Universe Today - September 13, 2001

Space Imaging has released incredibly detailed images of the collapsed World Trade Center and the Pentagon, taken by its IKONOS satellite that flies 680 kilometres overhead. These dramatic photographs, with a resolution of only 1 metre, were taken only a couple of hours after the damage was done by the highjacked aircraft. The special Space Imaging page also contains "before" pictures of the buildings, taken while they were fully intact.

NASA announced that it would reopen headquarters on Thursday, September 13, after closing all facilities on Tuesday. Even with this reopening, though, an unscheduled leave is in effect; any employees uncomfortable as a result of the bombing can stay home. NASA HQ remains in a heightened level of security, and everyone entering the building will be subject to search.

NASA's Kodiak Star, which was supposed to launch from Alaska has been delayed for two days, and is now scheduled to launch September 19. The delay was caused by the commercial air traffic closures in North America, that made travel to the launch site impossible. The Kodiak Star is made up of four small satellites which will be lofted into space on board a Lockheed Martin Athena 1 rocket. This will be the first launch from the new Kodiak, Alaska complex.

Data from many sources has helped astronomers uncover an ancient black hole speeding through our Sun's galactic neighborhood. This rogue black hole is also devouring a companion star as it follows an eclectic orbit around the Milky Way. The object, called XTE J1118+480, was first discovered by the Rossi X-Ray satellite last year, and was later confirmed by other observatories to be moving quickly.