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Sunday:
March 17, 2002 | |
1100 GMT |
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Gravity mapping satellites launched into space
Two satellites designed to work in concert to map Earth's gravity field to an unprecedented accuracy were trucked into polar orbit today for a five-year mission that scientists hope will give new insight into global climate change.
 FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
LAUNCH TIMELINE
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Video coverage for subscribers only:
VIDEO: GRACE MISSION SCIENCE BRIEFING QT or RV
VIDEO: ANIMATION OF TWIN GRACE SPACECRAFT QT or RV
MORE: COMPLETE SFN+ VIDEO INDEX
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Shifts in Pacific winds may support El Nino formation
Wind data for the Pacific Ocean obtained by NASA's Quick Scatterometer spacecraft are documenting episodes of reversed trade winds that are responsible for unseasonable cyclone conditions in the northwest and southwest Pacific, and which may be a precursor of a future El Nino.
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Japanese observatory views Uranus and two moon
This near-infrared image of Uranus, its ring system, and two of its satellites -- Miranda and Ariel -- is from the Subaru Telescope of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.
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Boeing receives 'go' to build new GPS 2F satellites
Boeing Space and Communications has received approval from the U.S. Air Force to move forward with satellite production for the Global Positioning System 2F Modernization program.
FULL STORY
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Saturday:
March 16, 2002 | |
0901 GMT |
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High altitude winds scrub today's Eurockot launch
Strong upper altitude winds forced today's attempt to launch the Rockot booster with the twin GRACE spacecraft to be scrubbed. Liftoff has been tentatively rescheduled for Sunday. The NASA/German mission will map Earth's gravity field.
MISSION STATUS CENTER - updates
LAUNCH TIMELINE
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Video coverage for subscribers only:
VIDEO: GRACE MISSION SCIENCE BRIEFING QT or RV
VIDEO: ANIMATION OF TWIN GRACE SPACECRAFT QT or RV
MORE: COMPLETE SFN+ VIDEO INDEX
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Age discrepancy throws pulsar theories into turmoil
Astronomers have found a pulsar -- a spinning, superdense neutron star -- that apparently is considerably younger than previously thought. This finding, combined with the discovery in 2000 of a pulsar that was older than previously thought, means that many assumptions astronomers have made about how pulsars are born and age must be reexamined.
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Successful completion of first Atlas 5 countdown test
The first round of fueling and countdown demonstrations for Lockheed Martin's inaugural Atlas 5 rocket was successfully completed Friday morning at Cape Canaveral's Complex 41 with rollback of the vehicle to its assembly building. Over the past few days, the rocket was fully fueled and put through countdown simulations through the T-minus 4 minute mark.
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Friday:
March 15, 2002 | |
0717 GMT |
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Saturday launch planned for gravity mapping mission
A pair of satellites are awaiting launch in far northern Russia on a revolutionary mission that promises to improve the understanding of Earth's gravity field and a variety of other processes that make our world what it is today. Liftoff of the GRACE mission is set for 0923 GMT (4:23 a.m. EST) Saturday aboard a Rockot booster.
FULL STORY
LAUNCH TIMELINE
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Atlas 5 nears completion of first countdown test
The first round of fueling and countdown demonstrations for Lockheed Martin's inaugural Atlas 5 rocket was nearing completion Thursday evening at Cape Canaveral's Complex 41 as engineers loaded super-cold liquid oxygen into the vehicle's first stage. Earlier this week the first stage was loaded with kerosene propellant and the Centaur upper stage was tanked with cryogenics. The rocket is to be rolled off the pad Friday.
WEDNESDAY'S STORY
THURSDAY'S STORY
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Students use International Space Station to view Earth
A student experiment -- that allows middle school students to use a camera aboard the International Space Station to take pictures of cities, mountains, rivers and other features on Earth and bring those pictures into their classrooms via the Internet -- has completed Expedition Four operations.
FULL STORY
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Thursday:
March 14, 2002 | |
0320 GMT |
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Scientists say Martian spots worth a close look
Are dark spots that appear near the south pole of Mars in early spring, a sign of life on the Red Planet? No-one can say for sure, according to a group of scientists who met at the European Space Agency's technical center in the Netherlands.
FULL STORY
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Mars Odyssey's radiation experiment revived
Flight controllers for NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft report the martian radiation environment experiment began gathering science data Wednesday after their troubleshooting efforts successfully reestablished communications with the instrument.
FULL STORY
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Deputy administrator nomination withdrawn
On the day the U.S. Senate had scheduled a confirmation hearing, the White House on Wednesday withdrew its nomination of Major General Charles Bolden, a former astronaut, to become NASA's deputy administrator. Read a statement issued by NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe:
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Atlas 5 fueling tests to continue Thursday
The countdown dress rehearsal of Lockheed Martin's first Atlas 5 rocket was partially completed on Wednesday as the launch team loaded the Centaur upper stage with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. The Atlas first stage will be loaded with liquid oxygen Thursday to wrap up the rehearsal. If the rest of the test goes well, the rocket will be rolled off the pad Friday.
WEDNESDAY'S STORY
THURSDAY'S STORY
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Wednesday:
March 13, 2002 | |
0615 GMT |
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Researchers: Mars' features not eroded by water
Scientists have provided new evidence that liquid carbon dioxide, not running water, may have been the primary cause of erosional features such as gullies, valley networks, and channels that cover the surface of Mars.
FULL STORY
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One shuttle mission ends as next rolls to launch pad
Four hours after space shuttle Columbia swooped out of the night sky and touched down on Kennedy Space Center's runway Tuesday to conclude its mission to rejuvenate the Hubble Space Telescope, sistership Atlantis began rolling to launch pad 39B for blastoff next month.
FULL STORY
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Atlas 5 countdown test reset for Wednesday
Technical issues on Tuesday forced Lockheed Martin officials to postpone a countdown dress rehearsal for its new Atlas 5 rocket until Wednesday.
FULL STORY
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Tuesday:
March 12, 2002 | |
1230 GMT |
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Columbia returns from Hubble service call
The space shuttle Columbia glided to a smooth touchdown Tuesday on Runway 33 at the Kennedy Space Center to close out a surprisingly successful five-spacewalk mission to overhaul and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
ENTRY AND LANDING EVENTS CHART
LANDING PREVIEW STORY
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Astronomy Now and Spaceflight Now present a 100-page, full-color special publication: 2001: a Year in Space. A stunning month-by-month pictorial record of the space events and discoveries during 2001. Available now from our store.
The Hubble Space Telescope's majestic view of the Eskimo Nebula. This spectacular poster is available now from the Astronomy Now Store.