Aerospaceguide.net: Newsletter 44, Sunday 18th, September, 2005

Hi Everyone,

This newsletter features Venus Express, X-15 Rocket Plane, Neil Armstrong
biography, mission summaries for 2005/2006, Space Elevator Games and lots of
interesting
Space News.

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WHAT's NEW?

* Venus Express
http://www.aerospaceguide.net/spacecraft/venusexpress.html

Venus Express is the first European mission to Venus. It is a follow
on to Mars Express mission. Many of the instruments on the mission
are upgraded versions of those on the Mars Express platform.

* Astronomy Software
http://www.aerospaceguide.net/astronomysoftware/index.html

This page has been totally re-written. It includes Starry Night,
Redshift 5, Liftoff Space Simulation Software and lots more.

* Neil Armstrong
http://www.aerospaceguide.net/spacehistory/neilarmstrong.html

Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the Moon. He is a former
American test pilot and U.S. astronaut and is currently retired. He
was a test pilot on the X-15 rocket plane and commander of Gemini 8
and Apollo 11 missions.

* X-15
http://www.aerospaceguide.net/x-15.html

North American X-15 rocket plane was an experimental aircraft
project. It was the first aircraft to attain velocities of Mach 4, 5
and 6. The X-15 completed 199 missions between 1959 and 1968.

* 2006 Space and Astronomy
http://www.aerospaceguide.net/space/2006.html

In 2006 many new space missions will be launched and many of the
current space missions will hopefully meet their goals and be
successful. This page also includes future space and astronmy
missions beyond 2006.

* 2005 Space and Astronomy
http://www.aerospaceguide.net/x-prize.html

2005 has been an exciting year for space and astronomy missions,
discoveries and events. This page is a summary.

SPACE NEWS IN BRIEF

* Spaceward Foundation will be hosting the first Space Elevator
Competition at the NASA Ames Research Center on October 21st through
the 23rd. The prize money is furnished by the NASA Centennial
Challenges program. Teams from universities and industry around the
country have entered in the competitions. Please check its site for
details.

The event will consist of two competitions. The Tether Challenge
will test the strength and weight of carbon nanotube based
materials, a recently discovered material. The Beam Power challenge
will feature climbers attempting to scale a 200 foot tether powered
by a high intensity light source.

http://www.aerospaceguide.net/spacebusiness/elevator.html

* Astronomers have discovered a bright Quasar without a massive host
Galaxy. The detection is a result from a large Hubble and VLT study
of quasars. One intriguing explanation is that the host galaxy may
be made almost exclusively of dark matter.

* Images returned during Cassini's recent flyby of Titan show
captivating evidence of what appears to be a large shoreline cutting
across the smoggy moon's southern hemisphere. Hints that this area
was once wet, or currently has liquid present are evident.

* ORBIMAGE is a commercial satellite remote sensing company. It
announced on September 16, 2005 that it plans to acquire one of its
rivals, Space Imaging. ORBIMAGE believes the deal will receive
regulatory approval and close by the end of the year.

* Japan's Hayabusa spacecraft has successfully arrived at its
destination, asteroid Itokawa. The spacecraft is to perform detailed
remote sensing and mapping of the asteroid, followed by an attempt
to collect a surface sample of asteroid Itokawa for return to Earth
in 2007 by way of a parachuted landing at Woomera in the Australian
outback. Hayabusa (formerly known as MUSES-C)was launched on May 9,
2003, aboard an M-5 rocket from Japan's Kagoshima launch site.

* NASA signed a $68.35 million modification to the International
Space Station contract with The Boeing Company. The modification
provides a system to supply Station electrical power to docked Space
Shuttles, enabling the Orbiter to stay longer for up to to 12 days
instead of up to eight days. The longer stay allows additional time
for spacewalks, Orbiter thermal protection system inspection,
logistics transfers and science operations and station maintenance
by Shuttle crews.

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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