Universe Today

NASA Announces New Astrobiology Group

NASA has set up a new astrobiology institute to assist in the search for exterrestrial life. They’re not necessarily looking for space aliens, just any form of life off our planet – even single celled organisms would be well worth the effort.

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Bad Weather May Delay Shuttle Launch

Space Shuttle Discovery may remain on the pad, and miss its current launch window because of poor weather. Originally scheduled for launch on Thursday, the Shuttle was already pelted by a severe hailstorm, and had to be repaired. This will be the first Shuttle launch in over 5 months.

Space Chronicle

Deep Space 1 Tests Interrupted

Software anomalies unexpectedly interrupted tests of Deep Space 1’s automated capabilities. Although NASA engineers consider the tests to be largely successful, they plan to conduct more to complete the experiment.

Space Daily

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NASA Budget Approved… Almost

The US House of Representatives has approved NASA’s three-year operating budget with a couple of exceptions: the TransHab module, and Vice President Al Gore’s Triana space probe – both of which were denied funding by the House.

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Student Satellite to Launch

Built by the students of Boston University, the TERRIERS satellite – named for the school’s mascot, and designed to measure changes in the ionosphere – will launch early in the morning from Vandenberg Air Force base in California. The total cost for the mission, including launch is $12.3 million.

Astronomy Now
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Artificial Intelligence Tested on Deep Space 1

NASA engineers have had the opportunity to test a powerful new piece of software on the Deep Space 1 mission. Called Remote Agent, the software allows the spacecraft to function completely on its own without human intervention, completing course corrections, detailed mission plans, and self-diagnosis.

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Aliens Probably Won’t Look Like E.T.

Scientists believe that life exists outside our planet, but it probably doesn’t look anything like we’ve imagined in science fiction. Mars and Europa are two worlds in our Solar System which are candidates for life, with the closest analogy being colonies of bacteria, such as those found in deep sea vents.

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Iridium’s Financial Situation Worsens

The financial picture for Iridium is starting to look bleak. Current financing agreements require the company to gather a total of 27,000 subscribers by the end of May; however, it looks like they’ll fall well short of that mark. Shortages of the required satellite phones have contributed to the company’s financial difficulties.

SpaceViews

SETI@home Released for Windows/Mac

Want to take part in the search for intelligent life in the universe? Well, now everybody can. SETI@home, software designed to hook up thousands of computers together to form a virtual supercomputer, is now ready for Windows and Mac computers.

SETI@home download page
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Space Shuttle Removed for Repairs

Engineers are pulling the Space Shuttle Discovery off the launchpad, and taking it back to the hanger for repairs to the outer foam insulation on the fuel tank. A recent hailstorm gouged 150 holes in the insulation layer, many of which inaccessible to fix while the Shuttle remains on the pad.

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Mir Considered by Western Investors

Looking to keep Mir up in space for as long as possible, officials from Energiya space corporation are planning to meet with a group of interested Western investors. In order to keep the station aloft, they’ll need at least $250 million in investment before August.

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House Panels Looking to Axe Gore’s Satellite

Looking to trim down NASA’s budget, the Republican-controlled House Science Committee wants to axe Al Gore’s Triana project. The satellite was planned to broadcast a continuous view of the Earth, and which would be available on the Internet.

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Hubble Finds Gravitational Lens

The Hubble Space Telescope has found a series of gravitational lenses – caused when the gravity of a massive object focuses the light of an object behind it. The lenses can take the shape of strange patterns, arcs, rings and crosses, and can be used by astronomers to calculate universe parameters.

Astronomy Now

Chinese Planning Manned Launch

The Chinese Space Agency is planning to join other countries in sending astronauts into orbit. Official announcements claim that development of its space program is well ahead of schedule, with an unmanned launch as early as next year, with a manned launch shortly after.

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Mars Express Budget Approved

A five-year budget for an unmanned probe to Mars has been approved by European Governments. Equipped with a series of scientific instruments, the spacecraft will help determine if Mars has water – and with it, the possibility of life.

BBC News

SETI@home Will be Ready Monday For Windows/Mac

It’s been over a month since the UNIX version of SETI@home was released to an initial group of 12,000 volunteers. Now Windows and Mac users will be able to join the search when the software is released on these platforms Monday.

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Winds on Jupiter Go Supersonic

Astronomers have been investigating the clouds on Jupiter and have discovered a number of unique features: storms circling the poles reach supersonic speeds and a giant plasmasheet created from the interaction between Jupiter and Io.

Astronomy Now
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Shuttle Tank Damaged by Hail

A heavy hailstorm over the weekend damaged an insulation cover on the Space Shuttle Discovery’s external fuel tank. Although the damage can be repaired, there are several gouges in areas unreachable while the Shuttle is on the launch pad. NASA may have to delay the launch.

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Alien Messages Could be Timed to Galactic Events

Astronomers from the SETI Institute believe that aliens trying to contact us may time their message with some kind of dramatic cosmic event, such as a supernova or gamma ray burst. They’re keeping their radio telescopes tuned to the location, just after such an event.

Fox News

Air Force Pronounces Milstar Officially Dead

After almost two weeks of effort to repair Milstar’s botched orbit, Air Force officials have thrown in the towel. The spacecraft was raised to a stable altitude of 2,781 miles, the fuel was drained, and it was turned off. $800 million down the drain.

Space Online

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Air Force Satellite Launch Delayed by Rain

Still trying to get this launch thing right, the Air Force officials have delayed their latest Titan IV launch due to rain. It seems that water leaked into the protective canopy of the rocket, and dampened the spacecraft. The launch will be delayed until May 23rd at the earliest.

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Clinton Approves Chinese Satellite Launch

Clinton has approved an upcoming launch for the Iridium network by the Chinese Space Agency. Officials have accused China of using space technology to improve the accuracy of its nuclear missle systems. This launch will contain US-built fuel and separation systems.

CNN Space

Amateur Launch Planned

An amateur rocketry association, JP Aerospace, is planning the world’s first amateur space launch. The rocket will be launched from a balloon already floating at an altitude of 20 miles. If it can reach an altitude of 60 miles, it will cross the official threshold of space.

SpaceViews

Clinton Requests Report on Launch Failures

President Clinton has requested an in-depth inquiry into the recent string of launch failures. The request, presented by White House Chief of Staff John Podesta, detailed the failures that occurred over the last week. It’s possible that the request could translate into higher space budgets next year.

Space Daily

Net Vote Targets Hubble

Visitors to the Hubble Space Telescope were invited to vote on what they’d like the telescope to photograph next. The vote’s in, and the target was the “polar ring” galaxy NGC 4650A. Photos of the galaxy were posted to the Hubble website.

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China Launches Two New Satellites

Chinese authorities confirmed the launch of two science satellites from the northern province of Shanxi. The Fengyun 1 weather satellite and the Experiment 5 scientific survey satellite were lofted on a Chinese-built Long March 4B rocket.

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NASA Ignores Safety Requirements

NASA is planning to waive its own safety requirements, and will launch the new Russian-built service module. The module was built without adequate meteorite protection, but NASA can’t wait the three years it will take to complete the shielding, and will risk crewmembers sleeping unprotected.

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NASA Looking for New Telescope Ideas

NASA has asked the space industry to help design a new space-based telescope. This initial contract for the Next Generation Space Telescope is for $12 million, and will feature a mirror capable of gathering 10 times the light of Hubble. NASA has kept the overall specifications open, and is hoping for revolutionary ideas from its potential suppliers.

Space Daily

Incorrect Software Could Have Caused Milstar Failure

A new report from Aviation Week and Space Technology proposes that faulty software loaded onto the Titan IV rocked caused the recent launch failure of the Air Force’s Milstar satellite.

Space Today
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Brown Dwarfs Could Have Weather

Astronomers believe they’ve found evidence that brown dwarfs have weather conditions, such as clouds and wind. In detecting the change in brightness over these short hours on these failed stars, astronomers believe they’re seeing changing cloud patterns.

SpaceViews

Software Will Allow Galileo to Make Callisto Flyby

NASA engineers have upgraded Galileo’s software to enable it to make a close flyby to Callisto, Jupiter’s moon. Previous attempts to visit Europa were disrupted when glitches in the software forced the spacecraft into safe mode, blinding it as it flew past the moon.

SpaceViews

Balloon to Catch Halley’s Comet Particles

NASA scientists are planning to launch a high-altitude weather balloon to catch particles of Halley’s Comet. The balloon will rise to an altitude of 120,000 ft and deploy its xerogel dust collector, which will capture the particles as they enter the atmosphere.

NASA Science News

Children Will Pilot Rover on Mars

Mars Surveyor 2001 will contain a rover piloted by a group of children on Earth. Over 100 children will be selected for this project, some of whom will be able to pilot the rover, and others who’ll design micro-experiments attached to the outside of the rover.

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Pink Black Holes Discovered

Australian astronomers have discovered a strange category of black holes which appear pink in telescopes. What’s causing this pink glow is unknown, but the astronomers suspect it has something to do with the violent effect black holes have on nearby stars as they suck streams of gas away.

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Controllers Attempting to Recover Orion 3

Stuck in the wrong orbit, Orion 3 is next to useless, and may re-enter the atmosphere and burn up. Ground controllers are attempting to raise the satellite, and put it into a stable (although still useless) orbit. Investigations also continue to determine why the launch failed.

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Russian Service Module Gets a New Name

The Russian Service Module for the International Space Station was recently renamed to Zvezda, which is Russian for “star”. This follows the tradition of colorful names for all the ISS modules, and so Zvezda joins renamed Unity, Zarya, and Kibo.

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Another Asteroid Belt Could be Close

British Astronomers feel that there’s a possibility that there’s another asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Earth. Possibly ejected from the more stable belt between Mars and Jupiter, these could pose a significant threat to our planet.

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Lockheed Martin Orders Inquiry into Launch Failures

Hot on the heels of the official US Air Force investigation into the recent rash of launch failures, Lockheed CEO Peter Teets has ordered wide-ranging review of the company’s launch programs. The names of dozen members of the investigation group will be announced next week.

Space Daily
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Why Isn’t the Universe Anti-Matter?

Scientists around the world are planning a group of experiments to better determine the nature of anti-matter. Particle accelerators in California, Chicago, and Japan will each perform experiments to investigate the key differences between matter and anti-matter, which could answer why the universe is mostly made of matter, and not the reverse.

BBC News

All US Rockets Grounded

After a terrible string of launch failures – six failures in nine months – the US space industry has undertaken a detailed investigation to learn what could be causing the problems. The failures have cost US taxpayers billions of dollars. No further launches will happen until the investigations are complete.

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