Shuttle Discovery powered down for last time / South American Soyuz launch

NEWSALERT: Sunday, December 18, 2011 @ 2237 GMT
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  The latest news from Spaceflight Now


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SHUTTLE DISCOVERY'S HISTORIC PAYLOAD BAY GOES DARK
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After deploying 21 satellites from expansive confines, including the
Hubble Space Telescope, commercial spacecraft and military eavesdroppers,
hosting scientific platforms and hauling key pieces of the International
Space Station, the payload bay of space shuttle Discovery was closed and
locked as the spacecraft was powered off for the final time Friday.

http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts133/111216doors/

STS-133: DISCOVERY'S FINAL FLIGHT:
http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts133/

FINAL MISSION HIGH-DEFINITION TV ARCHIVE:
http://www.spaceflightnowplus.com/hd/sts133/


SIX DEFENSE SATELLITES LAUNCHED BY SOYUZ ROCKET
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A Russian Soyuz rocket fired six satellites into space Friday, launching
missions to serve defense agencies in Europe and Chile with
high-resolution imagery and electronic intelligence.

http://spaceflightnow.com/soyuz/vs02/111217launch/

MISSION STATUS CENTER:
http://spaceflightnow.com/soyuz/vs02/status.html


RUSSIANS NOW PREPARING FOR RE-ENTRY OF MARS PROBE
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Russia's $163 million Phobos-Grunt Mars probe, stranded in low-Earth orbit
after a malfunction following launch Nov. 8, is expected to fall back into
Earth's atmosphere next month, Russian officials confirmed Friday.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1112/17reentry/


NASA RETHINKS MECHANICS FOR COMMERCIAL CREW CONTRACTS
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Faced with uncertain budgets, NASA is giving up fixed-price contracts and
moving back to more flexible, but less comprehensive, Space Act Agreements
to continue design work on a new commercial manned spacecraft to ferry
U.S. astronauts to and from the International Space Station, officials
said Thursday.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1112/15commcrew/


DECISION INCREASES RISK IN COMMERCIAL CREW PROGRAM
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NASA's decision to give up insight and influence in the design of
privately-developed space vehicles could cause delays in the resumption of
U.S. human spaceflight, officials said Thursday.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1112/16commercialcrew/


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Good Clear Skies
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Astrocomet
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Colin James Watling

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Various Voluntary work-Litter Picking for Parish Council (Daytime) and also a friend of Kessingland Beach (Watchman)
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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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