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		Premium video content for our Spaceflight Now Plus subscribers. Shuttle news briefing The Stafford-Covey Return to Flight Task Group's co-chairmen, former astronauts Tom Stafford and Dick Covey, hold a news conference Thursday to update reporters on NASA's efforts to prepare the next space shuttle mission. (47min 01sec file) Play audio Nearing the U.S. From 230 miles above Earth, International Space Station astronaut Mike Fincke talks to Mission Control while an external camera watches Hurricane Ivan on Wednesday as the storm moved closer to landfall. (4min 53sec file) Play video Ivan in the Gulf As Hurricane Ivan moved into the Gulf of Mexico, this video recorded Tuesday evening aboard the International Space Station shows the storm and spectacular views of the eye. (6min 00sec file) Play video Ivan over Cuba This video of Hurricane Ivan from the International Space Station was recorded Monday as the storm passed over the western portion of Cuba. (4min 34sec file) Play video Hurricane Ivan Cameras on the International Space Station see Hurricane Ivan as the orbiting complex flies over the powerful storm on Saturday. (3min 05sec file) Play video Become a subscriber More video

Sunday: September 19, 2004		0341 GMT

Teets: America must reach for space dominance On the anniversary of the first man-made object reaching the moon, the Department of Defense's executive agent for space urged America to strive for dominance in space. FULL STORY

Watery load for Ariane 5 When the Ariane 5 ECA qualification flight lifts off in October, one of the 'passengers' will be 33.5 litres of water. Onboard will be the experimental Sloshsat-FLEVO satellite, designed to help European scientists find out more about the movement of water in microgravity and its effects on satellites. FULL STORY

Saturday: September 18, 2004		0412 GMT

Radical Antarctic telescope 'would outdo Hubble' A novel Antarctic telescope with 16-m diameter mirrors would far outperform the Hubble Space Telescope, and could be built at a tiny fraction of its cost, says a scientist from the Anglo-Australian Observatory in Sydney, Australia. FULL STORY

Intelligent telescopes survey the violent skies British astronomers are celebrating a world first that could revolutionize the future of astronomy. They have just begun a project to operate a global network of the world's biggest robotic telescopes which will be controlled by intelligent software to provide rapid observations of sudden changes in astronomical objects, such as violent Gamma Ray Bursts, or 24-hour surveillance of interesting phenomena. FULL STORY

Friday: September 17, 2004		0310 GMT

KSC continues hurricane recovery, damage checks Kennedy Space Center's nearly 14,000 employees returned to work this week, following an 11-day closure of the Center for Hurricane Frances. During the closure, the Damage Assessment and Recovery Team worked on-site to determine the extent of damage from the storm, which brought sustained winds greater than 70 mph and gusts as high as 94 mph. FULL STORY

NASA facilities weather Hurricane Ivan Hurricane Ivan made landfall early Thursday morning near the Alabama-Florida border, doing significant damage to coastal communities in its path. NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi and the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans were west of the worst of the storm, and initial reports indicate there is little or no damage to those facilities. FULL STORY

Genesis team hopeful about solar wind samples Genesis team scientists and engineers continue their work on the mission's sample return canister in a specially constructed clean room at the U.S. Army Proving Ground in Dugway, Utah. As more of the capsule's contents are revealed, the team's level of enthusiasm for the amount of science obtainable continues to rise. FULL STORY

Colorful threads and shadows of Saturn Saturn's faintly banded atmosphere is delicately colored and its threadbare rings cross their own shadows in this marvelous natural color view from Cassini. FULL STORY

NEWSWIRE Links to news across the internet

Large piece of shuttle found in Newton County -- (The Lufkin Daily News) A large piece of space shuttle Columbia debris found recently is a part of the crew compartment, possibly including the escape hatch, a NASA official said.

Thursday: September 16, 2004		0230 GMT

Galactic contortionists captured in amazing image A stunning image released by the Gemini Observatory captures the graceful interactions of a galactic ballet, on a stage some 300 million light years away, that might better be described as a contortionist's dance. FULL STORY

Arnold testing concludes on NASA's X-37 demonstrator The current phase of testing at the U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center has concluded on the X-37 NASA demonstrator spacecraft for future flights in Earth's orbit and for reentry from space missions. FULL STORY

OTHER HEADLINES Additional stories today

NASA develops new tool for airline accident prevention -- A "tool" created by NASA scientists to alert airline analysts to potential, unanticipated problems and to enhance safety and reliability in the industry is available for licensing.

Wednesday: September 15, 2004		0333 GMT

Hurricane Frances delays Delta 2 launch into October The fury of Hurricane Frances put a Boeing Delta 2 launch on hold and prompted extensive inspections, but pre-flight preparations are resuming for the rocket's mission to haul a replacement Global Positioning System satellite into space. FULL STORY

Over $100 million needed for KSC hurricane repairs The U.S. Congress is being asked to budget $126 million to repair hurricane damage at Kennedy Space Center in the wake of Frances' blast from Labor Day weekend. FULL STORY

Frances, Ivan contribute to hurricane studies Seen through the eyes of the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer aboard NASA's Terra satellite, the menacing clouds of Hurricanes Frances and Ivan provide a wealth of information that can help improve hurricane forecasts. FULL STORY

OTHER HEADLINES Additional stories today

NASA centers prepare for Hurricane Ivan -- Weather forecasts indicate some NASA centers and facilities could feel Ivan's terrible wrath. Preparations are under way to secure important space flight hardware. NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss., and the Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, are getting ready to ride out the storm.

Tuesday: September 14, 2004		0241 GMT

Cassini orbiter snaps Saturn's family portrait A stately Saturn poses for a portrait with five of its moons in this Cassini spacecraft wide angle camera view. The moons visible include Dione, Enceladus, Tethys, Mimas and Rhea. FULL STORY

Dark matter superstructure revealed by Chandra A nearby galaxy cluster is facing an intergalactic headwind as it is pulled by an underlying superstructure of dark matter, according to new evidence from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. FULL STORY

Glimpse of exotic matter in a neutron star Scientists have obtained their best measurement yet of the size and contents of a neutron star, an ultra-dense object containing the strangest and rarest matter in the universe. FULL STORY

Monday: September 13, 2004		0451 GMT

Airborne observatory sees stars for first time For the first time, scientists have peered at the stars using the newly installed telescope aboard NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), the largest airborne observatory in the world. FULL STORY

Gravity mission weighs in on Earth's changing climate For the first time, scientists have demonstrated that precise measurements of Earth's changing gravity field can effectively monitor changes in the planet's climate and weather. FULL STORY

OTHER HEADLINES Additional stories today

X-43A flight rehearsal postponed -- The captive carry flight of NASA's X-43A hypersonic research aircraft scheduled for last week was delayed due to hydraulic leakage on the B-52B launch airplane. This captive carry flight is basically a dress rehearsal for the planned free flight later this fall that is targeted to reach a speed of up to Mach 10, or about 7,000 mph.

News Archive
Sept. 6-12: Genesis space capsule crashes back to Earth; Cape battered by Hurricane Frances; Cassini discovers ring and one, maybe two, objects; Mars may have had large sea near rover landing site.

Aug. 30-Sept. 5: Atlas 2 rocket retires with remarkable record; Scientists discover a new class of extrasolar planets; Brightest supernova in a decade captured by Hubble; Space station residents complete spacewalk.

Aug. 23-29: History-making Titan 4 rocket put on the pad; South polar storms on Saturn spotted by Cassini; Boeing's Delta 4-Heavy rocket is revealed; Tiny 'David' telescope finds 'Goliath' planet.

Aug. 16-22: Out from the shadows: Two new Saturnian moons; Latest color pictures from Cassini look like artwork; Bedrock in Mars' Gusev Crater hints at watery past; How old is the Milky Way?; Disk shows signs of planets; Final engine test-fired for shuttle return to flight.

More news See our weekly archive of space news.

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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Columbia Report

The official accident investigation report into the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its crew of seven. Includes CD-ROM.

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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.

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!

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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 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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