Carnival of Space Review and Shuttle Launch STS-123

Well today I have an assortment of topics, I am reviewing my favorite stories from this week's Carnival of Space. Also I have a wrap-up for the latest shuttle launch.

Well this week's Carnival was hosted on Missy's Window and I have for you my top three stories from this Carnival:

-One story that I really liked was over on Centauri Dreams and discussed really many novel ways of colonizing the Cosmos. Though they focused on the idea of letting a von Neumann probe find a promising planet and using the matter it finds there to establish a colony and fill it with settlers. Not the normal kind of flesh and bone human settler, but an uploaded consciousness that would be able to take physical (robotic) form to explore the new environment. They also talk about the Singularity which is an interesting topic of debate, but anyway, go ahead and check it out, and make sure that you read some of the comments, they are interesting.

-FlyingSinger on Music of the Spheres has an article about how you can become a space tourist now, and for free. The way to do this is ORBITER, a free space flight simulation where you can launch the Space Shuttle from Kennedy Space Center to deploy a satellite, rendezvous with the International Space Station or take the futuristic Delta-glider for a tour through the solar system. It is a relatively realistic sim and a good bit of fun, give it a go!

-Ethan from Starts with a Bang puts in his say for the ever continuing debate about dark matter and the acceleration of the universe. An interesting article and pretty simple compared to some that explain in too scientific of terms for most people to understand.

If you want to check out the whole Carnival go to Missy's Window.

Next up we have the latest shuttle launch STS-123. The Shuttle Endeavour went up on Tuesday the 11th in the wee hours of the morning just as planned. The purpose of the mission is to deliver the Japanese Kibo Logistics Module and the Canadian Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator robotics system to the International Space Station. Here is a countdown to the launch if you missed it with some pictures from people there during the launch, and here is NASA's launch blog. The current mission duration is set for sixteen days though with extension days built in, this mission has the ability to be the longest shuttle flight in history. The completion of the mission will leave nine flights remaining in the Space Shuttle program until its end in 2010, excluding two as-yet-unconfirmed Contingency Logistic Flights. STS-123 is the 25th shuttle mission to the International Space Station. Just go to Wikipedia.org if you want the day by day schedule or if you just want more info. Also if you want to track the International Space Station here's a Google Maps program that lets you do just that.

Source: NASA, Wikipedia.org

Well thanks for reading today, if you have anything to say go ahead and leave a comment or email me at thefoolpg@gmail.com.

The Fool

The Shuttle Takes its Leave of the ISS, New Exoplanets Found, and NASA's New Missions

Today Atlantis closed the hatches to the ISS, the shuttle will undock from the Station on Monday after its nine day visit. The crew just put the final touches on the Columbus module, such as activating all of the science racks, and rushed to pack up the shuttle for the ride home. Flight director Bob Dempsey said he could not be more pleased with Atlantis' visit. The two crews installed the new European lab, Columbus, and conducted three spacewalks to hook it up and do other space station chores. The Atlantis shuttle aims to land at Cape Canaveral on Wednesday.

Source: Discovery News

Thursday scientists announced that they have found a solar system containing two planets smaller than Jupiter and Saturn. The planets were discovered with a new technique called microlensing. A microlensing event is when two stars line up perfectly in the sky from our perspective on Earth. The closer star acts as a natural lens, magnifying the light from the more distant star. Normally the distant star just brightens, but in special cases such as this one, there can be additional distortions. These distortions are often caused by the gravity of planets around the star. In this case it was planets that caused the distortions, and small planets. The most common type of extrasolar planets (exoplanets) found are the huge gas planets, for the obvious reason that they are large and therefore easier to see. But scientists are most eager to find small, rocky, Earth-like planets so that they can get a better idea of how they form and the number of Earth-like planets in the galaxy. Scientists doubt they will see these planets again because of the very miniscule chance of another microlensing event occurring, though just finding not only exoplanets, but small and rocky exoplanets can be a big break for astronomy.

Source: Universe Today

And to end today's post I thought I would report on NASA's newly proposed initiatives. The first is a new probe that will explore the unknown force driving the expansion of the universe, currently called dark matter by astronomers. The Joint Dark Energy Mission seeks to determine if the universe's rate of expansion varies over time. NASA hopes to begin a competitive process to consider proposals to study the phenomena. Next up NASA plans to begin work on two new spacecraft to measure Earth's soil and ice, information that will be crucial in understanding climate change. NASA is also working on small orbiter to study the lunar atmosphere and dust is scheduled for launch in 2011, with a pair of landers to follow in 2013 or 2014. And NASA's current primary outer planet goal is to have probe conducting follow up studies of the Saturn-orbiting Cassini spacecraft and the 1995-2003 Galileo mission on Jupiter.

Source: Discovery News

The Fool

Bigelow Aerospace Discusses Launch Sercvices... And the Shuttle Launches!!!

Well to start off I am just going to say that FINALLY the Atlantis Shuttle has lifted off for the International Space Station (ISS), along with seven astronauts, and the European-built Columbus module. The launch went off just after a Russian Progress cargo ship arrived at the ISS, as well as being seven years to the day since the last science laboratory — the U.S. Destiny module — headed toward the station aboard the same space shuttle. Atlantis is scheduled to dock at the orbital lab on Saturday. More Info: space.com.

In other space news Bigelow Aerospace has been meeting with Lockheed Martin lately trying to settle on terms for Bigelow's use of Lockheed's Atlas V launch vehicles to provide crew and cargo transportation services to a Bigelow-built space complex. If you haven't heard much about Bigelow Aerospace then here's some info: Bigelow Aerospace, owned and operated by Robert Bigelow, has been working an expandable module as a space structure that has a flexible outer shell, allowing conservation of diameter for launch and weight overall. Once in orbit, the module gets inflated to allow for greater work, play and living area for astronauts. Bigelow has successfully launched two of its Genesis units that demonstrated the technology and feasibility of its expandable space module technology. As I previously said Bigelow is now working on securing the Atlas V rocket to blast its modules to space. The Atlas V is a reliable, if costly, rocket and I wouldn't doubt that Bigelow soon starts looking for more cost effective methods of launch. During the operational phase, which is currently planned to begin in 2012, up to 12 missions per year are envisioned for the orbital station, increasing as demand dictates. I imagine that this project has quite a bit of potential for income and scientific research. It gives private companies, organizations, individuals, and governments that have the money, the ability to rent their own space station for extended time periods. It should be quite interesting as this progresses, though only time will tell.

Also don't forget to check out this weeks Carnival of Space at the Orbiting Frog. And especially don't miss next weeks Carnival because I will be head Carny and New Frontiers will be hosting it.

Image source: Wikipedia.com, Space.com
Source: Bigelow Press Release

The Fool

The Shuttle will Finally Launch... Hopefully

NASA has finally given the green light for Atlantis to launch. The shuttle launch that has been rescheduled multiple times will take place on Feb. 7, at 2:45 pm Eastern Time. There is a slight bit of worry that a kinked radiator hose may disrupt the launch, though for now the launch will not be scrubbed due to this one small problem.
The previous scrubbed launches were due to glitches in the fuel sensors that tracked the amount of super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellant in the shuttle's tanks. The purpose of this mission is to deliver the European Space Agency's Columbus lab to the ISS and swap out one member of the outpost's Expedition 16 crew. And with flight engineer Dan Tani's seven-hour spacewalk earlier Wednesday to replace a broken solar array motor, the ISS will be ready recieve this shuttle mission and hopefully up to four more this year.

The Fool

Some Interesting NASA News

Sorry that I haven't posted in a few days but I was shredding up the ski slopes and didn't have access to the Internet. But anyway, I am back.

Today I am going to report on some NASA news. To start with NASA has hopefully fixed the fuel sensor problem that has grounded the Space Shuttle since Dec 6, 2007. NASA Engineers have traced the problem back to a loose electrical plug in circuits that carry the signal from the sensors, through the bottom wall of the orange external tank, to the shuttle computers. Their solution of soldering the prongs of the plug to the sockets to ensure a good path for the electrical signal, should hopefully do the trick and keep the shuttle on track for the February 7th launch date. The technicians haven't found what caused the plug to become loose and though this worries them it won't stop the launch. Atlantis will carry an ESA payload named "Columbus." The shuttle has been delaying many other planned launches to the ISS so hopefully it will get off the ground this time, I guess we will see.

And in other news NASA officials are trying to develop a NASA-based Massive Multiplayer Online that is something like Second Life, but with a space and astronomy spin. They hope to have the official report on the idea by Feburary 15th with proposals coming out in March. The game could really be something with a great deal of educational value and it could actually accomplish something if it got large amounts of motivated scientists together where they would be able to experiment and develop ideas that NASA could use. Some people think the game could be a little dry and John over at WIRED suggests that they add space orcs for a little action, and I can't say that that is such a bad idea. Well I hope that NASA brings this idea into reality, or at least virtual reality. I would imagine that it could be quite enjoyable Only time will tell.

The Fool

European Space Agency ready to launch new Automated Transfer Vehicles

The European Space Agency expects to be able to soon launch its new Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV). The first of the ESA's ATV is currently sitting on the launch pad in Kourou, French Guiana, South America, awaiting its maiden launch to carry supplies to the International Space Station (ISS). The launch is being delayed by the Atlantis shuttle launch, which is in front of it in line for docking with the ISS, though it may be able to launch as soon as February 22, 2008.


Wired Science Blog:

ATV missions are expected to launch every 12 to 15 months and will stay docked
to the station (providing 45 cubic meters extra pressurized volume and station
boosting capabilities) for up to six months.
After the mission is complete the ATV will remove up to six tons of garbage from the station and be allowed to burn up in the atmosphere on reentry just like the Russian Progress vehicles.

These ATV's could be very useful in delivering crucial supplies and equipment to the ISS and future space stations. They provide a relatively low cost and risk free method to get cargo to the ISS and may prove to be very reliable. It is also an added bonus that they can add space to the ISS for extended periods of time. The one con in my opinion that adds to their low cost individually is that they aren't reusable and that they simply burn up in the atmosphere, though I guess this takes away the need for a place for them to land and makes it so that they don't require all of the equipment for reentry. Well, hopefully these ATVs will fulfill their purpose and help with ISS development and sustainment. Only time will tell.

The Fool

NASA to repair Hubble Telescope in August

At the winter meeting of the American Astronomical Society NASA officials said the planned August 2008 shuttle mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope would include the installation of a pair of new scientific instruments, as well as an attempt to fix two older modules that produced important work before failing. The Atlantis shuttle will carry seven astronauts on an eleven day mission that will have the sole purpose of fixing and upgrading the telescope. Along with the new instruments, an assortment of gyroscopes, thermal blankets and batteries will be installed, aiming to extend the telescope's operating life until 2013. After this mission the Hubble Space Telescope will be able to continue in it's exploration of the known and unknown universe and add to its long list of achievements.

The Fool

NASA shuttle lanuch delayed yet again

The already delayed date of January 10 on which NASA had planned its next attempt to launch the Atlantis shuttle will again be pushed back possibly days though probably weeks. This delay is for the same reason as the first, problems with electrical connectors in the spaceship’s external fuel tank. These failures of shuttle fuel gauges are part of a critical safety system and the shuttle cannot launch if they are in jeopardy. NASA executives say that saftey is very much ahead of the schedule and they will make sure that everything is in top shape before the launch. At this point, it appears all the work can be done while Atlantis is on the launch pad.

The space agency has been struggling with sporadic fuel gauge problems for two years, ever since flights resumed following the 2003 Columbia tragedy. The gauges prevent the shuttle’s main engines from running on an empty tank, which could be catastrophic. As you probably know the shuttle's estimated date for retiring is 2010 and it is a good thing in my opinion that they are being retired, even though they were great machines and innovations in their day they a falling apart now. Hopefully Atlantis will get off the ground safely and the shuttles will last at least until 2010. Only time will tell.

The Fool

Congressman Proposed Plan to Delay Shuttle Retirement

Rep. Dave Weldon (R-Fla.) unveiled legislation Dec. 17 aimed at keeping the U.S. space shuttle fleet flying beyond its planned 2010 retirement. The plan will keep the shuttle's alive until at least 2015 though possibly past that. The purpose of the bill is to make the transition to the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle a little smoother and in case the Orion Vehicle cannot make crucial trips the shuttle will be there to make the launches. I suppose the bill is a good idea, it strips some funds from NASA while adding others. It comes at the same time as Congress was poised to take up an omnibus spending bill that includes the $17.3 billion the White House requested for NASA for 2008, that would increase the agency's spending on science and aeronautics at the expense of Orion and Ares. The bill proposed by Weldon will provide NASA with $3.7 billion annually for upkeep of the shuttles. Hopefully the bill will not be needed but I expect that it will, regardless of whether it is passed or not. We will soon see what exactly NASA's budget is next year and as soon as I know you will know.

I just found a neat little slideshow about the Orion and Ares vechicles: http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagegallery/igviewer.php?imgid=3562&gid=263

The Fool