Fwd: This Week in The Space Review - 2012 December 10

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From: jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust)
Date: December 10, 2012 11:49:34 AM GMT-06:00
Subject: This Week in The Space Review - 2012 December 10
Reply-To: jeff@thespacereview.com

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


The resurrection of Mars Sample Return
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Last week NASA surprised many when it announced it would develop a new Mars rover, based on Curiosity, for launch in 2020, reviving hopes of a sample return mission desired by scientists. An insider provides a new perspective on this decision, which represents a major reversal of policy from just earlier this year.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2202/1

Turning science fiction to science fact: Golden Spike makes plans for human lunar missions
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The last year has seen a number of proposals for audacious commercial space endeavors, but perhaps none bigger than a proposal for human missions to the surface of the Moon by 2020. Jeff Foust reports on Golden Spike's plans for such missions and the skepticism about their feasibility.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2201/1

Birds of a feather
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Although it was displayed for a day at the National Air and Space Museum, the HEXAGON and GAMBIT reconnaissance satellites are now on display at the Air Force's museum in Ohio. Dwayne Day pays a visit and looks at the future prospects for showing off the spacecraft there or at the Smithsonian.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2200/1

Flight training for Apollo: An interview with astronaut Harrison Schmitt
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This month marks the 40th anniversary of Apollo 17, but before astronaut Harrison Schmitt could fly to the surface of the Moon, he had to learn how to fly. Jason Catanzariti interviews the astronaut on his flight training experience and how it prepared him for his Apollo mission.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2199/1


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


Egolauncher
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A year after rolling out its plans to develop a massive air launch system, Stratolaunch Systems confirmed recently it parted ways with one of its original partners, SpaceX. Dwayne Day describes how this is evidence that Stratolaunch is less a viable commercial or military system than it is an ego-driven project.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2198/1

A prize competition fails to launch
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Last week NASA quietly canceled a planned prize competition to develop a low-cost dedicated launch vehicle for nanosatellites. Jeff Foust reports on the reasons behind the decision and the reaction from both potential competitors and the organization that planned to run the competition.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2197/1

Inserting the "s" word: a modest proposal
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The direction and goals of national space policy remain an ongoing subject for debate. Derek Webber argues that including settlement as even a long-term goal of any future national space policy will provide new clarity and purpose to overall space efforts.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2196/1

The Overview Effect at 25
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Twenty-five years ago, a book argued that those who flew in space experienced a radically altered perception of the Earth. Jeff Foust talks with Frank White, who wrote about the Overview Effect in 1987 and continues to study it today.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2195/1


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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