New Space Plan Calls for The Telescope's Retirement

Last week, President Bush announced a bold new space initiative that called for returning to the moon and eventually setting foot on Mars. While NASA engineers will focus on accomplishing these lofty goals, some recent projects, like the high-tech Hubble Space Telescope will eventually fall to the wayside.  NASA recently announced the Hubble will be allowed to degrade and eventually become useless, as the agency changes focus to meet President Bush's new interplanetary mission. As a result, NASA has canceled all space shuttle servicing missions to the orbital telescope, which changed our stellar perspective with its striking images of the universe. John Grunsfeld, NASA's chief scientist, said Friday that NASA adm

Makes Up for Beagle's Blunder

Following NASA's recent success with its Spirit Mars rover, Europe's own Mars Express orbiter sent back its first high-resolution pictures of the planet's surface, much to the excitement of the European Space Agency's (ESA) engineers. On Monday, agency officials explained the spacecraft captured detailed photos of the planet's rocky and barren landscape, including part of the huge Martian canyon called Valles Marineris.Over the past week, European controllers have focused on calibrating the orbiter's on-board instruments, including, in addition to its high-resolution stereo camera, a powerful radar that will search beneath the surface for signs of water or ice that may once have sustained living organisms. Monday's news helps brigh

Defending Earth from Asteroids and Comets

While a scary thought to many of us, the space industry has been working on a plan to deal with the possibility of an asteroid impact on Earth. While one would think this subject is tailored more for the Hollywood movie industry, some scientists -- many of whom are meeting next month to discuss the issue -- insist the threat is real. Developing strategies for mitigating threats from asteroids and preparing for catastrophic events will be discussed when an international group of scientists, engineers, space policy makers, and others gather in Garden Grove, (CA)., Feb. 23-26 for the Planetary Defense Conference 2004 (PDC). Participants will develop a set of recommendations for improving the ability to successfully defend our plan