“The human space flight program that the United States is currently pursuing is one that is on an unstable trajectory,” according to a contributor to the report Seeking a Human Spaceflight Program Worthy of a Great Nation.

The Augustine Committee was established earlier this year when the Office of Science & Technology Policy asked NASA to initiate a review of its human space flight programs and plans, as well as alternatives, to ensure the nation is pursuing the best trajectory for the future of human space flight - one that is safe, innovative, affordable, and sustainable.

Read more:

• Transcript of press briefing
• Overview of committee findings

Former NASA astronaut Jim Reilly will be in Canberra next week in conjunction with 40th Anniversary celebrations of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Reilly logged more than 853 hours in space, including 5 spacewalks, during shuttle flights in 1998, 2001, and 2007. Reilly will introduce a special screening of RACE to the MOON at the National Library, co-hosted by the American Embassy, at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 14. Reservations are requested and can be made by calling 6214 5784 or by e-mail to canberra-pas@state.gov.
You can learn more about the moonlanding anniversary, which is July 20.

Launched from Florida on the evening of 15 March, space shuttle Discovery is on its way to the International Space Station where it will deliver the final set of solar arrays needed to complete the station’s complement of electricity-generating solar panels.