Wednesday’s CSExtra includes the latest reporting and commentary on events shaping U.S. space policy and NASA’s future. A Congressional watchdog agency finds NASA acting appropriately in its handling of Constellation’s cancellation. The shuttle Atlantis astronauts prepare to descend to Earth. Augustine Committee chairman Norm Augustine tells a Huntsville audience that NASA’s future is limited by public, political support for funding.
1. From the Orlando Sentinel: The Government Accountability Office determines NASA has complied with the law in its handling of the Constellation Program’s cancellation. Some in Congress have charged the agency has jumped the gun in carrying out the wishes of the White House on a course change for NASA. The GAO says NASA complied with the law.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/space/2010/05/watchdog-nasa-plans-for-constellation-alternative-not-illegal.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+news%2Fspace%2Fspace_blog+%28Space+Blog+The+Write+Stuff%29
A. More from the Orlando Sentinel: More signs of gridlock in Congress. A small group seeks a White House compromise on NASA’s future by attempting to accelerate development of a heavy lift rocket. Others hold out hope of restoring Constellation. Meanwhile, a watchdog group, Citizens Against Government Waste, applaud the President’s policy changes. Also scheduled for Wednesday, a House Science and Technology Committee hearing will feature testimony from Neil Armstrong, Gene Cernan and NASA administrator Charles Bolden. Most expect a repeat of a similar hearing in the Senate: Armstrong and Cernan were critical of the White House plan. Bolden defended it.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/space/2010/05/more-salvos-fired-in-nasa-moon-program-fight.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+news%2Fspace%2Fspace_blog+%28Space+Blog+The+Write+Stuff%29
2. From Spaceflightnow.com: Shuttle Atlantis heads for Earth following a successful 12-day construction mission to the International Space Station. Atlantis is likely headed home for the final time, weather permitting, as NASA moves ahead with the retirement of the shuttle program. Touchdown expected at 8:48 a.m., EDT. Today’s backup landing opportunity is at 10:22 a.m. EDT.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts132/status.html
A. A feature from Spaceflightnow.com on how shuttle pilots train to land the fast moving spacecraft/glider.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts132/100525landing/
B. From CNN: The cable news network looks at NASA’s plans to retire the shuttle orbiters and distribute them to U.S. museums.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/25/space.shuttles.retirement/?hpt=C2
C. From Discovery.com: Comedian Stephen Colbert interviews the Atlantis astronauts on Tuesday and makes light of the shuttle’s retirement, an awkward topic to say the least, as the 25-year-old orbiter heads to Earth for the last time.
http://news.discovery.com/space/shuttle-jokes-fall-flat-during-stephen-colbert-interview.html
3. From the Mainichi Daily News of Japan: The Japanese government intends to land a robot on the moon within 5 years, and establish an unmanned lunar base within 10 years.
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20100526p2a00m0na012000c.html
4. More on space policy and NASA’s future:
A. From the Huntsville Times: Norm Augustine, whose White House chartered committee found NASA’s Constellation program so under funded last year that it could not succeed, visited Huntsville, Ala., this week, as a guest of the AIAA. “The problem with the space program as it existed last year was simple,” Augustine said, “it was money – the amount our fellow citizens are willing to allocate.” In response, President Obama called for the cancellation of Constellation. Congress is resisting. Augustine could not predict who will prevail.
http://blog.al.com/space-news/2010/05/norm_augustine_explains_how_co.html
B. From the Houston Chronicle: The newspaper checks in on NASA’s exploration workshop in Galveston, Texas on Tuesday. Human deep space exploration will require new technology investments, possibly including nuclear technologies for power and propulsion.
C. From Florida Today: At the Galveston conference, NASA says the companies providing commercial launch services for cargo and crew will not be required to launch from the Kennedy Space Center.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100526/NEWS02/5260326/1006/news01/KSC+role+in+launches+not+required+in+draft+plan
D. From Universe Today: The assembly of an Orion crew exploration vehicle ground test article is coming together at a Lockheed Martin production facility in Michoud, LA. Until Congress passes a 2011 NASA budget, work on the Constellation Program including the Orion capsule continues.
http://www.universetoday.com/2010/05/25/first-orion-capsule-forming-rapidly/
5. From spaceflightnow.com: The inaugural launching of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is now expected no sooner than June 2, The FAA and U. S. Air Force eastern range continue to review the destruct mechanism. The shuttle landing as well as the delay in the launching of a Delta V with an U.S. Air Force GPS satellite are driving the schedule as well. The launch is being closely followed by those interested in the prospects for commercial cargo and possibly crew transport to the International Space Station.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/001/status.html
6. From MSNBC’s Cosmic Log: XCOR Aerospace and Masten Space Systems join in bid to develop robotic landers for missions to asteroids, the moon, Mars and other destinations.
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/05/25/4358078-shooting-for-the-moon
7. From Space.com: Astronomers study ‘unusual’ behavior in a pair of massive black-holes at the centers of neighboring galaxies. One at the center of the Andromeda galaxy has brightened. Another in M-87 has moved from the center of its galaxy.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/scienceastronomy/supermassive-black-holes-aas216-100525.html
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