Economics/Space

From the New York Times: “Consumer spending rose at its fastest rate in five months in July, easing concerns that the economy was falling back into recession.”

PERSONAL INCOME AND OUTLAYS: JULY 2011
Personal income increased $42.4 billion, or 0.3 percent, and disposable personal income (DPI) increased
$32.5 billion, or 0.3 percent, in July, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

NASA

From the New York Times: “Astronauts will abandon the International Space Station, probably in mid-November, if rocket engine problems that doomed a Russian cargo ship last week are not diagnosed and fixed.”

Progress Resupply Craft Lost After Launch “The ISS Progress 44 launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 9 a.m. EDT (7 p.m. Kazakhstan time) August 24 on a Soyuz U rocket, bound for the International Space Station. At 5 minutes and 25 seconds into flight, the Soyuz rocket experienced a third-stage engine shutdown due to an anomaly. Given the trajectory and energy, the Progress did not reach orbit and landed in the Altai Region of Russia.”