Google Lunar Xprize team, Mars 500 and SpaceX Falcon 1 launch on Spacevidcast 16 July 09

Includes interview with Jason Dunn of Google Lunar Xprize team Omega Envoy, first successful launch into orbit of a working payload by SpaceX with Falcon 1 flight 5 carrying the RazakSAT Earth Observation satellite and the European Space Agency Mars500 experiment to observe how humans will cope with a long duration Mars mission over a 500 day period.

Gustav Holst The Planets, all 7 pieces performed by a live Orchestra

Gustav Holst's Planets Suite including:

1. Mars, the Bringer of War
2. Venus, the Bringer of Peace
3. Mercury, the Winged Messenger
4. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
5. Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age
6. Uranus, the Magician
7. Neptune, the Mystic

Audio CD of Holst's - The Planets UK, USA

Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins and Chris Kraft speak about Apollo Space Program

This is a rare treat for space historians, all three members of the Apollo 11 crew plus the man who was in charge of Mission Control during the Apollo era speak at the annual John Glenn Lecture series at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. The audience included many key NASA people including the new NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and the STS125 Space Shuttle crew which recently conducted a service mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.

Books

Neil Armstrong - First Man : The Life of Neil A. Armstrong - USA, UK

Buzz Aldrin - Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon - USA, UK

Michael Collins - Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut's Journeys - USA, UK

Chris Kraft - Flight: My Life in Mission Control - USA, UK

Spacevidcast Live High Definition Broadcast Feed of Launches and Newscasts

Live video by Ustream
Spacevidcast is a regular weekly round up of global Space news presented by Benjamin and Cariann Higginbotham. In addition to their regular program broadcast live on Thursday, they also discuss and comment on significant events which are broadcasting live on NASA TV such as launches from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Spaceflight Now Live Broadcast Feed for Space Shuttle Launches

Miles O'Brien, David Waters and Leroy Chiao present coverage of NASA Space Shuttle launches from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for Spacefight Now

Max Launch Abort System test, SEDS interview and NASA-ESA Mars cooperation on Spacevidcast 10 July 09

Includes footage of NASA's test of the Max Launch Abort System which is an alternative system for firing the Orion Capsule to safety if required during launch. Grant Atkinson who is Director of Chapter Affairs for Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) explains the purpose of SEDS and how members will benefit from joining their organisation. Press invited to mystery Google Moon event to celebrate first Apollo lunar landing on the 20th July. NASA and ESA sign agreement to cooperate on future Mars missions to coordinate science and mission objectives.

Senate Science Committee nominations hearing for NASA administrator Charles Bolden and Deputy Lori Garver

Senators and Representatives speak in support of the nomination of Charlie Bolden to become the new Administrator and Lori Garver the Deputy Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Charlie Bolden and Lori Garver also address the Senate Science Committee and answer questions on their vision for NASA and how they plan to lead the administration.

STS127 tanking test, Hubble crew visit Stennis and Pathfinder on Mars, all on This Week @ NASA 02 July 09

Space shuttle Endeavour's external tank was successfully tested with no detectable Hydrogen gas leaks. The Hubble Space Telescope service crew from STS125 visited Stennis Space Center to conduct a presentation to the workforce of their mission. Work commences at Wallops Flight Facility to build a new launch complex for the Taurus II rocket which will run re-supply missions to the International Space Station. Comedian Mark Malkoff spends 30 days on airliner to cure his fear of flying and stops at Langley Research Center to hear about research on making aircraft more environmentally friendly. Pathfinder used air bags to safely land on Mars in 1997 and along with its rover Sojourner conducted experiments that suggested Mars was once warmer and wet. In 2005 the Deep Impact spacecraft collided with Comet Temple 1 to produce spectacular images. Apollo 11 crew will be celebrated at the Air & Space Museum in Washington DC on the 20th July.

Jean-Jacques Dordain explains lessons learned from ESA working with NASA on ISS

Jean-Jacques Dordain - Director General of European Space Agency comments on ESA's cooperation with NASA on the International Space Station and highlights the lessons learned and what should be addressed in the future to speed up the utilisation of Space hardware so that more benefits can be realised earlier.

Rumours of Space Shuttle Atlantis early retirement on Spacevidcast 03 July 09

This episode of Spacevidcast includes Guinness promotion for a flight on Virgin Galactic, Rock band U2 calling the International Space Station, rumour of Space Shuttle Atlantis early retirement and debunking news reports of sabotage at Kennedy Space Center.

Interviews with the leaders behind Spaceport America

Kathleen Koch interviews Governor Bill Richardson, Executive Director of Spaceport America Steve Landeene, Virgin Galactic CEO Stephen Attenborough, Seinor Space Analyst Jeff Foust of the Futron Corperation and UP Aerospace President Jerry Larson.

Apollo milestones, star birth and rising sea levels explained on July 09 edition of Astrocast TV

Greg Redfern runs through the milestones of the Apollo program to mark the 40th anniversary of the first landing on the moon. Carolyn Collins Petersen explains how Stars are born, Bente Lilja Bye explains how we observe the rising sea level due to global warming. Tavi Greiner focuses on the Moon for the night sky in July.

New GUCP seal design for Space Shuttle STS127 External Tank H2 venting passes tanking leak test

Mike Moses - Launch Integration Manager provides an epic explanation of the solution to fix the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate or GUCP seal that failed on the last two attempts to launch STS127 Space Shuttle Endeavour.

To compensate for a build up of tolerances during manufacture of the External fuel tank and other misalignment issues, a new seal type has been developed for STS127. This new two part seal was tested successfully in real conditions by filling the External tank with liquid Hydrogen and no leaks were measured by the mass spectrometer which is the device used to monitor Hydrogen gas concentrations of the surrounding air around the GUCP.

This clears the way for a targeted launch date of 11th July at 23:39 UTC/GMT for Space Shuttle Endeavour.

NASA STS127 Mission Briefings

Space Shuttle Merchandise UK, USA