In Today’s Deep Space Extra… Three Boeing CST-100 Starliners, under assembly at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, will help to restore a U.S. human launch capability. NASA moves to address cost concerns with the WFIRST, a high priority space telescope for studies of dark energy and direct observations of extra solar planets. Sue Finley, at 81, is NASA’s longest serving employee.
Human Space Exploration
Boeing Starliner trio preparing for test flights
Coalition Member in the News (Boeing)
NASAspaceflight.com (11/27): A threesome of CST-100 Boeing Starliner spacecraft are undergoing assembly at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, the latter of which has been designated to launch astronauts to the International Space Station. Once operational, the CST-100 Starliner will be capable of transporting four astronauts to and from low Earth orbit. It’s a capability the U.S. has not had since the space shuttle was retired in 2011.
Space Science
Report lays out potential changes to WFIRST to reduce its cost
Space News (11/27): NASA’s WFIRST, a space telescope intended to complement the James Webb Space Telescope, tops the National Academies of Sciences’ latest decadal priorities list for astronomy and astrophysics as an instrument for studies of dark energy and direct observations of extra solar planets. However, an independent review, the WFIRST Independent External Technical/Management/Cost Review, finds the initiative too complex to remain within budget guidelines and outlines cost cutting revisions to preserve a balance with less expensive missions.
Study: Exploration of ‘Special Regions’ needed to find alien life on Mars
Spaceflight Insider (11/28): A research team led by Spain’s Alberto Fairen, of the Madrid Center of Astrobiology, is calling for a relaxation of planetary protection restrictions for “Special Regions” of Mars, areas that could hold evidence of biological activity. The regions have been off limits to NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover for fear the hardware might introduce terrestrial contamination.
Other News
81-year-old celebrates 60th year at JPL, becomes longest-serving woman in NASA
Pasadena Now (11/26): Sue Finley, of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, now 81, is the space agency’s longest serving employee. She joined JPL in January 1958 as a mathematician, just a week before the launching of the first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1. Since 1980, she’s worked for NASA’s Deep Space Network.
Great Britain gets serious about launch
The Space Review (11/27): With Brexit looming, the U.K. is sizing up commercial space and seeing an opportunity to rise with launch services focused on small satellite missions.
Meteor satellite launched from Vostochny may be in wrong orbit, Roscosmos says
TASS of Russia (11/28): The launching of a Soyuz 2.1b rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome with Russia’s Meteor weather satellite, the primary payload, and 18 smaller satellites, on Tuesday apparently failed to place Meteor in the proper orbit, according to the report. Ground controllers have not been able to establish contact with the spacecraft – perhaps signaling a problem with the Fregat upper stage.
Now you can own NASA’s Golden Record on vinyl
Mashable (11/27): Launched in 1977 on a tour of the outer solar system, NASA’s Voyager 1 and 2 mission are still traveling and still communicating with Earth. Both also carry a recorded message from Earth on gold plated records –should they one day encounter an alien intelligence. Soon, a vinyl version of the recordings will be available to Earthlings as well.
Scientists find living bacteria from outer space on ISS satellite’s surface
TASS of Russia (11/27): During Russian spacewalks, cosmonauts have swabbed the exterior of the International Space Station’s Russian segment. “And now it turns out that somehow these swabs reveal bacteria that were absent during the launch of the ISS module,” previous ISS cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov told the Russian news agency. “That is, they have come from outer space and settled along the external surface. They are being studied and so far and it seems that they pose no danger.”