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U.S. NEWS Friday 30 November 2018

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Next US moon landing will be by private companies, not NASA

By MARCIA DUNN likely will include radiation crew effort. SpaceX and
Associated Press monitors, as well as laser re- Northrop Grumman, for-
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) flectors for gravity and oth- merly Orbital ATK, have
— America's next moon er types of measurements, been making space sta-
landing will be made by according to Zurbuchen. tion shipments since 2012.
private companies — not Bridenstine said it will be SpaceX expects to start
NASA. up to the companies to transporting astronauts to
NASA Administrator Jim arrange their own rocket the orbiting lab next year;
Bridenstine announced rides. NASA will be one of so does Boeing.
Thursday that nine U.S. multiple customers using Altogether, these Commer-
companies will compete to these lunar services. cial Lunar Payload Services
deliver experiments to the The announcement came contracts have a com-
lunar surface. The space just three days after NASA bined value of $2.6 billion
agency will buy the service landed a spacecraft on over the next 10 years.
and let private industry Mars. NASA wants to see NASA wants lots of compa-
work out the details on get- In this Oct. 12, 2018 file photo, Administrator of the National how it goes at the moon nies involved to encourage
ting there, he said. Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Jim Bridenstine before committing to com- competition and get to the
The goal is to get small sci- speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Embassy in mercial delivery services at moon fast, so astronauts
ence and technology ex- Moscow, Russia. Mars. can benefit once an orbit-
periments to the surface of Associated Press This new partnership is ing outpost is up and run-
the moon as soon as possi- loosely modeled after ning near the moon.
ble. The first flight could be speed," said Thomas Zurbu- search will help get astro- NASA's successful com- Bridenstine expects to have
next year; 2019 marks the chen, head of NASA's sci- nauts back to the moon mercial cargo deliveries humans working intermit-
50th anniversary of the first ence mission directorate, more quickly and keep to the International Space tently on the moon, along
manned moon landing. which will lead the effort. them safer once they're Station, as well as the still- with robots and rovers,
"We're going at high NASA officials said the re- there. The initial deliveries unproven commercial within a decade.q

Mystery ballot could sway control of Alaska state government

By BECKY BOHRER A recount is scheduled for mystery ballot. Bahnke said she wants cast by an eligible voter is
Associated Press Friday after the race be- Elections director Josie to ensure that every vote counted.q
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — It's tween Dodge and Repub-
a sign that every vote does lican Bart LeBon was previ-
count. ously certified as a tie, at
A single mystery ballot 2,661 votes apiece. The un-
found on a precinct table counted ballot appears to
on Election Day but not be marked for Dodge.
counted then could de- The outcome will have big
cide a tied Alaska state political implications. If Le-
House race and thwart Bon wins, Republicans will
Republican efforts to con- control the state House in
trol the chamber and all of addition to the state Sen-
state government. ate and the governor's of-
The ballot arrived in Juneau fice.
last Friday in a secrecy If Dodge wins, the House
sleeve in a bin with other would be split 20-20, be-
ballot materials. Officials tween Republicans and
were investigating its origins the remnant of a coalition
and handling before de- that is largely comprised
ciding whether to tally it. of Democrats but includes
"People kept calling it two Republicans.
close," Democrat candi- For the candidates, it's
date Kathryn Dodge said been a three-week roll-
of the race for the House ercoaster ride marked by
seat in Fairbanks. "I just lead changes before the
didn't know it was going to tie was declared and by
be squeaky." the appearance of the