MAIN ARTICLE: Zero G Experiment Wins Cash Prize.
Is the a sign of things to come? When the new suborbital commercial spacecraft start flying will they also be flying a lot of innovative, new, inexpensive experiments?
Poll Results: The poll yesterday was the weekly tracking poll of space spending.
Star Trek: In the News. Riverside Residents Get Preview of "Star Trek".
Yesterday's Comments: Scroll down for a sample from yesterday, click subscribe for more space news.
Today's Poll: Best Poster representing Star Trek.
LABORATORIES OF THE FUTURE:
Zero G Experiment Wins Cash Prize
"A Texas zero gravity experiment has won a $25,000 cash award and a free ride into space aboard a privately built rocket.
The winning team from the University of Texas would see their work go up on a Falcon 9 rocket from private spaceflight firm Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), one of the sponsors for the first Microgravity Research Competition. Other competition sponsors included The Heinlein Prize Trust and the Rice Alliance.
"Microgravity opens a new window on biological and physical processes, enabling innovation in biotech, nanotech, and other fields," said Art Dula, a trustee for the Heinlein Prize Trust. "Furthermore, microgravity can now be accessed by companies and universities on a commercial basis."
The proposed experiment focuses on developing drug delivery systems for medical applications. The results could help promote the science and technology of implantable devices for controlled, long-term drug release — research which could yield treatment means for diseases such as cancer.
"The winner's experimental payload will be launched on a future flight of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and remain in a microgravity environment onboard SpaceX's DragonLab spacecraft for an extended period of time before returning to Earth," SpaceX officials said in an online statement."
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POLL RESULTS:
Yesterday's Tracking poll had a lower then average turn out. Interest in funding a broader range of activities for NASA is still strong with 41% of DKOS members, who participated in the poll, wanting to see an incease of funding to the level it enjoyed under the Apollo program.
WEEKLY TRACKING POLL ARCHIVES:
Sat Apr 25, 2009, Sat Apr 18, 2009, Sat Apr 11, 2009
Sat Apr 04, 2009, --FLOOD WEEK--, Sat Mar 21, 2009, Sat Mar 14, 2009, Sat Mar 07, 2009
Sat Feb 28, 2009, Sat Feb 21, 2009, Sat Feb 14, 2009, Sat Feb 07, 2009, Sat Jan 31, 2009
Sat Jan 24, 2009, Sat Jan 17, 2009, Sun Jan 11, 2009, Sat Jan 03, 2009, Sat Dec 27, 2008
Sat Dec 20, 2008, Sat Dec 13, 2008, Sat Dec 6, 2008, Sat Nov 29, 2008, Sat Nov 22, 2008
Riverside Residents Get Preview of "Star Trek"
"RIVERSIDE (AP) - Riverside, a small southeast Iowa town officially recognized as the future birthplace of "Star Trek" leader Capt. James T. Kirk, will be the site of a special sneak preview of the franchise's newest movie.
Paramount Pictures is scheduled to release the new "Star Trek" film in theaters nationwide on May 7. But, much of Riverside will get to see the film a day early at the Marcus Sycamore Cinema 12 in Iowa City. The new movie is described as a prequel to the original 1960s TV series."
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YESTERDAY'S COMMENTS:
Pinko Elephant - "I read an editoral entitled from a college student who argued NASA needs to be funded even in times of a recession.
recall that NASA spending made up more than 5 percent of the federal budget during the heady days of the Apollo program. If it received 5 percent of the federal budget today, its annual funding level would be $139.2 billion. Imagine what the space agency could do if it had that level of support.
Let's make it happen.
I strongly agree with that. (In my dream world, I say double the space budget from its previous 4% peak.... The fact is our survival as a species might depend upon the space program...)
But the editorialist also argued we should cut social spending by 1% and divert that money to NASA.
As a liberal socialist I would not support cuts in social spending.
I would rather see cuts in subsidies to agriculture or the arms industry
Industrialized countries negotiate free trade and investment agreements with other countries, but exempt military spending from the liberalizing demands of the agreement. Since only the wealthy countries can afford to devote billions on military spending, they will always be able to give their corporations hidden subsidies through defence contracts, and maintain a technologically advanced industrial capacity.
"Recent failure of NASA carbon sat. launch.
February 25, 2009
NASA Satellite Fails to Reach Orbit
By KENNETH CHANG
A NASA investigation team is trying to determine why a protective nose cone failed to detach during the launching of a climate satellite on Tuesday morning, dooming the $278 million mission and leaving scientists without a much-anticipated advance in the tracking of global carbon dioxide emissions.
The Orbiting Carbon Observatory lifted off on schedule at 1:55 a.m. Pacific time from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California aboard a four-stage Taurus XL rocket. But about three minutes later, seven seconds after the ignition of the third stage, the payload fairing — a nose cone that protects the satellite as it rises through the atmosphere — failed to separate as commanded.
NASA Satellite Fails to Reach Orbit
I don't know enough to put this in context. How bad will this be for our ability to monitor global warming?" - Hey Mikey
TODAY'S POLL:
Last Sunday a poll was ran on best Star Trek movie. This poll will be about the best international movie posters for the new 'Trek' movie coming out next month.
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Read other NASA and Space diaries on DKOS.