Kepler Ready for Launch, Magnetic Moon Rocks, Martian Methane, ISS Cargo, Next NASA Chief

NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope has had it’s pre-ship checkout and delivery to Cape Canaveral milestones completed.  It is designed to search for Earth-like planets around other stars – 140,000 stars are on tap to be examined.  The mission is currently scheduled to last 3.5 years, but if other recent NASA spacecraft are a guide, that mission could be extended.  Just look at Hubble or the Mars rovers.  Launch is set for March 5.

Earth’s moon might have had an internal magnetic dynamo, which made lunar rocks magnetic for millions of years.  A rock brought back by an Apollo 17 geologist has provided this rather surprising find.

Methane plumes have been found by the European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter (starting in 2003 and seen every Martian spring to summer since).  They do not automatically mean microbes are outgassing them.  Their source has not been positively identified.  One planetary science team is planning to develop a new device for a future rover to track the origin of the methane (some details here).  To do so, the future rover would have to be sent to a site where methane has been detected.

Last month, SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corp. were chosen as the two private companies to develop and launch spacecraft to carry supplies to the International Space Station.  A third company, PlanetSpace has filed a protest with the GAO.  PlanetSpace earned a higher score and offered a lower price than Oribal Sciences.  The GAO decision will be made available by April 24.

An Earth scientist could become the next Chief of NASA, replacing Mike Griffin.

Shuttle Discovery & SpaceX’s Plans For Falcon 5 In 2009

NASA’s space shuttle Discovery was moved to the Vehicle Assembly Building yesterday.  Discovery’s mission, STS-119, is to install the final truss segement and the International Space Station’s final pair of solar panels.  Launch is scheduled for Feb. 12 and is expected to last 14 days.

SpaceX has begun assembly of its first rocket at Cape Canaveral, FL.  The company wants to launch 5 rockets this year: a maiden flight sponsored by a U.S. government customer that the company will not name and two demonstration flights under NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program. The demo flights are intended to prove that SpaceX is ready to begin making regular cargo runs to the International Space Station under a $1.6 billion contract NASA awarded a few weeks ago.

Science News 9/30/08

NASA’s Phoenix lander detected snow falling from clouds 2 miles high.  While none reached the ground, it confirms water still precipitates from the sky in at least one form.

Folks continue to modify their Toyota Priuses to get even more performance from battery technologies.  At $7500 a pop, it’s not for everyone, but the engineering hurdles to make a car run exclusively off electricity if the driver wants has been jumped over time and time again.  My next car will be a hybrid at a minimum.  If I can convert it to be a plug-in, all the better.

A critical component of the Hubble has failed.  The Control Unit/Science Data Formatter is no longer working, meaning data can’t be sent to the ground.  A backup version is on-board, but scientists need to see if it can be brought online.  Another backup is located at the Hubble operations center.  Engineers will see if it can be made flight ready and if the system can be replaced in-flight.  Astronauts scheduled for the original Hubble repair mission will likely have to do some additional training also.  All this means the Hubble repair mission is likely to be delayed until January or February of next year.  The next International Space Station construction mission would then be moved up to mid-November.

SpaceX has successfully become the first private entity to put a liquid-fueled booster in Earth orbit.  It took four tries, but Falcon1 achieved the mark Sunday.  More Falcon1 launches are scheduled, with one next year to launch a Malaysian satellite.  SpaceX is also planning a mid-2009 launch of Falcon9, which could help deliver supplies to the International Space Station while NASA is without a vehicle between shuttle retirement and Orion coming online.

Has the next solar cycle begun?  After a brief time of no sunspots, one has developed on the sun’s surface.  If more sunspots develop in the relative near future, Solar Cycle 24 will have begun.