August 2005 Space News

Vandenberg launches Minuteman III AFPN 29 Aug 2005 -- An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launched from here Aug. 26 as part of a developmental test demonstrating the ability to integrate a safety enhanced re-entry vehicle into the existing Minuteman III weapons system.
Satellites Watching for Nuclear Tests VOA News 25 Aug 2005 -- For the past eight years, a U.S. satellite called Forte has been traveling over the Earth, searching for covert nuclear test explosions.
Space Shuttle Discovery stops at Altus, Barksdale AFPN 23 Aug 2005 -- Thousands of onlookers defied the summer heat to watch Space Shuttle Discovery arrive at two Air Force bases Aug 19. Altus Air Force Base, Okla., was the first of two stops for NASA's shuttle ferry, a Boeing 747 that carried the space shuttle on its back from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
NASA Targets March 2006 for Next Space Shuttle Mission Washington File 19 Aug 2005 -- NASA is targeting March 2006 for the next space shuttle mission (STS-121) while it investigates the loss of insulating foam from the space shuttle Discovery’s external tank during its July 26 launch.
Return-to-Flight Task Group Issues Final Report Washington File 19 Aug 2005 -- On August 17, the Stafford-Covey Return-to-Flight Task Group – co-chaired by retired Air Force Lieutenant General Thomas Stafford and retired Air Force Colonel Richard Covey – issued its final report.
U.S.: NASA Postpones Next Shuttle Mission Amid Criticism RFE/RL 19 Aug 2005 -- A NASA advisory panel reported on 17 August that the U.S. space agency has improved the safety of the space shuttle fleet.
Russia to remain leading space power - head of Roscosmos RIA Novosti 19 Aug 2005 -- The main goal of the Federal Space Program for 2006-2015 is to retain Russia's status as a leading space power, head of the Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos) Anatoly Perminov said in an interview with the Military-Industrial Courier weekly.
Russia unveils new earth remote sensing system RIA Novosti 19 Aug 2005 -- Earth remote sensing (ERS) systems are widely used throughout the world, as the data obtained has many useful social and economic applications.
European Space Agency disappointed with U.S. shuttle flight rescheduling RIA Novosti 19 Aug 2005 -- The European Space Agency (ESA) has expressed its disappointment over the rescheduling of the next U.S. space shuttle flight to March of 2006.
Next shuttle launch planned for spring 2006 - Russian expert RIA Novosti 18 Aug 2005 -- The next space shuttle launch will take place no earlier than spring 2006, a Russian Space Agency expert told a news conference Thursday.
Russia plans Moon exploration RIA Novosti 18 Aug 2005 -- Russia's aerospace corporation, Energiya, intends to begin producing helium III, an environmentally clean fuel that cannot be produced on Earth, on the Moon.
Soyuz spacecraft to cost NASA $65 million RIA Novosti 18 Aug 2005 -- The Russian Space Agency Roscosmos will sell a Soyuz spacecraft, a carrier rocket and launch services to NASA for some $65 million, if the American agency approves the deal, a Roscosmos official told journalists Thursday.
NASA Says No Shuttle Launches before March, 2006 VOA 18 Aug 2005 -- The U.S. space agency NASA is delaying the next space shuttle mission until at least March. It wants to give engineers more time to remove the threat of launch debris striking the orbiter.
Cassini Spacecraft Shows Saturn's Ring System Has Atmosphere Washington File 18 Aug 2005 -- Data from the Cassini spacecraft indicate that Saturn's majestic ring system has its own atmosphere, separate from that of the planet, according to an August 17 press release from the European Space Agency (ESA).
Vandenberg aids in Discovery landing AFPN 15 Aug 2005 -- The Space Shuttle Discovery landed safely Aug. 9 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., partly because of the efforts of Airmen at the 30th Space Wing here.
Atlas V MRO launches from Cape Canaveral AFPN 15 Aug 2005 -- The 45th Space Wing supported the successful launch of a satellite to Mars on Aug. 12.
NASA's Multipurpose Mars Mission Launched Successfully Washington File 12 Aug 2005 -- A seven-month flight to Mars began August 12 for NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). It will inspect the red planet in fine detail and help future landers.
U.S., French Astronomers Find First Triple Asteroid System Washington File 12 Aug 2005 -- U.S. and French astronomers have found that one of the thousands of asteroids orbiting the Sun has a mini planetary system of its own, according to an August 10 press release from the University of California at Berkeley (UC Berkeley).
Latest US Mars Mission to Give Closest Views of Red Planet VOA 12 Aug 2005 -- The next American mission to Mars has launched from Florida to examine the Red Planet in the sharpest detail yet. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter lifted off atop an Atlas-Five rocket on a seven-month journey to Mars
NASA Launches Mars Orbiter RFE/RL 12 Aug 2005 -- The U.S. space agency today launched the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the largest and most sophisticated probe ever sent to the red planet.
Space: NASA Set To Launch Latest Mars Probe RFE/RL 11 Aug 2005 -- Fresh from celebrating a successful shuttle mission, NASA on 12 August is due to launch the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
US Law Could Block Astronaut Activities on Space Station VOA 11 Aug 2005 -- Time is running out for Washington and Moscow to overcome a legal barrier to having American astronauts inhabit the International Space Station
Historic Cape Canaveral tower toppled AFPN 10 Aug 2005 -- What took years to build required only seconds to knock down Aug. 6 when 171 pounds of strategically placed explosives toppled a historic 179-foot mobile service tower here.
NASA's Mars Exploration Orbiter Ready for Launch Washington File 10 Aug 2005 -- NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is scheduled for an August 11 morning launch and will arrive at Mars in March 2006 for a mission to understand the planet's water riddles and advance exploration of the mysterious red planet.
Discovery astronauts hail the technical success of the space shuttle mission. VOA 09 Aug 2005 -- Crew members of the space shuttle Discovery say they are impressed by technology and procedures used to make the mission a success
NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery is Home Washington File 09 Aug 2005 -- NASA’s space shuttle Discovery (STS-114) landed safely in the early morning hours of August 9 at Edwards Air Force Base in California, after flying 9.3 million kilometers during nearly 14 days in orbit.
Space Shuttle "Discovery" Lands Safely in California VOA 09 Aug 2005 -- The U.S. space shuttle Discovery has landed in California, safely ending the first shuttle mission since the loss of the orbiter Columbia in 2003
Bad Weather Delays Shuttle Landing 24 Hours RFE/RL 08 Aug 2005 -- Bad weather at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida has forced a 24-hour delay in the landing of the U.S. space shuttle "Discovery."
Discovery Prepares For Safe Return To Earth VOA 06 Aug 2005 -- The U-S space shuttle Discovery disengaged from the international space station Saturday in preparation for it's return to Earth. The landing will mark the end of a difficult mission
Shuttle Crew Prepares to Undock from Space Station VOA 05 Aug 2005 -- The crew members of the U.S. space shuttle Discovery are packing up their gear before undocking from the International Space Station Saturday
NASA Waives Fourth Shuttle Repair Spacewalk VOA 04 Aug 2005 -- The U.S. space agency NASA has cleared the shuttle Discovery for re-entry Monday with no need for another repair spacewalk.
Space weather forecasts clear communication AFPN 03 Aug 2005 -- Space weather can also have a dramatic effect on nonmilitary facilities. In 1989 a geomagnetic storm and high-velocity solar winds caused the interruption of power from a Canadian power station which had dramatic effects on local communities and received national attention.
Towfiqi: Mesbah satellite, beginning of of advanced technology IRNA 04 Aug 2005 -- Minister of Science, Research and Technology Jaafar Towfiqi said in the unveiling ceremony of Mesbah satellite on Thursday that manufacturing of Mesbah satellite will be a jumpstart for advancement of national science and technology.
Space Shuttle Astronaut Performs Heat Shield Repair VOA 03 Aug 2005 -- To the great relief of the U.S. space agency NASA, a spacewalking astronaut has solved a problem with the shuttle Discovery's exterior heat shield
NASA Astronauts Fix Space Shuttle Problem Washington File 03 Aug 2005 -- Seven days into the STS-114 mission of space shuttle Discovery, astronaut Steve Robinson and crewmates completed a first-of-its-kind heat-shield repair quickly and as planned on the shuttle’s underbelly during the August 3 spacewalk from the International Space Station.
Discovery Astronauts Perform Space-Shuttle Repair VOA 03 Aug 2005 -- Spacewalking shuttle astronauts have successfully removed two pieces of gap filler sticking up from between the protective tiles that line the underside of the shuttle Discovery
Airborne Laser Team Completes New Phase of Payload Testing Boeing News Release 03 Aug 2005 -- The Boeing Airborne Laser (ABL) team has completed flight testing of the system’s passive mission payload, moving the program through another phase of critical testing.
Boeing Completes Sale of Rocketdyne Propulsion Unit to United Technologies Boeing News Release 03 Aug 2005 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] announced today the completion of its sale of its Rocketdyne Propulsion & Power business to United Technologies Corporation [ NYSE:UTX ], effective August 2.
Astronaut to Embark on Risky Shuttle Repair Spacewalk VOA 02 Aug 2005 -- A U.S. astronaut is about to undertake a risky repair of the space shuttle Discovery's delicate heat shield during a spacewalk.
Shuttle Crew Braces for Unprecedented Repair Mission VOA 02 Aug 2005 -- Astronauts aboard the space shuttle Discovery are preparing to make an unprecedented repair to the orbiter, after it was discovered that heat resistant fabric was sticking up between some of the shuttle's protective tiles
NASA Authorizes Spacewalk To Fix Shuttle Problem Washington File 02 Aug 2005 -- NASA has authorized a repair task for the space shuttle during an August 3 spacewalk that experts say should ensure a safe landing for the Discovery crew.
Astronauts to Make Unusual Shuttle Heat Shield Repair in Orbit VOA 01 Aug 2005 -- The U.S. space agency NASA has ordered astronauts aboard the shuttle Discovery to make unprecedented repairs to its exterior heat shield during a spacewalk Wednesday. Missions officials say there is a possibility that not undertaking the repair could be catastrophic to the shuttle's re-entry next week
Shuttle Spacewalk Restores Space Station's Steering Mechanism VOA 01 Aug 2005 -- Two U.S. space shuttle astronauts went on another spacewalk to restore the steering gear on the International Space Station.
U.S. Scientists Discover Tenth Planet Washington File 01 Aug 2005 -- A planet larger than Pluto has been discovered in the outlying regions of the solar system, according to a July 29 NASA press release.