NASA预算将出现7年来的首次增长

美国总统克林顿在向国会提交的新财年美国航宇局 ( NASA)预算申请中 ,提出在今后 5年内要使该局的预算稳步增加。2月 7日在美国航宇局总部公布的这份预算申请为该局 2 0 0 1财年确定的预算为 1 40 .35亿美元 ,比本财年的拨款多了 4.35亿美元。如果得到通过 ,这将是美国航宇局的预算在 7年中首次出现增长。按这份预算案 ,该局的预算到 2 0 0 5年将达到 1 55.7亿美元。新预算案的核心是要投入60亿美元开展先进航天运输技术研究工作 ,对将取代“年事已高”的现役航天飞机机队的可复用运载器所需的技术进行试验。按设想 ,美国航宇局将在 2 0 0…     

"信使"启程探水星

经过多次发射推迟后，人类研制的第一颗水星轨道探测器“信使”终于在美国东部时间8月3日凌晨2时16分(北京时问14时16分)，由波音公司的德尔它2H-7925型运载火箭在卡纳维拉尔角空军站发射升空。升空57分钟后，探测器进入一条太阳轨道。入轨后，它自动展开了两块太阳能电池板，并开始向地面发送状态数据。按计划，探测器将于2011年3月进入环绕水星运行的轨道，对水星展开为期至少1年的科学探测。     

美将发射太阳探测器

400多年以来,天文学家一直都是从远处对太阳进行研究.而如今,美国航空航天局(NASA)已决定派探测器到离太阳很近的地方去进行观测.该探测器称为"太阳探测器 ",最早可在2015年发射,是一颗耐高温的探测器,可深入到太阳的大气层内,采集太阳风和太阳磁的第一手样品.到为期7年的探测任务结束时,它有望解开天体物理学的两大谜团,并得到多项新的发现.目前探测器正处于初步设计阶段.     

NASA气候研究卫星发射失败

轨道科学公司的金牛座XL火箭3月4日在范登堡空军基地发射了NASA用于加深对地球气候系统认识的＂光辉＂卫星和3颗微小卫星,但因整流罩未能正常分离而告失败,星箭显然落到了南太平洋中。     

踏平坎坷不辍探索美将再次发射火星车

由于运行位置的原因，人类发射火星探测器要‘相机行事”。适时发射可以使探测器在飞往火星时既省时，又省力。这样的机会一般每两年多才出现一次。为了加紧探索火星，美国几年前设立了火星勘测者计划，准备每遇一次机会就发射两颗探测器。1996年发射的头两颗探测器——火星探路者和火星全球勘测者（MGS）均顺利抵达目的地。1998年底和1999年初，美又相继发射了火星气候轨道器（MCO）和火星极区着陆器（MP）（统称火星勘测者1998），但这两颗探测器却在最后入轨和着陆的关头相继失踪，引起广人们对美国火星探索计划的强烈批评。在这种情…     

European response to the NASA space station initiative

This article contrasts the political motivations behind the US space station initiative with those underlying the European Space Agency's Long Term Plan. Philip Chandler concludes that European cooperation in NASA's space station programme (SSP) will serve three needs: to buy time; to allow European users to undertake longer, manned experiments; and, to keep the Spacelab teams intact. However, in itself the SSP holds little value for Europe.     

和NASA对着干

“如果你们不给我一次维修实验设备的机会，我就不回去了。”     

NASA进行探月能力方案评审

美国航空航天局(NASA)工程专家和科学家6月20日完成了一项重要评审,将有助于确定重返月球和建设月球前哨基地所需的系统.这次3天的"探月能力方案评审"为耗时9个月、由NASA总部探测系统任务署牵头开展的一项研究工作画上了句号.     

The NASA astrobiology program

The new discipline of astrobiology addresses fundamental questions about life in the universe: "Where did we come from?" "Are we alone in the universe?" "What is our future beyond the Earth?" Developing capabilities in biotechnology, informatics, and space exploration provide new tools to address these old questions. The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has encouraged this new discipline by organizing workshops and technical meetings, establishing a NASA Astrobiology Institute, providing research funds to individual investigators, ensuring that astrobiology goals are incorporated in NASA flight missions, and initiating a program of public outreach and education. Much of the initial effort by NASA and the research community was focused on determining the technical content of astrobiology. This paper discusses the initial answer to the question "What is astrobiology?" as described in the NASA Astrobiology Roadmap.     

The NASA Astrobiology Roadmap

The NASA Astrobiology Roadmap provides guidance for research and technology development across the NASA enterprises that encompass the space, Earth, and biological sciences. The ongoing development of astrobiology roadmaps embodies the contributions of diverse scientists and technologists from government, universities, and private institutions. The Roadmap addresses three basic questions: how does life begin and evolve, does life exist elsewhere in the universe, and what is the future of life on Earth and beyond? Seven Science Goals outline the following key domains of investigation: understanding the nature and distribution of habitable environments in the universe, exploring for habitable environments and life in our own Solar System, understanding the emergence of life, determining how early life on Earth interacted and evolved with its changing environment, understanding the evolutionary mechanisms and environmental limits of life, determining the principles that will shape life in the future, and recognizing signatures of life on other worlds and on early Earth. For each of these goals, Science Objectives outline more specific high priority efforts for the next three to five years. These eighteen objectives are being integrated with NASA strategic planning.     

The NASA Astrobiology Roadmap

The NASA Astrobiology Roadmap provides guidance for research and technology development across the NASA enterprises that encompass the space, Earth, and biological sciences. The ongoing development of astrobiology roadmaps embodies the contributions of diverse scientists and technologists from government, universities, and private institutions. The Roadmap addresses three basic questions: How does life begin and evolve, does life exist elsewhere in the universe, and what is the future of life on Earth and beyond? Seven Science Goals outline the following key domains of investigation: understanding the nature and distribution of habitable environments in the universe, exploring for habitable environments and life in our own solar system, understanding the emergence of life, determining how early life on Earth interacted and evolved with its changing environment, understanding the evolutionary mechanisms and environmental limits of life, determining the principles that will shape life in the future, and recognizing signatures of life on other worlds and on early Earth. For each of these goals, Science Objectives outline more specific high-priority efforts for the next 3-5 years. These 18 objectives are being integrated with NASA strategic planning.     

美国航宇局局长戈尔丁辞职

戈尔丁１０月中旬决定在１１月１７日辞去其美国航宇局局长职务。在戈尔丁宣布辞职前，该局航天飞行办公室主任罗森伯格因空间站计划问题和航天飞机预算可能不足递交了辞呈。戈尔丁１９９２年４月１日由现总统布什的父亲老布什任命为美国航宇局局长，可谓“三朝元老”，是该局历史上任职最长的局长。他在任期间开展了对“自由号”空间站的重新设计，并将俄罗斯拉进了该计划。他推出的“快、好、省”航天器发展思路使该局在节省三分之二费用的情况下每年发射的科学卫星数目达到以前的４倍。但这一思路既带来过成功的喜悦，也产生过损失两个火…     

太空数据传输开启新篇章——NASA成功测试OPALS激光通信技术

众所周知。采用波长极短的光波进行空间卫星通信。是实现高码率通信的最佳方案．甚至被认为是唯一手段，尤其是在空间卫星日益拥挤的今天。6月6日，NASA利用激光束把一段高清视频以50Mbps（兆位／秒）的速度从国际空间站传送回地面。     

美将如何选拔探索火星的第一批航天员?

美国参加首次载人火星探索任务的机组将由4～7名航天员组成。具有数学和科学天赋是对他们的基本要求,同时还必须保证他们具备良好的身体和心理素质。除此之外,需要通过基因测试来排除候选者是否存在潜在的基因突变。这些航天员必须敬业,而且要毕业于世界著名大学的科学和工程专业,另外还要求在相关工作中积累了各种探索火星所需的技术经验。现在,这些理想的未来候选者的年龄不会超过16岁。     

A crisis in the NASA space and Earth sciences programme : NASA Space and Earth Sciences Committee

The US space and Earth science programme is in a time of crisis. As the research environment changes and new scientific opportunities emerge, a broader range of resources is needed, including substantial new flight opportunities. There are a growing number of claimants for space research resources. Fluctuations in funding, programme delays and mismatched time scales have contributed to wasted time and research efforts. A new commitment is needed in this crisis; this article contains a summary of the analysis and recommendations of a recent report of NASA advisory committee.     

NASA签发空间站补给合同

NASA于2008年12月23日宣布,它已同太空探索技术公司和轨道科学公司这两家私营航天发射公司签订了总计35亿美元的国际空间站货物运输合同。该局从轨道科学公司订购了8次发射,价值19亿美元,同时从太空探索公司订购了12次发射,价值16亿美元。与波音、洛马和阿连特技术系统公司联手参与竞争的行星空间公司没有拿到合同。     

NASA strategic planning for 2000 and beyond

This short paper outlines the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration's development of its 2000 Strategic Plan.