a high altitude communications satellite to host a missile warning sensor. The public affairs assignment for NASA’s final shuttle crew came to a close last week with a photo session that united them with the first shuttle astronauts. A look at space related activities scheduled for the week ahead.
1. From Space.com: The large asteroid 2005 Yu55 is expected to pass close to the Earth on Tuesday at 6:38 p.m., EST. Astronomers at Goldstone, Calif., and Arecibo in Puerto Rico will observe with radar telescopes. Never before have experts known of a pass from an asteroid so large so far in advance. YU55 made a close approach in April 2010. Experts say Yu55 is not expected to pose an impact threat to the Earth for the next several hundred years. A web video report.
http://bit.ly/siSTfj
A. From the San Francisco Chronicle, Nov. 5: On Tuesday, an asteroid longer than four city blocks will race past the Earth at a distance closer than the orbit of the moon. This space rock YU55, was detected just six years ago.
http://bit.ly/rHAKBf
B. From the Associated Press via the Orlando Sentinel and others: Although YU55 will miss the Earth, the asteroid packs plenty of destructive power. And YU55 is a potential destination for future astronauts.
http://thesent.nl/uheZ83
2. From Spaceflightnow.com, Nov. 6: Two women are among those who could fly aboard China’s next human mission, a flight that would attempt a manual docking with the Tiangong-1 orbital space lab. Nine Chinese astronauts are in contention for crew spots on one or two 2012 missions, the website reports.
http://bit.ly/s7EqE7
A. From Popular Mechanics, Nov. 4: The magazine speculates on the doors that have opened as a result of China’s first successful orbital docking demonstration last week. If China wishes, it could aim for the moon, PM reports.
http://bit.ly/uC3SHX
3. From the Washington Post, Nov. 5: Collaboration by NASA and the European Space Agency for a multi-mission robotic effort to retrieve soil samples from Mars is crumbling. Already, the U. S. has backed out of plans to launch a 2016 joint Mars mission as the White House looks to lower spending. Largely behind the scenes, the budget negotiations that include preserving the James Webb Space Telescope, are unfolding as NASA plans a Nov. 25 launch of the Mars Science Laboratory. Also known as Curiosity, MSL is a large rover equipped to assess the chemistry of the Martian environment and whether it was/is habitable.
http://wapo.st/tSdfFg
A. From Aviation Week and Space Technology, Nov. 4: Europe’s economic turmoil is affecting future spending on space programs. Those responsible for the agenda setting will meet this week to discuss the impact on future initiatives. The Global Monitoring for Environment and Security is one European program on especially shaky ground, smaller members of the 27 participant nations struggle with their budgets.
http://bit.ly/ub15zS
4. From Spacepolicyonline.com, Nov. 4: The Washington website offers a summary of a forum on the past and future of Russia’s space program hosted by the Secure World Foundation. The Russian program’s early days marched to military motives. Today, Russian propulsion hardware is an integral part of two key U. S. commercial space initiatives. Still, Russia’s space science program lags well behind U. S. achievements.
http://bit.ly/scCwtI
5. Russia Today, Nov. 4: Russia launches a Proton rocket with three satellites for the country’s global navigation system.
http://bit.ly/t4vJ3w
6. From Spaceflightnow.com, Nov. 4: The U. S. Air Force turns to a commercial communications satellite as host for an infrared missile warning sensor.
http://bit.ly/sAmjGu
7. From the Houston Chronicle, Nov. 6: The four member crew of NASA’s final shuttle mission, launched in July, wraps up a post flight public affairs assignment last week with a photo session including John Young and Bob Crippen, the commander and pilot of the agency’s first shuttle flight. The backdrop, a shuttle mock up at the Johnson Space Center, is off to a museum.
http://bit.ly/w0v1Sq
A. From Florida Today, Nov. 5: Office supplies, no longer needed as thousands of shuttle contract workers departed the Kennedy Space Center at the end of NASA’s shuttle program, have been rounded up for donation to Central Florida schools.
http://on.flatoday.com/vTEnpH
8. From Spacepolicyonline.com, Nov. 6: A look at key space policy related events scheduled for the work week ahead.
http://bit.ly/tjfd74
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