During a telecon with the NASA Advisory Council (NAC) today, Norman Augustine said that the White House has given his panel on the future of the U.S. human space flight program flexibility to go beyond the formal statement of task. The panel’s official charter includes a number of constraints. Among them is that the panel …
In lieu of media interviews, Apollo 11 Command Module Pilot Michael Collins answered the questions he is most frequently asked — and a few he added — in a July 15, 2009 NASA press release. Tomorrow, July 16, is the 40th anniversary of the launch of that historic mission. Editorial comment: Collins’ colloquy with himself …
Brian Dewhurst is leaving the National Research Council to join NASA’s Office of Program Analysis and Evaluation (PA&E). Mr. Dewhurst joined the NRC as a research associate for the Space Studies Board (SSB) and over the past seven years has advanced to Program Officer for the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board. Most recently he was …
Congressman Ralph Hall (R-TX), ranking member of the House Science and Technology Committee, published an interesting op-ed piece in The Hill newspaper yesterday about the “Numerous Benefits of Space Exploration.” “This week we are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. When history is written, America will be recognized for one of …
A SpacePolicyOnline.com Editorial In his article for The Space Review today, Edward Ellegood summarizes previous blue ribbon panels that have made recommendations on the future of the U.S. human space flight program. Mysteriously, the best one (in this writer’s extremely biased opinion) is omitted – the 1986 report of the U.S. National Commission on Space …
The House Science and Technology Committee hearing on Enhancing the Relevance of Space To Address National Needs is at 2:00 tomorrow afternoon, July 16, in 2318 Rayburn House Office Building. At one time this had been scheduled for 10:00 am but the correct time is 2:00 pm. Gen. Lester Lyles will testify about the recently …
The space shuttle Endeavour is still on track for launch at 6:03 pm EDT tonight, July 15, 2009. Hopefully luck will be on NASA’s side this time, the sixth attempt to launch this STS-127 mission. NASA Mission Control says it is “optimistic” about the weather today. Follow the mission on NASA TV or on Spaceflightnow.com …
NASA’s space shuttle Endeavour lifted off on its STS-127 mission on time at 6:03 pm EDT today, July 15, 2009. Update: The shuttle is now in orbit. Update 2: Spaceflightnow.com is reporting that there were debris events during liftoff that may have damaged as many as nine tiles. Update 3: The pre-scheduled post-flight press conference …
SpaceX successfully launched its Falcon 1 launch vehicle from Kwajelein Atoll in the Pacific on July 13, 2009, placing Malaysia’s RazakSAT remote sensing satellite into low Earth orbit. Malaysia’s Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ongkili, said that this is the first remote sensing satellite in Near Equatorial Orbit (NEqO) as opposed to polar …
SpaceX successfully launched its Falcon 1 launch vehicle from Kwajelein Atoll in the Pacific on July 13, 2009, placing Malaysia’s RazakSAT remote sensing satellite into low Earth orbit. Malaysia’s Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ongkili, said that this is the first remote sensing satellite in Near Equatorial Orbit (NEqO) as opposed to polar …