Spaceflight Now

Sunday: April 6, 2003		0410 GMT

Titan 4 to launch final Milstar spacecraft today A 10,000-pound, $800 million satellite that will serve as an orbiting switchboard for secure communications between senior U.S. leaders and military forces around the world is slated for launch at 9:51 a.m. EDT today atop a Titan 4 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. MISSION STATUS CENTER - updates LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE PREVIEW STORY

Europe's Ariane 5 rocket given OK for return to flight Officials in control of the final steps prior to Tuesday's flight of an Ariane 5 rocket have cleared the vehicle and its two payloads for liftoff in a launch readiness review. A meeting Saturday ended with a "go" to continue operations for the launch. MISSION STATUS CENTER - updates PREVIEW STORY LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE ARCHIVED ARIANE COVERAGE

Galactic wind of low-energy cosmic rays claimed A bit of Earth-bound chemistry has led scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, to conclude that there is an unsuspected wind of low-energy cosmic ray particles blowing through the galaxy. FULL STORY

Saturday: April 5, 2003		0218 GMT

Splashing down on oceans of Saturn's moon Titan Titan, Saturn's largest moon, is a mysterious place. Its thick atmosphere is rich in organic compounds. Some of them would be signs of life if they were on our planet. How do they form on Titan? Will they help us to discover how life began on Earth? FULL STORY

20th century climate not so hot, study shows A review of more than 200 climate studies led by researchers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics has determined that the 20th century is neither the warmest century nor the century with the most extreme weather of the past 1000 years. FULL STORY

Friday: April 4, 2003		0517 GMT

Ariane 5 program looks for successful return to flight Arianespace is setting up for a crucial flight next week of the Ariane 5 rocket that promises to be widely watched throughout the aerospace industry after the last mission of the heavy-lift booster ended in failure and prompted a program-wide review. FULL STORY LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE ARCHIVED ARIANE COVERAGE

Hubble's rainbow image of a dusty star Resembling a rippling pool illuminated by underwater lights, the Egg Nebula offers astronomers a special look at the normally invisible dust shells swaddling an aging star. These dust layers, extending over one-tenth of a light-year from the star, have an onionskin structure that forms concentric rings around the star. FULL STORY

Giant cosmic lens reveals secrets of distant galaxy Using a radio telescope and helped by a gigantic cosmic lens conveniently provided by nature, an international team of astronomers has discovered that a young galaxy had a central disk of gas in which hundreds of new stars were being born every year -- at a time when the Universe was only a fraction of its current age. FULL STORY

Thursday: April 3, 2003		0020 GMT

Final Milstar spacecraft to launch Sunday A 10,000-pound, $800 million satellite that will serve as an orbiting switchboard for secure communications between senior U.S. leaders and military forces around the world is slated for launch Sunday atop a Titan 4 rocket. FULL STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER - updates

Launch industry doldrums unlikely to end soon The current depression in the commercial launch market that has hurt launch vehicle operators in the United States and Europe will continue for the foreseeable future, with government support becoming vital to sustain the industry, a panel of experts recently concluded. FULL STORY

NASA researchers put new spin on relativity theory Albert Einstein might be astonished to learn that NASA physicists have applied his relativity theory to a concept he introduced but later disliked namely that two particles that interact could maintain a connection even if separated by a vast distance. Researchers often refer to this connection as "entanglement." FULL STORY

Europe studies missions to safeguard the Earth Early on the morning of June 30, 1908, the vast forest of western Siberia was illuminated by a strange apparition: an alien object streaking across the cloudless sky. White hot from its headlong plunge into the Earth's atmosphere, the intruder exploded about 8 km above the ground, flattening trees over a vast area. FULL STORY

Wednesday: April 2, 2003		0701 GMT

Mystery object shed in orbit possibly a carrier panel The radar signature of an object floating away from the shuttle Columbia on the second day of its mission matches up well with a wing leading edge carrier panel, members of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board revealed Tuesday. If Columbia began its ill-fated re-entry with a missing carrier panel, enough heat could have entered the left wing to trigger the catastrophic chain of events that led to the shuttle's destruction. FULL STORY

Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: TUESDAY'S ACCIDENT BOARD NEWS BRIEFING QT SUBSCRIBE NOW
NASA formally announces Expedition 7 station crew Veteran Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and veteran NASA astronaut Ed Lu have been named as the primary crew for the planned April 26 launch of a Russian Soyuz TMA-2 spacecraft to the International Space Station. FULL STORY

One of closest and brightest gamma ray bursts detected The Universe clearly works weekends; delivering one of the brightest and closest gamma ray bursts yet on Saturday. NASA's High-Energy Transient Explorer (HETE) detected the burst, signaling the birth of a black hole, in the constellation Leo. FULL STORY

Military spacecraft launched by Russian forces Russia successfully launched a military cargo into orbit today from its northern cosmodrome. The Molniya M booster carried a Molniya-type military communications satellite into a highly-inclined, egg-shaped orbit.

Tuesday: April 1, 2003		0524 GMT

Delta doesn't disappoint in successful GPS launch A new satellite to replenish the U.S. military's preeminent space-based navigation network roared off the planet Monday, destined to circle 11,000 miles above the globe to guide soldiers in the battlefield and civilians around the world. FULL STORY LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY MISSION STATUS CENTER

Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: THE DELTA 2 ROCKET LAUNCHES WITH GPS 2R-9 QT VIDEO: ALTERNATE VIEW OF LIFTOFF FROM NORTH OF PAD QT VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH LAUNCH SQUADRON COMMANDER QT VIDEO: INSIGHT ABOUT GPS FROM GULF WAR VETERAN QT VIDEO: POST-LAUNCH COMMENTS FROM BLS PRESIDENT QT SUBSCRIBE NOW
Gehman calls recorder data a 'treasure trove' Ongoing analysis of a "treasure trove" of data from a recorder recovered in the wreckage of the shuttle Columbia shows a deadly plume of super-heated air first began eating its way into the ship's left wing just five minutes after the orbiter fell into the discernible atmosphere. The sudden temperature increase, in a cavity behind the U-shaped panels making up the leading edge of the left wing, came a full three minutes earlier than previous telemetry indicated the start of unusual heating. FULL STORY

More internal NASA emails released to public NASA has posted nearly 30 megabytes of internal email traffic and attachments regarding the potential threat of foam debris striking the shuttle Columbia's left wing; concerns about corrosion that could interfere with proper operation of the ship's body flap during entry; and discussions regarding Columbia's heavier-than-usual landing weight. FULL STORY

Monday: March 31, 2003		0015 GMT

Temperature rose in wing earlier than known A data recorder recovered in the wreckage of the shuttle Columbia shows hot gas entered the leading edge of the spacecraft's left wing within 16 seconds of the point when the orbiter entered the region of maximum aerodynamic heating during re-entry Feb. 1. Temperature sensors located behind two leading edge panels, both just outboard of the point where engineers believe a deadly breach occurred, showed a sudden rapid spike, or increase, before the sensors failed and dropped off line. FULL STORY - updated with more details
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News Archive
March 24-30: Plan calls for shuttles to be imaged by spy satellites; Expert says NASA lost sight of safety margin; Japan enters spy satellite arena with rocket launch; Rocket troubles delay pair of ESA research projects; Stunning Hubble images of mysterious erupting star; New class of hot-tempered black holes bucks trends.

March 17-23: Columbia data recorder recovered; could hold key insights; Hearing focuses on debris, breakup mechanics; NASA's Columbia mishap team reorganized; Weighing a black hole at the edge of the universe; Race to gamma ray burst reveals gigantic explosion.

March 10-16: Board studies wing edge, wind shear, foam repair; Debris may strengthen breach scenario; Readdy says 'no rationale' for spy satellite inspection of Columbia; Data shows autopilot on through last transmission; Delta 4 rocket successfully begins military service; Hubble discovers an evaporating planet.

March 3-9: Investigators begin public hearings into accident; Plume may have entered wheel well from within wing; Delta 4's first Air Force launch scrubbed; China reportedly planning lunar exploration; Team pegs brightness of history's brightest star.

Feb. 24-March 2: Video shows Columbia crew unaware of impending disaster; Flight controllers downplay emails about Columbia; Europe pushes ahead with its new Vega rocket; Massive gas cloud around Jupiter revealed; Pioneer 10 sends last signal; Remnants of ancient stars found in Earth's atmosphere.

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Gemini 7

Gemini 7: The NASA Mission Reports covers this 14-day mission by Borman and Lovell as they demonstrated some of the more essential facts of space flight. Includes CD-ROM.

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Apollo patches

The Apollo Patch Collection: Includes all 12 Apollo mission patches plus the Apollo Program Patch. Save over 20% off the Individual price.

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Mars Rover mission patch

A mission patch featuring NASA's Mars Exploration Rover is available from our online.

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Apollo 9 DVD

On the road to the moon, the mission of Apollo 9 stands as an important gateway in experience and procedures. This 2-DVD collection presents the crucial mission on the voyage to the moon.

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Apollo 11 special patch

Special collectors' patch marking the 35th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing is now available.

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Apollo 12 tribute DVD set

New! Featuring the jovial crew of Pete Conrad, Dick Gordon and Alan Bean, the Apollo 12 mission was struck by lightning shortly after liftoff but proceeded on the second successful exploration voyage to the lunar surface. This three-disc DVD brings the mission to life with extraordinary detail.

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Fallen Heroes special patch

This special 12-inch embroidered patch commemorates the U.S. astronauts who made the ultimate sacrifice, honoring the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia.

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Women in Space

Women of Space: Cool Careers on the Final Frontier is for girls, young women, and anyone else interested in learning about exciting careers in space exploration. Includes CD-ROM.

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Mars rover poster

This new poster features some of the best pictures from NASA's amazing Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity.

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Columbia Report

A reproduction of the official accident investigation report into the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its crew of seven.

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Mars Panorama

DISCOUNTED! This 360 degree image was taken by the Mars Pathfinder, which landed on the Red Planet in July 1997. The Sojourner Rover is visible in the image.

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Apollo 11 Mission Report

Apollo 11 - The NASA Mission Reports Vol. 3 is the first comprehensive study of man's first mission to another world is revealed in all of its startling complexity. Includes DVD!

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Rocket DVD

If you've ever watched a launch from Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Vandenberg Air Force Base or even Kodiak Island Alaska, there's no better way to describe what you witnessed than with this DVD.

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Final Shuttle Mission Patch

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The crew emblem for the final space shuttle mission is now available in our store. Get this piece of history!

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STS-134 Patch

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The final planned flight of space shuttle Endeavour is symbolized in the official embroidered crew patch for STS-134. Available in our store!

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Ares 1-X Patch

The official embroidered patch for the Ares 1-X rocket test flight, is available for purchase.

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Apollo Collage

This beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos.

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Project Orion

The Orion crew exploration vehicle is NASA's first new human spacecraft developed since the space shuttle a quarter-century earlier. The capsule is one of the key elements of returning astronauts to the Moon.

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Fallen Heroes Patch Collection

The official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store.

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