In a cost-cutting restructuring move, a centrifuge to be developed for the International Space Station will be contributed by Japan instead of the United States. The centrifuge was to be built at the Ames Research Center, but Ames officials were informed in early October that the centrifuge work was to be moved to Japan... Shannon Lucid's recovery from six months in weightlessness is going very well. Speaking to Johnson Space Center employees last week, she said, "Well, if it was up to only me... I'd be willing to go up on the next shuttle flight." She did have one caveat, though: "Don't tell my husband I said this."

Obituary: Dr. Richard Young: Richard Young, a pioneer in the field of space biology, died October 6 at the age of 69. Young served as Chief of Flight Biology for NASA in the early 1960s, designing early space biology research programs. He later served as Chief of Exobiology at the Ames Research Center, Chief of NASA's Planetary Biology Program, Chief Scientist for the Viking Program, and head of the Bioscience Program at NASA. The graduate of Gettysburg (Penn.) College and Florida State University also served as vice president at Rockefeller University and executive officer for the American Society of Cell Biology.

NASA will have to start looking for a new source of helium, as President Clinton signed legislation October 9 to kill the federal helium reserve. Long a target of Congressional budget cutters, the helium reserve, located near Amarillo, Texas, contains 864 million cubic meters (32 billion cubic feet) of helium, enough to supply the world for 10 years. The supply's biggest customer was NASA, which uses 1.9 million cubic meters (70 million cubic feet) a year.

Apollo 14 made it to the Moon and back without problems, but the same could not be said for its trip to another exotic locale, St. Paul, Minnesota. The truck carrying the 5,450-kg (12,000-lb.) capsule was held up at the Minnesota state border October 4 when a scale operator at a highway weigh station noted the truck's permit did not allow for daytime driving of the oversized payload. Despite urging from local police and state highway troopers, the operator stood firm, and the truck had to wait until 4am the next morning before proceeding. The capsule will spend the next month in St. Paul as part of a traveling exhibition celebrating the Smithsonian Institution's 150th anniversary.

NASA and Star Trek crossed paths at ceremonies October 6 to mark the show's 30th anniversary. Among the featured speakers were Dr. Buzz Aldrin and Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman in space. Aldrin was given a standing ovation when he was presented but his remarks, which called for human exploration of Mars, received only polite applause. Jemison presented samples of American flags flown on the shuttle to representatives of the various Star Trek shows. Even William Shatner got into the spirit, ending his closing oratory with the words, "NASA and Star Trek: Live long and prosper."

PS: If you're attending the Space Frontier Conference in Hollywood this coming weekend, feel free to seek me out and say hi. Of course, you'll have to figure out which one of the attendees is me, but then that's half the fun...