Universe Today - August 27, 1999

the
U N I V E R S E
T O D A Y

Space Exploration News From Around the Internet, Updated Every Weekday.
August 27th, 1999 - Issue #88
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Space News from SpaceDaily.com for today

B-10A Enters Cape Horn Shipping Lanes
http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/icebergs-99a.html

Ball To Build Three Bird Telescope
http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/ngst-99e.html

Space Radar Project Faces Funding Cuts
http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/discovery2-99a.html

X-34 Set For Extensive Testing
http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/rlv-99q.html

Lander Zeros In For Gentle Southern Landing
http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/mars98-99d.html

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-- UNIVERSE TODAY STORY SUMMARY --

* Landing Site Chosen for Upcoming Mars Mission
* Hubble Observes Hourglass-Shaped Nebula
* NASA Considers Inflatable Space Station Module
* Meteorite Found to Contain Water
* Chandra Delivers the Goods
* X-33 Behind Schedule
* Last Mir Crew Prepares to Leave


LANDING SITE CHOSEN FOR UPCOMING MARS MISSION
------------------------
The landing spot for the Mars Polar Lander has been selected to be
a strip of rolling, gentle hills near the planet's South Pole. The
probe will arrive at Mars on December 3rd, parachute down through
the atmosphere and finally land after firing its retrorockets.

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/science/DailyNews/marspolar990825.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_430000/430442.stm
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/082699/mars.sml
http://www.chron.com/content/interactive/space/astronomy/news/1999/solarsys/990825.html
http://www.spaceviews.com/1999/08/25b.html


HUBBLE OBSERVES HOURGLASS-SHAPED NEBULA
------------------------
The Hubble Space Telescope has provided extremely clear images of the
Southern Crab Nebula (He2-104). Shaped like an hourglass, astronomers
believe the nebula was created by a pair of stars orbiting one another,
spreading the nebula into the pattern.

http://www.astronomynow.com/breaking/9908/25hubble/index.html
http://explorezone.com/archives/99_08/25_hubble_crab.htm


NASA CONSIDERS INFLATABLE SPACE STATION MODULE
------------------------
NASA is looking for a way to increase the habitable area on the International
Space Station by using an inflatable module called TransHab. In order the build
the module, however, the space agency needs an industry partner who'll do the
work for less than $200 million.

http://www.chron.com/content/interactive/space/station/stories/1999/990825.html


METEORITE FOUND TO CONTAIN WATER
------------------------
When examining a meteorite found by a group of boys in Texas, scientists
made an amazing discovery - the space rock contained minute particles of
water, believed to be 4.5 billion years old.

http://www.flatoday.com/space/today/082799j.htm


CHANDRA DELIVERS THE GOODS
------------------------
NASA officials unveiled the first images produced by the Chandra X-Ray
observatory at a press conference today - a picture of the Cassiopeia A
supernova remnant, with a possible black hole at the centre. A second
image shows an X-ray jet streaming away from a distant quasar.

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/science/DailyNews/nasa_telescope990826.html
http://www.astronomynow.com/breaking/9908/26chandra/index.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_431000/431168.stm
http://cnn.com/TECH/space/9908/26/chandra.01/index.html
http://explorezone.com/archives/99_08/26_chandra.htm
http://www.msnbc.com/news/304904.asp
http://www.chron.com/content/interactive/space/astronomy/news/1999/ds/990827.html
http://www.flatoday.com/space/today/082799h.htm
http://www.spaceviews.com/1999/08/26a.html


X-33 BEHIND SCHEDULE
------------------------
Lockheed recently announced that its work on the new X-33 space shuttle
successor is behind schedule and overbudget. Several problems have
contributed to the delays, including issues with the lightweight fuel
tanks, rocket engines, and heat shield.

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/science/DailyNews/nasa_x33_990826.html
http://cnn.com/TECH/space/9908/26/spacecraftdelays.ap/index.html
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/082699/x33.sml
http://www.msnbc.com/news/305056.asp
http://www.chron.com/cgi-bin/auth/story.mpl/content/interactive/space/news/99/990826.html
http://www.flatoday.com/space/today/082799g.htm


LAST MIR CREW PREPARES TO LEAVE
------------------------
Things are looking more and more dire for the Mir spacestation as its final
crew prepares to return home. The Russian government can no longer afford to
maintain the station and will be forced to let its orbit decay, partially
burning up in the atmosphere.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_431000/431119.stm
http://cnn.com/TECH/space/9908/26/space.russia.reut/index.html
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/082699/mir.sml
http://www.msnbc.com/news/304520.asp
http://www.flatoday.com/space/today/082699l.htm



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