Mon, 17 Sep 2007 07:46:27 -0400 http://www.spaceweekly.com/ Space Weekly .com en-us http://www.spaceweekly.com/images/logo.gif http://www.spaceweekly.com/ admin@spaceweekly.com http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2167 Embry-Riddle to Host Antarctic Space Sciences Workshop Daytona Beach, Fla., Sept. 14, 2007 – The Space Physics Research Laboratory at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will host an Antarctic Space Sciences Workshop Sept. 27 and 28 at the university’s Daytona Beach, Fla., campus. The meeting is sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The workshop will bring together nationally renowned scientists who conduct space science research at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station and other sites in Antarctica. Scientists will review the status of their research, identify scientific criteria for future investigations, and talk about how to increase visibility for space sciences research in Antarctica. Participating in the workshop will be researchers from Augsburg College, Colorado Research Associates, Dartmouth College, Embry-Riddle, National Science Foundation, Oberlin College, Raytheon Polar Services Co., Siena College, and SRI International. Scientists also will attend from Stanford University, University of California Los Angeles, University of Colorado, University of New Hampshire, University of Saskatchewan, Utah State University, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Embry-Riddle’s Space Physics Research Laboratory designs and operates passive electro-optical instruments to remotely sense the near-Earth space environment for research directed by professors Abas Sivjee and Irfan Azeem. Instruments developed by the lab operate at many locations in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, gathering data on auroras, atmospheric airglow, and space climate. Research is supported by NASA and NSF, and assisted by graduate and undergraduate students. For more about the Antarctic Space Sciences Workshop or space science research at Embry-Riddle, contact Dr. Azeem, associate professor of physical sciences, at azeem71d@erau.edu. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, offers more than 30 degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Engineering. The university educates more than 34,000 students annually in undergraduate and graduate programs at residential campuses in Prescott, Ariz., and Daytona Beach, Fla., through its Worldwide Campus at more than 130 centers in the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East, and through online learning. For more information, visit http://www.erau.edu. Mon, 17 Sep 2007 07:46:27 -0400 http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2166 At a ceremony held Monday at NASA Headquarters in Washington, NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) President and Chief Executive Officer Laurier J. Boisvert signed the official agreement that defines the terms of the agencies' cooperation on the James Webb Space Telescope. According to the agreement, NASA will be responsible for the overall management and operations of the mission and will build the spacecraft, the telescope, and the platform that will host the instruments. "We're delighted to have the Canadian Space Agency's participation on the James Webb Telescope," said Dale. "This unique telescope is a wonderful example of international cooperation, and Canada is a key partner in this next major step to discover more about the origins of the cosmos." The Canadian Space Agency plans to provide the fine guidance sensor instrument, used for locating and maintaining a fixed pointing on a guide star. This instrument will provide the observatory with the stability necessary for taking sharp images with the telescope. The agency will assist in the operation of the James Webb Space Telescope and related facilities and arrange for participation of astronomers from the Canadian science team in the observation program. "Canada's collaboration on the James Webb Space Telescope," Boisvert said, "strengthens our outstanding and longstanding partnership with NASA and positions Canadian science and technology in the forefront of space exploration." Fri, 20 Jul 2007 21:36:41 -0400 http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2165 The pace of mission activity at Europe's Spaceport is accelerating as another Ariane 5 takes shape to support Arianespace's sustained launch schedule during the second half of 2007. This new vehicle is a heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA, which is to be used for the upcoming dual-payload mission with the SPACEWAY 3 and BSAT-3a satellites. Its processing began with erection and positioning of Ariane 5's cryogenic core stage over the mobile launch table in the Spaceport's Launcher Integration Building. As this Ariane 5 ECA takes form, a nearly-complete Ariane 5 GS launcher is awaiting its turn in the Spaceport's Final Assembly Building. The Ariane 5 GS underwent its build-up during May/June, and is scheduled to orbit the Intelsat-11 and Horizons-2 satellites on an Arianespace mission in mid September. Arianespace is targeting the launch of six Ariane 5s in 2007 - with two of these flights already performed so far this year. The company is accelerating its Ariane 5 launch rate to meet customer demand, reaching a stabilized pace of eight missions annually by 2009. Following Arianespace’s 2007 launches with our Mission Updates at: http://www.arianespace.com Mon, 16 Jul 2007 22:00:00 -0400 http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2164 This Envisat image shows the southern part of the Caspian Sea, the world’s largest inland body of water with a total surface area of 371 000 square kilometres. More at: http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEMXNH9OY2F_index_0.html Mon, 16 Jul 2007 20:00:00 -0400 http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2163 Nearly 12.5 million light-years away, in the dwarf galaxy NGC 4449, stellar fireworks on display have been captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. More at: http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMD5ZI2O3F_index_0.html Mon, 16 Jul 2007 18:00:00 -0400 http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2162 Two months ago, ESA asked young people from all over Europe to suggest the most suitable playlist for the astronauts living on the International Space Station. After sifting through over 1000 entries from 10 Member States, the judges have announced their final decision. More at: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ATV/SEMFBWJZM3F_0.html Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:00:00 -0400 http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2161 Two NASA spacecraft now have new assignments after successfully completing their missions. The duo will make new observations of comets and characterize extrasolar planets. Stardust and Deep Impact will use their flight-proven hardware to perform new, previously unplanned, investigations. "These mission extensions are as exciting as it gets. They will allow us to revisit a comet for the first time, add another to the list of comets explored and make a search for small planets around stars with known large planets. And by using existing spacecraft in flight, we can accomplish all of this for only about 15 percent of the cost of starting a new mission from scratch," said Alan Stern, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Headquarters, Washington. "These new mission assignments for veteran spacecraft represent not only creative thinking and planning, but are also a prime example of getting more from the budget we have." The EPOXI mission melds two compelling science investigations -- the Deep Impact Extended Investigation (DIXI) and the Extrasolar Planet Observation and Characterization (EPOCh). Both investigations will be performed using the Deep Impact spacecraft, which finished its prime mission in 2005. Mon, 16 Jul 2007 12:00:00 -0400 http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2160 NASA's next Mars mission will look beneath a frigid arctic landscape for conditions favorable to past or present life. Instead of roving to hills or craters, NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander will claw down into the icy soil of the Red Planet's northern plains. The robot will investigate whether frozen water near the Martian surface might periodically melt enough to sustain a livable environment for microbes. To accomplish that and other key goals, Phoenix will carry a set of advanced research tools never before used on Mars. First, however, it must launch from Florida during a three-week period beginning Aug. 3, then survive a risky descent and landing on Mars next spring. "Our 'follow the water' strategy for exploring Mars has yielded a string of dramatic discoveries in recent years about the history of water on a planet where similarities with Earth were much greater in the past than they are today," said Doug McCuistion, director of the Mars Exploration Program at NASA Headquarters, Washington. "Phoenix will complement our strategic exploration of Mars by being our first attempt to actually touch and analyze Martian water -- water in the form of buried ice." Sun, 15 Jul 2007 22:14:34 -0400 http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2157 Ariane 5 delivered a record performance during Arianespace's second heavy-lift flight of 2007, deploying two large telecommunications satellites into highly accurate geostationary transfer orbit today (May 4). Launched from the ELA-3 complex at Europe's Spaceport, the Ariane 5 orbited ASTRA 1L for SES ASTRA and Galaxy 17 for Intelsat ­ marking the 18th consecutive success for Arianespace's workhorse launch vehicle. "This comes less than two months after our previous success, which clearly demonstrates our consistent launch tempo," said Arianespace Chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall. "We have launched six Ariane 5s and two Soyuz in less than twelve months, establishing Arianespace as the world reference for the launch services industry." The customers for today's mission are key international satellite communications companies, and both are long-time users of Arianespace launch services. ASTRA 1L was the ninth satellite that Arianespace has launched for SES ASTRA and the 26th for the SES family, while Galaxy 17 was the 45th Intelsat satellite to use an Ariane launcher since 1983. Today's flight carried a total mass estimated at just over 9,400 kg. a­ record for a mission to standard geostationary transfer orbit. For full details on this latest dual-payload success, see Arianespace’s Website for the in-depth mission update, the official press release, and a photo “walk-around” of the Ariane 5 launch vehicle. http://www.arianespace.com Fri, 04 May 2007 23:39:33 -0400 http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2156 After less than a day in space, civilian space traveler Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK, was already making contacts with the earthbound ham radio community from NA1SS. The billionaire software pioneer and aviator arrived April 10 at the International Space Station with the Expedition 15 crew of Russian cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin, RN3FI, and Dr Oleg Kotov. The trio launched two days earlier in a Soyuz spacecraft from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Ron Hashiro, AH6RH, in Honolulu was among the lucky ones. He tells ARRL that after putting out a blind call, he spoke not only with Simonyi but with Expedition 14/15 Flight Engineer Suni Williams, KD5PLB. "I mentioned to her that I had listened to her earlier contact with the school in India and it was a thrill to speak with her directly," Hashiro recounted. "She said that Hawaii was her favorite place and had some relatives in Hawaii." Then, Hashiro says, Williams told him someone else was interested in talking with him, and Simonyi came on a few minutes later. "I welcomed Charles to ham radio and asked him if he was the author of the "Hungarian notation" of Windows programming, which he acknowledged," said Hashiro. He told Simonyi that he was involved in Windows programming more than 20 years ago, and was glad to meet its creator. Hashiro deemed the occasion "a fabulous and eventful evening." Flying under contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency, Simonyi also has been running through a list of four scheduled Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) school contacts, including one with a school in his native Hungary. On April 12, Simonyi responded via Amateur Radio to upward of 30 questions posed by students at Fairborn High School in Ohio, telling them he's enjoying microgravity now that he's become used to it. Simonyi also talked about why he wanted to go into space. "I wanted to make a contribution to civilian space flight and assist in space station research, and also to have a fantastic experience," he said. As to why he flew with Russian cosmonauts and not with NASA, Simonyi said, "NASA doesn't fly space tourists yet, so the Russians are the only game in town." Simonyi paid a reported $25 million for his space adventure. While in space, Simonyi will do some maintenance on the ham radio gear aboard the ISS as well as testing to isolate an antenna problem, and he'll reprogram the Phase 2 NA1SS transceiver to correct a configuration problem. He'll also conduct some research before returning home April 20 with the Expedition 14 crew of Michael Lopez-Alegria, KE5GTK, and Mikhail Tyurin, RZ3FT, who have been in space since last September. Williams is scheduled to return home this summer on the shuttle Endeavour. Frequencies in use for ARISS general QSOs: Voice and packet downlink: 145.80 MHz (worldwide); Voice uplink: 144.49 MHz for Regions 2 and 3 (the Americas, and the Pacific) and 145.20 MHz for Region 1 (Europe, Central Asia and Africa). All frequencies are subject to Doppler shift. Tue, 17 Apr 2007 23:21:08 -0400 http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2155 A team of Aerospace Engineering students from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University made history on March 22 when they successfully launched their two-stage Icarus rocket from NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. With 3,500 pounds of thrust in the first stage and 900 pounds in the second stage, the rocket set an altitude record for a student-built vehicle -- 37.8 miles -- and became the first two-stage student sounding rocket to launch from a NASA facility. “The Embry-Riddle student-designed rocket was the most complex student project we have supported to date,” said Phil Eberspeaker, chief of NASA’s Sounding Rockets Program Office. “NASA subjects these student rockets to the same scrutiny as a NASA sounding rocket to ensure the flight can be conducted in a safe manner.” Embry-Riddle student Mike Stackpole founded Project Icarus in 2003 with assistance from other students in the Embry-Riddle Future Space Explorers and Developers Society and has led the effort ever since. Current team members are Jon Barnhart, Brandon Boekelman, Josh Chatham, Jacklyn Duff, Curtis Ewbank, and Kevin Mock. Former team members who made significant contributions are Ron Driggers, Steven Trout, and Markus Zimmerman, all of whom have graduated in the past year. The team’s faculty advisors are Dr. Eric Hill and Dr. Rick Perrell. “The mission of Project Icarus is to promote student rocket projects at Embry-Riddle, combining classroom knowledge with hands-on experience in rocket design and construction,” said Stackpole. “Icarus is the first in what will hopefully be a long line of vehicles, each pushing the envelope slightly more. The eventual goal is to create a rocket that reaches space.” According to Stackpole, analysis of NASA radar and on-board telemetry data showed that the Icarus rocket performed nearly perfectly: The first stage blasted the rocket off the pad to reach a velocity of Mach 2.5 at an acceleration of 13.2 g’s; after the first stage fell away, the sustainer reached Mach 4.04 and a height of 37.8 miles. The 16-foot-long rocket weighed 268 pounds fully loaded and carried a 15-pound electronic payload, including a telemetry system to relay information back to the ground via UHF radio signals. Data was collected on barometric pressure, acceleration, spin rate, GPS, altitude, and the temperature of the nose cone. The payload also included a capacitor discharge initiation system that ignited the second stage at a specified time during flight. The solid propellant, similar to that used by the solid rocket boosters on the space shuttles, was manufactured by Loki Research of Pennsylvania. “The Icarus team put in a sustained effort over the years, and the importance of their achievement can’t be overstated,” said Dr. Perrell. “One of the many impressive aspects of this project is how efficiently the students used the monetary contributions they received in support of their work. The Icarus experience will stand them in good stead as they graduate into the real world of the aviation and aerospace industry.” Mon, 02 Apr 2007 15:19:03 -0400 http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2154 Arianespace initiated its busy 2007 launch schedule with a dual-payload success this evening (March 11) that placed the Skynet 5A and INSAT 4B satellites into accurate geostationary transfer orbit. The heavy-lift Ariane 5 departed Europe's Spaceport at 7:03 p.m. local time in French Guiana and deployed Skynet 5A at 26 minutes into the mission, followed four minutes later by INSAT 4B. Arianespace has targeted six Ariane 5 missions in 2007, with the next flight planned for early May with the Astra 1L and Galaxy 17 satellites. Also scheduled for May is a launch by Arianespace's Starsem affiliate, which will utilize a Soyuz vehicle to orbit four Globalstar satellites from Baikonur Cosmodrome. See Arianespace's Website for full details on this new Ariane 5 success: www.arianespace.com Mon, 12 Mar 2007 00:25:09 -0400 http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2153 The Center for Professional Education at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in association with Fitness Technologies, Inc., a leader in fitness and allied health information transfer have begun accepting enrollment in Personal Physiology: Your Body & You, a new ERAU Premier Series in continuing education courses offered in a convenient, self-paced, online format. The courses, originally developed to assist allied health and fitness professionals, are intended for individuals who are interested in improving their physical well-being. Whether your job requires strenuous activity or simply sitting at a desk, there are techniques available to assist you in enhancing your ability to deal with physical and psychological stress. Embry-Riddle is launching this program in partnership with Dr. Frank I. Katch, a world renowned researcher, author, and lecturer on human physiology. The courses provide a scientific foundation in interval training, resistance training, unilateral training, and plyometrics, as well as an understanding of societal factors and warning signs that point to problems such as eating disorders and overtraining. Participants read course materials online and take learning assessments at their own pace. The university provides Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for successful completion of its professional education courses. For more information, contact the Center for Professional Education at (866) 574-9125 from 8:00am to 5:00pm, Mon-Fri., EST. Or to register online, go to: http://www.erau.edu/ec/soctapd/phy.html Fri, 09 Mar 2007 08:04:31 -0500 http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2152 A committee of international computing specialists who develop guidelines for software-intensive aviation systems will gather from March 19-23 at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach, Fla., campus for a Meeting on Software Considerations in Aeronautical Systems. The committee of 150 professionals from industry, government, and academia meets twice a year, alternately in Europe and the United States. It is a collaborative undertaking by RTCA Inc. and the European Organization for Civil Aviation Equipment (EUROCAE). Organized in 1935 as the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics, RTCA is a private, nonprofit corporation that develops recommendations on communications, navigation, surveillance, and air traffic management systems. EUROCAE was created in 1963 as a European forum for administrations, airlines, and industry to discuss technical problems and prepare performance specifications for airborne electronic equipment. In the meeting at Embry-Riddle, the committee will be tasked with updating the aviation industry’s guideline on the software aspects of certification of airborne equipment and systems. Aircraft depend on a variety of digital on-board systems for autopilots, engine control, navigation, and radar, and on-ground systems for air traffic control and management. These software-intensive systems must interact by data links to perform ground system interrogation of on-board transponders, aircraft broadcast of position and status information, and other critical tasks. The system’s correctness relies on the correct operation of the associated software. “Good software engineering practices are critical for producing dependable software,” says Andrew Kornecki, professor of computer and software engineering at Embry-Riddle. He says Embry-Riddle is an ideal place for the worldwide meeting, because “we place a special emphasis here on software process and the dependability and safety of embedded computer systems.” Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, offers more than 30 degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Engineering. The university educates more than 34,000 students annually in undergraduate and graduate programs at residential campuses in Prescott, Ariz., and Daytona Beach, Fla., through its Worldwide Campus at more than 130 centers in the United States and Europe, and through online learning. For more information, visit http://www.erau.edu Thu, 08 Feb 2007 16:51:03 -0500 http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2151 The Space Foundation announced the 2007 recipient of the Jack Swigert Award for Space Exploration; The astronomical observatories, scientists, researchers, and students of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) will be honored with the award Monday, April 9 in Colorado Springs during the Opening Ceremony of the 23rd National Space Symposium. The award honors the memory of Apollo 13 astronaut and Colorado Congressman-elect Jack Swigert. The National Space Symposium is the premier annual space industry conference and will take place April 9-12, 2007, at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. "Over the decades, Caltech has provided us with eyes to explore the universe and guides to improve our understanding of what we see there," said Elliot G. Pulham, president and chief executive officer of the Space Foundation. "We are pleased to honor Caltech for its enormous body of astronomical research that expands our knowledge of the universe." The California Institute of Technology was chosen as the recipient of the Jack Swigert Award for Space Exploration for the trailblazing body of astronomy research and discoveries made by the Caltech astronomy community and the successful management of one of the world's most impressive portfolio of observatories - the telescopes of the Palomar Observatory, the W.M. Keck Observatory, the Owens Valley Radio Observatory, the Chajnanator Observatory, the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory, the Big Bear Solar Observatory, and the Robinson/ Downs Rooftop Observatories. http://www.spacefoundation.org Sat, 03 Feb 2007 21:00:00 -0500 http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2150 NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is on the doorstep of the solar system's largest planet. The spacecraft will study and swing past Jupiter, increasing speed on its voyage toward Pluto, the Kuiper Belt and beyond. The fastest spacecraft ever launched, New Horizons will make its closest pass to Jupiter on Feb. 28, 2007. Jupiter's gravity will accelerate New Horizons away from the sun by an additional 9,000 miles per hour, pushing it past 52,000 mph and hurling it toward a pass through the Pluto system in July 2015. "Our highest priority is to get the spacecraft safely through the gravity assist and on its way to Pluto," says New Horizons Principal Investigator Alan Stern, of the Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colo. "We also have an incredible opportunity to conduct a real-world encounter stress test to wring out our procedures and techniques, and to collect some valuable science data." Sat, 03 Feb 2007 11:33:20 -0500 http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2149 If she keeps up her current pace, ISS Expedition 14 Flight Engineer Suni Williams, KD5PLB, could set a new record in the number of Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) school contacts. Since arriving on the space station in late December aboard the shuttle Discovery, Williams has logged five ARISS ham radio contacts with schools, starting the first week in January. Recently she told youngsters at Dilworth Elementary School in San Jose, California, that viewing the entire planet Earth from space is the most impressive thing she's seen to date. She also confirmed that the lack of gravity aboard the ISS does affect the human body. "Your muscles are used to working on the ground," she said. "In space they have to relearn that gravity is not helping them -- for example, going to the bathroom." Williams also advised any prospective astronauts among the kindergarten through grade five pupils to pick a career they enjoy and stay in good health. ARISS arranged the direct VHF contact January 8 between AA6W at the school and NA1SS in space. ISS Expedition 12 Commander Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, now holds the record for the most ARISS school contacts in a single mission -- 37. The Dilworth contact was the second successful school QSO on the same day for Williams, who's indicated she'd like to speak via ham radio with as many schools as possible during her six months in space. On January 16, Williams chatted with seventh graders from two schools in Streator, Illinois: St Anthony's School and Northlawn Junior High School. Members of the ARRL-affiliated Starved Rock Radio Club, including club president Steven Michalski Jr, KB9UPS -- who loaned his call sign for the event -- set up the Earth station at the school for the direct VHF contact arranged by ARISS. Williams answered 20 of the students' questions during the approximately 10-minute pass. "I think the most important and interesting thing that I've learned is looking back at our Earth and seeing that there really are no borders between any of the countries on the land masses down there," she told the Illinois students. "We're all just human beings working together." Responding to other questions, Williams explained that the challenges of doing a spacewalk include confronting the "unfriendly environment" of space and having to work while wearing a pressurized spacesuit. On the other hand, "even moving big, heavy objects around in space is no problem, because they really don't weigh anything." ARISS http://www.rac.ca/ariss is an international educational outreach with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA. Wed, 24 Jan 2007 21:30:40 -0500 http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2148 In their first try, a team of students studying communication at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University reached the finals in the NASA Means Business Competition, an annual national public relations contest to promote NASA to the next generation. The contest is sponsored by the Texas Space Grant Consortium. The students submitted their 50-page proposal in November, featuring their concepts for print media, a website, and community outreach, as well as a commercial storyboard, research analysis, and communication/marketing strategy. The team is advised by communication professor Joanne Detore-Nakamura and led by Kelly Billon, a junior communication major. Other students are Joseph Antonucci, a junior business major; Victoria Demore, a sophomore communication major; Ivens Jean, a graduate student in the MBA program; Kevin Mock, a junior aerospace engineering major; and Melanie Pugh, a senior communication major. As finalists, the students receive a $1,000 cash award, an invitation to ”behind-the-scenes” tours at NASA’s Johnson Space Center and Kennedy Space Center, and a travel award for one team member. The competition culminates May 7-9, 2007, when the team pitches its finished plan to NASA officials at Kennedy Space Center. If the Embry-Riddle students win the grand prize, NASA will use their commercials on national TV and present their award in Washington, DC in Sept. 2007. “By winning a spot in the finals, we have defied all odds and joined some very distinguished competition from much larger programs,” said Detore-Nakamura. “With only one PR class under their belts, our students produced a creative, research-based proposal that drew from their interdisciplinary strengths. Although this is the first time we have ever entered this communication competition, we intend to go all the way!” Last year, Embry-Riddle public relations students generated some buzz with promotional plans they created for non-profit organizations in central Florida. (See http://www.erau.edu/er/newsmedia/newsreleases/2006/publicity.html.) Detore-Nakamura teaches the public relations courses in the communication program, which focuses on the aviation and aerospace industries. For more information on the program, see the following web site: http://www.erau.edu/db/degrees/b-communication.html. The students are now looking for corporate and community sponsors who would like to help finance the team’s expenses and cross-promote their organization with NASA and the Embry-Riddle team. For more information about the Embry-Riddle team or to sponsor the team, contact Detore-Nakamura at detor6ee@erau.edu. Information about the NASA Means Business competition can be found at http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/nmb/. Embry-Riddle, the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, offers more than 30 degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Engineering. Embry-Riddle educates more than 32,000 students annually in undergraduate and graduate programs at residential campuses in Prescott, Ariz., and Daytona Beach, Fla., through the Worldwide Campus at more than 130 centers in the United States and Europe, and through online learning. Thu, 21 Dec 2006 15:47:53 -0500 http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2147 Here is the Editor's shot of the STS-116 liftoff Saturday night 12/9/2006 More pictures soon! Sun, 10 Dec 2006 13:54:55 -0500 http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2146 Another busy year of Ariane 5 operations wrapped up today (December 8) with the launcher’s fifth success of 2006 -- orbiting the American-built WildBlue-1 and AMC-18 satellites for two U.S. telecommunications operators. With the on-time evening takeoff and a flawless performance, Ariane 5 lofted its 9th and 10th primary payloads of the year ­ a total that is more than all competing commercial launchers combined. In addition, Arianespace’s Starsem affiliate orbited one satellite this year using a Soyuz ST vehicle launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, and another Soyuz/Starsem mission is planned for December 27. See the full report on the completion of Ariane 5’s remarkable year of operations with the Mission Update in the News & Information section on Arianespace's Website: http://www.arianespace.com Sat, 09 Dec 2006 11:21:29 -0500 http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2145 The Astronauts for Shuttle flight STS-116 arrived today (Sunday Dec 3) for their flight which should launch on Thursday Dec 7 at about 9:40 pm local time, for the first night launch since before the 2003 Columbia Disaster. Photo by Spaceweekly editor Arthur J. Byrnes. Left to right in the picture are; Joan Higginbotham, William Oefelien, Robert Curbeam, Christer Fuglesang, Nicholas Patrick, Suni Williams, and Mark Polansky Sun, 03 Dec 2006 20:33:36 -0500 http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2144 WildBlue-1 satellite is ready for its December 8 launch on Ariane 5 The integration process has been completed for WildBlue Communications' WildBlue-1 as the upper passenger on Arianespace's fifth and final Ariane 5 launch of 2006. This year-ending flight -- scheduled for December 8 -- will carry WildBlue-1 and SES AMERICOM's AMC-18 spacecraft. See their photo report from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, which details WildBlue-1's integration procedure in the Ariane 5 Final Assembly Building. The report is posted as the November 28 Mission Update on Arianespace's Website: http://www.arianespace.com Wed, 29 Nov 2006 00:15:38 -0500 http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2143 NASA's Space Shuttle Program successfully fired a reusable solid rocket motor Thursday, Nov. 16, at a Promontory Utah facility. The two-minute test provided important information for nighttime shuttle launches and for the development of the rocket that will carry the next human spacecraft to the moon. The static firing of the full-scale, full-duration flight support motor was performed at 6 p.m. MST at ATK Launch Systems Group, a unit of Alliant Techsystems Inc. in Promontory, Utah, where the shuttle's solid rocket motors are manufactured. The flight support motor, or FSM-13, burned for approximately 123 seconds, the same time each reusable solid rocket motor burns during an actual space shuttle launch. The Reusable Solid Rocket Motor Project Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., manages these tests to qualify any proposed changes to the rocket motor and to determine whether new materials perform as well as those now in use. The motor firing also provided the Space Shuttle Program with data on how image quality is affected by night launch conditions. The data will help determine camera settings and techniques that are most suitable for future night shuttle launches and those which could possibly enhance imagery gathered during a day launch. Tue, 28 Nov 2006 07:00:00 -0500 http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2142 Dr. Yau has spent much of his career probing the behaviour of plasma in outer space and he's leading the development of the Enhanced Polar Outflow Probe, ePOP. It will be launched on Canada's small, but powerful and versatile CASSIOPE satellite in 2008. Read more; http://www.space.gc.ca/asc/eng/sciences/andrew_yau.asp Mon, 27 Nov 2006 12:00:00 -0500 http://www.spaceweekly.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2141 NASA has completed a milestone first review of all systems for the Orion spacecraft and the Ares I and Ares V rockets. The review brings the agency a step closer to launching the nation's next human space vehicle. NASA completed the thorough systems requirements review of the Constellation Program this week. Review results provide the foundation for design, development, construction and operation of the rockets and spacecraft necessary to take explorers to Earth orbit, the moon, and eventually to Mars. "This review is a critical step in making the system a reality," said Constellation Program Manager Jeff Hanley of NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston. "I am proud of this dedicated and diligent NASA-wide team. We have established the foundation for a safe and strong transportation system and infrastructure. It is a historic first step." This is the first system requirements review NASA has completed for a human spacecraft system since a review of the space shuttle's development held in October 1972. The Constellation Program system requirements are the product of 12 months of work by a NASA-wide team. Mon, 27 Nov 2006 07:00:00 -0500