Space Forum / Space Policy / December 2005

After Virginia Heinlein's death, she endowed the Heinlein trust with a
substantial portion of their
estate.  A board of trustees and global advisers were established and a
medal and a prize of $500,000.00 has been established for the person

I notice that shuttle crews walk out to the bus that takes them to the
pad with no suit helmet or gloves on, but the guys on the Apollo
missions were all helmeted and sealed up, why?  I am assuming that
they were breathing 100% o2, and the shuttle crews are breathing air.

28 December 2005 - 10:01:39 am (Paris time)
The First Galileo in-orbit validation satellite has been successfully
launched. It reached its circular orbit at an altitude of 23 258 km at
10:01:39 am (Paris time)

"This performance clearly demonstrates that Ariane 5 is the world's
best launcher, and Arianespace - with its family of vehicles - is
clearly the no. 1 launch services company," explained Arianespace CEO

Merry Christmas everyone.  Hope Santa has been generous.
--
Christopher

Read in a free newspaper we get here in England called 'Metro' that
the EVA suits for NASA's 2018 Moon mission are probably going to be
made in Japan.  Can anyone confirm?
--

Oh, to turn on the television one day in the future and hear something
like this...
My fellow Americans,
As one of my predecessors in this office has noted, "The American way of

Watch "The March of the Penguins" with your girlfriend and then think
about what political decisions you should combine to make your future
family with her.
And then kill yourself because you aren't that commited to progeny -

Interesting overview of GPS status and prospects, with recommendations:
http://www.acq.osd.mil/dsb/reports/2005-10-GPS_Report_Final.pdf
Defense Science Board Task Force
on

Stan Crock's Business Week commentary about the proposed
combo-EELV effort has it right.  With "the total cost of the
program [propelled] to $31.8 billion, from $17.3 billion, and the
cost per launch to $230 million in 2004 dollars, up from $95 billion

The number 5 story in a list of the "most under-reported news stories"
of the last year...
is that a massive area of peat bogs in Siberia, the size of Germany and
France together, is thawing - apparently irreversibly - because of a

Press conference planned for 11/18/05 will announce
launch date and time.
"http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=18326"
- Ed Kyle

News today that Russia has agreed to sell advanced
antiaircraft missiles to Iran.  Notice that this sale was
carefully not announced until after Congress agreed to
allow NASA to buy U.S. rides on Soyuz.

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=18919
Will McLean