Space News for May 26, 1999
Universe Could Be Younger Than Previously Thought
The age of the universe has been adjusted to 13.4 billion years according to recent calculations by Australian astronomer Charles Lineweaver – a decrease of 1.6 billion years from previous estimates.
Discovery Mission Will Stock Space Station
One of the key objectives of the upcoming Space Shuttle Discovery mission will be to stock the International Space Station with nearly two tons of supplies. The Space Shuttle will reach the ISS two days after launch, and begin unloading supplies.
Amateur Rocket Breaks Record
A rocket launched by amateur group JP Aerospace broke a new altitude record on Sunday when it reached a total altitude of 72,223 feet. Although this was a new record, they didn’t reach their goal of crossing the threshold of space (60 miles), mainly because the balloon that the rocket was to launch from didn’t reach its maximum altitude.
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Meteors Won’t Be a Threat to Satellites
A treat for backyard astronomers, this year’s above-average Leonid meteor shower was a brief concern for space officials, due to possible impact with satellites. However, as the 1998 shower, which was also high, and had no effect on satellites, officials have reduced the risk of this threat.
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