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Wednesday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting on space related activities. A U. S. and Russian Soyuz crew descends safety into frigid Kazakhstan early Wednesday, ending a 159-day mission to the International Space Station. The station crew unpacks Robonaut 2. A Senate panel with NASA oversight responsibilities complains about a lack of agency focus as the shuttle program nears retirement. NASA’s Inspector General investigates a drug find at the Kennedy Space Center. Discovery will receive a forensic screening by engineers before her retirement is final.
1. From Spaceflightnow.com: Russian Soyuz spacecraft with NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonauts Alexander Kaleri and Oleg Skripochka descended safely into a wintry Kazakhstan early Wednesday. The three men ended a 159-day mission. Kaleri’s accumulated 770 days in space over five missions are second only to Sergei Krikalev’s 803 days over six flights.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/station/exp26/110316land.html
A. From Space.com: International Space Station astronauts Catherine Coleman and Paolo Nespoli unpack Robonaut 2 on Tuesday. The experimental humanoid was launched to the station aboard the recent shuttle Discovery mission.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/11127-nasa-space-station-robot-unpack-robonaut2.html
2. From the Orlando Sentinel: During a hearing on Tuesday, the Senate Commerce Science and Transportation Committee complains that NASA’s future continues to lack focus, as policy makers debate how to replace the shuttle as well as the all but cancelled Constellation program.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/space/os-nasa-senate-hearing-20110315,0,2397329.story
A. From Florida Today: Top NASA officials assure the Senate Commerce, Science and Technology Committee they are on track to carry out two more space shuttle missions and begin work on a new heavy lift rocket.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110316/NEWS01/103160346/NASA-June-shuttle-launch-critical-?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Home
3. From CNN.com: NASA’s Inspector General investigates the finding of 4.2 grams of cocaine at the Kennedy Space Center. The drug was found March 7 at an undisclosed facility.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/US/03/15/nasa.powder.investigation/
4. From Collectspace.com: Before Discovery’s official retirement, engineers intend to examine actuators and other mechanical systems to see how they aged over 39 trips to space over a 27-year career.
http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-031411a.html
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