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Tuesday’s CSExtra features the latest reporting on the 2010 NASA Authorization bill, a long-awaited, three-year blue print for space exploration, Earth science and aeronautical research that was signed into law by President Obama on Monday. The tone of the reporting suggests NASA has reached a much needed milestone, one that charts a future course for human deep space exploration, while extending operations of the nearly assembled International Space Station. There’s a cautionary note as well, with most reports suggesting the plan’s fate now rests with contentious Congressional appropriators.
1. From Spaceflightnow.com: President Obama signs the 2010 NASA Authorization bill on Monday. The road map includes a new heavy lift rocket and spacecraft for astronauts assigned to deep space missions. It funds a commercial space transportation competition for companies interested in ferrying cargo and astronauts to the International Space Station. Station operations are extended, and another shuttle mission authorized.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1010/11sign/
A. From Spacepolicyonline.com: Funding for the three-year road map will be an obstacle and uncertain until appropriators agree on a budget.
http://www.spacepolicyonline.com/pages/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1168:nasa-authorization-bill-signed-into-law-funding-still-needed&catid=67:news&Itemid=27
B. From Space News: $58 billion in three-year NASA blue print at stake as appropriators gather after the November elections.
http://www.spacenews.com/policy/101011-obama-signs-nasa-bill.html
C. From Florida Today: The NASA Authorization measure signed by President Obama moves NASA closer to receiving an additional shuttle mission in 2011 and fostering commercial space transportation to low Earth orbit. But funding remains a significant issue that appropriators have yet to finish addressing.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20101012/NEWS02/10120314/Obama+signs+bill++money+not+there+yet
D. From the Huntsville Times: A move by some in Congress to return federal spending to 2008 levels would be disastrous for NASA, according to U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat who led bi-partisan efforts to win passage of the 2010 NASA authorization bill.
http://blog.al.com/space-news/2010/10/obama_signing_nasa_law_today_b.html
E. From the Associated Press via the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and others: The additional shuttle flight in mid-2011 could help NASA’s workforce, which is facing layoffs with the two missions otherwise remaining, according to U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, the Florida Democrat, who helped to forge the 2010 NASA Authorization bill.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/11/AR2010101103596.html
F. From the Houston Chronicle: Congress rises above partisan politics, an example of government at its finest; NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver tells a news briefing. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/7242401.html
G. From the Orlando Sentinel: NASA embarks on an exciting, new course.
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/?p=19281
2. From the Los Angeles Times: An editorial praising the International cooperation behind the anticipated rescue of 33 miners trapped below ground in Chile since Aug. 5. Those praised include NASA, which provided medical advice and helped to design the small capsule that is to raise the miners one at a time, a half mile to the surface of the Earth.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-1012-chile-20101012,0,3846969.story
3. From Space.com: SpaceX looks to early November for a second test flight of the Falcon 9 rocket, this time with a Dragon capsule atop. The Falcon 9 is one of two commercial rockets that NASA is currently assisting with long term funding to deliver supplies and perhaps eventually astronauts to the International Space Station.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/missionlaunches/spacex-dragon-capsule-test-flight-101011.html
4. From Space.com: A 20 foot wide asteroid, 2010 TD54, soared within 28,000 miles (45,000 km) of the Earth just before 7 a.m., EDT.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/scienceastronomy/small-asteroid-passing-earth-tuesday-101011.html
5. Two From the Space Review:
A. Revising the SSI Space Manufacturing Conference: An Oct. 30-31 gathering will focus on a sustained human presence in space, which will revive a movement started by the late Princeton University physicist Gerald K. O’Neill in the mid-1970s. The conference convenes at NASA’s Ames Research Center, with experts in space transportation, lunar and asteroid manufacturing, robotics, closed environment life support, solar power and off planet property rights invited. By Lee Valentine, executive director of the Space Studies Institute, and Douglas Messier, managing editor of ParabolicArc.com.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1707/1
B. A Fading Opportunity for Export Control Reforms: The Administration is interested in an overhaul, but finding enthusiasm in Congress is difficult. Current policies restrict satellite makers, some believe unnecessarily, from exporting their products abroad. Most lawmakers would rather live with the current situation than risk assisting China with dangerous news technologies, according to Space Review editor Jeff Foust.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1708/1
6. From the Coalition for Space Exploration: The Department of Interior’s National Park Service joins with NASA to raise public awareness of night time sighting opportunities for the International Space Station. http://www.exploredeepspace.com/blog/%e2%80%9cpark%e2%80%9ding-orbit-spotting-the-space-station
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