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Thursday’s CSExtra offers a collection of the latest reporting on space related activities from across the globe. In Washington, NASA officials endorse Russia’s investigation into the Aug. 24 loss of a Soyuz rocket and its recovery plan to keep the International Space Station staffed. NASA and NOAA prepare the first in a more capable network of weather and climate research spacecraft for launching. Iran hints at a failed effort to launch a primate into orbit. NASA’s just retired science chief notes his concern for the future exploration of Mars. Reassessing Pluto. Germany’s falling ROSAT satellite. Clearing the cosmic fog.
1. From Florida Today: In testimony before Congress on Wednesday, NASA’s top exploration official and outside safety experts endorse Russian efforts to recover from the Aug. 24th loss of a Soyuz rocket with a Progress cargo carrier. The lost booster bore similar characteristics to the Russian rockets that launch multinational astronauts to the International Space Station. Russia plans its next Progress launch on Oct. 30, which could signal a recovery. The next Soyuz launching with astronauts is set for Nov. 14. Russian experts believe the August loss was due to a one time fuel line contamination issue, not a worrisome design flaw. Future hardware has been cleared and new quality control measure introduced into the manufacturing.
2. From Space News: NASA in partnership with NOAA is prepared to launch the NPOESS Preparatory Project spacecraft in late October, NPP represents the first step in a new U. S. civilian/military network of polar orbiting platforms for weather forecasting and climate research. The roots of the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System reach back nearly a decade. The proposed platforms will replace NASA’s aging Earth Observing System. The lift off is set for Oct. 27 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
http://bit.ly/pX5gJn
3. From Space.com: Iran made an unsuccessful attempt to launch a primate into space in September, according to a report by the website based on outside reporting. The attempt was part of Iran’s efforts to establish a human spaceflight capability.
http://bit.ly/rgLLAn
4. From Nature News: Astronomer Ed Weiler, who recently retired as NASA associate administrator for science after three decades with the space agency, reminisces and looks ahead. In what may seem a surprise, Weiler says he’s more concerned about NASA’s future exploration of Mars than he is about the future of the over budget James Webb Space Telescope.
http://bit.ly/qCePUq
5. From Scientific American: Distant Pluto may be a dwarf planet, but it’s the largest in its class. Recent observations suggest Pluto outflanks Eris which nabbed “largest” honors in 2005. At most, Eris is close to Pluto in overall girth and perhaps a bit smaller.
http://bit.ly/qOA05X
6. From Spaceflightnow.com: Germany’s ROSAT X-ray Astronomy spacecraft is predicted to fall back to Earth between Oct. 20-25. The re-entry follows the Sept. 24 plummet of NASA’s bus-sized Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite. UARS fell with no reports of injury or damage. ROSAT is smaller.
7. From MSNBC and Cosmic Log: In its earliest epoch, the universe wore a glowing veil of fog. Then what? Working like detectives, modern astronomers are piecing together an explanation of how a cooling off period allowed the first chemical elements to form, then aggregate into the earliest stars.
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