Chandrayaan-I Spacecraft Loses Radio Contact

Radio contact with Chandrayaan-I spacecraft was abruptly lost at 0130 Hrs (IST) on August 29, 2009. Deep Space Network at Byalalu near Bangalore received the data from Chandrayaan-I during the previous orbit upto 0025 Hrs (IST).
Detailed review of the Telemetry data received from the spacecraft is in progress and health of the spacecraft subsystems is [...]

Full story at http://spacefellowship.com/2009/08/31/chandrayaan-i-spacecraft-loses-radio-contact/

Picture of the Day ? Beauty in the Night as STS-128 Lifts Off

Billows of smoke and steam rise above Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida alongside space shuttle Discovery as it races toward space on the STS-128 mission.
The STS-128 mission is the 30th International Space Station assembly flight and the 128th space shuttle flight. The 13-day mission will deliver more than 7 [...]

Full story at http://spacefellowship.com/2009/08/31/picture-of-the-day-beauty-in-the-night-as-sts-128-lifts-off/

China to start building an orbital space station in 2020

BEIJING, August 31 – China will begin the construction of its own orbital space station in 2020, the Sina news service said on Monday, citing a top official with the country’s manned spaceflight program.
Gu Yidong said that China would sent two or three space labs into orbit in 2010-2015, while the basic module of the [...]

Full story at http://spacefellowship.com/2009/08/31/china-to-start-building-an-orbital-space-station-in-2020/

Tweepin? at 20k

As of this moment, I have 19,910 people following me on Twitter. I expect that’ll top 20,000 today or tomorrow.

First, Holy Haleakala! Wow.

Second, as you may know I am the President of the James Randi Educational Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to spreading the word about skepticism and critical thinking. You can follow the JREF on Twitter, too.

As it happens, JREF has almost 2000 followers, so the synchronicity is too much to resist. So, when my BadAstronomer account reaches 20,000 tweeps, I will donate $200 to the JREF. It just seems like the right thing to do, since the JREF gets most of its operating costs through donations. When I donate the money I’ll do it through the JREF donation page. I also set up Twitpay for the JREF, so anyone on Twitter can follow suit quickly and easily if you’re signed up for it.

I’m just sayin’.

Full story at http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/08/31/tweepin-at-20k/