NASA Launches $1.5 Billion Weather Satellite
VOA - Friday, October 28th, 2011 at 6:30 am
NASA has launched a $1.5 billion weather satellite into orbit that aims to help improve weather forecasts and monitor long-term climate change.
The satellite, known as the National Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System, is being carried by a Delta II rocket 800 kilometers above the surface of the earth.
The U.S. space agency says the two-ton weather satellite, about the size of a small bus, is carrying five different types of instruments that will gather weather information to be used by national weather services across the globe.
It will also monitor other environmental data, such as ice cover and the ozone layer, that will provide scientists with better information on the effects of long-term climate change.
The satellite will enter a polar orbit, crossing both the north and south poles, which will allow it to view every part of the globe.
It will spend the next five years circling the earth about a dozen times per day.
The satellite was initially scheduled to be launched in 2006, but was delayed after scientists ran into problems with the development of several of the instruments
Showing posts with label NASA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NASA. Show all posts
2011-10-28
2011-09-20
Satellite to Hit Earth Friday
Plummeting US Satellite to Hit Earth Friday
Suzanne Presto - September 20, 2011- VOA
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Photo: NASA This conceptual image shows the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, launched on September 15, 1991, by the space shuttle Discovery. |
NASA launched the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) 20 years ago this month. And now that bus-sized satellite is plunging toward Earth.
Mark Matney, an orbital debris scientist at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Texas, says UARS will likely reenter the atmosphere on September 23, 2011. He says scientists will be able to narrow the time frame as it gets closer.
As far as where it will crash, Matney says UARS passes over the Earth between 57 degrees north latitude and 57 degrees south latitude.
"Everything from Canada down to the tip of South America, and from Siberia down to the tip of Africa and Australia [could be where the satellite lands]," says Matney. "So, it's quite a bit of land."
It is also quite a bit of ocean. Given that more than two-thirds of the planet is covered by water, space debris usually lands with a splash.
Still, there is the chance that UARS could land with a thud, although NASA's Matney says this week's satellite reentry is not cause for great concern.
Take Cover?
"If you talk about the probability of you getting hit, it's something like one in trillions, so actually the odds of you getting hit is quite small," Matney says. "So, I don't think anybody needs to be unduly concerned about it."
NASA says it has no reports of a person being injured or property being significantly damaged by reentering debris. But there was an incident in 1997.
"There actually was a lady in Oklahoma who was hit by a piece of very light debris from a reentering satellite, but it didn't hurt her. It was a piece of insulation. She was out jogging, and it hit her," recalls Matney. "That same reentry dropped two tanks over Texas."
Matney says debris reentry is a common occurrence, averaging about one piece per day, but that the pieces usually are small. But he says this will be the first time in 30 years that a U.S. space agency satellite of this size will have crashed back to Earth.
Most of UARS is expected to burn up in the atmosphere.
Computer Modeling
Even though officials at NASA and the Department of Defense cannot yet provide a precise landing footprint, Matney says the science of figuring out what will land is exacting.
"We actually take time to get the original specifications, to get the different parts of the spacecraft, the material types, their shape, their mass," explains Matney. "And we actually have computer programs that model the dynamics as it begins to heat up and break up and look at the temperatures those pieces reach and whether they reach the melting point of the metal."
For instance, he says that because of aluminum's relatively low melting temperature, aluminum objects usually disintegrate before they reach the surface of the Earth.
NASA expects 26 "potentially hazardous" pieces of UARS to reach the ground, most of them made of titanium, stainless steel or beryllium, which have high melting points. These pieces of debris include batteries, wheel rims and empty fuel tanks. UARS debris is expected to range in mass from 0.6 to 158 kilograms.
Orbital Debris Management
NASA's Orbital Debris Program works to reduce the number of large debris pieces in orbit. One aim is to prevent pieces of space junk from colliding and breaking into smaller pieces as well as to keep active satellites and spacecraft safe.
NASA's Mark Matney says the space agency took steps in 2005 to decommission the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite.
"With what fuel was left on board UARS, we lowered the orbit to a point that we actually shaved 20 years off its lifetime, off its orbit lifetime, to try to remove it from orbit a bit sooner," the scientist explains.
Finders Keepers?
NASA officials say people should call their local law enforcement agencies if they find parts of the satellite. Matney cautions that although the pieces are not toxic, they might have sharp edges. Even though it is commonly referred to as "space junk," the debris still belongs to the country that owns the craft, in this case, the United States.
2011-07-08
NASA Shuttle Program Documentary
Space Shuttle Atlantis Lifts Off on Final Mission
VOA - July 08, 2011
The U.S. space shuttle Atlantis blasted off Friday on a mission to the International Space Station (ISS), the 135th and final flight of the 30-year-old space shuttle program.
Live Broadcast by Ustream
The space agency NASA said as many as 1 million people were gathered in and around the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to watch the historic liftoff. Launch control called the space mission "a sentimental journey."
The shuttle's four-member crew will deliver supplies, spare parts and science experiments to the International Space Station during its 12-day mission.
The space shuttles have served as the complex workhorses of the U.S. manned space program for the last 30 years, playing a key role in the building and operation of the International Space Station (ISS) and performing other important missions. The end of the shuttle program leaves the United States without its own manned spacecraft.
VOA - July 08, 2011
The U.S. space shuttle Atlantis blasted off Friday on a mission to the International Space Station (ISS), the 135th and final flight of the 30-year-old space shuttle program.
Live Broadcast by Ustream
The space agency NASA said as many as 1 million people were gathered in and around the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to watch the historic liftoff. Launch control called the space mission "a sentimental journey."
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VOA - S. PrestoUS Space shuttle fan sports her "shuttle socks" ahead of Atlantis launch at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, July 8, 2011 |
The space shuttles have served as the complex workhorses of the U.S. manned space program for the last 30 years, playing a key role in the building and operation of the International Space Station (ISS) and performing other important missions. The end of the shuttle program leaves the United States without its own manned spacecraft.
2011-06-11
Aquarius Mission - Connection Between Earth’s Climate and Oceans
Aquarius Mission to Look at Connection Between Earth’s Climate, Oceans
VOA - Jessica Berman | Washington June 10, 2011 |
Photo: NASAGlobal map of average Sea Surface Temperature |
The U.S. space agency NASA launched a new satellite observatory Friday that will measure the saltiness of the world’s oceans. Scientists hope to learn what impact changes in ocean circulation and the salinity of the seawater are having on the globe’s changing climate.
Most of the Earth’s water cycle of rainfall and evaporation occurs over the oceans. At the same time that global temperatures are rising, scientists for more than a century have noted from shipboard and buoy measurements a change in global water cycle and ocean circulation patterns.
These changes in rainfall and evaporation have led to a gradual cooling of sea surface temperatures in some places and warmer waters in others.
To get a global view of how changes in the water cycle might be affecting climate, NASA scientists will be measuring the salinity, or the amount of salt dissolved in seawater with the Aquarius satellite.
2011-05-28
Next Generation Spacecraft Announced by NASA
NASA Announces Next Generation Spacecraft
Rosanne Skirble | Washington May 25, 2011
VOA - Rosanne Skirble | Washington May 25, 2011
NASA has unveiled plans for its next-generation, post-Shuttle spacecraft to carry humans into earth orbit and beyond. The state-of-the-art, four-astronaut capsule, called the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle or MPCV, builds on earlier designs for the Orion crew capsule. And the versatile new craft features an enhanced emphasis on crew safety.
Rosanne Skirble | Washington May 25, 2011
VOA - Rosanne Skirble | Washington May 25, 2011
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| Photo: NASA - Artist's rendering of the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle on a deep space mission. |
2011-03-10
U.S. Space Shuttle Discovery - the end of a storied career for history
'Farewell, Discovery,' as Shuttle's Space Career Ends
VOA - Suzanne Presto | Washington March 09, 2011
The U.S. space shuttle Discovery and its crew ended a 13-day mission and a journey of more than 8 million kilometers Wednesday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This is the end of a mission and the end of a storied career.
"And nose gear touchdown and the end of a historic journey," said the NASA announcer. "And to the ship that has led the way time and time again, we say, 'Farewell, Discovery.'"
Discovery ended its 27-year career with a smooth touchdown under clear skies. Soon after landing, the six astronauts of Discovery's final mission greeted NASA officials on the runway at Kennedy Space Center.
The astronauts in blue flight suits shook hands and shared hugs with officials, including NASA administrator Charles Bolden and Kennedy Space Center director Bob Cabana, both former astronauts themselves.
Bolden thanked the crew for what he called "an absolutely incredible flight."
"If my numbers are correct, it's the 39th flight on Discovery," said Bolden. "Discovery has a very special place for me and for Bob Cabana over here because we both had an opportunity to fly on it twice, and so this is very bittersweet for all of us."
The commander of Discovery's ultimate mission, Steve Lindsey, said the fleet's longest-serving shuttle was back on the ground in the same condition after its final mission as it was after its first mission. That news was particularly welcome, considering that Discovery's blastoff into space was delayed for several months after engineers discovered cracks in support beams on the shuttle's fuel tank.
Lindsey said not a single system had any problem.
"If you think about a vehicle that's 26 or 27-years-old, been flying for that long, to come back perfect - I have never seen an airplane be able to do that," said Lindsey.
NASA is retiring its shuttle fleet this year and is encouraging the development of commercial human spaceflight vehicles.
As for Discovery, after a high-flying career that included logging 238 million kilometers in space, the shuttle will retire to a museum.
Commander Lindsey reflected on the end of the era.
"As Charlie mentioned, it's a pretty bittersweet moment for all of us," he said. "As the minutes pass, I'm actually getting sadder and sadder about this being the last flight, and I know all the folks involved in the shuttle program feel the same way."
For its last mission, Discovery delivered Robonaut 2, the first human-like robot in space and now a permanent resident of the International Space Station. It also carried a pressurized module that can host experiments in fluid physics, biotechnology and other areas. During the mission, the space station crew and the shuttle crew worked together to reconfigure the spacelab so that even more research can be conducted there.
Speaking at a news conference after the landing, the space shuttle launch director, Mike Leinbach, said more than 100 percent of the mission's objectives were accomplished. He credited the crews on the ground and in orbit and the shuttle itself.
"We wanted to go out on a high note, and Discovery has done that," said Leinbach. "We couldn't ask for more."
Next up is the launch of the space shuttle Endeavour, which is gearing up for its final mission. Endeavour is targeted to lift off April 19.
Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-133) lands at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, completing its 39th and final flight, March 9, 2011
'Farewell, Discovery,' as Shuttle's Space Career Ends
Article and video from VOA
VOA - Suzanne Presto | Washington March 09, 2011
The U.S. space shuttle Discovery and its crew ended a 13-day mission and a journey of more than 8 million kilometers Wednesday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This is the end of a mission and the end of a storied career.
"And nose gear touchdown and the end of a historic journey," said the NASA announcer. "And to the ship that has led the way time and time again, we say, 'Farewell, Discovery.'"
Discovery ended its 27-year career with a smooth touchdown under clear skies. Soon after landing, the six astronauts of Discovery's final mission greeted NASA officials on the runway at Kennedy Space Center.
The astronauts in blue flight suits shook hands and shared hugs with officials, including NASA administrator Charles Bolden and Kennedy Space Center director Bob Cabana, both former astronauts themselves.
Bolden thanked the crew for what he called "an absolutely incredible flight."
"If my numbers are correct, it's the 39th flight on Discovery," said Bolden. "Discovery has a very special place for me and for Bob Cabana over here because we both had an opportunity to fly on it twice, and so this is very bittersweet for all of us."
The commander of Discovery's ultimate mission, Steve Lindsey, said the fleet's longest-serving shuttle was back on the ground in the same condition after its final mission as it was after its first mission. That news was particularly welcome, considering that Discovery's blastoff into space was delayed for several months after engineers discovered cracks in support beams on the shuttle's fuel tank.
Lindsey said not a single system had any problem.
"If you think about a vehicle that's 26 or 27-years-old, been flying for that long, to come back perfect - I have never seen an airplane be able to do that," said Lindsey.
NASA is retiring its shuttle fleet this year and is encouraging the development of commercial human spaceflight vehicles.
As for Discovery, after a high-flying career that included logging 238 million kilometers in space, the shuttle will retire to a museum.
Commander Lindsey reflected on the end of the era.
"As Charlie mentioned, it's a pretty bittersweet moment for all of us," he said. "As the minutes pass, I'm actually getting sadder and sadder about this being the last flight, and I know all the folks involved in the shuttle program feel the same way."
For its last mission, Discovery delivered Robonaut 2, the first human-like robot in space and now a permanent resident of the International Space Station. It also carried a pressurized module that can host experiments in fluid physics, biotechnology and other areas. During the mission, the space station crew and the shuttle crew worked together to reconfigure the spacelab so that even more research can be conducted there.
Speaking at a news conference after the landing, the space shuttle launch director, Mike Leinbach, said more than 100 percent of the mission's objectives were accomplished. He credited the crews on the ground and in orbit and the shuttle itself.
"We wanted to go out on a high note, and Discovery has done that," said Leinbach. "We couldn't ask for more."
Next up is the launch of the space shuttle Endeavour, which is gearing up for its final mission. Endeavour is targeted to lift off April 19.
Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-133) lands at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, completing its 39th and final flight, March 9, 2011
'Farewell, Discovery,' as Shuttle's Space Career Ends
Article and video from VOA
2011-02-26
Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum
Where Old Spacesuits End Up
Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum preserves the iconic artifacts for future generations
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Photo: VOA - S. Logue KosterThese experimental suits - along with suits that were used in space - are stored in a climate-controlled facility outside of Washington, DC. |
Six astronauts lifted off on one of NASA's final space shuttle flights this week. During Discovery’s 11-day mission, the crew will conduct two spacewalks to do maintenance and install equipment. Spacewalks have become pretty routine, but they would not have been possible without a remarkable bit of engineering.
No one appreciates the technology and design of the spacesuit more than Dr. Joseph Kerwin, who in 1973, was one of the first astronauts to conduct in-space repairs. He and fellow astronaut Pete Conrad fixed a jammed solar panel on the Skylab space station.
No one appreciates the technology and design of the spacesuit more than Dr. Joseph Kerwin, who in 1973, was one of the first astronauts to conduct in-space repairs. He and fellow astronaut Pete Conrad fixed a jammed solar panel on the Skylab space station.
That would not have been possible without the spacesuit, which Kerwin describes as "a little spacecraft." The suit provided protection from meteorites and vacuum. It circulated oxygen, removed carbon dioxide, kept the astronauts cool, provided communication and enough mobility to do the job.
Kerwin says it took some getting used to it initially. "The first time you put it on, it takes a while and you need help to get the zippers zipped, and when you are inside it doesn’t quite fit properly,and then they inflate it and you can hardly move." But he says after spending 1000 hours training, including sessions under water and in a vacuum chamber, "you own that suit."
Not in the literal sense. All suits which have returned from space, more than 200 of them, belong to the Smithsonian Institution’s Air and Space Museum.
"In the days when I worked here, it was about one third of the collection was on display both here and at museums around the world at any given time," says Amanda Young, a retired curator and author of "Spacesuits: The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Collection."
In addition to flown suits, the museum has gloves, helmets and other ancillary equipment. Most are stored at a facility 10 kilometers from Washington, in a room where humidity and temperature are carefully controlled. Kerwin’s suit is here. So is that of Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the Moon. There are suits from the earlier Mercury missions, and several experimental suits which were never used. Stored on shelves, they are shrouded under protective covering.
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VOA - S. Logue KosterAll suits which have returned from space, more than 200 of them, belong to the Smithsonian Institution’s Air and Space Museum. |
"We have discovered that they are extremely fragile. They are very heavy," says Young. "It is sort of a lifetime’s work preserving them, because at the time they were made - because of the rush of the program requirements - it wasn’t really a consideration what to do with them when they came back."
It was up to Young to figure that out, which she painstakingly did. Thanks to her efforts and those of her successors, spacesuits will be around for generations - an out-of-this-world legacy that endures here on earth.
It was up to Young to figure that out, which she painstakingly did. Thanks to her efforts and those of her successors, spacesuits will be around for generations - an out-of-this-world legacy that endures here on earth.
Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum preserves the iconic artifacts for future generations
Article and video from VOA
2011-02-25
Space Shuttle Discovery on Final Flight
US Space Shuttle Discovery Launched on Final Flight
The Space Shuttle Discovery is now on its way to the International Space Station after what NASA calls "a picture perfect launch" from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida Thursday. This is the last flight of the oldest and most-travelled of the US shuttles. Discovery and its six-member crew is expected to reach the orbiting International Space Station Saturday.
With thousands of spectators on hand for this last launch of NASA's workhorse shuttle, launch commentator Mike Curie announced the firing of the rockets and the beginning of Discovery's final ascent: "Booster ignition and the final lift off of Discovery, a tribute to the dedication, hard work and pride of America's space shuttle team. The shuttle has cleared the tower."
A last-minute computer problem almost interfered with the launch, the window for which had shrunk from five minutes to three because of weather conditions at the central Florida Atlantic coast launch site. Discovery fired its engines for lift off with only two seconds to spare.
The launch was originally scheduled for November, but the mission was postponed after technicians discovered a leak in the external fuel tank. That led to further inspections in which engineers found cracks in the tank that needed to be repaired.
This was the 39th launch for Discovery. Its first mission was in 1984 and it has flown more than any of the other shuttles in NASA's fleet. It is to be permanently retired after this mission and the other two remaining shuttles, Endeavor and Atlantis, will also be retired after missions to be carried out in the coming months.
On Saturday, Discovery is to arrive at the International Space Station, where it is to deliver a storage module and several tons of equipment and supplies to the orbiting station. Among the items being delivered is a humanoid robot called Robonaut-2, which is to be used for future work in the US laboratory section of the space station. The robot, which consists of a torso, a helmeted head, two arms and fully functional fingers was developed for NASA by General Motors to do routine tasks that will free the humans on board to concentrate on more complex work.
Discovery will arrive at a space station that is already quite active. Just hours before the Discovery lift off from the Kennedy Space Center, the European Space Agency's ATV-2 cargo ship arrived at the space station with tons of supplies and extra fuel. With the addition of Discovery on Saturday, space craft and robotic arms supplied by all five major international space agencies will be at the orbiting laboratory at the same time.
NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier says all the various components and vehicles will be involved in what he described as an "international ballet" in space. "This is a very intriguing time in terms of the number of vehicles going to space station and the activities that are occurring on station. This is probably unprecedented in the history of human space flight, the amount of activity to one single destination, all focused around the same thing and all the partners around the world who are essentially working together on these activities,' he said.
Gerstenmaier says it is possible that the Discovery crew will assist a photo session at the $100-billion space station before their 11-day mission ends next month. NASA and the Russian Federal Space Agency are discussing the idea of using a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to circle around the station to take video and photographs of the unprecedented array of vehicles and modules connected together. A decision on that is likely to come towards the end of the current mission.
With thousands of spectators on hand for this last launch of NASA's workhorse shuttle, launch commentator Mike Curie announced the firing of the rockets and the beginning of Discovery's final ascent: "Booster ignition and the final lift off of Discovery, a tribute to the dedication, hard work and pride of America's space shuttle team. The shuttle has cleared the tower."
A last-minute computer problem almost interfered with the launch, the window for which had shrunk from five minutes to three because of weather conditions at the central Florida Atlantic coast launch site. Discovery fired its engines for lift off with only two seconds to spare.
The launch was originally scheduled for November, but the mission was postponed after technicians discovered a leak in the external fuel tank. That led to further inspections in which engineers found cracks in the tank that needed to be repaired.
This was the 39th launch for Discovery. Its first mission was in 1984 and it has flown more than any of the other shuttles in NASA's fleet. It is to be permanently retired after this mission and the other two remaining shuttles, Endeavor and Atlantis, will also be retired after missions to be carried out in the coming months.
On Saturday, Discovery is to arrive at the International Space Station, where it is to deliver a storage module and several tons of equipment and supplies to the orbiting station. Among the items being delivered is a humanoid robot called Robonaut-2, which is to be used for future work in the US laboratory section of the space station. The robot, which consists of a torso, a helmeted head, two arms and fully functional fingers was developed for NASA by General Motors to do routine tasks that will free the humans on board to concentrate on more complex work.
Discovery will arrive at a space station that is already quite active. Just hours before the Discovery lift off from the Kennedy Space Center, the European Space Agency's ATV-2 cargo ship arrived at the space station with tons of supplies and extra fuel. With the addition of Discovery on Saturday, space craft and robotic arms supplied by all five major international space agencies will be at the orbiting laboratory at the same time.
NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier says all the various components and vehicles will be involved in what he described as an "international ballet" in space. "This is a very intriguing time in terms of the number of vehicles going to space station and the activities that are occurring on station. This is probably unprecedented in the history of human space flight, the amount of activity to one single destination, all focused around the same thing and all the partners around the world who are essentially working together on these activities,' he said.
Gerstenmaier says it is possible that the Discovery crew will assist a photo session at the $100-billion space station before their 11-day mission ends next month. NASA and the Russian Federal Space Agency are discussing the idea of using a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to circle around the station to take video and photographs of the unprecedented array of vehicles and modules connected together. A decision on that is likely to come towards the end of the current mission.
US Space Shuttle Discovery Launched on Final Flight
Article from VOA2011-02-12
Valentine's Day Date - Stardust Spacecraft with Comet
Stardust Spacecraft, Comet Aiming for Valentine's Day Rendezvous
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Photo: NASAArtist rendering of Stardust-NExT spacecraft nearing comet Tempel 1, 21 Jan 2011 |
Ever run into an old flame a few years after you last saw one another and think that he or she looks pretty different, maybe that time or sun exposure have taken their toll? Now, for the first time, scientists are planning to follow up with a different body -- a comet -- to see how its looks have changed over the years.
Mission objective
NASA's Stardust-NExT spacecraft has a date with a comet called Tempel 1 on the night of February 14th, which happens to be Valentine's Day. During that rendezvous, with only 200 kilometers between them, the Stardust craft will snap 72 high-resolution pictures of Tempel 1.
And this is one comet that is used to being in front of the camera. A NASA mission called "Deep Impact" took photographs of Tempel 1 about six years ago. That is the equivalent of one year in the life of Tempel 1.
Close-up view
Joe Veverka, the principal investigator of the Stardust-NExT mission, told reporters at a NASA briefing Wednesday, that this will be the first opportunity to see how a comet changes between two close passages to the sun.
"We know that comets lose material, but the question is, 'how much does the surface change and where does the surface change?' So we'll be able to answer that question by comparing our images with those taken by Deep Impact in 2005," Veverka said.
During the Deep Impact mission, scientists actually crashed a probe into Tempel 1 and gathered the material it kicked up in order to study the comet's composition.
Snapshot
Scientists said Wednesday that it will be a bonus if the Stardust spacecraft is able to capture an image of the crater created in that crash.
NASA says it is important to study comets because astronomers theorize they are part of a collection of gas, ice, rocks and dust that formed the outer planets of our solar system about 4.5 billion years ago.
Steve Chesley, a Stardust-NExT co-investigator, made it sound a bit sexier.
"Comets are not just inert, simple objects floating out in space. They're dynamic. They're active. They're much more like a rocket with no one at the controls than something that's just idling there," he said.
Sounds like a hot Valentine's date.
Useful data
Tempel 1's orbit brings it as close to the sun as the orbit of the planet Mars, and as far from the sun as the orbit of the planet Jupiter. NASA says data from this upcoming mission could help explain the way the Jupiter-family comets formed.
And this mission is expected to be the grand finale for the Stardust spacecraft, which was part of a mission in 2004 that collected particles directly from yet another comet.
The Stardust craft has been in space since 1999, and it is nearly out of fuel after traveling about 6 billion kilometers.
Mission objective
NASA's Stardust-NExT spacecraft has a date with a comet called Tempel 1 on the night of February 14th, which happens to be Valentine's Day. During that rendezvous, with only 200 kilometers between them, the Stardust craft will snap 72 high-resolution pictures of Tempel 1.
And this is one comet that is used to being in front of the camera. A NASA mission called "Deep Impact" took photographs of Tempel 1 about six years ago. That is the equivalent of one year in the life of Tempel 1.
Close-up view
Joe Veverka, the principal investigator of the Stardust-NExT mission, told reporters at a NASA briefing Wednesday, that this will be the first opportunity to see how a comet changes between two close passages to the sun.
"We know that comets lose material, but the question is, 'how much does the surface change and where does the surface change?' So we'll be able to answer that question by comparing our images with those taken by Deep Impact in 2005," Veverka said.
During the Deep Impact mission, scientists actually crashed a probe into Tempel 1 and gathered the material it kicked up in order to study the comet's composition.
Snapshot
Scientists said Wednesday that it will be a bonus if the Stardust spacecraft is able to capture an image of the crater created in that crash.
NASA says it is important to study comets because astronomers theorize they are part of a collection of gas, ice, rocks and dust that formed the outer planets of our solar system about 4.5 billion years ago.
Steve Chesley, a Stardust-NExT co-investigator, made it sound a bit sexier.
"Comets are not just inert, simple objects floating out in space. They're dynamic. They're active. They're much more like a rocket with no one at the controls than something that's just idling there," he said.
Sounds like a hot Valentine's date.
Useful data
Tempel 1's orbit brings it as close to the sun as the orbit of the planet Mars, and as far from the sun as the orbit of the planet Jupiter. NASA says data from this upcoming mission could help explain the way the Jupiter-family comets formed.
And this mission is expected to be the grand finale for the Stardust spacecraft, which was part of a mission in 2004 that collected particles directly from yet another comet.
The Stardust craft has been in space since 1999, and it is nearly out of fuel after traveling about 6 billion kilometers.
Stardust Spacecraft, Comet Aiming for Valentine's Day Rendezvous
Article from VOA - 21 Jan 2011
2011-01-27
Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster - Loss Still Felt, 25 Years Later
Space Shuttle Challenger Loss Still Felt, 25 Years Later
The space shuttle Challenger explodes 73 seconds after takeoff on Jan. 28, 1986, at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. This picture shows the main engine exhaust, solid rocket booster plume and an expanding ball of gas from the external tank, visible seconds after the space shuttle Challenger exploded.
Challenger blasted off into clear blue skies on January 28, 1986. And then, 73 seconds later, the unthinkable.
VOA's Greg Flakus was there. He says the liftoff looked flawless. "And then I saw the split there where the two rockets kind of veered off with a lot of smoke and we saw debris falling, and I'd never seen that before. I'd watched several launches, but I'd never seen it, and I thought, 'Well, maybe because it's such a clear day, I'm seeing this in a little different way than I normally would have.' But then we heard the NASA announcer, one of the public affairs officers, say, 'Obviously, a major malfunction' and those words had a big impact. It hit you right in the gut," he said.
The loss of the seven-member crew left Americans and their president in grief. "We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for the journey and waved goodbye and 'slipped the surly bonds of earth' to 'touch the face of God,'" President Reagan said.
Among the astronauts was an ordinary citizen, Christa McAuliffe, picked to be the first school teacher in space. School children across the country watched the disaster unfold.
Valerie Neal is curator of the human spaceflight collection at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington. She says that by the mid-1980s, the public thought launches were ordinary. "The shuttle had flown 24 times without any major, show-stopping events. It had begun to seem routine. People weren't paying much attention anymore. Spaceflight is always experimental. It is always high risk," she said.
Immediately after Challenger, NASA established a new safety office and took other steps, as well. "The first and most important one, I think, was the redesign of the solid rocket booster joints, so that that particular technical cause of the tragedy could not happen again," she said.
Challenger was not NASA's first tragedy, nor the last.
On January 27, 1967, the three astronauts of the Apollo 1 mission died in a flash fire on the launch pad.
On February 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated minutes before landing, killing the seven astronauts on board.
Given all the tragic losses, Neal says she is struck by the resilience of the space program. "You hate to say that tragedy is the price of exploration, but it is sometimes the consequence of exploration. The fact, though, that the space shuttle program didn't close down, that we didn't close up shop and say, 'This is too dangerous. We're not going to do it anymore,' I think, is a tribute to the American people and the American spirit," she said.
The next shuttle launch is set for late February. Discovery's blastoff has been postponed several times over several months for reassessments and repairs.
Space Shuttle Challenger Loss Still Felt, 25 Years Later - article and video from VOA
International Space Station - New Era in Space - Russia, USA
Russia, US Set to Forge New Era in Space
International Space Station
When the Soviet Union put the first man in space in 1961, Yuri Gagarin’s flight was celebrated as a major Cold War victory. And as Russia gears up to celebrate the 50th anniversary of that flight in April, it also prepares for once unheard of cooperation with its former Cold War enemy, the United States.
NASA has cancelled its plans for a post-shuttle space vehicle. Until U.S. commercial firms build spaceships capable of carrying humans, America plans to pay Russia to ferry U.S. astronauts to space on board Soyuz spacecraft.
NASA is retiring the shuttle despite believing it is technologically more sophisticated than the Soyuz, says Robert Navias, the agency's program and mission operations lead. “The Soyuz, by comparison, you can think of as a sports car, three crewmembers jammed into a small section of a module," he said.
A string of incidents related to Soyuz has raised concerns. Problems during a landing in April 2008 resulted in a dangerously steep re-entry trajectory.
Russian Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev says the older technology of the Soyuz is nothing to worry about. "They built it in such a way that we can change some parts, some hardware and actually this Soyuz is going to be different, because we changed the computer, we changed some logic and still it inherits some reliability," he said.
The U.S. will pay Russia more than $50 million for each round trip ticket to the Space Station. So far, six seats are reserved for 2013 and 2014.
Rising powers such as China and India are entering a new era of competition for space supremacy. But former Cold War foes Russia and the U.S. have put rivalry aside, in favor of cooperation in the exploration of space.
Russia, US Set to Forge New Era in Space - International Space Station news article and video from VOA
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