Space News Update - July 15, In the News Story 1: Story 1: Dream Chaser ETA completes opening tow tests at Dryden Story 2: Story 2: Neptune's Newest Moon Story 3: Story 3: NASA’s IBEX Provides First View Of the Solar System’s Tail Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting Opportunities NASA-TV Highlights Space Calendar Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

Dream Chaser ETA completes opening tow tests at Dryden >

Neptune's Newest Moon

NASA’s IBEX Provides First View Of the Solar System’s Tail

The Night Sky Monday, July 15 · First-quarter Moon (exact at 11:18 p.m. EDT). Look quite close to the Moon for Spica. Saturn glows off to their upper left. Think photo opportunity. The Moon occults (hides) Spica for skywatchers in Hawaii and parts of Central and South America; see map and timetables.map and timetables Tuesday, July 16 · This evening the Moon shines below Saturn, with Spica now off to their lower right. Wednesday, July 17 · The Moon stands in central Libra this evening, about midway (for the longitudes of the Americas) between Saturn to its right and the stars of upper Scorpius to its left. Thursday, July 18 · Look lower left of the gibbous Moon this evening for the red supergiant Antares. Also nearby are other stars of upper Scorpius. Friday, July 19 · Telescope users observing the waxing gibbous Moon from most of North America tonight can watch the Moon's invisible dark limb creep up to and occult the 4.4-magnitude star Xi Ophiuchi. Only Florida and the West miss out. Some times of the star's disappearance: in western Massachusetts, 12:38 a.m. EDT; Atlanta, 12:32 a.m. EDT; Chicago, 11:10 p.m. CDT; Winnipeg, 10:50 p.m. CDT; Kansas City, 11:00 p.m. CDT; Austin, 11:07 p.m. CDT; Denver, 9:39 p.m. MDT. Start watching early.

ISS Sighting Opportunities Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting InformationSatellite Sighting Information For Denver: DateVisibleMax HeightAppearsDisappears Tue Jul 16, 4:39 AM4 min23°11 above S15 above E Wed Jul 17, 3:53 AM3 min13°12 above SSE10 above E Thu Jul 18, 4:40 AM3 min73°19 above SW38 above ENE Fri Jul 19, 3:53 AM3 min39°37 above SSE16 above ENE

NASA-TV Highlights Watch NASA TV on the Net by going to NASA website.NASA website July 16, Tuesday 7 a.m. - ISS Expedition 36 U.S. Spacewalk Coverage (Spacewalk scheduled to begin at 8:10 a.m. ET) - JSC (All Channels) 8 - 9:30 a.m. - Recently Returned Astronaut Tom Marshburn Discusses Spaceflight at Washington’s Newseum during Live Spacewalk - HQ (Education Channel) July 17, Wednesday 12:05 p.m. - ISS Mission Control On-Console Interview with the Digital Learning Network - JSC (All Channels) 1:30 p.m. – Expedition 37/38 Crew Video B-Roll Feed – JSC (All Channels) 2 p.m. - ISS Expedition 37/38 Crew News Conference - JSC (All Channels) July 18, Thursday 1 p.m Agency Honor Awards - HQ (Public Channel) 1:15 p.m. - ISS Expedition 36 In-Flight Interviews with KGO-TV, San Francisco and WDAY-TV, Fargo, N.D. - JSC (Education and Media Channels) July 19, Friday 9:20 a.m. - ISS Expedition 36 In-Flight Event for the European Space Agency - JSC (Public and Education Channels)

Space Calendar Jul 15 - Comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup Closest Approach To Earth (1.208 AU)Comet 26P/Grigg-SkjellerupClosest Approach To Earth Jul 15 - Comet 147P/Kushida-Muramatsu At Opposition (3.570 AU)Comet 147P/Kushida-MuramatsuAt Opposition Jul 15 - Comet 174P/Echeclus Closest Approach To Earth (5.558 AU)Comet 174P/EcheclusClosest Approach To Earth Jul 15 - Asteroid 2010 AF30 Near-Earth Flyby (0.046 AU)Asteroid 2010 AF30Near-Earth Flyby Jul 15 - [Jul 10] Telesconference: Human SpaceflightTelesconference: Human Spaceflight Jul 16 - Comet C/2012 K8 (Lemmon) At Opposition (6.278 AU)Comet C/2012 K8 (Lemmon)At Opposition Jul 16 - Asteroid 4769 Castalia Closest Approach To Earth (0.510 AU)Asteroid 4769 CastaliaClosest Approach To Earth Jul 16 - Asteroid 2069 Hubble Closest Approach To Earth (2.739 AU)Asteroid 2069 Hubble Jul nd Annual International Space Station Research & Development Conference, Denver, Colorado2nd Annual International Space Station Research & Development Conference Jul 17 - Comet 170P/Christensen Closest Approach To Earth (2.659 AU)Comet 170P/ChristensenClosest Approach To Earth Jul 17 - Asteroid 2010 AF3 Near-Earth Flyby (0.055 AU)Asteroid 2010 AF3Near-Earth Flyby Jul 17 - Asteroid (2001 PJ9) Near-Earth Flyby (0.075 AU)Asteroid (2001 PJ9)Near-Earth Flyby Jul 17 - Asteroid 397 Vienna Closest Approach To Earth (1.393 AU)Asteroid 397 Vienna Jul 17 - Asteroid 8256 Shenzhou Closest Approach To Earth (1.497 AU)Asteroid 8256 Shenzhou Jul 17 - Asteroid 6373 Stern Closest Approach To Earth (1.763 AU)Asteroid 6373 Stern Jul 17 - Event: Future Space 2013, Washington DCEvent: Future Space 2013 Jul 18 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #354 (OTM-354)Cassini Jul 18 - Comet 4P/Faye At Opposition (2.181 AU)Comet 4P/FayeAt Opposition Jul 18 - Asteroid 2012 AM10 Near-Earth Flyby (0.052 AU)Asteroid 2012 AM10Near-Earth Flyby Jul 18 - Asteroid 2011 KP16 Near-Earth Flyby (0.089 AU)Asteroid 2011 KP16Near-Earth Flyby Jul 19 - [Jul 12] Cassini, Earth PhotoCassini, Earth Photo Jul 19 - [Jul 09] MUOS 2 Atlas 5 LaunchMUOS 2Atlas 5 Launch Jul 19 - [Jul 14] Comet P/2013 N3 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (2.392 AU)Comet P/2013 N3 (PANSTARRS)At Opposition Jul 19 - Asteroid 8 Flora At Opposition (8.6 Magnitude)Asteroid 8 Flora At Opposition Jul 19 - Asteroid Denning Closest Approach To Earth (1.524 AU)Asteroid Denning Jul 19 - Asteroid 7307 Takei Closest Approach To Earth (1.892 AU)Asteroid 7307 Takei JPL Space Calendar

Food for Thought Kepler spacecraft should pin down 'alien Earth' planets despite glitch

Space Image of the Week Rare Clear View of Alaska Image Credit: NASA/Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC