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Thursday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting on Congressional budget deliberations. They include a new political pledge to trim spending that may affect White House intentions to increase NASA spending. Elon Musk of SpaceX urges lawmakers to back President Obama’s commercial space strategy. China launches a spy satellite. Europe’s Arianespace looks at a loss in 2010.
1. From Spacepolitics.com: Increased NASA spending may be in jeopardy as part of a “Pledge to America,” that House Republican leaders plan to unveil today. The pledge is part of a campaign to win a Republican majority in the House in the November elections and then trim discretionary spending. Space Politics.com cites other reporting on the development in its website reporting. There are exemptions for seniors, veterans and national security.
http://www.spacepolitics.com/2010/09/23/is-a-budget-cut-in-nasas-future/
A. From Politico.com: The website offers details on the Pledge to America. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42566.html
B. From the Associated Press via the Los Angeles Times: In the Senate, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell indicates he may not go along with a reduced spending strategy. The Republican leader signals support for increases in some programs, including NASA, Pell Grants and the Postal Service.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/wire/sns-ap-us-democrats-dilemma,0,7391076.story
2. From the Washington Post: SpaceX founder Elon Musk goes to Washington to back President Obama’s commercial space initiative, a plan to develop commercial rockets with NASA’s help for the transportation of astronauts to the International Space Station. The Post reports Musk’s bi-partisan contributions since 2003 have tipped toward the Democrats this year.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/22/AR2010092204702.html
A. From Space News: SpaceX seeks to move the next test launch of the Falcon 9 from Oct. 23 to possibly Nov. 8-9, if the U.S. Air Force eastern range scheduled permits. Space News notes that SpaceX, which is vying to launch astronauts as well as cargo to the International Space Station, had initially slotted this test flight for September 2008. In 2006, when NASA’s COTS Program got under way, SpaceX envisioned the start of commercially launched supply missions to the space station in December 2010.
http://www.spacenews.com/launch/100922-spacex-targets-november-dragon.html
3. From Spaceflightnow.com: China launches a reconnaissance satellite on Wednesday, the nation’s fifth launch in 50 days.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1009/22longmarch/
4. From the Associated Press via Yahoo.com: The U.S. Air Force is set to launch a satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. on Saturday that will monitor space debris.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100922/ap_on_sc/us_space_traffic_cam_launch
5. From Space News: Europe’s Arianespace commercial satellite launching company is facing an unprofitable 2010. The company has carried out just three commercial satellite launches since January.
http://www.spacenews.com/launch/100922-arianespace-unprofitable-2010.html
6. From the Huntsville Times: NASA’s Chandra X-ray Telescope discovers a sun-like star that is “consuming” another star or planetary matter as it nears the end of life.
http://blog.al.com/space-news/2010/09/nasa_finds_evidence_of_canniba.html
7. From Spaceweather.com: Two events early Wednesday capture the attention of professional astronomer as well as amateur sky watchers. The sun unleashes a coronal mass ejection. One and possibly two meteorites light up the skies over New Mexico and West Texas late Sept. 21. Spaceweather.com has video of the fireball. The latest on the Northern Lights as well.
www.spaceweather.com
8. From Florida Today: A vintage Gemini -Titan rocket combination joins the rocket garden at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100923/NEWS02/9230312/Gemini-Titan+joins+7+others+in+Kennedy+Space+Center+Rocket+Garden
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