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Tuesday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related developments from around the world. Tuesday, marks two key anniversaries: the 50th anniversary of the Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin’s first human space flight and the 30th anniversary of NASA’s first space shuttle mission. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will mark the latter in Florida with long anticipated announcements of where Atlantis, Discovery, Endeavour will be displayed in retirement. On Monday, Bolden appeared before a Senate appropriations panel, where he defended his agency’s efforts to comply with the exploration ambitions outlined in the 2010 NASA Authorization Act. Plus, new commentary on NASA’s future as well as the shuttle lottery.
1. From the Houston Chronicle: The United States and Russia are joined at the hip in space as the world marks the 50th anniversary of the first human space flight, Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin’s solo mission around the Earth on April 12, 1961. The day also marks the 30th anniversary of NASA’s first shuttle flight, another milestone that has the Russian concerned as the orbiters near retirement, leaving both countries at least temporarily unable to transport large cargos to and from Earth orbit.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7517364.html
A. From Ria Novosti of Russia: Russian Dmitry Medvedev expresses national pride of Gagarin’s historic achievements, one that separate humanity’s perspective. However, the Russian president is more “pragmatic” when he looks to the future of human space flight.
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20110412/163484706.html
B. From Florida Today: NASA’s shuttle program has touched the lives of most Americans in ways that are unseen — from t-shirts to perfume.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110412/NEWS02/104120312/Shuttles-long-run-spawns-advances?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Home
2. From USA Today and Florida Today: The newspapers set the scene for Tuesday’s announcement from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden on where each of the shuttle orbiters, Atlantis, Discovery and Endeavour will be retired. Enterprise, already in possession of the Smithsonian Institution’s Air and Space Museum near Washington, would be reassigned — if Discovery goes to the fabled Washington area museum as anticipated.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2011-04-11-shuttle-retirement_N.htm
A. From Space.com: NASA’s retired shuttle orbiters are destined for locales with facilities linked to space exploration, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden tells Congress on Monday.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/11362-nasa-space-shuttle-museum-decision-bolden.html
B. From Florida Today: Atlantis will retire in Cape Canaveral, sources tell the newspaper.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110412/NEWS02/104120311/0/SPORTS/Sources-KSC-get-shuttle-Atlantis?odyssey=nav|head
3. From Spacepolitics.com: NASA Administrator Charles Bolden appeared before the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee late Monday. NASA’s budget outlook is muddled, but it looks like spending for 2012 will fall below 2010 levels, U. S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, the panel chairwoman, tells the administrator. That promises to make legislative ambitions for a new heavy lift rocket and multi-purpose crew vehicle while maintaining a balanced program of science and aeronautics research seem daunting.
http://www.spacepolitics.com/2011/04/11/at-a-hearing-about-nasas-future-discussion-of-its-present-and-past/
4. From Florida Today: the General Accountability Office says NASA has done a credible job of assessing whether the International Space Station can remain operable through 2020. http://space.flatoday.net/2011/04/report-supports-iss-extension-to-2020.html
5. From the Associated Press via the Houston Chronicle: The Texas legislature has sent Gov. Rick Perry a bill that would limit the liability of passenger carrying launch vehicles. Passengers would waive claims against injury or death.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/7516913.html
6. Three from the Space Review:
A. In “Whither Human Space Flight?” Space Review editor Jeff Foust finds NASA in a state of sustained melancholy prompted by the prolonged decision making over the agency’s post shuttle future. Big ambitions are constrained by a sluggish economy, suggesting NASA must successfully team up with the commercial sector if it is to make new strides, he writes.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1822/1
B. In “An open letter to Senator Mikulski,” contributor Louis Friedman urges the lawmaker who chairs NASA’s Senate appropriations subcommittee to forsake investments in a heavy lift rocket, which he says the agency cannot afford. Look to robotic planetary missions for inspiration, Friedman advises.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1816/1
C. In “Space shuttles and the wisdom of the crowd,” Ben Brockert, an Armadillo Aerospace engineer, looks to the Internet and the masses to predict which U. S. facilities will be chosen to house a retired shuttle orbiter. The top three are the Smithsonian Institution’s Air and Space Museum of metro Washington D.C., the Kennedy Space Center of Cape Canaveral, Johnson Space Center of Houston and the Museum of Flight in Seattle, says Brockert.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1817/1
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