Today’s Deep Space Extra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from across the globe. Agreement on a year-long U.S. omnibus spending bill appears in the works. The film drama The Martian receives multiple Golden Globe nominations. New images from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft reveal nature of Pluto’s pitted icy terrain. Japan’s asteroid bound Hayabusa 2 spacecraft snaps pictures of Earth. Saturn’s moon Titan bears resemblance to Earth in Cassini spacecraft photos. The faint comet Catalina is rising in the night sky. Three International Space Station astronauts made their way back to Earth after more than 141 days in orbit early Friday. With a successful International Space Station return to flight re-supply mission behind it, Orbital ATK looks ahead. SpaceX plans a Dec. 19 Falcon 9 return to flight.
U.S. Budget
Congressional leaders expect funding deal to be unveiled Monday
The Hill (12/10): U.S. House and Senate legislators aim for an agreement on a $1.1 trillion omnibus 2016 appropriations measure by Monday, with passage by Wednesday. The current U.S. budget continuing resolution expires on Friday at midnight, and a short term extension until Dec. 16 is in the works to prevent a government shutdown
Human Deep Space Exploration
‘The Martian‘ Snags 3 Golden Globe Nominations, Including ‘Best Comedy’
Space.com (12/10): The Martian, a film drama about a NASA astronaut stranded on Mars and determined to survive, has been nominated by the Golden Globe’s for best actor, director and movie, including the possibility it should be honored as a comedy.
Unmanned Deep Space Exploration
Oh, Pits! Thousands of Holes Dot Pluto’s Surface in Close-Up Shot
NBC News (12/10): New higher resolution color images from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft only make distant Pluto seem more mysterious. Pitting from changes in an icy surface layer are evident. The unprecedented flyby of Pluto unfolded on July 14.
Asteroid-Bound Spacecraft Snaps Stunning Earth Photos
Discovery (12/10): Japan’s Hayabusa 2 sample return mission spacecraft transmitted images of the Earth after skimming past the planet Dec. 3 on its way to the asteroid Ryugu in 2018. Hayabusa 2 is scheduled to return to Earth with samples of the asteroid in late 2020.
Why does Saturn’s moon look so much like Earth?
Washington Post (12/10): New images from NASA’s Saturn orbiting Cassini spacecraft reveal the moon Titan as somewhat Earth like.
Stargazing: Comet Catalina is a new light in the sky
Florida Today (12/10): The faint comet Catalina is moving higher in the night sky in the constellation Virgo. Catalina has two tails and is visible with binoculars.
Low Earth Orbit
Three space station fliers set for landing Friday
Spaceflightnow.com (12/10): U.S. astronaut Kjell Lindgren, Japan’s Kimiya Yui and Russia’s Oleg Kononenko departed the International Space Station in their Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft at 4:39 a.m., EST, after more than 141 days in orbit. Their spacecraft was to descend to Earth, touching down under parachute in wintry Kazakhstan at 8:12 a.m., EST.
Commercial to Orbit
Orbital ATK Looks Ahead as Cygnus Arrives at ISS
Space News (12/10): Orbital ATK, which successfully resumed NASA contracted cargo deliveries to the six person International Space Station earlier this week, is looking well ahead to its next re-supply mission as well as the introduction of the company’s updated Antares launch vehicle. An earlier version of Antares was linked to the Oct. 28, 2014 loss of a NASA contracted cargo flight.
SpaceX eyes Dec. 19 for first launch since June
Spaceflightnow.com (12/10): Grounded since a Falcon 9 launch vehicle explosion on June 28, SpaceX is targeted to return to flight Thursday. Dec. 19. The launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., is to loft 11 Orbcom communication satellites.