President Barack Obama has posthumously awarded fomer astronaut and first US female in orbit, Dr. Sally Ride, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The award is the highest US civilian honour that can been bestowed. 

Ride made her first flight in 1983 on STS-07 and few again a year later on STS-43L (both on the Space Shuttle Challenger).   In 1986, Ride served on the Rogers Commission investigating the STS-51L Challenger accident.  She was instrumental in making sure that "secret" details of the Solid Rocket Booster "O" ring failures in cold temperatures reached other members of the panel including Richard Feynman which was later cited as the principal cause of the failure. 

Dr. Sally Ride on STS-07 in June 1983. Courtesy: NASA

Having left NASA in 1987, as a physics graduate and as an educator she later devoted her life to encouraging girls to get a scientific education. It was only after her death in 2012 that it was revealed that Ride had been in a lesbian relationship since the breakdown of her marriage.

President Obama said, "We remember Sally Ride not just as a national hero, but as a role model to generations of young women. Sally inspired us to reach for the stars, and she advocated for a greater focus on the science, technology, engineering and math that would help us get there. Sally showed us that there are no limits to what we can achieve, and I look forward to welcoming her family to the White House as we celebrate her life and legacy."

In all the enthusiasm about Tim Peake's planned spaceflight to the International Space Station in November 2015 (which might be thought of as a de facto "thank you" for the UK's extra funding to ESA), and how it might promote the so called STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects in education, the question many schoolchildren and students will be asking is: which subjects and which career path do I need to do to get into space? 

Strangely, the Minister for Universities and Science, the Rt Hon David Willetts MP made sure to note that he was NOT promoting STEM subjects as a way to become an astronaut.  Citing former Army Apache helicoptor and test pilot, Tim Peake, as an example, Willetts thought that more practical skills like flying/pilot training would be better for those wanting to be astronauts in future than having a science-based degree though he noted that STEM subjects would help those wanting to work in the space industry.

Willetts said while he was encouraging STEM subject uptake as being good for the space industry and the nation in general, he was averse to forcing school children and young adults from taking subjects at university that they did not really want to do. "I believe in people being free to choose the courses that most interest them." said Willetts noting that arts subjects can lead to rewarding careers as well.

Peake agreed that the main key was to find what you are particularly passionate about and be as good at it as you can.   "There are astronauts who are school teachers.engineers, scientists, doctors, and pilots. Any career path can lead to to being an astronaut."

While Peake's mission running order is not yet decided, it is likely to have some element of microgravity research, especially as the UK is a recent contributor to ESA's European Life and Physical Sciences in Space (ELIPS) microgravity research programme. There is also a chance that Peake will mount a spacewalk as part of his mission, having done neutral buoyancy tank training.  "I have done several months over in Houston, I went through what is known as the novice flow and skills flow which qualifies me in the EMU (Extravehicular Mobilty Unit) suit." said Peake.  Peake is also qualified on the Russian Orlan suit as well. 

Tim Peak in initial EVA training in Neutral Buoyancy Tank at European Astronaut Centre, Cologne in 2010.  Courtesy ESAPeake noted that he would like to stand on Mars on day even if his career may be over by the time that mankind achieves that aim.   More realisticallly, there is a genuine outside chance that Peake might one day visit a Chinese space station.  Thomas Rieter, ex-astronaut and now head of human spaceflight at ESA, noted that discussions with the Chinese over future cooperation had started but that they were at a very early stage.

Comment by David Todd:  While they may be right in noting that individuals tend to do best in subjects they enjoy most, Peake and Willetts are a bit wrong in not suggesting that a degree in a STEM subject would improve a candidate's chances of selection as an astronaut.  For the best chance of becoming an orbital-class astronaut, the traditional routes into space still hold: either be an exemplary pilot, or be a science/medicine or engineering specialist (or at least have degree in these subjects), or, even better, both. Peake himself was an army officer and test pilot, but did actually gain a degree in Flight Dynamics as part of his training at the Empire Test Pilots School at Boscombe Down (which was actually awarded by the University of Portsmouth). 

There is no evidence that lawyers, linguists, archeologists and historians are yet being made into astronauts in preference to those holding STEM expertise, though rich business types are making it - even if they have to pay for themselves via space tourism programmes. 

One trend will probably happen however.  Rather than having specialised astronauts: pilots, EVA (Extra-vehicular Activity) experts, and scientific specialists, that the Space Shuttle tended to carry, future astronauts on long range missions to the Moon, asteroids and planets, will probably have to be "jacks of all trades" like Apollo astronauts, given their smaller crews.  That is, they will have to be skilled pilots, AND be experts at EVA, AND have good STEM subject degrees - with geology, engineering and medicine probably being the most useful.

While STEM knowledge, at least to a background degree level, will probably be essential, Willetts was right to hint that like becoming pilot would be a good route in.  Pilots, like divers, explorers and other "operational types", apart from being fit and having practical and problem solving experience, also usually have the psychological make-up to be able to think quickly and calmly in dangerous situations.  This can mean the difference between mission success and failure and sometimes the difference between life and death.

 

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has formally converted two optons to construction orders for two weather satellites GOES T and GOES U from Lockheed Martin.   The satellites were originally ordered as options in 2010 of the batch deal for GOES R and GOES S (delayed after a contract appeal from 2008).   According to space news, the new deal is  GOES T option/order is worth $175.9 million, and the GOES-U option/order is worth $139.7 million,

 

On 17 May, Boeing's spacecraft manufacturing arm, Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems,announced that it had been selected to build the new ViaSat-2 satellite for ViaSat Inc. Taking its lead from its European manufacturing counterparts, as part of the deal, Boeing is moving into sateliltes services  by agreeing to partner Viasat in offering ViaSat-2's Ka-band broadband services..The spacecraft will use a version of Boeing's 702HP bus design and will be launched in 2016.  Boeing beat out competition from Lockheed Martin to build the satellite.  Its other US competitor Space Systems/Loral was effectvely ruled out as it is in legal dispute over patent infringements with Viasat.

Reuters reports that China has made an extreme alititude suborbital rocket launch which may be an anti-satellite weapon.  The launch of the rocket on 15 May, elements of which reached 10,000km altititude, is thought by US government experts to be a possible test of a new anti-satellite missile.  The remnants of the test fell into the Indian Ocean.  The altitide achieved was the highest ever achieved by a non-orbiting object since 1976.

Meantime, on 15 May, the US Navy  made its third successful inteception test of its Standard Missile SM-3 Block 1B variant which is known to have both anti-ballistic missile and anti-satellite applications.  This new variant of hte missile is now expected to go into full production.  The Standard SM-3 Block 1B was launched from the U.S.S. Lake Erie striking and destroying a target missile launched from Kauai, Hawaii.

Standard Missiles were originally developed to arm cruisers and destroyers of the US Navy in a more conventional endoatmospheric anti-aircraft and anti-missile role. The latter role may soon be needed as it has emerged that Russia has delivered the latest versions of its supersonic anti-ship missile, the Yakhont to Syria's government.  With a range of 300km and in having such fast attack speeds, these impressive missiles (India's Brahmos is a licenced copy) could hold off Western naval forces from making an intervention in the current civil war in Syria.  Having said that, at such ranges, such missiles usuually have to be targeted remotely; either via satellite targeting or via maritime aircraft.

At 2138 GMT on 15 May 2013, an Atlas V 401 launch vehicle successfully lifted off from its Cape Canaveral Air Station launch pad in Florida, USA, to deliver the latest GPS spacecraft, GPS IIF-4 into orbit.  Built by Boeing, the satellite will be operated by the US Air Force as part of its GPS navigation constelllation in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO).  GPS signals are also used by civilian and commercial users.

During a routine call up of NASA's planet-hunting Kepler mission on 14 May, the spacecraft was found to have fallen into a safe mode with an attitude error. During an attempt to return to reaction wheel control as the spacecraft rotated into communication, and commanded a stop rotation, it appeared that all three wheels responded and that rotation had been successfully stopped.  However reaction wheel 4 remained at full torque while the spin rate dropped to zero. According to NASA, this is a clear indication that there has been an internal failure within the reaction wheel, likely a structural failure of the wheel bearing. The spacecraft was then transitioned back to Thruster-Controlled Safe Mode.  NASA may now elect to retire the spacecraft which has exceeded its three year old design life by over a year.  During its service the spacecraft has discovered hundreds of planets orbiting distant stars.

Astrium has been awarded a contract by the Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) to build the Express-AMU1/Eutelsat 36C satellite.  The Eurostar E3000 bus spacecraft will be placed into orbit by the Russian launcher Proton in 2015 and will be operated over 36 degrees East.The Express-AMU1/Eutelsat 36C will have 70 transponders to provide broadcast services in the European part of the Russian Federation in Ku and Ka bands and for broadcast markets developed by Eutelsat in sub-Saharan Africa. The multibeam Ka-band antennas feature a highly innovative array fed reflector antenna technology developed by Astrium. Express-AMU1/Eutelsat 36C will have a launch mass of 5,700 kg and a spacecraft power in excess of 15 kW. Its design lifetime is 15 years in orbit.

 

Artists impression of Express-AMU1/Eutelsat 36C. Courtesy: Astrium

 

 

The launch provider International Launch Services (ILS) and the commercial satellite operator Eutelsat announced a contract for the launch of a Eutelsat satellite in the 2014-2016 timeframe by ILS Proton M/Breeze M from the Baikonur Cosmodrome near Tyuratam in Kazakhstan. This announcement was made the day after the successful Proton M/Breeze M launch of the Eutelsat 3D satellite.

At 1402GMT on 14 May 2013, a Proton M/Breeze M launch vehicle successfully lifted off from the Baikonur launch site near Tyuratam in Kazakhstan. On board was the Eutelsat 3D communications satellite being launched for the European satellite operator Eutelsat. Built by Thales Alenia Space and weighing in at 5470kg, the spacecraft was injected into a Geostationary Transfer Orbit.  The satellite will use its own on-board engine to circularise itself into a Geostationary position and will be operated over 3 degrees East longitude.