Space and astronomy news
[/caption] KENNEDY SPACE CENTER: Get ready for the ultimate photo op in space – set for the International Space Station joined to Space Shuttle Endeavour and topped off by Planet Earth as the backdrop. And it’s coming up momentarily because of an unexpected and “unique opportunity” that’s also taking place at nearly the last possible …
[/caption] According to a Russian official, the commercial space company Space Adventures will be sending two space tourists a year into orbit on Soyuz spacecraft from beginning in 2012. “We have been working on this project for a number of years” said Sergey Kostenko, the head of the company’s office in Russia, who was quoted …
Continue reading “Tourists to ISS Two at a Time Starting 2012?”
[/caption] To save on weight, NASA engineers are considering the option to remove two seats from the Orion crew exploration vehicle. According to the manager of the Constellation Program, a possible redesign option has been discussed with the International Space Station (ISS) partners despite the fact that the initial operational capability (IOC) to deliver crew …
Continue reading “Could Orion be Downgraded from a Six to Four Astronaut Vehicle?”
[/caption] A Russian official misspoke last weekend when he said the number of crew members on board the International Space Station probably wouldn’t increase next year as planned. On Saturday, Roscosmos head Anatoly Perminov said, “I doubt that the ISS crew will be increased to six people from next year because the final decision has …
Continue reading “NASA Confirms ISS Crew Will Expand to Six in 2009”
European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter from Germany will become the first from the agency to spend several months on board the International Space Station. Although ESA astronauts have visited the station several times before, they usually only stick around for about a week, perform a bunch of experiments, and then join the returning crew for the Soyuz flight home. Reiter will be launched with the Space Shuttle flight STS-121, currently planned for July 2006.