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Wednesday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space activities and policy. Two small asteroids make a surprise close pass by the Earth today. Strong winds delay the launching of a Russian supply mission to the International Space Station, a first. A water main break in Central Florida delays shuttle Discovery’s trek from its hangar to the Vehicle Assembly Building. Physicist Stephen Hawking raises eyebrows. The Washington debate over the Administration’s commercial space initiative promises to re-ignite.
1. From Wired News: Two small asteroids, of the type under discussion among policy makers as future destinations for human explorers, will zip past the Earth today. They’ll speed by at distances closer than the moon. While there’s no threat of an impact, neither object was discovered until Sept. 5.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/09/asteroid-double-whammy-near-earth-tomorrow/
A. From the Associated Press via the Houston Chronicle: The small asteroids were discovered through a NASA-funded survey.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/space/7190140.html
2. From Itar-Tass of Russia: Today’s scheduled launching of a Russian Progress capsule with just over 5,000 pounds of propellant, water, compressed oxygen, research gear and other supplies has been postponed until Friday by high winds. It’s the first weather delay ever for a Progress mission to the International Space Station, according to the Russian news service. The lift off has been re-scheduled for Friday at 6:22 a.m. EDT, according to news reports. Docking moves to early Sunday.
http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=15472098&PageNum=0
3. From Spaceflightnow.com: Orbiter Discovery’s transfer from its Orbiter Processing Facility hangar at the Kennedy Space Center to the Vehicle Assembly Building early this morning was delayed until Thursday by a regional water main break. First motion was expected at 6:30 a.m. EDT, but the main break has disabled a required fire suppression system. Kennedy is closed for the day as a result. At the VAB, Discovery will be mated to solid rocket boosters and an external fuel tank. Launching of Discovery is tentatively set for Nov. 1. For updates on Discovery’s “roll over,” see,
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts133/status.html
4. From the New York Times: Cambridge cosmologist Stephen Hawking’s new book, “The Grand Design,” moves to No. 1 on Amazon.com, as it nears release. The book and Hawking’s promotional interviews are making headlines worldwide. In it, the esteemed physicist explains why the laws of gravity and what the best minds know about quantum theory are enough to explain the start as well as the unfolding of our universe, and apparently many others.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/08/books/08book.html?_r=2&ref=science
5. From this week’s The Space Review:
A. In “Building a Foundation for Commercial Crew,” The Space Review Editor Jeff Foust looks at the progress made on the commercial crew transportation front with the $50 million five companies received from NASA in February as part of the administration’s stimulus package. Boeing, Sierra Nevada, Paragon Space Development Corp., Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance all offered impressive progress reports on spacecraft and subsystem designs at the recent AIAA Space 2010 Conference in Anaheim. But the enthusiasm in Congress has so far been less than called for in the President’s 2011 budget proposal, which seeks to commit $5.8 billion to commercial space taxi development over the next five years. When the House and Senate return to Washington next week, the debate should heat up again. Meanwhile, NASA has committed to the use of multiple providers, perhaps as many as four companies, with full funding.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1692/1
B. In “VASIMR: Hope or Hype for Mars Exploration,” Foust looks at another popular topic in the space community, the commercially provided nuclear electric propulsion system pioneered by plasma physicist and former NASA astronaut Franklin Chang-Diaz and his company, Ad Astra Rocket Co. Conceptually, VASIMR offers the prospect of 39 day transits to Mars, as opposed to a six months, at best, using conventional chemical rockets. Faster transits promise less radiation exposure for astronauts as well as less deconditioning of their muscles and bones. However, critics have begun to question whether the mass of the nuclear reactors needed to produce the thrust levels would negate the faster transit times.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1690/1
6. From Spacepolicyonline.com: Space policy events of interest during this holiday shortened work week.
http://www.spacepolicyonline.com/pages/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1093:update-and-correction-events-of-interest-week-of-september-7-10-2010&catid=67:news&Itemid=27
7. From the Houston Chronicle: A small delegation of NASA medical, mental health and engineering experts talk Monday about their visit to the collapsed San Juan gold and copper mine in Chile, where 33 men have been trapped since Aug. 5. The miners and their families will require psychological as well as medical help for months to come, the NASA delegation reports.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/7190536.html
8. From Space News: The debut of a European Soyuz medium launcher from French Guiana is expected no sooner than the spring of 2011, another in a series of delays linked to work on the launch complex.
http://www.spacenews.com/launch/first-flight-european-soyuz-delayed-again.html
9. From the Wall Street Journal: The financial publication takes a stroll down memory lane at the American Computer Museum near the campus of Montana State University. On display amid the 1950’s style televisions, rotary telephones and early video games, is an original NASA moon mission computer on loan from the Smithsonian Institution. The device is easily outpaced by today’s X-box, explains museum founders George and Barbara Keremedjiev.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703467004575463602334656426.html?KEYWORDS=NASA
10. From Space.com: Planet Jupiter dazzles viewers with its brightness in the eastern sky just after sun set. Story includes a viewing map link for amateur star gazers. With tripod mounted binoculars, Jupiter’s four brightest moons are visible as well.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/spacewatch/planet-jupiter-visible-eastern-night-sky-100908.html
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