Space News Update - April 15, 2013 - In the News Departments Story 1: Kepler reaction wheel still problematic after mitigation Story 2: New Calculations Effectively Rule Out Comet Impacting Mars in 2014 Story 3: Orion Capsule Accelerating to 2014 Launch and Eventual Asteroid Exploration  Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities NASA-TV Highlights Space Calendar Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

Kepler reaction wheel still problematic after mitigation In this computer graphic, NASA's Voyager 1 probe, moving toward upper left, nears the edge of the sun's influence, flying through a region of space dominated by a "magnetic highway" that helps mediate the flow of particles into and out of the solar system. The region includes particles from the sun's southern hemisphere that have been forced northward by the pressure of the interstellar wind. Voyager 1 is expected to cross the boundary into interstellar space sometime within the next few years if not sooner. (Credit: NASA)

New Calculations Effectively Rule Out Comet Impacting Mars in 2014

Orion Capsule Accelerating to 2014 Launch and Eventual Asteroid Exploration

The Night Sky Monday, April 15 • The Moon right after dark is in the top of Orion's very dim Club. That's not far from the center of the huge Winter Hexagon: Sirius, Procyon, the Pollux-and-Castor pair, Capella, Aldebaran (under Jupiter), Rigel, and back to Sirius. Tuesday, April 16 • Look left of the Moon after dark for Procyon. High above the Moon is Pollux, with Castor at its right. Equally far below the Moon is Betelgeuse, the top corner of Orion. Wednesday, April 17 • The Moon this evening is passing almost midway between Procyon to its lower left and Pollux to its upper right. Castor, slightly dimmer, shines to the right of Pollux. Thursday, April 18 • The Moon is exactly first quarter at 8:31 a.m. EDT this morning, which means it looks equally "first quarter" on the evenings of the 17th and 18th from North America's eastern time zones. The Moon this evening is in dim Cancer, inside the big, long triangle of Procyon, Pollux, and Regulus. Friday, April 19 • Look for Regulus and the Sickle of Leo to the left of the Moon this evening, as shown here.

ISS Sighting Opportunities ISS For Denver: Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting Information

NASA-TV Highlights Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website (all times Eastern Daylight Time) April 15, Monday 7:45 a.m. - ISS Progress 49 Undocking from the International Space Station (Undocking scheduled at 8:03 a.m. EDT) - JSC (All Channels) 12 p.m. - Orion Briefing with Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana - KSC (All Channels) April 16, Tuesday 12:25 p.m. - ISS Expedition 35 In-Flight Event for the Canadian Space Agency with Lockview High School in Fall River, Nova Scotia - JSC (All Channels) 2 p.m. - NASA News Briefing Wallops Flight Facility WFF/GSFC/HQ (All Channels) 3 p.m. - NASA New Conference - Orbital Sciences’ Antares Test Flight Launch Update - WFF (All Channels) April 17, Wednesday 10:25 a.m. - ISS Expedition 35 Educational Event for “Destination Station” - JSC (All Channels) 4 p.m. - Live Coverage of Orbital Sciences’ Antares Test Flight Launch -(All Channels) 6:30 p.m. - Orbital Sciences’ Antares Post-Test Flight- News Conference - WFF (All Channels) April 18, Thursday 12:05 p.m. - ISS Mission Control On-Console Interview with the Digital Learning Network - JSC (All Channels) 2 p.m. - NASA Kepler Science Update - Ames (All Channels) April 19, Friday 9:30 a.m. - Coverage of ISS Expedition 35 Russian Spacewalk - JSC (All Channels) Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

Space Calendar JPL Space Calendar Apr 15 - [Apr 10] Progress 49 Reenters Earth's Atmosphere Apr 15 - Anik G1 Proton M-Briz M Launch Apr 15 - Comet 44P/Reinmuth At Opposition (3.475 AU) Apr 15 - Asteroid 10050 Rayman Closest Approach To Earth (1.486 AU) Apr 15 - Asteroid 9500 Camelot Closest Approach To Earth (1.714 AU) Apr 15-21 - Astronomy Week Apr 16 - Comet C/2011 U3 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (3.600 AU) Apr 16 - [Apr 13] Asteroid 2013 GC55 Near-Earth Flyby (0.051 AU) Apr 16 - Asteroid 2013 EO126 Near-Earth Flyby (0.088 AU) Apr 16 - Asteroid 3769 Arthurmiller Closest Approach To Earth (1.351 AU) Apr 17 - [Apr 10] Cygnus Mass Simulator/ Dove 1/ Phonesat v1A, v1B & 7v1C Antares Launch Apr 17 - Asteroid 91287 Simon-Garfunkel Closest Approach To Earth (1.065 AU) Apr 17 - Asteroid 4535 Adamcarolla Closest Approach To Earth (1.401 AU) Apr 17 - Asteroid 3904 Honda Closest Approach To Earth (1.758 AU) Apr 18 - Comet P/2011 U1 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (2.155 AU) Apr 18 - [Apr 12] Comet 127P/Holt-Olmstead At Opposition (3.666 AU) Apr 18 - Comet P/2010 UH55 (Spacewatch) At Opposition (4.458 AU) Apr 18 - [Apr 12] Comet C/2013 F2 (Catalina) Perihelion (6.218 AU) Apr 18 - Asteroid 1702 Kalahari Occults HIP 26964 (6.2 Magnitude Star) Apr 18 - Asteroid 21 Lutetia Occults 2UCAC 40494059 (12.4 Magnitude Star) Apr 18 - Asteroid 2013 EV108 Near-Earth Flyby (0.044 AU) Apr 18 - Asteroid 1279 Uganda Closest Approach To Earth (1.132 AU) Apr 18 - Asteroid 4808 Ballaero Closest Approach To Earth (1.925 AU) Apr 19 - Mercury Passes 2.0 Degrees From Uranus Apr 19 - Comet C/2006 S3 (LONEOS) Closest Approach To Earth (4.839 AU) Apr 19 - [Apr 11] Asteroid 2013 GH23 Near-Earth Flyby (0.014 AU) Apr 19 - Asteroid 1850 Kohoutek Closest Approach To Earth (1.066 AU) Apr 19 - Asteroid 30444 Shemp Closest Approach To Earth (2.107 AU) JPL Space Calendar

Food for Thought Putin says Russia to launch first manned space flight from its soil in 2018

Image Credit: NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory Space Image of the Week Sun with Solar Flare Image Credit: NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory