Jan 12 2000
From The Space Library
Using NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) spacecraft, astronomers found significant proof that thousands of exploding stars had generated the halo of gas around Earth's Milky Way, possibly originating as the galaxy evolved. The findings were among the first generated from the FUSE project, and scientists hoped that they represented the first of many significant discoveries. The halo surrounding the Milky Way had intrigued scientists for decades, but researchers had been unable to shed light on how or why the gas formed as it did. A team of astronomers presented the findings at the American Astronomical Society conference, proclaiming the FUSE observatory "open for business." H. Warren Moos of Johns Hopkins University, Principal Investigator of the FUSE project, stated that the "debugging period" had concluded, and that project managers had moved from fine-tuning the instrument to performing space observations. The FUSE spectrograph had more than 100 times the power of previous instruments, and many researchers hoped that it would allow more extensive investigation of the formation and collapse of stars-, research agenda that might eventually uncover the sequence of events that resulted in the formation of the Earth862
A National Research Council panel made up of climate and environment experts announced that it had found significant evidence to support the theory of global warming. The panel found that the Earth's surface had warmed at a rate substantially greater than average for the past millennium. Panel Chairperson John M. Wallace of the University of Washington's Environment Program clarified the group's findings: "The surface of the temperature is rising and has risen substantially in the past 20 years." Wallace also carefully pointed out that the group had not addressed the issue of causation: "We are not saying that the rise is due to greenhouse gases nor are we saying that it is going to continue." The findings added to the ongoing debate over global warming. Not surprisingly, environmental advocates praised the panel's conclusions, and global-warming critics dismissed them.
The Russian Space Agency announced another delay in the launch of the crew compartment for the International Space Station (ISS), after two Proton rockets exploded when metal and mineral particles contaminated their engines. The Russian Space Agency had planned to use a Proton rocket to launch the ISS module. The S. P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia, which built the boosters, promised to replace the Proton rocket's faulty parts. Funding problems had previously slowed construction of the crew compartment, disrupting the timeline for the international project.
As a part of its "Celebrate the Century" program, the U.S. Postal Service unveiled a stamp commemorating the Space Shuttle Program. The stamp with the Shuttle's image joined 12 other stamps with images recalling significant American memories of the past century, such as video games, the fall of the Berlin Wall, personal computers, and Cabbage Patch Dolls. The Space Shuttle stamp was part of the celebration of the 1980s portion of the millennium. Kennedy Space Center Director Roy D. Bridges Jr. issued a statement thanking the Postal Service for the honor.
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