First World Released to DVD Sales to Benefit the SETI Institute and the National Space Society “Screened at over 20 science fiction conventions in the United States, Australia, India, Japan, Ireland and the United Kingdom, First World is set in the year 2018 and is a fictional account of what NASA discovered and covered up during the Apollo space program. The secret is now unraveling on the eve of the […]

Ed Wardle: Everest Base Camp, Discovery “For those trekking up from below, it spells hardship, extreme cold, nausea, headaches that won’t go away and the risk of potentially lethal altitude sickness. For those climbing down from the dangers above, it’s a haven with hot water, comfortable beds, warm climate, good food and safety. Right now, everyone is coming up to Everest base camp from below.” Scott parazynski: Icefall Revisited, then […]

Nick Lampson “still in the running for NASA top job”, Orlando Sentinel “It seems the reports about former Democratic congressman Nick Lampson’s demise as a contender for the NASA administrator’s job have been greatly exaggerated. A person extremely close to Lampson has told the Orlando Sentinel that the Houston Chronicle misinterpreted remarks by the former Houston representative about being ready to “move on” with his life as meaning he was […]

Chairman Gordon Disappointed in NASA’s Decision to Award Contract Despite Ongoing Investigation “Today, NASA awarded a $1.2 billion award for the Space Communications Networks Services (SCNS), despite an ongoing investigation into organizational and personal conflicts of interest.”

Miles O’Brien Interviews Scott Parazynski About His Return to Everest “Preparing for a space shuttle flight or an EVA is a very intense process. It’s the physical training, of course, since going on a space walk is very physically demanding. There is also mental preparation and knowing your tasks. There is knowing your equipment and how it works and how the gear might fail. Then there is the process of […]

NASA’s National Aviation Operations Monitoring Service Project Was Designed Appropriately, but Sampling and Other Issues Complicate Data Analysis “In reviewing a draft of this report, NASA reiterated that NAOMS was a research and development project and provided technical comments, which GAO incorporated as appropriate. NASA also expressed concern about protecting NAOMS respondents’ confidentiality, a concern GAO shares. However, GAO noted that other agencies have developed mechanisms for releasing sensitive data […]

In Full Interview, John Holdren Eschews New Nukes, Hints at Space Flight Delays, Science Insider “Speaking this morning with ScienceInsider, Holdren discussed why he thinks the United States doesn’t need new nuclear weapons. He warned of likely delays beyond 2015 in replacing the space shuttle and the possibility that China would launch U.S. astronauts during the interim.” Obama looking at cooling air to fight warming, AP “[Holdren] said the Bush […]

Boeing wins royalty in patent case against NASA “Boeing Co. may get hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation after winning a patent-infringement claim against NASA over an aluminum alloy used to build the space shuttle. Boeing developed a lighter structure for frames in the 1970s and 1980s to save on jet fuel costs. It claimed the technology was used in the external fuel tank that provides the backbone of […]

Scott Parazynski is heading up the Khumbu Icefall on Mt. Everest. Track him here – pick the “satellite” view.

Space Frontier Foundation Urges NASA to Respect Popular Vote on New Name for Space Station Waste Recycling Module “The Space Frontier Foundation urged NASA to respect the results of a nationwide contest to name a new waste re-cycling module for the International Space Station (ISS). The Foundation proposed using either the first or second place winners of the contest: “The Colbert” (for the popular comedian) or “Serenity” (for the popular […]