Spaceflight Now

Sunday: April 27, 2003		0100 GMT

Titan reveals a surface dominated by icy bedrock Scientists have peered through the smoggy orange haze of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, and discovered that the surface is not entirely covered by liquid and solid organic materials that rain out of the atmosphere. Extensive areas of icy bedrock lie exposed on Titan's surface, they report in latest issue of Science. FULL STORY

Hubble captures a perfect storm of turbulent gases Resembling the fury of a raging sea, this image actually shows a bubbly ocean of glowing hydrogen gas and small amounts of other elements such as oxygen and sulfur. The photograph, taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, captures a small region within M17, a hotbed of star formation. FULL STORY

Saturday: April 26, 2003		0320 GMT

Space station caretaker crew blasts off on Soyuz Russian commander Yuri Malenchenko and NASA flight engineer Edward Lu roared into orbit early Saturday, kicking off a six-month mission to operate the international space station in caretaker mode while NASA struggles to overcome the Feb. 1 Columbia disaster. LAUNCH STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER EXPEDITION 7 OVERVIEW

Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: 11-MINUTE MOVIE OF SOYUZ LAUNCHING EXPEDITION 7 QT VIDEO: SPECTACULAR CLOSEUP VIEW OF ROCKET LIFTING OFF QT VIDEO: A LARGE CROWD GREETS THE CREW AT LAUNCH PAD QT VIDEO: CREW DEPART SUIT-UP BUILDING FOR LAUNCH PAD QT VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH CHECK IS CONDUCTED ON LU'S SUIT QT VIDEO: COMMANDER MALENCHENKO SUITS UP FOR LAUNCH QT VIDEO: ASTRONAUT ED LU DONS HIS RUSSIAN SPACESUIT QT VIDEO: POST-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE FROM KOROLEV QT VIDEO: POST-LAUNCH COMMENTS FROM FRED GREGORY QT VIDEO: POST-LAUNCH INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL KOSTELNIK QT VIDEO: POST-LAUNCH INTERVIEW WITH CHARLIE PRECOURT QT VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH LU'S FIANCEE CHRISTINE ROMERO QT VIDEO: NARRATED OVERVIEW OF RUSSIAN SOYUZ SPACECRAFT QT VIDEO: FRIDAY'S PRE-LAUNCH PRESS CONFERENCE WITH CREW QT SUBSCRIBE NOW
Friday: April 25, 2003		0639 GMT

Space station caretaker crew set for blastoff Russian commander Yuri Malenchenko and NASA astronaut Ed Lu are slated to launch aboard a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Central Asia at 0354 GMT Saturday (11:54 p.m. EDT tonight) for the seventh Expedition to the interational space station. MISSION OVERVIEW

Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: FINAL ASSEMBLY OF SOYUZ ROCKET QT VIDEO: SOYUZ IS ROLLED OUT OF HANGAR THURSDAY QT VIDEO: ROCKET IS LIFTED UPRIGHT ON THE LAUNCH PAD QT VIDEO: POST-ROLLOUT COMMENTS FROM MICHAEL FOALE QT VIDEO: COMMENTS FROM JSC CENTER DIRECTOR HOWELL QT VIDEO: DIRECTOR OF FLIGHT CREW OFFICE BOB CABANA QT VIDEO: CHIEF NASA ASTRONAUT KENT ROMINGER COMMENTS QT VIDEO: PRE-FLIGHT INTERVIEW WITH COMMANDER MALENCHENKO QT VIDEO: PRE-FLIGHT INTERVIEW WITH FLIGHT ENGINEER LU QT SUBSCRIBE NOW
NASA, CAIB investigators compare notes on disaster The NASA Accident Investigation Team presented results of the agency's on-going analysis of the Columbia disaster to the independent board charged with finding the root cause of the disaster. That presentation is believed to have included one or more possible "best-fit" scenarios based on telemetry, recorded data and debris recovered to date. FULL STORY
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Board to revamp NASA management organization In case there were any doubts, the chairman of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board says that finding the root cause of the shuttle disaster is only part of the panel's charter and that lawmakers in Washington have made it clear they expect broad changes in NASA's organizational structure. And that's exactly what they're going to get. FULL STORY

Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: FORMER OFFICIALS DISCUSS DESIGNING THE SHUTTLE QT VIDEO: PART 2 OF HEARING WITH SHUTTLE EXPERTS QT VIDEO: AIRCRAFT AGING AND RELATION TO SHUTTLE PROGRAM QT VIDEO: AUTHOR OF CHALLENGER BOOK TESTIFIES QT SUBSCRIBE NOW
Galaxy Evolution Explorer ready for launch An observatory that will survey 10 billion years of the Universe's history like never before will be hurled into space Monday aboard an air-launched Pegasus XL rocket. FULL STORY LAUNCH TIMELINE MISSION STATUS CENTER

West Coast Atlas rocket launch delayed to October The National Reconnaissance Office is targeting an autumn launch for a classified satellite cargo aboard an Atlas 2AS rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California after problems scrubbed a planned mid-June blastoff date. FULL STORY

Thursday: April 24, 2003		0712 GMT

Dittemore to leave after accident probe complete Shuttle program manager Ronald Dittemore, the straight-talking "voice of NASA" credited with boosting the agency's image in the immediate aftermath of the Columbia disaster, will leave NASA after an independent accident investigation board completes its work, he told reporters Wednesday. FULL STORY - updated EARLIER STORY

Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: TUESDAY'S COLUMBIA BOARD NEWS CONFERENCE QT SUBSCRIBE NOW
History flashback: Launch of the Hubble telescope On April 24, 1990, space shuttle Discovery blasted off from Kennedy Space Center carrying the Hubble Space Telescope. As NASA's first Great Observatory, Hubble was launched to become our window on the Universe. We mark this anniversary today with a three-part, 30-minute package of video clips for our Spaceflight Now Plus service subscribers. COMPLETE VIDEO INDEX NOT YET A SUBSCRIBER?

Proton lofts military satellite The first heavy-lift Proton rocket launch of 2003 occurred this morning with a classified Russian military cargo aboard that is rumored to be an early warning satellite. Liftoff was at 0423 GMT (12:23 a.m. EDT) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, kicking off a series of three launches from there over the next few days. FULL STORY

Energetic jet meets resistance in nearby galaxy This is a composite image of Chandra X-ray and VLA radio observations showing the inner 4,000 light years of a magnetized jet in Centaurus A. Purple regions are bright in both radio and X-ray. The jet originates from the vicinity of the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy. FULL STORY

Wednesday: April 23, 2003		0445 GMT

Glowing hot transiting exoplanet discovered More than 100 exoplanets in orbit around stars other than the Sun have been found so far. But while their orbital periods and distances from their central stars are well known, their true masses cannot be determined with certainty, only lower limits. FULL STORY

RL60 upper stage engine moves closer to completion Pratt & Whitney Space Propulsion this month received a main fuel turbopump from Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. for the development of its new RL60 engine. The RL60 has 90 percent of its components complete and is expected to begin full testing in September. FULL STORY

Rutan unveils manned suborbital spacecraft Famous aircraft designer Burt Rutan ended months of speculation when he publicly unveiled an aircraft and a spacecraft that together offer what his company calls "the first private manned space program." FULL STORY

Tuesday: April 22, 2003		0320 GMT

Spectacular photos unveil mysterious nebulae Quite a few of the most beautiful objects in the Universe are still shrouded in mystery. Even though most of the nebulae of gas and dust in our vicinity are now rather well understood, there are some which continue to puzzle astronomers. FULL STORY

Gas clouds make new 'telescope' Astronomers have found a way to harness clouds of gas in space to make a natural 'telescope' more powerful than any manmade telescope currently in operation. And they will use it to peer closer to the edges of black holes than anyone's ever seen before. FULL STORY

Monday: April 21, 2003		0001 GMT

NASA scenario for loss of Columbia and crew refined Investigators probing the Columbia disaster are developing an increasingly detailed scenario that explains the sequence of events that led to Columbia's destruction, a scenario that matches up with telemetry and recorded data as well as the damage seen in recovered debris. Only two out of 10 initial scenarios are still being actively developed by NASA investigators, officials say, but one of them, which assumes a breach in the left wing at or near leading edge panel No. 8, has emerged as the leading contender. FULL STORY
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Next space station resident crew arrives at launch site The two men who will make the first space launch since the Columbia tragedy flew to the Baikonur Cosmodrome Sunday to begin final preparations for their upcoming blastoff aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule. FULL STORY

Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: EXPEDITION 7 CREW PRE-FLIGHT NEWS CONFERENCE QT VIDEO: PRIME AND BACKUP CREWS SIGN COSMONAUTS BOOK QT VIDEO: PHOTO OPPORTUNITY IN GAGARIN MUSEUM QT VIDEO: CREWMEMBERS VISIT RED SQUARE WITH FAMILIES QT VIDEO: NEWS BRIEFING ON EXCHANGE OF STATION EXPEDITIONS QT SUBSCRIBE NOW
Electric propulsion technology contracts set Boeing has been awarded three new contracts under NASA's In-Space Propulsion Technologies program for the development of advanced xenon ion propulsion technologies. The goal of the program is to provide funding for the development of advanced propulsion technologies for use beyond Earth's orbit. FULL STORY

Black water turns the tide on Florida coral In early 2002, a patch of "black water" spanning over 60 miles in diameter formed off southwestern Florida and contributed to severe coral reef stress and death in the Florida Keys, according to results published from research funded by NASA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The "black water" contained a high abundance of toxic and non-toxic microscopic plants. FULL STORY

News Archive
April 14-20: Columbia board issues preliminary recommendations; Administrator O'Keefe visits Texas search teams; Rocket booster problem delays SIRTF until August; Fix ordered for possible problem on Mars rovers; X-rays found from a lightweight brown dwarf.

April 7-13: No 'privileged' Columbia testimony to be made public; Ariane 5 program resumes flights with a success; Last Milstar successfully soars to orbital perch on Titan 4; Atlas 3 rocket gives Asian satellite ride to orbit; SIRTF launch on hold; Galileo makes discovery during moon encounter; Far-flung supernovae shed light on dark Universe.

March 31-April 6: Gehman calls recorder data a 'treasure trove'; NASA formally announces Expedition 7 station crew; Delta doesn't disappoint in successful GPS launch; Hubble's rainbow image of a dusty star; NASA researchers put new spin on relativity theory.

March 24-30: Plan calls for shuttles to be imaged by spy satellites; Expert says NASA lost sight of safety margin; Japan enters spy satellite arena with rocket launch; Rocket troubles delay pair of ESA research projects; Stunning Hubble images of mysterious erupting star; New class of hot-tempered black holes bucks trends.

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Gemini 7

Gemini 7: The NASA Mission Reports covers this 14-day mission by Borman and Lovell as they demonstrated some of the more essential facts of space flight. Includes CD-ROM.

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Apollo patches

The Apollo Patch Collection: Includes all 12 Apollo mission patches plus the Apollo Program Patch. Save over 20% off the Individual price.

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Mars Rover mission patch

A mission patch featuring NASA's Mars Exploration Rover is available from our online.

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Apollo 9 DVD

On the road to the moon, the mission of Apollo 9 stands as an important gateway in experience and procedures. This 2-DVD collection presents the crucial mission on the voyage to the moon.

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An insider's view of how Apollo flight controllers operated and just what they faced when events were crucial.

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Apollo 12 tribute DVD set

New! Featuring the jovial crew of Pete Conrad, Dick Gordon and Alan Bean, the Apollo 12 mission was struck by lightning shortly after liftoff but proceeded on the second successful exploration voyage to the lunar surface. This three-disc DVD brings the mission to life with extraordinary detail.

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Fallen Heroes special patch

This special 12-inch embroidered patch commemorates the U.S. astronauts who made the ultimate sacrifice, honoring the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia.

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Women in Space

Women of Space: Cool Careers on the Final Frontier is for girls, young women, and anyone else interested in learning about exciting careers in space exploration. Includes CD-ROM.

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Mars rover poster

This new poster features some of the best pictures from NASA's amazing Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity.

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Apollo 12 tribute DVD set

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U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Fallen Heroes special patch

This special 12-inch embroidered patch commemorates the U.S. astronauts who made the ultimate sacrifice, honoring the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia.

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U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Women in Space

Women of Space: Cool Careers on the Final Frontier is for girls, young women, and anyone else interested in learning about exciting careers in space exploration. Includes CD-ROM.

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U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Mars rover poster

This new poster features some of the best pictures from NASA's amazing Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity.

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Expedition 18 patch & pin

The official embroidered patch and lapel pin for the International Space Station Expedition 18 crew is now available to from our stores.

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Columbus mission patch

The official astronaut embroidered patch of Atlantis' STS-122 mission that launched the Columbus science lab in February is available to U.S. customers from our store.

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Project Orion

The Orion crew exploration vehicle is NASA's first new human spacecraft developed since the space shuttle a quarter-century earlier. The capsule is one of the key elements of returning astronauts to the Moon.

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Apollo patches

The Apollo Patch Collection: Includes all 12 Apollo mission patches plus the Apollo Program Patch. Save over 20% off the Individual price.
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