In Today’s Deep Space Extra… Space exploration advocacy organizations unite to urge smooth transition in presidential administrations to preserve U.S. leadership.
Human Deep Space Exploration
Organizations offer space policy white paper to U.S. presidential candidates
Space News (3/4): A collection of U.S. organizations that support space exploration, including the Coalition for Deep Space Exploration, gathered in Washington to urge a continuity in civil space policy with the approaching change in presidential administrations. The Ensuring U.S. Leadership in Space initiative calls for the development of NASA’s Space Launch System exploration rocket and Orion crew capsule to start future missions of human deep space exploration, including a voyage to Mars.
No man’s land: Where on Mars should astronauts go?
Scientific American (3/4): NASA workshops seek a collaboration between scientists and engineers on Martian landing zones for future human explorers. The criteria include locales that offer high priority science that are also in close proximity to potential resources such as underground ice deposits to help support the two- to three-year voyage.
Orion test capsule prepped for NASA Langley splash tests
Hampton Roads Daily Press (3/7): Engineers at NASA’s Langley Research Center are weeks away from testing the Orion crew capsule’s ability to withstand water impact. An instrumented capsule with test dummies will be dropped repeatedly into a test pool. The tests will continue into August. Orion is being prepared for its first unpiloted launch with the Space Launch System exploration rocket in late 2018. The flight around the moon will conclude with an ocean splashdown.
Space Science
Fate of NASA’s InSight Mars mission to be decided soon
Spaceflightnow.com (3/5): Last year, NASA was forced to delay its next Mars lander mission, InSight, because of an instrument leak in a critical seismometer provided by the French space agency. The delay pushed the mission from a March liftoff to 2018, at the earliest, and raised the prospect for a total cancellation. NASA is to decide soon.
Jupiter’s return: The mighty planet reaches opposition on March 8
Space.com (3/4): Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, is currently the brightest object in the night sky, with the exception of the moon and the fast moving International Space Station. Jupiter rises soon after sunset.
Low Earth Orbit
Scott Kelly says a year in orbit felt like ‘forever’
New York Times (3/4): During his first news briefing since the conclusion of his 340-day mission aboard the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly discussed the challenges of his long duration flight on Mar. 4. “I think the big surprise was how long a year is.” he told a news briefing.
Russian cosmonaut Kornienko about Scott Kelly
TASS (3/6): Mikhail Kornienko praises his relationship with NASA’s Scott Kelly. The two men returned from 340 days in orbit together aboard the International Space Station late Mar. 1.
Scott Kelly says he’s an environmentalist after his year in space
Mashable (3/4): Just back from a U.S. record-setting 340 days in space, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly says his view of the Earth produced a concern over the future of the environment. Kelly was so moved that he established a strong social media following for the frequent photos of spectacular Earth views he posted.
NASA jet to be reunited with space shuttle Enterprise at Intrepid museum
Collectspace.com (3/7): A refurbished NASA T-38 jet trainer, flown as part of the space shuttle program’s approach and landing demonstrations in the late 1970s, will join the New York City display of the test orbiter Enterprise on the flight deck of the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in April.
Putin greets first woman in space Valentina Tereshkova on her birthday
TASS (3/7): The first woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, received greetings from Russian President Vladimir Putin on her 79th birthday. Her three-day space flight unfolded in June 1963.
Commercial to Low Earth Orbit
Senator McCain and the vanishing elephant
The Hill (3/4): Without timely imports of legislatively sanctioned Russian RD-180 rocket engines, the U.S. faces a potential gap in its ability to launch national security missions into orbit. The sanctions were imposed in response to Russian incursions into Ukraine. Efforts to develop a domestic successor to the RD-180 for use on the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket are not expected to be complete before 2019.
SES-9 communications satellite launched atop SpaceX Falcon 9
Spaceflight Insider (3/4): A communications satellite serving Asia and Indonesia was successfully launched by SpaceX on Friday night. Efforts to re-land the first stage of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle were unsuccessful.
Major Space Related Activities for the Week
Major space related activities for the week of March 7-11, 2016
Spacepolicyonline.com (3/6): Thursday the U.S. Senate subcommittee responsible for NASA appropriations will host a hearing on the space agency’s 2017 budget request. The U.S. House is not in session this week. Conferences this week include the AAS Goddard Memorial Symposium and the Satellite 2016 conference.