This is not a NASA Website. You might learn something. It's YOUR space agency. Get involved. Take it back. Make it work - for YOU.
ARCHIVE
Month: July 2006
Woz and Buzz Head South

Steve Wozniak to Drive Hydrogen Hummer to South Pole, Cult of Mac Blog“Woz explained that he was participating in an expedition planned for December 2007 in which a group will drive Hummers running on hydrogen powered fuel cells from McMurdo Station to the South Pole. Woz said his particular vehicle would be co-piloted by Buzz Aldrin, who walked on the moon in 1969. The expedition is to be filmed in […]

  • NASA Watch
  • July 31, 2006
Reserving Space

Pioneering space tourism company depends on clients to create buzz, AP“More than 60,000 people have registered to fly with Virgin Galactic since 2004, but only about 200 have paid full or partial deposits totaling about $16.4 million, according to the company. That money is refundable if flights, which would have six passengers and two crew, never take off. Its competitor, Virginia-based Space Adventures, which brokered three tourist flights to the […]

  • NASA Watch
  • July 31, 2006
Starving Science to Pay For Exploration

Meanwhile, Back on Earth – NASA climate-change research should not suffer because the president wants to go to Mars, Editorial, Washington Post“NASA is facing a real fiscal crisis. Even though the White House is demanding more, it hasn’t given the space agency the funding it needs to build a launcher for the moon mission, pay an unexpectedly large bill for repairing the space shuttle and do everything else it committed […]

  • NASA Watch
  • July 31, 2006
EVA Med Evac Sim on Devon Island

EVA Med Evac Sim experiment preparationsEVA Med Evac Simulation ObjectivesPreparations are still underway for the EVA med evac sim, which will take place on Monday. The following is a breakdown of the objectives of the experiment, provided by Dr. Rick Scheuring, DO, MS, Advanced Projects/Flight Surgeon (NASA-JSC).EVA Med Evac Simulation Update“Progress continued today on the med evac simulation, and things are shaping up well for tomorrow’s test.”

  • NASA Watch
  • July 31, 2006
GeneBox Update

A Closer Look at NASA’s GeneBox Payload, SpaceRef“This first flight of Genesis is primarily a proof of concept mission for larger inflatable modules. However, it also carries some interesting scientific hardware, which could serve as the basis for future small free flying satellites – often referred to as smallsats or nanosats. Named “GeneBox”, this small payload was developed by NASA Ames Research Center to test out new ways to perform […]

  • NASA Watch
  • July 31, 2006
GAO Has Doubts About Griffin's VSE Implementation

GAO Report: NASA: Long-Term Commitment to and Investment in Space Exploration Requires More Knowledge“NASA’s current acquisition strategy for the CEV places the project at risk of significant cost overruns, schedule delays, and performance shortfalls because it commits the government to a long-term product development effort before establishing a sound business case. NASA plans to award a contract for the design, development, production, and sustainment of the CEV in September 2006-before […]

  • NASA Watch
  • July 31, 2006
What is the Mars Society So Afraid Of?

Editor’s note: Two weeks ago I contacted Kevin Sloan, Marketing Manager for the Mars Society to request a press pass for the upcoming Mars Society convention in Washington DC. At first he said that he “looked forward” to seeing me at the meeting. Then he apparently changed his mind. After keeping me hanging for another week he finally got around to telling me that he would not allow me to […]

  • NASA Watch
  • July 30, 2006
Being In (and Out) of Alignment at NASA

NASA’s Goals Delete Mention of Home Planet, NY Times“In early February, the statement was quietly altered, with the phrase “to understand and protect our home planet” deleted. In this year’s budget and planning documents, the agency’s mission is “to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research.”NASA’s Mission (1 Letter) [by Mike Griffin], NY Times“Deletion of the phrase “protect our home planet” from the 2006 strategic plan […]

  • NASA Watch
  • July 30, 2006
ISS Science Cut Update

Marshall cuts real or politics? NASA says budget too tight; lawmakers say funds adequate, Huntsville Times“In 2005, Congress passed a resolution requiring NASA to fund station science. “How can they fly in the face of that?” [Keith] Cowing asked. “If this item is a politically inspired activity for more (money), then it just shows how amateurish NASA is now when it comes to politics,” Cowing said. “It’s going to blow […]

  • NASA Watch
  • July 29, 2006
Chuck Brady Has Died

Astronaut Brady’s Death Stuns Area, The Pilot“Now the town is puzzled and saddened by reports of the circumstances of his death. According to Chuck McCarty, a dispatcher with the Sheriff’s Office in San Juan County, Wash., Brady died of apparently self-inflicted wounds.”Astronaut Charles E. “Chuck” Brady Jr. has died, ARRL“Retired space shuttle astronaut and DXer Chuck Brady, N4BQW, of Oak Harbor, Washington, died July 23 following a lengthy illness. He […]

  • NASA Watch
  • July 29, 2006