Spaceflight Now

Sunday: November 23, 2003		0001 GMT

O'Keefe: time is right for new space vision Now is the best time in the last 30 years for the United States to craft a new vision for its space program, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe said at a Capitol Hill forum this week. FULL STORY

Final death throes of nearby star witnessed It takes only a few hundred to a thousand years for a dying Sun-like star, many billions of years old, to transform into a dazzling, glowing cloud called a planetary nebula. This relative blink in a long lifetime means that a Sun-like star's final moments - the crucial phase when its planetary nebula takes shape - have, until now, gone undetected. FULL STORY

Saturday: November 22, 2003		0215 GMT

Space science joins battle against cancer Ground-breaking techniques which will be used to find tiny planets orbiting stars outside our Solar System are already being developed to help scientists detect cells in the early stages of cancer. FULL STORY

SOHO tracks recent stormy regions on Sun's far side Scientists using the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft have been able to monitor the activity of the recent powerful solar magnetic active regions that were hidden on the far side of the Sun as they rotated with the Sun to face the Earth again. FULL STORY

Friday: November 21, 2003		0419 GMT

Shuttle Enterprise arrives at Smithsonian museum The space shuttle Enterprise, NASA's prototype orbiter that performed landing tests in the 1970s, on Thursday was moved to the National Air and Space Museum's new Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center where it joins other famous aircraft for the facility's opening next month. FULL STORY

Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: WATCH ENTERPRISE ARRIVE AT THE MUSEUM QT SUBSCRIBE NOW
International Space Station marks five years in orbit Five years ago Thursday the first piece of the International Space Station was launched into orbit. The Russian Zarya control module was carried aloft by a Proton rocket, beginning the complex sequence of space missions to assemble the orbiting laboratory. FULL STORY

Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: MUSIC VIDEO LOOKING BACK AT FIRST 5 YEARS OF ISS QT SUBSCRIBE NOW
Military weather satellite ready for service Having completed a month-long checkout sequence in orbit, the Air Force's newly-launched Defense Meteorological Satellite Program F16 weather spacecraft has been declared operational. FULL STORY LAUNCH COVERAGE

IN OTHER NEWS Additional stories making news today

Sun revs up again -- The solar regions that produced dramatic space weather activity in late October and early November returned to the visible side of the sun, according to the NOAA Space Environment Center. The area known as NOAA Region 501 already produced a moderate radio blackout, R2 on the NOAA space weather scales, and spawned a severe, or G4, geomagnetic storm, which began Thursday.

Thursday: November 20, 2003		2141 GMT

Heavy-lifting version of Delta 4 to take test flight In a Cape Canaveral hangar, a rocket of monstrous proportions and power is taking shape. It will be unveiled next month, rolling to the launch pad to prepare for a demonstration flight that will test its knack for lofting hefty cargos into orbit and potentially one day ferrying humans to the space station. FULL STORY

One year ago: Maiden flight of Delta 4 rocket The era of Boeing's next-generation rocket family was launched with success November 20, 2002 as the maiden Delta 4 powered its way into Earth orbit to deploy a European-made communications satellite. FULL COVERAGE

Station progress report The Expedition 8 crew is one-month into its half-year mission aboard the International Space Station. On Wednesday, NASA officials provided a space station status briefing, including details about an upcoming spacewalk, delays in launching the next resupply ship and scientific research aboard the outpost. Spaceflight Now Plus users can watch the entire 60-minute briefing.

Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: SPACE STATION STATUS BRIEFING QT SUBSCRIBE NOW
Sun does magnetic flip Research with the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory spacecraft has revealed the process that may implement the reversal in the direction of the Sun's magnetic field that is known to occur every 11 years. This newly recognized factor in the Sun's magnetic flipping is the cumulative effect of more than a thousand huge eruptions called Coronal Mass Ejections. FULL STORY

Lockheed opens Orbital Space Plane demo center Lockheed Martin will unveil a new Orbital Space Plane Demonstration Center this week in the Washington, D.C. area. Dedicated to the accomplishments of human spaceflight, the Center will showcase the concepts and operational qualities of NASA's next space transportation system through simulators and interactive graphics. FULL STORY

Wednesday: November 19, 2003		0041 GMT

NASA provides update on shuttle return-to-flight Space shuttle program officials Tuesday gave a progress report on NASA's return-to-flight efforts, speaking on tile and RCC repair issues, orbiter inspections in space and training simulations for the Mission Management Team. Spaceflight Now Plus users can watch the entire 45-minute briefing.

Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: RETURN-TO-FLIGHT PROGRESS BRIEFING QT SUBSCRIBE NOW
NASA names new safety advisory panel The new NASA Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, which includes nine distinguished members and a new charter, was announced Tuesday. The initial meeting of the new panel is expected soon. The ASAP was originally chartered by Congress in 1967 after the tragic Apollo 1 fire, to act as an independent body to advise the NASA Administrator on safety issues. FULL STORY

Navy spacecraft being prepped for Dec. 15 liftoff A U.S. Navy communications satellite is undergoing final pre-launch activities at Cape Canaveral for launch next month aboard a Lockheed Martin Atlas 3B rocket. FULL STORY

Tuesday: November 18, 2003		0008 GMT

Launch of Einstein's space experiment postponed An exotic satellite mission to test Albert Einstein's theories of space and time, scheduled for blastoff in early December, is being bumped into 2004 by a technical bug. FULL STORY

Most distant X-ray jet found provides clues to big bang The most distant jet ever observed was discovered in an image of a quasar made by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. Extending more than 100,000 light-years from the supermassive black hole powering the quasar, the jet of high-energy particles provides astronomers with information about the intensity of the cosmic microwave background radiation 12 billion years ago. FULL STORY

Monday: November 17, 2003		0010 GMT

Ulysses gives first 3-D observations of sun storms The sun's surface is a violent and turbulent place, where a fiery tempest always blows. Scientists are reporting in the journal Science that they have finally succeeded in getting a good three-dimensional view of it using the Ulysses spacecraft. FULL STORY

NASA orders Boeing Delta 2 rocket for STEREO launch NASA is exercising a contract option for a Delta 2 vehicle to launch STEREO for the Office of Space Science Solar Terrestrial Probes Program. The spacecraft is planned for launch November 15, 2005, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. FULL STORY

News Archive
Nov. 10-16: Images give new insight into Mars' ancient rivers; Nascent star is forming Jupiter-like planet; Radar shows no evidence of thick ice at lunar poles; China puts communications satellite into orbit; Europe's first step towards Mars sample return.

Nov. 3-9: Solar storms continue to pummel Earth; Biggest solar X-ray flare ever classified as X28; NASA increases return-to-flight shuttle crew to seven; Budget ax falls on planet finder, Mercury lander; Voyager approaching solar system's outer limits.

Oct. 27-Nov. 2: Russian capsule safely ferries station crew to Earth; Experimental Japanese satellite launched into space; Hope of salvaging ADEOS 2 satellite fades; Megastar-birth cluster is biggest, hottest ever seen; Infrared flares seen from black hole at galactic center.

Oct. 20-26: Sun erupts with intense activity; New station residents arrive at their orbiting home; Earth monitoring satellite goes silent; Five-segment shuttle solid rocket booster test fired.

More news See our weekly archive of space news.

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.

Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Viking patch

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

Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

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.

Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

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.

Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Apollo patches

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

Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Apollo 11 special patch

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

Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Inside Apollo mission control

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

Choose your store:
U.S.

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.

Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

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!

Choose your store:
U.S.

Get e-mail updates
Sign up for our NewsAlert service and have the latest news in astronomy and space e-mailed direct to your desktop (privacy note: your e-mail address will not be used for any other purpose).

Apollo 11 special patch

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

Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Inside Apollo mission control

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

Choose your store:
U.S.

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.

Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

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!

Choose your store:
U.S.

Current Shuttle Mission Patch

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

U.S. STORE

WORLDWIDE STORE

Ares 1-X Patch

The official embroidered patch for the Ares 1-X rocket test flight, is available for purchase.

U.S. STORE

WORLDWIDE STORE

Apollo Collage

This beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos.

U.S. STORE

WORLDWIDE STORE

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.

U.S. STORE

Fallen Heroes Patch Collection

The official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store.

U.S. STORE

WORLDWIDE STORE

Contact us
If you have a comment or question for Spaceflight Now, just send us an e-mail.

INDEX | PLUS | NEWS ARCHIVE | LAUNCH SCHEDULE
ASTRONOMY NOW | STORE

ADVERTISE