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TOTKChief writes: "After stories of air quality problems and other fun glitches on ISS, NASA Watch is reporting the following: 'NASA Seeks to Suppress ISS Crew Reports.' This is from a status message sent out to NASA and contractor ISS program office Staff: 'Notes from today's staff: The Ships Log, sent down almost daily from the ISS crew, will no longer be available on the web due to legal concerns with the freedom of information act. A process will be put in place to make them available to those who need it, IMC, Flt control team, etc.'" Considering the huge advances made in astronaut safety since the space program began, it would probably be comforting to hear about problems being solved in space rather than brushing them over with silence. And when there are problems, doesn't the public have the right to know? (Whose dollars put those folks up there in the first place?)

We've been putting off coverage of the US elections for a long time now, but with the election only weeks away, we figure its time to let loose. The stories about the election will be posted under the United States topic, and will stop with the announcement of the winner. Stories that are selected will be very few, so expect to be have submissions rejected. Submissions must have some sort of angle for them to be considered for Slashdot, and we will be brutal: we're not CNN here. And if you don't care about the election, login and disable the United States topic and you'll be free from this. We're starting this off with a link from TOTKChief where you can read NASA Watch's of journal of space-related election news, which is just the first of many issues we think is relevant in this upcoming election. Read it, make up your own mind, and vote goddammit.

TOTKChief writes "Aviation Now is reporting that NASA will use the Structural Test Article for the new Propulsion Module design for the International Space Station. NASA Watch is carrying a good rendering of the concept as well as a rendering of what the Prop Module would look like attached to ISS. FWIW, this is called the "Mickey Option" because of the resemblance to Mickey Mouse. Only the Feds would choose the Mickey Mouse route, right?"

TOTKChief writes "Normally, a Shuttle launch isn't all that interesting, right? Well, the STS-106 (ISS 2A.2b) mission was interesting because it used a very small launch window in order to save fuel, which is a good thing. SpaceRef has good coverage of STS-106 up and running, including some of the on-board science -- most notably a neat protein crystal growth experiment that was worked on by a good friend of mine. NASA needs to get cracking, though, because an ambitious launch schedule awaits."

TOTKChief writes "In reference to the /. story about radiation safety at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, MSFC Center Director Art Stephenson has replied to those safety allegations outlined by The Huntsville Times. It's funny to note that the actions that Stephenson has taken are exactly those recommended by Jim Bult, who was fired for whistle blowing by the NASA contractor that he worked for. Depressing."

TOTKChief writes "NASA Watch reported on this the other day, but now the Huntsville Times has dug into the firing of a NASA contractor charged with radiation safety at Marshall Space Flight Center. NASA is so serious about safety and redundancy that they're sending two probes nearly simultaneously to Mars, but it's apparent here that they don't give a rip about the safety of their employees."

TOTKChief writes: "Apparently, Uncle Sam now doesn't want to keep an artificial advantage in commercial spaceflight launches. I personally think this is great -- allowing commercial booster companies unfettered access to space will allow for market action to take place, which should eventually drive down launch costs and allow for R&D efforts to further lower launch costs. " What's going on is that Russian rockets don't have sales caps here - or at least they're expiring, and aren't being renewed. This means more launches with Russian rockets, which means more stuff, hopefully, going into space.