Aerospaceguide.net: Newsletter 34, Sunday 25th, January, 2004

Hi Everyone,

In this newsletter there is news on the New Space Exploration Plan by
George Bush, Mars, X-43A, and very sad news about the retirement of
the Hubble Space Telescope. Also added a new page on DVD and more.

SPACE SHOPPING

* Use Aerospaceguide.net discount codes:

- Visit the Spacestore.com and enter Coupon Code "aeroguide" for 10%
discount.

- Visit Countdown Creations and enter code "aeroshop" for 10% off
all products.

http://www.aerospaceguide.net/spaceshop/index.html

SPACE POLL

The question is: "Should Nasa retire the Hubble Space Telescope?"

Choices:

1. No, it is important for science.
2. Yes, new safety rules for space shuttle flights will mean
retirement for the Hubble Space Telescope.
3. Don't know!

To vote now, click on the following link:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aerospaceguide/polls

WHAT's NEW?

* Extrasolar Planets
http://www.aerospaceguide.net/extrasolar.html

This page was totally re-written and now contains a nice photo from
David A Hardy.

* Space DVD
http://www.aerospaceguide.net/dvd/space.html

This page has some of the best dvds related to space. The DVDs
include Apollo 11, Project Gemini, 2001 - A Space Odyssey, Alien
Quadrilogy, Solaris, New Lost In Space Dvd and more.

* Magellan Spacecraft
http://www.aerospaceguide.net/spaceprobe/magellanspacecraft.html

NASA Magellan spacecraft was a Planet Venus orbiter. It was as a high
resolution radar mapping mission. Magellan's radar mapped Venus's
surface from 1990 to 1994. Magellan was the first interplanetary
spacecraft to be launched by the Space Shuttle.

* Planet Pluto
http://www.aerospaceguide.net/planet/planetpluto.html

This page has been updated with new info.

* Battlestar Galactica Dvd
http://www.aerospaceguide.net/dvd/battlestar.html

This page includes posters and a t-shirt.

* Space News Links
http://www.aerospaceguide.net/spacenews/index.html

- Three new links including ABC Australia, Marsnews.com, and
Spacetoday.net.

- For your information:

1. Type www.aerospaceguide.net/spacenews/ and it will take you there
directly. You don't need to add the slash / in the end.

2. Alternatively, you can accesss this page by clicking on links on
the ASG homepage and then clicking on the sub-section space news.

SPACE NEWS IN BRIEF

* NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe announced on January 16, 2004 of
his decision to cancel Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Servicing Mission
4 by the Space Shuttle. This was going to be the final scheduled
mission to maintain the HST and to install new instruments. Mr.
O'Keefe cited the new safety guidelines set out following the
Columbia tragedy as the primary basis for his decision.

What will happen when Hubble stops working?

Hubble will continue to orbit the Earth until a method is devised to
safely de-orbit the telescope. The current plan is to build and
launch an unmanned robotic device that will rendezvous with Hubble
and attach a rocket to it. The rocket will fire in a controlled
manner and alter Hubble's orbit. Hubble will fall to Earth and crash
into the ocean, safely away from populated areas and shipping lanes.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), Hubble's successor, will be
launched in 2011. JWST will not be serviceable from orbit.

* The European Mars Express orbiter revealed the presence of water
ice and carbon dioxide ice in the south polar cap of Mars. Mars
Express will reach its final orbit on 28 January, 2004. This is the
first mission to Mars by the European Space Agency.

The follwing is a link to pictures from Mars from Mars Express.

http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/SEMFEB474OD_FeatureWeek_1.html

* The second unpiloted X-43A vehicle is currently scheduled flight on
February 21, 2004. It is part of NASA's Hyper-X program.

The X-43A and its modified Pegasus booster will be air-launched by
NASA's B-52 carrier aircraft at 40,000 feet altitude. The booster
will accelerate the X-43A to Mach 7 at approximately 95,000 feet
altitude. At booster burnout, the X-43 will separate and fly under
its own power on a preprogrammed path.

If it is successful the X-43A will become the first air-breathing
hypersonic vehicle in free flight.

On June 2, 2001, the first X-43A vehicle was lost moments after the
stack was released from the wing of the B-52. Following booster
ignition, the combined booster and X-43A vehicle deviated from its
flight path and was deliberately terminated.

* On January 14, 2004 President George Bush announced the New Space
Exploration Plan for the U.S.

- A series of robotic missions to the Moon will explore the lunar
surface beginning no later than 2008 to research and prepare for
future human exploration.

- America will complete its work on the International Space Station
by 2010.

- The Space Shuttle will be retired in 2010.

- The Crew Exploration Vehicle (The new spacecraft - CEV) will be
developed and tested by 2008 and will conduct its first manned
mission no later than 2014. The CEV will also be capable of
transporting astronauts and scientists to the ISS after the Shuttle
is retired.

- America will return to the Moon as early as 2015 and no later than
2020 and use it as a stepping stone for more ambitious missions.

- Using the CEV, humans will conduct extended lunar missions as early
as 2015, with the goal of living and working there for increasingly
extended periods.

- To pay for the costly new initiative, Presient Bush would increase
the NASA budget by 5 percent a year and divert the $3.5 billion a
year for space shuttle once it is retired.

For more info check the White House Fact Sheet

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/01/20040114-1.html

* The next resupply spacecraft to the International Space Station
will be ISS Progress 13. It will be launched by a Soyuz Rocket from
Baikonur Cosmodrome on January 29th, 2004.

At present there are two crew on the ISS. Expedition 8 Commander Mike
Foale and Flight Engineer Alexander Kaleri.

See you in the next newsletter.

Regards,
Vic Stathopoulos
Web Master

Aerospaceguide.net
http://www.aerospaceguide.net
Space Projects and Info

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