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Science International Space Updates, September 2008
Michael Barkoviak - September 12, 2008 4:19 PM
Print E-mail del.icio.us 25 comment(s) - last by jimandalice.. on Sep 13 at 11:09 PM
An unmanned Progress cargo ship is on its way to the ISS; Hurricane Ike causes problem for NASA; and political tensions between the United States and Russia also hurt the ESA

A Soyuz-U booster rocket with an unmanned Progress M-65 cargo ship successfully launched towards the International Space Station (ISS), with a cargo of supplies, equipment, food, and gifts for astronauts on the ISS.  Russian Mission Control will be responsible for keeping the ship in orbit around the ISS until it is safe to have it dock with the multi-billion space station.  

Russian space officials expect the Progress ship to reach the ISS sometime late this evening, but it will not dock until next week.  NASA astronaut Gregory Chamitoff and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Konenko and Sergei Volkov will receive 2.5 tons of oxygen, food and water, along with a modified Russian space suit and other items.

Mother Nature has given NASA several problems in the month of September, as the U.S. space agency prepares for the early October launch of shuttle Atlantis.  The Johnson Space Center has been closed because Hurricane Ike is looming near the Texas coast.  A temporary control center has been constructed in Austin, Texas, and all communications will be routed through the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.  Astronaut training activities for the next two shuttle launches also had to be postponed until it's safe to return back to the space center, NASA officials said.  

The next manned shuttle launch will take place on October 10.

In addition to causing problems here on Earth, Hurricane Ike also caused a one-day delay, from today until next Wednesday, for Progress to dock at the ISS.

The ever confusing situation of the U.S. shuttle retirement in 2010 has left the European Space Agency (ESA) also in the hands of the Russian space agency for the next few years, European news publications have reported.  Even though NASA and the ESA worked together to design the X-38 experimental space craft, the project was never finished.

If there is an emergency aboard the ISS, Russia will be the only nation capable of sending additional supplies and astronauts into space, which is a situation that leaves both NASA and the ESA uncomfortable.  Tensions boiled over when Russia invaded Georgia, with U.S. politicians scrambling to try and see if it would be safe to delay the shuttle retirement until Orion is closer to completion.  Furthermore, NASA officials and politicians are weary of working with Russia to send astronauts and American supplies to space because of the increased political tension between the two nations.

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I heard....
By Souka on 9/12/2008 5:15:49 PM , Rating: 3
I heard the Russians are sneaking weapons in the supplies to the ISS...

(BTW, this is sarcasm pertaining to Russian alegations that the US was doing same for supplies heading to Georgia).

:)




RE: I heard....
By Beard0 on 9/13/08, Rating: -1
RE: I heard....
By BikeDude on 9/13/2008 11:10:26 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
(BTW, this is sarcasm pertaining to Russian alegations that the US was doing same for supplies heading to Georgia)


US' involvement in Georgia is highly suspect.

Few people seem to realise that while the US and EU supported Kosovo's "liberation" from Serbia, the same countries for some reason want to keep South-Ossetia a part of Georgia. For some unspecified reason, different rules apply.

US trying to sneak in an arms shipment? Much stranger things have happened.


RE: I heard....
By Murloc on 9/13/2008 2:01:35 PM , Rating: 3
that's why there isn't a simple solution.

EU and US supported the kosovo independence, and russia and his allies were against it, and now russia is pro-independence and UE/US are against.

No one is the good and none is the bad.


RE: I heard....
By jimandalice on 9/13/2008 11:09:50 PM , Rating: 2
The US doesn't need to "sneak" arms into Georgia. They're a free country and one of our allies. There are no UN restrictions or treaties against sending arms to Georgia. If we want to do it, its no one else's business.


Try to raise oil price?
By silversound on 9/12/08, Rating: -1
RE: Try to raise oil price?
By majBUZZ on 9/12/2008 5:12:37 PM , Rating: 4
I don't know where to begin but I will keep it simple. As much as I am amused by conspiracy theories , your just a idiot.


RE: Try to raise oil price?
By silversound on 9/12/08, Rating: 0
RE: Try to raise oil price?
By othercents on 9/12/2008 5:40:46 PM , Rating: 2
I'm not sure what the terrain looks like near Taipei and if they have a lot of housing right off the coast, but there are certain places in the US that have many houses right on the coast. It would be suicidal to stay right in the direct path of a hurricane without proper preparation especially if you know that your house will flood. In some cases these areas are prone to flooding during the storm surge.

Are people in Houston over reacting? Some are because of what happened in New Orleans with Katrina, but others are not. I doubt everyone is going to evacuate or will even need to evacuate, but to reduce the loss of life they are urging people to go somewhere safer. I also bet that some in Taiwan are evacuating too.

Many people stayed in New Orleans during Katrina because they had done it plenty of times before, but when the flooding happened the international community said that we should have forced evacuations. Now your saying we shouldn't evacuate at all?

Other


RE: Try to raise oil price?
By EntreHoras on 9/12/2008 5:47:18 PM , Rating: 2
I'm not familiar with construction techniques in Taiwan, but in the U.S. is mostly based on wood; at least for housing. So if a hurricane comes to your house made of wood, what would you do?


RE: Try to raise oil price?
By Samus on 9/12/2008 8:04:49 PM , Rating: 2
I don't know about Taiwan's government, but the United States government recommends evacuating because they care about their citizens. At least we like to think they care :)


RE: Try to raise oil price?
By GaryJohnson on 9/13/2008 3:32:15 AM , Rating: 3
Can't pay taxes if you're dead; of course they care.


RE: Try to raise oil price?
By WTFiSJuiCE on 9/12/2008 6:16:01 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Just compare this two storms Hurricane IKE and Typhonn SINLAKU, Actually SINLAKU is stronger than IKE and its heading to taiwan, but their government just tell residents to prepare, no need to evacuate. So US is vulnerable to storms?


After reading that statement...I just sighed in disappointment.

Since you linked it, I'm assuming (and after reading the statement yet again, this is a BIG assumption) that you looked at the photo and somehow misunderstood exactly which country Taiwan is.

So for reference, Taiwan is that ISLAND located just west of the eye of the "Typhoon". Now that you know, tell us exactly where they should be evacuating to? The other side of the ISLAND ?

Perhaps you should send them an e-mail suggesting they draw a giant arrow pointing it out or maybe draw Waldo standing on top of Taipei 101 so you don't get confused next time


RE: Try to raise oil price?
By 16nm on 9/12/2008 8:05:03 PM , Rating: 2
They should be evacuated to the mainland, but China thinks their lives are not worth the hassle.


RE: Try to raise oil price?
By WTFiSJuiCE on 9/12/2008 9:23:40 PM , Rating: 2
Yes because the relationship between China and Taiwan has been sparkling for decades.

The PRC claims Taiwan, yet Taiwan has their own autonomous gov't. Its not really China's problem whether there is a typhoon hitting Taiwan or not, it's Taiwan's...

These people have been riding out storms and earthquakes for thousands of years. Modern technology has allowed them to make strides in creating structures that can withstand high winds and shaking earth.

Not to mention, as someone else already has, that much of the island is mountainous so it will be easy for those in the lower elevation areas to move to higher and therefore safer ground.

Besides, China has plenty of their own citizens to worry about hassling. =\


RE: Try to raise oil price?
By SoCalBoomer on 9/12/2008 6:17:53 PM , Rating: 2
I think a lot of it has to do with terrain. From CNN-Asia:
quote:
Typhoons frequently hit Taiwan between July and September, often triggering flash floods and landslides in overly developed mountainous regions


Note it says mountainous - look at Taiwan and it's quite mountainous.

Now look at the entire SW of the US. It's very low-land. Shoot, what's the avg height of Florida? LOL - hundred feet or something? New Orleans is below sea level. . .

so yeah, the SE US is more vulnerable to storms just by geographical nature.


RE: Try to raise oil price?
By rudy on 9/12/2008 7:37:11 PM , Rating: 2
Where are they going to goto its an island if they told everyone to evacuate they there is no way the ferrys and any boat transportation could handle it.

Second while its over reacting alot of people in asia just brushed off the Tsunami in 2004 and look what happened.


RE: Try to raise oil price?
By 16nm on 9/12/2008 8:09:25 PM , Rating: 2
Just evacuate those in danger, not the entire island.


RE: Try to raise oil price?
By GaryJohnson on 9/13/2008 3:45:34 AM , Rating: 2
Seriously?

http://www.rambocam.com/archive/sepatnoaa.jpg

Now, who there would *not* be in danger?


RE: Try to raise oil price?
By Solandri on 9/12/2008 8:06:43 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Actually SINLAKU is stronger than IKE and its heading to taiwan, but their government just tell residents to prepare, no need to evacuate. So US is vulnerable to storms?

Taiwan is an island. When a typhoon pushes water up against it, the water moves around it. The storm surge there is estimated at 9-12 feet (2.7-3.7 meters).

http://thenhbushmantyphoon.blogspot.com/2008/09/ty...

The Gulf of Mexico is an enclosed body of water with Texas and Louisiana at the edge. When a hurricane pushes water up against it, the water piles up. The storm surge there is estimated at 15 feet (4.6m) to over 25 feet (7.6m) in inland areas.

http://www.noaawatch.gov/2008/active_e10_y4.png

It's the same reason cyclones around India, Bangladesh, Myanmar are so deadly. They have large expanses of flat coastal areas with large populations, making them highly vulnerable to storm surges.


RE: Try to raise oil price?
By 16nm on 9/12/2008 8:13:29 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Taiwan is an island. When a typhoon pushes water up against it, the water moves around it. The storm surge there is estimated at 9-12 feet (2.7-3.7 meters).


If there is a 12ft storm surge then the water will rise 12ft around the entire island. It will be as if the island suddenly sunk 12ft. Some islands disappear entirely when hurricanes pass over.


RE: Try to raise oil price?
By Solandri on 9/12/2008 11:27:50 PM , Rating: 2
Heh. The same is true of any land mass. If the water at the Gulf coast rises 25 ft, it's like the entire U.S. landmass in that area has sunk 25 ft.

Anyhow, Taiwan is significantly mountainous and is in no danger of disappearing underwater. The portion that's lowest is on the western shore facing mainland China, so is extremely unlikely to suffer a direct storm surge from a typhoon. Most typhoons that hit it will be pushing water from the south or the east, directly into the mountainous side.

Large portions of the U.S. Gulf coast however are alluvial plain (basically land built up by river silt), so are at or barely above sea level. If it's been developed and drained (like New Orleans), it will settle and actually end up below sea level.


RE: Try to raise oil price?
By NaSnake on 9/13/2008 12:06:45 AM , Rating: 2
Agreed lol


RE: Try to raise oil price?
By rcc on 9/12/2008 5:23:28 PM , Rating: 2
Because we care about the people in the area, and don't want to see them washed away?

And, just for the record, no, there are no hurricanes in Asia. If the same storm were to brew in the Pacific it would be a typhoon.


RE: Try to raise oil price?
By Rookierookie on 9/12/2008 5:39:42 PM , Rating: 2
The US is a lot larger than Taiwan, and the population density is a lot lower. It's a lot easier to find places to evacuate to in the US.


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