Thursday’s CSExtra finds new reporting and commentary on the future of NASA’s Constellation Program. The reports find discord within NASA and continued opposition to Constellation’s cancellation within Congress. A Florida newspaper comments on a potential conflict of interest in the NASA administrator’s handling of a bio fuels project. Scientists discover a chemical building block for life in interstellar space.
1. From the Wall Street Journal: The newspaper reports inconsistencies in NASA’s response to Administrator Charles Bolden’s recent orders to halt spending on the Constellation Program, which is facing termination as part of the proposed 2011 budget. Funds have been released to two Constellation contractors, ATK and Lockheed Martin, in recent days to avoid near term worker lay offs, the WSJ reports. Agency officials say the agency is attempting to walk a fine line as budget deliberations continue. Some in Congress, however, see NASA in conflict with the agency’s top official on the matter.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703900004575325223370052684.html?KEYWORDS=NASA
A. From the Huntsville Times: An editorial urging the White House and Congress to come to terms on NASA’s future. Hundreds of contractors at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center are facing layoffs as Constellation funding dries up. Many may find employment on military programs, making them unavailable to resume work on NASA programs, according to the Huntsville newspaper.
http://blog.al.com/times-views/2010/06/post.html
B. From the Birmingham News of Alabama: According to U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessons, an Alabama Republican, fellow lawmakers who met earlier this week believe NASA has circumvented the intent of Congress by ramping down NASA’s Constellation Program. “I would say the mood was grave,” Sessions said. “A number of members feel strongly that America’s leadership in space is being jeopardized by the President’s budget for next year and the attempts this year to cancel contracts before the year is out.” Asked if the group could threaten to slash the NASA budget in other ways to protest the cuts, Sessions did not rule it out.
http://blog.al.com/sweethome/2010/06/from_todays_paper_sessions_say.html
C. From the Houston Chronicle: NASA can expect the 2011 fiscal year to begin on Oct. 1 without a budget, a space policy expert tells the Chronicle. After the fall elections, the newly re-elected and the lame ducks will then finish negotiating a spending plan. The Chronicle notes that U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, an Alabama Republican who opposes Constellation’s proposed cancellation, is likely to play an important role in the final outcome.
http://blogs.chron.com/sciguy/archives/2010/06/nasa_left_dangling_as_budget_wrangle_continues.html
3. From the Orlando Sentinel: In an editorial the Sentinel questions NASA Administrator Charles Bolden’s leadership. The newspaper cites an Sentinel report from earlier in the week outlining Bolden’s handling of a bio fuels project under way at the Ames Research Center. Bolden turned to an oil company, with which he had ties, for advice on the merits of the project.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/os-ed-nasa-bolden-oil-062410-20100623,0,217100.story
4. From Discovery.com: Astronomers discover anthracene, a pre-biotic organic chemical, in interstellar space. Anthracene represents the most complex chemical building block of life yet found in the region between stars.
http://news.discovery.com/space/very-complex-interstellar-pre-biotic-molecules-discovered.html
5. From the Los Angeles Times: An Easter earthquake centered on the Baja Peninsula moved the border city of Calexico by nearly three feet to the south. Experts from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory make the measurement using airborne radar.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-624-mexicali-earthquake-20100624,0,7331992.story
6. From MSNBC/Cosmic Log: NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter began circling the moon one year ago. The website offers NASA’s list of 10 cool things about the LRO mission, including photographs of the Apollo landing sites and one of the largest impact craters in the solar system.
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/06/23/4552979-moon-orbiter-marks-a-milestone
7. From Universe Today: Searing temperatures and ultra high speed winds dominate conditions on an extra solar planet.
http://www.universetoday.com/2010/06/23/astronomers-watch-superstorm-raging-on-distant-exoplanet/#more-67081
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