Brussels (AFP) Sept 19, 2007 - The European Commission on Wednesday proposed funding the troubled multi-billion-euro satellite navigation project Galileo wholly from EU coffers, rather than with money from private industry or member states.
Taiyuan, China (XNA) Sep 19, 2007 - China launched the third earth resources satellite co-developed with Brazil on Wednesday morning and the two nations will jointly develop two more satellites. The satellite, named 02B, was launched on a Chinese Long March-4B carrier rocket which blasted off at 11:26 a.m. (Beijing Time) from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province. The satellite separated from the rocket 12 minutes after lift-off, entering its preset sun-synchronous orbit, at a perigee of 738 kilometers and an apogee of 750 kilometers.
Star City, Russia (AFP) Sept 18, 2007 - The two candidates to become Malaysia's first man in space underwent final exams on Tuesday before one is selected to blast off on October 10 to the International Space Station (ISS).
Washington (AFP) Sept 18, 2007 - A leaking hydraulic seal on the space shuttle Discovery's right main-gear strut could delay the launch of the shuttle to the International Space Station set for October 23, NASA said Monday.
The Russian Progress M-60 cargo spacecraft will undock from the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday and spend several days engaged in research, a mission control official said Monday.
Baikonur Space Center (RIA Novosti) Sep 18, 2007 - The first experiments are due to begin on board the Foton-M bio-satellite, launched Friday on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur space center, the head of the project told journalists. The cockroach-carrying bio-satellite, whose passengers also includes snails, lizards, butterflies and gerbils, took off at 3 p.m. Moscow time (11 a.m. GMT).
Vandenberg AFB CA (SPX) Sep 18, 2007 - For the 75th consecutive time, a Delta II rocket successfully delivered a satellite to orbit during a launch taking place on the U.S. Air Force's 60th anniversary. Digital Globe's WorldView commercial satellite was launched at 11:35 a.m. PDT from Space launch Complex-2, by a combined United Launch Alliance, Boeing Launch Services and Air Force team.
Cape Canveral FL (SPX) Sep 18, 2007 - NASA technicians will begin repair work Wednesday on a leaking hydraulic seal in space shuttle Discovery's right main-gear strut. The struts act as shock absorbers during the shuttle's landing. Shuttle managers made the decision to go ahead with the repairs during a meeting Monday afternoon. Discovery had been scheduled to roll over Wednesday from its processing hanger to the Vehicle Assembly Building.
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Sep 18, 2007 - Marshall Center employees are back at it -- donating time and energy -- exercising on treadmills, bikes, and other equipment to test aspects of a life support system that could someday provide drinking water to people living on the moon or Mars. For almost 20 years, NASA engineers at Marshall have led the design and development of the International Space Station life support system, called the Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System, or ECLSS.
Washington (AFP) Sept 17, 2007 - NASA is at the thriving heart of a 180-billion-dollar space economy that benefits life on Earth, the head of the much-maligned US agency said Monday ahead of its 50th birthday.
Pasadena CA (SPX) Sep 17, 2007 - Fasten your seat belts, says Alan Stern, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. One of NASA's most amazing programs is about to get even better. He's talking about Discovery--the adventurous NASA program that gave us the first rover on another planet (Mars Pathfinder), the first landing on an asteroid (NEAR's touchdown on 433 Eros), the first sample return from a comet (Stardust), the first sample return from the Sun (Genesis) and the possible discovery of water at the Moon's poles (Lunar Prospector).
Paris, France (SPX) Sep 17, 2007 - ESA PR 28-2007. An unmanned Foton spacecraft, carrying a payload of more than 40 ESA experiments, was successfully launched earlier today. The Soyuz-U launcher lifted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, at 13:00 CEST (11:00 GMT). Nearly 9 minutes later, the Russian Foton-M3 spacecraft separated from the rocket's upper stage and was inserted into a 300 km orbit that will carry it around the Earth once every 90 minutes.
Kuala Lumpur (AFP) Sept 16, 2007 - Malaysian religious authorities are hopeful that the country's first astronaut will also become the first Muslim to fast in space when he blasts off next month during Ramadan.
Paris, France (ESA) Sep 14, 2007 - An unmanned Foton capsule, carrying a payload of over 40 European experiments, is on schedule for launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome, in Kazakhstan, at 13:00 CEST (11:00 UT) tomorrow. The Soyuz-U launcher, which will carry the Foton-M3 spacecraft into orbit, was transferred to the launch pad this morning.
Pasadena CA (JPL) Sep 14, 2007 - If you drive a car - and you know who you are - you have invariably come upon the dreaded dilemma of refueling. When the needle on your gas gauge wavers over the unseemly 'E,' you have to ask yourself one question - Do I stop at the next gas station or press on, hoping for a fuel oasis somewhere down the road? But what if you need to motor somewhere three billion-plus miles off the beaten path - somewhere where neither regular nor premium unleaded have so far feared to tread?
Paris, France (SPX) Sep 14, 2007 - The four ELISA satellites will be placed in heliosynchronous orbit by a Soyuz rocket to be launched from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. They will be auxiliary passengers on the launch of the first Pleiades satellite in late 2009. Astrium is lead manager for the program, working with co-contractor Thales for French MoD procurement agency DGA. Astrium is prime contractor for the demonstration program, which comprises four satellites, each weighing about 135 kg. The satellites are built on a Myriade platform designed by French space agency CNES.
