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Wednesday’s CSExtra offers a collection of the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from around the world. Analysts refine re-entry predictions for NASA’s 20-year-old Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite; Friday is the most likely date. China looks to next week for the launching of a test module for the country’s forthcoming space station. U. S., Russian and European astronauts scheduled for a late Dec. lift off express confidence in the Soyuz rocket that will take them to the International Space Station. NASA picks Boeing to develop a light weight fuel tank for future rockets. Astronauts, a prominent scientist and professional divers plan to descend below the Atlantic Ocean for 13 days in October to simulate a future multi-national mission to an asteroid. NASA’s WISE telescope lifts the spectra of guilt from the Baptistina family of asteroids for the demise of the dinosaurs. Orlando will host the 100-year Public Starship Symposium, an imaginative gathering to consider a future mission to another galaxy. A labor dispute halts an Ariane 5 launch attempt. Florida grows concerned about the rise of a rival rocket launch complex in Virginia.
1. From Space.com: NASA and the Department of Defense continue to look to Friday for the uncontrolled re-entry of the 20-year-old Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite. The risk of personal injury, or even the prospect that parts of the 6.5 ton spacecraft will reach the Earth’s surface, remain small. However just in case the spacecraft falls in the U. S., the Federal Emergency Management Agency, an arm of Homeland Security, will be prepared to respond.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/13009-falling-nasa-satellite-uars-fema-response-plans.html
A. From the Washington Post: Bloggers compare the risk of injury from UARS debris to being struck by lightning. In each case, the odds are quite small.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/crashing-nasa-satellite-are-you-more-likely-to-be-struck-by-lightning/2011/09/19/gIQApZzDiK_blog.html
B. From USA Today: More on the UARS orbital track. The course takes the 6.5 ton satellite over most of the world’s population. It overflies much of the world’s oceans as well, but not Antarctica.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/story/2011-09-20/NASA-satellite-falls/50483792/1?csp=hf&loc=interstitialskip
2. From Xinhua.net of China: China plans a Sept. 27-30 launching of Tiangong-1, a module for testing docking procedures for the assembly of an independent orbiting space station. The Long March rocket that will boost the module has been rolled to the launch pad. The Chinese plan to assemble a 60 ton space station by 2020.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-09/21/c_131150433.htm
3. From Florida Today: U.S., Russian and European astronauts express confidence in the Russian rocket that is to launch them to the International Space Station in late December. The Soyuz rocket is in a return-to-flight mode following a Nov. 24 failure that resulted in the loss of a Progress cargo capsule headed for the orbiting science laboratory.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110921/NEWS02/109210307/December-ISS-crew-confident-rocket?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Home|p
4. From the Huntsville Times: NASA selects the Boeing Co. for a $24 million technology development effort to produce a pair of composite liquid hydrogen fuel tanks. The experimental tanks will be evaluated at the Marshall Space Flight Center. A breakthrough promises to save mass on future spacecraft.
http://blog.al.com/space-news/2011/09/nasa_chooses_boeing_to_build_t.html
5. From Discovery.com: A multi-national team of six astronauts, a noted space scientist and two professional divers will descend to the Aquarius Underwater Laboratory off Florida’s Atlantic coast on Oct. 17. Over 13 days, the crew led by NASA astronaut Shannon Walker will simulate the challenges of exploring an asteroid.
http://news.discovery.com/space/finding-neemo-nasa-prepares-for-asteroid-mission-under-the-sea-110920.html
6. From Discovery.com: Astronomers using NASA’s WISE space telescope determine the Baptistina family of asteroids was likely not responsible for the demise of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. The family of main belt asteroids has been under suspicion since 2007.
http://news.discovery.com/space/asteroid-family-not-guilty-of-dinosaur-killing-study-shows-110919.html
7. From the Orlando Sentinel: The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is joining with NASA’s Ames Research Center to sponsor the 100-year Public Starship Symposium in Orlando starting Sept. 30. The purpose of the gathering is to discuss preparations for a marathon journey to another galaxy, while stimulating the imagination of students as well as savvy engineers.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/space/2011/09/symposium-on-deep-space-travel-coming-to-orlando.html
8. From Spaceflightnow.com: A labor strike brings efforts to launch an Ariane 5 rocket from the European spaceport in French Guiana to a halt. The rocket is carrying spacecraft for the United States and the Middle East. The delay could stretch to a day, perhaps more.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/va204/110920strike/
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