The ESL Free Press

NASA's Course Set in Law

A new U.S. law describes what NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) will do in the future. President Obama signed it on Monday.

The law says NASA will:

• Keep the International Space Station open until at least 2020
• Help companies use space travel for business
• Find new ways to get astronauts out of Earth's orbit
• Develop a new vehicle for taking people into space
• Spend money on "green" aviation -- the kind that's less harmful to the environment.

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printable: Download NASA's Course Set in Law.pdf (19.7K)

"Backyard Telescopes" Show Objects Hitting Jupiter

People with "backyard telescopes" were the first ones to see objects hitting the planet Jupiter twice this summer.

On June 3rd, Anthony Wesley of Australia and Christopher Go of the Philippines both saw a flash on the planet. They emailed scientists about it. The flash was probably a comet or asteroid that caught fire in Jupiter's atmosphere.

On August 20th, another hobbyist, Masayuki Tachikawa of Japan, saw another flash on the planet.

The first object was about 30 to 40 feet across. Before it was seen, scientists did not know that such small crashes could be seen by telescope.

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printable: Download _Backyard Telescopes_ Show Objects Hitting Jupiter.pdf (21.8K)

More Water on the Moon

There may be more water molecules on the moon than there are in the Great Lakes in the U.S.

The molecules are part of the rock under the moon's surface. Scientists from NASA and other labs found this while studying information from the Indian spaceship Chandrayaan-1 and other data.

"We mean water in the structural form hydroxyl," said Jim Green of NASA. Hydroxyl is a compound of oxygen and hydrogen, which, of course, are also the elements in water.

People have talked about building a spaceship base on the moon, and using the water there to make fuel for the ships.

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printable:Download More Water on the Moon.pdf (18.9K)

Spacewalkers Change Battery

Astronauts at the International Space Station began the third and last spacewalk of this mission on Friday morning.

Michael Good and Garrett Reisman went out to do several jobs. First, they put a new battery on one of the solar arrays. Next, they had to move new equipment from the space shuttle to the station.

They also had to clean up after themselves.

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printable:Download Spacewalkers Change Battery.pdf (18.7K)

Astronaut Garrett Reisman took this photo of himself.

First of Three Spacewalks

Two astronauts have gone outside the International Space Station to do some work. This is the first spacewalk of this mission. Two more are planned.

Garrett Reisman and Stephen Bowen are putting in a new antenna and a spare parts platform. This will take about six and a half hours.

The two left Earth on Friday on the space shuttle Atlantis, with four other crewmembers. They got to the ISS on Sunday.

This will be Atlantis' last mission.

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Image: NASA TV

printable:Download First of Three Spacewalks.pdf (18.6K)

"Human-Like" Robot for Space Station

A robot that looks and works like a human will be sent to the International Space Station later this year.

Robonaut 2, or R2, has a head, arms, hands, and torso (upper half of the body). It can use the same tools as a person. R2 will be sent to the ISS in September to work in the lab. Later, it may be able to move around the ISS, and even go out into space. Someday, it may be used for jobs that are too hard or dangerous for people.

NASA and General Motors have been working together on this project for years. Their first human-like robot, R1, was built 10 years ago.

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Printable: Download _Human-Like_ Robot for Space Station.pdf (22.1K)

Spacewalk Setback

Astronauts Clayton Anderson and Rick Mastracchio took a spacewalk Tuesday morning at the International Space Station. It was the third and last walk of this mission.

Their job was to put in a new ammonia tank for the station's cooling system. They had first tried to do this on Sunday, but there were problems.

The spacewalk this morning lasted six hours and 24 minutes.

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Printable: Download Spacewalk Setback.pdf (17.2K)

Shuttle Mission Begins

The space shuttle Discovery launched on Monday morning. On Wednesday, it will reach the International Space Station.

Crew will deliver racks of science equipment to the ISS. They will also go on three spacewalks.

Meanwhile, they are checking the heat shield on the shuttle.

Russian, Japanese, and American crew members are waiting for them at the ISS.

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Printable:Download Shuttle Mission Begins.pdf (18.0K)

Ice on the Moon

Near the moon's north pole are more than 40 craters full of ice. They are from one to nine miles wide. This was discovered by a NASA radar on the Chandrayaann-1 spaceship from India.

The craters can't be seen from Earth because they are always in shadow. However, tools like the radar have helped find them and other places where there are forms of water.

Scientists are beginning to understand how water forms on the moon.

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Printable:Download ice on the moon.pdf (17.4K)

Shuttle Delayed

The space shuttle Discovery was set to launch Tuesday -- but rain and lightning are expected. So the launch has been postponed till Wednesday.

When the shuttle gets to the International Space Station, the crew will:

• deliver science racks for the labs

• replace parts of the station's works

• bring in a Japanese experiment on the outside of the station

There will be three spacewalks. 

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Printable:Download shuttle delayed.pdf (17.4K)