NASA watches for space junk that may threaten shuttle, space station

The space debris is potentially headed toward the space stationAtlantis docks with the International Space StationThe mission is the last of the 30-year space shuttle programNASA official says U.S. won't cede space race

Kennedy Space Center (CNN) -- NASA is tracking a piece of space debris that could come close to the space shuttle Atlantis and the International Space Station this week, the agency said.

Data indicates that the point of closest approach would occur about midday Tuesday, the same day as a scheduled space walk by shuttle crew members, according to Leroy Cain, deputy manager of the shuttle program.

"However, we don't really have a good (probability of collision) on it yet," said Cain, who cautioned that the size of the object is still not known.

The debris, part of satellite COSMOS 375, is one of more than 500,000 pieces of debris tracked in Earth's orbit, according to NASA.

A space-debris incident nearly two weeks ago prompted the crew of the International Space Station to take shelter inside two Soyuz capsules when it came within 1,100 feet of the station.

Atlantis docked with the International Space Station on Sunday for a week-long rendezvous, two days after blasting off on a historic flight marking the final liftoff of the U.S. shuttle program.

The shuttle crew will deliver supplies and spare parts to the space station and pick up a broken pump and transport it back to Earth for inspection, NASA said on its website. The shuttle docked at 11:07 a.m. ET in an "absolutely flawless" operation, according Cain.

Atlantis' docking with the space station was done by executing a "back flip" maneuver that leaves the shuttle's underbelly facing the space station, where crew members can investigate its condition, NASA said.

After checking for leaks, the crew opened the hatches between the two vehicles shortly after 12 p.m. ET.

"It was really moving to see the final docking of the shuttle to the space station," Cain said, adding that it was the 12th such time Atlantis has done so.

The crews of Atlantis and the space station also will research the potential for a space refueling system.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, speaking to CNN's Candy Crowley on Sunday, said the conclusion of the American space shuttle program doesn't mean the United States is ceding the space race to Russia.

"American leadership will persist for the foreseeable future, I can guarantee you that," Bolden said. In addition to taking cargo to orbit next year, NASA is working to partner with commercial interests in developing a crew vehicle, he said.

"We are hopeful in starting to ask for proposals from industry (in the) early part of next year," he said.

A recent call from President Barack Obama re-emphasized aggressive goals for NASA, including exploration beyond lower orbit and into deep space, Bolden said.

"He wants to have humans on or near an asteroid in 2025, and he wants us to be in Martian orbit with the intent of landing in the 2030s. Those are two very well defined destinations that we're really working hard on," Bolden said.

When crew members conclude their mission and exit the space station, it will break an uninterrupted human presence in space that has lasted more than a decade.

The International Space Station's first expedition began in November 2000. The current expedition, the 28th, is manned by Cmdr. Andrey Borisenko, Alexander Samokutyaev and Sergei Volkov of Russia; Satoshi Furukawa of Japan; and NASA's Ronald Garan and Michael Fossum.

The four astronauts aboard the Atlantis are Cmdr. Chris Ferguson, Doug Hurley, Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim.

President Richard Nixon commissioned the space shuttle program in 1972, three years after the Apollo program put a man on the moon.

The first shuttle, Columbia, blasted off in April 1981. Since then, space shuttle crews have fixed satellites, performed scientific studies, and ferried materials and people to International Space Station Alpha, a football field-sized construction project in orbit.

In 134 missions, the five space shuttles have ferried 355 astronauts half a billion miles in space, turning heroic feats into the routine.

When Atlantis lands, it will leave the United States with no way to lift humans into space for the first time in decades.

NASA will rely on the Russian space agency to ferry U.S. astronauts to orbit.

CNN's Jim Spellman, Rich Brooks, Rich Phillips, Ben Brumfield and journalist Craig Johnson contributed to this report.

CNN

Private companies key to space travel

Sierra County, New Mexico (CNN) -- There are no roller coasters near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. No Ferris wheels, either.

Yet this desert town could soon be a hot destination for thrill-seekers from around the world.

That's because nearby, within New Mexico's high desert valley, is the future home of Spaceport America -- the world's first commercial spaceport.

And it's the first stop for those who want to travel into space.

The $207 million facility, paid for by New Mexico's taxpayers, is based on the dream of a British billionaire.

"People used to tell me it would be impossible to build your own spaceship and your own spaceship company and take people into space," says Richard Branson, who heads Virgin Galactic.

"That's the sort of challenge that I love: to prove them wrong."

So far, 500 people have signed up to be among the first space tourists. The cost of the first flights: $200,000 per person.

When they fly, the tourist astronauts' craft will be attached to a mother ship called WhiteKnight 2. It will climb high into the sky, and will then release the spacecraft, called SpaceShip 2, which will roar above the Earth, reaching an altitude of about 350,000 feet.

They will experience weightlessness for about four minutes.

Branson says the $200,000 price tag will come down as flying into space becomes more commonplace -- just like the first airliners.

Branson's family holds tickets for the inaugural flight.

"We've got extensive tests over the next 15 months before myself and my children go into space," he told CNN in May. "And my wife won't forgive me if I don't bring the kids back."

Space travel is no small feat. It's expensive and risky. And now, companies like Virgin Galactic are trying to do what only governments have been able to achieve -- and they have a wallet thick enough to try.

While Branson's company is geared toward tourism, other companies are trying to win contracts to carry supplies and people to the International Space Station.

It's all part of NASA's plan to help these companies succeed and to continue U.S. access to the space station, once the shuttle program ends in July.

"Ideally, we'd like to have multiple competitors who come down to at least two that we can use so that we always have an alternative should one falter or fail," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said.

NASA has already paid out about $1 billion to several companies to help them develop cargo- and crew-carrying ability.

In the meantime, the United States will be paying Russia more than $63 million per astronaut to get to the International Space Station.

NASA says this will allow it to concentrate its money on missions to the moon, Mars, or to an steroid.

If all goes, as planned, one company, SpaceX, will begin delivering cargo to the International Space Station next year and eventually carry astronauts to and from the station. SpaceX can receive up to $400 million in NASA money if it succeeds.

"We've been sending astronauts to Earth orbit, for geez, it's like, almost five decades, almost half a century. It's not the cutting edge," SpaceX founder Elon Musk said. "It's time for NASA to hand that over to commercial industry, who can then optimize the technology and make it more reliable, make it much lower-cost, and make it much more routine, as happened with the aircraft business."

Musk, the co-founder of PayPal, has already had two successful flights with his spacecraft, called Dragon, launched aboard his Falcon 9 rocket.

Last year, Dragon orbited the Earth twice and splashed down successfully in the Pacific Ocean. Dragon may dock with the International Space Station this year.

Musk says the transition to the private sector brings the future a lot closer a lot faster.

"I think our rocket is the most advanced in the world and is the only one designed in the 21st century to see flight," he told CNN. "You don't make progress by trying to hang on to the past. ... Can you imagine how much difficulty people went through and how scared they were in the transition from horses to cars?

"But you've got to make this transition; otherwise, society doesn't move forward."

The end to the space shuttle program -- without another viable space vehicle ready to fly -- raises some concerns.

There's no doubt that spaceflight will always be risky. However, many in the industry wonder if the transition to the private sector should have been more gradual, while the space shuttle was still flying.

"Personally, I tend to think that it happened a little abruptly," said Atlantis space shuttle commander Chris Ferguson, who will lead the final shuttle mission, which is scheduled to launch on July 8. "Does that mean it was wrong? I don't believe it was wrong. I believe it was a big risk."

And, Ferguson says, "with big risks -- it's like investments -- come big rewards."

But, he says, "We could also lose."

It's a reminder of the early, experimental days, when failure and tragedy were part of the learning process, when flight was in its infancy.

"There's going to be some failures along the way, just like we did in the days of barnstorming. Lots of wreckage left on the ground," said Alvin Drew, a space shuttle mission specialist.

"I'm worried about when those wrecks occur, what effect that's going to have on the public's confidence in our ability to get to Earth orbit ... what it's going to cost, and not just dollars -- but possibly in lives and in aspirations."

George Musser, a space science editor at Scientific American magazine, believes that having a fleet of specialized space vehicles -- and multiple private companies -- is the best way to conduct a space program.

"Eventually, everyone's dream is that we'll have Hilton hotels and Hertz taxis in space, and go up there and have a great time," he said.

Yet he acknowledges the risk of ending the space shuttle program without having another viable space vehicle ready to fly.

"It's definitely a roll of the dice," Musser said. It's a question of whether it's a better roll of the dice than continuing the shuttle would be."

Entrepreneurs, like Branson and Musk, will press forward on their dreams of space travel, driven by competition from other teams vying for the same dollars in this new space economy.

"That's what competition does: It brings out the best in people," Musk said. "That's why we have the Super Bowl. That's why we have the World Series.

"It'd be kind of boring if there was one team."

CNN

Private companies vie for space travel

Sierra County, New Mexico (CNN) -- There are no roller coasters near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. No Ferris wheels, either.

Yet this desert town could soon be a hot destination for thrill-seekers from around the world.

That's because nearby, within New Mexico's high desert valley, is the future home of Spaceport America -- the world's first commercial spaceport.

And it's the first stop for those who want to travel into space.

The $207 million facility, paid for by New Mexico's taxpayers, is based on the dream of a British billionaire.

"People used to tell me it would be impossible to build your own spaceship and your own spaceship company and take people into space," says Richard Branson, who heads Virgin Galactic.

"That's the sort of challenge that I love: to prove them wrong."

So far, 500 people have signed up to be among the first space tourists. The cost of the first flights: $200,000 per person.

When they fly, the tourist astronauts' craft will be attached to a mother ship called WhiteKnight 2. It will climb high into the sky, and will then release the spacecraft, called SpaceShip 2, which will roar above the Earth, reaching an altitude of about 350,000 feet.

They will experience weightlessness for about four minutes.

Branson says the $200,000 price tag will come down as flying into space becomes more commonplace -- just like the first airliners.

Branson's family holds tickets for the inaugural flight.

"We've got extensive tests over the next 15 months before myself and my children go into space," he told CNN in May. "And my wife won't forgive me if I don't bring the kids back."

Space travel is no small feat. It's expensive and risky. And now, companies like Virgin Galactic are trying to do what only governments have been able to achieve -- and they have a wallet thick enough to try.

While Branson's company is geared toward tourism, other companies are trying to win contracts to carry supplies and people to the International Space Station.

It's all part of NASA's plan to help these companies succeed and to continue U.S. access to the space station, once the shuttle program ends in July.

"Ideally, we'd like to have multiple competitors who come down to at least two that we can use so that we always have an alternative should one falter or fail," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said.

NASA has already paid out about $1 billion to several companies to help them develop cargo- and crew-carrying ability.

In the meantime, the United States will be paying Russia more than $63 million per astronaut to get to the International Space Station.

NASA says this will allow it to concentrate its money on missions to the moon, Mars, or to an steroid.

If all goes, as planned, one company, SpaceX, will begin delivering cargo to the International Space Station next year and eventually carry astronauts to and from the station. SpaceX can receive up to $400 million in NASA money if it succeeds.

"We've been sending astronauts to Earth orbit, for geez, it's like, almost five decades, almost half a century. It's not the cutting edge," SpaceX founder Elon Musk said. "It's time for NASA to hand that over to commercial industry, who can then optimize the technology and make it more reliable, make it much lower-cost, and make it much more routine, as happened with the aircraft business."

Musk, the co-founder of PayPal, has already had two successful flights with his spacecraft, called Dragon, launched aboard his Falcon 9 rocket.

Last year, Dragon orbited the Earth twice and splashed down successfully in the Pacific Ocean. Dragon may dock with the International Space Station this year.

Musk says the transition to the private sector brings the future a lot closer a lot faster.

"I think our rocket is the most advanced in the world and is the only one designed in the 21st century to see flight," he told CNN. "You don't make progress by trying to hang on to the past. ... Can you imagine how much difficulty people went through and how scared they were in the transition from horses to cars?

"But you've got to make this transition; otherwise, society doesn't move forward."

The end to the space shuttle program -- without another viable space vehicle ready to fly -- raises some concerns.

There's no doubt that spaceflight will always be risky. However, many in the industry wonder if the transition to the private sector should have been more gradual, while the space shuttle was still flying.

"Personally, I tend to think that it happened a little abruptly," said Atlantis space shuttle commander Chris Ferguson, who will lead the final shuttle mission, which is scheduled to launch on July 8. "Does that mean it was wrong? I don't believe it was wrong. I believe it was a big risk."

And, Ferguson says, "with big risks -- it's like investments -- come big rewards."

But, he says, "We could also lose."

It's a reminder of the early, experimental days, when failure and tragedy were part of the learning process, when flight was in its infancy.

"There's going to be some failures along the way, just like we did in the days of barnstorming. Lots of wreckage left on the ground," said Alvin Drew, a space shuttle mission specialist.

"I'm worried about when those wrecks occur, what effect that's going to have on the public's confidence in our ability to get to Earth orbit ... what it's going to cost, and not just dollars -- but possibly in lives and in aspirations."

George Musser, a space science editor at Scientific American magazine, believes that having a fleet of specialized space vehicles -- and multiple private companies -- is the best way to conduct a space program.

"Eventually, everyone's dream is that we'll have Hilton hotels and Hertz taxis in space, and go up there and have a great time," he said.

Yet he acknowledges the risk of ending the space shuttle program without having another viable space vehicle ready to fly.

"It's definitely a roll of the dice," Musser said. It's a question of whether it's a better roll of the dice than continuing the shuttle would be."

Entrepreneurs, like Branson and Musk, will press forward on their dreams of space travel, driven by competition from other teams vying for the same dollars in this new space economy.

"That's what competition does: It brings out the best in people," Musk said. "That's why we have the Super Bowl. That's why we have the World Series.

"It'd be kind of boring if there was one team."

CNN

UN: give space to Libyan woman who claimed rape (AP)

BUCHAREST, Romania – The U.N. refugee agency has appealed for privacy for a Libyan woman who claims she was raped by Moammar Gadhafi's troops.

Iman al-Obeidi, 29, made headlines around the world in March when she rushed into Libya's Rixos Hotel and told foreign reporters covering the country's pro-democracy insurgency that she had been gang-raped by Libyan troops who detained her at a checkpoint in Tripoli.

Machiel Salomons, representative of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in Romania, said Wednesday that al-Obeidi arrived at a U.N. refugee transit center in the country on Monday afternoon. He declined to say how long she would stay, or where she would be resettled, urging respect for her "space and privacy."

Yahoo! News

Shuttle Endeavour leaves space station for last time

NASA's final shuttle voyage is scheduled for July 8Endeavour spends more than 11 days docked at the International Space StationThe shuttle is scheduled to land early Wednesday

(CNN) -- The space shuttle Endeavour undocked from the International Space Station for the last time late Sunday, as the craft nears the end of its final mission.

The scheduled 16-day mission began two weeks ago after multiple delays.

When Endeavour pushed away from the space station just before midnight, it had been docked for 11 days, 17 hour, 41 min, according to NASA's website.

The shuttle is scheduled to land at 2:35 a.m. ET Wednesday at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Space shuttle Atlantis will make NASA's final shuttle voyage July 8 on a mission to deliver supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station, the agency said.

CNN

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Astronauts take a walk in space

Astronauts Andrew Feustel, top, and Mike Fincke work in space Sunday.The second spacewalk of Endeavour's mission takes place Sunday morningLater Sunday, astronauts will talk with students at an Arizona elementary schoolThe youngest victim of January's massacre in Tucson attended the schoolRep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head, is the wife of the mission's commander

(CNN) -- Two astronauts started a 6 1/2-hour spacewalk Sunday morning, the second of four spacewalks of the Space Shuttle Endeavour mission.

The spacewalk began shortly after 2 a.m. ET. Mission specialists Andrew Feustel and Mike Fincke will perform maintenance work on the international space station, including refilling radiators with ammonia and lubricating Dextre, a two-armed space station robot that can handle delicate assembly tasks currently performed by spacewalkers, NASA said.

Later Sunday, Fincke and Cmdr. Mark Kelly will speak with students at Mesa Verde Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona -- the school 9-year-old Christina Taylor Green attended.

Christina was the youngest of six people killed in a mass shooting in January at U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' meet-and-greet in Tucson.

Giffords -- the wife of the shuttle mission's commander -- is recovering from a gunshot wound through her head.

The talk is scheduled to air live on NASA Television at 10:45 p.m. ET, according to NASA, and viewers will be able to watch both the astronauts and the students.

"The opportunity allows students to ask astronauts orbiting the Earth questions about what it's like to live in microgravity," Cindy McArthur, Teaching From Space project manager at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, said in a statement.

The mission's first spacewalk took place Friday. Feustel and astronaut Greg Chamitoff completed a 6-hour, 19-minute spacewalk at the space station to retrieve experiments, among other tasks, according to NASA.

On Saturday, Pope Benedict XVI spoke with the astronauts aboard the space station, and specifically mentioned Giffords.

"I know that Mark and his wife were the victim of a serious attack, and I hope that her health continues to improve," the pope said.

Kelly thanked the pope for mentioning Giffords, who is recuperating from recent brain surgery following the assassination attempt.

The two men also talked about how technology used in space may help relations between people on Earth.

"I think it must be obvious to you how we all live together on one Earth, and how absurd it is that we fight and kill each one," the pontiff said.

Space Shuttle Endeavour launched last Monday on a 16-day mission, its final flight.

Space Shuttle Atlantis will make NASA's final shuttle voyage July 8 on a mission to deliver supplies and spare parts to the international space station, the agency said.

CNN

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

NASA fuels space shuttle Endeavour for Monday launch

(CNN) -- The space shuttle Endeavour is set to lift off Monday on its final trip into space.

Forecasts indicate a 70% chance of favorable weather for the scheduled 8:56 a.m. ET launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

An estimated 500,000 people are expected to be on hand, said Michael D. Leinbach, NASA's shuttle launch director.

The mission will be commanded by Mark Kelly. His wife, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Arizona, arrived safely at the space center on Sunday, NASA said, four months after being shot in the head during an apparent assassination attempt at a public event in Tucson, Arizona. After initial treatment in Arizona, Giffords has been undergoing rehabilitation at the TIRR Memorial Hermann center in Houston.

NASA announced her arrival in a tweet, and a similar announcement was posted on her Facebook page.

Giffords, along with President Barack Obama, were in Florida on April 29, when Endeavour was originally slated to launch. But that liftoff was scrubbed because of a problem with a heater aboard the shuttle.

"The system looks good, the weather looks good, and we should be in good shape for launch," Mike Moses, launch integration manager for the NASA's space shuttle program, told reporters. "In our minds, we are good to go."

Farewell, my space shuttle

In a Monday morning tweet, mission specialist Col. Mike Fincke wrote, "Dear God, please bless our crew. Help us in our mission and to return safely home."

Fincke added, "please help me not to mess anything up."

Moses said the heater problem has been fixed. He said that while additional checks will be conducted on the heater and other systems prior to launch, no mechanical problems were anticipated.

With the delay, Endeavour is now scheduled to return to Earth on June 1. That is the same day the space shuttle Atlantis is slated to roll out to the launch pad in anticipation of the final mission in the space shuttle program's 30-year history.

The shuttle program's end --and the uncertainly surrounding the future of NASA and the U.S. space program -- has been a hot topic in recent months. Leinbach acknowledged Saturday that "the mood is a little bit downcast" in the space agency, especially as some NASA employees recently received notices warning that they could lose their jobs.

"The timing is a little unfortunate, but we've all known it's been coming," he said.

Endeavour entered service in 1992 as a replacement for the ill-fated space shuttle Challenger. Leinbach, who was a test director for that inaugural mission, said the orbiter remains in prime condition 19 years later.

"She still looks awfully good out there," said Leinbach. "She's got a lot of life left in her, but that's not meant to be."

CNN

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Cities, space centers, museums fight for retired shuttle

States bid for space shuttle orbiterSTORY HIGHLIGHTSSeveral sites are vying to be the final homes of the retiring space shuttlesThe shuttles Discovery, Endeavour and Atlantis carry historic and economic valueNASA administrator Charlie Bolden will announce Tuesday where the shuttles will goApril 12 marks the date of the first human space flight and, 20 years later, the first shuttle flight Kennedy Space Center, Florida (CNN) -- Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space -- the date was April 12, 1961. Twenty years later on April 12, astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen got on board the space shuttle Columbia, a craft that looked more like a plane that a rocket ship. It launched an entirely new era in space flight.

Now, on the anniversary of those two historic events, NASA is scheduled to announce where the retiring orbiters Discovery, Endeavour and Atlantis will call home.

NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden will make the announcement Tuesday during a ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center commemorating that first flight of Columbia on April 12, 1981. NASA officials say the orbiter Atlantis, being readied for the final shuttle flight this summer, will be the backdrop for the announcement. Hundreds of center workers are expected to attend -- many of them will likely lose their jobs when the shuttle program ends.

Because the announcement is being made at Kennedy, the speculation is that the visitor center here will be awarded one of the shuttles. It is one of more than 20 locations around the country with collective fingers crossed.

The drama mirrors the bidding to host an Olympic games. In Texas, home of the Johnson Space Center, members of that state's delegation publicly lobbied for a shuttle. Rep. Pete Olson, R-Texas, said during a news conference, "No city in the world deserves an orbiter more than Houston, Texas."

View the Original article

NYC, L.A., Kennedy Space Center, Smithsonian to get the 4 retired space shuttles

PreviousLone mortar shell in Charleston opens 150th anniversary of Civil War

NextFormer Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is hospitalized

To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters

View the Original article

NASA cutting contractors at Marshall Space Flight Center

The Marshall Space Flight Center,has about 2,500 government and 3,500 contract employees. STORY HIGHLIGHTSSpace agency says it is cutting because of budget constraintsEssential Center functions will continue, spokesman saysCenter is best known for developing transportation and propulsion technologies (CNN) -- NASA said Thursday, because of budget constraints, between 150 and 300 contractor positions will be eliminated at the Marshall Space Flight Center, the agency's Huntsville, Alabama facility.

"Funding to Center support contractors will be reduced and that will result in reductions to the contractor workforce here," NASA said in a statement.

Marshall spokesman Dominic Amatore said the furloughs were not wholly unexpected.

"Our director back in January talked about budget issues and at that time, told employees about forming groups to look at expenditures, especially procurement money," he said.

Amatore said Marshall Center director Robert Lightfoot delivered an all-hands message on Tuesday to announce the layoffs.

"The cuts are broadly across the center," Amatore said. "The jobs that are directly affected by this budget involve center operations and maintenance, so it really cuts across the operation."

The contract employees will get additional information from the organizations they work in and, ultimately, from the specific contract companies they work for, Amatore said.

The facility's main priorities are not expected to be affected.

"Marshall Space Flight Center officials have conducted a comprehensive review of all institutional procurement and other expenditures and established funding priorities, ensuring that essential Center functions are maintained and that operational capabilities are in no way compromised," a space agency statement said.

Marshall supports a variety of initiatives for NASA, including engineering, science and space operations, but is best known for developing transportation and propulsion technologies.

The furloughs will be implemented by the end of May, Amatore said.

Amatore said Lightfoot addressed the possible government shutdown Tuesday, and that NASA would identify a "certain core group" that would be essential to operations.

Marshall currently has approximately 2,500 government employees and 3,500 contract employees, he said.

In a statement, Lightfoot said, "As NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden has said, tough times require tough choices. Marshall Center is doing what is necessary to live within our budget and retain the essential capabilities needed to support NASA's mission. We know this is a difficult time for members of our contractor workforce who are being affected by reductions and we intend to assist them in their career transition as much as possible."

In February 2010, President Barack Obama announced plans to conclude the Constellation rocket program, which led to 900 contractor job cuts at Marshall last year.

Despite the layoffs, Amatore said employees remain concentrated on the job at hand.

"We're very focused on flying safely. We've got a space shuttle launch coming up this month," he said. "NASA employees are very dedicated, very focused."

View the Original article

NASA now says satellite debris no threat to space station

NASA has given the all-clear to the three crewmembers of the International Space Station after tracking data indicated a small piece of Chinese space junk poses no threat to them.

This morning around 7, flight controllers notified commander Dmitry Kondratyev and flight engineers Cady Coleman and Paolo Nespoli that they needed to prepare to evacuate to their Soyuz TMA-20 capsule if the debris continued on its course, which would bring it to within 2.7 miles of the station. The closest approach was predicted for 4:21 p.m. ET. The all-clear was given at 2:41 p.m. ET.

The debris came from a defunct Chinese weather satellite deliberately destroyed in 2007 during an anti-satellite weapons test.

It's the second junk scare in several days. Friday, flight controllers moved the space station out of the way of another piece of satellite debris. More than 500,000 pieces of orbiting trash are tracked from Earth.

Today's nervousness came as NASA astronaut Ron Garan and Russian cosmonauts Andrey Borisenko and Alexander Samokutyaev continued their journey to the space station. They lifted off before dawn today in Kazakhstan and will dock Wednesday at 7:18 p.m. ET.

See photos of: NASA, International Space StationTags:NASAInternational Space Station .div-wrapper

View the Original article

NASA delays next space shuttle launch by 1 1/2 weeks

By Michael R. Brown, AP

NASA is delaying its next space shuttle flight.

EnlargeCloseBy Michael R. Brown, AP

NASA is delaying its next space shuttle flight.

The flight was postponed because the original April 19 date conflicts with Russia's plans to send a cargo ship to the International Space Station.

Endeavour is now scheduled to blast off April 29 with Mark Kelly at the helm. It will be the next-to-last shuttle mission. Shuttle Atlantis will close out the 30-year shuttle program this summer.

NASA announced the postponement Monday, after conferring over the weekend with the Russian Space Agency and other space station partners.

An unmanned Russian cargo ship is set to blast off at the end of April. NASA did not want the craft docking at the space station while Endeavour was still there. Now, the cargo ship will arrive first.

NASA spokesman Allard Beutel said the Russians were reluctant to postpone the supply run because of a time-sensitive biological experiment aboard the craft.

Kelly and five crewmates will deliver a $2 billion physics experiment to the space station, as well as critical spare parts to keep the orbiting outpost running for another decade.

The two-week mission will be the last for Endeavour, the baby of NASA's shuttle fleet. It was built to replace Challenger, which was destroyed during liftoff in 1986.

The postponement puts the launch, scheduled for 3:47 p.m., on the same day as the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Endeavour is checking out fine at the launch pad following last week's severe storms that brought high wind, lightning strikes, hail and even funnel clouds to Kennedy Space Center. Only inconsequential damage was found on the insulating foam of Endeavour's external fuel tank, officials said.

Kelly returned to training in February after taking time off to be at his wife's hospital bedside. Giffords was shot in the head in Tucson, in early January. She is recuperating in Houston, home to Kelly and the rest of NASA's astronaut corps. Kelly said last week that he's awaiting doctors' final approval for his wife to attend his launch.

In Kazakhstan, meanwhile, two Russians and an American were poised to blast off Monday as the newest station crew. They will join three astronauts already in orbit.

Online:

NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters

View the Original article