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Wednesday’s CSExtra offers a roundup of reports and commentary on space activities from around the world. U.S., Russian and European astronauts prepare to blast off for the International Space Station aboard a Russian rocket today at 2:09 p.m., EST. In Washington, the Senate ponders a new appropriations measure as the current Continuing Resolution nears a Saturday expiration. Both the Senate and a House adopted spending measure include $18.9 billion for NASA, with funds for a new heavy lift rocket and multi-purpose crew capsule as well as money for the agency’s commercial space transportation initiatives.
1. From Spaceflightnow.com: American Catherine Coleman, Russian Dmitry Kondratyev and Italian Paulo Nespoli prepare to lift off for the International Space Station Wednesday aboard a Soyuz spacecraft. Their departure from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan is set for 2:09 p.m., EDT. During their five months on the station, they expect to host a pair of NASA space shuttle crews as well as Japanese, European and Russian cargo vessels.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/station/exp26/101214preview.html
A. From the Associated Press via the Los Angeles Times and others: Coleman, Kondratyev and Nespoli discuss their mission plans during a pre-launch news conference at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/wire/sns-ap-as-kazakhstan-space-launch,0,5407786.story
B. From CNN: NASA astronaut Catherine Coleman discusses the final hours of preparation for her long mission in a CNN blog. Correspondent John Zarella has followed Coleman’s training for the past year. Coleman’s last days of preparation are spent with family and marking her 50th birthday.
http://amfix.blogs.cnn.com/2010/12/15/astronaut-cady-colemans-blog-post-before-launching-into-space-wednesday/
2. From Space News: A 2011 $18.9 billion omnibus appropriations measure for NASA is circulating in the Senate. The bill mirrors the year long 2011 Continuing Resolution adopted by the House on Dec. 8, providing funding for a new heavy lift rocket and development of a multi-purpose crew vehicle, shuttle funding and an extension of International Space Station operations from 2016 to 2020. The Senate may act this week on legislation that could substitute for the House bill.
http://www.spacenews.com/policy/189b-nasa-senate-draft-omnibus.html
A. From Spacepolicyonline.com: A Commerce, Justice, Science Committee summary of the Senate bill says it includes funding for the additional shuttle flight NASA is seeking in mid-2011 using the orbiter Atlantis. However, that prospect is not so clear in the bill language. The current Continuing Resolution expires on Dec. 18. Without a spending measure, the government could be forced to shut down.
http://www.spacepolicyonline.com/pages/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1282:senator-inouye-introduces-omnibus-appropriations-bill&catid=67:news&Itemid=27
3. From Florida Today: Orbital Sciences Corp. is pursing a four person space plane for the transportation of astronauts to the International Space Station. Orbital Science is submitting the mini-shuttle proposal to NASA under the Commercial Crew Development program competition. Meanwhile, Boeing is continuing its pursuit of a capsule design that resembles the Apollo spacecraft under NASA’s most recent round of CCD competition.
http://space.flatoday.net/2010/12/orbital-releases-space-plane-concept-to.html
4. From Space.com: A new study suggests Saturn’s moon Titan, could hold the complex chemistry necessary for life.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/scienceastronomy/titan-biomolecules-organic-101214.html
A. From Space.com: A volcano on Titan spews ice.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/scienceastronomy/titan-ice-volcano-cassini-101214.html
5. From the Dallas Morning News: At 87, Texas Congressman Ralph Hall is excited to take over the chairmanship of the House Science and Technology Committee in the new Congress, a panel with responsibility for NASA oversight. The veteran lawmaker’s concerns include whether NASA is adequately funded to carry out the administration’s commercial space transportation initiatives as well as the veracity of the science behind global warming.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-chairmanhall_13bus.ART.State.Edition1.435f30f.html
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