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News Archive 2010: March
Spirit goes silent as Martian winter threatens survival
NASA may have heard the last from the immobilized Spirit rover for several months as the stranded robot endures the depths of winter on Mars, the space agency announced late Wednesday.
FULL STORY
Venture back in history to relive Enterprise's moments
Spaceflight Now+Plus viewers can travel back to the late 1970s and mid 1980s right now and watch fun footage of space shuttle Enterprise, NASA's prototype orbiter, during its landing tests at Edwards Air Force Base in California, assembly and pad checks at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, then demonstrations for the West Coast launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
"THE SPACE SHUTTLE: TRANSPORT FOR TOMORROW" PLAY VIDEO:
ENTERPRISE TAKES PIGGYBACK TEST-RIDE ATOP 747 PLAY VIDEO:
THE SHUTTLE'S FIRST APPROACH AND LANDING TEST PLAY VIDEO:
HOISTING ENTERPRISE IN VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING PLAY VIDEO:
SHUTTLE ENTERPRISE ROLLS TO LAUNCH PAD 39A PLAY VIDEO:
ENTERPRISE FINISHES LAUNCH PAD FIT-CHECKS PLAY VIDEO:
PACKING UP ENTERPRISE TO LEAVE FLORIDA PLAY VIDEO:
TESTING AT VANDENBERG'S SHUTTLE PAD PLAY VIDEO:
THE SATURN 5 AND ENTERPRISE PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW
South Korean rocket will launch again in June
South Korea plans another flight of its small satellite launcher in June, nearly a year after the rocket's first mission was doomed when its payload shroud did not separate, according to the rocket's Russian contractor.
FULL STORY
This Week In Space
March 26: "VSS Enterprise" takes flight and "space for the rest of us" moves a step forward, the Martian Rite of Spring commences while the folks at JPL prep a "rover on steroids" for departure for the Red Planet, the Wizard Nebula is ready for its close-up, Roller Derby on Saturn's rings, Discovery is "go" for launch, orbital Olympics, the crew of STS-134 prepares to go where no one has gone before, and Buzz "Twinkle-Toes" Aldrin wows the judges on "Dancing with the Stars" - or (ahem!) not.
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News Headlines
Tank and boosters bolted together for May launch
Workers attached the shuttle Atlantis' orange external fuel tank to its solid rocket boosters Monday, accomplishing another key step before the ship's last scheduled blastoff May 14.
FULL STORY
Air Force seeks efficiencies for America's rocket fleet
In an attempt to streamline procedures and relieve cramped manifests, managers could transfer some Atlas and Delta rocket missions from Florida to California and assign U.S. military payloads to specific boosters closer to launch, according to the Air Force's top space official.
FULL STORY
Cassini finds video arcade relic on Saturn moon
The Cassini spacecraft touring Saturn found an odd arrangement of hot spots resembling the iconic Pac-Man arcade character on the heavily-cratered moon Mimas during a February flyby.
FULL STORY
Picking up the pieces after NPOESS cancellation
Northrop Grumman has stopped some work on the next generation of U.S. weather satellites as civilian and military space officials decide how to proceed under the Obama administration's decision to terminate and divide the program among three government agencies.
FULL STORY
NASA clears space shuttle Discovery for April 5 launch
With signs at the entrance of Kennedy Space Center reading "10 days to launch" for the space shuttle Discovery, senior NASA officials Friday held their Flight Readiness Review and blessed plans to proceed toward the April 5 blastoff.
FULL STORY
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
FULL FLIGHT READINESS REVIEW NEWS BRIEFING PLAY VIDEO:
RECAP OF THE FLIGHT READINESS REVIEW PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
HELIUM VALVE NO CONSTRAINT TO LAUNCH PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
MANAGERS ASSESS ISSUES BEFORE FLIGHT PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
UPDATE ON PRE-LAUNCH PREPS AT PAD 39A PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
PAYLOADS DELIVERED TO LAUNCH PAD 39A PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
TRANSPORT CANISTER ROTATED VERTICALLY PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LEONARDO PLACED INTO THE TRANSPORTER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
STATION'S NEW AMMONIA COOLANT TANK PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LEONARDO HATCH CLOSED FOR FLIGHT PLAY | HI-DEF SUBSCRIBE NOW
Iridium puts out bulletin seeking hosted payloads
The U.S. Air Force is answering a call from Iridium to put payloads, experiments and sensors on the company's next-generation satellites, a top military official said this week.
FULL STORY
American shuttle to launch Russian space module
Inside a building at Port Canaveral where commercial American space habitation modules once readied for flight, a hundred Russian specialists have taken up residence to prepare their hardware for launch to the International Space Station.
FULL STORY
United Kingdom gets its own space agency
The U.K. space agency will open its doors April 1 to speak for Britain on all space policy matters. The new agency will also consolidate the country's civil space activities under a single organization.
FULL STORY
Rocket problem delays commercial Ariane 5 launch
A technical problem has postponed today's planned launch of the Ariane 5 rocket carrying a commercial satellite to distribute television programs to Europe and a German military communications bird. Liftoff will be delayed a few days, Arianespace said.
PREVIEW STORY
Athena rocket reborn under aerospace industry alliance
Lockheed Martin and ATK announced Thursday the small Athena rocket program is being restarted to send light military satellites to orbit, primarily from launch sites in Florida and Alaska.
FULL STORY
Another day, another hearing on NASA budget
Lawmakers took more shots Wednesday at NASA's plans to turn over human spaceflight to commercial operators, and some members of Congress questioned whether the agency broke the law by deferring some work on the scrapped Constellation program.
FULL STORY
Bolden defends cancellation of Constellation program
Speaking to a House appropriations subcommittee Tuesday, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden stood by the Obama administration's decision to cancel the Constellation program.
FULL STORY
Shuttle Discovery pressing onward to April 5 launch
The Leonardo cargo-delivery module and new ammonia coolant reservoir for the International Space Station were loaded into shuttle Discovery's payload bay at pad 39A Wednesday as preparations continue on schedule for the April 5 launch.
MISSION STATUS CENTER
This Week In Space
Astronomers get WISE to a mysterious class of space rocks lurking dangerously near Earth and only visible in the infrared, workers at the Kennedy Space Center race to troubleshoot a valve problem with Discovery in hopes of keeping her on track for launch, a string of comets take a death dive, Jupiter's Great Red Spot gets the thermal imaging treatment, new views of the moons of Mars and Saturn, rover tracks on the moon, Bob Bigelow puts out the all-call for astronauts, the shuttle Enterprise may be old but she's apparently still up for a piggyback ride, shrimp on ice, and a helicopter crash only a dummy could survive.
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News Headlines
Private spaceliner takes off for inaugural test flight
Slung beneath a jet-driven twin-fuselage mothership, Virgin Galactic's six-passenger rocket plane took off for its first flight Monday morning, kicking off a year of increasingly ambitious tests before the craft begins carrying tourists to the edge of space.
FULL STORY
Venus orbiter arrives at Japanese launch site
The next time Japan's Akatsuki spacecraft is packed up for another move, the probe will be strapped to the tip of an H-2A rocket taking aim on Venus. Akatsuki was shipped last week from its assembly plant in suburban Tokyo to the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan.
FULL STORY
DISH Network broadcasting satellite orbited by Proton
A new direct broadcasting satellite for DISH Network was launched into orbit Saturday by a Proton rocket, beginning a 15-year mission to expand the service's high definition programming across the United States.
FULL STORY - updated!
Payloads arrive at the pad for packing into Discovery
The reusable hauler of supplies to the International Space Station was delivered to the launch pad Friday morning, ready for shuttle Discovery to truck the cargo-laden module to the orbiting outpost next month.
FULL STORY
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
INTERVIEW WITH STS-131 PAYLOAD MANAGER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
INTERVIEW WITH BOEING PAYLOAD MANAGER PLAY | HI-DEF SUBSCRIBE NOW
Soyuz brings two station residents back to Earth
American astronaut Jeff Williams and Russian cosmonaut Max Suraev settled to a jarring touchdown in "blizzard-like" conditions in Kazakhstan Thursday after an apparently trouble-free descent from the International Space Station.
FULL STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER PREVIEW STORY
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
ADDITIONAL VIEWS OF THE SOYUZ UNDOCKING PLAY VIDEO:
SOYUZ TMA-16 UNDOCKS FROM POISK MODULE PLAY VIDEO:
CREW BOARDS SOYUZ AND CLOSES HATCHWAY PLAY VIDEO:
SPACE STATION CHANGE OF COMMAND CEREMONY PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW
Minotaur 4 rocket's third stage ready for testing
Engineers will test a redesigned part of the Minotaur 4 rocket's third stage later this month to ensure it eliminates unintended thrust from the motor, potentially clearing the way for a foursome of military launches this spring and summer, an Air Force spokesperson said.
FULL STORY
New weather satellite reaches its proper orbit
The United States' latest weather observatory successfully flew into geostationary orbit and got a new name Tuesday, completing a series of stair-step altitude raising maneuvers that followed its launch earlier this month atop a Delta 4 rocket from Cape Canaveral.
MISSION STATUS CENTER VIDEO:HIGH DEFINITION COVERAGE
Sun-watching satellite finishes its orbital climb
After eight large maneuvers and three trim burns since rocketing to space aboard an Atlas booster last month, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory arrived on station in geosynchronous orbit Tuesday.
MISSION STATUS CENTER VIDEO:HIGH DEFINITION COVERAGE
This Week In Space
March 12: "IMAX: Hubble 3D" debuts and we give it the "red carpet" treatment, plus the shuttle program manager says the only problem from keeping the orbiters flying is money and Obama gets ready to speak up for his controversial new plan for NASA.
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More Stories
Air Force: Constellation cuts could raise launch costs
Leaders of the U.S. military's space programs told a Senate subcommittee last week that the cost and reliability of multiple liquid and solid propulsion rockets could suffer if NASA retires the space shuttle and cancels the Ares 1 booster.
FULL STORY
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
FULL BRIEFING BY SHUTTLE AND STATION OFFICIALS PLAY VIDEO:
PREVIEW BRIEFING ON MISSION'S SPACEWALKS PLAY VIDEO:
THE ASTRONAUTS' PRE-FLIGHT NEWS BRIEFING PLAY VIDEO:
SHUTTLE EVACUATION PRACTICE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
CREW MODULE HATCH IS CLOSED PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
ASTRONAUTS BOARD DISCOVERY PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
CREW BRIEFED ON EMERGENCY PROCEDURES PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
TEST-DRIVING AN EMERGENCY ARMORED TANK PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
NIGHTTIME APPROACHES IN TRAINING AIRCRAFT PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
ASTRONAUTS CHAT WITH REPORTERS AT PAD 39A PLAY VIDEO:
GANTRY PLACED AROUND DISCOVERY PLAY | HI-DEF SUBSCRIBE NOW
Aerojet confirms Russian engine is ready for duty
As SpaceX prepared to ignite its Falcon 9 rocket on a launch pad in Florida, its primary competitor for commercial cargo services to the International Space Station verified a Russian engine is more than able to drive the Taurus 2 booster toward space.
FULL STORY
Fire in the hole: Falcon 9 rocket lights up on pad
SpaceX successfully fired the Falcon 9 rocket's nine Merlin engines on a Florida launch pad Saturday, completing a key preflight test before the privately-developed booster is cleared for launch in April.
FULL STORY IMAGES:FALCON IGNITES ENGINES MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!
Valve problem threatens to delay April shuttle launch
Engineers are troubleshooting the apparent failure of a helium isolation valve in the shuttle Discovery's right-side orbital maneuvering system rocket pod, officials said Saturday. If the problem cannot be resolved at the pad - and sources said the engineering options are limited - NASA could be forced to haul the shuttle back to its hangar for repairs, delaying a planned April 5 launch.
FULL STORY
Hayabusa sets sights on planet Earth for June return
The Japanese Hayabusa spacecraft is homing in on Earth. Returning from a harrowing visit to an asteroid, the probe is now tweaking its trajectory to precisely guide a re-entry capsule to a parachuted landing in Australia this June.
FULL STORY
Navy considers backup plans after MUOS delay
The U.S. Navy says it will not start launching its next-generation MUOS communications satellites until September 2011. As a result, military space officials are racing to develop several options to diminish a pending gap in critical tactical mobile communications.
FULL STORY
Space station partners set 2028 as certification goal
Top leaders of the International Space Station program gathered in Tokyo this week to discuss extending the life of the orbiting complex until at least 2020, and perhaps to 2028, officials said in a joint statement.
FULL STORY
Shuttle boss says extending program still feasible
Clarifying what he described as "a big misconception," the shuttle program manager said Tuesday that NASA's vendors could restart production and deliver the parts and hardware needed to extend shuttle flights beyond the current September retirement target.
FULL STORY
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
CAN THE SHUTTLE PROGRAM AVOID LOOMING RETIREMENT? PLAY VIDEO:
WHAT ABOUT ADDING ONE MORE SHUTTLE MISSION? PLAY VIDEO:
FULL BRIEFING BY SHUTTLE AND STATION OFFICIALS PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW
SpaceX: Falcon 9 engine test aborted before ignition
A ball of orange flame and cloud of black smoke gushed from the base of the Falcon 9 rocket Tuesday afternoon, but the countdown was aborted a split-second before the booster's nine engines ignited for a crucial ground test.
FULL STORY
European satellites wait out shuffling Dnepr manifest
Several European satellite missions are in limbo due to technical and political trouble plaguing the Dnepr rocket, a converted ballistic missile from the Soviet nuclear arsenal.
FULL STORY
President Obama will talk NASA during Florida trip
President Obama will travel to Florida next month to host a conference on the future of America's space program, the White House announced Sunday.
FULL STORY
This Week In Space
March 6: Florida's Space Coast braces for layoffs, Buzz Aldrin muses on the next steps for NASA and his upcoming stint on "Dancing with the Stars," plus other headlines from This Week In Space.
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Other Stories
Orbital Sciences to acquire General Dynamics unit
The acquisition of the General Dynamics space division will strengthen Orbital Sciences' pursuit of contracts for larger government satellites, according to senior company officials.
FULL STORY
Next shuttle crew runs through mock countdown
The Discovery astronauts donned their bright orange spacesuits and went to the launch pad Friday to board the space shuttle for a countdown dress rehearsal and emergency evacuation training. FULL STORY STORE:STS-131 PATCH (free U.S. shipping)
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
THE FULL LAUNCH EXPERIENCE PLAY VIDEO:
DELTA 4 BLASTS OFF WITH GOES P PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: VAB ROOF CAMERA PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: FROM SHUTTLE PAD PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: CAUSEWAY ZOOMED VIEW PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: CAUSEWAY WIDE-ANGLE VIEW PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: PLAYALINDA BEACH TRACKER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: UCS 3 TRACKING CAMERA PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: MOBILE SERVICE TOWER CAMERA PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: DELTA OPERATIONS CENTER PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: WEST LIGHTNING TOWER PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: EAST LIGHTNING TOWER PLAY VIDEO:
RECAP OF THE ROCKET'S LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
RECAP OF THE SATELLITE'S LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
TOWER ROLLBACK REVEALS ROCKET FOR LAUNCH PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
OVERVIEW OF GOES WEATHER OBSERVATORIES PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
WATCH THE PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY VIDEO:
GOES P TRUCKED TO THE LAUNCH PAD PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
SPACECRAFT ENCAPSULATED IN NOSE CONE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
MOVING THE GOES P SATELLITE AROUND PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
CLEANROOM INTERVIEW WITH NOAA MANAGER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
CLEANROOM INTERVIEW WITH NASA MANAGER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
SOLID BOOSTERS ADDED TO DELTA 4 PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
DELTA 4 ERECTED AT THE LAUNCH PAD PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
ROCKET ROLLED OUT OF THE HANGAR PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
FIRST AND UPPER STAGES CONNECTED PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
UP-CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH GOES P PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
CHECKING OUT SPACECRAFT IN CLEANROOM PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
SATELLITE EMERGES FROM SHIPPING CRATE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
GOES P SATELLITE LANDS IN FLORIDA PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
THE UPPER STAGE IS READY TO FLY PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
UPPER STAGE TO DELTA OPS CENTER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
UNPACKING DELTA'S UPPER STAGE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
SOLID ROCKET MOTOR RECEIVED PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
FIRST STAGE ARRIVES AT THE CAPE PLAY | HI-DEF SUBSCRIBE NOW
Military reconnaissance satellite launched by China
China successfully launched another Earth observation satellite from the Jiuquan space base Friday, according to state-run media outlets. The spacecraft is likely a new Yaogan military spy satellite.
FULL STORY
China maintains hectic pace for more space firsts
The leaders of China's human spaceflight endeavors say 2011 is shaping up to be the most ambitious year in the history of the country's space program, including the launch of an orbital laboratory that will serve as a modest space station.
FULL STORY
Discovery perched atop launch pad for April flight
Shuttle Discovery journeyed to the launch pad overnight at barely a walking pace, but the spacecraft will soar to orbital speeds next month to haul a load of science equipment and supplies to the International Space Station. FULL STORY IMAGES:DISCOVERY DEPARTS THE VAB IMAGES:MORE PHOTOS OF SHUTTLE ROLLOUT IMAGES:DISCOVERY ON THE LAUNCH PAD STORE:STS-131 PATCH (free U.S. shipping)
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
DISCOVERY REACHES PAD 39A PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
OVERNIGHT ROLLOUT BEGINS PLAY | HI-DEF SUBSCRIBE NOW
Mars orbiter flies by Phobos to probe moon's insides
Europe's Mars Express orbiter flew less than 42 miles from the Red Planet's scarred moon Phobos on Wednesday to peer into the object's porous interior and gather clues about its mysterious origin.
PREVIEW STORY
Discovery astronauts ready for practice countdown
The one-day delay in space shuttle Discovery's move to the launch pad didn't keep the seven astronauts away from the Kennedy Space Center, as commander Alan Poindexter and his crew jetted into the spaceport Monday for this week's emergency training and countdown dress rehearsal.
FULL STORY
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
ASTRONAUTS ARRIVE FOR PRACTICE COUNTDOWN PLAY | HI-DEF SUBSCRIBE NOW
Proton launches Russian navigation satellites
Three more Glonass navigation satellites were dispatched to space Monday, ensuring the network continues providing positioning services to Russian territory as officials seek to expand it to global coverage.
FULL STORY
Atlantis' last external fuel tank reaches launch site
The external fuel tank for space shuttle Atlantis' final flight arrived at the Kennedy Space Center on Monday to begin preparations for launch in May.
FULL STORY
VIDEO:
"THE SPACE SHUTTLE: TRANSPORT FOR TOMORROW" 
