Challenger Twentieth Anniversary


NASA

The Palm Beach Post has an article with a link to a multimedia presentation, which includes a replay of the final countdown and launch which ended in tragedy.

Here is the poem quoted by President Reagan on national TV on that day.

High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high unsurpassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee
No 412 squadron, RCAF
Killed 11 December 1941

Planning the Future While Remembering the Past

I got back today from traveling to Houston for a meeting discussing safety issues for the (not yet official) final Shuttle servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.

I noticed that the flags at NASA and contractor facilities were at half-mast on Thursday. It was for NASA's Day of Remembrance for the Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia astronauts. As a SPACE.com article says

Friday marks the beginning of a somber time of year for NASA, commemorating the first of three spaceflight disasters that have claimed the lives of 17 astronauts over the last 40 years.

On Jan. 27, 1967, three astronauts perished in a fire that consumed their Apollo 1 spacecraft while it sat atop its launch pad as NASA worked feverishly to send Americans to the Moon.

Saturday also marks the 20th anniversary of the space shuttle Challenger accident. The orbiter was destroyed 73 seconds after liftoff on Jan. 28, 1986 when rocket booster seal failed, leading to a subsequent fireball and the deaths of all seven astronauts aboard – including Christa McAuliffe, the first school teacher to launch spaceward.

NASA will also honor the seven STS-107 shuttle astronauts lost in the 2003 Columbia accident next week. The Columbia orbiter broke apart during reentry on Feb. 1, 2003 after a successful 16-day science mission. Wing damage sustained during launch by a chunk of fuel tank insulation was later cited as the accident cause.

These anniveraries are a reminder that there is always risk in spaceflight and safety is never to be taken for granted.

God Is Love

That's the English language title of Pope Benedict XVI's first encyclical which was released on Wednesday. From the Introduction:

We have come to believe in God's love: in these words the Christian can express the fundamental decision of his life. Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.

A papal document usually takes time to digest. Blogs that have posted comments, with more follow-up to come, include Open book, Thrown Back, and The Revolution (a sister Blog for Life).

The People Speak Truth To Power

It's been an awesome couple of days with the events surrounding the March For Life. I attended Sunday afternoon's final convention session, which was capped by St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke's powerful discussion of natural law and civic life. Last evening was the National Prayer Vigil for Life at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, with a packed congregation. I talked with people from South Carolina, Connecticut, Minnesota, etc.

This morning I attended the Blogs for Life conference, meeting several bright and nice bloggers including La Shawn Barber, The Revolution, Tim of ProLife Blogs, realitycheck(dot)ie (all the way from Ireland!), Irish Law (as in Notre Dame), Pro-Life With Christ, The Stem Cell Extremist, plus a journalist and a student writer. My regrets to anyone I've overlooked and to the other fine bloggers in the room I did not get to talk with.

The Rally on the Mall included many fine speakers highlighted by a call from Kansas by President Bush. Nobody officially counts crowd numbers in DC anymore, but looking back from Capitol Hill during the March to the crowds filling Constitution Avenue many blocks distant, I can only guess the number was well over the standard 100,000 figure. Others I've talked to feel the same way.

After a short drop in at my pro-abortion congressman's office, I stopped by the Susan B. Anthony List reception, and could have stayed longer had I known that the RNC reception was closed due to overcapacity attendance.

Enroute to the Metro, my final stop was a particularly powerful event at the Supreme Court where women grievously hurt by their abortion experiences declared that they are Silent No More.

I really feel the peaceful strength of this movement is making history as did the Polish Solidarity movement and the 'People Power' movement in the Philippines, to name just two recent examples. We don't just do this March to complain about the status quo. We're in it to win, to restore the recognition of the God-given rights of every human being.

Why We March

This is a slightly revised and updated article I first wrote and posted in 2004 at this time.

Sunday, January 22, marks the 33rd anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton Supreme Court decisions which imposed abortion-on-demand in the United States. Once again, concerned citizens will gather on Monday for the annual March for Life, which in recent years has usually drawn more than 100,000 participants. Now, why do so many people consider it so important to take time on a weekday to come to Washington, DC at the coldest time of the year to make their voice heard on this matter?

Before I go on any further, I need to say a couple of things. First, nothing in this article is meant to condemn anyone who has had an abortion or has been involved in abortion in some way. Far from condemning those with an abortion in their past, the people in the prolife movement are about healing and forgiveness, and want it to be clear that there is hope after abortion. Post-abortion counseling can be found through many church denominations and pregnancy counseling centers.

And second, while the prolife movement consists largely of people with strong religious convictions who feel called by God to defend the defenseless, that doesn't make the protection of human life a narrow, religious issue. The facts that the defenseless exist and that they deserve protection in the human family can be persuasively advocated by non-religiously reasoned arguments.

First, let's start with a little scientific background (from the Science for Unborn Human Life website) about how each of us began our lives as unique human beings. A new human being is conceived when a sperm fertilizes an egg. The sperm has 23 chromosomes and so does the egg. But the fertilized egg has 46, half from each parent, and is genetically unique. These 46 chromosomes, which are fixed at conception, establish the child's sex and are a blueprint for how it will develop, both during pregnancy and after birth.

Blood vessels start to form very early, about 13-18 days after fertilization. Then, on about the 20th day - nearly the end of the third week - the foundation of the brain, the spinal cord, and the entire nervous system is established. The heart begins to beat on about the 22nd day after conception, circulating blood throughout the child. The arms begin to form on about day 26, followed by the beginnings of the legs on day 28, the same day that the mouth opens for the first time.

Both the eyes and ears are developing rapidly during the seventh week after conception. At this time, the thumbs, neck, heels of the feet and all of the fingers are also present. Taste buds begin to form during the eighth week after conception. All parts of the limbs are apparent at this time. In addition, the fingers and toes have lengthened and are completely separated.

By the end of the eighth week the overwhelming majority (several thousand) of the body's organs, structures and systems have already begun to develop. Few, if any, new structures begin to form after this time. During the remainder of the pregnancy, development consists mainly of growth and maturation of the parts of the body that are already present.

Isolated arm, leg and backward head movements begin at about 7 to 10 weeks after conception. During the ninth week, a regular pattern of breathing movements is observed, with a median frequency of about 30 breaths each hour.

These are just the highlights of how you developed during the first 2-3 months of your life. Now consider that a majority of abortions are performed during the tenth to twelfth week of gestation. Some are performed much later in the pregnancy, when the child has grown larger and any unbiased observer would recognize a baby when they see one.

So why if the evidence so clearly indicates that a unique human life begins at conception, how did the deliberate and violent destruction of that life come to be imposed as a 'constitutional right'? Time does not permit describing the whole history of abortion or the intertwining influences of the eugenics and population control movements. Let's start with the socially turbulent late sixties when a growing pro-abortion movement subversively exploited the legitimate aspirations of women for greater rights and participation in society.

Dr. Bernard Nathanson, former abortionist and co-founder of the pro-abortion group NARAL, has since changed his mind and heart and is now a leading prolife advocate. He points out the disinformation at the heart of the pro-abortion campaign.

- "The statistics that we gave to the American public about illegal abortions annually; the statistics we fabricated regarding the number of women dying from illegal abortions annually; all of these matters were pure fabrication and still persist to this very day."

- "We spoke of 5,000 to 10,000 deaths a year. I confess that I knew the figures were totally false. It was a useful figure, widely accepted, so why go out of our way to correct it with honest statistics?"

- "We in NARAL were in the business of coining slogans principally for the media . . . we scattered catchy slogans for them . . . to use . . . in their stories. Slogans like "reproductive rights", "freedom of choice", "pro-choice". For many years we've known them to be hollow and meaningless. They're just catchy and, essentially, without substance."

The movement made rapid progress. California, New York and a few other states passed 'liberalized' abortion laws (though some other states rejected them). But what imposed abortion on American law were two Supreme Court cases, Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, pronounced on January 22, 1973. The combined effect of the two decisions was to effectively impose abortion-on-demand throughout the nine months of pregnancy. Since that time, over forty five million human beings have been exterminated by abortion in the United States.

Aside from the grave issue that was decided, the finding that abortion is part of a constitutional 'right of privacy' is considered an overreach of judicial power even by some legal scholars who describe themselves as 'prochoice'. The 'reasoning' was based on 'penumbras' the justices claim to have seen in the constitution.

Did you know that the two plaintiffs in the Roe and Doe cases, Norma McCorvey and Sandra Cano, have filed affidavits to the effect that they were manipulated into their roles and that the decisions should be overturned? You would think that this development would be considered unprecedented in Supreme Court history, but I guess Dan Rather, Katie Couric, the New York Times, etc. forgot to inform you.

One fact that is becoming evident that abortion-on-demand is not such a great thing for women. Abortion has left many women emotionally and sometimes physically scarred. Campaigns such as Silent No More and Women Deserve Better are tapping into this hidden anguish.

Also evident is the effect on our society, with conflicting attitudes on how we treat not only the unborn, but also the sick, disabled and elderly. Consider the heart wrenching case of the judicially imposed death of Terri Schindler-Schiavo. Abortion has torn marriages and families apart, and led to a hardened and increasingly violent culture.

So, we have had for the past thirty years, a culture that in some ways has grown cynical, forgoing the promise of a hopeful future for instant gratification, or more often, the resignation to unimaginative 'solutions' that pit mother against child or people against the planet. One is reminded of a quote from the great Irish poet William Butler Yeats:

"The blood-dimmed tide is loosed and everywhere a ceremony of innocence was drowned."

These Supreme Court abortion decisions were assumed to have 'settled' the issue in our society. Yet much to the consternation of the pro-abortion establishment, the movement of concerned citizens to protect life has only grown in strength over the past thirty years. The prolife movement has pursued multiple paths: educating the public, lobbying and litigating for change, participating in politics, and especially reaching out to help women with unplanned pregnancies. On the political front, abortion played a decisive role in the 2004 Election results and in the confirmation hearings of John Roberts and Samuel Alito for the Supreme Court.

Particularly significant is that the change in public attitudes on abortion is most striking among young people (who've lost peers they've never met). This is manifested in polling results and an upsurge of prolife activism among college students, much to the consternation of their professors and, in some cases, their parents. Sort of adds a new twist to some lyrics from the sixties by Buffalo Springfield:

"Young people speaking their minds, Getting so much resistance from behind."

So the buses are starting to roll, as thousands from distant states once again journey to Washington, where many will gather in prayer the night before or the morning of the March. Then we will rally and march, knowing that those we are trying to defend would some day defend our nation, write great literature, cure disease, compose stirring music, and explore and begin to settle the Solar System.

But more than for their potential accomplishments, we speak out for them simply because of the inherent dignity of each of their lives. In so doing we are responding to a great calling as individuals and as a civilization. And we'll continue to speak and march and work and pray, confident in the hope that, one of these years, we'll no longer face the cold winds. Instead, we'll gather on a warm spring day to celebrate the inclusion of the youngest in the human family within the protection of the law.

The Epic Journey Begins


NASA/KSC

The New Horizons mission to Pluto and beyond was successfully launched today from Cape Canaveral, Florida aboard a Lockheed Martin Atlas V rocket. The spacecraft was injected into a faster trajectory than any previous spacecraft launched from Earth. With an additional gravitational assist from a flyby of Jupiter in early 2007, New Horizons will reach Pluto in July 2015. From there the craft will continue to journey in the outer solar system to investigate one or more of the recently discovered Kuiper Belt objects. Considering the rate of recent discoveries, New Horizons may have a lengthening choice of targets to explore.

Another Scrub

I didn't realize that the storm passing through this area this morning would have interplanetary consequences until I found out that the New Horizons launch was scrubbed again due to a power outage affecting the control center at the Applied Physics Lab.

Moving Into The Fast Lane

I've had three excuses for my modest rate of blogging: a day job, slow typing fingers, and a dial-up modem. Well, the first two are still valid, but, as of yesterday, I'm online with Verizon's fiber-optic (FiOs) service.

I'm still learning features of the service and working through a few glitches, however I'm enjoying the advantages of faster opening web pages and higher quality streaming video. Now, I can watch decent webcasts of favorite sources such as EWTN and NASA TV at times when they are not provided by the local Comcast cable service.

No Launch Today

The New Horizons launch to Pluto and beyond was scrubbed for 24 hours due to high winds.

Not Good For The Most Vulnerable

There are valid arguments on both sides of the federal-vs.-state power issues in today's Supreme Court ruling permitting federally controlled drugs to be used for assisted suicide in Oregon. However, disability rights activists point out the danger in the assisted suicide issue underlying this ruling.

Life with a disability is so devalued, society is so bigoted against the idea that life with a severe disability can have quality, that in such a climate the "right to die" becomes a "duty to die." Activists fear that people who become disabled will choose suicide over living with disability. They fear that people whose disabilities make them burdens on family members will be pressured -- subtly or not so subtly -- to end their lives.

If there is a glimmer of hope in this situation, it is that today's ruling did not impose a Roe v. Wade -like 'right' to assisted suicide. Thus those who value the dignity of every human life are fully empowered to oppose assisted suicide through the legislative process at state and federal levels.

Stardust Comes Down To Earth

NASA's Stardust spacecraft' return capsule touched down early this morning in the Utah desert. The spacecraft, built by Lockheed Martin, was launched in 1999 and intercepted Comet Wild 2 (pronounced “Vilt 2”) in January 2004 when it collected samples of cometary dust which may hold clues to the development of the solar system.

Enough, Already!

Samuel Alito has handled himself skillfully and gracefully during this week's Supreme Court confirmation hearings. The scene of Mrs. Alito in tears has probably sealed the human element of these hearings in Judge Alito's favor.

The line of attack taken by the Dems, including Princeton, Vanguard, etc. shows a desperation that they are losing control over our nation's future. Of course, the driving issue is abortion and I wonder how long the Dems will continue to drive off the cliff at the behest of NARAL, Planned Parenthood, and the other usual suspects.

For years, Teddy Kennedy, Chucky Schumer, and DiFi have been defining the 'mainstream' to exclude anyone who dares to challenge their so-called 'progressive' and 'enlightened' social policies, and it's refreshing to see their influence diminishing in today's political dynamic. Much of the credit for this shift in politics goes to the diversification of information sources that challenge the politically correct conventional 'wisdom' of the Old Media. One of the alternate sources that is particularly informative during judicial confirmation hearings is National Review Online's Bench Memos.

Faith at the Launch Pad

The Soviet space program was once considered a soaring symbol of the communist atheistic philosophy. However, Jim Oberg writes on how Faith in God is now freely celebrated at the Kazakhstan launch site for Russia's space ventures.

But in a radical cultural revolution, the collapse of the Soviet regime in 1991 unleashed a long-underground religious impulse even among the elite of Soviet society, "rocket scientists" and the military hierarchy.

Within months of communism's fall, a small Russian Orthodox church was organized at the space center in an abandoned sporting goods store. A young Russian priest came to town, held religious services and at the request of officials began blessing rockets and space crews. Cosmonauts began carrying traditional Russian icons into orbit.

Future of Civilization

Mark Steyn has generated quite a buzz around the 'Net with his provocative article on the future of what we know as 'Western Civilization'. The somewhat lengthy article ties in a number of topics but its underlying theme is concisely stated in its title; It's the Demography, Stupid.

As a famous Arnold Toynbee quote puts it: "Civilizations die from suicide, not murder"--as can be seen throughout much of "the Western world" right now. The progressive agenda--lavish social welfare, abortion, secularism, multiculturalism--is collectively the real suicide bomb.

Space Organization News

Major developments for two space organizations I'm involved with:

March Storm 2006
ProSpace has announced its annual March Storm for 2006 on Capitol Hill to promote a real economic frontier in space. This citizen lobbying campaign actually begins in late February this year.

If you are prospace and want to have a positive influence on space policy, this is a tremendous opportunity. Do plan to join us. I've posted the linked March Storm banner on the right-hand column.

SSI Lives!
The Space Studies Institute (SSI), founded by the late Professor Gerard K. O'Neill to enable the development of human settlement in space, has revamped and updated its long dormant web site. The site includes a new feature called SSI Update and also states that SSI will help organize a Space Settlement Summit at the International Space Development Conference (ISDC) in LA in May.

Blogs for Life Conference

Prolife bloggers will gather on the morning of the annual March for Life in Washington, DC at the first annual Blogs for Life Conference to network and learn from each other. The keynote message will be delivered by the legendary Kathryn Jean Lopez of National Review Online.

If you are prolife and a blogger or even just interested in or curious about blogging, this is a tremendous opportunity. I've signed up and I've posted the linked conference banner on the right-hand column.

Off and Running

Only a few days into the new year and so much news. The West Virginia mining tragedy and Israeli Prime Minister Sharon's health situation call for our prayers. The Abramoff scandal and the upcoming Alito nomination hearings will continue to have the nation's attention.

The Year in Passing

Another year has gone by with events happening faster than I can blog.

January brought humanity’s first (robotic) landfall on the mysterious world of Titan. President Bush’s Second Inaugural and the annual March for Life made for a busy time in Washington, DC.

March became the most heart-wrenching time when Terri Schindler-Schiavo was put to death by dehydration and starvation through judicial fiat despite the heroic efforts of her family, some courageous public officials and many concerned citizens. It remains to be seen whether this marks our plunge off the cliff into a culture of death or a galvanizing moment that will lead to a culture of life.

Terri’s death was followed two days later on April 2 by the passing of that great champion of the dignity of every human life, Pope John Paul II. It is no exaggeration to say that JPII’s service as the Vicar of Christ for over twenty-six years was the greatest influence of an individual on society during my lifetime and perhaps for much longer. Another strong and holy man, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, was called to assume the papacy as Pope Benedict XVI to continue the work of leading the Church in the world.

April also brought a new administrator to NASA. Dr. Michael Griffin moved quickly to expedite the Vision for Space Exploration announced by President Bush in 2004.

The year’s best July Fourth fireworks occurred millions of miles from the good old USA when the Deep Impact spacecraft accomplished its encounter with Comet Tempel 1. Late July brought the Return To Flight of the Space Shuttle Discovery over two years after the Columbia catastrophe. The enhanced monitoring added to the Shuttle system proved its worth by showing that work was still needed to allow future flights to continue.

Fireworks of a different sort surrounded W’s nomination of Federal Appeals Court Judges and eventually Supreme Court justices. The nominations of John Roberts to replace the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist and, after the bizarre turn of events surrounding the Harriet Miers nomination, and of Samuel Alito to replace Justice Sandra O’Connor brought out the howling-and-shrieking of the usual suspects. Of course, John Roberts is now Chief Justice and Samuel Alito’s hearings start a week into the new year.

Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma made for the most devastating hurricane season in modern American history, causing images of extreme suffering and some official finger-pointing, but also brought about a tremendous outpouring of public support for relief efforts. The devastation left by these storms in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast is far from being completely erased but resilient efforts are ongoing. Meanwhile, a devastating earthquake killed many thousands in Pakistan as other parts of South Asia still try to recover from last year’s tsunami.

The December elections in Iraq, following two preliminary votes earlier in the year, underscored the desire of Iraqis, like people everywhere, to live in peace and freedom. The domestic acrimony over the war goes on, even as underreported progress is being made toward Iraq determining its own future despite frantic terrorist acts. The sacrifices being made by American men and women in military service cannot be appreciated enough.

Underlying all of the controversies of the past year is the story of the Old Media ‘spinning’ out of control as the various New Media continue to change the landscape. While a healthy media skepticism is vital to keeping public officials accountable, the continuous distorted hyperventilating on alleged scandals in the Bush Administration and Congress, treatment of suspected terrorist prisoners, Katrina response, Valery Plame, NSA surveillance, etc., etc., etc. is only making the Old Media look ridiculous.

I believe that much of this Old Media frenzy is a sort of ‘proxy war’ for the ongoing cultural struggles over issues of life-and-death, sex, and religion. To use an analogy familiar from living in California for seventeen years, the pressure on the fault lines is building.

Meanwhile, with God’s providence, humans will continue to progress toward the stars and on many fronts close to home. Happy New Year and fasten your seatbelts for another wild ride in 2006.

Hanukkah and Our Attitude about the Future

(This is a post I originally made in 2003 and feel is worth repeating, especially in light of ongoing developments that could lead to human expansion into space that would provide resources for future generations.)

Rabbi Daniel Lapin has a provocative column in WorldNetDaily on a message of Hanukkah that is relevant to people of all faiths. He shows examples, ancient and modern, of how a pessimistic Malthusian worldview have been repeatedly disproved by the Creator's providence of material resources and the ingenuity to utilize them to provide for the future. Rabbi Lapin says:

It only seemed that we lacked sufficient copper, whale oil or wood. In reality, our God-given ingenuity developed exciting new technology that eliminated our need for each commodity just as it was becoming scarce.

Hanukkah's miracle was that, day after day, the Temple's menorah just kept on burning in spite of an apparent shortage of fuel - a metaphor, surely, for all apparent shortages that can be overcome with faith. Hanukkah invites us all to express gratitude to the Creator whose beneficence is boundless. It stimulates discussions that can spur our spiritual growth. It reminds us that with His gift of creativity, challenges become optimistic opportunities to partner with God in creatively solving all material shortage.

Have a Holy and Merry Christmas!

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus
that the whole world should be enrolled.
This was the first enrollment,
when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town.
And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth
to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem,
because he was of the house and family of David,
to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
While they were there,
the time came for her to have her child,
and she gave birth to her firstborn son.
She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields
and keeping the night watch over their flock.
The angel of the Lord appeared to them
and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were struck with great fear.
The angel said to them,
"Do not be afraid;
for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people.
For today in the city of David
a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.
And this will be a sign for you:
you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes
and lying in a manger."
And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel,
praising God and saying:
"Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."

Luke 2:1-14

NASA Authorization Passes

The legislation passed this week includes an endorsement of the Vision for Space Exploration, for prizes for space technology development, and for an expanded search for Near Earth Objects (NEOs).

Scrubbed Again

The launch of SpaceX's inaugural Falcon 1 rocket was postponed moments from launch because of a "structural issue" with a fuel tank. Launch is expected no earlier than late January.

Iraqis Vote for Freedom

The purple fingers rose in stronger numbers than ever as Iraq moves toward establishing a peaceful and free society.

"One of the most memorable things I saw were families, mothers and fathers taking their children to the polling stations. It was clear everyone knew what was at stake here and I think it was quite successful," USAID Mission Director Dawn Liberi told FOX News from Baghdad. "All the polls show Iraqis think democracy is the No. 1 priority for them … they want to get on with their lives, they don't want to be bombed, they don't want to be hostages to an insurgency."

Space Tourism Advances

Two developments were announced this week marking advances toward a space tourism industry. Virgin Galactic and the state of New Mexico have reached an agreement to fly suborbital flights out of the planned spaceport in that state.

Meanwhile, the Canadian company PlanetSpace has announced plans for an orbital passenger vehicle.

Medical Advances

The National Cancer Institute is starting a pilot program to map the genetic makeup of cancer. This could speed the development of targeted cancer treatments with fewer side effects.

Also, scientists at the University of Louisville have announced the discovery of a certain kind of adult stem cell with the versatility attributed to embryonic stem cells, but without the ethical issues or potential side effects. So far, I haven't heard the Old Media breathlessly announcing this one as they would a supposed advance with embryonic stem cells.

Way Out of Town

I've returned from a vacation in Rome last week, traveling with my sister to visit our niece who is wrapping up a semester of study over there. We had quite exciting experiences including the Wednesday general audience with Pope Benedict, tours of the Vatican and other religious and cultural sites, and ventures to Florence and the mountain top town of Orvieto. And, of course, we enjoyed some great Italian food and wine.

Our trip from Philadelphia to Rome took about eight-and-a-half hours and return (against the jet stream) took about nine-and-a-half hours. Someday, that trip might be a lot faster. Congratulations to XCOR for taking a small but historic first step in that direction.

SpaceX Sets a Date

Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), has announced a launch time of 4 PM EST on Friday, November 25 (9 AM Saturday morning at the Pacific launch site) for the first Falcon 1 rocket.

W Strikes Back!

In a Veteran's Day address in Pennsylvania on Friday, President Bush took on critics who claim he manipulated intelligence data to justify the war in Iraq.

And our debate at home must also be fair-minded. One of the hallmarks of a free society and what makes our country strong is that our political leaders can discuss their differences openly, even in times of war. When I made the decision to remove Saddam Hussein from power, Congress approved it with strong bipartisan support. I also recognize that some of our fellow citizens and elected officials didn't support the liberation of Iraq. And that is their right, and I respect it. As President and Commander-in-Chief, I accept the responsibilities, and the criticisms, and the consequences that come with such a solemn decision.

While it's perfectly legitimate to criticize my decision or the conduct of the war, it is deeply irresponsible to rewrite the history of how that war began. (Applause.) Some Democrats and anti-war critics are now claiming we manipulated the intelligence and misled the American people about why we went to war. These critics are fully aware that a bipartisan Senate investigation found no evidence of political pressure to change the intelligence community's judgments related to Iraq's weapons programs.

They also know that intelligence agencies from around the world agreed with our assessment of Saddam Hussein. They know the United Nations passed more than a dozen resolutions citing his development and possession of weapons of mass destruction. And many of these critics supported my opponent during the last election, who explained his position to support the resolution in the Congress this way: "When I vote to give the President of the United States the authority to use force, if necessary, to disarm Saddam Hussein, it is because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a threat, and a grave threat, to our security." That's why more than a hundred Democrats in the House and the Senate -- who had access to the same intelligence -- voted to support removing Saddam Hussein from power. (Applause.)

The stakes in the global war on terror are too high, and the national interest is too important, for politicians to throw out false charges. (Applause.) These baseless attacks send the wrong signal to our troops and to an enemy that is questioning America's will. As our troops fight a ruthless enemy determined to destroy our way of life, they deserve to know that their elected leaders who voted to send them to war continue to stand behind them. (Applause.) Our troops deserve to know that this support will remain firm when the going gets tough. (Applause.) And our troops deserve to know that whatever our differences in Washington, our will is strong, our nation is united, and we will settle for nothing less than victory. (Applause.)

On The Way

The European Space Agency's Venus Express spacecraft has been launched toward Venus.

Faith and Science

Faith and science are compatible, according to a Vatican cardinal. Meanwhile, a Jesuit astronomer ponders some big picture questions such as the possibility of other intelligent beings in the universe.

Brother Consolmagno told Catholic News Service that the whole question of how Catholicism would hold up if some form of life were discovered on another planet has piqued people's curiosity "for centuries."

He said his aim with the booklet was to reassure Catholics "that you shouldn't be afraid of these questions" and that "no matter what we learn, it doesn't invalidate what we already know" and believe. In other words, scientific study and discovery and religion enrich one another, not cancel out each other.

If new forms of life were to be discovered or highly advanced beings from outer space were to touch down on planet Earth, it would not mean "everything we believe in is wrong," rather, "we're going to find out that everything is truer in ways we couldn't even yet have imagined," he said.

Two Items Not Being Celebrated By The Politically Correct Set

Today is the 25th anniversary of the election of Ronald Reagan to the presidency, as noted by James Pinkerton.

Instead, 25 years ago today, on November 4, 1980, the voters in 44 states chose Ronald Reagan. So this day, like any happy anniversary, is worth celebrating. But in addition, we should remember that while Reagan demonstrated the importance of optimism, another conservative immortal, Barry Goldwater, offered us a sterner injunction: There are no final victories. And so on this day, and on all days henceforth, we must recommit ourselves to the maintenance, and the furtherance, of the Reaganaut agenda -- because if we don't, we could lose it all.

Meanwhile, the incumbent president whom the Gipper unseated is now urging his party to back away from its obsessively pro-abortion position, as reported by the Washington Times.

Mr. Carter said his party's congressional leadership only hurts Democrats by making a rigid pro-abortion rights stand the criterion for assessing judicial nominees.
"I have always thought it was not in the mainstream of the American public to be extremely liberal on many issues," Mr. Carter said. "I think our party's leaders -- some of them -- are overemphasizing the abortion issue."
While Mr. Carter has previously expressed ambivalence about abortion, his statements yesterday were "astonishing," said Robert Knight, director of the Culture and Family Institute at Concerned Women for America.
"He has long professed to be an evangelical Christian and yet he had embraced virtually all the liberal political agenda," said Mr. Knight. "Maybe with Jimmy Carter saying things he never uttered before, more liberals will rethink their worship of abortion as the high holy sacrament of liberalism."

Now It's Alito!

That demonic howling-and-shrieking you hear is not from Halloween spooks, but from the usual suspects reacting to W's nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, conservatives, prolifers, and others who support constitutional jurisprudence are rallying to support the Alito nomination. Let's Roll!

Two Who Made a Difference

Charles Millard, writing for National Review Online, takes note of two people who passed away this week who advanced the cause of human rights.

Rosa Parks died a legend in the fight for civil rights, and rightly so. Her willingness to serve as the personification of the fight against Jim Crow laws in Montgomery, Ala., may seem obvious in retrospect: Who wouldn't want to change history for the better? But keep in mind that this was not some academic, "good government" kind of exercise. Rosa Parks put her life at genuine risk to win the enforcement of some basic human rights.

It is less well known that Wellington Mara, too, fought to protect human rights. In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote that we are all endowed by our creator with inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness — and Mara made a point of defending that fundamental right to life. It is interesting that the lengthy obituaries this week discuss many dimensions of Mara — as Catholic, old-school, and a gentleman — but few so much as mention his dedication to the cause of protecting the lives of the unborn.

Washington Intrigue

I'm not sure what to make of the indictment of VP Cheney's aide 'Scooter' Libby. The indictment is not on the original case behind the investigation, the supposed 'outing' of CIA operative Valerie Plame, but on charges of perjury, misleading the grand jury, and obstruction of justice. From the outside, it is difficult to know whether any deception was intentional or simply a result of fading two year old memories.

The Dems and the Old Media, who must be frustrated that W's aide Karl Rove was not also indicted today, are trying to make this into another Watergate. I don't know where this will end up, but these are different times and different circumstances.

Harriet Miers Withdraws

While I was taking a wait-and-see position, I am relieved at the Miers nomination withdraw. Recent revelation of apparently conflicting public statements added to the uncertainty surrounding this nomination.

Ms. Miers deserves credit for gracefully withdrawing and so does President Bush for accepting it. Now he has an opportunity to nominate a clearly qualified constitutionalist for the vacant seat, which will spark an intense national discussion on legal issues and philosophy.

Man of Steele

Lt. Gov. Michael Steele on Tuesday formally announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat from Maryland (replacing the retiring Paul Sarbanes). His run will cross conventional party lines and draw national attention and money to the Maryland race.

Results of Hubble Lunar Surveys

NASA today announced the results of the August lunar observations by the Hubble Space Telescope.

"These observations of the moon have been a challenging and highly successful technological achievement for NASA and the Hubble team, since the telescope was not originally designed for lunar observations,” said Jennifer Wiseman, program scientist for the Hubble at NASA Headquarters. “The images will inform both scientific studies of lunar geology and future decisions on further lunar exploration," she said.

Here is another site with further explanation and a link to more images.

And, speaking of the frontier, I'm off to the Space Frontier Conference 14 in LA this weekend.

'Purple Fingers' Arise Again

Iraqi citizens went to the polls to vote on a new constitution (results to be announced in several days). While predictions about the situation in Iraq are always tricky, the fact that terrorist violence against the election was less than expected lends hope to the possibility that the more Iraqi citizens of each of the factions feel they have a stake in democracy, the more likely the terrorists can be isolated and defeated.

Ongoing Miers Nomination Furor

Developments even in the past twenty four hours have been too numerous for my slow typing fingers to keep up with. I have heard conflicting clues regarding Ms. Miers' qualifications and judicial philosophy. Debate is a healthy thing, but I think the rhetoric on both sides has at times gotten a little too heated.

As one of millions who worked hard for W's re-election last year, I do not feel 'betrayed' by the President's nomination of someone he has reason to be confident reflects his (and many of our) view of the constitutional role of the judiciary. I also feel that some of the comments regarding Ms. Miers' limited qualifications were too sweeping. Not all Supreme Court justices have been constitutional scholars, but have come from various experiences with the law.

At the same time, the critics of the nomination do raise some serious question that deserve attention, especially given the importance of the Supreme Court's involvement with fundamental issues of life and liberty. Comments, some from within the White House itself, referring to critics of the nomination as 'sexist', 'elitist', or 'disloyal' are also overly heated.

Some have urged the President to withdraw the nomination or for Ms. Miers to withdraw herself. I'm not joining this call, as I'm reluctant to support pressuring a nominee to withdraw before she has a chance to speak for herself in the Senate hearings (though, given the turns this nomination fight has taken, I admit that I might be relieved if she does take that course).

China's New Star in Orbit

China's second manned spaceflight is underway as Shenzhou 6 was launched, carrying 'taikonauts' Fei Junlong and Nie Haishen for a planned five day flight. China became the third country to launch a human into space two years ago, and plans future missions including a space station and a robotic lunar probe in the next few years.

More on Blessed von Galen

Perhaps the Miers nomination debate has distracted attention from the occasion of this courageous prolife Church leader being elevated a step toward sainthood. I've found no mention of Cardinal von Galen's beatification yesterday among the prominent Catholic or prolife blogs I've surveyed, except for Catholic Analysis, who reposted the Vatican Information Service (VIS) news release describing the event.

Returning to his prepared text, the Holy Father continued: "Among the many witnesses of Christ in the twentieth century, the figure of this zealous pastor and generous bishop stands out. The Lord gave him the heroic courage to defend the rights of God, of the Church and of man, which the National Socialist regime gravely and systematically violated in the name of an aberrant neo-pagan ideology.

"His beatification today again presents him as a model of profound and intrepid faith. We invoke the intercession of the new Blessed: may he bless the Church and human society in Germany, Europe and the entire world."

Cardinal von Galen Beatified

Cardinal Clemens August von Galen (1878-1946), bishop of Munster, Germany, was beatified today at the Vatican, a step toward his sainthood. Cardinal von Galen spoke out boldly against the culture of death that was Nazi Germany. In particular, he denounced the Nazi euthanasia program that killed many sick and disabled persons.

If you establish and apply the principle that you can kill 'unproductive' fellow human beings then woe betide us all when we become old and frail! If one is allowed to kill the unproductive people then woe betide the invalids who have used up, sacrificed and lost their health and strength in the productive process. If one is allowed forcibly to remove one's unproductive fellow human beings then woe betide loyal soldiers who return to the homeland seriously disabled, as cripples, as invalids. If it is once accepted that people have the right to kill 'unproductive' fellow humans--and even if initially it only affects the poor defenseless mentally ill--then as a matter of principle murder is permitted for all unproductive people, in other words for the incurably sick, the people who have become invalids through labor and war, for us all when we become old, frail and therefore unproductive.

Then, it is only necessary for some secret edict to order that the method developed for the mentally ill should be extended to other 'unproductive' people, that it should be applied to those suffering from incurable lung disease, to the elderly who are frail or invalids, to the severely disabled soldiers. Then none of our lives will be safe any more. Some commission can put us on the list of the 'unproductive,' who in their opinion have become worthless life. And no police force will protect us and no court will investigate our murder and give the murderer the punishment he deserves.

Who will be able to trust his doctor any more?

Blessed Cardinal van Galen's words have an ominous relevance to our society today. Let's pray that leaders in the Church and society today follow his courageous example and speak out in defense of life.

X-Prize Cup Countdown

This year's Countdown to the X-Prize Cup event in Las Cruces, N.M. featured some flight demonstrations (not all successful) of emerging privately developed space technology, plus a NASA announcement of two prizes for suborbital space development, as reported by MSNBC.

The rocket show was the climax to the Countdown to the X Prize Cup exposition, presented here by the X Prize Foundation. The event follows up on last year's big finish to a $10 million competition for suborbital spaceflight.

On Sunday, one rocket soared, and another blew up. Yet another spaceship lifted off, hovered for a few seconds, then fell over when it landed. Several companies showed off mockups of several future spaceships, and NASA took advantage of the occasion to announce yet more contests for private-enterprise rocketeers.

Another Natural Catastrophe

The earthquake centered in Pakistan has claimed over 20,000 lives. With the recent hurricane damage fresh in our minds, we are reminded that people around the planet are suffering from calamities and need our assistance and prayers.

War on Terror

New York City remains on high alert after a reported threat of terrorist action against the city's subway system. The fact that the source of the information was a terrorist captured in Iraq would tend to corroborate President Bush's position that the war in Iraq is a key focus of the global war with terrorists.

Just yesterday, the President gave a major speech on the war on terrorism, in which he described the nature of the enemy:

Some call this evil Islamic radicalism; others, militant Jihadism; still others, Islamo-fascism. Whatever it's called, this ideology is very different from the religion of Islam. This form of radicalism exploits Islam to serve a violent, political vision: the establishment, by terrorism and subversion and insurgency, of a totalitarian empire that denies all political and religious freedom. These extremists distort the idea of jihad into a call for terrorist murder against Christians and Jews and Hindus -- and also against Muslims from other traditions, who they regard as heretics.

and stated the determination needed to prevail:

There's always a temptation, in the middle of a long struggle, to seek the quiet life, to escape the duties and problems of the world, and to hope the enemy grows weary of fanaticism and tired of murder. This would be a pleasant world, but it's not the world we live in. The enemy is never tired, never sated, never content with yesterday's brutality. This enemy considers every retreat of the civilized world as an invitation to greater violence. In Iraq, there is no peace without victory. We will keep our nerve and we will win that victory.

The Miers Brouhaha

President Bush's nomination of Harriet Miers as Supreme Court Justice has sparked a raging discussion, particularly in conservative circles. Amy Welborn links to some of the major sources of commentary, while prolife groups are tending toward supporting the Miers nomination.

My view? While I do think W could have picked someone with more of a legal intellectual background to persuasively move the court, I don't share the doom-and-gloom sentiments of some who feel that the Prez has betrayed his most passionate grassroots supporters. As the President has known his nominee fairly well for a number of years, I don't think this is quite the gamble his father took (and lost) on the unknown David Souter.

I am probably in a middle position on this nomination. Let's everyone take a deep breath and calm down until the Senate hearings provide a chance to evaluate Ms. Miers' world view and qualifications. Let's keep in mind the words of a most respected and beloved conservative leader who said "Trust, but verify."

Expedition 12 Liftoff

The Expedition 12 crew, plus the third paying 'space tourist', has just launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on their way to the International Space Station.

Roberts is In!

John Roberts was confirmed and sworn in today as Supreme Court Chief Justice. Meanwhile , the usual suspects are already howling and shrieking about the next nominee before he/she is even named.

Rita Fading

Rita has done severe damage and cause disruption of people's lives. However, the devastation that could have happened didn't, especially in the Houston area.

Rita Rising



Hurricane Rita is approaching landfall early Saturday along the Texas/Louisiana coast after an unprecedented evacuation of Houston and other areas. Here is CNN's continuing update page.

While the eye of Rita will likely pass a little east of the Houston area, NASA is taking no chances, pulling the 'rideout crew' out of Johnson Space Center.

We need to keep all those affected by this storm in our prayers.

Return to the Moon Plan

NASA today publicly unveiled its plan to resume human exploration of the Moon within the next fifteen years. Images released show vehicles that appear to be enlarged versions of the pioneering Apollo spacecraft, but equipped with 21st Century software and electronics.

Big Picture Thinking

While recovery from Hurricane Katrina and determining the direction of the Supreme Court demand the attention of our leaders right now, Phil Smith, writing in The Space Review, looks at the long term future of humanity and the vision and policy needed to get there.

In practical terms, this means very little to most people. However, it really should mean something to our nation’s leaders, because recognizing the beginning of a revolution in thought is the essence of vision, and vision is essential to leadership. For the first time, life is poised to leave the Earth for permanent residence in space. This represents the most significant biological event since the emergence of life itself about four billion years ago. A leader who recognizes this can more aptly produce a policy that will guide us into space.

Lest We Forget...

...today is the fourth anniversary of the horrific attacks on the nation. Yesterday, I went over to the Pentagon where the public was allowed to see the (now rebuilt) site where the plane had crashed, including a memorial shrine and chapel.

Taming the Floods

CNN reports that Federal officials in charge of Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts in New Orleans said that pumping the water out of the city is the "number one challenge", while the Army Corps of Engineers says the outlook is improving.

According to the Army Corps of Engineers, 32 of the 148 pumps in and around New Orleans were operating as of noon Saturday.

Allen said the pumps are steadily coming back on line.

"Everything is related to the unwatering at this point," he added.

The Army Corps of Engineers Saturday revised its timetable for draining the flood waters from New Orleans, saying the draining should be completed in October, far sooner than previous estimates.

While not understating the immense suffering already experienced and the challenges ahead, the amazing resiliency of human beings once again may bring about recovery faster than predictions made in the darkest days of the crisis.

Katrina Update

Here is today's update from CNN, including the continuing evacuation of New Orleans, status of levee repair and pumping of water out of the city, and W's request for additional federal funds for the Gulf Coast region.

And here's a list of organizations and ways to help.

Honoring a Giant in American History

I went downtown after work earlier this evening to pass through the Supreme Court and pay my respects to the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist. (Fox News article here)

Chief Justice Rehnquist left his mark in many ways. Early in his Supreme Court service, he proved to be on the right side of justice and history by dissenting, along with Justice Byron White, from the infamous 1973 decisions which imposed abortion-on-demand on American Society.

Hubble in 'Two Gyro Science' Mode

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Has been reconfigured to carry out science observations on two gyroscopes instead of three. This will help extend the telecope's life while awaiting a possible Shuttle servicing mission.

Chief Justice William Rehnquist, 1924-2005

The Chief Justice passed away Saturday evening.

Having the Chief Justice slot open as the Senate hearings for John Roberts for Associate Justice are about to begin and as the nation begins the long work of recovery from a massive natural disaster is the latest twist in the drama of history.

Aftermath

The day after Hurricane Katrina struck, the devastation in the Gulf Area is becoming apparent. Breaches in the levees around New Orleans mean the situation there may get worse before it gets better. The Governor of Louisiana has ordered an evacuation of those remaining in the city. (I haven't heard how this will be accomplished logistically.) MSNBC's web site provides an index of articles and a list of organizations accepting donations for post-storm aid. And we need to keep everyone involved in our prayers.

Katrina Targets New Orleans



The massive Hurricane Katrina approaches the Gulf Coast as residents evacuate or take shelter. May they be in our thoughts and prayers.

UPDATE: Monday 8/29 ~8:30 PM.
Katrina veered slightly to the east, sparing New Orleans from the worst case scenario, but there is still much devastation in the Gulf Region to recover from.

Hubble Peaks at the Moon

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was used last week to observe sites on the lunar surface in a test of remote sensing of lunar resources, according to Maggie McKee, who writes for New Scientist magazine.

"We're trying to ascertain the potential of ultraviolet spectra for indicating lunar resources," says Bruce Hapke, a planetary scientist at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, US. He is one of a team of six researchers led by NASA's chief scientist, Jim Garvin, using Hubble to view the Moon.

In particular, the team hopes to be able to identify a mineral called ilmenite - or iron titanium oxide - which has previously been found in lunar soil samples. "It has properties which would be useful in constructing a lunar base," Hapke told New Scientist.

The article goes on to state the observations' relevance to NASA's exploration plans.

He adds that the time for the Hubble observations would probably not have been allocated were it not for US president George W Bush's "Vision for Space Exploration", which calls for returning people to the Moon by about 2018.

A Giant Leap For Nanotubes

Along with the biomedical development described in yesterday's post, this nanotechnology breakthrough could also have a big impact on society.

Space Tech Could Alter Stem Cell Field

A technology derived from NASA micro-gravity research could provide a new ethical and more effective source of stem cells, as reported at CNET.

Microgravity technology developed by NASA can multiply stem cells from a newborn's blood in large enough quantities to be used to regenerate human tissue, London scientists have found.

Researchers at U.K.-based Kingston University have discovered primitive stem cells in the umbilical cord blood of infants that are similar to those from human embryos, which can be used to develop into any tissue in the body. The newly discovered human cells, called "cord-blood-derived embryonic-like stem cells" or CBEs, are more versatile than adult stem cells, found in bone marrow, which can mend damaged tissue during life.

WYD 2005



Young people from around the world are gathering with Pope Benedict XVI in Cologne, Germany, providing a spark of Faith in Christ much needed in Europe right now. Amy Welborn provides a list of links and blogs for the event.

NET March 2006...

...for resumption of Space Shuttle flights.

Evolution and Design

Frederick Turner has an interesting analysis that transcends the conventional assumptions about evolution and Intelligent Design as being two mutually exclusive concepts.

A perfect creator would surely have no need to step in once the process was going. He would not be a "god of the gaps", where we bring God in just when we can't explain some connection in the history of the universe, on the assumption that this was where God had to fix some imperfection in the process. A perfect creator would not be hostage to the possibility that one by one the gaps would be filled by good clear science. He would not need to be successively robbed of the credit for making the warmth and light of the sun, the thunder and lightning, the motions of the planets, and the wonders of digestion and muscular contraction and psychological motivation as they are explained by science, because he could take the even greater credit for having created the natural process that produced all of them.

While there is much subtlety in the discussion of this whole topic, I find this article to be the most satisfying I've seen so far. I would add that this does not preclude God from intervening in human history, which He did by sending His Son to save us from our sins.

On the way to Mars


NASA/KSC

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) was successfully launched this morning on an Atlas V booster. When it arrives at Mars next March, MRO will begin to image the Martian surface with unprecedented resolution, probably leading to more unimagined discoveries.

Voices of 9/11

The release of the New York Fire Department's recordings of emergency radio traffic remind us of the unspeakable evil but also the great courage and kindness shown that day.

RTM Wrap-Up

A quite comprehensive report on the Return to the Moon conference in Las Vegas which I attended last month is posted at HobbySpace.

Welcome Home Discovery!

It may be a day late and at the other end of the country, but the crew of the Shuttle Discovery returned safely from their crucial mission this morning.

With veteran commander Eileen Collins at the controls, Discovery swooped to a ghostly, tire-smoking touchdown on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base in California's Mojave Desert at 8:11:22 a.m. EDT, one day late because of concern about cloudy weather in Florida. The crew had two shots at a Kennedy Space Center landing today, but off-shore storms forced entry flight director LeRoy Cain to divert the shuttle to California.

A New World

Astronomers have announced the discovery of a new object in the outer Solar System that is larger than Pluto. Assuming Pluto retains its designation as the ninth planet, this new object will likely become known as number ten.

Jeff Foust links to several articles about this exciting and historic development.

Notorious Anti-Abortion Group

I'm finally catching up with this story, and critics of Supreme Court nominee John Roberts seem to have backed off from the line of attack concerning his wife's involvement with a certain prolife group. Perhaps it is because they realize that the more they draw attention to Feminists for Life, the more they undercut their own argument that abortion is in the best interest of women.

Embryonic Gyrations

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has announced that he supports embryonic stem cell research (ESCR). Of course the Senator and other ESCR supporters and especially the Old Media continue to 'overlook' the fact that the real action is with adult stem cells.

Future Shuttle Flights Grounded

NASA has announced that the large pieces of foam that came off the External Tank during ascent (thankfully missing the Orbiter Discovery) indicate a problem that needs to be fixed before future flights are launched. At least with all of the imagery obtained on this flight, engineers will have a head start in troubleshooting the problem.

Return to Flight!!


NASA/KSC

Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off this morning and the crew is beginning to carry out their mission on orbit. Today's launch is the culmination of two-and-a-half years of hard work and dedication following the tragic loss of Shuttle Columbia and her crew.

Space Geeks Do Vegas!

Well, attendees at the Return to the Moon conference did have a good time. However, the conference brought together some of the leaders in government, established and entrepreneurial space companies, scientists, engineers, lawyers and citizen space advocates to examine where we are in the effort to return to the Moon to stay.

Technical aspects of flying to the Moon and using its resources were discussed, along with a stimulating discussion by leading space lawyers on the topic of space property rights. But the big news coming out of the conference is the announcement by NASA officials of new approaches to achieving its space exploration goals.

There’s just one problem with this approach: the money’s not there. Shank made that clear in his presentation as he outlined the overall exploration roadmap. “We’ve run the numbers, the budget numbers, and we can’t afford this plan—we simply can’t—if we follow the business-as-usual approach.” He didn’t go into the specifics of what made this unaffordable, although he later indicated that the problems were in the out-years beyond 2010 when NASA had to fund continued operations of the ISS and the new CEV while developing a heavy-lift launch vehicle and other systems needed for a human return to the Moon.

However, as Shank put it, “If there’s one thing about Mike Griffin that industry and stakeholders are learning about, it’s that he’s not a business-as-usual kind of guy… The NASA budget is only so much per year. It is just a matter of what it is you want to do with that money. So we, NASA, need to be smarter customers.”

Apollo Anniversary


NASA

Tomorrow is the 36th anniversary of humanity's first expedition to the lunar surface, and I'll be off to attend the Return to the Moon VI conference.

Also, tomorrow is the second anniversary of the launch of this humble blog. (Please scroll to the bottom for the inaugural post.)

John Roberts It Is

W has announced his pick of Appeals Judge John Roberts as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Judge Roberts is widely respected for his qualifications and legal thought. Never-the-less, the howling and shrieking from the usual suspects has begun. (Obvious example here.)

Launch Scrub

Today's launch scrub is only a familiar disappointment to those familiar with space activity. The launch will occur in several days at the earliest, according to the articles from Space.com and CBS News/Spaceflight Now.

Meanwhile, Frank Sietzen and Keith Cowing report that the White House and NASA are considering starting an early phase-out of the Shuttle fleet.

Anticipation

Space Shuttle Discovery is still GO for launch tomorrow, despite an incident involving a window covering falling and striking the Shuttle. Meanwhile, the families of the men and women who gave their lives on the Shuttle Columbia have expressed their support for the STS-114 crew and their mission.

As the families of Apollo 1 and Challenger before us, we grieve deeply but know the exploration of space must go on. We hope we have learned, and will continue to learn, from each of these accidents, so that we will be as safe as we can be in this high risk endeavor.

I've been watching the coverage on the various network news shows and an inspiring special on MSNBC tonight. There's an electrifying feeling like there has been on other key launches going back to the sixties. Much is riding on the outcome of this flight.

May God bless the STS-114 Discovery crew and grant them safe travel as they carry out their mission.

The Countdown Is Underway

For the first time since the launch of the fatal STS-107 Columbia mission in January 2003, a countdown is underway for a Shuttle launch. Discovery is scheduled to liftoff on Wednesday afternoon July 13 at 3:51 p.m. EDT (1951 GMT).

Dennis Storms the Gulf Coast



Hurricane Dennis came ashore today along the Florida Panhandle.

A Harsh Reminder

With serious domestic battles over the Supreme Court and other more mundane and sometimes trivial items in the news recently, it's been easy to let the terrorism war slip into the background. This morning's horrendous attacks in London are a reminder that the war is very much with us. A summary of stories on the attacks posted by CNN is here.

In a terrible time, strong leadership is critical. Statements were made by Prime Minister Tony Blair

When they try to intimidate us, we will not be intimidated. When they seek to change our country or our way of life by these methods, we will not be changed. When they try to divide our people or weaken our resolve, we will not be divided and our resolve will hold firm. We will show, by our spirit and dignity, and by our quiet but true strength that there is in the British people, that our values will long outlast theirs. The purpose of terrorism is just that, it is to terrorise people, and we will not be terrorised.

and President George W. Bush

The war on terror goes on. I was most impressed by the resolve of all the leaders in the room. Their resolve is as strong as my resolve. And that is we will not yield to these people, will not yield to the terrorists. We will find them, we will bring them to justice, and at the same time, we will spread an ideology of hope and compassion that will overwhelm their ideology of hate.

And this AP article reports on Pope Benedict XVI's statement.

"Deeply saddened by the news of the terrorist attacks in central London, the Holy Father offers his fervent prayers for the victims and for all those who mourn," the telegram said. "While he deplores these barbaric acts against humanity, he asks you to convey to the families of the injured his spiritual closeness at this time of grief."

Happy Independence Day!

As we celebrate, let's rededicate ourselves to the principle of human dignity proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

WOW!!!



Impact images are posted on the Deep Impact project web site.

Impact!

Images from flyby spacecraft grainy but spectacular. Will be enhanced later.

Confirmation brings cheering in the JPL control room! Spectacular images being shown of impact.

Going back to bed. What a spectacular way to begin Independence Day!

Awaiting Impact...

a few minutes away. Final maneuver reported 'right on'.

Deep Impact

The Deep Impact spacecraft is closing in on it's target, comet Tempel 1, with impact set for 1:52 AM (EDT) tomorrow morning. The impact probe was released from the main spacecraft early this morning.

The Mars Event That Won't (But Did) Happen

If you receive an e-mail about a spectacular opposition of Mars coming up on August 27, don't believe it. The article does describe a real event. The problem is that the Mars opposition described in the event actually occurred on August 27, 2003.

There is no year mentioned in the circulating e-mail message, and it somehow started recirculating this year. Please see more details here.

The Time Has Come

Opposing forces are already speaking out and organizing in the wake of Sandra Day O'Connor's announcement of her retirement from the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi provided an example of excessive deference to the Supreme Court's supposed 'wisdom' (at least while it's rulings don't conflict with her views), speaking of the Kelo eminent domain decision in an interview.

Ms. Pelosi. It is a decision of the Supreme Court. If Congress wants to change it, it will require legislation of a level of a constitutional amendment. So this is almost as if God has spoken. It's an elementary discussion now. They have made the decision.

(italics mine)

Go for Launch!



NASA has announced that the Return to Flight of the Space Shuttle is scheduled for July 13.

War of Words

T. Bevan at Real Clear Politics hits a bulls-eye on the Dems' hyperbolic reaction to Karl Rove's comments about liberal reaction to September 11.

I'll grant that Rove's parting shot about the "motives of liberals" was over the top. Still, for about five years now liberals (by which I mean most Democrats) have been running around the country with a big, broad brush calling conservatives (by which they mean most Republicans) evil, extremists, crooks, liars, thieves, theocrats, bigots, homophobes, racists, sexists, etc. and impugning their motives in any number of other ways on virtually a daily basis. Karl Rove calls liberals a bunch of sissies a single time and Democrats and the media have a collective seizure of apoplexy.

Supreme Court Ruling and Property Rights

Yesterday's Kelo v. New London decision (PDF) may be a major turning point in American legal history, while the reaction to it may become an equally significant turn in American politics. The Washington Post editorial describes it as a legally correct decision with a bad result, while George Will writes that this is one case where a little judicial activism would have been more than appropriate.

Those on the receiving end of the life-shattering power that the court has validated will almost always be individuals of modest means. So this liberal decision -- it augments government power to aggrandize itself by bulldozing individuals' interests -- favors muscular economic battalions at the expense of society's little platoons, such as homeowners and the neighborhoods they comprise.

Meanwhile, the Volokh Conspiracy comments and hosts a lengthy discussion on Kelo in the Blogosphere.

Space Voyages

The Planetary Society's Cosmos 1 solar sail experiment was launched today from a Russian submarine, but the experimental spacecraft's status is unclear due to lack of telemetry so far. For continuing updates, please go to the project's blog.

Today's launch occurred one year after SpaceShipOne's first flight into space, potentially heralding a new age of civilian spaceflight.

A Grim Report

Terri Schiavo's autopsy report (PDF) was released yesterday, raising as many questions as it answered. Terri's family commented today.

Father Frank Pavone points out that the fundamental moral issue is unchanged by the autopsy results.

The autopsy says that Terri was beyond repair or rehabilitation. But that does not mean we are supposed to throw her away, like we throw away a car that is beyond repair. Again, there is no problem accepting this medical conclusion. But morally speaking, our compassion is not beyond repair. We can build a society that respects and protects all our brothers and sisters, recognizing that their value does not come from how well they function, perform, or produce.

Debt Cancelled for Poorest Nations

The 'G8' industrialized nations have agreed to cancel the debt to world lending institutions of 18 of the world's poorest nations. While there is debate over whether the move is appropriate, will be effective or goes far enough, it is encouraging to see the world's leading nations, including ours, take a serious initiative to address the ongoing scandalous tragedy of world poverty.

Reinventing NASA

Mike Griffin is shaking up and, in some cases, replacing senior NASA leadership.

Senior NASA officials and congressional and aerospace industry sources said yesterday that Griffin wants to clear away entrenched bureaucracy, and build a less political and more scientifically oriented team to implement President Bush's plan to return humans to the moon by 2020 and eventually send them to Mars.

Already announced is the planned resignation by Exploration Systems chief Craig Steidle.

Congratulations to Janice Rogers Brown

Despite all the howling and shrieking from the politically correct set, Judge Brown's nomination to the Federal Appeals Court was just approved by the Senate, 56-43.

The cloture vote for Judge William Pryor is now underway.--Cloture passes 67-32. Final vote on Judge Pryor expected this week.

Lunar Exploration History

Mark Whittington provides a history of lunar exploration missions, key political decisions and what it all means for the future in a sequence of sixteen short pages.

Essay on Terri Schiavo's Case

Paul McHugh, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, discusses the meaning of the Schiavo case in his essay. While he apparently has missed some of the disputes about certain 'facts' in the case, he does seem to have a handle on the opposing world views involved, and the practical effect on patients and medical professionals.

How could such a thing happen? This, after all, is not Nazi Germany, where the culture of death foreshadowed in the awful title of that book would reach such horrendous public proportions. But we in this country have our own, homegrown culture of death, whose face is legal and moral and benignly individualistic rather than authoritarian and pseudo-scientific.