In Today’s Deep Space Extra… President Trump praises NASA exploration in address over the weekend.
Human Deep Space Exploration
Trump touts bipartisanship of NASA reauthorization in weekly address
Washington Examiner (3/25): In a video address early Saturday, President Trump pointed to his signing of the 2017 NASA Transition Authorization Act last week as an effective example of Washington bipartisanship. The president said with the NASA Transition Authorization Act, “we renew our national commitment to NASA’s mission of exploration and discovery.”
The history behind the long-dead Space Council Trump wants to revive
The Atlantic (3/24): Over the years, a White House National Space Council has had a mixed record of success. Last week, Vice President Mike Pence said the council is soon to be re-established, following a near 25-year absence.
Space Science
Planet or dwarf planet: all worlds are worth investigating
The Conversation (3/24): Planet, or dwarf planet, Pluto remains an important destination for discovery.
This blue-sky image of Pluto is absolutely stunning
Ars Technica (3/25): Blue stars appear in a new photo mosaic of Pluto gathered by NASA’s New Horizon spacecraft just after its first ever flyby in July 2015.
Europe’s Jupiter explorer mission moves to prototype production
Space News (3/24): JUICE, a European Space Agency science mission to Jupiter, completed the preliminary design review phase of its mission last week. The probe is to embark on a seven-year journey to Jupiter in 2022, where it will orbit and carry out flybys of the major Jovian moons, including Europa.
Low Earth Orbit
Spacewalkers complete excursion outside International Space Station
Spaceflightnow.com (3/24): U.S. and European astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Thomas Pesquet completed the first in a series of three spacewalks outside the International Space Station on Friday. The six and a half hour excursion helped prepare the move of a former space shuttle mating adapter on the station’s U.S. segment, where it will become part of a future docking port for Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX’s crewed Dragon, both currently in development to commercially transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
Air Force’s mysterious X-37B space plane breaks orbital record
Space.com (3/25): On Saturday, the U.S. Air Force’s secretive X-37B reusable winged and unpiloted space plane broke its own record for time in Earth orbit, 675 days and counting. The mission’s eventual duration is unclear. Two X-37B’s have flown four missions.
Major Space Related Activities for the Week
Major space related activities for the week of March 27-31, 2017
Spacepolicyonline.com (3/26): A lengthy lineup of space policy gatherings are planned for Washington and as far away as Vienna this week. Also, on Thursday NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Peggy Whitson are to embark on a spacewalk to help establish a second docking port for future U.S. commercial crew vehicles in development by Boeing and SpaceX on the International Space Station.