April 2013 Space News

NASA Extends Russia Space Travel Deal RIA Novosti 30 Apr 2013 -- NASA will pay an additional $424 million to extend its contract with Roscosmos to transport US astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
Astronaut Finds ‘Bullet Hole’ in ISS Solar Panel RIA Novosti 30 Apr 2013 -- A small object, possibly a meteoroid, has flown through a solar panel on the International Space Station.
Scientists Use Laser to Find Soviet Moon Rover - Reports RIA Novosti 30 Apr 2013 -- French scientists successfully used a laser to find the Soviet-era Lunokhod 1 rover on the surface of the moon.
Virgin to Raise Space Ticket Prices VOA 30 Apr 2013 -- If you’ve got a spare $200,000 and want to be among the first tourists to fly to space, you better get your ticket now.
Virgin Galactic Fires Rocket Engine in Flight RIA Novosti 29 Apr 2013 -- SpaceShipTwo flew under its own power for the first time as test pilots fired the spacecraft’s rocket engine.
Cassini Probe Captures Images of Saturn Hurricane VOA 29 Apr 2013 -- Scientists have gotten their first close-up view of a monster hurricane swirling around Saturn’s north pole.
DOD Officials Detail $1 Billion in Space Program Savings AFPS 26 Apr 2013 -- Senior Defense Department officials testified yesterday before Congress highlighting the activities the department has undertaken to save an estimated $1 billion and provide a balanced national security space program.
Freighter Docks With Space Station Despite Antenna Glitch RIA Novosti 26 Apr 2013 -- The Progress M-19M space freighter docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday despite having failed to deploy one of its navigation antennas, Mission Control said.
Russia Launches New GLONASS-M Satellite RIA Novosti 26 Apr 2013 -- Russia has successfully launched a satellite for the GLONASS navigation system from its northern Plesetsk Cosmodrome, the Defense Ministry reported on Friday.
China Successfully Sends First Gaofen Satellite Into Space RIA Novosti 26 Apr 2013 -- China has launched its first Gaofen-1 high-resolution remote sensing satellite into orbit, Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.
Taiwan to deploy 3 more PAC-3 antimissile batteries CNA 25 Apr 2013 -- Three U.S.-made Patriot antimissile air defense batteries will be deployed in southern Taiwan, in addition to the one already in northern Taiwan, Deputy Defense Minister Andrew Yang said Thursday.
Space Domain Vital to National Defense, Official Says AFPS 25 Apr 2013 -- It is critical for the Defense Department to develop and implement space programs and policies to maintain U.S. space advantages in a perpetually changing environment, a senior defense official told Congress yesterday.
Deployed ADA Soldiers train, stay ready Army News 25 Apr 2013 -- C/4-3rd Air Defense Artillery continue to train while deployed in the Central Command area of responsibility.
Asteroid Could Fly 8,600 Km From Earth in 2026 – Astronomer RIA Novosti 25 Apr 2013 -- A celestial body 20 meters in diameter will pass dangerously close to Earth's surface in 13 years, according to new data published on Thursday.
S.Korean PM Against Redeploying US Tactical Nuclear Weapons RIA Novosti 25 Apr 2013 -- South Korean Prime Minister Chung Hong-won reiterated Seoul's commitments to a denuclearized Korean Peninsula on Thursday and said he opposed the idea of redeploying the US tactical nuclear weapons in his country.
U.S.-Australia Agreement Promotes Space Situational Awareness AFPS 24 Apr 2013 -- A new agreement made between the United States and Australia represents the first in what U.S. Strategic Command's commander hopes will be many that promote transparency in the space domain.
DOD Signs Data Sharing Agreement DoD 24 Apr 2013 -- The Department of Defense has signed a Space Situational Awareness (SSA) international sharing agreement with the Department of Defence of Australia.
Russia says concerned over NATO's anti-missile system plans Iran Press TV 24 Apr 2013 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow remains concerned over the United States and NATO's new plans to build an anti-missile system around Western Europe.
Russia Launches Freighter Rocket to Space Station RIA Novosti 24 Apr 2013 -- A Soyuz-U rocket carrying a Progress M-19M cargo spacecraft lifted off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, Russia's Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) said.
Russia Plans to Launch First Angara Rocket in 2014 RIA Novosti 24 Apr 2013 -- The Russian military expects the first launch of a new Angara carrier rocket to take place in 2014 after the construction of a new launch complex at the Plesetsk space center is completed, Deputy Defense Minister Col. Gen. Oleg Ostapenko said Wednesday.
NATO-Russia Talks Make Little Progress On Missile Defense RFE/RL 23 Apr 2013 -- NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says that the latest meeting of the NATO-Russia Council 'maintained an active dialogue' but did not make significant progress on the key issue of missile defense.
Rely on a Smartphone? New NASA Satellites Do VOA 23 Apr 2013 -- Smartphones. We carry them in our pockets, toss them in our tote bags and have them at the ready whenever we want directions to a destination or to snap a picture or to call a friend.
US Antares Rocket Makes First Flight RIA Novosti 22 Apr 2013 -- The Antares rocket, designed in US to carry a commercial space freighter to the International Space Station (ISS), blasted off early on Monday Moscow time from the launch pad in the Wallops Island.
Russia's Progress Cargo Spacecraft 'Buried' in Pacific RIA Novosti 21 Apr 2013 -- The Progress M-17M cargo spacecraft, which undocked from the International Space Station on April 15, was 'buried' in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday, Russia's Mission Control said.
Russian Cosmonauts Complete Spacewalk RIA Novosti 20 Apr 2013 -- Two Russian cosmonauts on board the International Space Station (ISS) have completed a spacewalk, Russia's Mission Control Center reported on Saturday.
Russian Cosmonauts Begin Spacewalk RIA Novosti 19 Apr 2013 -- Two Russian cosmonauts on board the ISS started a six-hour spacewalk.
Russia to Deorbit Space Station’s Pirs Module in 2013 RIA Novosti 19 Apr 2013 -- Russia plans to deorbit and sink its Pirs docking module of the International Space Station later this year.
Russia Launches ‘Orbital Noah’s Ark’ Eyeing Mars Missions RIA Novosti 19 Apr 2013 -- Russia orbited the world's only returnable satellite dedicated to biological research in space.
AF leaders highlight space program successes, address FY14 budget AFNS 18 Apr 2013 -- Space is in as good a position as it's been in a very long time.
Space Telescope Spots Distant Planets Well Placed for Life VOA 18 Apr 2013 -- Scientists have announced the discovery of three planets, in two planetary systems, that are in or on the edge of the so-called habitable zone.
NASA’s Kepler Telescope Discovers Most Earthlike Planets Yet RIA Novosti 18 Apr 2013 -- NASA’s Kepler planet-hunting space telescope has discovered seven new planets, including two that are orbiting in the zone “between fire and ice” that could sustain life.
Pentagon to allocate $400 million to Iron Dome PressTV 17 Apr 2013 -- The US Defense Department plans to spend nearly 400 million dollars during the next two years on Israel's Iron Dome missile system.
Rocket Test Flight Aborted at NASA VOA 17 Apr 2013 -- A test flight of a commercial rocket designed to resupply the International Space Station has been scrubbed over technical problems.
US Missile Shield No Threat to Russia - Deputy PM RIA Novosti 16 Apr 2013 -- Russia’s strategic forces are capable of penetrating the US missile shield, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said.
Russia’s Proton-M Puts Canadian Satellite into Orbit RIA Novosti 16 Apr 2013 -- A Russian Proton-M carrier rocket delivered a Canadian telecommunications satellite, Anik-G1, into orbit.
Stratcom Shares Space Data to Promote Safety, Transparency AFPS 15 Apr 2013 -- U.S. Strategic Command maintains a registry of tens of thousands of man-made objects in space.
Russian Space Freighter Undocks from Orbital Station RIA Novosti 15 Apr 2013 -- A Russian cargo spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station to perform a series of scientific experiments in space before splashing in the Pacific.
Russia Launches Canadian Telecoms Satellite RIA Novosti 15 Apr 2013 -- Russia’s Proton-M carrier rocket carrying a Canadian telecommunications satellite Anik-G1 blasted off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan.
Space Command's ops chief discusses new warfighter role AFNS 12 Apr 2013 -- The Director of Air, Space and Cyberspace Operations for Air Force Space Command spoke at the Space Warfighters Luncheon April 9 during the 29th National Space Symposium held at the Broadmoor Resort, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Russian president allocates $50 bn to space sector Iran Press TV 12 Apr 2013 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a bid to uplift his country's space industry, has earmarked over $50 billion to Moscow's space sector.
Russia to Explore Moon, Mars by 2030 - Deputy PM RIA Novosti 12 Apr 2013 -- Russia will develop new technology including huge new rockets for manned flights to the Moon and Mars by 2030, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Friday.
Russia Must Close Deep Space Exploration Gap Says Putin RIA Novosti 12 Apr 2013 -- Russia must catch up with other space powers in deep space exploration and higher priority should be given to applied projects in space research, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.
NASA Plans for Asteroids, Astronauts and a Trip to Mars RIA Novosti 12 Apr 2013 -- Planned space adventures over the next few decades for the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) read like a science fiction thriller with a touch of the wild west thrown in, with plans to journey farther and faster than anyone from Earth has gone before.
Russian Military Orders Five High-Res Spy Satellites – Media RIA Novosti 10 Apr 2013 -- Russia's Lavochkin aerospace company has won a defense ministry tender on the development of a series of five high-resolution optical-electronic surveillance satellites worth almost 70 billion rubles ($2.2 bln), the Izvestia newspaper said.
Belarus, Russia to Create New Satellite Grouping RIA Novosti 09 Apr 2013 -- Belarus and Russia are planning to set up an advanced civilian satellite grouping, Pyotr Vityaz, a spokesman for the Belarusian National Academy of Sciences, said on Tuesday.
Peaceful use of outer space at heart renewed UN efforts UN News Centre 08 Apr 2013 -- The United Nations pressed ahead today with efforts to insure that outer space is used solely for peaceful purpose and to counter the threat posed by space debris.
Tests of New Engine for Soyuz 2.1V Rocket Over RIA Novosti 06 Apr 2013 -- The NPO Energomash company has completed trials of a new engine for proposed Russian lightweight carrier rocket Soyuz 2.1 and is currently preparing it for serial production, the company's CEO said.
Missile Defenders Trained, Ready for Deployment AFPS 05 Apr 2013 -- Missile defenders preparing for the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Air Defense System to Guam are ready for the mission.
Roscosmos Plans to Join NASA in Asteroid Capture Mission RIA Novosti 05 Apr 2013 -- Russia’s space agency Roscosmos may join NASA’s ambitious mission to capture an asteroid.
Putin, Obama to Meet in June - Kremlin RIA Novosti 04 Apr 2013 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Barack Obama will hold full-fledged talks on the sidelines of the G8 Summit.
ISS Orbit Readjusted Ahead of Crew Departure RIA Novosti 04 Apr 2013 -- Russia's Mission Control readjusted the orbit of the International Space Station.
Physicists Find Evidence of Dark Matter VOA 04 Apr 2013 -- Scientist say they may have evidence of dark matter, the theoretical substance that holds the cosmos together, but has never been observed directly.
US to deploy missile system to Guam amid North Korea threats: Pentagon PressTV 04 Apr 2013 -- The Pentagon says the US will deploy an advanced anti-missile system to the Pacific island of Guam.
Department of Defense Announces Missile Defense Deployment DoD 03 Apr 2013
US to Deploy Missile Defense System to Guam Due to N. Korean Threats VOA 03 Apr 2013 -- U.S. military officials say Washington is preparing to deploy an advanced missile defense system to the Pacific in the coming weeks.
Russia Clarifies Status of SA Space Tracking Station RIA Novosti 03 Apr 2013 -- The space tracking station that is being built in South Africa as part of Russia’s astrophysical project RadioAstron can only be used with the radio telescope.
US Needs 5-7 GBIs to Intercept One Topol ICBM - Expert RIA Novosti 02 Apr 2013 -- The United States will need between five and seven Ground Based Interceptors to intercept one Russian Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile.
Space mission continues despite restructure AFNS 02 Apr 2013 -- Critical Air Force missions continue from their current locations after today's restructure of Air Force Space Command's Space Innovation and Development Center.
DPRK SPA Decides to Set Up State Space Development Bureau KCNA 01 Apr 2013 -- The DPRK decided to set up the State Space Development Bureau.

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