There are three things you need to know:
1) According to space.com, President Bush just signed a bill into law (part of a MUCH larger temporary spending measure) that will allow NASA to continue to use Russian space services. A federal law says agencies cannot use Russia’s space services as long as their aerospace industries support Iran. This temporary measure waives that regulation, which means NASA can use Soyuz spacecraft to service the space station. I am having a hard time finding confirmation of this story as I write this. I’d link to the space.com story but they have decided to start running full-page javascript ads which block their content, so to heck with that. Tip o’ the spacesuit visor to Dariush Molavi.
2) The Carnival of Space is up at Alice’s Astro Info blog. She did something very cool with it, and you should take a look. Personal note: I met Alice at an American Astronomical Society meeting in January, and at a workshop I was helping run I showed her how to start a blog! I only gave her a nudge, but she ran with it, and now has a blossoming online presence. So that makes her my blogdaughter, and that is very, very cool. If you’re on Facebook, you should friend her.
3) My dear friend Richard Saunders has announced the launch of Skeptic Zone, a rebirth of Australian online skepticism. A lot of good folks are involved, contributing articles, pictures, podcasts, and vodcasts. It’s drobbly, it’s bonzer, and every Bruce and Sheila should take a look.
