SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY'S FINAL LAUNCH DATE STILL UNCLEAR - NASA has yet to set a firm launch date for the final flight of the space shuttle Discovery, after managers met for hours on Thursday to review technical issues that have grounded the orbiter for more than a month. The top shuttle program managers met to evaluate the repairs that were made to Discovery's massive external fuel tank. Engineering teams at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida have been compiling data in order to determine the root cause of cracks that were found on the metal ribs of the shuttle's external tank. After Thursday's discussion, officials held off on assigning a firm launch date for Discovery's final mission to the International Space Station. More (Source: MSNBC - Dec 4)
X-37B ORBITAL TEST VEHICLE LANDS AT VANDENBERG AFB - The U.S. Air Force's first unmanned re-entry spacecraft landed at Vandenberg Air Force Base at 1:16 a.m. today. The X-37B, named Orbital Test Vehicle 1 (OTV-1), conducted on-orbit experiments for more than 220 days during its maiden voyage. It fired its orbital maneuver engine in low-earth orbit to perform an autonomous reentry before landing. The X-37B is the newest and most advanced re-entry spacecraft. Managed by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (AFRCO), the X-37B program performs risk reduction, experimentation and concept of operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies. More (Source: Vandenberg Air Force Base - Dec 3)
ROBOTIC MINI SPACE SHUTTLE EXPECTED TO LAND AT VANDENBERG - The X-37, an unmanned spacecraft that resembles a miniature version of the space shuttle, is set to land at Vandenberg Air Force Base as early as this week -- more than seven months after it was launched into orbit. The Air Force, which has been developing the X-37 pilotless space plane, has kept the ultimate purpose of the program hush-hush. It was launched April 22 from Cape Canaveral, Fla. The covert nature of the program -- coupled with the fact it was funded by the Pentagon -- fueled speculation it was being used for military purposes, such as an "orbital bomber." More (Source: Los Angeles Times - Dec 2)
ISRO'S COMMUNICATION SATELLITE HYLAS LAUNCHED SUCCESSFULLY - An advanced communication satellite HYLAS (Highly Adaptable Satellite), built by ISRO on a commercial basis in partnership with EADS-Astrium of Europe, was successfully launched today (November 27, 2010) at 00.09 hours Indian Standard Time (IST) by the European Ariane-5 V198 launch vehicle. According to ISRO's press release, the launch took place from the Guyana Space Centre at Kourou in French Guyana. More (Source: The Hindu - Nov 29)
DISCOVERY'S LAUNCH DELAYED UNTIL AT LEAST MID-DECEMBER - NASA managers reviewing the progress of repairs to the shuttle Discovery's external tank and the rationale for making another launch attempt decided Wednesday to pass up an early December launch window, delaying the flight to at least Dec. 17 and possibly all the way to February. Shuttle Program Manager John Shannon told reporters engineers need more time to understand what caused cracks to develop in structural ribs, or stringers, during fueling Nov. 5 to better assess the likelihood of additional cracks during flight that could lead to potentially damaging foam insulation losses or even structural failure. While the latter is believed to be a remote possibility, engineers need to make sure. And that will take time. More (Source: Space Flight Now - Nov 29)
INDIA TO LAUNCH NEW COMMUNICATION SATELLITE NEXT MONTH - India would launch a new communication satellite from its spaceport of Sriharikota next month to augment capacity and services in the field. Sources in the Indian Space research Organisation said that top space scientists would meet on December 10 to conduct a mission-readiness review and give the final go-ahead for the launch on December 20. The satellite, GSAT-5 Prime, would be launched by geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F06). More (Source: Economic Times - Nov 25)
U.S. MILITARY SPACE PLANE NEARING END OF DESIGN LIFE - Observers tracking movements of the U.S. Air Force's X-37B secretive space plane report the spacecraft is dropping altitude, a possible sign the clandestine mission is near landing as it approaches the limit of the its design life. Air Force officials remain silent on landing and recovery plans for the reusable space plane, other than it will return to Earth at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The X-37B features stubby wings, a powerful orbit-changing engine and a landing gear for touchdown on a 15,000-foot-long runway originally built for the space shuttle. More (Source: Space Flight Now - Nov 25)
EU TO LAUNCH DEDICATED BROADBAND SATELLITE - There is light at the end of the tunnel for the estimated 20 million Europeans who cannot get high-quality broadband access. On Friday a new satellite will be launched that will deliver broadband Internet access to consumers and businesses across the European Union. The Hylas 1 satellite is the first European satellite dedicated to providing broadband as well as a range of conventional telecommunications services. Huylas, created by ESA and Avanti, stands for "Highly Adaptable Satellite," and adaptability is one of its unique selling points, according to the European Space Agency (ESA). More (Source: PC World - Nov 25)
SHUTTLE DISCOVERY REPAIRED FOR FINAL VOYAGE - NASA's space shuttle Discovery is all patched up for its planned final launch into space next week, NASA officials said Monday. Engineers have completed work to plug a potentially dangerous hydrogen gas leak and reinforce cracked metal ribs on Discovery's huge external tank. The shuttle is sitting atop a seaside launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., awaiting a launch that has already been delayed more than a month. Discovery's upcoming launch is currently slated for no earlier than Dec. 3 at 2:52 a.m. EST (0753 GMT). More (Source: msnbc.com - Nov 24)
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