EPA policy chief steps down
Enviromental regulation takes another hit! The EPA policy chief most in favor of heavy regulation has stepped down.
Category: Points of Information
Very brief descriptions, with appropriate links, of current or recent news items.
A NASA surprise security drill causes one employee to call the police
A NASA surprise security drill caused one employee to call the police, shutting down the Glenn Research Center in a false alarm.
AARP raises employee premiums because of Obamacare
You can’t put lipstick on this pig! AARP, which backed healthcare reform because it thought it would lower costs, has announced that due to healthcare reform it will raise the premiums its employee pay by 8 to 13 percent. Meanwhile, privacy advocates are raising alarms about the federal health database being set up under the healthcare bill.
Burt Rutan retiring
It isn’t the first time he’s said it, but Burt Rutan, designer of SpaceShipOne, says he is retiring from Scaled Composites.
Discovery launch scrubbed due to hydrogen leak
Discovery’s launch is scrubbed again, this time due to another hydrogen leak. Next possible launch date is Monday, which means it is possible the launch will be delayed until early December.
An Early Warning System for Asteroid Impact
In a paper posted tonight on the Los Alamos astro-ph website, an astronomer is proposing an early warning system for asteroid impact. Key quote from the abstract:
This system, dubbed “Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System” (ATLAS), comprises two observatories separated by about 100km that simultaneously scan the visible sky twice a night, and can be implemented immediately for relatively low cost. The sensitivity of ATLAS permits detection of 140m asteroids (100 Mton impact energy) three weeks before impact, and 50m asteroids a week before arrival. An ATLAS alarm, augmented by other observations, should result in a determination of impact location and time that is accurate to a few kilometers and a few seconds.
NASA could be in budget limbo for months after Tuesday’s election
From the Huntsville Times: NASA could be in a budget limbo for months as a result of Tuesday’s election.
More info on Deep Impact flyby of Comet Hartley 2
First close-up photos of Comet Hartley 2 reveal a space peanut.
Statement from new chairman of House Science and Technology Committee
What will the global warming scientists do? The new chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee calls for “strong oversight . . . in key areas including climate change, scientific integrity”.
Watching the Deep Impact flyby of Hartley 2
Watch the Deep Impact flyby of Hartley 2 this instant (11:06 AM eastern)! The images are incredible. Update: The fly-by is over, but the live stream is still available (as of 11:30 am Eastern), showing some of the images taken. The comet itself is a peanut-shaped object about two miles long, with a jet of water coming out one end.
Florida Today calls for more NASA spending from new Congress
The first hints of the new space war over NASA: Florida Today calls for the new Congress to continue the NASA budget increases as authorized by the old Congress.
Baikonur allows its first feature film
The Baikonur space port: a movie set.