太空探索工程 卫星发射 剪报评论

pfg1group

http://www.zaobao.com/special/ne ... ongkong070814f.html

（联合早报网讯）明报报道，负责监控中国卫星发射的航天测量船「远望4号」日前与一艘货轮碰撞后起火，船上仪器受损，或令原定在10月1日发射的绕月卫星「嫦娥1号」延期。昨日有媒体引述消息指出，「嫦娥1号」会推迟在中共十七大后发射。

　　船身起火 仪器受损

　　据中国人权民运信息中心报道，远望4号于本月5日在江苏江阴市的海军基地附近，被一艘大型运煤货轮「港海666」碰撞，导致远望4号发生大火，大火在4小时后扑灭，但船上监测仪器已严重受损。船上人员及时撤离，无人受伤，目前该船已送往江阴船厂维修。国务院非常重视今次事故，已要求有关部门严查原因。

　　由于远望4号是中国航天系统的重要组成部分，负责中国卫星发射的监控工作，2003年神舟5号升空时，亦透过该船传送杨利伟在太空的画面和声音，意外或会令原定在10月1日发射的嫦娥1号卫星被迫延迟。

　　另外，北京《大公报》昨日亦引述消息人士透露，为确保嫦娥1号卫星发射成功，当局已决定把发射时间推迟在中共十七大之后，但未有披露详细原因。

pfg1group

http://www.zaobao.com/zg/zg070814_507.html

（北京讯）中国第一位太空人杨利伟在2003年升空，准备返回地球时，曾一度和地面失去联系，情况危急。
　　2003年10月16日早上6点23分，是杨利伟凯旋的时刻。据《解放军报》报道，神舟五号返回舱，飞出“黑障区”时，回波信号剧烈起伏，导致前置雷达站跟踪目标不稳。如果此时不能及时捕获目标，就无法得到引导数据，并将影响各种控制指令的发送。

　　关键时刻，西安测控中心果断实施“光学引导”，使雷达及时锁定了目标，并测下飞船每个瞬间的方位、姿态和速度，创下了搜救直升机和返回舱相距50米同时着地、搜救人员30秒赶到落点现场的奇迹。

　　西安测控中心主任董德义日前道出了中国航天测控事业的艰辛与发展。航天测控是航天工程的重要组成部分，它通过测控网，对航天器进行跟踪、测量和控制，是反映一个国家综合科技实力的重要标志之一。

　　1992年，载人航天工程启动，西安卫星测控中心承担和完成了六次神舟飞船的测控回收任务。

pfg1group

http://www.sinchew.com.my/conten ... ;artid=200708140779

（華盛頓訊）美國“奮進”號太空梭機組2名太空人週一再度出艙進行太空行走，他們充當“太空維修工”，為國際太空站更換了一個負責飛行定位的陀螺儀。

這是“奮進”號此行的第2次太空行走任務，仍由美國太空人馬斯特拉基奧和來自加拿大宇航局的威廉斯負責。2名太空人的主要工作是把太空站外一個出問題的陀螺儀卸下，然後將“奮進”號帶來的新陀螺儀裝上。 （星洲日報/國際•2007.08.14）

pfg1group

http://www.space.com/spacenews/070813_busmon_delta2.html

NASA Decides To Phase Out Delta 2

By BRIAN BERGER
Space News Staff Writer



WASHINGTON--NASA intends to conduct its final Delta 2 launch around the end of the decade and then shift more of its launch traffic in that payload class to the Atlas 5 or Delta 4 launch vehicles, the U.S. space agency's chief rocket buyer said in an Aug. 8 interview.


Bill Wrobel, NASA assistant associate administrator for launch services, said the decision to phase out use of the Delta 2 came down to money. Delta 2 launch prices, already on the rise, are expected to jump sharply once the U.S. Air Force abandons use of the reliable workhorse as soon as next year so it can make greater use of the Atlas 5 and Delta 4, which the service helped develop under the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program.


"The Air Force is basically going full steam ahead with EELVs," Wrobel said. "And since they are a user of [the EELV rockets] we thought maybe we should become more of a user of it too."


That policy position is consistent with an agreement NASA signed with the Air Force in 2005 when the space agency agreed to make greater use of the EELV rockets. In exchange, the Air Force endorsed NASA's decision to build new shuttle-derived launchers rather than upgrade EELV for human missions to the Moon and beyond.


Wrobel said the U.S. Defense Department was informed last month of NASA's decision to start directing the space agency's medium-lift launch traffic toward EELV. Wrobel would not discuss current or projected prices for Delta 2 launches. However, he did say that an internal study NASA completed in July concluded that EELV would represent the more cost-effective solution for the agency's medium-lift launch needs after 2010 - even if the substantially more capable rockets are launched with a single undersized satellite on board.


"It turns out in the future, if you were to wrap everything up - and I'm talking about launch site infrastructure, restarting the line, the basic cost of the vehicles, etc. ... it really isn't more expensive" to use EELVs, he said. "That's part of what we were facing and what this really gets down to. As with anybody else, it's all about money ... That's where we all came to the decision that it made more sense for us to go down the EELV road in the future."


Delta 2 prices, which sources said already have pushed past the $65 million per launch mark, are projected to rise even higher once the Air Force conducts its last Delta 2 mission - a GPS 2RM satellite launch slated for September 2008 - and leaves NASA to shoulder the cost of operating the rocket's California and Florida launch pads and keeping United Launch Alliance's Delta 2 assembly line in Decatur, Ala., up and running.


NASA took the Air Force's impending departure from the program into account last year when it told bidders for the next Mars Scout mission to count on spending $120 million for a Delta 2 launching in 2011. Bidders for the next Discovery-class planetary science mission, meanwhile, were told to bank on paying around $130 million for a Delta 2 launching in 2013, according to sources and documents. Those two missions now are included among the 12 to 15 medium-sized payloads NASA anticipates launching between 2011 and 2020 on an Atlas 5 or Delta 4. In addition, NASA anticipates launching about 10 other spacecraft during that same timeframe "which were already kind of in that EELV-class to begin with," Wrobel said.


Prior to NASA's decision to direct more launch traffic toward the EELV, United Launch Alliance was projecting an EELV launch rate of five to 10 launches a year between 2010 and 2020. The addition of NASA's Delta 2-class payloads could mean an additional 1.5 launches per year for EELV. Mike Rein, a spokesman for Denver-based United Launch Alliance (ULA), confirmed NASA's decision to stop using Delta 2 once the agency's current launch services contract runs out. Rein said the company would continue to market Delta 2 launches to U.S. government customers and support Boeing Launch Services' commercial Delta 2 sales at least through 2012. "ULA understands the combination of a reduction in the demand for launches from the NASA science community and the conclusion of the [U.S. Air Force] contract for GPS Delta 2 launches has made it difficult for NASA to justify the business case for continuing Delta 2 support beyond currently contracted missions," Rein said in a written statement. "ULA is required by our current NASA Launch Services contract with NASA to offer Delta 2 launches through launch year 2012." NASA has used the Delta 2 twice so far this year and plans to use it a third time when it launches the asteroid-bound Dawn spacecraft in September.


Including the upcoming Dawn mission, NASA has nine remaining Delta 2 launches on its manifest with the last being a November 2009 launch out from California - of the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, spacecraft.


Additionally, NASA is on the hook for a tenth Delta 2 that has not been assigned a payload. If NASA were to walk away from the rocket, which is already in production, the agency would have to pay United Launch Alliance a substantial termination fee. Exactly how much, Wrobel would not say. "Let me put it this way, we are going to work pretty hard to try to find a home for it," he said.


One candidate for the surplus Delta 2, according to Wrobel, is the Landsat Data Continuity Mission, a land-imaging satellite NASA is procuring on behalf of the U.S. Geological Survey for a 2011 launch. But a Landsat source said the program would rather launch on an EELV than go on what could be the last flight of Delta 2.


Wrobel said NASA has set an internal deadline of December for finding a payload for the surplus rocket.


Keeping the Delta 2 line open much beyond 2010 would be more complicated than giving United Launch Alliance a contract for a new batch of rockets beyond the 10 currently on order, Wrobel said. NASA also would have to cover significant one-time costs to restart production of certain Delta 2 components that remain in inventory but no longer are being built, including strap-on motors and the RS-27 main stage engine, Wrobel added.


"Restarting a line is nontrivial. You have things that have been out of production for a while," Wrobel said. "It's a matter of restarting everything ... [and] we just don't have the money."


While using EELV for medium-class payloads is not expected to be more expensive for NASA than being the sole government customer for Delta 2, that still means the space agency is facing higher launch bills than it has today for launching Delta 2-class payloads.


Alan Stern, NASA's associate administrator for science, said his launch costs would go up in either scenario.

While co-manifesting - putting two spacecraft on a single rocket - could help defray those costs, Stern said it is not a perfect solution. "Co-manifesting has both pluses and minuses," Stern said. "In some circumstances it works. In others it is detrimental. There will be some places where it will help us and many places where it's not to our benefit to do. Our challenge is to determine in each mission cases what makes the most sense."


Wrobel said co-manifesting would be encouraged where appropriate but not required. Recognizing NASA's best shot at keeping launch costs down could be a new rocket, several U.S. companies are looking to field Delta 2 alternatives priced more in line with what the agency traditionally has paid to put up medium-sized payloads.


El Segundo, Calif.-based Space Exploration Technologies' Falcon 9 rocket, which is slated to debut next year, could carry Delta 2-class payloads. And Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va., has begun early development of a Delta 2-class launcher its calling Taurus 2.


"We will continue to talk to NASA about some ideas we have for a Delta 2-class launch vehicle that is conceived to be significantly less in terms of cost than the current Delta 2 design," Orbital Sciences spokesman Barron Beneski said Aug. 9.


Wrobel said NASA has not ruled out directing some or even all of its future medium-class missions to new providers. "We wouldn't preclude using them in the future if they become available," he said. NASA issued a request for information Aug. 7 intended to capture feedback from these companies and what they have to offer. He said the request for information is also an opportunity for companies to make suggestions for how the agency could improve its processes for qualifying new launch service providers.

pfg1group

http://www.sinchew.com.my/content.phtml?sec=4&artid=200708150723

（華盛頓訊）美國首名升空的女教師週二（8月14日）首次在零重力環境下授課，她在距離地球數百英里外的軌道站，為美國愛達荷州的學童授課。

摩根在“奮進”號太空梭成員德魯和威廉斯的陪同下，與聚集在愛達荷州博伊西探索中心的學童進行交流長達25分鐘。


摩根在未當上太空人以前，曾在愛達荷州一所小學執教。

摩根通過視訊方式告訴這群小學生：“太空人和教師的工作沒有兩樣。我們同樣是進行探究、探索及分享的工作。這些都是非常棒的工作。”

55歲的摩根曾是1986年失事的“挑戰者”號太空船中女教師麥考利夫的替補人選。

在22年後，摩根終於帶著麥考利夫未了的心願，乘著“奮進”號順利飛上太空。

在美國太空總署（NASA）的協助下，摩根在太空向學童授課，並回答了諸如一粒棒球在太空的飛行速度有多快，以及如何在零重力環境下喝水等問題。 （星洲日報/國際•2007.08.15）

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太空探索／上課了！　首位女老師太空地球連線教學

http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/070815/17/isgs.html

[size=122%]全球第一位太空教師芭芭拉．摩根，終於完成在太空上課的夢想。美東時間14日，摩根在國際太空站透過視訊方式，為美國愛達荷州的小學生上了一堂25分鐘的課程。小學生們對於太空人如何運動、如何喝水相當好奇，摩根都一一親自示範，現場笑聲不斷。

55歲的摩根在1986年就曾是挑戰者號的候補太空人，隨著挑戰者號任務失敗，摩根重返教職，終於在22年後完成夢想，成為全球第一位在太空上課的教師。

芭芭拉．摩根在距地球數百公里的國際太空站上，為愛達荷州的小朋友上課，小學生都表示很好奇，太空人要如何做運動、如何喝水？摩根立刻上陣親自示範，左右手各舉起一名男性的太空人做舉啞鈴狀，讓小學生了解人類在無重力狀態下的情形。

女太空人芭芭拉．摩根表示：「太空人和老師實際上都在做同樣的事情，我們探索、發覺也分享，兩者絕對都是很精釆的工作。」

摩根隨同美國奮進號太空梭前往國際太空站，奮進號太空人目前已經完成2次太空漫步，為太空站更換新的設備，而日前傳出奮進號太空梭外部擋熱板出現裂痕，奮進號指揮官表示，並不會影響返航的安全，但是否要進行修補的工作，仍待進一步檢查後決定。


[ 本帖最后由 pfg1group 于 16-8-2007 09:17 PM 编辑 ]

pfg1group

http://www.chinapress.com.my/breaking_new.asp?a=0817bkf10.txt

日本計劃9月發射繞月探測衛星
日本三菱重工業公司和宇宙航空研究開發機構15日發佈新聞公報說，日本繞月探測衛星「月亮女神」更換元件的工作已經結束，確定於當地時間9月13日10時35分，從日本南部鹿兒島縣種子島宇宙中心升空。
在7月份的檢查中，「月亮女神」的兩顆子衛星被發現各有一個電容器的正負兩極安裝顛倒。子衛星承擔著地面和主衛星之間的電波中繼工作，如果裝反的電容不被更正，很可能造成短路，使子衛星不能發送電波。

pfg1group

http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/070816/1/itjn.html

美國奮進號太空梭的漫步任務，因為太空人手套破洞，提早兩個小時結束，不過主要排定的工作，都已經完成。（夏明珠報導）

上個星期六抵達國際太空站的奮進號太空梭，已經進行了三趟太空漫步，主要任務是替國際太空站將在十月份運抵的一個新實驗艙，進行安裝的前置作業。這將是國際太空站六年來增加的第一個實驗艙。今天的第三趟站外任務，按照原訂計畫，需要六個半小時，不過工作中間，一個組員發現太空衣的手套上破了個小洞，雖然太空衣有很多層，可是基於安全考量，太空人比原定時間提早兩個多小時返回站內。

太空衣破洞會導致衣服內的壓力外洩，讓太空人喪命，美國現在使用的太空衣在破洞不超過0.64公分的狀況下，可以維持壓力三十分鐘。去年十二月一次太空漫步的任務後，太空總署發現一個太空人的手套破裂，從那次以後，它們規定太空人在執行站外任務的時候，每隔半個小時要檢查一次太空衣。奮進號組員將在星期五執行最後一次漫步任務，控制中心還在評估前幾天發現的太空梭隔熱片上的裂縫，到底需不需要修補，假使有必要，第四次漫步可能要延後一天，也有可能奮進號會在國際太空站上多留兩天，再增加一次站外任務。

pfg1group

http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/070815/19/is04.html

（法新社法屬圭亞那庫魯十四日電） 「阿利安太空公司」今天表示，「阿利安五號」火箭今天在法屬圭亞那庫魯發射升空，順利載運日本與美國兩枚衛星進入太空軌道。

阿利安五號在格林威治時間今晚十一時四十四分（台灣時間十五日上午七時四十四分）發射升空，這是阿利安第三十三次發射任務，也是今年第三次發射。

載運兩枚衛星分別是美國的「Spaceway 3」通訊衛星，與日本的電視衛星「BSAT-3A」。

Spaceway 3由美國波音公司製造，「休斯通訊系統」公司負責營運，它是多媒體新網路的第一枚衛星，可提供北美地區包括隨選視訊在內的多媒體服務。

BSAT-3A衛星由美國洛克希德馬丁公司製造，日本B-SAT公司將藉此提供衛星電視服務。

依據阿利安公司計畫，阿利安五號今年總共有六次發射任務。

pfg1group

http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/070815/1/irin.html

正在出任務的美國「奮進號」太空梭，被發現在機腹的隔熱層，有一道裂縫，使得奮進號返航的安全性受到外界關注，不過美國航空暨太空總署，以及奮進號上的太空人，在檢視了這道裂縫之後，認為對奮進號返航的安全性，影響不大，奮進號任務指揮官「史考特．凱利」就表示，他對奮進號安全返航，很有信心。

至於美國航空暨太空總署，也正在評估奮進號太空梭機腹隔熱層受損狀況，官員表示，他們對奮進號完成任務，順利返航，目前是「審慎樂觀」的。

pfg1group

http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/070817/19/ivsf.html

（法新社華盛頓十六日電） 美國航空暨太空總署發言人表示，太空總署今天決定，目前暫無必要試圖修復「奮進號」太空梭的隔熱板，因為損壞程度不會造成重大危險。

太空梭任務主管小組經過深思熟慮，以及三天的氣體動力學與熱力測試後，才作成這項決定。

奮進號太空梭機腹有一道八點七五公分長，五點零公分寬的凹痕；目前主要關切的問題是，當太空梭返航地球，在高速俯衝大氣層時將產生極大摩擦力，這塊凹痕會不會因此造成太空梭起火燃燒的危險。

根據記錄影片顯示，八月八日奮進號在佛羅里達州卡納維爾角發射時，當燃料箱脫離，一塊可能覆冰的隔熱泡棉脫落撞擊到太空梭機腹，造成這道凹痕。

目前奮進號已經將原訂十一天的任務延長至十四天，預定八月二十二日返航地球。

太空梭任務主管向農預定今天稍晚舉行記者會，說明目前暫無必要修復隔熱板的細節。


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美國•NASA決定不修復奮進號裂縫

http://www.sinchew.com.my/conten ... ;artid=200708170711

（華盛頓訊）美國太空總署（NASA）週四（8月16日）表示，“奮進”號太空梭腹部上隔熱保護罩外的損毀，對太空梭回航不構成威脅，因此毋須修理。

NASA經過1週的研究後，認為毋須修理這個3吋長的裂痕，而太空梭應可在下週順利回航。


太空人是在8月10日“奮進”號與國際太空站對接前，發現其腹部的損傷。這處隔熱板損傷，是由於太空梭升空過程中外部燃料箱泡沫絕緣材料脫落擊中造成的，“傷口”不大，但卻很深，因此NASA遲遲難以決定，是否需要太空人通過太空行走對其進行在軌修復。 （星洲日報/國際•2007.08.17）

pfg1group

http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/070816/5/ivdb.html

（中央社記者郭傳信新德里十七日專電）印度政府科技部今天表示，預定明年上半年登陸月球的印度「月球首航」無人太空船，已經完成載具系統的關鍵設計評鑑工作，用來追蹤太空船的「深入太空觀測網」雷達天線的測試工作，也獲致滿意進度。

科技部聲明說，在答覆國會質詢的一項書面報告中，科技部長查文表示，「月球首航」太空船的太空飛行系統以及裝載的科學儀器也都進入最後的實現階段。

據美國太空總署網頁報告，印度無人登月計畫將攜帶美國太空總署的兩個科學裝置，包括一座微型合成孔徑雷達，負責繪製月球極地的冰質沉積，另一個是月球礦物測繪儀，評估月球上的礦物資源。「月球首航」太空船還將攜帶三架歐洲研究中心的科學儀器。

印度科技部聲明又說，地面用來追蹤太空船的「深入太空觀測網」雷達天線的測試工作，也獲致滿意進度，一座38M天線的測試和評估已經完成，另一座18M天線的測試和評估也在順利進行當中。

據印度官方太空研究組織（ISRO）網站表示，「月球首航」計畫旨在利用一系列感測器繪製月表地圖。

印度為實現大國夢想，早在一九六二年便擬定太空發展計畫，而登月計畫是印度最終目標。今年初印度首度成功發射返回式太空艙後，信心大增，依計劃將在明年上半年發射無人太空船前往月球軌道，二零一四年發射重達三噸，可搭載兩名太空人的太空船進入太空，最終在二零二零年實現登月的夢想。

在此同時，印度的另一目標就是要趕在中國之前登上月球，以表明印度的航太技術超越中國。印、中兩國近年在經濟領域的互相競爭，也帶動了雙方在太空領域的競爭，看誰先發射無人太空船進入月球軌道。與印度「月球首航」計劃類似，中國近年也積極展開名為「嫦娥工程」的探月計劃。960817

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http://www.sinchew.com.my/conten ... ;artid=200708170788

中國•郝希凡：主要為科學用途．探月球非與他國競爭

中國•郝希凡：主要為科學用途
探月球非與他國競爭 推薦給朋友    列印
updated:2007-08-17 16:29:25 MYT

（北京訊）中國國防科工委月球探測工程中心副主任郝希凡週四（8月16日）指出，中國的月球探測工程主要是作科學探測用途，沒有任何軍事用途，也不是在與任何其他國家競爭。

郝希凡接受在線訪問時說，儘管日本推遲向月球發射探測器的日期，但仍然不會對中國的月球探測工程產生影響。


他表示：“我們仍將按照本身的計劃。”

日印德展開相關計劃日本週三（8月15日）表示，當局已把原定當天向月球發射“Selena”探測器的計劃，推遲到9月13日，因為空氣壓縮器未有正確地安裝在探測器上，而這可能會對其14個項目中的其中一項構成影響。

除了中國及日本，印度和德國也試圖要展開月球探測計劃。郝希凡表示：“中國的月球探測計劃是獨立的，並是由我們自己所發展的一項計劃。經過3年的努力，我們有信心這項計劃將會取得成功。”

仍存在技術風險
他表示：“但有關技術方面，我們不知道的東西尚有許多。雖然我們已經做好準備，但仍然存在技術風險。”他稱，“嫦娥一號”所使用的技術都是來自中國的衛星轉頻器，而他們需要在月球上進行進一步的實驗。中國發展月球探測計劃共耗資了1億8400萬美元。

嫦娥一號壽命1年
繞月探測工程衛星系統副總設計師孫澤洲表示，“嫦娥一號”的起飛重量為2350公斤，設計壽命為1年。“嫦娥一號”的主要任務包括獲取整個月球表面的立體影像，以及用微波輻射計測量全月球的月壤厚度。“嫦娥一號”將提供有關月球的第一手資料，以及為下階段的月球探測計劃提供可靠基礎。

50個重要環節定成敗
嫦娥一號發射風險高

“嫦娥一號”發射過程也存在高風險。按照計劃，“長征三號甲”火箭將作為“嫦娥一號”月球探測衛星的運載火箭。“長征三號甲”火箭自1994年2月8日成功發射“實踐四號”探測衛星後，至今已取得了14次連續成功發射的優異成績。“長征三號甲”火箭的副首席設計師金志剛表示，多達逾50個重要的飛行動作或關鍵環節，決定“嫦娥一號”的發射成敗。

他表示，儘管“長征三號甲”火箭過去取得14次連續成功發射的成績，但這並不保證下一次發射也將會是成功的，而該火箭的可信指數只有0.95%，因此，嚴格地說，不是每一次飛行都能確保成功。

到目前為止向月球進行的122次探測計劃，成功率只得48%，或59次是成功的。美國和前蘇聯首次進行月球探測計劃時，均告失敗。 （星洲日報/國際•2007.08.17）

pfg1group

http://www.mingpaonews.com/20070817/tak3.htm

美反恐執法 間諜衛星瞄準國民 2007年8月17日
廣 告

【明報專訊】美國計劃調用間諜衛星作本土反恐用途，並將進一步擴充至本土執法之用，掀起侵犯民權爭議，但國土部強調會採取「適當措施」，保護人權免受侵犯。

美國太空總署、聯邦緊急事務管理局、地質調查局目前都可查看間諜衛星圖片，但華府計劃讓更多執法機關查看衛星圖片及相關情報，包括按照「目標」特徵，借助間諜衛星，辨認及追蹤目標。計劃已在5月經國家情報主任麥康奈爾批准，由國土安全部負責。

專責情報分析的國土部助理部長艾倫稱，「壯大民用防衛情報蒐集能力」是首要任務，執法用途則次要。他表示目前正研究間諜衛星「配合執法」的用途，但強調「我們會恰當使用」，又稱相信使用範圍「有限」。

他提到，當局早已間歇使用間諜衛星，監察政治集會和體壇重大賽事「以防恐襲」。國安部計劃用間諜衛星監察邊境、橋樑、港口及其他重要基建。當發生九一一或卡特里娜等天災人禍時，當局亦可動用間諜衛星。

一位匿名官員透露，當局已向相關國會委員會作簡報，委員會亦已批准相關撥費。他強調有關計劃並沒涉及新的法律問題。國土部會在10月開設新部門，處理民用部門查看間諜衛星情報的申請。

恐用於監視國民 或侵犯民權

但擴充間諜衛星用途卻令人關注，華府會否動用間諜工具監視國民，引來侵犯人權爭議；至於執法機構會如何運用間諜衛星，亦令人擔憂。但國安部發聲明，強調申請處理會按一貫做法，保障私隱及民權。

法新社

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6949358.stm

The US is giving its domestic agencies greater access to images from spy satellites, in a move strongly criticised by civil rights groups.

The images will be used to boost national security, disaster response and law enforcement, US officials said.  Use of the satellite imagery will be managed by a new office within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).  Some US agencies already had limited access to the images, but many were restricted to scientific use. The DHS says it wants to use the imagery to improve the quality of surveillance on borders, ports, bridges and other infrastructure.   'Police state' Officials believe the satellites could identify and follow targets by their physical traits, and could be used to respond to disasters such as the 2001 attacks or Hurricane Katrina.

The Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for intelligence analysis, Charles Allen, told the Washington Post the programme would be particularly useful in policing land and sea borders and in disaster planning.  Officials say use of the images for domestic law enforcement will be allowed only in limited cases, and a general ban on domestic spying by the CIA and the Pentagon will remain in force. "This is not a system for tracking Americans," Mr Allen said.  Civil liberties activist Kate Martin, from the Center for National Security Studies, told the Wall Street Journal the program was akin to "Big Brother in the sky".  "They want to turn these enormous spy capabilities, built to be used against overseas enemies, on to Americans," Ms Martin said. "They are laying the bricks one at a time for a police state."  But Mr Allen dismissed privacy fears, saying: "Americans shouldn't have any concerns about it".

[ 本帖最后由 pfg1group 于 17-8-2007 06:36 PM 编辑 ]

pfg1group

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/g ... ;headline=Atlas%20V,%20Delta%20IV%20Get%20RL10%20Valve

为了避免引擎因为温度过低而提早关闭操作，
美国太空署为这两款火箭换新的valves.
这个原因使到6月15日为国家侦查局发射的两个海洋侦测卫星都被放在较预期低的轨道上，但是，卫星依然能够使用。

更换这个valves并不会延迟目前所安排的发射工程。

Atlas V, Delta IV Get RL10 Valve

Aug 17, 2007
By Craig Covault/Aviation Week & Space Technology

A modified hydrogen valve design less susceptible to freezing up in extremely cold temperatures will be fitted into Pratt & Whitney RL10 upper-stage engines in Atlas V and Delta IV launchers to prevent a recurrence of the early engine shutdown that took place June 15 during the launch of two National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) ocean surveillance spacecraft at Cape Canaveral on an Atlas V.

As a result of the RL10 valve freeze-up, the two NRO spacecraft were placed in lower-than-planned, but still usable, orbits (DAILY, July 23).They have been climbing higher with about two maneuvers each per week since the incident.

Extensive testing by Pratt & Whitney and United Launch Alliance has duplicated the failure and resulted in a modified design approved by the U.S. Air Force and NRO.

The valve issue has had minimal impact on upcoming launches. The Atlas V launch of the first new Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) spacecraft is set for Sept. 13 from the Cape, after only about a two-week slip. And the Delta IV Heavy carrying the final Defense Support Program missile warning satellite has been delayed about five weeks to Oct. 4. But its delay has less to do with the valve and more to do with the need to carry out a third countdown rehearsal with the vehicle fueled.

pfg1group

http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/070818/1/iyuz.html[url=http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/070818/1/iyuz.html]http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/070818/1/iyuz.html[/url]

美國「太空總署」正在密切注意橫掃加勒比海的颶風迪安的動態，如果颶風威脅設在德州「休士頓」的太空任務中心，太空總署可能會考慮縮短「奮進號」太空梭的任務時間。「太空總署」表示，「奮進號」上太空人原定週六的六小時太空漫步，可能會縮短，以便讓「奮進號」提前一天，在星期二返回地球，目前總署正在努力準備所有迎接太空梭返航工作。根據氣象預報，威力轉強的颶風「迪安」可能在下星期二進入墨西哥灣，也很可能會侵襲德州海岸。因此如果「奮進號」能夠提前返回地球，在「休士頓」「強森太空中心」的所有工作人員就可以趕在風災來襲前，及時撤離。而「奮進號」預定降落的佛羅里達州的「甘迺迪太空中心」應該不會受颶風影響。目前「奮進號」是否提前返回地球，「太空總署」還沒有做出最後決定。

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http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/070818_sts118_eva4wrap.html
NASA Shortens Spacewalk For Shuttle's Earth Return
By Tariq Malik
Staff Writer
posted: 18 August 2007
2:57 p.m. ET


HOUSTON -- Two spacewalking astronauts helped prepare the International Space Station (ISS) for future shuttle missions Saturday, though NASA shortened their orbital work as Hurricane Dean edged closer to the Gulf Coast.

Astronauts Dave Williams and Clayton Anderson ended their spacewalk early to help prepare the space shuttle Endeavour for a possible Tuesday landing -- one day earlier than planned -- should Hurricane Dean threaten NASA's Mission Control center here at the Johnson Space Center (JSC).

"Whoo man, you can't miss that," Williams said as the ISS passed 214 miles (344 kilometers) above Dean during the five-hour and two-minute spacewalk. "That's impressive."

"It's only impressive when they're not coming to you," said Anderson, an ISS flight engineer, said of the storm.

As of early Saturday, Hurricane Dean was a category four storm and growing, with maximum wind speeds of 150 miles per hour (240 kph) as it heads toward the Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

Spacewalkers were initially scheduled spend about 6.5 hours installing a shuttle inspection boom stand and other equipment outside the ISS. But NASA scaled back the work due to Hurricane Dean's approach to the Gulf Coast, where it may impact coastal Texas early next week.

Storm preparations

NASA is drawing up plans to shift its shuttle Mission Control operations in Houston to a backup site at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida should the storm force an evacuation at JSC and its surrounding area. Space station Mission Control would transfer to Russia's Federal Space Agency operations center outside Moscow.

Endeavour is currently slated to land on Wednesday, but its STS-118 astronaut crew is expected to shut hatches between the orbiter and space station at about 5:01 p.m. EDT (2101 GMT) today in preparation of a possible Tuesday Earth return.

Astronauts aboard Endeavour and the ISS worked today to complete hauling supplies and equipment between their two spacecraft to clear the way for tonight's hatch closure. Teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan, who served as NASA's backup for Teacher in Space Christa McAuliffe for the ill-fated 1986 Challenger launch, is overseeing the cargo transfer.

NASA mission managers are expected to decide later today whether to allow Endeavour to remain at the ISS until Monday as planned or press ahead with an earlier departure on Sunday for a Tuesday landing.

Hurricane Dean is the latest worry for NASA after shuttle mission managers cleared concerns over a deep divot in Endeavour's heat shield on Thursday.

Shortened spacewalk

Williams and Anderson began their spacewalk at 9:17 a.m. EDT (1317 GMT) to install a shuttle inspection boom stand atop the station's Starboard 1 truss and tighten a series of stubborn bolts to secure an antenna mount into place.

The antenna mount is due to return to Earth during an October shuttle flight. Meanwhile, astronauts plan to store a shuttle inspection boom at the ISS during a February mission to await another orbiter crew.

The two spacewalkers took care to avoid any regions with sharp edges outside the ISS and checked their spacesuit gloves frequently for any signs of wear or damage. The added measures came after their fellow crewmate Rick Mastracchio found a small hole through two of the five layers of his own spacesuit glove on Aug. 15, cutting his spacewalk short.

"My gloves look like they just came off the showroom floor," Anderson said after the spacewalk.

Williams and Anderson also attached a wireless sensor system antenna outside the ISS and retrieved a pair of suitcase-like material exposure experiments, but left some misaligned debris shields for later astronauts to wrangle into place.

A fire alarm sounded inside the space station's Unity connecting node during the spacewalk, but the orbital laboratory's crew found no signs of smoke and Mission Control deemed it a false alarm.

Saturday's spacewalk marked the third for Anderson, who now has a total of 18 hours and 11 minutes of orbital work under his belt.

Williams, a veteran Canadian Space Agency astronaut, set a new national record during the activity to become Canada's first spaceflyer to perform three spacewalks for a total time of 17 hours and 47 minutes during his STS-118 excursions.

"It's a real honor and pleasure to do it," Williams said.

The spacewalk was the fourth and last planned for Endeavour's crew, which spent a total of 23 hours and 15 minutes working outside the ISS. It also marked the 92nd dedicated to ISS assembly or maintenance and the 64th staged from the orbital laboratory itself.





[ 本帖最后由 pfg1group 于 19-8-2007 12:12 PM 编辑 ]

pfg1group

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/118734213756980.xml&coll=1

到目前为止，由于反恐需要，
80%的卫星资料和照片是来自民间公司，
仅有20%是来自军事卫星。

国防部希望未来这个比例可以下降到60%。

Elite troops push hard for better satellite info
Friday, August 17, 2007By SHELBY G. SPIRESTimes Aerospace Writer shelby.spires@htimes.com
Military looks to reduce reliance oncommercial firms

The Pentagon would like to have more of its own spy satellites so it's not forced to rely on a commercial imaging company that also has to meet the demands of Google and Microsoft, the head of the U.S. Army Space & Missile Defense Command said Thursday.

Increased wartime demand has created gaps in the availability of military satellites, said Army Lt. Gen. Kevin Campbell, commander of Redstone Arsenal's Space & Missile Defense Command. Today, about 80 percent of satellite intelligence and photos come from commercial space imaging companies and 20 percent from military satellites.

"We would like to get that figure down to around 50 to 60 percent commercial, with the balance being around 40 to 50 percent" military satellites, Campbell told about 1,000 people during the closing sessions of the 10th Annual Space & Missile Defense Conference in Huntsville.

Companies such as GeoEye of Dulles, Va., and Spot Image of Toulouse, France, provide satellite coverage for Web sites such as Google Earth and Microsoft's TerraServer. Those companies use commercial satellites such as Ikonos and Spot.

Campbell said there is a worry about secure access to commercial satellites and the ability to quickly target areas that the military needs to photograph.

A new generation of military spy satellites is being developed, Campbell said, and should be put into orbit over the next few years, easing some of the commercial burden.

The Pentagon has 258,000 troops deployed to more than 80 nations, he said, "and they've never been working harder than they are today. We owe them our full support."

Campbell said satellite coverage and secure ground stations to show the collected intelligence information are in great demand by the military, especially by elite units such as the Green Berets and Navy SEALs.

"The special operations community has been pushing us pretty hard," Campbell said. "We are meeting their needs, but we are always trying to improve."

The Space & Missile Defense Command is also training more officers on using military space programs to better support military and federal organizations, he said. Now, 175 Army officers are rated as space operations officers, "and we want to grow that to more than 200."

Campbell would like to improve the Pentagon's missile defense computer network so that simple, clear information is quickly passed to as many commanders and political leaders as possible during a crisis such as the July 4, 2006, North Korean missile test launch.

Having been part of the discussion about that event with then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and senior military leaders, Campbell said, showed the need to get as much clear information to leaders as quickly as possible.

"We spent half the time explaining ourselves to each other," he said. "It would've been a lot simpler to have us all on the same page."

Ballistic missile threats are not going away, Air Force Lt. Gen. Trey Obering said after Campbell's presentation. Obering is director of the Missile Defense Agency.

Over the past 25 years, the North Koreans "have taken Russian technology and have grown that. They are building rockets with stages and multiple clusters of stages," Obering said.

And even though last year Korean test failed, he said, "we know they will be back with that test program, and we see the same progression in Iran, but quicker."

Obering said estimates show that, with unfettered progress, these nations could attack the United States with an intercontinental ballistic missile by 2015.

The United States has gone from a limited missile defense system - the Patriot PAC-3 - to a more evolved system in about three years, Obering said. By the end of September, 24 missiles will be available to launch from sites in Alaska and California, and the Navy will have nine Aegis battleships to launch advanced SM-3 missiles as part of an evolving missile shield.

"We need to expand this defense to our European allies," he said.

The United States is working on treaties that would place 10 interceptors in Poland and an advanced radar in the Czech Republic, he said.

Also, the Pentagon is developing advanced lasers that can be mounted on a Boeing 747 and mobile rockets to shoot down missiles just after launch.

"It takes time to build a missile defense capability," Obering said, "and we can't just wait until (an enemy) is ready to attack."

pfg1group

http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/070820/1/j1ct.html

受到狄恩颶風的影響，美國奮進號太空梭提早一天結束任務，星期天離開了國際太空站，踏上歸程，預定美東時間星期二降落。

奮進號在離站前，最後一次檢查了太空梭，太空人用雷射檢測儀器，把太空梭的機翼和機鼻仔細檢查了一遍，確定它完好無缺，以確保返航安全。

太空梭在任務中，經常受到天氣因素影響，不過，過去多半是因為降落地點天氣不好，而延長在太空中停留，很少因為天氣不好，而縮短任務。

pfg1group

http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/070821/19/j4v2.html
更新日期:2007/08/22 01:50 記者:陳政一

（法新社佛羅里達州卡納維爾角二十一日電） 美國的「奮進號」太空梭今天安全返回地球，降落在佛羅里達州卡納維爾角的甘迺迪太空中心，完成這次為期兩週的太空任務。

美國國家航空暨太空總署任務控制中心同意奮進號降落後，太空梭隨後脫離軌道，並於台灣時間二十二日凌晨零時三十二分安然降落。

奮進號降落時，指揮官凱利持續發動兩個小引擎三分鐘三十五秒，使太空梭減速至每小時約四百公里。

在減速前，奮進號是以二十五倍的速度在地球上空約三百四十四公里的軌道飛行。

航太總署發言人稍早表示，氣象預報天氣溫和，情況「總體上有利於今天在甘迺迪降落」。

奮進號原預定明天降落，但航太總署擔心位於德州休士頓的控制中心如果遭到狄恩颶風掠過，可能必須疏散人員，因此重新安排太空梭在今天降落。



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“奋进号”航天飞机安全返航
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/si ... 6957400/6957408.stm

经过十三天的太空飞行，美国宇航局"奋进号"航天飞机和七名机组成员在佛罗里达肯尼迪航天中心安全着陆。

"奋进号"于格林尼治时间周二下午16：32以完美着陆动作降落在位于卡纳维拉尔角的航天中心。

这次继续建设太空站的飞行比预计提前一天结束，原因是从加勒比海向北移动的飓风"迪安"逼近美国。


美国宇航局担心，"迪安"一旦趋向德州海岸，可能会影响休斯敦控制中心的运作。

宇航局把"奋进号"这次飞行的最后一次太空行走缩短了两个小时，并决定不在返航前修补"奋进号"机腹出现的破损。

8月8日升空当天，一块燃料缸的隔热物料击中航天飞机，造成了这正方形的凹槽。

科学家们原本担心这9公分的凹槽会在航天飞机进入大气层时造成结构性损害，但经多次测试后认为不会构成风险。

在返回地球的过程中，"奋进号"的飞行速度可达音速的30倍，机腹温度高达1649摄氏度。

自从2003年"哥伦比亚"号航天飞机空难后，宇航局把隔热物料视为心头大患。

当年一块的隔热物料在升空时脱落击中"哥伦比亚"号的机翼。结果"哥伦比亚"号返航时因过热解体坠毁。机上7名宇航员全部殉职。

pfg1group

http://www.sinchew.com.my/conten ... ;artid=200708251214

（東京訊）日本聲稱，其探月工程將會是自“阿波羅”任務把人類送上月球後的最大工程；而中國則表示，其探索工程將研究月球表面，以協助其登陸月球的計劃。

但是，眼前的大問題是，誰會搶先登陸月球？


這兩個亞洲強國最早會在9月啟動各自的首個探月任務，這項自冷戰以來的最激烈太空競爭已開始倒數計時。

日本太空署上週說，其“SELENE”號探月衛星已準備好在9月13日發射。這項發射計劃已展延了多年，因工程師必須先解決一籮筐的技術問題。

與此同時，中國也盛傳會在9月發射其“嫦娥一號”探月衛星，但中國卻一直未公佈確切的發射日期。

雙方都表示，一切已準備就緒。

據中國國家航天局網站稱，中國“嫦娥一號”衛星及“長征三號”火箭載送器已通過所有測試，而且發射地點的興建工程也已完工。

中國國防技術部長7月告訴中央電視台，一切已準備就緒，以在“今年杪前”把探月衛星發射升空。 （星洲日報/國際•2007.08.25）

pfg1group

http://www.sinchew.com.my/conten ... ;artid=200708270936

美國•3架太空梭均“負傷”須緊急修理
updated:2007-08-27 17:59:50 MYT


美國太空總署（NASA）發現3架現役太空梭竟然都是“傷員”，於是宣佈進行緊急修理。

NASA週日（26日）發表聲明說，“奮進”號太空梭回到地面後，專家對它以及“發現”號、“亞特蘭蒂斯”號都進行了“體檢”，尤其是對其燃料箱進行了詳細的X光檢查。


結果專家們發現，這3架現役太空梭外部燃料箱的泡沫絕緣材料都有裂縫。工程專家認為，可能就是由於這些裂縫，導致“奮進”號太空梭升空時，泡沫絕緣材料脫落。 （星洲日報/國際•2007.08.27）

pfg1group

http://www.mingpaonews.com/20070828/tbc1.htm

【明報專訊】英國火箭迷布朗自製火箭「肥腿」號，成功射上6000呎高空，成為英國史上最強大非商用火箭。

每飛1秒 燒掉1500元

「肥腿」號這個名字聽上去雖然十分荒誕，但它卻在英國艾爾郡一鳴驚人，為39歲資訊科技工程師布朗帶來不少榮耀。重約50公斤的「肥腿」，起飛後僅幾秒，已達時速160公里，其後更加速至時速755公里，最高點達到離地6000呎。「肥腿」號升空約1分鐘後，在離發射地3公里外的地方爆炸墜。

布朗是根據電腦模型，自行裝嵌火箭。他花費約6.3萬港元安裝火箭，再花約1萬港元安排火箭發射，平均火箭每飛1秒，就「燃掉」了布朗約1500港元。他說：「對，這就像燒銀紙，但我喜歡這樣做！」由於火箭難燃點，他要嘗試兩次才成功令火箭升空。「火箭一升空就十分美妙，這必定是英國最強大的自製火箭。」

布朗說，3年前他收到一份火箭模型禮物後就迷上火箭製造，「我現在想研製更大、更好、更強的火箭，我受不了像釣魚那樣的玩意，因為這些活動太沉悶了。」

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