NASA hosted a media teleconference at noon PDT (3 p.m. EDT) on Tuesday, July 9 to provide details about a report that will help define science objectives for the agency's next Mars rover. The report is from the Mars 2020 Science Definition Team (SDT). The report and story are available on the SpaceRef website.

Space Talk

NASA Mars 2020 Rover Media Teleconference

Listen in as NASA outlines its fiscal year 2014 budget and discusses new and existing projects.

NASA Fiscal Year 2014 Media Teleconference

This morning at 10:10 a.m. EST, a SpaceX Falcon 9 with Dragon spacecraft launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on its second of 12 NASA contracted resupply missions to the International Space Station (ISS). Less than 24 hours after launching, the SpaceX Dragon was supposed to arrive at the ISS where the station crew would grapple and berth the spacecraft to the ISS for an expected three week visit. However, after the Dragon spacecraft had separated from the Falcon 9 launch vehicle, and just before the Dragon solar arrays were to deploy, an anomaly occurred with the thrusters where only one of four was enabled. The spacecraft appeared to be in the correct orbit. Full story online at http://spaceref.biz

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches But Anomaly Detected Which Delayed Solar Array Deployment

NASA held a media briefing with SpaceX to discuss Friday's launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 with Dragon capsule as part of the NASA commercial resupply mission program to the International Space Station. This is the second official cargo resupply mission (CRS-20). The first launch opportunity for CRS-2 is currently scheduled for 10:10 AM ET on Friday, March 1.

NASA SpaceX Dragon-2 Pre-Launch Readiness Briefing

On February 27th, 2013 Dennis Tito and his team discussed the newly formed Inspiration Mars non-profit organization and its plan for the first human mission to Mars. Learn more about this ground breaking inspiring mission. "A unique window of opportunity for humankind will open in January 2018, and the Inspiration Mars Foundation intends to seize it, announcing plans today to pursue a challenging manned mission to Mars and back. This historic 501-day journey around the Red Planet is made possible by a rare planetary alignment that occurs five years from now. Two professional crew members - one man, one woman - flying as private citizens will embark on what is known as a "fast, free-return" mission, passing within 100 miles of Mars before swinging back and safely returning to Earth. Target launch date is Jan. 5, 2018."

Inspiration Mars Introductory News Conference

The Mars rover Curiosity's team is beginning to amass enough diverse science data to actively consider whether the area around its first drilling site was potentially habitable. At the same time the science team is readying the rover's most powerful instruments to search for organic carbon and minerals supportive to life in its first sample of gray powdered subsurface rock. Read the full story on SpaceRef.

CuriousMars: Rover Poised to Test For Organics Where Habitability Potential is High

Estimated to have been a 9 tonnes in size, a meteorite streaked across the sky over the Ural mountains in Russia and exploded at 30 to 50 kilometres above ground. The supersonic reentry injured an estimated 1100 people according to reports in Russia. Part of the meteor crashed into a frozen lake. An estimated 3000 buildings were damaged in the city of Chelyabinsk, including the roof collapsing at a zinc factory.

Meteor Explodes Over Russia

The small near-Earth asteroid 2012 DA14 will pass very close, but will not hit the Earth on Feb. 15, 2013. It will be so close that it will pass inside the ring of geosynchronous weather and communications satellites. Learn more about this asteroid and research opportunity it presents.

Asteroid 2012 DA14 Earth Flyby on February 15th Update

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) today announced they had selected Lockheed Martin Space Systems as a partner on its Dream Chaser program in its ongoing effort for NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

Sierra Nevada Introduces Lockheed Martin as Dream Chaser Partner

Secure World Foundation held a luncheon panel discussion on December 3, 2012, from 12 PM to 2 PM on significant space policy challenges facing the second Obama Administration, including civil space funding and Congress, ITAR reform, improving space situational awareness, and improving the overall coordination of U.S. space activities. Featured Experts: Ms. Marcia Smith, SpacePolicyOnline.com Ms. Patricia Cooper, Satellite Industry Association Mr. Brian Weeden, Secure World Foundation Dr. Eligar Sadeh, Astroconsulting International Moderator: Dr. Scott Pace, George Washington University Dr. Sadeh previewed a new book he edited entitled Space Strategy in the 21st Century. Published by Routledge as part of their Space Power and Politics series, the book contains articles written by experts who attended the SWF Workshop on National Space Strategy in February, 2010.

Space Policy Challenges Facing the Second Obama Administration

According to NASA, the Curiosity rover has taken significant steps toward understanding how Mars may have lost much of its original atmosphere. Learning what happened to the Martian atmosphere will help scientists assess whether the planet ever was habitable. An important indicator is whether there is any methane present in the atmosphere. Scientists want to know about methane in the Martian atmosphere because life as we know it produces methane and most methane in Earth's atmosphere is due to biological processes. Today's first set of results came back negative for methane, meaning at present there appears to be no modern-day life. However these are preliminary results and NASA says that the hunt has just begun in earnest and not to draw any final conclusions yet.

NASA Curiosity Rover Begins Hunt for Methane in Martian Atmosphere an Indicator of Biological Processes

The Secure World Foundation (SWF) and the Arms Control, Disarmament, and International Security Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (ACDIS) co-hosted a panel discussion on Thursday, October 25, 2012 from 12 PM to 2 PM: the discussion brought experts together to assess the current state of play in space, especially amongst Asian powers. The event also examined how that play affects regional security issues, as well as international cooperative efforts to promote the long-term sustainable use of space. Moderated by SWF DC Office Director Victoria Samson, the panel of experts included: Dr. Bharath Gopalaswamy, University of Illinois - Champaign/Urbana Dr. Joan Johnson-Freese, Naval War College Dr. Asif Siddiqi, Fordham University Dr. Kazuto Sazuki, University of Hokkaido and Princeton University (presentation online)

Asia in Space: Cooperation or Competition?

NASA hosted a media teleconference on Wednesday, September 19 to provide a status update on the Curiosity rover's mission to Mars' Gale Crater. During the briefing researchers discussed an unusual football-size rock that will be the first for the rover's arm to examine. Participants in the teleconference were Richard Cook, JPL; Mars Science Laboratory Project Manager, John Grotzinger, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena; Mars Science Laboratory Project Scientist, Mark Lemmon, Texas A&M University, College Station; Mars Science Laboratory Science Team Co-Investigator.

Mars Curiosity Rover Briefing for September 19, 2012

The extent of the sea ice covering the Arctic Ocean has shrunk. According to scientists from NASA and the NASA-supported National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) in Boulder, Colo., the amount is the smallest size ever observed in the three decades since consistent satellite observations of the polar cap began. The panelists for the briefing are: Joey Comiso, senior research scientist, Goddard and Walt Meier, research scientist, NSDIC. A video is available on our web site.

Arctic Sea Ice At Record Low

NASA hosted a media teleconference at 10 a.m. PDT (1 p.m. EDT) on Thursday, Sept. 6, to provide a status update on the Curiosity rover's mission to Mars' Gale Crater. The Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft is one month into a two-year mission to investigate whether conditions have been favorable for microbial life and preserving clues in the rocks about possible past life.

Mars Curiosity Rover Update for Thursday, September 6, 2012

Space Talk features discussions on a variety of space related topics from SpaceRef and our partners as well as public domain sources such as NASA. Topics include robotic and manned space exploration, space science, space policy, Mars, Astrobiology and everything in between.