NASA CELEBRATES 'SUPER' MISSION - Space shuttle Atlantis soared through a thin layer of clouds over NASA's Kennedy Space Center before touching its wheels to the runway Wednesday to end a flawless STS-122 mission. "This was just an unbelievably super mission for us," said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for space operations. "I can't think of a better way to start this year out than with this great flight." More (Source: NASA - Feb 21)
NAVY SHOOTS DOWN WAYWARD SATELLITE - A missile launched from a Navy ship struck a dying U.S. spy satellite passing 130 miles over the Pacific on Wednesday, the Pentagon said. It was not clear whether the operation succeeded in its main goal of destroying a tank aboard the satellite that carried a toxic fuel that U.S. officials said could pose a hazard to humans if it landed in a populated area. More (Source: Fox News - Feb 21)
YOUR LAST CHANCES TO GET GLIMPSE OF DOOMED SATELLITE - Amateur astronomers say Hampton Roads residents can view USA 193 before it is blown to pieces by US missiles -- or the missiles miss and it crashes to earth. “The satellite itself is viewable now,’’ said Ted Forte of Back Bay Amateur Astronomers in Virginia Beach. “There’re a couple of times in the next couple of weeks we’ll be able to see it.’’ More (Source: The Virginian-Pilot - Feb 18)
SPACE SHUTTLE UNDOCKS, STARTS JOURNEY BACK TO EARTH - The space shuttle Atlantis undocked from the international space station early Monday for its journey back to Earth, ending a nearly nine-day visit to deliver, install and activate Europe's new orbital laboratory. Pilot Alan Poindexter gently backed the shuttle away from the station after the vehicle sprung loose from its docking port. More (Source: CNN.com - Feb 18)
U.S. TO ATTEMPT TO SHOOT DOWN FAULTY SATELLITE - The military will try to shoot down a crippled spy satellite in the next two weeks, senior officials said Thursday. The officials laid out a high-tech plan to intercept the satellite over the Pacific just before it tumbles uncontrollably to Earth carrying toxic fuel. More (Source: New York Times - Feb 15)
ASTRONAUTS BEGIN BUSY SIX-HOUR SPACEWALK - Two astronauts ventured outside Friday for the last spacewalk of the shuttle Atlantis' mission to the international space station, preparing to attach science experiments to the exterior of the new Columbus lab. Spacewalkers Rex Walheim and Stanley Love floated out of the hatch as the space station passed over the Pacific Ocean west of southern Chile. More (Source: CNN.com - Feb 15)
VIETNAM’S FIRST SATELLITE READY TO BLAST OFF IN APRIL - Vietnam’s first satellite arrived at the Kourou launch pad in French Guyana Wednesday for launching into orbit on April 2. Vinasat-1 will be stationed at a final orbital position of 132 degrees East. According to the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group, the final check prior to launch has been successfully completed. More (Source: Thanh Nien Daily - Feb 15)
ASTRONAUTS PREPARE FOR MISSION'S THIRD SPACEWALK - With two of their three spacewalks completed, the astronauts aboard the linked shuttle-station complex focused Thursday on getting the new Columbus lab up and running. NASA extended Atlantis' mission by a day on Wednesday to give the crew more time to work on the lab, Europe's main contribution to the international space station. More (Source: CNN.com - Feb 14)
U.S. MAY SHOOT DOWN ERRANT SATELLITE - The U.S. spent around a billion dollars on a dud spy satellite, and now, the military is considering plans to shoot it down. That's right, the Lockheed Martin-built satellite that is floating around in space -- soon to re-enter Earth's atmosphere -- may be shot out of the sky. More (Source: Wired News - Feb 13)
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