Space Talk

NASA hosted a media teleconference at noon PDT (3 p.m. EDT) on Tuesday, July 9 to provide details about a report that will help define science objectives for the agency's next Mars rover. The report is from the Mars 2020 Science Definition Team (SDT). The report and story are available on the SpaceRef website.

Listen in as NASA outlines its fiscal year 2014 budget and discusses new and existing projects.

This morning at 10:10 a.m. EST, a SpaceX Falcon 9 with Dragon spacecraft launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on its second of 12 NASA contracted resupply missions to the International Space Station (ISS). Less than 24 hours after launching, the SpaceX Dragon was supposed to arrive at the ISS where the station crew would grapple and berth the spacecraft to the ISS for an expected three week visit. However, after the Dragon spacecraft had separated from the Falcon 9 launch vehicle, and just before the Dragon solar arrays were to deploy, an anomaly occurred with the thrusters where only one of four was enabled. The spacecraft appeared to be in the correct orbit. Full story online at http://spaceref.biz

NASA held a media briefing with SpaceX to discuss Friday's launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 with Dragon capsule as part of the NASA commercial resupply mission program to the International Space Station. This is the second official cargo resupply mission (CRS-20). The first launch opportunity for CRS-2 is currently scheduled for 10:10 AM ET on Friday, March 1.

On February 27th, 2013 Dennis Tito and his team discussed the newly formed Inspiration Mars non-profit organization and its plan for the first human mission to Mars. Learn more about this ground breaking inspiring mission. "A unique window of opportunity for humankind will open in January 2018, and the Inspiration Mars Foundation intends to seize it, announcing plans today to pursue a challenging manned mission to Mars and back. This historic 501-day journey around the Red Planet is made possible by a rare planetary alignment that occurs five years from now. Two professional crew members - one man, one woman - flying as private citizens will embark on what is known as a "fast, free-return" mission, passing within 100 miles of Mars before swinging back and safely returning to Earth. Target launch date is Jan. 5, 2018."

The Mars rover Curiosity's team is beginning to amass enough diverse science data to actively consider whether the area around its first drilling site was potentially habitable. At the same time the science team is readying the rover's most powerful instruments to search for organic carbon and minerals supportive to life in its first sample of gray powdered subsurface rock. Read the full story on SpaceRef.

Estimated to have been a 9 tonnes in size, a meteorite streaked across the sky over the Ural mountains in Russia and exploded at 30 to 50 kilometres above ground. The supersonic reentry injured an estimated 1100 people according to reports in Russia. Part of the meteor crashed into a frozen lake. An estimated 3000 buildings were damaged in the city of Chelyabinsk, including the roof collapsing at a zinc factory.

The small near-Earth asteroid 2012 DA14 will pass very close, but will not hit the Earth on Feb. 15, 2013. It will be so close that it will pass inside the ring of geosynchronous weather and communications satellites. Learn more about this asteroid and research opportunity it presents.

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) today announced they had selected Lockheed Martin Space Systems as a partner on its Dream Chaser program in its ongoing effort for NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

Secure World Foundation held a luncheon panel discussion on December 3, 2012, from 12 PM to 2 PM on significant space policy challenges facing the second Obama Administration, including civil space funding and Congress, ITAR reform, improving space situational awareness, and improving the overall coordination of U.S. space activities. Featured Experts: Ms. Marcia Smith, SpacePolicyOnline.com Ms. Patricia Cooper, Satellite Industry Association Mr. Brian Weeden, Secure World Foundation Dr. Eligar Sadeh, Astroconsulting International Moderator: Dr. Scott Pace, George Washington University Dr. Sadeh previewed a new book he edited entitled Space Strategy in the 21st Century. Published by Routledge as part of their Space Power and Politics series, the book contains articles written by experts who attended the SWF Workshop on National Space Strategy in February, 2010.

According to NASA, the Curiosity rover has taken significant steps toward understanding how Mars may have lost much of its original atmosphere. Learning what happened to the Martian atmosphere will help scientists assess whether the planet ever was habitable. An important indicator is whether there is any methane present in the atmosphere. Scientists want to know about methane in the Martian atmosphere because life as we know it produces methane and most methane in Earth's atmosphere is due to biological processes. Today's first set of results came back negative for methane, meaning at present there appears to be no modern-day life. However these are preliminary results and NASA says that the hunt has just begun in earnest and not to draw any final conclusions yet.

The Secure World Foundation (SWF) and the Arms Control, Disarmament, and International Security Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (ACDIS) co-hosted a panel discussion on Thursday, October 25, 2012 from 12 PM to 2 PM: the discussion brought experts together to assess the current state of play in space, especially amongst Asian powers. The event also examined how that play affects regional security issues, as well as international cooperative efforts to promote the long-term sustainable use of space. Moderated by SWF DC Office Director Victoria Samson, the panel of experts included: Dr. Bharath Gopalaswamy, University of Illinois - Champaign/Urbana Dr. Joan Johnson-Freese, Naval War College Dr. Asif Siddiqi, Fordham University Dr. Kazuto Sazuki, University of Hokkaido and Princeton University (presentation online)

NASA hosted a media teleconference on Wednesday, September 19 to provide a status update on the Curiosity rover's mission to Mars' Gale Crater. During the briefing researchers discussed an unusual football-size rock that will be the first for the rover's arm to examine. Participants in the teleconference were Richard Cook, JPL; Mars Science Laboratory Project Manager, John Grotzinger, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena; Mars Science Laboratory Project Scientist, Mark Lemmon, Texas A&M University, College Station; Mars Science Laboratory Science Team Co-Investigator.

The extent of the sea ice covering the Arctic Ocean has shrunk. According to scientists from NASA and the NASA-supported National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) in Boulder, Colo., the amount is the smallest size ever observed in the three decades since consistent satellite observations of the polar cap began. The panelists for the briefing are: Joey Comiso, senior research scientist, Goddard and Walt Meier, research scientist, NSDIC. A video is available on our web site.

NASA hosted a media teleconference at 10 a.m. PDT (1 p.m. EDT) on Thursday, Sept. 6, to provide a status update on the Curiosity rover's mission to Mars' Gale Crater. The Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft is one month into a two-year mission to investigate whether conditions have been favorable for microbial life and preserving clues in the rocks about possible past life.

Man's activities in space have benefited life on Earth greatly, but they have left their mark: over 22,000 pieces of man-made space debris are being tracked as they orbit our globe. How does space debris affect our space activities, both now and in the future? How do we monitor it? What are the national policies and international norms that limit it? And what can be done about it? These and other questions were answered as the Secure World Foundation, a private operating foundation dedicated to the sustainable use of outer space over the long-term, hosts a lunch-time briefing on space debris. Speaking will be: Dr. Darren McKnight, Technical Director for Integrity Applications, Inc. (IAI) based in Chantilly, Virginia, who recently served on the National Research Council's Committee on NASA's Orbital Debris and Micrometeoroid Program. Mr. Brian Weeden, Technical Advisor to the Secure World Foundation, and former active duty U.S. Air Force officer who worked at the U.S. Strategic Command's Joint Space Op

The Secure World Foundation and Space Foundation co-hosted a Congressional briefing to discuss current international initiatives aimed at outer space security and sustainability. The luncheon panel discussion featured leading defense and industry perspectives and took place on Tuesday, August 21, 2012, from 11:30am to 1:00pm in the Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2325. Introductions Brendan Curry, Vice President of Washington Operations, Space Foundation Tiffany Chow, Program Manager, Secure World Foundation Panelists Sam Black, Director of Policy, Satellite Industry Association (SIA) Peter Marquez, Vice President of Strategy and Planning, Orbital, Former White House Space Policy Director Jessica Powers, Director for Engagement, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Space Policy), U.S. Department of Defense Frank Slazer, Vice President for Space Systems, Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) Moderator Victoria Samson, Washington Office Director, Secure World Foundation

Over the last several years, China has made significant investments in developing and deploying space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to support military/national security requirements and enhance their regional power. China is also developing doctrine and policy for the space domain, and integrating these new space capabilities into their anti-access/area denial strategy. These developments represent an evolution in China's role in space, from an asymmetric actor to an established space power with significant investment and newfound vulnerabilities in space. Please join the Secure World Foundation as we discuss how this shift may impact China's approach to space security and sustainability, the U.S.-China bilateral relationship, and possibilities for international cooperation on space security issues such as the European-proposed Code of Conduct. The event was held from 11AM to 1 PM at 1779 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20036 Speakers include: Mr. Mark S

NASA today announced the selection of a Discovery Class mission to Mars called the InSight mission. This telecon has remarks about the mission and questions from the press. The panelists for the briefing are: -- John Grunsfeld, astronaut and associate administrator, NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington -- James Green, director, NASA's Planetary Science Division, Washington NASA has selected a new mission, set to launch in 2016, that will take the first look into the deep interior of Mars to see why the Red Planet evolved so differently from Earth as one of our solar system's rocky planets. The new mission, named InSight, will place instruments on the Martian surface to investigate whether the core of Mars is solid or liquid like Earth's and why Mars' crust is not divided into tectonic plates that drift like Earth's. Detailed knowledge of the interior of Mars in comparison to Earth will help scientists understand better how terrestrial planets form and evolve.

An update about the Mars Science Laboratory mission including questions from the media. As well new images from the Curiosity rover have been released as part of a NASA teleconference that took place on Friday, Aug. 17, 2012. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/telecon/index.html