Fwd: This Week in The Space Review - 2013 January 21

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From: jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust)
Date: January 21, 2013 3:58:59 PM GMT-06:00
Subject: This Week in The Space Review - 2013 January 21
Reply-To: jeff@thespacereview.com

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Welcome to this week's issue of The Space Review:


Cargo cult exploration
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As a new study on the rationale for human spaceflight gets underway, many people are likely to consider historical parallels in exploration as one justification for sending people into space. Dan Lester argues that doing so without taking into account our evolving robotic capabilities is tantamount to, and likely to be as successful as, a cargo cult.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2223/1

The benefits (and limitations) of space partnerships
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Last week NASA announced a deal with ESA to provide the service module for the Orion spacecraft and a contract with Bigelow Aerospace to send an inflatable module to the ISS. Jeff Foust reports on these developments and how they show the strengths of such partnerships, but also how they risk being oversold.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2222/1

Cislunar transportation: the space trucking system
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Why establish "waystations" at the Earth-Moon L1 point or other locations in space, as some have proposed? John Strickland draws an analogy to terrestrial transportation systems to explain how such facilities could make space exploration and development more affordable.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2221/1

An airborne telescope prepares for takeoff
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Infrared astronomy is difficult to do from the ground because of the atmosphere, so astronomers seek to get above with both satellites and aircraft. Jeff Foust checks on the status of a NASA airborne observatory that is finally ready to begin regular science flights.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2220/1


If you missed it, here's what we published in our previous issue:


A golden age of exoplanet science
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Last week astronomers met in California to discuss the latest discoveries in the field, and the study of extrasolar planets was front and center. Jeff Foust reports on the wealth of exoplanet discoveries that are giving scientists new clues about how common planets, and potentially Earth-like ones, are in the galaxy.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2219/1

Higher Look: A top secret reconnaissance mission in 1982
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To fill a looming gap in satellite imagery, the NRO pursued an unusual mission in the early 1980s. Dwayne Day describes this effort, and what went wrong.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2218/1

SLS Block II drives hydrocarbon engine research
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NASA is looking at several options for new rocket engines to power the boosters of the Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket. Anthony Young notes that this, plus Air Force interest, has driven work on new hydrocarbon rocket engines, including one based on the venerable F-1.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2217/1

Visiting the shuttles
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Two of the four shuttle orbiters assigned to museums are currently open to the public: Discovery at the Udvar-Hazy Center and Endeavour at the California Science Center. Jeff Foust pays a visit to both to compare and contrast the displays.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2216/1


We appreciate any feedback you may have about these articles as well as
any other questions, comments, or suggestions about The Space Review.
We're also actively soliciting articles to publish in future issues, so
if you have an article or article idea that you think would be of
interest, please email me.

Until next week,

Jeff Foust
Editor, The Space Review
jeff@thespacereview.com
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