Dateline November 30, 2006: Space News from the Internet

• NASA has released an image of the Mars Rover's landing site.
• STS 116 is set for December 7, a night launch. More here.
• China's Moon probe is set for launch next year.
• Roll control problems with the Ares upper stage.
• More on the X-37.
• Some discussion on non-space fairing countries using Bigelow's hotel fore their astronaut core.
• Steven Hawking is still saying we need to get off the Earth. Hey who am I to argue.
• A shy Chinese business man has bought a seat on Virgin Galactic.

Dateline November 29, 2006: Space News from the Internet

• Scientists are working on Liquid Mirror telescopes and other possible lunar observatories.
• In the next week, Blue Origin will have another test launch. Good Luck!
• New Horizon's has it's first image of Pluto.
• NASA will release their lunar architecture next week.
• Shuttle Launch STS 116 should be next week.

Dateline November 28, 2006: Space News from the Internet

• Varied space associations are calling on funding for the Centennial Challenges for 2007.
• Space Colonists will need to be handy.
• Some research going on the space station
• China is jumping on the space tourism bandwagon.
• NASA is trying out different robot designs.

Dateline November 20, 2006: Space News from the Internet

• The Air Force is working on an orbital test bed ship called the X-37B. It will be used to send equipment into orbit to test its reaction to space.
• The Russians are about to smack a golf ball off the ISS.
• The Space Review is out:
  
  • Will Congressman James Oberstar (D-MN), destroy the coming space tourism industry now that he is likely the chairman of the Transportation Committee? He will try, I imagine.
  • Lies of the Cold War
  • The history of the Space Shuttle and national intelligence.
  • Satellite policy that was left out of the National Space Policy.
  • Review of The Rock from Mars.
  
  
• NASA response to the rumors that the Ares I would lift enough mass.

  Hanley said in an interview he normally does not respond so directly to what he characterized as misinformation that appears in “the pseudo media—blogs and so forth.

  Don't you just love NASA. Apparently it is in the same thrust category as the Saturn V 3rd stage. However, if I am not mistaken the Orion is heavier than the Apollo module, is it not?

  “If you held [Lockheed Martin's] feet to the fire and asked them what is their no-kidding projected mass, it would be something on the order of 15-20 percent lower than 48,500 pounds (21,825 kilograms),” he said. “They have plenty of margin.”

  I would like to get ahold of his crystal ball if that turns out to be true.
• China may be building space weapons.
• Jon Goff talks about dry launch.
• A view on the first time to the Wirefly X-Prize Cup.
• Armadillo may switch to Methane.
• Alternatives to the Ares I & V.
• A European game show may send a winner to the ISS for 9 days.

Dateline November 17, 2006: Space News from the Internet

• NASA has finished a review of all the Orion spacecraft and there respective launchers, the Ares I & V.
• Let me just say for fans of Serenity, this is too cool. (The Notes of a Fridge are awesome).
• Information on the test firing of the Shuttle SRB by ATK.
• Masten-Space Systems progress, thus far.
• Star Chasers test firing is being put off.
• More on the Blue Origin. The Van Horn Advocate has the story (big shock).

Dateline November 15, 2006: Space News from the Internet

• This has nothing to do with space, but it is funny and good advice. Marine Corps rules for Gun Fighting.
• NASA is releasing the national strategy for Lunar Exploration next month. They are planning on "sorties" of between 3 & 6 days with 14 days as the maximum.
• ESA is launching the COROT satellite to search for extra-solar planets
• Information on DARPA's Falcon program (not to be confused with SpaceX's Falcon I rocket)
• StarChaser is test firing their rocket.
• More on Blue Origin's rocket firing earlier this week.

Dateline November 14, 2006: Space News from the Internet

• NASA says the Ares I has plenty of power.
• Apparently space companies are outperforming the S&P 500.
• SpaceDev's earnings for the 3rd quarter are out.
• The moon may have useful localized magnetic fields.

Blue Origin Rocket Test

Blue Origin fired a rocket test fire this morning, but you didn't hear it from me :) They will apparently release a statement later this week (likely through the Van Horn Advocate, the unlikely media center of all things Blue Origin.)

Dateline November 13, 2006: Space News from the Internet

Prelims are almost over, my life is calming down. Sorry about the lapse this fall, but you get what you pay for ;-)

• The Ares I may be underpowered.
• Space Review is out. Space Weapons, National Space Policy, A Liberal magazine's view on space exploration, SDI, and A Book Review on Astrobiology and Society.
• Michael Belfiore will be on the Space Show tommorrow night (11/14/2006).
• Russia is having a fit over our latest space policy.
• Global Surveyor has lost contact after 10 years.
• Virgin Galactic is detailing some of the aspects of a suborbital vacation.
• Another announcement from Bigelow Aerospace and Lockheed Martin is coming...