The space shuttle Atlantis suffered minor damage to its heat shield during its May 11 launch. NASA does not consider the damage to be serious.
Shuttle’s Heat Shield Dings Appear to be Minor, NASA Says
Space.com
Astronauts discovered a trail of small dings in the vital heat shield of their space shuttle Atlantis on Tuesday, but NASA said the damage appears only minor and is not expected to be a concern.
The FAA’s Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee is taking comments on its Commercial Human Space Operations Training Standards (PDF). Please submit comments to [email protected].
It also has a public meeting on May 21 in Washington, DC. The meeting agenda follows:
CSA PRESS RELEASE
The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and the CSA President Steve MacLean will introduce the two Canadians that have been selected to join the Canadian Space Agency’s astronaut corps, at a news conference to be held at the Canada Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa, Ontario, on Wednesday, May 13.
EADS Q1 net profit down 40 percent
Associated Press
EADS, the parent company of planemaker Airbus, said Tuesday that first quarter profit fell 40 percent as airlines delayed orders and deliveries. The company also took a euro120 million charge for its troubled A400M military transport plane.
Hubble-Bound Astronauts Inspect Shuttle for Damage
Space.com
Astronauts aboard the space shuttle Atlantis will check their spacecraft’s vital heat shield for damage Tuesday as they head to the Hubble Space Telescope on one last service call.
The Space Review covers cheap access to space, Norm Augustine’s blue ribbon panel, Australia’s space policy, military telescopes and dark matter.
Astronomer (and star forward) Edwin Hubble
Basketballs launching on space shuttle mission
Associated Press
Space shuttle Atlantis will carry a pair of basketballs when it rockets away on a repair mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. Liftoff is scheduled for Monday afternoon.
One of the balls belongs to the Globetrotters. It was deflated to save room inside the shuttle, which is jammed with spacewalking gear and new telescope parts.
Shuttle Blasts Off To Repair Hubble
Aviation Week
Shuttle Atlantis lifted off from Launch Pad 39A in picture-perfect weather at 2:01 p.m. EDT May 11, kicking off the fifth and final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.
NASA PRESS RELEASE
Researchers at NASA’s Langley Research Center have an added stake in this month’s space shuttle mission. Not only are they part of the impact assessment and aerothermodynamic heating teams, one group will be watching Atlantis’ return to earth, literally.
It's ain't easy being green!
The Guardian’s Leo Hickman raises some interesting questions about Virgin Galactic’s environmental claims:
The company says that it has built a “clean spaceship” and that the “CO2 emissions per passenger on a spaceflight will be equivalent to approximately 60% of a per passenger return commercial London/New York flight”.
It’s hard to see how that calculation stacks up but Virgin has yet to break down these figures so we have no real way of knowing.
The Air Force is hoping its X-51 hypersonic vehicle will help it develop technologies to reach space with aircraft.
Dr. David Livingston’s guests this week on The Space Show include Jeff Krukin, Paul Mueller, Dean Davis and Steve Eves.
