New episode of "This Week In Space" / More asteroid funding needed

      NEWSALERT: Sunday, January 24, 2010 @ 1855 GMT
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          The latest news from Spaceflight Now


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Experience the journey of NASA's most "successful failure" mission
during an exclusive Apollo 13 40th Anniversary celebration alongside
crewmembers Fred Haise, James Lovell and NASA Flight Director Gene
Kranz on April 9 at Kennedy Space Center, FL.
http://www.astronautscholarship.org/2010_apollo13.html
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THIS WEEK IN SPACE WITH MILES O'BRIEN
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In the latest episode of This Week in Space with Miles O'Brien: a decision
nears from President Obama on the future of the manned space program, Elon
Musk of SpaceX vehemently denies his rockets will be unsafe for
astronauts, the clock ticks down to the launch of the shuttle Endeavour,
the rover Spirit moves (but just a little), and Miles checks out the lunar
inspired artwork of moonwalker Alan Bean. You also can subscribe for free
to watch episodes from iTunes.

http://spaceflightnow.com


MORE FUNDING NEEDED TO MEET ASTEROID DETECTION MANDATE
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NASA is not doing enough to complete a mandated search for
Earth-threatening asteroids and comets because the space agency is not
receiving enough money for the problem, according to a National Research
Council report.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1001/22neo/


EUROPEAN DATA RELAY SYSTEM TO BE DECIDED IN 2010
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The European Space Agency expects to finalize a proposed data relay
satellite system and secure enough funding to build the network this year,
senior space officials said.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1001/22edrs/


OBSERVATORY TO MONITOR SUN'S BEHAVIOR NEARS LAUNCH
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At a satellite-readying hangar outside the Kennedy Space Center on
Thursday, NASA's sophisticated new Sun-studying probe was enclosed within
the giant metal fairing that will shroud the craft during ascent to space
atop an Atlas 5 booster next month.

http://spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av021/100121sdo.html


NO SIGN OF PHOENIX DURING THREE DAYS OF LISTENING
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NASA says they heard no signals from the Phoenix lander this week during
30 communications passes over the probe's icy landing site, an expected
outcome because the craft was never designed to survive the dark and cold
Martian winter.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1001/21phoenix/


ENDEAVOUR CREW BOARDS THE SPACECRAFT FOR REHEARSAL
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Dressed in their bright orange spacesuits and following the scripted
launch morning routine, the six astronauts who will blast off aboard
Endeavour next month went to the launch pad and climbed inside the shuttle
Thursday for a realistic dry run.

http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts130/100121tcdt/

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Good Clear Skies
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Astrocomet
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Colin James Watling
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Real Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)
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Web: http://lyra.freewebsites.com/