
Will the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer fly to the ISS?
A bill that would add an extra flight to the space shuttle's agenda cleared the Senate late Thursday.
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The measure, the NASA Authorization Act of 2008, would also authorize a $2.6 billion budget increase over what President Bush has proposed for the agency next year. That figure includes $1 billion to help accelerate the development of the shuttle's replacement.
The bill would authorize NASA to conduct an extra shuttle mission to deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the International Space Station.
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080926/NEWS02/809260342/1006/NEWS01
Background:>
The purpose of the additional flight would be to deliver to the International Space Station the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer for experiments in seeking out unusual matter in space.
But the bill drew opposition from the Bush administration.
The $1.5 billion project, a collaborative effort of 16 countries sponsored by the Department of Energy, could offer unique insights into how the universe was formed. But after the Columbia tragedy in 2003, NASA said the shuttle would not be able to transport the 15,000-pound instrument to the space station because of technical and scheduling issues.
The bill still needs Senate consideration and actual spending amounts are determined in annual appropriations bills.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gcnBjFK9OFdsbwFHQwKZEq0uMriwD91CNQA80
Additional notes: the impressive 1.5 bln costs are spent mostly by foreign countries and scientific organisations; the US' participation in the funds is relatively small.
Many scientists call the AMS 'the only real and valuable scientific experiment on the ISS'. The refusal of NASA to deliver the AMS to the ISS sparked massive international opposition.
More about The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Magnetic_Spectrometer
Important: we do not have to wait the real delivery of the AMS to the ISS to settle the question; this will happen (if at all) in 2010.
Question settle when the bill is formally and deffinitively approved by the Congress and by the president (who oppose such an additional flight) and/or the AMS shuttle flight is shown on the NASA's launch manifest of the remaining space shuttle missions to the ISS.
Settlement details:
As reported by a major mainstream news source.
Settled
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Yes |
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No |
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Suspend date: Tue 30th Dec 11:59pm PST (3 weeks to go) Settlement date: Wed 15th Oct 11:06pm PDTPrediction cut-off: Predictions on this question after Sat 27th Sep 12:59am PDT have been voided because they were made after the question could be settled
Initial likelihoods: Yes: 60%
Action history:
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_space_thewritestuff/2008/10/bush-signs-nasa.html
http://www.nasawatch.com/archives/2008/10/president_signs_2.html
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The measure, the NASA Authorization Act of 2008, would also authorize a $2.6 billion budget increase over what President Bush has proposed for the agency next year. That figure includes $1 billion to help accelerate the development of the shuttle's replacement.
The bill would authorize NASA to conduct an extra shuttle mission to deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the International Space Station.
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080926/NEWS02/809260342/1006/NEWS01
Suspend date: Tue 30th Dec 11:59pm PST (3 weeks to go) Settlement date: Wed 15th Oct 11:06pm PDTPrediction cut-off: Predictions on this question after Sat 27th Sep 12:59am PDT have been voided because they were made after the question could be settled
more info...
Predictions (21)
21 predictions
Comments (2)
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Magnetic_Spectrometer
Also worth noting that the suspend date of this question will be extended until there is a definitive yes or no answer from the full senate.
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