In Today’s Deep Space Extra… Orion may look like Apollo. But the new NASA spacecraft is designed to send explorers further and to more deep space destinations than its successful predecessor.
Human Deep Space Exploration
Looks aside, NASA’s Orion is “light years ahead of what they had in Apollo”
Ars Technica (3/27): They may share a resemblance, but NASA’s Orion spacecraft is designed to carry astronauts well beyond the moon, the destination of Apollo crews in the late 1960s and 1970s. From the thermal control system to the solar arrays and the appointments inside the capsule and its backups — Orion is designed to carry more astronauts, further and for longer than its iconic predecessor.
Utah station mimics life on Mars
Las Vegas Review Journal (3/26): One of two habitats operated by the Mars Society and simulating life on the red planet hosts volunteers for two week “missions” in the high desert of eastern Utah. More than 1,000 volunteers have participated in studies looking at the physical and psychological requirements of space missions since 2003.
China likely to beat NASA back to the moon
Forbes.com (3/24): China’s first visit to the moon with its astronauts could come within a decade, according to the report that examines assessments from U.S. lunar expert Paul Spudis, author of a new book, The Value of the Moon: How to Explore, Live, and Prosper in Space Using the Moon’s Resources. The U.S. has abdicated a permanent presence in cis-lunar space, according to the report.
Space Science
Meet the largest science project in U.S. government history the James Webb Telescope
Ars Technica (3/25): NASA, with contractor Northrop Grumman, is preparing the most powerful space observatory ever for a late 2018 launch. Working with partners from the European and Canadian space agencies, the U.S. space agency plans to study the deepest reaches of the universe to chart early star system formation and to probe the atmospheres of alien planets for signs of biological activity.
Simple synthetic cell could aid hunt for alien life
Discovery.com (3/25): Work at the J. Craig Venter Institute, outlined in the latest edition of the journal Science, describes efforts to identify core genes responsible for life on Earth and perhaps elsewhere in the universe. “We may be seeing some processes that occurred early in evolution,” microbiologist Clyde Hutchison, lead author of the Science paper, told Discovery.
Pluto’s atmosphere confounds researchers
Sky and Telescope (3/25): In June 1988, astronomers discovered that the distant dwarf planet Pluto has an atmosphere, with its source traced to the frozen nitrogen, carbon monoxide and methane on the surface. As NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft carried out the first flyby of Pluto last July, astronomers were surprised to find that little of that atmosphere is escaping to space, apparently because of the unexpectedly cold temperatures of the upper atmosphere.
Debris spotted floating around silent Hitomi X-ray satellite
Japan Times (3/28): Launched Feb. 17, Japan’s Hitomi X-ray satellite, also known as Astro-H, has experienced a communications loss and electrical power issues, discovered during the check out and configuration post launch phase, according to JAXA, the Japanese space agency. On Sunday, the U.S. Joint Space Operations Center said it had spotted five pieces of debris in the observatory’s orbit. Observations with the spacecraft, in which NASA is a partner, were scheduled to begin this summer.
Korea plays catch-up in space race
Korea Herald (3/25): South Korea — partnered with other global space agencies, including NASA — is looking to a peaceful space exploration alternative to the activities sponsored by neighboring North Korea. South Korea’s road map looks out to the human exploration of Mars.
Commercial to Low Earth Orbit
Traveling Cygnus pulls into port at International Space Station
Spaceflightnow.com (3/27): Astronauts aboard the International Space Station snagged and berthed Orbital ATK’s latest cargo delivery. The Cygnus freighter delivered 7,500 pounds of crew supplies, science and technology gear and station hardware. The capsule is to remain berthed to the station’s U.S. segment until May 20. NASA plans a fire in space experiment, Safire-1, aboard the capsule once it leaves the space station. After an automated rendezvous with the six person Space Station, astronauts captured the Cygnus with the Space Station’s Canadian robot arm. The capsule was named in honor of Rick Husband, commander of the seven member shuttle Columbia crew that perished during their descent to Earth on Feb. 1, 2003.
Reviewers approve early design work on new Vulcan rocket
Spaceflightnow.com (3/24): A new generation work horse rocket, the Vulcan Centaur, under development by United Launch Alliance, has completed its Preliminary Design Phase, and could launch for the first time in three years. Vulcan would replace the venerable Atlas V and Delta 4 rockets used for U.S. national security, science and commercial spacecraft missions.
Human space flight from Florida next year ‘realistic,’ experts say
Orlando Sentinel (3/27): The U.S. has been unable to launch astronauts into orbit since the retirement of NASA’s space shuttle fleet in mid-2011. Boeing and SpaceX, partners in NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, appear ready to resume human launches from Central Florida by the end of next year. Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX’s Dragon crewed vehicle will transport international astronaut crews to the International Space Station.
OA-6 ascent anomaly causes delay of MUOS-5 mission
Spaceflight Insider (3/26): United Launch Alliance is looking into the performance of its Atlas V launch vehicle during the Mar. 22 launch of its latest commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station. The first stage cut off six seconds early, prompting the Centaur upper stage to successfully make up the performance. The Cygnus cargo capsule successfully reached the space station early Saturday. ULA has delayed the planned May 5 launch of a U.S. Navy communications satellite atop at Atlas V for a week to assess the issue.
Major Space Related Activities for the Week
Major space related activities for the week of March 28-April 1, 2016
Spacepolicyonline.com (2/27): Washington hosts a range of space policy activities this week, though the U.S. House and Senate are in recess. Russian plans the launch of the Progress 63 cargo mission to the International Space Station from Kazakhstan on Thursday at 12:23 p.m., EDT. New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern presents a public lecture on the spacecraft and its July 2015 Pluto flyby in Washington on Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. The presentation that will be webcast.