Some recent space policy related items :
On Tuesday on the International Space Station, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield display a new Canadian $5 banknote that includes an image of the Canadian-built robotic arm used on the station:
Caption:
In a live videostream from the International Space Station to the Bank of Canada’s Ottawa head office, CSA Astronaut Chris Hadfield revealed the new Canadian $5 bank note that proudly features Canadian space robotics achievements Canadarm2 and Dextre. Also on hand for this historic announcement were Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty, Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney and Chairman of the Board at VIA Rail Canada, Paul G. Smith, who was present for the unveiling of the new $10 note. Credit: CSA/NASA
Kristian von Bengtson of Copenhagen Suborbitals gives an update on the wind tunnel testing of a model of their Tycho Deep Space II capsule and the modifications they have made to its design: More Winds – More Testing -Wired Science/Wired.com.
Here’s a report on the Estonian cubesat project ESTCube, which will test the E-sail propulsion concept from Pekka Janhunen of Finland: Electric Space Sail to Get Its First Test – IEEE Spectrum.
Both the Opportunity and Curiosity rovers are back in action after a month’s rest while communications with Mars was blocked as it passed on the far side of the Sun from the earth: