Space Quote: A Private Mission to Save Hubble?

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): The Hubble Space Telescope returning to orbit after its second servicing mission in February 1997. (NASA)

“Perhaps the opportunity with Polaris won’t be there, but NASA can work with Congress and the Administration to request funds for a Hubble reboost or enhancement mission, using a commercial partner where NASA is in the drivers [sic] seat, and the maturity of the space systems is higher and lower risk.”

-Statement by John Grunsfeld, an astronaut who operated on Hubble multiple times, in an NPR story regarding an offer by businessman Jared Isaacman to privately fund a mission to move the Hubble Space Telescope to a higher orbit and conduct necessary repairs to extend the telescope’s life. His offer has been met with some skepticism due to the difficulty of such a mission.

ISS May Soon Have an Indian Astronaut

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): India’s Vikram lander on the Moon’s surface. (India Space Research Organization)

A U.S. official speaking in India promised that an Indian astronaut would be on the International Space Station (ISS) soon, maybe by year end. The Hindustan Times reports that the comments were made by U.S. Envoy Eric Garcetti at the US-India Commercial Space Conference: Unlocking Opportunities for US & Indian Space Startups.

Mr. Garcetti was quoted as stating:

NASA will soon provide advanced training to Indian astronauts, with the goal of mounting a joint effort to the International Space Station, hopefully, this year or shortly thereafter, which was one of the promises of our leaders’ visit together.

India already has a growing space program, including last year’s rover mission on the Moon, yet this is a smart move by the U.S. It is similar to Russian efforts to expand the list of visitors to the ISS.

NASA is the Place to Work

Posted on by onespaceman2000

Even with the recent budget-related stress, NASA continues to be a happy place for its workers. The agency was rated by its employees as the best place work for the 12th straight year in the 2023 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government survey, issued by the Partnership for Public Service and Boston Consulting Group. This top ranking was among the larger agencies. A more complete listing based on agency size is shown in the graphic below.

In a press release regarding the survey results, NASA’s Administrator Bill Nelson stated:

Once again, NASA has shown that with the world’s finest workforce, we can reach the stars…Through space exploration, advances in aviation, groundbreaking science, new technologies, and more, the team of wizards at NASA do what is hard to achieve what is great. That’s the pioneer spirit that makes NASA the best place to work in the federal government. With this ingenuity and passion, we will continue to innovate for the benefit of all and inspire the world.

Congrats to the team at NASA that has kept the agency in the lead through interesting work and positive management. A big mission needs an ambitious and happy staff to keep the dream alive.

Pic of the Week: A Triple-Star System

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Hubble image of a triple-star system. (NASA, ESA, G. Duchene (Universite de Grenoble I); Image Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America))

This week’s image is from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. It shows a triple-star system that consists of the variable star HP Tau, HP Tau G2, and HP Tau G3.

NASA explains:

HP Tau is known as a T Tauri star, a type of young variable star that hasn’t begun nuclear fusion yet but is beginning to evolve into a hydrogen-fueled star similar to our Sun. T Tauri stars tend to be younger than 10 million years old ― in comparison, our Sun is around 4.6 billion years old ― and are often found still swaddled in the clouds of dust and gas from which they formed.

Starliner Launch Delayed Again

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): The Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V during a launch attempt of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test on Monday, May 6, 2024, at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

If you were hoping to a Boeing Starliner launch to the International Space Station (ISS) today, then you will be disappointed (again). The launch is not expected until Friday May 25 at the earliest.

In a press release, Boeing noted:

The additional time allows teams to further assess a small helium leak in the Boeing Starliner spacecraft’s service module traced to a flange on a single reaction control system thruster. Pressure testing performed on May 15 on the spacecraft’s helium system showed the leak in the flange is stable and would not pose a risk at that level during the flight. The testing also indicated the rest of the thruster system is sealed effectively across the entire service module. Boeing teams are working to develop operational procedures to ensure the system retains sufficient performance capability and appropriate redundancy during the flight. As that work proceeds, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and the International Space Station Program will take the next few days to review the data and procedures to make a final determination before proceeding to flight countdown.

All we can do is hope and wait. I expect astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who are ready to crew the Starliner, are even more impatient.

Update: The proposed May 25 launch date is now dead as well. NASA has yet to provide a new date for what will be a historic launch if it ever gets underway.