NASA: A crazy month of changes, challenges

It’s hard to imagine NASA could face more challenges than the ones it stared at in October. On the good side, the space agency had a couple major successes first with the NASA LCROSS satellites successfully crashing into the moon looking for water and then the Ares X rocket launch that went off without a hitch at the end of the month.

On the cloudier side, the Review of United States Human Space Flight Plan Committee said NASA faces significant challenges in continuing the manned space flight program. Then the GAO said NASA network faces myriad security problems.

Here’s a look at those NASA stories and more from October:

NASA's future: Now the space battle begins
When it comes down to it, NASA is the most accomplished space organization in the world but its human spaceflight activities are at a tipping point, primarily due to a mismatch of goals and money. That was the conclusion of the Augustine Review of United States Human Space Flight Plan Committee report delivered to the White House today. The report's 157-pages worth of findings will now be debated and in the end, dictate the future of NASA and space flight operations.

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"Frickin fantastic" launch of NASA Ares X rocket NASA says
With a hiss and roar NASA's Ares X rocket blasted into the atmosphere this at about 11:33 am EST taking with it a variety of test equipment and sensors but also high hopes for the future of the US space agency. The short test flight -- about 2 minutes -- will provide NASA an early opportunity to look at hardware, models, facilities and ground operations associated with the mostly new Ares I launch vehicle.

NASA network security torched
While NASA may be focused on keeping its manned space flight plans intact, apparently it has seriously neglected the security of its networks. Watchdogs at the Government Accountability Office issued a 53-page report pretty much ripping the space agency's network security strategy stating that NASA has significant problems protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the information and variety of networks supporting its mission centers.

NASA teams with Air Force to step up commercial space pace
As it looks to significantly reshape its future, NASA today said it would partner with the US Air Force Research Laboratory to develop a technology roadmap for use of reusable commercial spaceships. The study of reusable launch vehicle, or RLVs will focus on identifying technologies and assessing their potential use to accelerate the development of commercial reusable launch vehicles that have improved reliability, availability, launch turn-time, robustness and significantly lower costs than current launch systems, NASA stated. The study results will provide roadmaps with recommended government technology tasks and milestones for different vehicle categories.

NASA spacecraft crash into the moon
NASA' Lunar CRater Observing and Sensing Satellites (LCROSS) took dead aim and crashed into the moon around 7:31 am ESD. Watching the results on NASA TV, scientists were pleased with the impact of the two satellites. The impact of the $80 million LCROSS satellites into the moon was to create what the space agency hopes is an ice-filled a debris plume that can be analyzed for water content.