Funding for Orion/SLS: New CR funds government through April 28, protects SLS/Orion and JPSS A proposed budget Continuing Resolution, written by House appropriators and approved by the House, would keep government agencies operating through April 28 at 2016 spending levels. However, a special provision would enable NASA’s Space Launch System, Orion and new ground support… [Continue Reading]
ESA Supports ISS 2024: Europe commits to the space station and ExoMars as part of $11 billion in commitments to ESA The European Space Agency’s 22 member ministerial council ended a long range planning session in Switzerland late last week with an endorsement to extend operations of the International Space Station from 2020 to 2024…. [Continue Reading]
Pence to Chair National Space Council: Trump advisor sees Pence playing a major role in space policy Vice President-elect Mike Pence is likely to help shape U.S. space policy under the next administration, according to Robert Walker, the former U.S. congressman and chair of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. One role Pence seems… [Continue Reading]
Space Age Hero: John Glenn, American hero, aviation icon and former U.S. senator, dies at 95 “His legend is out worldly and now, at age 95, so is John Glenn,” reports the newspaper where the pioneering NASA astronaut died Thursday. “He, along with fellow aviators Orville and Wilbur Wright and moon-walker Neil Armstrong, truly made… [Continue Reading]
Lunar Outpost: An international outpost near the Moon gets closer to reality NASA and its International Space Station partners in Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada have discussed possible cooperation in the development of a lunar orbiting outpost in the 2020s using the agency’s Orion and Space Launch System hardware. The small space station like lunar… [Continue Reading]
Starliner: Launch abort engines for Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner undergo testing Test firing of the Aerojet Rocketdyne engines in California’s Mojave Desert are helping to prepare Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner for NASA contracted missions that will transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station. Orbital ATK Resupply: NASA said to opt for Atlas V rocket to… [Continue Reading]
Navy Supports Orion: Navy prepares for recovering NASA’s Orion Capsule Off San Diego, the Navy has joined with NASA in preparing for the future Pacific Ocean recovery of the space agency’s Orion crew exploration capsule. The next test launch of Orion, Exploration Mission-1, will send an unmanned capsule lofted atop a Space Launch System rocket… [Continue Reading]
ISS and Gravity in Space: First artificial gravity to appear at ISS thanks to Russian scientists The device will introduce varying levels of gravity to the weightless environment of the International Space Station with the introduction of a small centrifuge for a range of experiments. Tour ISS: Space Zen: This Space Station fly-through is supremely… [Continue Reading]
Trump Transition and Space: What does a Trump administration mean for space? The president-elect’s space focus could be human spaceflight, technology development and commercialization, according to remarks from Robert Walker, the former U.S. congressman who covered nine points in a pre-election day briefing before the Federal Aviation Administration’s Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee. Walker, who… [Continue Reading]
China: Will NASA ever work with China? The U.S. is congressionally banned from partnering with China in space. If they are to cooperate, there will be a lot of history to overcome. China to Compete with Commercial Space Launch: China’s private space industry prepares to compete with SpaceX and Blue Origin A commercial launch industry… [Continue Reading]