Space Shuttle Astronauts Gain Fame

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• Columbia Crew Had No Chance to Survive

  Dec 30, 08 4:45 PM CST
  The seven astronauts aboard the space shuttle Columbia lost consciousness quickly and did not suffer when the craft broke up during its descent to Earth in 2003, a  NASA report says. While the crew had zero chance of survival, the report found fault with the astronauts' safety equipment and recommended improvements in everything from helmets to seat restraints.
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• NASA Launching First Satellite to Map CO2

  Dec 18, 08 6:22 PM CST
  NASA will soon launch a satellite that can measure carbon dioxide concentrations near the surface of the Earth, giving scientists an accurate picture of where the gas is produced and absorbed, the BBC reports. "This is NASA's first spacecraft specifically dedicated to mapping carbon dioxide," said a project leader. The data should help scientists get a better idea of how CO2 moves through the atmosphere and affects climate change.
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• Obama Will Face Shuttle Dilemma

  Dec 17, 08 6:37 AM CST
  America's aging space shuttle fleet will pose some tough questions for Barack Obama, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Bush administration has recommended the shuttle be mothballed by 2010. To avoid leaving a potentially crippling 5-year gap in America's manned space flight program, Obama's NASA team will need to decide whether to extend the shuttle’s life or speed up production of its replacement.
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• Moon Will Appear Extra Bright Tonight

  Dec 12, 08 4:29 PM CST
  If tonight’s full moon looks bigger and brighter than normal, that’s because it is, Space.com reports. The satellite reaches its perigree today, making its position the closest of the year to Earth—though still some 222,000 miles away. The moon's irregular orbit causes the distance to vary.
  
  
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• British Satellites May Provide Cell Phone Service on Moon

  Dec 5, 08 5:55 PM CST
  The UK’s space agency is reviewing the feasibility of a mission to put satellites in orbit around the moon, CNET reports. The MoonLITE study plans to send four “penetrator darts” containing geophysical instruments into the moon’s crust, monitoring their findings with four accompanying satellites. The resulting data will deliver information on moonquakes and the composition of the moon’s crust and core.
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