Mystery Object still a mystery?

Seen off California Monday (credit: KCBS/CNN).

So, what was it? Some people claim it was a missile launch off the coast of California and Catalina island. Some people claim it is a contrail from a jet crossing the sea coming toward the land.

It is DEFINITELY a contrail... but jet or missile? I have now read and heard claims from both sides. And both sides have interesting points to make to lead them to their conclusion. What's really interesting though, is that the military can not yet declare what it is.

My favorite of the claims is that it's a missile launch from a Chinese submarine off our coast, fired as a warning to us that we better get our economy back on track or that they didn't like Obama's promotion of India for the UN Security Council. I don't agree with this assessment, but it is absolutely a fascinating claim!

This is SO like UFO reports it's kind of funny. In the end, it doesn't matter what the government ends up proclaiming, the conspiracy theorists will only believe what they want to believe.

I can't wait to see how this turns out.

STS-133 Delayed till End of November

A very quiet Pad 39A.

NASA controllers called off the launch attempt Friday due to continuing problems with a hydrogen leak in the system that carries off excess hydrogen gas. The gas must be vented safely to avoid ignition and a catastrophic fire. Unfortunately, after the launch attempt had been scrubbed, a further problem was detected- a crack is forming in the outer coating of the External Tank which houses the liquified hydrogen.

The next attempt will be no earlier than November 30th. NASA reports that the astronauts have been sent back to Houston for additional training and preparation while they wait for repairs.

Bummer day for NASA, eh?

Will Discovery launch today?

Ready... any time now... ready... wait... errrrr!

Yesterday's launch schedule was delayed because of weather. Well, that's to be expected occasionally at the Florida space center. Florida gets a tremendous amount of rain, and it's important for the visual trackers and telescopes to be able to see the shuttle during the ascent phase. So if there are too many clouds, you have to wait a bit.

Word just came through... moments ago the decision was made to CANCEL today's launch attempt. Not a weather problem this time. Today's problem seems to be a malfunction in the tanking progress, as hydrogen fuel was pumped into the External Tank (ET). The leak appears to be at the joining plate between the ET and the pipe that carries away excess hydrogen gas. The danger is that a spark could ignite the gaseous hydrogen too close to the ET. Excess gas vapor is carried away by pipe to a safe zone where the excess is burned off.

Well... can't have any gas explosions there now, can we? Still, we're waiting for the momentous blast off for what will be Discovery's last trip to space.

Fly-by Success!

The nucleus of Hartley 2.

Say hi to the peanut. JPL mission control had chosen Hartley 2 for a rendezvous precisely because of some of the more unusual nature of this comet. Discoveries made by today's close pass by the EPOXI spacecraft did not disappoint. Scientists have huge amounts of data to analyze in trying to understand what makes this beastie tick.

The EPOXI spacecraft flew by the comet at about a distance of 435 miles. The data they have looked at so far hints that they will be able to relate future dust outbursts to exact physical features on the comet surface.

Comet Fly-by: EPOXI and Hartley 2

EPOXI, also known as Deep Impact. NASA art.

As I write this we are twenty-two minutes away from the closest approach that the EPOXI space explorer will make to comet Hartley 2. Expecting to approach to 435 miles from the comet nucleus, EPOXI will give us some great photos and data about this comet, which seems to have a "peanut-like" shape. Hartley 2 is a very prolific comet,pumping out tons of ice dust and debris as it orbits around the Sun.

The last instructions have been uploaded to the spacecraft and it is now on autopilot. Good luck to EPOXI and its team of explorers breathlessly waiting at Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

We are anxiously watching NASA-TV from the bunker. At last, we are striking back against the comet war overlords, making this reconnaissance of one of their evil bombers. Debris from this Hartley-2 bomber will remain as a minefield in space, just waiting for our planet or some luckless spacecraft to approach near enough to suffer a meteor strike. Hopefully this information will aid us in preparing defenses against the continual meteoric assault on our planet from the evil Comet Empire. ; )

Shuttle Launch Delayed

Discovery waits on Pad 39A.

Darn little stupid rotten piece of electrical... stuff! Looks like a main engine control electrical problem has delayed the launch of shuttle Discovery for another day as NASA technicians check for the culprit. It may turn out to be a little old circuit breaker in the shuttle's cockpit. Earliest possible launch on Thursday will be about 1:29 p.m. Mountain time.

Interesting news for LEGO fans: This mission will carry a mini shuttle made of LEGO bricks. As part of a special educational outreach program between NASA and LEGO, additional LEGO space sets will launch up to the ISS in February 2011, where they will be assembled in orbit while students on Earth assemble the same kits.

The Supply Run to ISS

Progress spacecraft on Soyuz rocket (photo credit RIA Novosti Oleg Urusov).

A Progress supply capsule was launched on Wednesday, carrying cargo to the International Space Station. NASA calls this mission Progress 40. The Russians have been running a very successful resupply system to the ISS for some time now, and it's actually pleasing to see something run this well. The "cargo ship" will make its automated robotic docking ahead of the DIscovery Shuttle flight expected to take off on November 1st. The older Progress cargo pod, now filled with garbage and waste has already undocked from the ISS in anticipation of this new cargo pod on its way up. The older capsule will burn up in a controlled re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. THe picture above was taken by Oleg Urusov, and I thought it was a beautiful view of the rocket on the pad in Baikonur Cosmodrome. It was published on Spacetoday.net by Jeff Foust. I highly recommend that space news site.