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Thursday’s CSExtra offers a roundup of the latest reporting on space-related activities from around the world. President Obama and his family plan to attend the April 29 launching of the shuttle Endeavour. Endeavour commander Mark Kelly’s wife, Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, is expected as well — if doctors believe her recovery from a January gun shot wound will permit the travel. Many from Congress are expected at the Kennedy Space Center for Endeavour’s lift off. Uncertainty over NASA’s future human exploration plans may jeopardize funding for robotic planetary missions. This week marks the 21st anniversary of the launching of the Hubble Space Telescope. India launches a trio of satellites.
1. From Spaceflightnow.com: President Obama, the first lady and their daughters plan to witness the launching of shuttle Endeavour on April 29. Endeavour’s six member crew will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the International Space Station. President Clinton was the last sitting President to attend a launching, the flight of Discovery in late 1998 that included U. S. Sen. John Glenn as a crew member.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts134/110420obama/
A. From the Associated Press via the Washington Post: Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords says “awesome” when informed of President Obama’s plans to attend Endeavour’s launching. Giffords is the wife of Endeavour commander Mark Kelly. Giffords, who is recovering from a gunshot wound suffered at a Jan. 8 political rally in Tucson, plans to attend as well. http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/white-house-says-obama-wife-daughters-to-attend-april-29-launch-of-space-shuttle-endeavour/2011/04/20/AFMltKDE_story.html
B. From the Orlando Sentinel: At least three dozen members of Congress are expected to attend Endeavour’s Aug. 29 launching as well. President Obama will combine the shuttle lift off with a previously planned visit to Miami Dade University, where he is to deliver an address.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/space/os-obama-coming-to-ksc-20110420,0,4522033.story
C. From the Houston Chronicle: Recovering Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was pleased by the news of Obama’s plans to attend Endeavour’s launching, according to the lawmaker’s staff. Giffords has asked the President to attend a shuttle launching on a number of occasions, according to a spokesman.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7530587.html
2. From Air & Space Smithsonian: The murky outlook for human space flight may suggest an equally uncertain future for robotic planetary exploration, writes planetary scientist Paul Spudis in a column. The lunar expert notes in a commentary that the recently unveiled National Academy of Sciences’ Decadel Study for planetary missions appears to be DOA because of funding cutbacks.
http://blogs.airspacemag.com/moon/2011/04/%E2%80%9Cembrace-the-end-of-human-spaceflight%E2%80%9D/
A. From Politico.com: Economic times may be tough, but a few influential members of Congress are fighting to help NASA prepare for future missions to the moon and Mars, according to Politico.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/53495.html
3. From Wired.com: Astronomers provide a photo of two merging galaxies, known as Arp 273, to mark the 21st anniversary of the launching of the Hubble Space Telescope. The merging star systems resemble a rose.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/04/hubble-turns-21/
4. From Agence France Presse: Three multinational Earth observing satellites reach orbit aboard an Indian rocket.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gyvWO_7ONwrB8ZEayeMX6nxjyF-A?docId=CNG.6c92e5fe379b3e5c45eeec2bea8d2204.211
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