Going Up: Space Elevator pre-work

The Space Elevator will be a reality, I have no doubt of that. How long it takes and who will ultimately control this massive gateway to the solar system is another question.

There's little new to report other than research work. But read up on the subject. Chances are you will ride one of these babies to visit your grandchildren on Mars.
Really.

Opportunity stuck, but not hopelessly so

Images: Spirit, Opportunity (Keep in mind they are TWIN rovers)
Info: Official JPL Rover site

Opportunity, one of two rovers currently exploring Mars became stuck in loose sand four days ago. Mission scientists remain optimistic that coming unstuck is simply a matter of time. The terrain in that area has been getting worse. On April 16, (Sol 433 of the mission) Opportunity's right-front steering motor failed, but limited functioning was restored.
From a Mars Daily story dated April, 16:


"Opportunity and Spirit are capable of driving with one or more steering motors disabled, though turns would be less precise. The latest revision in flight software on both rovers, uploaded in February, gives them improved capabilities for dealing with exactly this type of condition."

Scientists and mission specialists alike are carefully analyzing every detail of the current situation. Taking myriad photographs of the terrain and reviewing possible escape scenarios, they believe it's only a matter of time until the vehicle is free to roam again.

If you'd like some mission details, an excellent photo archive and a forum for discussing discoveries, check out Mark Carey's Mars Rover Blog.
It's very cool.

Griffin starts process to save Hubble!

Images: Hubble Space Telescope, Eye Nebulae
Info: HST Project Science Office

It's not like I'm on his payroll. I'm just a fan. At least, it looks like my fanaticism is well-placed. Let's see if he follows through on plans to service Hubble.
At while he's at it, I'd like to see NASA support the other 14 nations interested in building a World Space Observatory. More teams means less expense for everyone.

Why keep all our eggs in one basket? Two Space telescopes equals twice as much science. It's a win/win situation.

Mike Griffin is an alright guy

Images: Challenger crew, Challenger explosion; Columbia crew, Columbia disintegration
Info: NASA for kids, NASA: Return to Flight


The Space Ace has a slight cold today, so please bear with him. He has taken his tonic; let the posting begin:

Mike Griffin is proving himself worthy of my praise after all. After a few uneasy months of start-and-stop launch readiness, NASA administrators have decided to send Discovery back to the Vehicle Assembly Building.
They have announced a probable launch in July, but have stopped short of promising. It's a "possible launch window."
Personally, I like the fact Griffin isn't afraid of what people think about the program. He's more concerned with listening to what people have to say. Griffin isn't crawling around the partially filled external fuel tank looking for ice crystals. He's just talking to the boss of the guy who does. And he's listening and considering and taking action based on trust in his crew.
Ironically, I think the delay is an auspicious start to a new age at NASA.
Ok, Griffin, now prove me right.

JAXA outta juice already?

Images: JAXA launch, H-2A launch, JAXA 2 launch
Info: H-2A launch vehicle specs, official JAXA site

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, announced earlier this month an ambitious plan to launch astronauts, build a lunar base and explore the solar system.
Today they say their program has almost no funds left with which to operate and is facing a crisis.
With a budget of just $2 billion for research and development, Japan never had much of a program anyway, but in the last few years a stagnant economy has caused cut-backs across the board. JAXA officials did not receive its expected budget increase (to $2.6 billion) and are now faced with a bunch of great ideas and no way of making them happen.
Or do they?

Scrambling for a way to keep their Space dreams alive many scientists there are suggesting Japan work with other Asian nations to develop multi-national projects. It also has the option of developing smaller, perhaps more lucrative projects, and/or components for other countries Space programs.

The idea of China, India and Japan uniting their Space programs independently of the rest of the world is frightening to me: They will leave us in the dust.
Make no mistake, these countries--lacking as they soon will be (and some are) in natural resources, real estate and wealth potential-- have the most to gain from Space exploration.
It is often said necessity is the Mother of Invention. With the specter of overpopulation overshadowing everything else, these nations realize Space doesn't just offer a "great view" it offers the best chance for survival of the species.

USA prevents sale of SpaceShipTwo to Virgin Galactic

Image: Sir Richard Branson, Gallery of shots
Info: Factbites about SpaceShipOne, Virgin Galactic

Rutan hardly gets the words out of his mouth about how disruptive FAA regulations have been to his design team, (Rutan Speaks!) then we hear the mighty US bureaucracy has been preventing Virgin Galactic executives from even LOOKING at the plans for SpaceShipTwo.

Is there some reason our government should be overseeing spaceship design? Their record has been less than stellar (shuttles Challenger and Columbia) so what makes them think they have special insight?
I have made this point before. In fact, you might say I am beating a dead horse. But unless you want SpaceShipTwo delayed until the next millennium you better get busy writing your Congressmen.
I'm not asking for a complete hands-off approach, but don't regulate what you don't understand: design, engineering, aeronautics, (etc. al.)

Supposedly the sale of spaceship technology is a matter of national security and therefore must be regulated. Why, are they afraid other countries might realize Space is open to everyone and therefore negate our achievements so far?


General Lance W. Lord, commander of Air Force Space Command at the National Space Symposium's Corporate Partner Dinner at the Broadmoor Hotel on April 5 received a standing ovation for declaring the United States will soon lose its edge in space technology if it doesn't do a better job of cooperating with all parties involved.

In a story for Air Force News:

"We've been successful because we work on systems developed for other purposes [like GPS] and adapt them to our needs through an innovative and creative spirit," the general said.
"The [acquisition] process is not broken. Get over it," General Lord said. "It's got some flaws, like we need faster cycle times, but it's not broken."
Key to fixing these flaws and avoiding future legal or ethical issues is a joint effort between space Airmen and the space industry, he said.
"We've got to move on and let's take the high ground. Let's work this together," the general said.

Let's recap what we've learned so far:

New Space technology = Happy (and safe) USA
No new Space technology = Not so happy (or safe) USA.

Your choice.

ESA to ISS -- Make room for Daddy

Images: Cassini-Huygens probe, photos from Cassini, Beagle 2 leaving Mars Express Orbiter, failed Beagle 2 lander, Medusa Fossae crater (MEO photo)
Info: Official ESA Mars Express Orbiter site, official ESA Cassini-Huygens site, official NASA Cassini site

(Haven't you bookmarked this site yet? Please do so now. In fact, make it your home page so you never miss a thing. And please support my advertisers. They keep me going, you know.)

Now back to the post...

As I said earlier today, the European Space Agency is pursuing an aggressive Space program. Just this afternoon they announced an ESA astronaut will be a part of the International Space Station Expedition 11 crew.

Also just announced, their plans for the next generation of Mars rover--called an Exo-Rover, it will perform a variety of environmental and astrobiological tests as well as attempt to return a soil sample.

Very aggressive plans for the ESA. Let's hope NASA can keep up.

Who's Next in Space?

Images: Alcantara Launch Pad, ALP: post explosion, VLS rocket
Info: VLS specs, International rocket specs

The European Space Agency, despite any funding plan whatsoever, announced a very aggressive Space exploration program recently, prompting some lawmakers (and all scientists) there to call for immediate funds to be provided.
Almost sounds like a fairy tale, doesn't it? But it's true. Seems Europeans recognize their Space capabilities are severely lacking and fear losing economic gains in the very near future from a lack of launch facilities and commercial programs. Currently they supply science equipment and modules for the International Space Station and operate some long-range probes and satellites, but have never launched an astronaut of their own. That may soon change.
In fact, lots of big changes are afoot across the pond.
But as it turns out, this post isn't about the ESA. It's about that other up-and-coming Space program people should be aware of.
No, not China. Brazil.
A few years ago they stood ready to burst onto the scene with their own manned Space program. Then in 2003 a tragic accident halted their entire program; launch facilities and Spacecraft were destroyed, as were all mission specialists, engineers and Space scientists.
But that's not the end. Although their program was all but erased, Brazil is committed to manned Space flight and insists it will have a renewed Space program by 2006.
Considering the number of active international and domestic Space programs aimed at manned flight by the end of the decade, anyone interested in riding in a rocket should have some way of getting there by then.
Now we need to work on those Warp Drives and Transporters...

Benedict Dead. Stop the Presses.

Veteran Journalist dies
Howard Benedict, 77
Cocoa, Florida

As a journalist he watched the birth of the Space Age. He brought it to us, moment by moment, launch after launch, as we reached for the stars. Lofting humans, men he knew on a first name basis, friends of his, into the unknown frozen darkness of Space. He celebrated our their victories and mourned their deaths. Now we mourn his.
Howard Benedict, 77, an Associated Press reporter for more than 37 years, he covered the Space Race from the word "go." He covered more than 2000 launches and wrote three books about Space and co-wrote "Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America's Race to the Moon" a New York Times bestseller.
It could be argued his greatest achievement was in helping form the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation with the Mercury 7 astronauts. One of the ASF scholars is now a Mars mission manager at NASA. According to their site:

Emily Eelkema, Astronaut Scholar from the University of Minnesota, has recently been promoted to Mission Manager for the Mars Exploration Project. She will be one of three mission managers in charge of running the twin rovers. "The mission manager oversees the daily planning process," says Eelkema. "They also monitor overall spacecraft health." Eelkema has been at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for 5 years. She joined the MER project just before they landed on Mars last year.

Benedict, who is survived by his wife, died at his home Monday. But I am certain his soul is sailing through the stars today.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Portable

Images: Douglas Adams
Info: DouglasAdams.com, Bio, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Yes, it really does exist. It's been around for years, in fact. Almost since the first moment people could "upload" stuff to the Information Superhighway, Adams' devotees started posting online entries in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Now the BBC has created a portable device interface ( "a version of h2g2 specifically designed with smartphones and PDAs in mind so that the Edited Guide can be accessed from anywhere within range of a mobile/cellphone transmitter") which allows you to take this resource with you as you cruise the Galactic Highways.
From the BBC site:

h2g2 was launched in April 1999 as a real-life, online guide to Life, the Universe and Everything. Playing fast and free with the ideas of Douglas Adams (and why not, h2g2 was his idea too), the site enabled a community to come together, share experiences and work towards building a guide that could be as useful and informative as it was entertaining and inspirational. With over 7,000 entries now available in the h2g2 Edited Guide, we felt it was about time we made Douglas' original vision that little bit closer to reality and brought h2g2 into the palm of your hand...

Just another case of Life imitating Art mocking Life.

C. Little reports: Sky is falling on New England

Image: C. Little on location; C. Little gives press conference

Some people wonder, why do we waste money on Space exploration when there are so many things wrong right here on earth. This story is the best reason I can think of.
Considering we are the most technologically advanced civilization ever to exist on the planet, we still act like a bunch of cavemen, howling at the lights in the sky.

The funniest part is how they all called the police. Police? What were the police going to do? Catch the falling stars?

Genesis does not break wind

Images: Genesis spacecraft; How it was supposed to land; How it did land, here and here; Comet Wild2
Info: Build a paper Genesis

Those NASA people are real miracle workers. First, they design a craft to catch Solar Wind--tiny particles discharged by the sun, streaming through and out of our solar system. What exactly they are made of, what their properties are, is still a question.
The Genesis Spacecraft was supposed to provide answers, but after a serious landing failure, it was unknown if the materials returned could be saved, or if they had been contaminated upon impact.
Well, fear not! It appears the samples can be retrieved and will be analyzed; mission success! (Except for the crash landing.)

The big question yet to be answered though is whether the same system failure that struck Genesis will plague Stardust, currently returning from a sampling mission of comet Wild2.

According to Team Stardust at NASA:

The collected particles, stowed in a sample return capsule onboard Stardust, will be returned to Earth for in-depth analysis. That dramatic event will occur on January 15, 2006, when the capsule makes a soft landing at the U.S. Air Force Utah Test and Training Range. The microscopic particle samples of comet and interstellar dust collected by Stardust will be taken to the planetary material curatorial facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, for analysis.

The key words here are SOFT LANDING -- not embedded six feet in the desert floor. Let's hope for NASA, the second time's the charm.

Expedition 10 crew readies for departure: See the undocking LIVE!

Images: Soyuz TMA-5; More Soyuz pics; Sokol spacesuits; Soviet Spacesuits (Historical)


Expedition 10 commander Leroy Chiao, flight engineer Salizhan Sharipov and Italian astronaut Roberto Vittori entered the Soyuz spacecraft at about 11:41 a.m. EDT (1441 GMT) and are expected to land on the steppes of Kazakhstan around 6:08 p.m. EDT (2208 GMT.)

You can watch the live undocking at 2:41 p.m. EDT (1841 GMT) at Space.com

Vittori, a member of the Expedition 11 crew (with commander Sergei Krikalev and flight engineer John Phillips) that arrived at International Space Station on April 16, concluded a week of scientific experiments before strapping himself into the Soyuz for return flight.

The link also has a list of all previous Expedition 10 stories for you to peruse as well as an archive of all stories from the prior nine missions.
Check it out!

Happy Birthday Hubble!

Image: Hubble Wallpaper (cool!)
Info: Best of the Hubble Space Telescope

It was 15 years ago this weekend that the Hubble Space Telescope was blasted into orbit and we were given the ability to see to the edge of the Universe. We take for granted pictures like these because Hubble has been spitting them out by the dozens; scientists will spend years analyzing the data received, gleaning details overlooked due to the sheer volume of information received.
Whether NASA will (or can) save Hubble is yet to be decided, but one thing is certain: Losing our window to the Universe would truly make our world a darker place.

DART engineers say "Ooops"

Image: DART rendezvous (note the look of panic on the face of the other satellite--"Stop!"), Technical schematic (illus. partial)
Info: Official NASA DART site

Apparently the DART (Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology) Spacecraft not only approached to within five meters of its intended target satellite, the Multiple Path Beyond Line of Site Communication (Mublcom) satellite, but it also bumped it into a higher orbit.

From a story on Space.com:

Orbital Sciences President J.R. Thompson, during an April 21 conference call on the company’s first-quarter earnings, told analysts that DART may have hit Mublcom.

“There is some data to suggest that indeed it got a lot closer [than 100 meters], and perhaps even touched the target,” Thompson said. “All other DART systems performed as expected.”

Thankfully neither craft was damaged and DART remains in an orbit that will allow it to safely burn-up on re-entry.

Whales in Space

Image: Voyager probe, Gold record
Info: Hear whale songs

Am I the only person a little concerned by this? What if an alien species hears the sounds, interprets them as profanity and heads this way to "wash our mouths out with soap" (so to speak?) Or gets angry because the whooping sound interferes with their cable reception?

Of course that's a best case scenario.

Worst case scenario: Nothing happens and flat-earthers see it as more "proof" aliens don't exist.

Space Tourism: Are You Ready?

Two more tourists are scheduled to make trips to the International Space Station this year. According to the story on Space-Travel.com the Russians are miles ahead of us when it comes to putting average people in Space (average except for their bank accounts.):


Anatoly Perminov, head of Roskosmos, the Russian space agency, told the ITAR-TASS news agency Roskosmos is developing projects to send two tourists - one from Japan and the other from a second country - into orbit separately next year and the year after.
He said the countries partnering in the ISS - Brazil, Canada, Japan, Russia, the United States and 11 countries of the European Union - must consent to the visits, however. Nevertheless, Roskosmos "fully supports space tourism," Perminov stressed.

It frightens me to think they are requesting USA approval of the visits however. We have already heard several people in the commercial Space industry testify before the House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, that current regulations inhibit not only the commercialization of the Space but also the research that needs to be done to make it happen.

It makes me sick to think the same people who can't balance our budget, provide affordable health care or create an energy bill that offers anything except coal, natural gas, petroleum and nuclear power alternatives, are now going to decide what degree of safety is acceptable for civilian Space travel.
Of course, I'm probably beating a dead horse, aren't I?

Rutan Speaks!

Images: Burt Rutan, SpaceShipOne and White Knight
Info: Scaled Composites, H.A.L.O.

When the people who just shot a guy into Space faster, cheaper and better than anyone's ever done it before tells you a governmental entity almost ended their project before it began, you better pay attention.
According to a story on Space.com:


“The airline experience has shown us that it is not just technology that provides safety but the maturity that comes from a high-level of flight activity,” Rutan said.
However, Rutan criticized the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and its office of the Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation (AST), saying “the AST process, focusing only on the non-involved public, just about ruined my program.”

Read the entire story here.

It's ridiculous to think an administrator would know more about flight safety than the engineers who built the craft.
In fact, only an administrator would think that.

Countdown to X-Prize: Redux

In preparation for next years X-Prize competition, where actual space launches will be demonstrated, this years X-Prize event will offer flight demonstrations and previews of future Spacecraft. But don't get your hopes up about seeing SpaceShipTwo from Scaled Composites.
According to a story on SpaceDaily.com:


It will take at least a year to prepare for actual launches, so as a debut program, organizers at the X Prize Foundation are putting together a five-day event called "Countdown to the X Prize Cup," to be held in Los Cruces, N.M., from Oct. 4-9.
"We're not going to launch anything in 2005," X Prize Foundation spokesman Ian Murphy told UPI's Space Race 2, "but there will be flight demonstrations."
Exactly which, if any, X Prize contenders plan to participate is not yet known, but a spokeswoman with Rutan's firm, Scaled Composites in Mojave, Calif., told Space Race 2 they were planning to take a pass.
Read the entire story here.

It still sounds like a real blast, with or without Rutan and his Amazing Machine. Five days of Space talk, examples of future Spacecraft designs and orbital station plans; expect everything but the kitchen sink from International Space Station; if it's Space related I anticipate it will be on display this October.
Who knows, in a couple years NASA mission specialists may have to sell their homes and move to Los Cruces if they intend to stay in the Space Industry.

Commercialization of Space: A step in the right direction

Spacehab is one of the few companies out there making any real money in the Space business. They employ a lot of people and will soon employ even more. They are now allowed to develop pieces of equipment which may be attached to the International Space Station.
This is significant in that it marks the first time these items, essentially storage compartments, will be manufactured by a private company for multiple uses.
Any Space work is good Space work.

Shuttle poised for launch: Expect delays

Image: ISS, Servicing ISS, ISS Group Shots

NASA administrators won't be pleased to hear someone was leaking information to the media (gasp!) but it can't be helped. People want to know if the launch is a "go" or a "no-go." As it turns out, it's most likely a "go" about a week later than they previously anticipated.
What puzzles me is this: What kind of incomplete paperwork could delay a Space Shuttle launch?
Did somebody forget to read the instructions?

Republicans in Space

Images:
Boeing Space Exploration Systems w/pics

Info:
Crew Exploration Vehicle

From a story at Space.com:


Sen. Kay Hutchison (R-Texas), subcommittee chair, said that NASA must work to avoid being caught without the ability to launch its own human missions to the ISS and low-Earth orbit.
"I think that we cannot allow that kind of hiatus right now," Hutchison said to a panel of NASA program managers, astronauts and scientists. "I think of it as a national security threat to our country and I intend to pursue everything I can to look at ways to shorten that time period."
(Read the complete story here.)

At first glance it might seem odd that a Republican would be leading the call for more NASA funding and an increase in Space readiness. However it's important to remember, Ronald Reagan was the one who thought we needed a Strategic Defense Initiative (nicknamed, Star Wars) and a permanent human presence in Space. Hence, the International Space Station.

So, I guess I have to take the bad (religious conservatism, tax breaks for the rich and constant warfare) with the good (Space exploration!)
If you can't beat them, join them.

Apathy about E.T.: Who cares?

Image: Mars, Martian Soil, Mars' moon Phobos, Mars gallery , Kid Rock mugshot collection

As you may have read on a recent post, scientists have confirmed (short of actually delivering a specimen to earth) the existence of some form of life on Mars. Microbial most likely but life nonetheless.
Of course in some parts of the world (maybe just Nashville, Tenn.) this news was eclipsed by the fact Kid Rock got in a drunken brawl and was arrested.
Having been a news reporter for many years I can attest to the fact editors must choose the news they think will sell papers.
Ergo, the problem lies not in the fact they are choosing insipid stories about ridiculously overpaid celebrities, but that we continue to consume them.
Perhaps when we stop shrugging our shoulders at such stupidity and start demanding a higher class of news, we will finally get what everyone keeps shouting for: a responsible Media.
Responsible for helping consumers improve their lives, not just marvel at the lives of everyone else.

100 years of Einstein

Image: Einstein w/tongue, Einstein the clerk, Einstein the sailor, Einstein the man
Info: Einstein bio and chronology, Albert Einstein Online

April 19, 2005 at CNN.com:


Around the world, universities and academies are celebrating the 100th anniversary of Einstein's "miracle year" when he published five scientific papers in 1905 that fundamentally changed our grasp of space, time, light and matter. Only he could top himself about a decade later with his theory of general relativity.

Read the entire story here.

All day I have been wracking my brain, trying to come up with just the right words to describe the greatest mind, the father of modern-day physics, when suddenly it hits me:
His brain was so BIG he didn't get the little things, like basic math, so it seems reasonable to assume, were he still alive today Einstein would surely be UNABLE to program his VCR, complete his taxes or count back change as well as the kid at the Burger King drive-thru.

I guess that means it's OK if I let the man's own accomplishments speak for themselves. I'll just provide the links.

Overdue Honors for Apollo13 engineers

Image: Crew of Apollo 13; Apollo13 control room; liftoff
Info: Mission details w/links

We all know the story or have seen the movie:
Intended as the third lunar landing and exploration mission, Apollo 13 instead became famous for the actions of mission control scientists. With their quick thinking and ability to devise a rescue mission with bits of plastic bag, duct tape and cardboard scattered around the hobbled spacecraft, these engineers helped the astronauts avoid a fate more gruesome than death: being left adrift in space with no hope of ever setting foot on earth again.
Today those same engineers were honored for their heroic work at NASA's Johnson Space Center.
Sunday marked the 35th anniversary of the return to earth of the crew of Apollo 13. It seems only fitting we finally honor the men who made that return possible.

Mars is alive!

Images: Viking missions
Info: NASA Viking info site

About 30 years before we began finding extrasolar planets every other day, and two robotic "scientists" started crawling across the Martian surface in search of life, two small, rather simple Landers proved quite convincingly that microbial life is present on Mars. Called the "labeled release" experiment, both Viking Landers (in 1975 and 1976) used a Carbon-14 catalyst to detect whether microbial life was present in the soil. Two separate Landers, two separate experiments and both showed positive results.
Gilbert Levin, former Viking scientist and now chief executive officer for Spherix in Beltsville, Maryland designed the labeled release experiment and has been crowing for years about the "discovery of life on Mars."
Unfortunately, scientists are a fickle lot and many discounted the results as a fluke and have been anxiously waiting for some "other" proof of life on the red planet.
Here it is.
What we are looking for is methane. Usually expelled by microbial life there is an abundance in the atmosphere of Mars in patches around the equator. It's theorized the microbes, acting as a giant organism, are "breathing" or expelling mass quantities of the stuff into the atmosphere.
Granted this is microbial life; we won't be catching a ride in their spaceship any time soon, but life is life and extraterrestrial life is even better.

The European Space Agency also found evidence of life on the planet, but it wasn't until multiple experiments yielded multiple positives that scientists started to get excited.

There is a theory the belches of methane are caused by geothermal reactions beneath the surface, but no matter. The facts now cannot be disputed: There is ice on Mars and there is methane on Mars; microbes on earth are found in abundance any place we have a source of water (frozen or not) and residual amounts of methane.

I said it before, so allow me to repeat myself and add a bit: The search for life in the Universe began right here on Earth, but it will continue on into infinity.

Opportunity busted, but still going!

It seems Opportunity has a busted right front wheel motor, but it's still moving and collecting data. Some preliminary investigating by mission scientists shows some movement in the wheel, and a complete analysis is underway. Not to worry though: Spirit and Opportunity are capable of driving with multiple motors disabled. These things are tough and have already outperformed the most optimistic estimates by mission scientists prior to launch.
In fact, were both rovers to spontaneously combust this instant, the mission would still be classified as an unmitigated success.
Want to see some cool panoramic pictures from Mars? Click here.

Finding Earth 2: Distance-imaging technology

Image: Extra-solar planet
Info: Wikipedia definition of 'extra-solar planet'; current search programs

The search for life on other planets actually begins here on Earth: Our world is teeming with life, and therefore likely represents the kind of place to find extraterrestrial life similar to ours.
The problem at first was whether planets existed outside our solar system. Now that question has been answered and it's time to start searching for smaller, more temperate, earth-like planets, that could harbor forms of life perhaps not too different than our own. Things we can interact with, not amorphous bacteria or wisps of microbial life, but walking, squawking, perhaps even talking, things that will inspire us to visit.

(Enlightened people already know life exists in a myriad of forms in the Universe. We don't have to see it to know it's there--like our belief in God.)

Anyway, NASA's Kepler mission seeks to pull back the veneer of Space and reveal a small portion of what lies beneath. Scientists estimate the orbiting telescope could discover more than 600 Earth-sized planets in its four-year mission, but that's only the beginning. Kepler is merely searching for planets the right size, distance from their sun and composition (rocky surface, evidence of water) to support life. Once that's accomplished, NASA intends to launch the Terrestrial Planet Finder in 2010. That's when the fun really begins as scientist sift through the data, analyzing atmospheric composition and levels of ozone, methane, carbon dioxide and water vapor, to determine which planets are harboring life. Life!
Eventually astronomers hope to actually view continents and surface features (or structures) on these planets, but so far, that's just talk.

Not all of the searches are designed to look for life, however. We all know of the SETI project, and their program to listen for sounds of life. But some scientists believe if you really want to find an alien species, just open your eyes. Light flashes from alien species should twinkle like Christmas lights, but so far, no sign of them.
It seems a long shot, but as far as The Space Ace is concerned, all attempts at proving once and for all that we are not alone, are welcomed.

DART: Not so smart

Image: Apollo program slideshow (click the play button to begin)
Info: DART mission log

It appears DART ran out fuel before completing the most important parts of its mission. Granted, researchers did rely on the highest degree of autonomy: They were unable to communicate with the satellite to take any corrective measures.
Scientists confirmed today it will move to a higher, safer orbit today and that it poses no danger.
The craft did get within 300 feet of its intended target, but was consuming too much fuel doing so. It is unknown if there was a fuel leak.
Unfortunately, yet again we have a case of trying to do too much. If scientists had allowed for some control of the craft would the entire $110 mission have still been a bust? Doubtful. Granted they will; recover some telemetry and have some residual data to review, but that doesn't change the fact the mission failed and the will have to do it again.
Bear in mind, this is an attempt by NASA to do what Russia has been doing for 40 years.
It would only seem logical to use what we know and add a few things we are still experimenting with rather go for the Brass Ring in one shot.
As my mother used to tell me, don't put all your eggs in one basket unless you want them scrambled.
Congratulations NASA, you have proved my mother right.


P.S.--The Space Ace has not forgotten the post on distance-imaging technology. He's just a little behind...

Space Debris: It's a dump in LEO!

What is the problem with human beings? They seem predisposed to dumping their garbage any place. Even dogs refuse to soil where they eat, but not us.
The problem with all the junk in LEO (Low Earth Orbit) is that it represents an inherent flaw in our species: we're not good at looking at the BIG picture. We don't consider the consequences of our actions.
Kinda like the "global warming" question. It's not a question at all, but a sobering fact.

"As the number of objects in Earth orbit increases, the likelihood of accidental collisions will also increase. Currently, hundreds of close approaches between cataloged objects occur on a daily basis. If future spacecraft and rocket bodies are not removed from LEO within a moderate amount of time after the end of mission, e.g., within 25 years, the rate of accidental collisions will increase markedly later in this century." Orbital Debris Quarterly News

That story on the latest distance-imaging technology is still coming. I'll have it posted in a little later today.
Also, I've fixed the e-mail link, so all of you who have been madly trying to e-mail me can do so now. (This means you!)
Send in your questions, if you have any. I'd love to hear from you!

Mission DART: Better late than never

Image: DART (cgi of the mission)
Info: Russian Space "firsts", Soyuz/Progress spec's, DART site

DART, short for Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology, is launching as I write this. (Keep up as it happens at Space.com) In theory it will travel to another satellite and maneuver around it a few times without any assistance from ground control.
This marks the first time NASA will operate an autonomous docking craft. The Russians have been doing it successfully since 1967. In fact automated Soyuz spacecraft, called Progress spacecraft, have been the real backbone of the International Space Station. Don't believe me? Read what NASA has to say about it here.
Both Soyuz and Progress have a pretty darn good service record. Especially when you consider nobody else is flying anything quite like either of them. (Except for Shenzhou.) Remember, the Progress is an automated spacecraft. It flies up to ISS, drops off cargo and comes back down quite regularly. No fan-fair or parades, just regular work.
That's the type of Space business that will eventually yield profits. Reliable deliveries of whatever you are sending.
NASA has been slow to learn this, relying instead on fully manned craft as a way of spurring public interest in the program, when they should have been worrying about designing the simplest, safest, most reliable spaceships.
Whatever. Next week NASA’s new administrator, Mike Griffin, can add "try to keep up with the Russians" to his list of things to do. This week, let's hope they finally add an automated spacecraft to America's space fleet.

Mike Griffin and Moon Bases

So, looks like the hydra grew a new head: NASA’s new administrator, Mike Griffin, has yet to be sworn in, but is already hard at work rallying the troops.
Sean O’Keefe, who led NASA for years before stepping down in February to become chancellor of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, was a decent enough guy, but he really lacked vision. And vision is an integral part of any exploration program.

Griffin says he has a good idea of what direction to go and how fast NASA needs to get there. With the support of Congress and the Bush Administration, it seems a good bet he'll have what he needs to get the job done.
And it's not a moment too soon.
I was not kidding when I said we were on the verge of a revolution in Space travel. It's not just Americans with their eyes on the celestial bodies: China, Japan, European Union, and India are funding their own programs and quickly racking successes.
Let's hope Griffin hits the ground running and makes good on his "big talk."

Personally, I believe the proof will be in the pudding; he claims he might be able to mount a mission to save Hubble for less than previously estimated. Is it just talk? Time will tell. And it's running out: Hubble will be finished by 2007.
In less time than that we'll know if Griffin has "the right stuff"; over the next few months the whole world will see whether he can lead NASA and America into a brave new future, or let us fall behind in the Space Race that we thought we had already won.

So Long, Enterprise. It seems we hardly knew you.

Images: Enterprise crew wallpaper, Enterprise ship photos and links,
Information: Save Enterprise, general Trek info, official Trek site

After almost two decades, the television landscape will soon be devoid of any prime time saga set in the "Star Trek" universe.
In their infinite wisdom, Paramount executives have mercifully cancelled the long ailing "Star Trek: Enterprise" after just four seasons.
Four seasons of mostly crap.
It's no wonder people weren't watching. Rather than flesh out the already existing fictional "Star Trek" universe, producers felt inclined to take a different path. There was very little mention of things that we had "learned" about the fictional universe from previous shows; suddenly we were dealing with a whole new set of "facts".
It may sound stupid, but when you devote time (say, four decades) to watching a story unfold, you don't anticipate scrapping all that information for the sake of new marketing opportunities.
That would be like someone going back in time to General Hospital, circa 1982, only there's no Luke and Laura or Rick and Monica; it's new characters we never heard of before despite the thousands of episodes we faithfully watched.

The only reason any of this should matter to you is simple: Whether we like it or not, Gene Roddenberry's "Star Trek" universe has forever altered our world. It is pervasive in American society, driving our future.
Scientists working today at NASA grew up following the "voyages" of James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock; those working at Scaled Composites were probably weaned on "Star Trek: The Next Generation"; Gen. X'ers like myself developed a loyalty to those oddball Trek titles "Deep Space 9" and "Voyager."
That's why Sir Richard Branson plans to name his new space craft "VSS Enterprise" and "VSS Voyager."
Do you get it yet?

Not to mention the fact "Star Trek" created incredibly diverse and often inspiring female characters. Who can forget the piercing gaze of Seven of Nine? And what of the latest intelligent, beautiful and commanding character, T'Pol. Capt. Kathryn Janeway was the first female captain with a major recurring role and the term Orion Slave Girl is now a permanent part of our lexicon.
There were plenty of male characters, of course: Kirk, Spock, Picard, Riker and even Archer. Each had his moment of truth and each succeeded in doing what mere mortals somehow could never achieve.

So do not despair that "Star Trek: Enterprise" will soon be gone. It will take more than a few network executives to stop the juggernaut that is "Star Trek."
It doesn't belong to them anymore. It belongs to us now, a part of the fabric of our folk history, and we will carry it with us in our hearts and in our minds as we journey to the stars for real.

Chinese Space program: Inside Shenzhou

Images: Shenzhou V (CGI series)
Information: Complete history of Shenzhou program, including photos, spec's and links


The Chinese Project 921-1 Spacecraft was personally named ‘Shenzhou’ by Chinese President Jiang Zemin. The name Shenzhou has been variously translated as "Vessel of the Gods", "Divine Craft" and "Divine Mechanism."
And Shenzhou truly is a Divine Mechanism. Designed by scientists to emulate the best functions of the Soyuz program (In fact, it is theorized the Russians sold them a stripped-down Soyuz craft to reverse engineer) only larger and built using newer, stronger materials, it is another example of combining the best of what we have known for some time with the best of what we have just learned.
The Chinese are still new at this and not as open as the Russians and Americans about their project, but they have made some bold claims. Like the intention to build an orbiting laboratory of their own and eventually even a Lunar base.
No one doubts the technical ability of Chinese scientists to accomplish their goals. Obviously the people who invented the rocket would have no problem reaching the Moon.
It was just a matter of time.

Russian Kliper is Go!

Images: Kliper de-orbit (illus.), Kliper w/chutes deployed(illus.), Kliper photo set (excellent!)
Info: Russian Space program timeline (short) (longer)

Promising "The Kliper spacecraft can fly to the Moon and farther" Anatoly Perminov, head of the Russian space agency Roskosmos, told Itar-Tass reporters the new ship will replace the "outdated" Soyuz and the U.S. Space Shuttle fleet. (SpaceDaily.com had the story, click my post title to go to it.)

The Russians have been promising the Kliper for some time now. In June they will debut a full size mock-up at the French international aerospace show at Le Bourget. They say the new ship incorporates all the positives gleaned by researchers on both sides of the Atlantic and avoids costly expenses. For instance, using parachute recovery rather than a high-stress "landing."

Sure, there are plenty of people questioning the design, but most are basing their opinion soley on the word "shuttle." This is a completely new spacecraft. The similarities between it and Discovery, for instance, end at the word "shuttle."
Sure, they look alike. But appearances can be deceiving. This craft has an autonomous flight system and capability for long distance or orbital flights.

One of the things I especially like about this program is that just about everything is open for review. Check out their main site. They pretty much lay their cards on the table and say, "read 'em and weep."
The fact is, it took them longer and they experienced more failures (maybe) but ultimately, they have built a better space "shuttle."
(SpaceShipOne is still miles ahead of both because of its "carefree re-entry" but that's another post.)
Another thing I like about the Kliper is its ability to create a bridge between communities. It took the best and brightest of four countries, utilizing their individual strengths for a common goal, to make this new Spaceship happen.
Which proves once again the emptiness of Space can bring us together.

Super Volcano: Discovery Channel tonight!

Today's Images: Volcano on Io and plume from Io volcano

Today's Term: Hybrid Rockets

Last week I mentioned the supervolcano lurking beneath Yellowstone (Link). Tonight Discovery Channel is premiering a special which promises to show us "what could happen when Yellowstone erupts."

If you like scary movies I suggest you tune in. Nothing is quite as scary as a mass extinction event, especially when we're the ones who could go extinct. No funny business here, just actual scientists trying to explain just how big this thing could be when it blows and what would happen to the world if it did.
Check it out.

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is hoping for success with its latest plan to lower launch costs and increase launch capabilities. (The U.S. Air Force is co-sponsoring the research.) Flush with success after 2004's Grand Challenge, the agencies hope to spur development of low cost rocket hardware.
At stake, defense department contracts worth billions. What DARPA hopes to get is an autonomous rocket capable of putting a 1,000 pound satellite in orbit more than 100 miles up in less than 24 hours. They also need to do it for $5 million or less.
Several companies are already hard at work. According to the Space-travel.com story, one company, SpaceX, already has a bit of a head start:

"DARPA will be able to choose among a broad array of technologies and systems. SpaceX is building a two-stage, liquid-fueled reusable booster that also is the model for the firm's larger Falcon 5 launcher. Company president Elon Musk -- creator of the highly successful Internet business PayPal and other ventures -- plans to use his rockets eventually to launch people into space. In working on the DARPA contract, Musk will attempt to undercut his own already under-market $6 million launch fee."

I wrote about Musk last week too. It's here.

Crunch time for NASA

Image(s) of the Day: Pluto or Pluto and Charon
Term of the Day: Kuiper Belt and Astronomical Unit


NASA administrators, working under the latest presidential directive to broaden exploration efforts in our Solar System, are trying to determine the best course of action.
At stake are missions to several interesting Jovian moons; Scientists theorize Europa and Io are hiding environments that support some form of life, albeit most likely microbial, but we'll never know if we don't go.
Also under consideration are missions to the "outer planets", resting comfortably in the Kuiper Belt. Scientists disagree whether these celestial bodies are actually planets, or just big chunks of rock and ice bound together by gravity and locked into a wide orbit around the Sun. There is very little light that far out and very little hope any of these bodies harbor life. But they might hold much more.
Hidden in the Kuiper Belt could be a giant chunk of water ice, a planet of Dark Matter, or possibly something we haven't even thought of yet.
That's the best part about exploration: Christopher Columbus was stoked not to sail off the edge of the world, but he was even more excited at the sight of a new land mass. (Not that we should follow in the footsteps of an explorer who's actions led to the decimation of an entire culture within his lifetime, but you get the point.)
Our Solar System is a big place, full of wonders we have yet to imagine. Let's hope the findings of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board are seriously considered, so we can first figure out what mission we want to do, and then successfully accomplish that mission in the most cost effective and productive way.

How do you like them apples?

Ok, so now that most of you have tuned out, I finally get the format down the way I want it. (Check out today's post.)

Every day expect this:

An Image or Word or Spacecraft "of the day" relating to the day's top story--which will come with no more than seven links. Tune in and get a jolt of knowledge, or stay for the full story. It's up to you. But either way it shouldn't take longer than a few minutes to learn something fun about Space. Who knows, you might end up using that knowledge to impress your friends, teachers, co-workers, parents, maybe even your boss. It's hard to tell who's a Space nut like me.

I have an e-mail link now and as always, am soliciting comments. If you can read this then you have time to leave me a comment. So get busy. I love questions: Fire away!
Or lament how all the other blogs are created by good writers and people who know how to write HTML.
Go ahead...I dare you

It's back! Shuttle Discovery

Image of the Day: The Space Shuttle
Complete Return to Flight Special Report by Space.com


The stories have all been written. Here's one from SpaceDaily.com concerning Discovery's last minute preparations for launch.
According to the story:
"Everybody at the US space agency, including the astronauts, understand that there are no risk-free shuttle missions, but nonetheless firmly believe that the only way to improve its performance is to send it back up into orbit." SpaceDaily.com

If you are wondering about precautions the story says:
"The insulation foam around the fuel tank has been completely modified to reduce the size of any piece that might tear away during liftoff. NASA believes there should be no damage from loose insulation, but just in case has trained astronauts to inspect and repair the shuttle in orbit." SpaceDaily.com

Space.com ran a similar story today. Here

It had a little more about updated safety features:
"Engineers have redesigned portions of shuttle external fuel tanks to prevent the type of foam shedding that doomed Columbia. An emergency plan to house the crew aboard the International Space Station has been sketched out in the off chance Discovery suffers critical damage during the mission." Space.com

Mission scientists also seem much more optimistic about the chances of conducting in-orbit repairs:
"Meanwhile, Noguchi and Robinson will test two methods of repairing the tiles and reinforced carbon carbon (RCC) panels that protect orbiters from the searing heat of reentry as part of their first spacewalk. A third repair technique to plug small holes in RCC panels will be demonstrated inside Discovery, while the two men wear spacesuit gloves." Space.com

The fact is, no repair system is perfect, no mission absolutely safe. The shuttle has always been an accident waiting to happen. The wait is over. The best we can hope for now is a system of stop-gap measures--review of launch images for possible damage and in-orbit inspections conducted with remote cameras--to avoid a complete loss. An emergency layover at International Space Station has also been approved.
We done what we can. Those of us not actively working on the project have done our share of fretting and praying and worrying. All that's left to do is wait.
It's not our call anyway. The crew says they are eager to get back to business.
It seems you can't keep a good group of astronauts down.
That's the way I like it.

ISS: Mission survival

Super volcano. It's real, no Hollywood fantasy I'm afraid. It would end life as we know it and set the human race back a thousand years. If we survived at all. And the one in Yellowstone National Park is about 20,000 years overdue.

It makes the money, time and countless human resources spent on the International Space Station seem a pittance in comparison to what's at stake. Perhaps our survival, or our childrens or our grandchildrens.
Skylab led the way; Someday soon we will stand on another world again, securing a back-up home, if you will, as a precaution against earthquakes, tsunamis and asteroids. And these stations are making that future possible.

Read the inspiring words of the next ISS crew; See the images that will leave you speechless.

We've lost too many astronauts in the shuttle to send up anymore, but we have no choice. It is the workhorse for the ISS. The latest ship rolled onto the launch pad this week as the crew furiously prepped itself for duty.
A duty the entire planet will no doubt one day be very grateful for.

The smell of money

Success!
Another private rocket company, this one headed by another Dot-Com billionaire, is on the verge of starting a full time launch schedule. Link

Elon Musk hardly qualifies as a novice, however. This is the guy who brought us Pay Pal after all. He wasn't the first to get started in the rocket business, but he does have a good business plan and the technical savvy to get it accomplished. He's aiming for profitability; he's not trying to land anything on the Moon (yet.) He's just filling a niche is a quickly widening market. Link

The man definitely has a plan, and with a bulk of his fortune resting in the balance you can be assured of his most likely success. I say that only because when it comes to Space, take nothing for granted.
I came across an excellent interview with Musk at Hobbyspace.com
The Space Ace says, Check it Out!Link

And another thing...

It's a pretty good bet Alan Binder, Ph.D, the scientist responsible for the Lunar Prospector mission, won't be at Tuesday's Space Symposium either. He recently published a book highly critical of the "business as usual" stance of NASA administrators.
Here's a little story about that:

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/lunar-05p.html

Do you remember that mission? It was pretty exciting actually.
Here's a run down of its highlights:

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/missions/lunar_prospector_000614.html


There's also an institute set-up to continue sifting through the data collected from the mission. You can visit it here:

http://www.lunar-research-institute.org/

If you are concerned about the future of space flight and exploration, as managed by NASA administrators, you should check this out. Read the guy's book. You can find it here:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1928771319/qid=1112629289/sr=2-1/103-8694666-0696618?v=glance&s=books

What Binder is trying to show is that space missions, of any kind, have too long been left to the mysterious and secretive realm of NASA bureaucrats. He proves that private projects, free of the endless debate that often follows government sponsored space missions, can be much more cost effective. He throws around a number: He states he reduced the mission costs by a factor of 10. That means if it cost NASA $10 million, he could do it for $1 million.
Those of you with some business acumen know that's quite a feat.
It's too bad however, that instead of embracing this change, NASA resisted it and still resists it.
It reminds me of that old saying:
If you continue to do the same thing over and over again, you will continue to get what you have always gotten.
Business as usual.

Big Space Symposium: Who Cares?

More than 6,000 space professionals are expected to attend the 21st National Space Symposium which kicks off Tuesday in Colorado Springs. I wish I had received an invitation but alas, the best I can do is pick apart the news stories filed by the people who will be there.
Here's one from Space.com:

http://www.space.com/spacenews/businessmonday_050404.html

It tells very little about what they hope to accomplish at this symposium. Or even what may have been accomplished at the previous 20 symposiums. I'm sure someone could rattle off a list of things "discussed without end" but what sort of actual, concrete ANYTHING, ever came out of one these soirees?
The Space.com story does include this little nugget:

"The four-day event will feature panel discussions of a number of hot topics in the space business including the future of private spaceflight and the role entrepreneurs will play in that development, the latest in satellite technology, new requirements, new concepts, and new directions for the launch industry, the implications of the bush Administration’s plans for reform of the intelligence community, remotes sensing, Earth observation and geo intelligence uses of space data; corporate issues, and launch activity in the Pacific Ocean region."


If you want more detailed info check out the official Web site for the symposium here:

http://www.spacesymposium.org/national05/information/index.cfm

I think this story may be a little more enlightening. It's from the media (That's me) section of the main site:
http://spacesymposium.org/national05/media/

Even after reading all of these stories and scanning all of these sites I am still no closer to understanding what it is they plan to do at this symposium other than talk.
Not that I am against a good old-fashioned "rap session" about Space as an exchange of information. It's just this thing seems more like a mini-vacation disguised as real work.
Of course the Media (that's me again) is to blame. It's nice that they let us know what's going on and who's going to be there, but how about a little more about what gets accomplished or at least, what they HOPE to get accomplished.
It is interesting to note, I didn't see one single name from Scaled Composites; No Rutan, no Binnie, no Melville.
Hhhhmmmm. I might be wrong, but it seems I recall these guys doing something groundbreaking recently...I just can't seem to remember what it was..
http://www.space.com/astronotes/astronotes_oct17_oct30_04.html

Oh yeah. That was it. I can't believe they have nothing to contribute. Can you?

Sir Richard throws down

Branson has thrown the gauntlet down, stating Virgin Galactic will launch its first passengers in just 30 months!
You can read about it here:
http://www.space-travel.com/news/tourism-05l.html

and here:

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/tourism-05l.html

If you don't know what Virgin Galactic is, check out their Web site here:

http://www.virgingalactic.com/

Branson intends to use a redesigned Spaceship One which will carry seven passengers. I believe that's five paying customers and two pilots, but I'm not sure. Unfortunately both the preceding stories were very light on design specifics. And don't count on the people at Scaled Composites to be forthcoming either. Their site is empty of information about upcoming ship designs. It's more of a montage of info about Spaceship One's successful shot at the X-Prize (http://www.xprize.org/home.php.)

You would think these guys would be desperate for attention of any kind. (I would be dragging my ship down main street of every town in America--but what do I know?)
Those Scaled Composites people are a fickle group, but they're also the best damn bunch of space scientists since von Braun gathered his "wild bunch" in the '50-s.
(ttp://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/academy/history/VonBraun/SpaceAge.html)

Not everybody in the rocket business takes themselves so seriously. Some of us still have a sense of humor.
Like this guy:

http://www.rocketguy.com/

Despite his rather quirky site, it seems he might be tomorrow's space tycoon:

http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/brian_walker_031029.html

I guess only time will tell. And I can hardly wait.

What a waste

NASA scientists are undaunted in their decision to scrap the Hubble Space Telescope. It's a foregone conclusion now. Read this story from Space.com:
http://www.space.com/news/050331_hubble_deorbit_plan.html

This decision comes despite protests from just about everyone who ever heard of Hubble.
Not surprisingly, Congress decided to try its hand at "Rocket-Science" and attempt its own rescue. To no avail:
http://www.space.com/news/hoyer_hubble_050330.html

I understand the need to reduce expenses; There are exorbitant costs that come with a repair mission to Hubble. That's money that could be better spent on something else. But what about the emotion? What about the feelings of exploration and research Hubble roused in ALL of us?
It wasn't just a handful of American scientists shut-away in some concrete bunker somewhere who were inspired but the images, but everyone who saw the Horsehead Nebula, the Cartwheel Galaxy and its Deep Field Mosaic felt the same sense of wonder. Perhaps, when we view the very beginnings of the Universe we are seeing the fingerprints of God. Who knows? But it sure looks awesome!
Here's a link to an index of great Hubble pictures:
http://www.seds.org/hst/hst.html
You should check it out. The things we have seen with that "obsolete" piece of hardware floating around the planet is enough to bring a tear to the eye of even the most fervently anti-space-exploration conservative doo-doo head around.

Let the countdown begin..in reverse

Like all writers, it kills me not to know who is reading my stuff and what, if anything, they think about it.
So, I've added a counter and I'm soliciting comments.
Duh.
This is only the beginning folks. Soon, I'll figure out how to add photos to this damn thing, so look out!
Words AND pictures...then we'll be cooking with gas!

No fooling!

Check out the awesome new photo of an extra-solar planet!
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/050401_first_extrasolarplanet_pic.html

Granted it's orbit and size are far greater than ours, it's still a fantastic discovery! Astronomers are getting closer and closer to their ultimate goal of imaging an earth-like planet. Scientists around the world agree the technology is soon coming that will enable us to view the surface of planets light-years away. Even map continents and identify specific surface features as small as 1-mile across!
This is not a joke.

Hubble Space Telescope (http://hubblesite.org/)has given us some great images over the years, it's a shame to see it on the verge of destruction. But new, much more powerful telescopes are nearing completion that promise to bring us even better pictures. A Moon-based telescope is also on the horizon: http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/lunar_caps_011212-1.html

Here's the latest NASA telescope: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/

For everything on space telescopes try this: http://www.spacetelescopes.com/

If we can't GET there at least we can look at where we are going!