Extended cyclone relief efforts aided from space: related news

Extended cyclone relief efforts aided from space

Earth observation satellites have provided vital information to relief workers in Myanmar throughout a particularly long crisis response window following the devastating Cyclone Nargis that hit the country on 2 and 3 May 2008.

Extended Cyclone Relief Efforts Aided From Space

Earth observation satellites have provided vital information to relief workers in Myanmar throughout a particularly long crisis response window following the devastating Cyclone Nargis that hit the country on 2 and 3 May 2008.

Infrastructure needed for future space exploration

The United States is facing a crisis in its human space program. The huge investments in the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station (ISS) programs are leveling off, but the replacement for the Space Shuttle and the new space exploration architecture plans for future visits to the Space Station and missions to the Moon and Mars (called the “Vision for Space Exploration” or VSE) are still in early development. A “gap” in the ability of the United States to provide human and cargo transportation to and from the ISS is now of grave concern as the fleet of Space Shuttles is reaching the end of its operational life. This type of unfortunate situation has happened before (1975 to 1981) between the end of Saturn-Apollo rocket operations and initial operations of the Space Shuttle.

Extended cyclone relief efforts aided from space

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Space Station Invaded by Students from Outer Space Base

HOUSTON, Aug. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Arizona kids and teens are set to blast their local libraries into orbit after completing Outer Space Base, a library series of space science programs in Tucson. Nine- to thirteen-year-olds will participate in a live educational downlink with Expedition 17 astronaut Greg Chamitoff aboard the International Space Station on Friday, Aug. 15, from 1:10 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. CDT. The Pima County Public Library is the first public library system to host a space station downlink. The downlink also will be a first for the State of Arizona. Outer Space Base programs are the product of a partnership between the library, NASA, the Lunar and Planetary Institute, and the Mars Education Program at

Kennedy Space Center - Space Station Processing Facility, USA

The Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is one of the USA's most visible government installations, handling multiple space shuttle, military and commercial launches with payload values exceeding $1 billion per year. The KSC is located on Florida's Space Coast and is 55km (34 miles) long from north to south, and 16km (10 miles) across at its widest point. It is the United States of America's only launch complex for manned operations. KSC houses some of the most unique facilities in the world. Among these is the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF), which accommodates shuttle payloads for the International Space Station (ISS).

Review: Tourists in Space

Over the last several years, the concept of personal spaceflight (aka space tourism) has gained acceptance from the broader public, even if the development of the vehicles intended to serve this new market has lagged (see “Where’s my rocketship?” The Space Review, July 7, 2008). What was once treated with winks and giggles and guffaws is now given serious consideration not just by the space industry but the much larger travel and tourism industry as well. So much so that someone can publish a book with the title Tourists in Space: A Practical Guide and have it treated as just that: a nuts-and-bolts look at suborbital and orbital space tourism, particularly for those people considering signing up for a ride into space.

NASA considers continuing shuttle use after 2010

Michael Griffin, administrator of the American space agency, NASA has ordered a study into considering the possibility of continuing the usage of the space shuttle, a space vehicle that takes astronauts to the International Space Station. The agency originally planned to retire all shuttles in 2010 after mission STS-134, but concerns over staff job losses that were created by the Space Shuttle program caused Griffin to order the study. The space crafts have been in use since 1981 and it's replacements, the Ares rockets, will not be in use until 2015 causing a 5 year gap where NASA will have no manned space flights, which is the reason the agency is considering extending usage for five more years, when the vehicles can be immediately replaced by their successors.

Letter: Finding space for contemporary art

We were delighted with your interview with Bridget Riley (July 5) celebrating her role in and recollections of the founding and history of Space, which supports artists by providing affordable studio space, and supports local communities with cultural programmes in east London. To bring your interview up to the present day, Space is celebrating 40 years with a selling exhibition of work by 55 current Space artists, including this year's Turner prize winner, Mark Wallinger. The interview rightly says that Space is still going strong, but we are constantly at risk as leases come up for renewal and we are exposed to the property market of east London, where former factory buildings are in high demand for loft conversions and the 2012 Olympics further affect affordability of property.

A Cold War Meeting in Space 33 Years Ago Today

On July 17, 1975, something momentous and unprecedented happened: two Cold War-rivals met in space. The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project saw spacecraft from the United States and the Soviet Union docking together in space, ushering in a new era of cooperative ventures between the two countries that once were rivals in the "space race." Preparing for the mission, the astronauts and cosmonauts had to visit each other's countries for training, and the two space agencies had to share classified information with each other in order for the rendezvous and docking to work successfully. A few years ago, Tom Stafford, one of the American astronauts said the Apollo-Soyuz mission "showed the whole world that if the Soviet Union and America could work together in space, they could work together on the Earth.

Aldrin Warns that NASA will fall Behind Russia and China in Space Exploration

The world knows the huge potential China and Russia have for space exploration. Russia is maintaining a strong presence in space with their sturdy Soyuz program and China has set its sights on having their very first "taikonaut" EVA at the end of this year. But where does this leave NASA? The US space agency has spearheaded the exploration of space for the last 50 years, but amongst all the talk about NASA setbacks, overspending and delays, could the glory days be coming to an abrupt end? In May, the legendary astronaut John Glenn spoke out against Shuttle decommissioning and last week, US Senator Bill Nelson called a meeting at Cape Canaveral to raise concerns about announced job cuts in 2010. Now, the most famous NASA ex-employee and second man on the Moon, Buzz Aldrin has voiced warnings that the US could lose its grip on space and beg

NASA Chooses LIFEPAK(R) 1000 Defibrillator for Use on International Space Station

Physio-Control of Redmond, WA, just announced that its LIFEPAK 1000 defibrillator has been deployed on the International Space Station (ISS) as the first automated external defibrillator (AED) in space. The International Space Station is a state-of-the-art, orbiting laboratory complex that travels 240 miles above the Earth. Crew members currently have interior living and working space for conducting ongoing medical and space research.

The International Space Station, a test-bed for future space exploration

The Heads of the International Space Station (ISS) Agencies from Canada, Europe, Japan, Russia and the United States met at European Space Agency (ESA) Headquarters in Paris, France, on July 17, 2008, to review ISS cooperation. As part of their discussions, they noted the significantly expanded capability the ISS now provides for on-orbit research and technology development activities and as an engineering test-bed for flight systems and operations critical to future space exploration initiatives. These activities improve the quality of life on Earth by expanding the frontiers of human knowledge.

Astronauts handle explosives on daring spacewalk

In this image from NASA TV International Space Station Commander Sergei Volkov is seen during a space walk on the International Space Station, Thursday, July 10, 2008. In this image from NASA TV International Space Station Commander Sergei Volkov is seen during a space walk on the International Space Station, Thursday, July 10, 2008. (AP Photo/NASA TV)

From Space to the Olympics

Space and the Olympics might not be synonymous in most people's minds — although this image of the Opening Ceremony fireworks makes it look like Olympic Stadium is going supernova — but there are a few connections between the two for this year's Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Google Earth recently updated the satellite imagery it uses for the Beijing area to provide users with better maps. They also used satellite imagery to create a 3-D tour of all the facilities for the 2008 Olympics (see video below). Other space connections include several space explorers who carried the Olympic torch on its running tour around the world, and NASA space spinoff technology used in some of the clothing and equipment for Olympic use.

Space tourist to follow in astronaut father's footsteps

Washington - When video game mogul Richard Garriott travels to space as a tourist aboard an October Soyuz mission, he will be following in the footsteps of his astronaut father, becoming the first "second-generation" US space traveller. Garriott is to join US and Russian International Space Station Expedition 18 crew members on an October 12 Soyuz flight under a commercial agreement with the Russian space agency.

Space shuttle gets its final assignments

shuttleOn Monday NASA released the final mission dates and details of the space shuttle, marking May 31, 2010 as the last flight of this icon of modern space flight. For many young scientists and engineers, the space shuttle represents their only image of manned space exploration, and for a lot of them, it was part of their inspiration to pursue the sciences.

Hubble Space Telescope - Hubble Telescope,

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was launched into orbit around Earth on 25 April 1990. HST is an observatory first originally conceived in the 1940s and finally operational in the 1990s. The observatory was designed to have a long life span of 15 years. The HST is a co-operative programme of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The aim of the observatory is to operate a long-lived space-based observatory for the benefit of the international astronomical community.

Hubble - Space Telescope,

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was launched into orbit around Earth on 25 April 1990. HST is an observatory first originally conceived in the 1940s and finally operational in the 1990s. The observatory was designed to have a long life span of 15 years. The HST is a co-operative programme of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The aim of the observatory is to operate a long-lived space-based observatory for the benefit of the international astronomical community.

NASA negotiating to buy space shuttle successor from Japan

A Japanese newspaper is reporting that NASA has begun negotiating with Japan's space agency to purchase a Japanese spacecraft to replace the space shuttle. The newspaper says US officials have been in unofficial talks with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency about buying the H-2 Transfer Vehicle, or HTV. The HTV is an unmanned cargo vessel being designed to deliver supplies to the international space station, which is currently kept stocked by the space shuttle as well as Russian and European spacecraft.

President Sarkozy and the French (Space) Revolution

It seems to be the week for big politics and space exploration. Yesterday, the Universe Today reported that Buzz Aldrin was worried about the future of the politically-driven US space policy; he is currently lobbying US President hopefuls Barack Obama and John McCain to increase NASA funding. On the other side of the pond, French President Nicolas Sarkozy also wants NASA's European counterpart, ESA, to do better. However, Sarkozy wants to change the face of the ESA into the NASA model by making it politically driven, rather than leaving European bureaucrats to decide ESA priorities. ESA has operated independently from political pressures that often weigh down on space agencies, but Sarkozy is a huge advocate of the US system and believes space exploration should be politically motivated.

NASA, USDA Sign Space Station Research Agreement

On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) hosted NASA Administrator Michael Griffin and Secretary of Agriculture Edward T. Schafer during the signing of a memorandum of understanding to enable the USDA's Agricultural Research Service to conduct plant related research on the International Space Station. The research will improve our understanding of biological cellular mechanisms and may lead to creative new ways to improve American agriculture, protect the environment and contribute to better human health. The agreement reflects NASA's ongoing efforts to develop the space station as a national laboratory, with the ability to serve a broad range of users. Senator Hutchison introduced the NASA Authorization Act of 2005, which envisioned a cooperative relationship for the space station and NASA.

NASA Sets Briefings For Hubble Space Telescope Shuttle Mission

HOUSTON -- NASA will hold a series of news media briefings Sept. 8 - 9 to preview the space shuttle's fifth and final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. NASA Television and the agency's Web site will provide live coverage of the briefings from the Johnson Space Center and the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Questions also will be taken from other participating NASA locations.

NASA Sets Launch Dates For Remaining Space Shuttle Missions

HOUSTON, July 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following a detailed, integrated assessment, NASA selected target launch dates for the remaining eight space shuttle missions on the current manifest in 2009 and 2010. The manifest includes one flight to the Hubble Space Telescope, seven assembly flights to the International Space Station, and two station contingency flights, planned to be completed before the end of fiscal year 2010. The agency previously selected Oct. 8 and Nov. 10 as launch dates for Atlantis' STS-125 mission to service Hubble and Endeavour's STS-126 / ULF-2 mission to supply the space station and service both Solar Alpha Rotary Joints on the port and starboard end of its truss backbone that supports equipment and solar arrays. The approved target dates are subject to change based on processing and other launch vehicle schedul

Retired NASA SpaceCraft Operator Witnessed Extraterrestrial in Space Shuttle Mission

Clark McClelland is a retired Spacecraft Operator with NASA who during a 34 year career was responsible for ensuring the safety of numerous NASA missions including Mercury spaceflights, Apollo missions, the International Space Station and the Space Shuttle. In a statement released on his website on July 29, 2008, McClelland revealed that he witnessed an eight to nine foot tall extraterrestrial in association with a Space Shuttle mission he was monitoring from the Kennedy Space Center. He wrote:

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