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Month: February 2007
New Horizons Heads Off To Pluto

Pluto-Bound New Horizons Spacecraft Gets a Boost from Jupiter“NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft successfully completed a flyby of Jupiter early this morning, using the massive planet’s gravity to pick up speed on its 3-billion mile voyage to Pluto and the unexplored Kuiper Belt region beyond.”NASA New Horizons image: EuropaNASA New Horizons image: GanymedeNASA New Horizons image: Jupiter’s Little Red Spot: Closest View YetTrajectory Map: NASA’s New Horizons Is On Its Way […]

  • NASA Watch
  • February 28, 2007
Mike Griffin Testifies

Testimony of Michael Griffin – Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee on Space, Aeronautics and Related Sciences“On February 15, 2007, the President signed into law a joint resolution stipulating FY 2007 funding levels for NASA and other Federal agencies. This appropriation reduces overall funding for NASA by $545 million from the President’s FY 2007 request. The FY 2008 budget request could not possibly factor the impact of such […]

  • NASA Watch
  • February 28, 2007
United Technologies' Curious Newspaper Advertisement

Editor’s note: Today’s edition of the Washington Post has a half page color advertisement on page A12 [close up]. The ad was placed by United Technologies and focuses on a rather detailed diagram of how a spacesuit is constructed.Alas, one thing is missing: the urine collection system i.e. “diaper” that is worn underneath. Normally, this would not be a big deal. Yet, given recent detailed news about how astronauts use […]

  • NASA Watch
  • February 28, 2007
Clash of cultures in Tempe

Reader note: “Coincidentally, representatives of MTV’s popular dating series, “Next,” are interviewing candidates in the rooms next to three of the science subcommittees of the NASA Advisory Committee (NAC). Blonde ASU co-eds, spike-haired rock groups, and MTV production designers have been eyeing each other over coffee with Headquarters’s bureaucrats, aging astronauts, and academics fashionably outfitted in their Dockers. So far, the “outreach” activities by the scientists consist of enquiring what […]

  • NASA Watch
  • February 28, 2007
NASA LARC Blocks Access To Google Site

Reader note: “So much for cooperation between NASA and Google. Langley’s net nanny, Websense (AKA WebNonsense), is now blocking all access to Google videos at www.video.google.com yet they still allow full access to Youtube. I guess that’s so we can all keep tabs on our PAO folks while they are on travel.”NASA PAO parties on travel, NASA LaRC PAO

  • NASA Watch
  • February 27, 2007
NASA Space Flight Health Standards Report Due in March

Editor’s note: According to the National Academies of Science, “Review of NASA’s Space Flight Health Standards-Setting Process” (Letter Report) is due to be released in March by the Institute of Medicine. This report “Assesses the current process by which NASA establishes space flight health standards such as fitness-for-duty criteria and limits on radiation and other exposures. The standards are intended to mitigate health risks astronauts face during long missions.”

  • NASA Watch
  • February 27, 2007
White House Clamps Down on Earmarks – Sort Of

AIP FYI #27: Bush Administration Draws a Firm Line on FY 2007 Earmarks“A February 15 memorandum from the Office of Management and Budget instructs the heads of federal departments and agencies not to obligate funding for earmarks contained in congressional reports or documents through September 30 of this year. Earmarked funding can only be provided for a project or activity if it has been specifically identified in statutory text. As […]

  • NASA Watch
  • February 27, 2007
Shuttle External Tank Damaged By Hailstorm – Launch Delayed A Month

Hail Damage To Space Shuttle Causes NASA To Delay Launch, SpaceRef“A hail storm at NASA Kennedy Space Center has damaged the external tank attached to Space Shuttle Atlantis. The damage is severe enough to cause the launch of Atlantis to be delayed at least one month – perhaps longer. According to Space Shuttle program manager Wayne Hale, a severe, localized thunderstorm developed over NASA Kennedy Space Center yesterday. The storm […]

  • NASA Watch
  • February 27, 2007
ISS Task Force Report Released

Independent Space Station Task Force Releases Final Report“The International Space Station Independent Safety Task Force’s final report is now available online. The report was released simultaneously Tuesday to Congress, NASA and the public. The Congressionally-mandated task force was chartered last year under Section 1281 of the NASA Authorization Act of 2005. It was charged with reviewing the International Space Station program to assess potential vulnerabilities that could threaten the station […]

  • NASA Watch
  • February 27, 2007
ESMD Progress: Not As Solid As Advertised?

NASA Strategic Management Council Meeting 2 November 2006: Status of the Exploration Strategy and Architecture ActivitiesNASA Program Management Council Meeting Mintues and Actions 1 November 2006: ESMD Presentation“… Within the program, three of the four projects are rated yellow: Orion, Ares and Ground Operations. Mission Operations Project is rated green at this time. … Green is on target, yellow is off target but recoverable, red is unrecoverable.”“… Reserves posture: carrying […]

  • NASA Watch
  • February 27, 2007