Spaceflight Now

Sunday: December 7, 2003		0001 GMT

Mapping the atmosphere NASA scientists have opened a new window for understanding atmospheric water vapor, its implications for climate change and ozone depletion. They have created the first detailed map of the atmosphere to better understand the dynamics of how water gets into the stratosphere. FULL STORY

SMART-1 is changing ion engine thrust strategy Europe's SMART-1 spacecraft is now in its 130th orbit, in good status and all its functions are performing nominally. As in previous weeks, the spacecraft was operated in electric propulsion mode almost continuously. However, it has experienced three flame-outs. FULL STORY

Saturday: December 6, 2003		0712 GMT

NASA scientists use radar to detect asteroid force NASA scientists have for the first time detected a tiny but theoretically important force acting on asteroids by measuring an extremely subtle change in a near-Earth asteroid's orbital path. This force, called the Yarkovsky Effect, is produced by the way an asteroid absorbs energy from the sun and re-radiates it into space as heat. The research will impact how scientists understand and track asteroids in the future. FULL STORY

International Space Station crew busy with science The Expedition 8 -- Mike Foale and Alexander Kaleri -- have wrapped up a busy week aboard the International Space Station. ISS activities included scientific experiments ranging from behavior of plasma dust subjected to radio waves in a vacuum to investigation of stresses on the feet and legs during spaceflight. FULL STORY

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Friday: December 5, 2003		0525 GMT

No new space policy announcement imminent White House officials Thursday denied reports that President Bush planned to announce soon a new space policy that could feature the resumption of human missions to the Moon. FULL STORY

Atlas launch pad getting extensive facelift A pad at America's West Coast spaceport, Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, will soon receive a major makeover to transform the complex into a launch site for Lockheed Martin's next-generation Atlas 5 rocket. FULL STORY OUR ARCHIVE OF ATLAS COVERAGE

Firestorm of star birth seen in a local galaxy This festively colorful nebula, called NGC 604, is one of the largest known seething cauldrons of star birth in a nearby galaxy. NGC 604 is similar to familiar star-birth regions in our Milky Way galaxy, such as the Orion Nebula, but it is vastly larger in extent and contains many more recently formed stars. FULL STORY

NASA cites progress in earthquake research Nearly 10 years after Los Angeles was shaken by the devastating, magnitude 6.7 Northridge earthquake, scientists at NASA and other institutions say maturing space-based technologies, new ground-based techniques and more complex computer models are rapidly advancing our understanding of earthquakes and earthquake processes. FULL STORY

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Thursday: December 4, 2003		0608 GMT

Observers track secret satellites launched Tuesday Serving as space-age sleuths tracking spy satellites high above Earth, a band of sky-watchers scattered around the globe are offering their insights into a clandestine cargo launched Tuesday atop an Atlas rocket from California. FULL STORY

Stormy space weather slips through cracks Immense cracks in Earth's magnetic field remain open for hours, allowing the solar wind to gush through and power stormy space weather, according to new observations from NASA and European satellites. This new discovery about how the Earth's magnetic shield is breached is expected to help space physicists give better estimates of the effects of severe space weather. FULL STORY

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Pulsar find boosts hope for gravity-wave hunters Neutron star pairs may merge and give off a burst of gravity waves about six times more often than previously thought, scientists report in the new issue of the journal Nature. If so, the current generation of gravity-wave detectors might be able to register such an event every year or two, rather than about once a decade - the most optimistic prediction until now. FULL STORY

Wednesday: December 3, 2003		2015 GMT

Mars Express snaps its first view of Red Planet The European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft has taken image of its destination from a distance of about 5.5 million kilometres. This is a very unusual view of Mars because the planet is illuminated in a way never seen from Earth. Mars Express arrives in orbit around the Red Planet on Christmas Day. FULL STORY

NASA comet craft pinpoints its target Forty-nine days before its historic rendezvous with a comet, NASA's Stardust spacecraft successfully photographed its quarry, comet Wild 2, from 15.5 million miles away. The image, the first of many comet portraits it will take over the next four weeks, will aid Stardust's navigators and scientists as they plot their final trajectory toward a January flyby and collection of samples from Wild 2. FULL STORY

Lindsey to lead crew of new space shuttle mission Four NASA astronauts have been chosen to fly on the newly created space shuttle mission, STS-121. It is the mission following the shuttle's return-to-flight. FULL STORY

SNOE satellite to re-enter atmosphere in coming days A $5 million University of Colorado at Boulder satellite dubbed the "Little Satellite That Did" now is expected to re-enter the atmosphere and burn up in early December following a successful six-year mission. FULL STORY

Tuesday: December 2, 2003		1215 GMT

Atlas rocket successfully soars on secret mission A Lockheed Martin Atlas 2AS rocket carried out a clandestine mission in the predawn darkness Tuesday, deploying into space what is believed to be a package of ocean surveillance satellites to aid the U.S. government track suspicious ships in the global fight against terrorism. FULL STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER GROUND TRACK MAP RL10 ENGINE MARKS 40 YEARS OF SERVICE

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New evidence for nearby Solar-like planetary system Astronomers have produced compelling new evidence that Vega, one of the brightest stars in the sky, has a planetary system around it which is more like our own Solar System than any other so far discovered. FULL STORY

SOHO Sun watcher celebrates 8 years in space Since its launch on December 2, 1995, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory has provided an unparalleled breadth and depth of information about the Sun, from its interior, through the hot and dynamic atmosphere, and out to the solar wind. SOHO has continued to revolutionize our understanding of the Sun with its 24 hour per day observations of our daylight star. FULL STORY

Monday: December 1, 2003		0001 GMT

Atlas rocket ready to fly Mission managers have cleared a Lockheed Martin Atlas 2AS rocket for blastoff early Tuesday on a hush-hush National Reconnaissance Office launch from California's Central Coast. See our Mission Status Center for the latest information. MISSION STATUS CENTER - updates! LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE GROUND TRACK MAP RL10 ENGINE MARKS 40 YEARS OF SERVICE

Europe's Mars-bound space probes near arrival The Mars Express spacecraft, despite a series of intense solar flares that occurred late October-early November in active sunspots regions, is in good health and is operating normally. FULL STORY

Deputy administrator of NASA honored with award NASA Deputy Administrator Frederick Gregory has been selected as one of the 50 Most Important African-Americans in Technology for 2004. FULL STORY

News Archive
Nov. 24-30: Japanese launch of spy satellites fails; Cheap method developed for solar system hunt; NASA successfully tests futuristic ion engine; Radiation monitoring device fails on Mars spacecraft.

Nov. 17-23: O'Keefe: time is right for new space vision; Shuttle Enterprise arrives at Smithsonian museum; Launch of Einstein's space experiment postponed; Feature story on Heavy-lifting version of Delta 4; Ulysses gives first 3-D observations of sun storms.

Nov. 10-16: Images give new insight into Mars' ancient rivers; Nascent star is forming Jupiter-like planet; Radar shows no evidence of thick ice at lunar poles; China puts communications satellite into orbit; Europe's first step towards Mars sample return.

More news See our weekly archive of space news.

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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Inside Apollo mission control

An insider's view of how Apollo flight controllers operated and just what they faced when events were crucial.

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The ultimate Apollo 11 DVD

This exceptional chronicle of the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing mission features new digital transfers of film and television coverage unmatched by any other.

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Next ISS crew

Own a little piece of history with this official patch for the International Space Station's Expedition 11 crew. We'll ship yours today!

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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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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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Apollo 12 tribute DVD set

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U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

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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U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

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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U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

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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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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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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Apollo Collage

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

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STS-133 Patch

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The final planned flight of space shuttle Discovery is symbolized in the official embroidered crew patch for STS-133. Available in our store!

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Anniversary Shuttle Patch

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This embroidered patch commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Program. The design features the space shuttle Columbia's historic maiden flight of April 12, 1981.

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Mercury anniversary

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Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Alan Shephard's historic Mercury mission with this collectors' item, the official commemorative embroidered patch.

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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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