Tuesday / 11 March 2003

Moonwalkers Say Return To Moon Needed In Columbia Aftermath. Leonard David writing for Space.com says Apollo astronauts from the first (Buzz Aldrin) and the last expedition (Harrison Schmitt) to the Moon see far-reaching consequences in the nation's space program post-Columbia. They urge a revamp of the human spaceflight agenda that would not only mean a more vibrant and safer access to space, but also map out a long-term space vision. Aldrin said, "We were lulled into the security of reentry by no reentry problems ever happening." The Space Shuttle program could be grounded for a long time if identifying the root cause is problematical. He suggests that future Shuttle flights be lofted into an orbit compatible with that of ISS, so in an emergency astronauts could go to the station and be rescued by Russia Soyuz vehicles. Schmitt believes the remaining orbiters in the Shuttle fleet can be technically certified for flight and that the Orbital Space Plane should be rapidly implemented. The ISS should be re-directed to become primarily a biomedical research facility and the emphasis should be on making it relevant to the longer-term goal of returning to the Moon and going on to Mars. Info http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/sts107_vision_030310.html/.

TransOrbital Hopes to Enable Exploration and Utilization of the Moon with Pioneering Lunar Mission. In an interview with HobbySpace.com (10 March), TransOrbital CTO Paul Blase said the company was aiming to "provide infrastructure to enable others to explore and utilize the Moon." Blase remains optimistic about a possible October 2003 launch date for the TrailBlazer craft. However he noted that "the exact date depends on our ability to secure the sponsors and (large scale) customers ... This is going well, but the current state of the economy and the looming conflict with Iraq means that it's going slower than we had hoped." The company plans to offer high definition video and a lunar atlas for sale, and to carry personal mementos to the Moon. The TrailBlazer team is now working on separate components in preparation for final integration. Ground station operations will be subcontracted out, and the company also plans a web cam arrangement so people may follow the mission via the Internet. TrailBlazer is the 1st company to receive government licensing for a private mission and, if successful, will be the 1st private commercial mission beyond LEO. When asked to give advice to other budding space entrepreneurs, Blase noted that "you have to find 'angel' investors that like to dream big, and have deep pockets to support those dreams." Info: www.transorbital.net.

China Considers More Robust Rocket for Lunar Missions. With China now active in the international movement to return to the Moon, the question of launch and transport spacecraft becomes of vital significance. The country's capabilities can currently support sending a lunar probe to the Moon using its Long-March rockets, whose top world rankings have successfully completed 63 out of 69 launches. However, according to comments said Saturday by Huang Chunping, chief commander of the carrier rocket system of the China manned spacecraft program and National Committee member of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China is thinking about developing next-generation rockets with much stronger propelling power to reach the Moon. Currently, the Shenzhou spacecraft is boosted by the Long-March 2-F rocket, which if installed with an additional propeller can fulfill the mission for a lunar probe. Chunping also noted that the level of technology and carrying capacity of the Long-March rockets have surpassed the capabilities of former US and Russian ones used for lunar missions thirty to forty years ago. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2003-03/08/content_766049.htm