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Monday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space-related activities from across the globe, plus a round up of weekend activities. Experts look to Friday for the re-entry of NASA’s Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite. China launches a military communications satellite. A look at how the White House, Senate and House stand on NASA’s 2012 budget. The secretive National Reconnaissance Office declassifies past generations of spy satellites. Editorial reactions to NASA’s Space Launch System. Small suppliers adjust to the retirement of NASA’s space shuttle program. A Texas scientist develops an instrument that could detect organic chemistry on Mars. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory lays off some workers. At the Kennedy Space Center, most of shuttle launch pad 39B has been cleared for use by new launch programs. NASA explains future contracting methods for commercial crew development efforts.
1. From the Washington Post, Sept. 19: The latest projections point to Friday for the uncontrolled re-entry of NASA’s 20-year-old Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite. The 6 1/2 ton spacecraft’s descent carries a 1/3,200 chance that a piece of debris would strike some person below the orbital track. Most of the spacecraft is expected to burn up before reaching the Earth’s surface and much of the ground track is over ocean waters.
2. From Spaceflightnow.com, Sept. 18: China launches a military communications satellite on Sunday.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1109/18longmarch/
3. From Spacepolitics.com, Sept. 16: A comparative look at proposed NASA spending for the 2012 fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. The President requested $18.7 billion in February. Last week, Senate appropriators agreed to $17.9 billion. The House version, agreed to earlier, totals $16.8 billion.
http://www.spacepolitics.com/2011/09/16/details-on-the-senates-nasa-budget/
4. From Space.com, Sept. 18: The National Reconnaissance Office declassifies three once secret U. S. spy satellites in ceremonies over the weekend hosted by the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air & Space Museum. Designers trace the Hubble Space Telescope’s success to some of their work on the secret programs.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/12996-secret-spy-satellites-declassified-nro.html
5. From The Huntsville Times, Sept. 18: In an editorial, the newspaper outlines a formula to make the recently announced NASA Space Launch System a success: Washington must honor its commitment and NASA must deliver in its plan to create a heavy lift rocket that can serve as the propulsion source for future human exploration. The newspaper also urges policy makers to settle on a deep space destination for the early missions. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville will lead the big rocket’s development.
http://blog.al.com/times-views/2011/09/time_for_nasa_to_deliver_edito.html
A. From the Houston Chronicle, Sept. 17: NASA must get the SLS right, echoes the Chronicle in a similar editorial.
http://www.chron.com/default/article/NASA-s-giant-rocket-gives-JSC-a-lift-2174999.php
B. From the Orlando Sentinel, Sept. 18: NASA must manage the costs and achieve the promise of the SLS, the Sentinel writes in an editorial that characterizes the new program as a last chance bid for success.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/os-ed-nasa-new-rocket-091811-20110916,0,3475535.story
C. From the Daytona News Journal of Florida, Sept. 17: In an editorial, the newspaper endorses NASA’s Space Launch System strategy to develop a new heavy lift rocket for future human space exploration.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/opinion/editorials/n-j-editorials/2011/09/17/congress-needs-to-keep-america-a-space-nation.html
6. From the Washington Post, Sept. 16: NASA seems to be bouncing back from the shuttle retirement doldrums of July, writes a Post blogger. There were announced discoveries of a potentially habitable “Super Earth” and a planet that circles two stars. Then, there was the unveiling of the Space Launch System, a mega rocket for future human missions to deep space destination.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/new-planet-deep-space-exploration-nasa-bounces-back/2011/09/16/gIQAcJr4XK_blog.html
A. From the Orlando Sentinel, Sept. 18: Small businesses that achieved success as suppliers to NASA’s space shuttle program adapt. Some changed their client base years ahead of the shuttle’s July retirement, but others have yet to experience the full impact, the Sentinel reports.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-businesses-survive-shuttles-demise-20110918,0,5914461.story
7. From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Sept. 18: At the University of Texas at Arlington, a chemist develops a technology that promises to detect organic molecules on Mars. The instrumentation could help to determine whether Mars was or is habitable.
http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/09/18/3377436/uta-chemistry-professor-gets-nasa.html
8. From the Pasadena Star-News of California, Sept. 16: NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory dismisses 40 workers last week in response to budget constraints.
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_18916340
9. From Collectspace.com, Sept. 16: Contractors complete the clearing of shuttle launch pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. A pictorial look back at the launch pad’s history. Future users include commercial launch companies and NASA’s proposed Space Launch System.
http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-091611a.html
10. From Florida Today, Sept. 16: At a NASA Commercial Crew Development forum, the space agency says it will change contracting methods used for future rounds of commercial space transportation activities — from Space Act Agreements to traditional contracting methods. Potential contractors have complained about the overhead expense of the traditional method. NASA says that when procuring services it must comply with federal regulations.
http://space.flatoday.net/2011/09/commercial-crew-program-shifts.html
11. From Spacepolicyonline.com, Sept. 18: Space related activities scheduled for the week ahead.
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