In Today Deep Space Extra… NASA explains Pluto’s blue skies, and if you wake up early enough, you might just see five planets at once!
Human Deep Space Exploration
NASA’s Journey to Mars and ESA’s Moon Village enable each other
The Space Review (1/18): The coming International Lunar Decade, 2020 to 2030, coupled with European Space Agency interest in a lunar village and U.S. interest in a human Mars settlement could merge with benefits for a growing commercial space sector, according to a trio of experts and members of the International Lunar Decade Working Group.
Rocket science: Russia builds atomic engine for exploring distant space
Sputnik International (1/18): Russia’s space development plans include an in space nuclear rocket propulsion system for deep space exploration.
Unmanned Deep Space Exploration
What’s the deal with Pluto’s blue sky?
Orlando Sentinel (1/18): NASA experts explain Pluto’s blue skies. The scene was captured by NASA’s New Horizon’s spacecraft during a mid-July flyby.
Get up early, see five planets at once!
Sky and Telescope (1/18): In the coming days, sky watchers will be able to spot Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in the pre-dawn skies. The prospect of so many visible planets at once has not been possible for a decade.
Low Earth Orbit
Astronauts and skydivers to help celebrate Houston 747-shuttle exhibit opening
Collectspace.com (1/18): The opening of Independence Plaza, a new Space Center Houston display that pays tribute to NASA’s space shuttle program, will open to the public next to the Johnson Space Center on Saturday. The plaza features the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, NASA 905, and the orbiter mockup Independence. Sky divers, NASA astronauts and a fireworks displays will be part of the ceremonies.
Astronauts observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day in space
Space.com (1/18): Members of the International Space Station’s multinational crew observed Martin Luther King Day on Monday.
Space School offers hands-on learning, time with astronauts
Florida Today (1/17): In Titusville, Fla., students at Apollo Elementary School pursue their science studies at the Kennedy Visitor Center before a display that features the retired shuttle Atlantis and a mockup of the Hubble Space Telescope. “It takes nothing to keep their attention,” said Beth Faulkner, a science teacher from Apollo Elementary, as her students worked on a math assignment.
Commercial to Low Earth Orbit
And then there were three
The Space Review (1/18): Long awaited, NASA’s Jan. 14 International Space Station Commercial Resupply Services round two contract awards proved especially beneficial to Sierra Nevada Corp., which will launch and land cargo with its Dream Chaser lifting body, once a competitor in the space agency’s commercial crew development activities. Orbital ATK and SpaceX will share in the work as well that is estimated at $14 billion in total and spread over missions launched between late 2019 and 2024.
Orbital developing rocket to compete with SpaceX, ULA
Space News (1/14): Orbital ATK plans a new medium to heavy lift rocket that will compete for the launching of U.S. national security satellites. The yet to be named rocket will depend of solid fuel propulsion and could make its inaugural flight in 2019.