STS-124 Mission Underway

Editor's note: Space Shuttle Discovery has left the pad and is headed for orbit on the STS-124 Mission.

According to NASA: "Space shuttle Discovery is on its way into space on the power of its two solid rocket boosters and three main engines! The launch traced a fiery arc across the sky of Florida's East Coast as the shuttle races to catch up to the International Space Station."

More information

Space Politics at ISDC

The so-so space debate: initial impressions, Space politics

"Half of the four people on the panel were able to talk about space policy quite well: Lori Garver, representing Clinton, was well-versed in the issues, not surprising; O’Brien has also done his homework, based on the questions he asked on topics beyond NASA’s budget and the future of the vision, ranging from commercialization to military space policy to export control."

Today's Video: NASA Speak Featured on Colbert Report

Shout Out! - Broken Space Toilet, Colbert Report

"Episode: #04070 Views: 23365: The astronauts are not pooping in a bag -- they're pooping in a bag-like collection system."

SMEX Selections Cut From 3 to 2

NASA Selects Small Explorer Investigations for Concept Studies

"Following detailed mission concept studies, NASA intends to select two of the mission proposals in the spring of 2009 for full development as SMEX missions. The first mission could launch by 2012. Both will launch by 2015. Mission costs will be capped at $105 million each, excluding the launch vehicle."

Editor's update: Originally there were going to be three selections made. Now only two are being selected. One more mission sacrificed ($105 million saved) to feed MSL overruns, it would seem.

Has Phoenix Seen Ice?

NASA'S Phoenix Lander Robotic Arm Camera Sees Possible Ice

"Scientists have discovered what may be ice that was exposed when soil was blown away as NASA's Phoenix spacecraft landed on Mars last Sunday, May 25. The possible ice appears in an image the robotic arm camera took underneath the lander, near a footpad. "We could very well be seeing rock, or we could be seeing exposed ice in the retrorocket blast zone," said Ray Arvidson of Washington University, St. Louis, Mo., co-investigator for the robotic arm. "We'll test the two ideas by getting more data, including color data, from the robotic arm camera. We think that if the hard features are ice, they will become brighter because atmospheric water vapor will collect as new frost on the ice."

Backwards Decision Making Process at NASA

ISDC 2008 - Friday Morning - Constellation panel, Hobbyspace

"Discusses the studies that justify the Constellation architecture that Griffin had decided on long before he came to NASA as director and long before the studies were done."

Editor's note: Whoa ... wait a minute. Mike Griffin loves to go on and on about all of the analysis that went into the decision to go with the Ares 1/V architecture and how those studies (ESAS etc.) arrived at the conclusion that it was the best path to take. Now ESMD's Doug Cooke is admitting in public what many people have long known: that Mike Griffin had already decided on this concept before he even came to NASA. That said, what was the purpose of ESAS and all of the trade studies Griffin refers to if the answer was already known - smoke and mirrors?

Editor's update: Now the editor of this site has changed it to state that this was his comment - (apparently) not what Doug Cooke actually said (sorry Doug). Oh well. So much for relying on that site for accurate liveblogging quotes. FWIW the editor also mangled what I and others said in an event at ISDC yesterday.

ISDC on CSPAN Today

"What will happen to the International Space Station while NASA transitions from the Space Shuttle, retiring in 2010, to the Orion spacecraft, launching in 2014? The National Space Society considers this question and others during its 27th annual conference today in Washington, D.C."

WATCH

Editor's note: Live C-SPAN coverage resumes at 2:00 pm EDT today with a discussion on space and the 2008 Election.

Excerpt of Sen. Obama's representative's (Steve Robinson) comments on space policy:

Sen. Obama views space policy within a larger framework of science in general. Sen. Obama is a friend of science and engineering. We need more input from scientists and engineers in decisions that affect research in these areas. General principles:

4. Need to be linking human and robotic exploration of space more clearly to challenges that face our planet such as climate change and to provide unadulterated scientific advice to the government.

Steve Robinson suggested that there are other things that are done by robots in space that can be inspiring and that humans do not necessarily need to be there (although e personally find that inspiring). Moderator Miles O'Brien suggested that there are "no high schools named after robots". Robinson replied "some of those high schools are building robots". He elaborated that it might be more inspiring for his students (he's a teacher) to create ways to interact with rovers on Mars. "We should not limit our inspiration to what inspires us. I am not inspired by Second Life but others are."

Curious Staff Change at MSFC

Daniel Schumacher named director of key NASA Marshall Center office

"Prior to accepting his new position, Schumacher was deputy project manager of Marshall's Lunar Lander Project Office from 2007 to 2008. He led a team of more than 60 civil service and contractor employees and directed an annual technology budget of more than $60 million to develop hardware and integrated systems for crewed moon landings in coming decades."

Editor's note: Please tell me why a guy who runs an overtly engineering/mission oriented activity is suddenly put in charge of a policy office like this? Where is the press release about the person who is replacing him in his previous position?

ILS Goes Russian

Khrunichev Purchases Majority Interest in International Launch Services

"ILS International Launch Services Inc., a world leader in launch services for commercial satellites, announced today that Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center acquired the shares of ILS owned by majority shareholder, Space Transport Inc. Financial details were not disclosed. The transaction was completed today. Vladimir Nesterov, General Director of Khrunichev, said: "Building on our strong working relationship with the ILS team, this transaction will cement ILS's leadership role in the commercial launch services industry."

Join the Space Ambassadors Program and you Could Fly on a Virgin Galactic

National Space Society Kicks Off Space Ambassadors Program with Virgin Galactic, National Space Society

"The National Space Society (NSS) and Virgin Galactic announced today the NSS Space Ambassadors Program, which for one person will lead to a trip to space on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo."

"Space Ambassadors will be trained to deliver an eye-opening new presentation designed to educate and inspire the public about the practical and humanitarian benefits of exploration and research in space. "

Buzz Lightyear Joins STS-124 Crew

NASA To Launch Disney's Buzz Lightyear On Space Shuttle, Local6.com

"NASA will launch the Disney character Buzz Lightyear aboard space shuttle Discovery on May 31 in a mission to excite students about science, math and space travel. During the STS-124 mission, the 12-inch-tall action figure will partner with astronauts to deliver daily blog journals from space and launch a series of educational games and online sessions related to the mission. ... While in space, the character will fly in zero gravity as part of an experiment tied to the NASA's "Toys in Space" educational program. "Toys in Space" is scheduled to run through 2008 and feature unique materials for teachers to use in their classrooms."

Sitting on the Cutting Edge

NASA Space Missions Fuel Massive Storage Projects, Byte and Switch

"Earlier this month, NASA revealed that it will deploy a 20,480-core Altix ICE supercomputer from SGI at its Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley this summer. Capable of 245 trillion operations per second (Teraflops), the supercomputer will support future NASA projects, chiefly manned missions to the moon and potentially to Mars."

NASA taking open source into space, CNet

"Open source is such a natural for government agencies, it should come as no surprise that NASA is now developing an open-source project called CosmosCode. The goal? "To provide a common access point for individuals, academics, companies, and space agencies around the world using, contributing to, or supporting re-usable, modular, extensible, or standards driven space exploration software."

Wake The Kids: Real ET on Denver Morning Show

Phone home: Purported UFO video to be shown Friday, Rocky Mountain News

"A video that purportedly shows a living, breathing space alien will be shown to the news media Friday in Denver. Jeff Peckman, who is pushing a ballot initiative to create an Extraterrestrial Affairs Commission in Denver to prepare the city for close encounters of the alien kind, said the video is authentic and convinced him that aliens exist. ... "It shows an extraterrestrial's head popping up outside of a window at night, looking in the window, that's visible through an infrared camera," he said. The alien is about 4 feet tall and can be seen blinking, Peckman said earlier this month."

Manning Jules Verne

Berlin unveils 'crewed spaceship', BBC

"A model of a proposed European manned spaceship has gone on show at the Berlin Air Show. The design, which has been produced by EADS Astrium, is based on the unmanned "Jules Verne" freighter recently sent to the International Space Station.

Astrium says a crewed version of the truck is a logical evolution, and could fly in the next decade if it received support from European governments. Key states - Germany, France, and Italy - are said to be very interested."

Friends on Everest

Editor's note: Dr. Christian Otto, whom Leroy Chiao, Matt Reyes and I worked at HMP on Devon Island in 2007 (see photo), and his brother Eric, made it to the summit of Mount Everest last week.

They are part of the Canadian Mt. Everest Medical Operations Expedition. You can follow their expedition on the following web sites:

http://cdneverest2008.com/

http://summitclimb.com/new/default.asp?linktype=r&nid=88#23may

Public Reaction to Phoenix

Editorial: A mission of hope, Ventura County Star

"The triumphant arrival of the Phoenix Mars Lander on Sunday was just such an event. It showed what can be accomplished when humans put aside their differences and work toward a common goal. It proved the spirit of exploration and the quest for knowledge remain strongly embedded traits in the human psyche."

Martians Must Have Noticed Why Didn't We?, opinion, Human Events

"Though the press essentially ignored it, this was a huge accomplishment. One would think that an American technological achievement of this magnitude would be seized upon by both the sitting administration in Washington and by all those now running to replace it."

Our Opinion: Lander's legacy: Young people looking skyward, Tucson Citizen

"The Phoenix program has spent $4 million on educational outreach. Thousands of Tucson-area students have visited the mission's operations center north of downtown. More hourlong tours are scheduled to begin Wednesdays starting June 11. Mars-related activities are planned for the Tucson Children's Museum and the UA Museum of Art. "I hope," says Phoenix's outreach manager, Carla Bitter, "we plant the seed and grow the enthusiasm of looking up and out."

The Folly of Walking Away From A Huge Investment

NASA pullout could cut 'hope' short, USA Today

"The space shuttle Discovery, scheduled for liftoff Saturday, will take to orbit a project nearly 25 years and $1 billion in the making: one of the biggest laboratories ever built for the International Space Station. Excitement over the launch is tempered by concern that the lab's mission may be cut short if NASA follows through on its plan to withdraw from the station after 2015."

NASA Sets Briefing On New Space Station National Lab Partners

"NASA will hold a briefing at 11 a.m. EDT, Friday, May 30, to discuss new opportunities to use the International Space Station's unique research environment. The briefing will originate from NASA's Kennedy Space Center and be broadcast live on NASA Television."

Virtual Shana

NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale's Blog: California Outreach Effort

"I am excited about the future and I enjoy talking about what we are doing and where we are going with the Nation's space program. What resonates with the general public the most is the combination of the inspiration from our space exploration missions with the examples of how NASA-derived technologies are critical for life here on Earth.

After my keynote in San Jose, several individuals said my speech was "powerful" and that is such a compliment because now they "get" it and are re-energized in their interest in America's space program. As my staff says, the speeches I give are getting better. I am an introvert by nature and I have stepped way out of my comfort zone, but I feel it is extremely important to discuss the importance of NASA to the general public."

Some Self-Restraint Is In Order, Folks

NASA employee suspended for blogging, FCW

"A NASA employee has been suspended for soliciting donations and writing politically partisan blog posts and sending e-mail messages while at work, violations of the Hatch Act."

Phoenix Descends Across A Stunning Vista

NASA Mars Phoenix Lander Descending To Mars with Crater in the Background

"Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera acquired this image of Phoenix hanging from its parachute as it descended to the Martian surface. Shown here is a 10 kilometer (6 mile) diameter crater informally called "Heimdall," and an improved full-resolution image of the parachute and lander. Although it appears that Phoenix is descending into the crater, it is actually about 20 kilometers (about 12 miles) in front of the crater."

Finding Phoenix

HiRISE Images Phoenix Lander Hardware on Mars

"The HiRISE camera has acquired this image of the Phoenix landing site 22 hours after landing. The image shows 3 unusual features, which were not present in the earlier HiRISE image PSP_007853_2485. We expect to find 3 main pieces of hardware: the parachute attached to the backshell, the heat shield, and the lander itself. This image was acquired on the ascending node of the orbit making it about 3:00PM local time on the surface. The rest of the HiRISE observation shows a cloud free day for Phoenix Lander operations."

Overview Institute

Astronauts, scientists, cultural thought leaders to announce formation of the Overview Institute

"More than 20 renowned experts in the fields of space, science, media, and humanitarian services have joined forces to raise public awareness of the Overview Effect, a term used to describe the experience astronauts have when seeing Earth firsthand from outer space, and the resulting sense of unification that is brought on by this unique perspective."

Time To Break Out The Bags

Space station struggles with balky toilet, MSNBC

Service Module Life Support Systems, Book 1, Mission Operations Directorate, 1 October 2000 (PDF)

Schematic of toilet system

NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 27 May 2008

"ASU Update: Troubleshooting continues on the Russian ASU toilet facility. Almost all system components have been changed out at this time, including the separator with no improvement in function. Specialists feel the problem is with the separator pump, though they have never before seen this failure signature. New procedures for temporary manual operation of the pump are in work, and the crew is using a backup system of wring collectors which are functioning nominally. Since they are a consumable, 1J is being last-minute manifested with additional wring collectors and a new ASU separator pump (KSC ground unit)."

Attention Astronauts: Don't Pour Your Food in the Toilet, earlier post

How Do You Go to the Bathroom in Space?, NASA video

NASA Awards Contract for Space Station Hardware

"The basic contract includes $19 million to purchase a Russian-designed toilet system with a privacy enclosure and additional space station equipment."

NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 21 May 2008

"Russian ASU Malfunction: While using the ASU toilet system in the SM, the crew heard a loud noise and the fan stopped working. After some troubleshooting the crew reported that the air/water Separator (MNR-RS) was not working. The crew then replaced the separator with a spare unit but reported afterwards that the ASU lacked suction. The crew next replaced the F-V filter insert, which provided good suction for a while but again exhibited weak suction. TsUP/Moscow instructed the crew to deactivate the ASU and use the toilet facility in the Soyuz spacecraft."

NASA International Space Station Status Report 14 February 2005

"Friday night, the Station's toilet in the Zvezda Service Module stopped working. The crew, with the support of Russian ground controllers, replaced virtually all major toilet components this weekend with spare parts aboard the Station. Most of the original components had been nearing the estimated end of their operational life. The crew also replaced the toilet's control panel on Sunday. The work has restored the toilet to full normal operations. While the Station toilet system repairs were under way this weekend, the crew used the toilet aboard the docked Soyuz spacecraft."

NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 29 Jul 2003

"Late last Friday, the crew replaced three components of the SM toilet: The urine collector, the wring collector (a gas separator) and the gas-liquid Separator.  [The toilet has since operated nominally over the weekend.  The wring collector is used only for contingency, and there is only one spare on ISS after the replacement Friday.  The 12P manifest may be impacted if the Russians decide that another spare wring collector must be on orbit.]"

This Is Why JSC Doesn't Launch Rockets

Continental pilot startled by encounter with 'rocket'

"A Continental Airlines pilot reported being startled by what he described as a rocket that shot past his cockpit window Monday when the plane was about eight miles north of George Bush Intercontinental Airport."

Coming Soon: Space Beer

Japan plans to brew 'space beer'

"Japanese brewery Tuesday said it was planning the first "space beer," using offspring of barley once stored at the International Space Station. Researchers said the project was part of efforts to prepare for a future in which humans spend extended periods of time in space -- and might like a cold beer after a space walk."

Le Grand Saut (The Great Leap)

20-Year Journey for 15-Minute Fall, NY Times

"He has spent two decades and nearly $20 million in a quest to fly to the upper reaches of the atmosphere with a helium balloon, just so he can jump back to earth again. Now, Michel Fournier says, he is ready at last. Joe Kittinger has the longest recorded jump from a balloon, from 102,800 feet in 1960. Depending on the weather, Fournier, a 64-year-old retired French army officer, will attempt what he is calling Le Grand Saut (The Great Leap) on Sunday from the plains of northern Saskatchewan."

Le Grand Saut (The Great Leap), Official website

Balloon blows away free fall record bid, CNN

"French skydiver Michel Fournier's bid for a record-breaking parachute jump from Earth's stratosphere was aborted Tuesday when the balloon that was to carry him into the far reaches of the sky slipped away from his flight crew."

Today's Video: Space Diving, earlier post

"First Man in Space - Skydiving From The Edge Of The World (Extended Version) // On August 16, 1960, Joseph Kittinger jumped his last ... all " Excelsior jump, doing so from an air-thin height of 102,800 feet (31,334 meters). From that nearly 20 miles altitude, his tumble toward terra firma took some 4 minutes and 36 seconds."

Phoenix Caught In The Act

Camera On NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Snaps Phoenix During Landing

"A telescopic camera in orbit around Mars caught a view of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander suspended from its parachute during the lander's successful arrival at Mars Sunday evening, May 25. The image from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter marks the first time ever one spacecraft has photographed another one in the act of landing on Mars."

Main NASA website

Deja Vu on Mars

Editor's 26 May update: CNN just called. I will be on air sometime around 5:15 pm EDT to talk about Mars Phoenix. I am also doing an interview for CNN.com.

Editor's 25 May note: I had a rather strange case of deja vu tonight as the first images from Phoenix flashed on my computer screen. The image on the left was taken on 25 May 2008 on Mars at 68 deg North. I took the picture on the right on Devon Island, 75 deg North in July 2007. I'm just saying ... those polygonal patterns on Mars are VERY familiar.

Have a look at this photo from Dale Andersen: "Here is another patterned ground shot from ~80deg N on Axel Heiberg Island. Looks to be the same order of magnitude scale from Phoenix."

[More photos below].

There is another photo Dale took back in 1996 that shows similar patternsin Antarctica: "Polygonal Cracking, Alatna Valley Polygonal cracking can be seen on the floor of Alatna Valley. These polygons are a result of freeze thaw processes in permafrost. The polygons in this photo have been highlighted by recent snowfall."

I took this photo from a Helicopter flying over Devon Island in July 2007. The same polygonal shapes are also evident here.

This image is one of many that have been taken over the Phoenix landing site. The Phoenix lander launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida in August 2007 and will reach the surface of Mars on 25 May 2008.

One of the reasons this region of Mars was selected for the landing site is based on the overall lack of rocks that could prove hazardous to the lander. Among the many science goals, Phoenix will analyze the surface dust as well as dig into an ice-rich layer which is predicted to lie within inches of the Martian surface.

Homeward Bound

Astronaut Scott Parazynski Everest Update: 25 May 2008: Homeward Bound

"My last 24 hours at Everest Base Camp were a blur. After guardedly muscling my way down the Khumbu icefall for the last time, I immediately began thinking about what it would take to get back home. I knew that once I began the trek out, each step I took would finally be one step closer to home. ... A friend and fellow climber had developed a medical condition necessitating evacuation, however. As he was unable to make the long trek out, physicians at the Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) clinic at base camp ("Everest ER") requested a helicopter evacuation for him."

Phoenix Has Landed On Mars

The NASA Phoenix Spacecraft Has Landed on Mars

Raw images HERE

"NASA's Phoenix spacecraft landed in the northern polar region of Mars today to begin three months of examining a site chosen for its likelihood of having frozen water within reach of the lander's robotic arm. Radio signals received at 4:53:44 p.m. Pacific Time (7:53:44 p.m. Eastern Time) confirmed the Phoenix Mars Lander had survived its difficult final descent and touchdown 15 minutes earlier.

"We've passed the hardest part and we're breathing again, but we still need to see that Phoenix has opened its solar arrays and begun generating power," said JPL's Barry Goldstein, the Phoenix project manager. If all goes well, engineers will learn the status of the solar arrays between 7 and 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time (10 and 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time) from a Phoenix transmission relayed via NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter."

NASA Mars Phoenix Spacecraft is Healthy
Radio Telescopes to Keep Sharp Eye on NASA's Mars Phoenix Lander
Secrets of Mars' Suitability For Life May Be Down in the Dirt
Mars Express mission controllers ready for NASA Phoenix landing
NASA Briefings and TV Coverage Schedule for Phoenix Mars Landing

Ernst Stuhlinger

Ernst Stuhlinger, One of the Last Von Braun Rocket Team Members, Dies

"Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger, one of the last surviving members of the 126 German rocket scientists brought over to the United States after world war II has passed away quietly in Huntsville Alabama. Dr. Stuhlinger was 94 years old. Dr. Stuhlinger designed the first manned ion propulsion system for sending humans to Mars as far back as 1958 and by the 1970's he and Von Braun were convinced that ion propulsion would open up the solar system for exploration. This dream is very slowly being realized."

Editor's note: This letter [full text below] by Ernst Stuhlinger was written in the 1970-71 time frame when he was Associate Director for Science at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. It is referenced in this thesis NASA TM X-58055 "Space Program Benefits" by Frederick A. Zito online at NASA - see pages 9 - 12.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Reader's note: "Keith, these guys motivated me to get involved in space, and while I got to do some of the most amazing things, in the end, it was clear that I did not work for the NASA of von Braun days. Not a single MSFC director, or Administrator could write something like the Mars Project...many could not even read it. What a sad irony that we never made it with humans to Mars in his lifetime. .. and that on the day of his death, we simply landed yet another unmanned rover. I am excited by the science we will learn ... but it is very emotionally bitter sweet. I will deeply miss time with him and it has been a painful day for me.

Below is a letter written to Sister Mary Jucunda, a nun who worked among the starving children of Kabwe, Zambie, Africa who wrote Dr. Stuhlinger concerning exploration in space, while all the other problems existed in the world. With true empathy and compassion for Sister Mary's concern and sincerity, Dr. Stuhlinger answered her letter as follows:"

"Your letter was one of many which are reaching me every day, but it has touched me more deeply than all the others because it came so much from the depths of a searching mind and a compassionate heart. I will try to answer your question as best as I possibly can. 

Very sincerely yours,  Ernst Stuhlinger Associate Director for Science."

NASA's World Wide Appeal

Conmen make good use of explosive growth of media, Khaleej Times

Kolhapur boy in the dock for faking NASA letter, DNAINdia.com

"A 17-year-old student from Kolhapur, desirous of studying at NASA, is hogging limelight but for wrong reasons. Sridhar Kamble, who has just appeared for 12th standard exam, has found himself in the dock for faking a letter from the NASA establishment as well as forging the 10th standard result mark-sheet to inflate the total percentage."

Editor's note: To be certain, forging academic credentials is wrong and is certainly not to be encouraged. However, that said, what is it about NASA's image - and the prestige associated with it abroad - that draws so many to it? With all this talk about brand identity at NASA, you'd think that someone would be looking at this. What do these young people see in "NASA" that we in the U.S. have forgotten - or are all too jaded to see?

Consider these other stories (below) as well. While NASA, as an agency of the American govenrment, exists to serve the needs of its taxpayers, its global reach - and prestige - cannot be ignored. Someone should be capitalizing on it.

Bulgaria PM Meets Students Placed Second in NASA Contest, Sofia News Agency

"Bulgaria's PM Sergey Stanishev met Sunday the ten high-school students from the city of Varna who placed second in NASA's Space Settlement Contest for 2008."

NASA names planets after award-winning Lebanese, The Daily Star

"SIDON: The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Intel Company and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have named two newly discovered planets in the honor of two Lebanese students. The planets, "Sana" and "Dina," are named after Sana Abdel-Halim Zaidan and Dina Wafik Kaddoura, both from the coastal city of Sidon. Zaidan and Kaddoura invented, with the help of their Faith Islamic College classmate, Zahra Maarouf, a tool that enables the visually impared to use computers."

Ten Indian students leave for NASA

"The nine-day fully paid trip for the 42-member team involves visits to Washington DC, Indian Embassy, Washington Science Museum, Orlando Sea World, Kennedy Space Center and a full day trip to Disney World and New York. The students were excited as they would learn about NASA's diverse and exciting missions of research, exploration, and discovery."

Is The Soyuz at ISS a Potential Dud?

Space station crew may face another bumpy re-entry, Reuters

"The space industry source, who did not want to be identified, told Reuters faulty bolts were suspected of causing the last two "ballistic landings" and they are also fitted on the re-entry capsule now docked at the ISS. "There are explosive bolts which keep two modules attached to Soyuz capsules," the source said. "They are supposed to go off right before the entry into the Earth's atmosphere." "For some reason this didn't work (on the previous two re-entries), although the unseparated modules fell off eventually. What is bad is that another Soyuz-TMA is believed to have this faulty device and is docked at the ISS for the return trip," he said."

Progressive Space

Announcing the Space Policy Panel at Netroots Nation / Yearly Kos, Andrew Hoppin

"I'm very pleased to announce that for the first time, The Netroots Nation (Yearly Kos) Convention will feature a panel on space policy, July 18th or 19th in Austin, Texas. The panel, entitled, "Progressive NASA & Space Policy Under a New Administration," is an opportunity to bring critical space policy issues to light within a potent progressive political constituency- the Netroots- that hasn't historically paid much attention to space. It is also an opportunity for the Netroots to weigh in on what a new progressive space policy agenda could be under a progressive Administration in 2009."

Election 2008: Obama Talks (A Little) About NASA

Spaced Out: Obama says NASA needs a mission, Orlando Sentinel

"Now I know we're transitioning from the shuttle to the Orion program and I am fully committed to making sure that is funded. But I want to review with NASA what are we doing in terms of manned flights to the moon or to Mars vs. are we better off using things like Hubble that yields us more information and better bang for the buck.

The bottom line is I am absolute committed to making sure we have a space program that is second to none in the world. That's my absolute commitment. But I want to sit down with NASA and figure out what's our focus and make sure that that focus is clear and yielding the kind of benefits over time. I want us to understand what it is we're trying to accomplish."

Education Position paper, Obama for President (NASA excerpt toward the bottom)

"IX. A COMMITMENT TO FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY Barack Obama's early education and K-12 plan package costs about $18 billion per year. He will maintain fiscal responsibility and prevent any increase in the deficit by offsetting cuts and revenue sources in other parts of the government. The early education plan will be paid for by delaying the NASA Constellation Program for five years, using purchase cards and the negotiating power of the government to reduce costs of standardized procurement, auctioning surplus federal property, and reducing the erroneous payments identified by the Government Accountability Office, and closing the CEO pay deductibility loophole. The rest of the plan will be funded using a small portion of the savings associated with fighting the war in Iraq."

Coalition For Space Exploration: Asleep At The Throttle Again

Editor's note: Once again the Coalition for Space Exploration - the organization set up back in 2004 to promote the VSE (the one that all the big aerospace companies pour huge amounts of money into) - is asleep at the throttle. This organization is supposed to be enhancing awareness about space policy and space advocacy. Instead it is inert and behind the times.

Earlier this week the House Committee on Science and Technology's Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics unanimously passed HR 6063, the NASA Authorization Act of 2008. This is the reauthorization of a similar bill enacted into law in 2005 which made NASA's implementation of the VSE a matter of public law and national policy. You would think that the coalition - with its $20,000 a month website - would be on top of such things. Think again.

If you look at their press release page - there is nothing about the this new legislation - its introduction, subcommittee hearings, votes - Nothing. Nor was this markup included in their calendar. What are they doing with all of this aerospace money?

VSE Hearing (Coalition drops the ball again), earlier post
Coalition for Space Exploration Drops The Ball, earlier post
Yawn - Its The Coalition for Space Exploration, earlier post
What Does the Coalition for Space Exploration Actually Do?, earlier post

Summit so close, yet so far...

Astronaut Scott Parazynski Everest Update: 22 May 2008: Resting at Base Camp

"I just got a satphone call from Scott Parazynski at Everest Base Camp. The word I'd use to describe his mood is "contemplative". Otherwise, Scott is Scott, and he just always seems to be able to find a positive way to look at things. He was cheering me up!"

Astronaut Scott Parazynski Update 22 May 2008: Summit so close, yet so far...

There I was, literally just 24 hours from standing atop the world's tallest mountain, 6:30 am, May 21, 2008.

The radio call from Casey had just come in, indicating that he, Ari, Danuru and Dawa had actually done it, and with extra determination I gave my pack a hoist, wincing in sharp pain in the process.

Just the day before I'd awoken with low back spasms (something I've dealt with intermittently in the past), but I had still managed to climb the very steep Lhotse face between Camps II and III in a very respectable four and a half hours, cinching my climbing harness like a weight lifter's belt. The night at Camp II had been hard, unable to find a comfortable position for my low back for more than a minute or two. I told myself to persevere, the summit was tantalizingly close --- by morning all would be well, else I'd just "ignore" the stabbing pain and press on to the top.

Everest Base Camp
May 22, 2008

Editor's note: I sent Scott a reply to this note this morning (we had some indications late yesterday that something had gone wrong):

"I am so .... don't have a word for this ...

Make sure to turn the prayer wheels an extra time on the way down."