Spaceflight Now

Sunday: September 21, 2003		0054 GMT

Goodbye Galileo After 14 years in space, NASA's Galileo spacecraft will plunge into Jupiter's crushing atmosphere Sunday to conclude its productive and successful mission. With its fuel supply nearly gone, the craft is on a collision course with Jupiter to eliminate any chance of an unwanted impact with the Jovian moon Europa, which is likely to have a subsurface ocean and possibly life. PREVIEW STORY SUNDAY'S ENTRY TIMELINE REVIEW OF GALILEO MISSION TOP 10 SCIENCE ACHIEVEMENTS

Saturday: September 20, 2003		0127 GMT

Distant star bursts provide key to the origin of galaxies Revealing images produced by one of the world's most sophisticated telescopes are enabling a team of Edinburgh astronomers to see clearly for the first time how distant galaxies were formed 12 billion years ago. FULL STORY

Problem shuts down Telstar 4 communications satellite Loral Skynet said that its Telstar 4 satellite experienced a short circuit of its primary power bus Friday morning, causing the satellite to cease operations. Teams are working to determine the cause of the problem and to restore service on the satellite, if possible. FULL STORY

Friday: September 19, 2003		0311 GMT

First supernovae seeded universe with stuff of life The early universe was a barren wasteland of hydrogen, helium, and a touch of lithium, containing none of the elements necessary for life as we know it. From those primordial gases were born giant stars 200 times as massive as the sun, burning their fuel at such a prodigious rate that they lived for only about 3 million years before exploding. FULL STORY

'Transparent' galaxy discovered Astronomers have announced the discovery of a new galaxy, termed Andromeda VIII. The new galaxy is so widespread and transparent that astronomers did not suspect its existence until they mapped the velocity of stars thought to belong to the well-known and nearby large Andromeda spiral galaxy and found them to move independently of Andromeda. FULL STORY

IN OTHER NEWS Additional stories making news today

China and Europe cooperating on navigation system -- The European Commission, the European Space Agency and the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology have decided to establish a training, cooperation and information center for satellite navigation in China.

Thursday: September 18, 2003		0218 GMT

Mission management team gets major revamp In perhaps the most convincing demonstration yet that NASA "gets it," the new chairman of the agency's mission management team Wednesday outlined major changes to improve communications among engineers and managers, to ensure dissenting views are heard and to correct the cultural shortcomings blamed in part for the Columbia disaster. FULL STORY

NASA: 'Iron-clad' evidence for spinning black hole Telltale X-rays from iron may reveal if black holes are spinning or not, according to astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton Observatory. The gas flows and bizarre gravitational effects observed near stellar black holes are similar to those seen around supermassive black holes. FULL STORY

IN OTHER NEWS Additional stories making news today

Ocean may sponge up some warmth over next 50 years -- NASA's improved global climate computer model, which simulates and projects how the Earth's climate may change, indicates that the oceans have been absorbing heat since 1951 and will continue to absorb more heat from the atmosphere over the next 50 years. This increasing ocean heat storage suggests that global surface temperatures may warm less than previous studies projected, while the ocean acts as a bigger heat sponge.

Wednesday: September 17, 2003		0259 GMT

NASA managers re-think next shuttle launch date In the coming weeks, NASA managers hope to establish a new target launch date for the resumption of space shuttle missions after they acknowledged Tuesday that a mid-March liftoff wasn't plausible. FULL STORY

Lunar prospecting with Chandra space observatory Observations of the bright side of the Moon with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have detected oxygen, magnesium, aluminum and silicon over a large area of the lunar surface. The abundance and distribution of those elements will help to determine how the Moon was formed. FULL STORY

IN OTHER NEWS Additional stories making news today

Lab research yields the biggest chill -- NASA-funded researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge have cooled sodium gas to the lowest temperature ever recorded -- one-half-billionth degree above absolute zero. Absolute zero is the point where no further cooling is possible.

Tuesday: September 16, 2003		0001 GMT

Prevailing theory about cosmic explosions opposed University of Chicago scientists have challenged the reigning theory about the puzzling nature of gamma-ray bursts, which signal the birth of black holes. FULL STORY

Patterns in Martian north polar dunes imaged This Mars Global Surveyor picture shows dark, windblown sand forming spectacular geometric patterns in the north polar sand seas, particularly in regions where strong winds converge from different directions over the course of a year. FULL STORY

Monday: September 15, 2003		0115 GMT

Satellites sample hurricane 'ingredients' for forecasters The Atlantic Ocean becomes a meteorological mixing bowl from June 1 to November 30, replete with all needed ingredients for a hurricane recipe. NASA turns to its cadre of satellites to serve up a feast of information to the forecasters who seek to monitor and understand these awesome storms. FULL STORY

IN OTHER NEWS Additional stories making news today

Three members added to Stafford-Covey Task Group -- NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe on Friday announced the appointment of three additional members to the task group assigned to perform an independent assessment of the agency's implementation of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board's recommendations. NASA administrator supports Columbia trust effort -- NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe is among the speakers scheduled to formally inaugurate a campaign Tuesday to raise funds to support the families of the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia. The Columbia Memorial Trust was announced Sept. 16 and will assist the families of Columbia's crew, help erect memorials in honor of STS-107, and pursue various activities that build awareness about space programs. Connexion by Boeing selects Intelsat for satellite delivery -- Following successful service demonstrations with Lufthansa and British Airways earlier this year, Connexion by Boeing signed a contract with Intelsat for satellite connectivity that will enable airborne travelers to access high-speed Internet and data services via Intelsat's powerful 907 satellite, the newest spacecraft in Intelsat's global fleet.

News Archive
Sept. 8-14: Titan 4 rocket launches cargo cloaked in secrecy; Farthest, faintest solar system objects found; The slant on Saturn's rings; Sunlight makes asteroids spin in strange ways; MIT researchers reassess asteroid hazards.

Sept. 1-7: Mysterious 'giant domes' of Europa could be explained; 'Cannonball pulsar' seen flying across space; Hubble assists Europe's Rosetta comet mission; Progress ship leaves station for Russian science mission.

Aug. 25-31: CAIB report blasts NASA for Columbia tragedy; 300th Delta rocket launches new window on Universe; Delta 4 rocket delivers last Air Force DSCS satellite; Cargo vessel safely docks to space station; NASA gives Chandra X-ray Observatory life extension.

More news See our weekly archive of space news.

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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Apollo 11 special patch

Special collectors' patch marking the 35th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing is now available.

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Soviet Space

For the first time ever available in the West. Rocket & Space Corporation Energia: a complete pictorial history of the Soviet/Russian Space Program from 1946 to the present day all in full color. Available from our store.

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Viking patch

This embroidered mission patch celebrates NASA's Viking Project which reached the Red Planet in 1976.

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Apollo 7 DVD

For 11 days the crew of Apollo 7 fought colds while they put the Apollo spacecraft through a workout, establishing confidence in the machine what would lead directly to the bold decision to send Apollo 8 to the moon just 2 months later.

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Gemini 12

Gemini 12: The NASA Mission Reports covers the voyage of James Lovell and Buzz Aldrin that capped the Gemini program's efforts to prove the technologies and techniques that would be needed for the Apollo Moon landings. Includes CD-ROM.

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Columbia Report

A reproduction of the official accident investigation report into the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its crew of seven.

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Mars Panorama

DISCOUNTED! This 360 degree image was taken by the Mars Pathfinder, which landed on the Red Planet in July 1997. The Sojourner Rover is visible in the image.

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Apollo 11 Mission Report

Apollo 11 - The NASA Mission Reports Vol. 3 is the first comprehensive study of man's first mission to another world is revealed in all of its startling complexity. Includes DVD!

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Rocket DVD

If you've ever watched a launch from Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Vandenberg Air Force Base or even Kodiak Island Alaska, there's no better way to describe what you witnessed than with this DVD.

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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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Ares patch

The Ares Project will develop two new rockets to launch astronauts back to the Moon under NASA's Vision for Exploration. The Ares 1 will employ a single space shuttle solid rocket booster to loft the Orion crew capsule. The gigantic Ares 5 will haul the equipment and cargo needed for such lunar voyages. This is the Ares emblem.

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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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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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