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.