Swedish ESA astronaut Christer Fuglesang will fly to the ISS in December 2006 as part of the seven-strong STS-116 Space Shuttle crew.The rewiring process of the ISS will begin with NASA ground control switching off power to the Station. Along with NASA astronaut Robert Curbeam, Fuglesang will float outside the Station to connect the electrical systems to new solar panels attached in September. The Shuttle crew will be received by the three astronauts who are currently living on board the ISS. Among them is German ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter. It will be the first time ever that two ESA astronauts are on board the Station at the same time. Reiter will travel back to Earth with the Shuttle crew at the end of the STS-116 mission. With this expanded electrical system the ISS will be ready to receive the European Columbus laboratory, due for launch in late 2007. By this […]

In 2008, Vega will place into orbit its first small satellite missions. The new launch vehicle’s reference capability is to carry a spacecraft weighing 1.5 tonnes into a polar orbit with an altitude of 700 kilometres, a relatively low orbit. The launcher is not able to inject large spacecraft into geostationary orbit but that is not its purpose - Ariane 5 fulfills that role. Vega is the only launcher of its class that can launch several satellites in a single mission. This new generation launcher has a very light structure, which allows a greater payload weight for any chosen orbit. Vega’s maiden flight is set for 2007, launching from the repurposed ELA-1 launch pad at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The ELA-1 pad was first used by Ariane 1 over 30 years ago. The strategy behind this launcher is to offer to institutional and also commercial customers a range […]

In his weekly radio address President Bush said, “This week, Americans across our Nation gather with loved ones to give thanks for the many blessings we share. … And we’re grateful to Almighty God for the freedom to enjoy all these gifts. … Americans believe that every person has the right to live, work, and worship in freedom. And we’re thankful to the men and women of our Nation’s armed forces who risk their lives to protect those rights. This Thanksgiving, we are mindful that many of our finest citizens are spending the holiday far from their homes and loved ones, and we know that their service makes it possible for us to live in freedom.”

In his weekly radio address President Bush said, “Asia is important to America because prosperity in our country depends on trade with Asia’s growing economies. Today, America’s trade across the Pacific is greater than our trade across the Atlantic, and we need to continue opening up markets in this part of the world to American goods and services. … History shows that free societies are peaceful societies, so America is committed to advancing freedom and democracy as the great alternative to repression and radicalism. And by standing with our allies in the Asia Pacific region, we will defend our free way of life, confront the challenges of a new century, and build a more hopeful, peaceful, and prosperous future for our children and grandchildren.”

The ISS will grow considerably in the next few years with the addition of new solar panel generators and three research labs before being completed in 2010. During his six-month stay, German ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter, a member of the permanent ISS crew since July this year, is devoting 136 hours to research experiments. Another ESA astronaut, Christer Fuglesang, from Sweden, is training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, in Houston. Fuglesang will make his first mission to the Space Station in December after launch on board Space Shuttle mission STS-116. During the twelve-day mission, Fuglesang will contribute to Station assembly by taking part in two spacewalks. The Columbus laboratory is Europe’s main contribution to the ISS. ESA German astronaut Hans Schlegel will be on the Space Shuttle mission that will attach Columbus to the ISS. But before the laboratory can be attached, in August 2007 another ESA astronaut, the Italian […]