Thursday / 31 July 2003

Space Agency Leaders Celebrate 1,000 Days of Continuous Human Presence Aboard ISS and Commit to Ongoing Support. Space Agency Leaders from around the World gathered in Monterey CA on Tuesday to celebrate this important milestone and to discuss future plans for further international cooperation. Representatives from Canada, Europe, Japan, Russia and USA participated in a live telephone conversation with Expedition 7 Commander Yuri Malenchenko, and Science Officer Ed Lu. Appreciation was expressed for the strong support from all ISS partners and Russia received special recognition for its role in providing the means for travel capacity and a continuing human presence on the ISS after the tragic loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia and her courageous crew. The group was briefed on the preliminary recommendations of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board and on NASA's plans for the return to flight of the U.S. Space Shuttle in early 2004. Participants agreed to review and update the ISS Program Action Plan, adopted in December 2002, in order to realize the objectives of the ISS Program as soon as possible. They also agreed that the ISS Program Action Plan should remain the basis for proceeding with selection of an ISS configuration. A follow-on meeting will be held in Moscow in mid-October to discuss specific ISS implementation plans.

Ion Drives More Science Fact Than Fiction. The present-day realities of solar-electric propulsion might not match the movie magic of sci-fi films with spacecraft flying around on cinema screens, but they are now more science fact than fiction. Two ion engines were tested in 1964 on the USA SERT-1 sat -- one was successful, the other was not. Ion engines work by taking xenon gas that has been 'ionized' or given an electrical charge and passing it through an electric field or screen at the back of the engine. The positively charged ions of gas leave the engine producing a thrust in the opposite direction at about 10x as much thrust per kg of propellant used. But such engines are very low-thrust devices. Ion drives can get up to high speeds in space, but they need a very long distance to build up to such speeds over time. Engineers tested an ion engine as a main propulsion system for the first time using NASA's Deep Space-1 mission. Recently a spare engine was tested for a record 30,352 hours at JPL. ESA's SMART-1 lunar mission (launch 28 Aug) will demonstrate more subtle operations of the kind needed in future long-distance missions. These will combine solar-electric propulsion with maneuvers using the gravity of planets and moons for the first time. Info: www.esa.int

China Rocket Industry Seeks Diversity in International Space Collaboration. Faced with a worldwide soft economy, declining orders for satellite launches and ever-stringent permit restrictions by the US government regarding US-made satellites and parts, China is exploring new areas of development for its rocket aerospace industry in the international market. In an article by Zhang Qingwei, president of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the objectives for a more diversified growth of the industry are laid out. Top emphasis is given to collaboration with Europe's aerospace industry, which enjoys government support and rapid growth in the world commercial market. Strategic alliance with European will yield new products and technologies that will help improve China's satellite research and development. It will also help China counter the restrictions placed by the US on China's efforts to market its aerospace products internationally. Russia presents another important area for collaboration according to Zhang, as well as Brazil, Canada, Japan, South Africa and other Asia-Pacific countries. China will maintain contact with US space agencies despite obstacles in the relationship between the two countries, which includes a recent imposing of sanctions by the US on China Precision Machinery Import-Export Corporation that accuses the firm of missile technology proliferation.