Russian rocket ride: $63 million per US astronaut

The Russians are mountaineering the price of sky rocket rides over again for U.S. astronauts — to almost $63 million.

The price goes up in 2014 for an astronaut to fly to and from the International Space Station on a Russian Soyuz spaceship. NASA proclaimed the news Monday.

The earlier agreement exciting just below $56 million apiece

The contract lean-to with the Russian Space Agency totals $753 million. That wraps trips for a dozen astronauts from 2014 during 2016.

NASA officials say price rises is the cause for the latest price enlarge.

NASA chief Charles Bolden says it's dangerous for U.S. corporations to take over this transport job. Space shuttles old to do that job. They're being leaved this summer.

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NASA marks 25th anniversary of Challenger accident

Hundreds gather at NASA's launch site Friday to mark the 25th anniversary of the Challenger disaster, in receipt of words of hope from the widow of the space shuttle's leader.

The chilly outside observance drew space agency managers, former astronauts, past and present launch directors, family and friends of the fall crew and schoolchildren who weren't yet born when the space ferry transport a high school teacher from Concord, N.H., erupt in the sky.

The misfortune on Jan. 28, 1986 immediately 73 seconds into flight killed all seven on panel, as well as instructor Christa McAuliffe.

June Scobee Rodgers, the widow of Challenger's chief officer, Dick Scobee, urged the large number to "boldly look to the future" not only in space travel, bar in space and science tutoring. She was active in establish the NASA Challenger Center for Space Science Education.

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NASA gives go-ahead to another shuttle flight

NASA doesn't be on familiar terms with yet where it will get the money, other than on Thursday the space organization officially added one more space shuttle launch to its agenda the final one for the fleet.

The space organization set a target launch date of June 28 for shuttle Atlantis and started arrangements for the 135th and last ferry flight. The four-member team will take up provisions to the International Space Station and come back a defective pump that has bedeviled engineers.

Now three missions stay following before NASA retires its shuttle fleet this year. Shuttle Discovery's last mission is slated for Feb. 24, Endeavour's in April.

Thursday's move allows different parts of the shuttle program to start work on Atlantis' 12-day flight, including astronaut training and mission planning, NASA spokesman Michael Curie said. Originally, Atlantis was planned as an emergency-only rescue mission if needed for the Endeavour crew.

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NASA fuels space shuttle Atlantis for final voyage

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — NASA is fueling space shuttle Atlantis for its final journey.

Atlantis is set to blast off Friday afternoon with 6 astronauts and a load of supplies for the International Space Station (ISS).

Forecasters say there’s a 70 % chance the weather will cooperate. Launch time is 2:20 p.m. Fueling operations began before dawn Friday, just as the astronauts were waking up.

The 12-day mission is the last one for Atlantis. Only 2 other flights remain by NASA’s 2 other shuttles, before they are all retired.

Atlantis rocketed into orbit for the 1st time in 1985. This will be its 32nd trip. The shuttle is loaded with fresh batteries and a Russian-built compartment for the space station.

Countdown begins for shuttle Atlantis' last flight

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA is counting down to the final launch of space shuttle Atlantis.Atlantis is set to blast off Friday afternoon on its last trip to the International Space Station (ISS). The countdown clocks began ticking Tuesday.

Forecasters put the odds of good launch weather at 70 %.

The 6 astronauts assigned to the mission arrived at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on Monday evening. Atlantis will deliver spare parts and supplies to the ISS.

NASA will wrap up the shuttle program this fall. 2 more missions are planned, by Discovery and Endeavour. NASA test director Steve Payne says the launch team is savoring the moments while it can.

Atlantis' launch on Friday is 2:20 p.m.

NASA picks May 14 launch for Atlantis' last flight

NASA's top managers voted Wednesday to set May 14 as the launch date. Liftoff would be at 2:20 p.m.

Atlantis will fly to the International Space Station (ISS), carrying up a crew of 6 and a load of supplies. It's scheduled to be the last mission for Atlantis. NASA is retiring its 3 shuttles at the end of this year.

But Atlantis won't be dismantled and head to a museum as the flight is over. Instead, the spaceship will be prepped for a potential rescue mission for NASA's very last shuttle flight. That last trip, by Endeavour, is scheduled for November at the earliest.

After Atlantis, there are only 2 flights left.

Astronomers find loads of ice on big asteroid

Scientists have lots of ice in an unforeseen place in our solar system: an asteroid between Mars and Jupiter.

The discovery of significant asteroid ice has several consequences. It may possibly help explain how Earth first got its water. It makes asteroids more attractive to explore. And it muddies the definition between comets and asteroids.

The distant asteroid has an widespread but thin frost coating that is likely replenished by frozen water deep inside the rock. The discovery was announced in two studies being published in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature.

NASA shows First images from solar observatory

BOULDER, Colorado – NASA has unveiled the 1st images from a new satellite designed to forecast disruptive solar storms, and scientists say they are already learning new things.

Researchers showed off brightly colored images and a short movie clips of the sun from the Solar Dynamics Observatory in a webcast Wednesday.

The satellite was launched February 11. Dean Pesnell, the chief scientist, says it already has disproved at least 1 theory, but he didn't give any details.

Mr. Richard Fisher, director of NASA's heliophysics division, says the satellite is operating flawlessly.

It carries 3 instrument packages, one built by the University of Colorado's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics and 2 built by Lockheed Martin in Palo Alto, Calif.

Final STS-131 Spacewalk Complete

The 3rd STS-131 spacewalk ended at 8:38 a.m. EDT, a 6-hour, 24-minute outing for Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio & Clayton Anderson.

The spacewalkers fell behind the timeline when an alignment issue delayed the stowage of the depleted Ammonia Tank Assembly on a carrier in space shuttle Discovery's cargo bay. Some planned tasks had to be deferred. Before wrapping up, the spacewalkers relocated a portable foot restraint & prepared cables on the Zenith 1 truss for a spare Space to Ground Ku-Band antenna, 2 chores required before space shuttle Atlantis' STS-132/ULF-4 mission in May.

This was the final STS-131 spacewalk, the 236th conducted by U.S. astronauts, & the 6th for both Mastracchio & Anderson. It was the 143rd in support of International Space Station assembly & maintenance, totaling 893 hours, 33 minutes. It was the 115th spacewalk based out of the space station, totaling 706 hours, 18 minutes.

Mastracchio's six spacewalks total 38 hours, 30 minutes & Anderson's 6 spacewalks total 38 hours, 28 minutes. The pair now ranks 21st & 22nd on the list of cumulative spacewalk time. NASA Television airs a Mission Status Briefing at 11:30 a.m. with STS-131 Lead Space Station Flight Director Ron Spencer & STS-131 Lead Spacewalk Officer David Coan.

NASA satellites observe volcano effect

U.S. space agency scientists say they are watching the condition of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland that was detected by satellites. NASA scientists said they are using the satellite artificial intelligence to speed up estimates of the heat & volume of lava escaping from the volcano. The volcano eruption began March 20.

Less than 24 hours after the satellites' 1st inspection, scientists said they were able to confirm the volcano was releasing more than 1 billion watts of energy & discharging more than 6 tons of lava per sec.

They said the rapid calculations of lava volume & location provided by new satellite "onboard autonomy" technology used to conclude the likely direction of lava flows, while giving emergency managers advance warning to plan & deploy resources & carry out evacuations.

STS-131 Successfully Lifts Off

Discovery is carrying a multi-purpose logistics module filled with science racks for the laboratories aboard the station. The mission has three planned spacewalks, with work to include replacing an ammonia tank assembly, retrieving a Japanese experiment from the station’s exterior, and switching out a rate gyro assembly on the S0 segment of the station’s truss structure.

The Ku-Band system is one of several shuttle communications systems that can be used for transmission of voice and data to and from the ground. The other systems -- S-band and UHF -- are operating normally. Discovery also has multiple systems that provide backup capability for the rendezvous radar system. In addition, the station has a Ku-band system that also is used for transmission of television to the ground and can be used to transmit shuttle television views after docking.

STS-131 Flight controllers are continuing to troubleshoot the problem with Discovery's Ku-band antenna while also formulating plans to conduct the mission without use of the shuttle Ku system if necessary.

The Ku antenna is typically used by the crew and the ground teams during flight day 2's inspection using the OBSS. If the Ku still is not working tomorrow, the crew will record all of the inspection video and play it back after docking with the station, using the station's Ku antenna.

NASA astronauts gets ready for blast-off

A NASA astronaut & 2 Russian cosmonauts will be inside & will travel to the International Space Station.

NASA's Tracy Caldwell Dyson & Russians Alexander Skvortsov & Mikhail Kornienko are to blast off at 10.04am (0404 GMT) Friday for their 6 month mission in the orbiting science lab.

Workers at the craft's storage hangar slid open the gate just before daybreak on Wednesday & fixed the Soyuz rocket on a flatbed train for slow transportation to the launch location. Armed police with sniffer dogs are used for the security reasons on the train.

Launch Officials Meet Today for Final Prelaunch Review

Managers are meeting today at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the STS-131 Flight Readiness Review, ensuring space shuttle Discovery, the mission's crew and the payload all are ready for flight. At the end of the day-long review, they'll set the official STS-131 launch date. A press conference will follow the meeting's conclusion on www.nasa.gov/ntv. Launch currently is targeted for April 5.

Meanwhile, crews will complete closeout of Discovery's aft compartment at Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A. The mission's payload, including the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, was installed inside the shuttle's cargo bay this week.

At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the STS-131 astronauts continue to shift their sleep schedules to prepare for the upcoming mission. They will go into quarantine on Saturday, March 27, and are scheduled to fly to Kennedy for the countdown on Thursday, April 1.

NASA: International Space Station

Expedition 22 Commander Jeff Williams and Flight Engineer Maxim Suraev have completed their mission aboard the International Space Station after 167 days. They parachuted to a landing in their Soyuz TMA-16 descent module at 7:24 a.m. EDT in Kazakhstan.

Staying behind are Flight Engineers Soichi Noguchi and T.J. Creamer and new Expedition 23 Commander Oleg Kotov. Expedition 23 officially began its increment when Williams and Suraev undocked at 4:03 a.m. from the Poisk Mini-Research Module. The trio, who will stay until June, joined Williams and Suraev after arriving in their Soyuz TMA-17 spacecraft in December 2009.

Joining Expedition 23 and expanding the station crew to six will be Alexander Skvortsov, Tracy Caldwell Dyson and Mikhail Kornienko. They will arrive in the Soyuz TMA-18 on April 4.

Discovery's Helium System Test Preps Under Way

On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians will continue a second day of helium tank pressurization on space shuttle Discovery in preparation for the helium system regulator testing later in the week.

The Right Reaction Control System, or RRCS, fuel helium tank pressure unexpectedly decreased in unison with the RRCS fuel propellant tank when the fuel tank was vented. This indicates that at least one of the two parallel helium isolation valves is leaking or is remaining in the open position when it is expected to be closed.

The 2 helium system regulators, a primary and a secondary, will be tested to verify they are functioning correctly. The regulators are "downstream" of the isolation valves, and help to maintain helium pressure to the fuel tank. Knowing whether the regulators are operating correctly is a key factor for managers who must decide whether to launch with the errant condition of the isolation valves.

The test is expected to occur late this week once a ground support equipment test panel has been calibrated. The helium system will be brought to flight pressure and engineers monitoring the panel will ascertain whether the regulators function properly.

Crew and Shuttle Preparations Continue

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida today, technicians at Launch Pad 39A are loading space shuttle Discovery's solid rocket booster hydraulic power units with hydrazine in preparation for its targeted launch on April 5.

The STS-131 astronauts are reviewing docking and robotics systems manuals at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Commander Alan Poindexter and Pilot James P. Dutton Jr. will wrap up the day with a training run in the Shuttle Training Aircraft at the White Sands Space Harbor in Las Cruces, N.M.

Yesterday, Space Shuttle Program managers wrapped up their review of Discovery's readiness for flight. The meeting was a precursor to the agency's executive-level review on March 26, which will establish a firm launch date for this next mission to the International Space Station.

NASA's GOES-P satellite enters into space

NASA launched the latest satellite on Thursday, adding to a no of spacecraft that watch storm development & weather conditions on Earth. Now the GOES-P satellite enters into space.

After reaching orbit, GOES-P will become GOES-15. The satellite will be used to monitor and predict weather, measure ocean temperatures, perform climate studies, and detect hazards with its emergency beacon support and Search and Rescue Transponder.

GOES-P was built by Boeing for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-P, or GOES-P, is the latest in a series of meteorological satellites designed to watch for storm development and weather conditions on Earth. From its location in Earth orbit, GOES-P's state-of-the-art instrumentation will supply data used in weather monitoring, forecasting and warnings. It also will detect ocean and land temperatures, monitor space weather, relay communications and provide search-and-rescue support.

GOES-P Launch Now No Earlier than March 4

Final prelaunch preparations continue at Launch Complex 37 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, where a Delta IV rocket is set to launch the GOES-P satellite no earlier than March 4. The launch window extends from 6:17 p.m. to 7:17 p.m. EST.

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-P, or GOES-P, is the latest in a series of meteorological satellites designed to watch for storm development and weather conditions on Earth. From its location in Earth orbit, GOES-P's state-of-the-art instrumentation will supply data used in weather monitoring, forecasting and warnings. It also will detect ocean and land temperatures, monitor space weather, relay communications and provide search-and-rescue support.

GOES-P, to be launched for NASA and NOAA, is a United Launch Alliance commercial launch for Boeing Launch Services under a Federal Aviation Administration license.

Discovery on Tap for Rollout to Pad

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery now is attached to its external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters atop the mobile launcher platform in the Vehicle Assembly Building.

Engineers are preparing the shuttle for its rollout to Launch Pad 39A, which is scheduled for March 2 at 12:01 a.m. EST. The STS-131 astronauts are conducting a deorbit integrated simulation today at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Discovery's crew will head to Kennedy early next month to participate in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, and related prelaunch training.

Two Shuttles, 2 Crews on the Move

This morning, crews at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida had two space shuttles on the move. Following Endeavour's post-landing return to its hangar in the Orbiter Processing Facility, space shuttle Discovery was moved from its hangar to the nearby Vehicle Assembly Building. The transfer paves the way for Discovery's roll to the launch pad on Mar. 2.

Discovery's astronauts were on hand for the move, having flown in this morning from their home base at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The astronauts, who will fly Discovery on the STS-131 mission that is slated for April, will inspect equipment they will use during their mission.

Following last night's landing, Shuttle Launch Integration Manager Mike Moses said that space shuttle Endeavour's landing capped off a flawless mission. "The crew did an outstanding job," Moses said, referring to the complex task of installing Tranquility and its seven-windowed cupola to the International Space Station. "The landing today went as smooth as you can hope for - by the numbers."