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NASA Space Station Image of Denali (Mt. McKinley)
"Mount McKinley, Alaska is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 11 crewmember on the International Space Station.
This view of the highest point in North America (20,230 feet) looks as if it were taken from an aircraft."
How NASA Plans to Retire the Shuttle, (letter from Mike Griffin) NY Times
"We have carefully reconsidered the station assembly sequence, and if we use the shuttle fleet in a disciplined, measured fashion over the next five years, we can essentially complete that assembly. We can meet our obligations to our international partners and effect a transition to the shuttle's successor in a planned, orderly fashion."
Editor's note: "essentially complete" ?
Orbitec Response to 11 August 2005 memo on "NASA Plans for Plant and Animal Research"
"We hope that NASA is not making irrational, near-term decisions that break the pipeline of national intellectual capabilities and biological science abilities that make the exploration "journey" more risky and less safe, and provide less opportunity to enhance an affordable exploration journey for the next century. The manner in which drastic cuts are made during Congressional recess and prior to any discussion or reporting on Exploration Plans to Congress certainly sends alarming signals, especially when actions oppose documented desires of Congress."
NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 20 August 2005
"Vozdukh was reactivated last night and continues to operate in manual mode 5. CDRA continues to operate also, currently in dual-bed mode. Early this morning, three good pumpo-downs were completed in single-bed mode, indicating that the failed check valve has re-seated. MCC-Houston and TsUP/Moscow are considering whether to deactivate CDRA later tonight following a minimum of one good cycle in dual-bed operations."
- Service Module Life Support Systems, Book 1, Mission Operations Directorate, 1 October 2000 (PDF)
- Service Module Atmosphere Revitalization Subsystem, Book 2, Mission Operations Directorate, 9 October 2000 (PDF)
Soyuz spacecraft to cost NASA $65 million, RIA Novosti
"The Russian Space Agency Roscosmos will sell a Soyuz spacecraft, a carrier rocket and launch services to NASA for some $65 million, if the American agency approves the deal, a Roscosmos official told journalists Thursday."
Umbilical cord 'stem cell' hope, BBC
Growing hope over umbilical-cord stem cells, Houston Chronicle
Microgravity tech could sway stem cell debate, CNet
"Microgravity technology developed by NASA can multiply stem cells from a newborn's blood in large enough quantities to be used to regenerate human tissue, London scientists have found."
Editor's note: Just as NASA's space life science research provides a real potential to do good, Mike Griffin wants to put bring it all to a halt.
NASA Office of Legislative Affairs Memo: NASA Plans for Plant and Animal Research
"To implement the reductions identified in the May 2005 Operating Plan Update and the ZBR briefings, NASA has terminated the Plant Research Unit (PRU) and eliminated funding for animal research on the ISS by issuing a stop work order for the Advanced Animal Habitats (AAH). The FY 06 Budget Request does not include any funding for these activities."
Editor's note: NASA sources report that NASA HQ has directed NASA ARC to halt all animal and basic biology research, that all contractors working on this research are to be let go, and that NASA PAO has some sort of strategy to deal with this. The bulk of this research was to be carried out aboard the ISS in the U.S. lab module and the Centrifuge Facility. Stay tuned.
Reader comment: "There are also payload contractorsat Glenn Research Center (GRC)that started receiving layoff notices last week. I'm aware of several other non-AMES or GRC payloads, both pressurized and non-pressurized,that are also being impacted. This is not a good time to be wanting to perform research in space..."
Editor's update: NASA ARC responded to this post with the following memo:
