http://www.spacefoundation.org/rss/common/images/smRSSlogo.jpg http://www.spacefoundation.org/rss/news.xml http://www.spacefoundation.org/rss/ Space news stories from around the world. en-us media@spacefoundation.org (Kendra Horn) web@spacefoundation.org (Space Foundation Interactive Media Department) Copyright 2006 Space Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss/index.html PgRSS v0.1 - ColdFusion Sunday Saturday 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 18 19 20 21 22 23 Tue, 13 May 2008 15:08:30 GMT Tue, 13 May 2008 15:08:30 GMT http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/13/science/13astr.html?_r=1&ref=space&oref=sloginThe skies may be the next frontier in travel, yet not even the wealthiest space tourist can zoom out to, say, the Crab Nebula, the Trapezium Cluster or Eta Carinae, a star 100 times more massive than the Sun and 7,500 light-years away. But those galactic destinations and thousands of others can now be toured and explored at the controls of a computer mouse, with the constellations, stars and space dust displayed in vivid detail and animated imagery across the screen. The project, the WorldWide Telescope, is the culmination of years of work by researchers at Microsoft, and the Web site and free downloadable software are available starting on Tuesday, at www.WorldWideTelescope.org.http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/13/science/13astr.html?_r=1&ref=space&oref=sloginhttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB121066094172587849.html?mod=googlenews_wsjA Lockheed Martin Corp. space unit agreed to pay $10.5 million to settle a long-pending federal civil investigation of overpayments for work on the company's Titan IV rocket. Without any acknowledgement of wrongdoing by the company, the agreement resolves allegations by the Air Force and Pentagon auditors that Lockheed "manipulated billings on the complicated contract" to request certain interim payments it wasn't entitled to receive, according to the Los Angeles U.S. Attorney's office. The settlement covers so-called progress payments from 1998 to 2001.http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121066094172587849.html?mod=googlenews_wsjhttp://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iXiVTRPqiTKMIRpgR88ajYEYzAmgD90KMDH80Japan's powerful lower house of parliament voted Tuesday to allow the country's space programs to be used for national defense, the latest move by Tokyo to give more freedom to the tightly controlled military. The legislation, which is expected to be approved by the upper house as well, is primarily aimed at letting the military use Japan's civilian-controlled spy satellite network for defense as defined by the pacifist constitution.http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iXiVTRPqiTKMIRpgR88ajYEYzAmgD90KMDH80http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121064037630687011.html?mod=us_business_whats_newsLockheed Martin Corp. is likely to win a contract worth at least $1.8 billion to build the military's next-generation navigation satellites, beating out rival Boeing Co. for what could be the only major U.S. military-satellite project started in the next few years, according to people familiar with the contract. Barring some last-minute delay or reversal, these people said, the Air Force as early as Tuesday is expected to award Lockheed, of Bethesda, Md., a contract for the first eight satellites of the planned constellation called Global Positioning System III. At least 16 additional satellites are planned, potentially worth billions of dollars more.http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121064037630687011.html?mod=us_business_whats_newshttp://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=space&id=news/PDR051208.xml&headline=Orion%20PDR%20Slips%20Two%20MonthsTop-level engineers overseeing development of the Orion crew exploration vehicle have decided to slip preliminary design review (PDR) on the six-seat capsule - probably by about two months - to give some contractors more time to work design changes adopted last fall in a major weight-saving exercise.http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=space&id=news/PDR051208.xml&headline=Orion%20PDR%20Slips%20Two%20Monthshttp://money.cnn.com/2008/05/12/technology/xmradiomoritz.fortune/index.htm?source=yahoo_quoteXM Satellite Radio reported Monday more of the same as it limps toward a final decision on its proposed merger with rival Sirius Satellite Radio: Slower growth and wider losses. With the deal in limbo, XM has watched as sales have stagnated, its costs to acquire subscribers have increased, and its debt level jump 12% in three months, to $1.66 billion. These are uneasy times for a company with heavy losses, coming off a rapid growth phase and now entering a sluggish consumer environment. In February, with no merger in hand, and its cash level down to $156 million, XM tapped $187.5 million from its $250 million credit line.http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/12/technology/xmradiomoritz.fortune/index.htm?source=yahoo_quotehttp://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/ASAT05128.xml&headline=China%20Appears%20To%20Regret%20Asat%20Test&channel=defenseChina's leaders miscalculated the international reaction to the country's antisatellite (Asat) weapon test last year, and likely regret that they let their research-and-development bureaucracy carry it out, says a top U.S. expert on the Chinese space program."The Chinese took very careful aim and shot themselves in the foot with that test," says Joan Johnson-Freese, chairman of the National Security Decision-Making Dept. at the U.S. Naval War College. "I think they now are now recognizing that the international condemnation due them was actually moderated."http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/ASAT05128.xml&headline=China%20Appears%20To%20Regret%20Asat%20Test&channel=defense