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Wednesday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting on space-related activities from across the globe. Russia looks to Nov. 12 for the resumption of Soyuz launches to the International Space Station with astronauts. The missions have been “on hold” since the Aug. 24 failure of a similar Soyuz rocket with a Progress cargo capsule. NASA forges a new partnership with ATK, the longtime maker of the space shuttle’s solid rocket boosters, for a prospective commercial transportation service for International Space Station astronauts. ATK brings a European partner. The Earth’s Northern Lights shine brightly in response to last week’s intense solar activity. Two NASA space observatories find new light from Supernova 1987A. A California lawmakers queries NASA for the results of a study that compared the economies of in space re-fueling stations with a new heavy lift rocket for future human and robotic space exploration. In Kansas, experts search for the most effective kinds of physical exertion for astronauts on long missions to Mars.
1. From Spaceflightnow.com: Russia announces a series of Soyuz launch dates on Tuesday that could mark the Russian space agency’s recovery from the Aug. 24 loss of a Soyuz-U rocket with a Progress cargo capsule bound for the International Space Station. A new Progress launch on a Soyuz-U rocket is set for Oct. 30. The first launch of space station astronauts on a similar Soyuz FG is set for Nov. 12. A second Soyuz launcher with three crew would follow on Dec. 20. The new schedule should prevent an unwanted temporary de-staffing of the space station in mid to late November in response to the Progress loss. The Soyuz-U and FG share similar third stage propulsion systems — the equipment that is blamed for the Aug. 24 launch failure.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/station/exp28/110913dates/index.html
A. From Ria Novosti of Russia: Russia will launch another unmanned Progress cargo capsule to the space station in advance of three station crew members. The un-piloted Progress flight is set for an Oct. 30 lift off.
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20110913/166814540.html
B. From the New York Times: The Times looks back at the challenges faced by NASA as it turns to Russian as well as U. S. commercial space transportation suppliers in the aftermath of the July retirement of the space shuttle.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/14/world/europe/fears-over-soyuz-again-delay-space-launch.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=NASA&st=cse
C. From Itar-Tass of Russia: Search teams have resumed their quest to find the debris from the Aug. 24 Soyuz-U failure that sent a Progress cargo capsule plummeting into the mountainous Altai region of Russia.
http://www.itar-tass.com/en/c154/225168.html
2. From Florida Today: NASA partners with ATK, the U. S. rocket maker, for the development of a new candidate in the race to development commercial crew space transportation services. ATK proposes the use of an elongated space shuttle solid rocket booster mated to a second stage rocket produced by Astrium of Europe. The ATK team says its international Liberty rocket could be launching astronauts on a wide range of piloted capsules and space planes by 2015.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110914/NEWS02/109140306/NASA-makes-rocket-deal-ATK?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Home
3. From Space.com: The Earth’s Northern Lights are shimmering brightly once again in response to energetic impulses from the sun. The sun was particularly active last week, casting off several coronal mass ejections that headed our way.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/12929-northern-lights-photos-skywatchers-september.html
4. From the Wall Street Journal: In 1987, observers on Earth witnessed the closest stellar explosion in 400 years. Christened Supernova 1987A, the explosion’s radiance gradually faded. Now, through regular observations with the Hubble Space Telescope, remnants of the blast can be seen glowing again as they strike an outer ring of interstellar space. X-rays from the impacts are also visible to NASA’s Chandra X-ray Space Telescope.
http://blogs.wsj.com/ideas-market/2011/09/13/supernova-1987a-is-a-hot-mess/?mod=google_news_blog
5. From Discovery.com: Astronomers find a tremendous storm brewing on a Brown Dwarf star less than 50 light years from the Earth. Scientists say the Brown Dwarf is trapped between life as a planet and a star too small to support a fusion furnace.
http://news.discovery.com/space/violent-storms-rage-on-nearby-brown-dwarf-110913.html
6. From Space News: U. S. Rep Dana Rohrabacher, a California congressman, asks NASA to turn over internal studies assessing the contributions of in flight refueling depots versus heavy lift rockets in supporting future robotic and human exploration missions. Which would be cheaper?
http://www.spacenews.com/policy/110913-lawmaker-asks-nasa-study.html
7. From The Coalition for Space Exploration: At Kansas State University, researchers assess physical workout regimens that could help to keep astronauts healthy on a lengthy mission to Mars. NASA has extended a grant to help them find out.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/blog/obstacle-course-yields-clues-to-human-space-travel
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