Spaceflight Now

Sunday: September 28, 2003		0630 GMT

Ariane trifecta: Moon probe, two other craft launched Relying upon an experimental ion engine and miniaturized instruments, Europe's first robotic lunar orbiter has launched to study the Moon's history while serving as a technology testbed for future missions. The SMART 1 spacecraft shared the ride into space Saturday with two communications satellites aboard a European Ariane 5 rocket. FULL STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER

Sharpest ever color view of Mars captured by Hubble This view of Mars, the sharpest photo ever taken from Earth, reveals small craters and other surface markings only about a dozen miles across. The Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard NASA's Hubble Space Telescope snapped this image just a few days before the red planet's historic "close encounter" with Earth. FULL STORY

Saturday: September 27, 2003		1150 GMT

Disaster monitoring craft among Kosmos 3M cargo A cluster of small satellites rocketed into orbit today to embark on a wide range of missions for a number of organizations spanning the globe. FULL STORY

Spy satellite launch delayed The Japanese launch of two reconnaissance satellites was scrubbed Saturday due to troubles with the H-2A rocket, the Kyodo news agency reported. It said the mission would be rescheduled to "October 2 or later." The optical- and radar-imaging spacecraft will join two others launched into space earlier this year. WORLDWIDE LAUNCH SCHEDULE COVERAGE OF EARLIER LAUNCH

Ariane 5 rocket to loft three satellites today In a change of pace for a team accustomed to almost one launch per month over the past decade, workers at Arianespace's South American launch site are preparing for just the fourth launch of 2003 for the company. Liftoff of the Ariane 5 rocket is set for 2302 GMT (7:02 p.m. EDT) today. MISSION STATUS CENTER LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE

Paleontologist: New theory on dinosaur extinction As a paleontologist, Gerta Keller has studied many aspects of the history of life on Earth. But the question capturing her attention lately is one so basic it has passed the lips of generations of 6-year-olds: What killed the dinosaurs? FULL STORY

Friday: September 26, 2003		0423 GMT

Hubble uncovers Uranus' smallest moons yet seen Astronomers have discovered two of the smallest moons yet found around Uranus. The new moons, uncovered by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, are about 8 to 10 miles across -- about the size of San Francisco. FULL STORY

New map of Milky Way shows galaxy to be cannibal Chicken Little was right. The sky is falling. Thousands of stars stripped from the nearby Sagittarius dwarf galaxy are streaming through our vicinity of the Milky Way galaxy, according to a new view of the local universe constructed by a team of astronomers. FULL STORY

Thursday: September 25, 2003		0403 GMT

Waiting for a supernova A team of European astronomers is using the Hubble Space Telescope to look back in time. They have imaged the spiral galaxy NGC 3982 and hundreds of other galaxies in the hope that one of the millions of stars in these images will some day explode as a supernova. They can then look back and pinpoint the exact star that has exploded. Only two such supernova 'mother stars' have ever been identified. FULL STORY

Ariane 5 rocket to loft three satellites Saturday In a change of pace for a team accustomed to almost one launch per month over the past decade, workers at Arianespace's South American launch site are preparing for just the fourth launch of 2003 for the company. Liftoff of the Ariane 5 rocket is set for 2302 GMT (7:02 p.m. EDT) Saturday. MISSION STATUS CENTER LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE

U.S. production of RD-180 engines a major step closer The move toward U.S. production of the RD-180 Russian rocket engine has taken a giant step forward, as four data packages were delivered in support of the U.S. Air Force Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle/Lockheed Martin Atlas program. The complete engine documentation is now in the U.S. being translated, and the next step is to build key components at Pratt & Whitney located in Florida. FULL STORY

Wednesday: September 24, 2003		0057 GMT

NASA completes Orbital Space Plane design review NASA's Orbital Space Plane program is one step closer to becoming the nation's next space vehicle with the successful completion of its Systems Requirements Review. The review evaluated the vehicle's concept design for providing crew rescue and transfer for the International Space Station. FULL STORY

Old telescope yields new Titan moon science Meet Sarah Horst, throwback. The planetary science major, a senior at the California Institute of Technology, spent six months engaged in a bit of old-time telescope observing. The work led to some breakthrough research about Saturn's moon Titan, and indirectly led to funding for a new telescope at Caltech's Palomar Observatory. FULL STORY

Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel members resign NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe has accepted letters of resignation from all 11 members and consultants of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel. Congress first chartered the ASAP in the aftermath of the Apollo 1 fire in 1967 to act as an independent body to advise the NASA Administrator on the safety of operations, facilities and personnel. FULL STORY

IN OTHER NEWS Additional stories making news today

NASA awards Deep Space Network operations contract -- NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has awarded ITT Industries a five-year $274 million subcontract for operations and maintenance of NASA's Deep Space Network facilities in the United States and for support of overseas facilities. The DSN is an international network of antennas that supports interplanetary spacecraft missions. The network also supports selected Earth-orbiting missions. NASA honors minority contractors -- NASA has named Zin Technologies, Inc., as Minority Contractor of the Year; Arcata Associates, Inc. as Minority Subcontractor of the Year; and Analytical Services, Inc. as Women Owned Business of the Year.

Tuesday: September 23, 2003		0143 GMT

'Planet-swallowing' giant star identified Astronomers have come forth with a solution to a mysterious new object recently discovered in our Milky Way. They suggest that this phenomenon is an expanding giant star swallowing nearby planets, an event which may one day befall our own planet. FULL STORY

Scientists practice Mars drilling near acidic river To develop techniques to drill into the surface of Mars to look for signs of life, NASA and Spanish scientists recently began drilling into the ground near the source of the waters of the Rio Tinto, a river in southwestern Spain, part of a three-year effort that will include the search for underground life forms. FULL STORY

Telstar 4 a total loss Loral Skynet says that it has been unable to re-establish contact with the Telstar 4 communications satellite and has declared the craft a total loss. As previously reported, Telstar 4 experienced a short circuit of its primary power bus last week. FULL STORY

Monday: September 22, 2003		0001 GMT

Galileo spacecraft crashes into Jupiter One of the enduring and exciting episodes of the planetary exploration came to an abrupt end Sunday afternoon when NASA's battered Galileo spacecraft was crushed, melted and then assimilated into the planet Jupiter's all-embracing atmosphere. However, the 14-year mission leaves behind a rich legacy. FULL STORY SUNDAY'S ENTRY TIMELINE TOP 10 SCIENCE ACHIEVEMENTS

The Galileo trials If it were possible to label one day as "the worst" of spaceprobe Galileo's career, most scientists would choose Thursday, April 11, 1991. Ben Evans tells Galileo's chequered story. FULL STORY REVIEW OF GALILEO MISSION

Future Jupiter exploration on the drawing boards The next mission to Jupiter will be revolutionary - a nuclear powered monster, a hundred times more capable than Galileo. Never before in space exploration has such a dramatic improvement in capability been encountered. FULL STORY

News Archive
Sept. 15-21: NASA mission management team gets major revamp; First supernovae seeded universe with stuff of life; Prevailing theory about cosmic explosions opposed; Distant star bursts provide key to the origin of galaxies; Problem shuts down Telstar 4 communications satellite.

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.

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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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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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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 11 special patch

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

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Inside Apollo mission control

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

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The ultimate Apollo 11 DVD

This exceptional chronicle of the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing mission features new digital transfers of film and television coverage unmatched by any other.

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Next ISS crew

Own a little piece of history with this official patch for the International Space Station's Expedition 11 crew. We'll ship yours today!

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Expedition 20

The official embroidered patch for the International Space Station Expedition 20 crew is now available from our stores.

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Current Shuttle Mission Patch

The official embroidered patch for shuttle Atlantis' flight to deliver critical spare equipment to the space station.

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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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One Giant Leap

Hosted by Corbin Bernsen, this award winning documentary marks the 50th anniversary of the U.S. space agency and features exclusive interviews with veteran astronauts.

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Expedition 21

The official embroidered patch for the International Space Station Expedition 21 crew is now available from our stores.

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