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Sunday:
September 9, 2001 | |
0331 GMT |
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Clandestine cargo carried into space by Atlas rocket
A Lockheed Martin Atlas 2AS rocket lumbered off its foggy launch pad Saturday morning carrying its heaviest cargo ever, a hush-hush spy satellite payload that observers suspect will eavesdrop on enemy ships sailing across the vast oceans of planet Earth.
 FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
LAUNCH PREVIEW STORY
LAUNCH GROUND TRACK MAP
ATLAS 2AS FACT SHEET
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Video coverage for subscribers only:
VIDEO: ATLAS 2AS ROCKET LIFTS OFF QT or RV
VIDEO: DRAMATIC AERIAL VIEW OF LAUNCH QT or RV
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY SHOWS SLOW MOVING ROCKET QT or RV
VIDEO: LAUNCH COMPLEX VIEW OF LIFTOFF QT or RV
VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH PROCESSING FOOTAGE QT or RV
MORE: COMPLETE SFN+ VIDEO INDEX
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Lockheed Martin to build for 3 GE Americom satellites
Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems has announced the award of a contract to build three geosynchronous satellites for GE American Communications, Inc. The next generation cable television satellites, designated GE-10, GE-11, and GE-18, will provide distribution of premium cable programming across North America.
FULL STORY
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SS/L to build spot beam satellite for DIRECTV
Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications, has announced it will build a new high-power spot beam satellite that will enable DIRECTV to serve additional markets with local channels and add new services.
FULL STORY
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Saturday:
September 8, 2001 | |
0123 GMT |
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Atlas rocket to launch clandestine cargo today
Officials have cleared an Lockheed Martin Atlas 2AS rocket for launch today from California to propel into space a top-secret national security payload that appears tied with the current fleet of ocean surveillance satellites orbiting the Earth. We'll have complete live coverage in our status center:
MISSION STATUS CENTER - updates!
LAUNCH PREVIEW STORY
LAUNCH GROUND TRACK MAP
DETAILED LAUNCH EVENTS CHART
ATLAS 2AS FACT SHEET
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Air Force says no to NASA's 'X' demonstration programs
The Air Force announced Friday it will not assume program management and funding responsibility for the NASA X-33 or continue funding beyond September 2002 for the NASA X-37 experimental demonstration programs.
FULL STORY
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Star in deep freeze chills theory, MIT researchers say
Like a frozen turkey that just won't thaw, a strange star near the center of the Milky Way is surprising MIT experts and colleagues with its remarkably low temperature. The odd behavior is chilling current theories of stellar physics.
FULL STORY
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Friday:
September 7, 2001 | |
0001 GMT |
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Hubble shows a galaxy blazing with star formation
Most galaxies form new stars at a fairly slow rate, but members of a rare class known as "starburst" galaxies blaze with extremely active star formation. Scientists using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope are perfecting a technique to determine the history of starburst activity in galaxies by using the colors of star clusters.
FULL STORY
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Chandra telescope probes nature of dark matter
Astronomers have shed new light on dark matter, the invisible and unknown material that comprises most of the Universe. Using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, scientists have precisely determined the distribution of dark matter in a distant galaxy cluster.
FULL STORY
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Thursday:
September 6, 2001 | |
0457 GMT |
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Atlas rocket to launch clandestine cargo Saturday
A Lockheed Martin Atlas 2AS rocket is on track for launch Saturday from Central California to propel into space a top-secret national security payload that appears tied with the current fleet of ocean surveillance satellites orbiting the Earth.
LAUNCH PREVIEW STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
LAUNCH GROUND TRACK MAP
DETAILED LAUNCH EVENTS CHART
ATLAS 2AS FACT SHEET
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Chandra marks 2 years of discovery, mission doubled
As one of the world's most powerful tools to better understand the structure and evolution of the universe, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has made history with a series of discoveries that transcend space and time. As Chandra marks its two-year anniversary, the craft's mission has been extended to 10 years.
FULL STORY
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Chandra catches Milky Way monster snacking
For the first time, a rapid X-ray flare has been observed from the direction of the supermassive black hole that resides at the center of our galaxy. This violent flare captured by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has given astronomers an unprecedented view of the energetic processes surrounding this supermassive black hole.
FULL STORY
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Help stamp out space acronyms by naming SIRTF
Are you confused by the impossible-to-pronounce acronyms sometimes used to identify space missions? You are not alone. To move away from cryptic acronyms, NASA is asking your help to find a user-friendly name for the Space Infrared
Telescope Facility.
FULL STORY
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Wednesday:
September 5, 2001 | |
0323 GMT |
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MirCorp announces plans for private space station
The company that tried to operate the Mir space station commercially announced plans Tuesday to launch its own private space station. MirCorp said it had signed an agreement with Rosaviakosmos and RSC Energia to develop, launch, and operate "Mini Station 1", an orbiting facility capable of supporting a wide range of commercial activities.
FULL STORY
READ MIRCORP STATEMENT
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Earth is becoming a greener greenhouse
NASA satellite data suggest that for more than two decades there's been a gradual greening of the northern latitudes of Earth. Researchers confirm that plant life seen above 40 degrees north latitude has been growing more vigorously since 1981. One suspected cause is rising temperatures possibly linked to the buildup of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.
FULL STORY
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Boeing, Sea Launch picked for PanAmSat/JSAT satellite
PanAmSat and Japan's JSAT Corp. have selected Boeing to build a new spacecraft in support of the two companies' recent joint venture, Horizons, as well as PanAmSat's domestic U.S. cable program distribution offerings. Sea Launch's Zenit 3SL rocket was selected to loft the craft in the 4th Quarter of 2002.
FULL STORY
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DAILY BRIEFING Other stories making news today
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Galileo beaming back Io and Jupiter encounter data -- This week the focus for the Galileo spacecraft is playback of the recorded data that was acquired during the August 5 flyby of Io and Jupiter. There are two observations scheduled to be returned this week, both from the Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer instrument, and both of regions on Io.
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Tuesday:
September 4, 2001 | |
0031 GMT |
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Breaking the protein code with the space station
When a Russian Progress craft docked with the ISS in late August, it brought Europe's second scientific experiment to the space station. The Granada Crystal Box Experiment does not look very impressive from the outside. But it may help European scientists to make a few strides forward in molecular biology and drug design.
FULL STORY
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DAILY BRIEFING Other stories making news today
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Pathfinder composite liquid oxygen tank proof tests -- A joint effort between NASA and Lockheed Martin has resulted in the development and successful initial testing of the first sub-scale cryogenic tank built of a composite material that is compatible with liquid oxygen. Lockheed Martin designed and built the composite tank, and NASA is testing it at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
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Monday:
September 3, 2001 | |
0222 GMT |
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Satellite spies on 'Survivor 3' TV show filming in Africa
Space Imaging's IKONOS satellite has taken the first high-resolution images of the secret "CBS Survivor: Africa" production and tribal camps. The camps are located in the Shaba National Reserve in central Kenya.
FULL STORY
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Simulating space missions with months in bed
Spending a long time in a weightless environment has an impact on the human body, and evidence exists of changes to the bone and muscles of astronauts who have participated in long-duration missions in space.
FULL STORY
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The Hubble Space Telescope's majestic view of the Eskimo Nebula. This spectacular poster is available now from the Astronomy Now Store.