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Tau Ceti, Closest Single Star Like Our Sun, May Have Habitable Planet... View this email in your browser

Tau Ceti, Closest Single Star Like Our Sun, May Have Habitable Planet An international team of astronomers led by the University of Hertfordshire has discovered that Tau Ceti, one of the closest and most Sun-like stars, may host five planets -- with one in the star's habitable zone. At a distance of twelve light-years and visible with the naked eye in the evening sky, Tau Ceti is the closest single star that has the same spectral classification as our Sun. The December issue of our magazine Space Quarterly is now available. Subscribe today for $19 per year for the digital edition. Get it today. ADVERTISE ON SPACEREF

On a theme of "10," Arianespace completes another year of launch successes Arianespace's Ariane 5 flight with the Skynet 5D and Mexsat Bicentenario satellite passengers today wrapped up another busy year of company launch activity, with its successes highlighted by the theme of "10." During 2012, the Arianespace launcher family performed a total of 10 missions from the Spaceport in French Guiana, led by the heavy-lift Ariane 5 with its 10-metric-ton payload lift performance - which has logged 53 consecutive successes during the past 10 years. NASA Astronaut David Wolf Leaves Agency NASA astronaut David Wolf has left the agency to return to private industry. Wolf is a veteran of five space shuttle flights and a long-duration mission on the Russian Space Station Mir. NASA Solicitation: Experiment Accommodations and Prioritization of Capabilities for MISSE X The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) seeks information on industry, academia, government and NASA interest in conducting technology demonstration experiments on the exterior of International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Materials International Space Station Experiment-X (MISSE-X). JSC Acceleration Center Helps Business Capitalize on NASA Tech NASA's Johnson Space Center and the Houston Technology Center have officially opened the doors to the JSC Acceleration Center at the Johnson Space Center. The JSC Acceleration Center provides onsite offices to enhance collaboration for business growth and future technology development under an agreement with the Houston Technology Center (HTC). NASA Astronaut Sandra Magnus Leaves Agency NASA astronaut Sandra Magnus has left the agency, ending a career that included more than 157 days in space, including 12 days in orbit on STS-135, the capstone mission of the Space Shuttle Program. MEXSAT Bicentenario Satellite Sends 1st Signals from Space Orbital produced Bicentenario under contract to Boeing. The hybrid C-band and Ku-band communications satellite is based on Orbital's flight-proven GEOStar-2 platform. As the MEXSAT prime contractor, Boeing will build the remainder of the order, two 702HP geomobile satellites, for launches scheduled in 2013 and 2014.

STATUS REPORTS For more status reports click here ROSES-12 Amendment 29: Increase in Scope for Appendix D.3 APRA ROSES-12 Amendment 28: The Applied Science Programs, Appendices A.37-39 are being moved to ROSES-13 NASA GRC Solicitation: Technology Demonstration Mission Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Transfer Project NASA Solicitation: Experiment Accommodations and Prioritization of Capabilities for MISSE X NASA ARC Solicitation: Intelligent Systems Research and Development Support 2 Joint USAF/NOAA Solar Geophysical Activity Report and Forecast 19 December 2012 NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 19 December 2012 NASA MODIS Image of the Day: December 19, 2012 - Tropical Cyclone Evan (04P) approaching the Fiji Islands PRESS RELEASES For more press releases click here. Orbital Announces Expiration and Final Results of Convertible Notes Tender Offer MEXSAT Bicentenario Satellite Sends 1st Signals from Space On a theme of "10," Arianespace completes another year of launch successes SSL and Sea Launch Announce Successful Completion of Investigation NASA Astronaut David Wolf Leaves Agency NASA Astronaut Sandra Magnus Leaves Agency JSC Acceleration Center Helps Business Capitalize on NASA Tech Tau Ceti, Closest Single Star Like Our Sun, May Have Habitable Planet CALENDAR EVENTS FOR THE COMING WEEK We have a new RSS feed for our calendar of events. Follow the SpaceRef Space Calendar for all upcoming space events. And don't forget to add your event, it's free. RSS/XML NEWS FEEDS AVAILABLE SpaceRef Top Stories SpaceRef Business NASA Watch SpaceRef Canada OnOrbit