March 2006 Space News

Venus Within ESA Probe Reach ESA 31 Mar 2006 -- ESA’s Venus Express spacecraft will finally arrive on 11 April at its destination: Planet Venus.
New Space Station Crew Launches from Kazakhstan Washington File 30 Mar 2006 --Commander Pavel Vinogradov and NASA Science Officer Jeffrey Williams, the 13th International Space Station crew, launched March 29 aboard their Soyuz spacecraft to begin a six-month stay in space.
MPs concerned UK will station new US missile defence system IRNA 30 Mar 2006 -- Members of all three of Britain's main political parties have raised concern over reports that the US has chosen the UK as a prime candidate to host missiles for the new US missile defence system.
International Space Station Status Report NASA 29 Mar 2006 -- The 13th crew of the International Space Station roared away today from Kazakhstan into orbit atop a Russian Soyuz rocket.
Cassini Finds "Missing Link" Moonlet Evidence in Saturn's Rings NASA 29 Mar 2006 -- Scientists with NASA's Cassini mission have found evidence that a new class of small moonlets resides within Saturn's rings.
US/Russian/Brazilian Crew Head to Space Station VOA 29 Mar 2006 -- A new crew is on its way to the International Space Station in a Russian Soyuz spaceship
Space mission supports Operation Iraqi Freedom AFPN 29 Mar 2006 -- An Army ground patrol in Iraq is ambushed. Pinned down by sniper fire, the commander calls for air support with his satellite phone.
NASA Prepares for Space Exploration in Undersea Lab NASA 28 Mar 2006 -- NASA will send three astronauts and a Cincinnati doctor under the ocean next month to test space medicine concepts and moon-walking techniques.
Academy satellite lost after launch AFPN 28 Mar 2006 -- An Air Force Academy satellite was lost March 24 shortly after launch.
NASA Sees Solar Eclipse in a Different Light NASA 28 Mar 2006 -- NASA is offering the public a front row seat for the total solar eclipse on Wednesday, March 29 thanks to a partnership with the University of California at Berkeley and San Francisco’s Exploratorium.
NASA Extends Crew Exploration Vehicle Contracts NASA 27 Mar 2006 -- NASA has authorized contract extensions for development of the agency's new Crew Exploration Vehicle.
NASA Reinstates the Dawn Mission NASA 27 Mar 2006 -- NASA senior management announced a decision Monday to reinstate the Dawn mission, a robotic exploration of two major asteroids.
Missile Defense Key Security Element, Says U.S. Official Washington File 27 Mar 2006 -- Missile Defense Key Security Element, Says U.S. Official
NASA Reinstates Mission to Orbit Two Biggest Asteroids in Solar System VOA 27 Mar 2006 -- The U.S. space agency NASA has reversed itself and reinstated a mission to send a spacecraft to orbit two asteroids later this decade
Mission Control Team Readies For Venus Arrival ESA 27 Mar 2006 -- Venus Express mission controllers at ESA's Space Operations Centre (ESOC) are in intensive preparation for an 11 April arrival at the spacecraft's namesake destination.
First Launch of Privately-Built Rocket Fails VOA 25 Mar 2006 -- The first launch of a privately operated rocket ended in failure Friday over the Pacific Ocean shortly after liftoff.
NASA's New Mars Orbiter Returns Test Images NASA 24 Mar 2006 -- The first test images of Mars from NASA's newest spacecraft provide a tantalizing preview of what the orbiter will reveal when its main science mission begins next fall.
European Robotics Under the Spotlight ESA 23 Mar 2006 -- The European Robotic Arm (ERA) will be delivered to Russia this summer in preparation for a launch to the ISS in 2007.
NASA's Space Technology 5 Satellites Soar Into Space NASA 22 Mar 2006 -- NASA's Space Technology 5 successfully launched today at 9:04 a.m. EST, from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on a Pegasus XL rocket.
Pegasus launches from Vandenberg AFPN 22 Mar 2006 -- An Orbital Sciences Corporation Pegasus XL rocket was launched today at 6:03 a.m. The rocket took off from an L-1011 aircraft and carried NASA’s Space Technology 5 spacecraft into orbit.
Missile Defense System Ties Many Elements Together AFPS 22 Mar 2006 -- The proposed U.S. ballistic missile defense system is intended to tie numerous independent elements into a sophisticated web of protection, U.S. military officials said.
Missile Defense Technology Valid, Viable, General Says AFPS 21 Mar 2006 -- A robust, fully operational missile defense system is on its way to becoming a reality, the director of the Missile Defense Agency said here yesterday.
U.S., Russia Sign Pact To Spur Commercial Satellite Launches Washington File 21 Mar 2006 -- The United States and the Russian Federation have signed an agreement intended to facilitate Russian participation in a commercial satellite-launching venture known as "Sea Launch."
Mars Rovers Get New Manager During Challenging Period NASA 17 Mar 2006 -- NASA's long-lived Mars rovers demand lots of care, as they age and the Martian winter approaches.
Responsive, affordable satellite enhances support to warfighter AFPN 17 Mar 2006 -- In the battle environment, every second counts, and accelerated (within 10 minutes) information downloaded to the joint warfighter, to be demonstrated in the upcoming TacSat-3 mission, could result in victory, but more importantly, in lives saved.
India, Russia sign seven accords IRNA 17 Mar 2006 -- India and Russia today signed seven agreements to bolster cooperation in space, banking and other sectors.
Agreement between ESA and CNES for Alphabus ESA 16 Mar 2006 -- A co-operation agreement was signed between ESA and the Centre National d'Études Spatiales for the development of Alphabus, Europe's next generation of telecommunication satellites.
NASA Satellite Glimpses Universe's First Trillionth of a Second NASA 16 Mar 2006 -- Scientists peering back to the oldest light in the universe have new evidence to support the concept of inflation.
NASA Releases Mosaic of Vast Martian Canyon Washington File 15 Mar 2006 -- A new view of the biggest canyon thus far identified in the solar system merges hundreds of photos from NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter and gives scientists and the public an online resource for exploring the entire canyon in detail.
NASA Announces July Launch Window for Next Space Shuttle Mission Washington File 15 Mar 2006 -- NASA announced March 14 that July 1-19 is the new launch planning window for space shuttle Discovery's mission (STS-121).
NASA Announces New Window For Next Space Shuttle Mission NASA 14 Mar 2006 -- NASA announced today July 1 to 19, 2006, is the new launch planning window for Space Shuttle Discovery's mission (STS-121).
NASA Shuttle Launch Delayed until July VOA 14 Mar 2006 -- The U.S. space agency NASA says Tuesday wiring problems with fuel sensors have forced it to postpone the May launch of the shuttle Discovery until at least July 1.
NASA's Stardust Findings May Alter View of Comet Formation NASA 13 Mar 2006 -- Samples from comet Wild 2 have surprised scientists, indicating the formation of at least some comets may have included materials ejected by the early sun to the far reaches of the solar system.
NASA Spacecraft Begins Five-Year Mars Mission Washington File 11 Mar 2006 -- With a crucially timed firing of its main engines March 10, NASA's new spacecraft with a five-year mission to Mars put itself into orbit around the red planet.
Biggest, Most Sensitive US Mars Spacecraft Begins Orbiting Red Planet VOA 10 Mar 2006 -- Another U.S. spacecraft has begun orbiting Mars to study the red planet in unprecedented detail. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will continue the search for signs that water and possibly life could have existed on it.
Japan Emerges as America's Largest Missile Defense Partner Washington File 09 Mar 2006 -- As the United States pursues a layered defense against ballistic missiles attacks, Japan has emerged as its most significant international partner, says Air Force Lieutenant General Henry “Trey” Obering, director of the Missile Defense Agency.
NASA: Saturn Moon Shows Evidence of Water VOA 09 Mar 2006 -- NASA scientists have found a reason for excitement in an unexpected place - on a tiny moon orbiting the planet Saturn. Scientists believe the moon may have water, one of the essential elements for life.
International Mission Finds Potential Water on Saturn Moon Washington File 09 Mar 2006 -- NASA's Cassini spacecraft might have found evidence of liquid water reservoirs that erupt in geysers on Saturn's moon Enceladus.
NASA Spacecraft Helps Researchers See the Sun's Far Side NASA 09 Mar 2006 -- NASA researchers using the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft have developed a method of seeing through the sun to the star's far side.
NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Approaches Red Planet Washington File 08 Mar 2006 -- After a seven-month, 492-million-kilometer journey to Mars, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) will begin the most critical minutes of its flight March 10, firing the main engines to slow the craft so Martian gravity can pull it into orbit around the Red Planet.
NASA Aids in Resolving Long Standing Solar Cycle Mystery NASA 06 Mar 2006 -- Scientists predict the next solar activity cycle will be 30 to 50 percent stronger than the previous one and up to a year late.
Agenda of UN outer space panel: boosting medicine and averting cataclysm UN News Centre 06 Mar 2006 -- Reducing risks from space debris or near-Earth objects such as meteors, space-based disaster management through satellites, and space-based telemedicine for monitoring diseases such as bird flu or malaria figured high on the agenda of a two-week United Nations scientific meeting that has just ended.
Newest US Spacecraft Faces Risky Job of Entering Martian Orbit VOA 06 Mar 2006 -- The next U.S. spacecraft to inspect Mars is completing the last few days of its seven-month journey to the red planet and is scheduled to enter orbit Friday
New US Mars Mission to Get Better Look at Planet VOA 06 Mar 2006 -- The newest American mission to Mars is hurtling toward the red planet, due Friday to examine it in the sharpest detail yet
Space Shuttle Program Management Set a Launch Date NASA 03 Mar 2006 -- On Thursday, Space Shuttle Program management set a launch date of no earlier than May 10 for Discovery's launch to the International Space Station.
International Partners Predict Space Station Completion by 2010 Washington File 03 Mar 2006 -- The heads of space agencies from Canada, Europe, Japan, Russia and the United States announced March 2 that the International Space Station will be completed by 2010, without major changes to the original design.
Joint Statement by International Space Station Heads of Agency NASA 02 Mar 2006 -- The heads of space agencies from Canada, Europe, Japan, Russia and the United States met at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. on March 2, 2006, to review International Space Station cooperation and endorse a revision to the station configuration and assembly sequence.
NASA Mission Detects Significant Antarctic Ice Mass Loss NASA 02 Mar 2006 -- Scientists were able to conduct the first-ever gravity survey of the entire Antarctic ice sheet using data from the joint NASA/German Aerospace Center Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE).
GPS helps warfighters track ‘bad guys’ AFPN 02 Mar 2006 -- When U.S. forces get to Iraq and Afghanistan, they’re finding dry, featureless terrain with no real landmarks or points of reference to use when they travel across these wide-open and often dangerous landscapes.
New Space Station Plan Completes Assembly in Four Years VOA 02 Mar 2006 -- The United States and its International Space Station partners have agreed on a new schedule to complete the outpost by 2010
NASA Announces Test and Evaluation Contract NASA 01 Mar 2006 -- NASA has awarded a three-year, $162.5 million contract to Jacobs Sverdrup of Tullahoma, Tenn., for test and evaluation support at the agency's Johnson Space Center White Sands Test Facility.
Big leap forward in detecting ground targets from cosmos AFPN 01 Mar 2006 -- When launched in 2010, a football-field-in-length demonstrator radar antenna, weighing more than 5 tons, will serve as the forerunner for the future of America's intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets in space.
NASA Managers Target May for Next Shuttle Launch Washington File 01 Mar 2006 -- NASA managers are targeting a May launch window for space shuttle Discovery’s flight to the International Space Station, and say the engineering team is working an “aggressive schedule” to reduce the loss of insulating foam from the orbiter’s external tank during takeoff and tackle other issues.
Russian Rocket Fails to Deliver Arab Satellite Into Designated Orbit VOA 01 Mar 2006 -- A Russian rocket has failed to place an Arab commercial satellite into its designated orbit, dealing another setback to Russia's space program.