CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The second SpaceX demonstration launch for NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) has been rescheduled for a liftoff on Saturday, May 19. The launch of the Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon capsule will occur from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. There is a single instantaneous launch opportunity at 4:55 a.m. EDT. NASA Television launch commentary from Cape Canaveral begins at 3:30 a.m. During the flight, SpaceX’s Dragon capsule will conduct a series of check-out procedures to test and prove its systems, including the capability to rendezvous and berth with ...

We could see some increased space weather headed Earths way as sunspot AR1476 crosses the sun and has a more direct line of site with Earth. This particularly large and complex sunspot appeared over the left limb of the sun on Saturday, May 5, beginning its two-week trek across the face of the star in conjunction with the sun’s rotation. The sunspot, dubbed Active Region 1476, has so far produced seven M-class flares and numerous C-class flares, including two M-class flares on May 9, 2012 that peaked at 8:32 EDT and 10:08 EDT. These flares were all short-lived and there ...

  WASHINGTON — NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope has detected light emanating from a “super-Earth” planet beyond our solar system for the first time. While the planet is not habitable, the detection is a historic step toward the eventual search for signs of life on other planets. “Spitzer has amazed us yet again,” said Bill Danchi, Spitzer program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The spacecraft is pioneering the study of atmospheres of distant planets and paving the way for NASA’s upcoming James Webb Space Telescope to apply a similar technique on potentially habitable planets.” The planet, called 55 Cancri e, falls into a ...

Looking at the future of manned spaceflight, and even the future of non-manned spaceflight can be confusing. There are so many players building launch capability for the U.S. it can be a bit of a quandary.  NASA is spending $41 Billion on the Space Launch System (SLS) which will be completed in 2030 ($1.2 billion spent just this year). Space X is launching the Dragon Capsule to space station this year. Space X also has serious rockets in development and ready for use. Virgin Galactic has its new launch vehicle well under way, and there are many other players. NASA ...

Chandra X-ray Observatory, provides new insight into nature of black holes WASHINGTON — An extraordinary outburst produced by a black hole in a nearby galaxy has provided direct evidence for a population of old, volatile stellar black holes. The discovery, made by astronomers using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, provides new insight into the nature of a mysterious class of black holes that can produce as much energy in X-rays as a million suns radiate at all wavelengths. Researchers used Chandra to discover a new ultraluminous X-ray source, or ULX. These objects give off more X-rays than most binary systems, in which a ...

On May 8 the U.S. House of Representatives will begin debate on a 2013 appropriations bill that could cut NASA’s budget by more than $200 million, gives NASA some NOAA funds and tasking. changes NASA’s focus from a MARS probe to a Europa Orbiter, and change commercial vehicle procurement plans. If approved this would reduce NASA’s budget to $17.57 billion, the smallest since 2006. The senate voted on April 19th to raise NASA’s budget to $19.4 billion. They also made NASA responsible for funding the civilian weather satellites it builds on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This is ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The second SpaceX demonstration launch for NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) has been rescheduled for a liftoff on Monday, May 7. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon capsule will occur from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. There is a single instantaneous launch opportunity at 9:38 a.m. EDT. NASA Television launch commentary from Cape Canaveral begins at 8 a.m. During the flight, SpaceX’s Dragon capsule will conduct a series of check-out procedures to test and prove its systems, including the capability to rendezvous and berth with the ...

 WASHINGTON — NASA managers, in coordination with Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum officials, have selected Friday, April 27, to ferry space shuttle Enterprise from Washington Dulles International Airport to John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York. NASA’s 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) with Enterprise mounted atop will fly at a relatively low altitude over various parts of the New York City metropolitan area on Friday. The aircraft is expected to fly near a variety of landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty and Intrepid. After the flyover is complete, the SCA will land at JFK. The Federal Aviation Administration is ...

NOAA issues Spaceweather Warning Issue Time: 2012 Apr 24 0204 UTC WARNING: Geomagnetic K-index of 7 or greater expected Valid From: 2012 Apr 24 0205 UTC Valid To: 2012 Apr 24 0600 UTC Warning Condition: Onset NOAA Scale: G3 or greater – Strong to Extreme NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found at www.swpc.noaa.gov/NOAAscales Potential Impacts: Area of impact primarily poleward of 50 degrees Geomagnetic Latitude. Induced Currents – Power system voltage irregularities possible, false alarms may be triggered on some protection devices. Spacecraft – Systems may experience surface charging; increased drag on low Earth-orbit satellites and orientation problems may occur. Navigation ...

(Source NASA) – NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft, halfway to Mars, adjusted its flight path for delivery of the one-ton rover Curiosity to the surface of Mars in August. Tests completed aboard Curiosity confirmed the health of science instruments the mission will use to learn whether an area holding an extensive record of Martian environmental history has ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life. In the second of six planned trajectory correction maneuvers during the cruise to Mars, the spacecraft ignited thrusters for nearly nine minutes. Spacecraft data and Doppler-effect changes in radio signal from the craft, monitored in the mission control ...