Universe Today - November 27, 2000 |
|
the U N I V E R S E T O D A Y Space Exploration News From Around the Internet, Updated Every Weekday. November 27, 2000 - Issue #345 http://www.universetoday.com info@universetoday.com An HTML version of this newsletter including pictures is available at: http://www.universetoday.com/html/misc/today.html ************************************** From the publisher... Okay, egg on my face. Last week I said that due to a lack of news, there were a few interruptions in the newsletter, but I thought that would be all. Little did I realize what impact the US Thanksgiving had on news coverage. Not only is their Thanksgiving 6 weeks late (7% of you will get this joke), but the entire country shuts down, and that's where most of the space news comes from. But now, I promise, everything should be in order again. In other news, there were a few space anniversaries recently. Space historian Larry Klaes takes a look at the 30th anniversary of the Russian Lunakhod rover - the first successful unmanned rover, which explored the moon. It's also the 20th anniversary of Voyager 1's trip past Saturn. http://www.universetoday.com/html/special/lunakhod.html Fraser Cain Publisher Universe Today P.S. To all my fellow Canadians, don't forget to vote today. It's our turn to *choose* a leader. ;-) ************************************** T-Quest Optical For your astronomical and earthly optical needs - Telescopes, Binoculars, Sports Optics, Night Vision, Low Vision - Secure ordering plus free merchandise at http://www.tquestoptical.com?ut ************************************** -- UNIVERSE TODAY STORY SUMMARY -- * Tito is Confident He'll Get to Fly * Scientists Believe They May Have Bacteria from Space * Endeavour is Ready for Liftoff TITO IS CONFIDENT HE'LL GET TO FLY ------------------------- Although the Russian government seems likely to deorbit the Mir spacestation shortly, American businessman Dennis Tito still feels confident that he'll get a chance to fly in space; if not on Mir, then to the International Space Station. One possible mission at this point is to go to Mir in January to help prepare it for descent, and the other option is to help provide the International Space Station with a Soyuz escape capsule. Either way, if he hasn't left the Earth by June 30, 2001, the deal's off, and Russia doesn't get any of the $20 million in an escrow account. Original Source: http://eo1.gsfc.nasa.gov/miscPages/home.html Internet Coverage: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/science/DailyNews/spacetourist001125.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1043000/1043132.stm http://www.cnn.com/2000/TECH/space/11/27/russia.spacetourist.ap/index.html Similar Stories: http://www.universetoday.com/html/topics/mir.html Related Sites: http://www.universetoday.com/html/directory/russia.html Related Books: http://www.universetoday.com/html/books/mir.html SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THEY MAY HAVE BACTERIA FROM SPACE ------------------------- An international team of scientists have found living microorganisms in the upper reaches of our atmosphere - life they think could have come from space. Using a scientific balloon, the scientists pulled the bacteria from an altitude of 16km, and learned that it's unlike anything else on Earth. This discovery, which still needs a thorough scientific review, supports the theory of panspermia, where microbial life reached the Earth from space, on board comets and asteroids. Original Source: http://enn.com/news/wire-stories/2000/11/11222000/upi_alien_40377.asp Internet Coverage: http://www.cnn.com/2000/TECH/space/11/24/alien.microbe.claim/index.html Similar Stories: http://www.universetoday.com/html/topics/astrobiology.html Related Sites: http://www.universetoday.com/html/directory/astrobiology.html Related Books: http://www.universetoday.com/html/books/astrobiology.html ENDEAVOUR IS READY FOR LIFTOFF ------------------------- With the space shuttle Discovery only recently on the ground, NASA is getting ready to send Endeavour up to complete the next stage in the construction of the International Space Station. Endeavour is due to launch on its 10-day journey on Thursday at 3:06am GMT. Once in orbit and docked with the station, the astronauts will complete 3 spacewalks to attach the station's giant solar arrays - the array and their truss will be the largest and heaviest component so far. Original Source: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/spacenews/releases/n00-57.html Internet Coverage: http://www.spacedaily.com/news/shuttle-00za.html http://spaceflightnow.com/ops/stage4a/001124preview/ http://www.spaceviews.com/2000/11/27a.html Similar Stories: http://www.universetoday.com/html/topics/shuttle.html Related Sites: http://www.universetoday.com/html/directory/nasa.html Related Books: http://www.universetoday.com/html/books/spaceshuttle.html ************************************************ Space-related sites... Dorval Astronomy Club - http://www.multimania.com/cdadfs A fun astronomy club in the city of Dorval(near Montreal, QC, Canada). Founded in 1971 David Chandler Company - http://www.DavidChandler.com Astronomy software, charts, and books by David Chandler Space Sciences - http://www.geocities.com/peterroberts.geo/astro.htm Astronomy and space resources on the net. AIT Internet-Shop - http://www.ait-trading.com/ German Mail-Order Dealer for MEADE, CELESTRON, VIXEN, INTES, CANON, PENTAX, DAYSTAR, Astronomy-Software, Accessories. We speak English. B~Hive Cafe/Eyes on Space - http://www.geocities.com/area51/lair/1885 Updates from Way Outer Space, Mission out of Control, Space Debris, Pic of the Month, Conspiracy Corner, Final Cut High Moon, the home of Klipsi - http://eclipse.span.ch Eclipses, Occultations, Leonids, webcam. Psychic Astrology and Astrology - http://sites.netscape.net/psychicreadersus/psychic_astrology A discussion for working psychic readers about astrology, the foundation of modern paranormal inquiry. Many useful links. Olivier Duquesne's bookmarks - http://users.swing.be/olivierduquesne links, links and links. My own bookmark on the web. AstroTeknik Uppsala - http://www.astroteknik.nu/ Telescopes, mounts, mirrors, diagonals, focusers, eyepieces, CCDs, Astronomy Software etc... - Dealer of Meade, Celestron, Vixen, Orion Telescope & binoculars, OrionOptics, APM and many more...in Sweden. NRAO Tuscon - http://www.tuc.nrao.edu The National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Tucson, Arizona specializes in the development of millimeter wave astronomical observatories ------------------------- To unsubscribe from this newsletter, just reply with only the subject line "UNSUBSCRIBE !*EMAIL*!". All contents copyright (c) 2000 Universe Today |