Dateline April 6, 2006, News from the Internet

• The SURE project, funded by the European Commission, is giving access to East European scientists. Sadly, all they mean by access is an experiment launched on either the shuttle or a Russian rocket. No one is getting real access to the ISS except through Space Adventures.
• Morris Jones comments on China's recent statements about their plans in space. Interesting questions are posed. Can China build a Long March-5, as it has been called, in 3 1/2 years? I guess we will see.
• In related news, China's space program has invited Mike Griffin to come to China to meet with space officials there. This is all in an effort to create more cooperation with China in the space arena. I wonder how much real access Griffin would get to their facilities? Dean Acosta, a spokesman for NASA, said a Fall trip is being considered.
• I think the Professors at Berkley are in their own world:

  No shuttles have been launched since the Columbia disintegrated while
  returning to Earth in February 2003, killing all seven astronauts aboard.

  
  Really? I must have imagined the Discovery mission last year. Oh and Dr. Barry Welsh is apparently going to be on Trading Spouses April 7 and 14. That raises my opinion of Berkley.
• XCOR is coming along with the cryogenic composite tanks NASA contracted them to work on.
• Elon Musk is in it for the long haul.
• Paul Spudis reviews Harrison Schmitt's Return to the Moon on American Scientist.