December 8, 2013

Astronaut Mark Kelly Joins World View's Near-Space Balloon Team (Source: NBC)
Retired astronaut Mark Kelly, who commanded the second-last space shuttle mission — and spent months at the side of his wife, Gabrielle Giffords, while the congresswoman recovered from a near-fatal shooting in 2011 — has joined a venture to send tourists 100,000 feet up to get their own space-style view of Earth. "This is the next step," Kelly told NBC News on Sunday.

Kelly will serve as director of crew operations for Arizona-based World View Enterprises, which is developing a high-altitude balloon and capsule that would take passengers to an altitude of roughly 30 kilometers (19 miles, or 100,000 feet) for an hours-long view of the curving Earth beneath the black sky of space. World View says its flight system could also be used for high-altitude research. (12/8)

Indian Satellite Tracking Station Shut Down in Antarctica (Source: Times of India)
India's National Center for Antarctic and Ocean research (NCAOR) has formed a fact-finding committee to probe the 'acts of insubordination and indiscipline' by members of its winter expedition to Bharati, India's research base in East Antarctica, that reportedly led to the shutdown of power to ISRO's satellite ground station, depriving the country's premier space center of crucial information for almost a week. (12/8)

23 Selected to Fly on Lynx Through Axe Apollo Space Academy (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Axe has posted a photo of the winners of the Axe Apollo Space Academy competition in Florida. There appear to be 21 men and 2 women selected for suborbital flights aboard XCOR’s Lynx space plane. They appear with Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin. The competition was run by Unilever in conjunction with Space Expedition Corporation. Click here. (12/7) http://www.parabolicarc.com/2013/12/06/23-selected-fly-lynx-axe-apollo-space-academy/

Ukraine Looks to Extend Space Cooperation with U.S., China (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Yuriy Boyko, Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister for Ecology, Natural Resources, Energy and Space, speaks in an interview of the joint Cyclone 4 launch vehicle program with Brazil, and its efforts to increase cooperation with the United States and China. Ukraine spends between $400 million and $500 million on its space program mostly for science work, but receives about $600 million annually in revenues from commercial work.

Ukraine’s main launch vehicles include Zenit, Dnepr (joint program with Russia), Cyclone 4 (joint program with Brazil), and the first stage structure for Orbital Sciences Corporation’s Antares. Brazil and Ukraine have committed $1.5 million (split equally) over a three-year period to Cyclone 4, which should have its first test flight from the Alcantara Launch Center by early 2015. The partners hope that South American countries with satellite programs will flock to the Alcantara facility on Brazil’s Atlantic coast.

Boyko recently completed consultations with NASA and U.S. commercial space companies concerning cooperative programs, with the two governments establishing a framework for further cooperation. There are no specific cooperative programs to announce yet between Ukraine and American government and private entities. Ukraine would like to become involved in the International Space Station program. (12/7)

Air Force Museum in Ohio to Get New Wing (Source: Westport News)
A new wing planned for the National Museum of the United States Air Force in southwest Ohio will allow visitors to walk into a full-size replica of a space shuttle. Museum officials say construction on the addition is set to begin in late spring 2014 and be completed by the end of summer in 2015.

The wing will include a gallery showcasing a space shuttle exhibit that features NASA's first crew compartment trainer. The trainer is a replica of a space shuttle crew station used primarily for crew training and engineering evaluations. (12/8)

ILS Proton-M launches Inmarsat-5 F1 (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
International Launch Services (ILS) has successfully launched another Russian Proton-M launch vehicle, tasked with lofting the Inmarsat-5 F1 satellite on a flight to its transfer orbit that will take over 15 hours to complete. It was launched from the from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Proton vehicle has a heritage of nearly 400 launches since 1965 and is built by Khrunichev Research and State Production Center, one of the pillars of the global space industry and the majority owner of ILS. (12/8)

Iran to Put Two Satellites Into Orbit by Yearend (Source: PressTV)
Deputy head of Iran Space Agency (ISA), Hamid Fazeli, said on Wednesday that Sharif Sat and Tadbir (Prudence) satellites will be lifted into space by the end of the year. He added that Sharif Sat has been developed by Iranian students and academics from Sharif University of Technology, while Tadbir satellite has been developed at Iran University of Science and Technology.

The senior Iranian aerospace official said the two indigenous satellites have already been delivered to ISA, noting that compatibility tests are being carried out on both satellites in order to prepare them for lift-off. Sharif Sat reportedly weighs less than 50 kilograms and will be launched onboard the indigenous Safir B-1 carrier. It is planned to be placed into a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an altitude between 350 kilometers (217 miles) and 500 kilometers (310 miles) above the Earth's surface. (12/8)

Doña Ana, Sierra Counties May Oppose Spaceport Sale-Tax Changes (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
Officials in Doña Ana and Sierra Counties are about to consider formal stances against a state lawmaker proposal that has implications for Spaceport America sales-tax dollars going to local public schools. Tuesday, Doña Ana County commissioners will vote on a resolution against a proposed change to state law that school officials said would negate the benefit of the sales tax dollars to Las Cruces, Gadsden and Hatch school systems.

Also, the Sierra County commission later this month will consider passing a statement opposing the state legislator proposal. In addition, the school board for the Truth or Consequences Municipal Schools will consider a similar statement of opposition next week. Sierra County Commission Chairman Walter Armijo said he wouldn't necessarily mind the legislators' proposal, if the entire state was paying a sales tax to support Spaceport America. (12/7)

Sierra County Residents Have a Lot Riding on Spaceport (Source: Santa Fe New Mexican)
Spaceport America is being developed on visionary technology, taxpayer dollars and promises.
But some of the spaceport’s supporters think the New Mexico Spaceport Authority isn’t honoring promises it made early on to the town. The Spaceport Authority’s executive director, Christine Anderson, said everyone just needs to keep being patient and recognize the immense challenge of building this complex and inherently dangerous project.

Spaceport America wouldn’t exist without the support of Sierra County residents. Both Sierra County and Doña Ana County approved a 0.25 percent gross receipts tax on goods and services to help pay for the spaceport’s construction. The state Legislature required two counties to approve the tax before the spaceport could move forward. The Spaceport Authority promised an economic boom for the two counties in return for the investment.

Two decades have passed, however, and the first commercial passenger flight into space by Virgin Galactic is still at least a year away. Until those flights start and full-service visitors centers are built, the spaceport can’t wholly fulfill its economic promise. Some people wonder if the economic boom will ever happen. Others worry the boom will benefit a few, not the many. (12/8)

Legislator Presents Alabama Spaceport Idea to Black Belt Committee (Source: Selma Times-Journal)
Rockets, bound for space, could be taking off from just outside of Selma in the future. State Sen. Gerald Dial (R-Lineville) is leading the charge for Alabama to land one of nearly a dozen spaceports to be licensed by the federal government. Dial presented his proposal to the Black Belt Commission Infrastructure Committee meeting Thursday.

“I got to thinking, a spaceport, what in the devil is a spaceport and why do you need one?” Dial said. “I did a little research and found out the federal government is going to license nine to 10 spaceports in America.” Dial helped create the Alabama Spaceport Authority last year, which oversees planning. The next step, Dial said, is to submit a grant proposal for approximately $400,000 through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. The grant would be used to conduct a feasibility study and determine possible locations for the spaceport.

Before the grant application can be made, Dial said a bill must be passed in the Alabama Legislature allowing ADECA to make the application. He explained spaceports would be used for commercial travel to space, for personal travel and freight, and potentially be a tool for economic development. (12/7)

Public Awareness of Light Pollution Increases (Source: IDA)
Light pollution is a serious environmental problem. It wastes billions of dollars each year, harms wildlife and jeopardizes human health. Thanks to recent coverage by national media outlets, this important message is reaching more people than ever before. Last weekend, “CBS This Morning Saturday” interviewed Bob Parks, executive director of the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), for its segment “How Bad is Light Pollution?”
 
Those wanting an in-depth discussion on light pollution can read the nine-page feature article “Where did all the stars go? – How Light Pollution is Stealing the Night” in the December issue of Men’s Journal. The article provides detailed information on the IDA, light pollution’s negative effects, and indoor and outdoor lighting solutions. Informative graphics and stunning photographs complement the interesting read. Watch “How Bad is Light Pollution?” here.

Editor's Note: The Florida town of Harmony will host a Dark Sky Astronomy Festival on Feb. 28. Click here for information. (12/8)

Engineers Design Spacesuit Tools, Biomedical Sensors to Keep Astronauts Healthy (Source: KSU)
Kansas State University researchers are improving astronauts' outerwear for outer space. The collaborative team -- which includes electrical and computer engineering professors and more than a dozen students -- envisions a future spacesuit that could monitor astronauts' health and use body heat to power electronics. By working with a model spacesuit, the engineers are exploring how wearable medical sensors can be used in future space missions to keep astronauts healthy. (11/25)

Planetarium and Visitor Center Donated to ESO (Source: ESO)
The European Southern Observatory (ESO) has received a donation of a planetarium and visitor centre at the site of its Headquarters in Garching bei München, Germany. The center will be a magnificent showcase of astronomy for the public. It will be possible thanks to the Klaus Tschira Stiftung, which offered to fully fund the construction. (12/3)

SageNet Completes Acquisition of Spacenet (Source: SageNet)
SageNet, a provider of managed network services for multisite retail businesses, has completed its acquisition of Spacenet, a communications network company based in the Washington, D.C. area. SageNet acquired Spacenet from Gilat Satellite Networks. The transaction was approved by the FCC and officially closed December 2. (12/3)

Rocket CraftersMay No Longer Be Crafting Rockets (Source: NewSpace Journal)
One of the lesser known, and more quixotic, companies in the NewSpace field in recent years has been Rocket Crafters. The company entered the field a few years ago with plans to develop hybrid rocket motors and vehicles that would use them, including suborbital spaceplanes. They signed agreements with spaceports and local governments eager to attract a part of the commercial spaceflight industry, including a deal to put the company’s corporate headquarters in Titusville, Florida.

The company received “a State of Florida Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund (QTI) and workforce incentives,” and  a welcome from KSC officials, who wanted to talk with Rocket Crafters about “how Kennedy’s unique assets and technical capabilities may be made available to enable their success.” There's been little public activity from Rocket Crafters since then, beyond an Oct. 2012 announcement for proposed operations at Spaceport Colorado, east of Denver. Rocket Crafters also proposed creating up to 80 fulltime jobs at the Colorado site, in addition to its activities in Florida.

A recent Miami Herald article says Rocket Crafters “has abandoned plans to create a rocket that can transport cargo and humans into space.” It wasn’t clear from the article what the company would do instead of developing suborbital or orbital vehicles; one possibility would be to focus on its rocket motor technology for other applications. Click here. (12/7)

DirecTV Accuses Dish Network Retailer of Illegal Sales Ploys (Source: LA Times)
Apparently when it comes to selling satellite TV, anything goes. In a lawsuit filed in federal court, satellite broadcaster DirecTV accuses Dish One, a retailer majority-owned by rival Dish Network, of using all sorts of duplicitous and illegal acts including pretending to be DirecTV representatives in an effort to poach subscribers, primarily senior citizens. (12/6)

Space Exploration Can Drive the Next Agricultural Revolution (Source: The Conversation)
Habitation of outer space needs solving air, water, energy and food supplies within a tight space. And this isn’t a problem of an apocalyptic, remote future. Developing this technology addresses some of the grand challenges to our civilisation. Space exploration can be one of the main drivers to revolutionise sustainable agriculture on Earth for many reasons.

Addressing the challenge of making urban environments greener is similar to the challenges of solving food production on a spaceship or in a Mars colony. Solutions will not come from incremental changes to the current system, but require a disruptive approach – such as the use of robots. Sustainable agriculture is a systems challenge that requires advances in renewable energy and integration of resource management, especially in urban environments or those of a spaceship. Click here. (12/6)

State's Focus on Space Coast Jobs (Source: Miami Herald)
Frank DiBello, who runs Space Florida, says a majority of the area’s new jobs are totally private. “You’re seeing a whole host of new companies coming into the market, and we’re working very hard to attract them to Florida,” said DiBello. Overall, Gov. Scott has pledged nearly $53 million to lure 6,100 jobs to Brevard County, more than any other county in Florida.

But the state’s database shows that not one new job has been verified. Embraer selected Melbourne to build its Phenom and Legacy private jets and open an engineering and technology center. The projects could yield over 1,000 jobs, though many details remain shrouded behind a confidentiality agreement. A few hours north in Jacksonville, Embraer — thanks to a federal contract — opened a new facility to assemble Air Force aircraft. Embraer already has hired 39 new employees there.

Lynda Weatherman, president and CEO of the Economic Development Commission of the Space Coast, said the Space Coast is evolving. Companies are attracted to the area because of the skilled workforce left behind with the shuttles’ departure, the location, the climate and friendly business policies. The incentives help seal the deal, she said. (12/6)

$30M Prize Spurs Race for Moon Landing (Source: Al Jazeera)
The race is on to return to the moon, and one contestant has already revealed designs for its robotic spacecraft. With the Lunar XPRIZE, Google is offering $30 million to the first private company to design a robotic spacecraft and safely land it on the lunar surface. It is largest incentive-based prize of all time.

“We believe it’s critical for humanity to become a multi-world species and that our sister world, the Moon, is an eighth continent holding vast resources that can help us enrich and secure our future,” a press release on the company’s website said. A feat that once required the budget of a superpower is now within reach of private companies like Moon Express. The last successful lunar landing, made by the Apollo 17 mission, was in 1972. (12/7)

Atlas Lifts 12 Cubesats Along with Spy Satellite (Source: Breaking Defense)
The makers and operators of America’s spy satellites have lofted at least 13 assets on their way to orbit with the early morning launch today of NROL-39, atop the always impressive Atlas V rocket. The main payload may be a highly advanced space radar, according to several educated guesses (which is about the best we can hope for at this stage).

The huge payload also included one dozen nanosats, part of the Government Experimental Multi-Satellite payload (GEMSat) program. The Naval Postgraduate School’s CubeSat Launcher actually deploys the satellites. Four of the satellites were built by universities; four were built by the Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC); one each by the the Aerospace Corp. (12/7)

Bill Nye's Not the Only Scientist With Words for Washington (Source: Mashable)
Bill Nye just became the unofficial spokesman for a group of planetary scientists who say space exploration and their careers are in danger. Nye uploaded to YouTube an open letter to President Obama calling for an increase in funding for NASA's planetary science division, which is responsible for exploratory missions to other planets, including the Curiosity rover on Mars. Click here. (12/6)

Blue Origin Shows Off its Engine (Source: NewSpace Journal)
Unlike some of its fellow NewSpace companies, Blue Origin keeps a very low, even secretive profile. The company, founded and funded by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, has gained a reputation for saying very little about what it’s up to. “We like to talk about things after we’ve done them, and not before that, and hopefully you’ll be hearing a lot from us in the future,” Brett Alexander said.

And, earlier this week, we did hear a little more from Blue Origin. The company held a rare teleconference with reporters tied to a press release—itself a rare event—about the latest tests of the company’s BE-3 engine. The engine, which uses liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants, will power the company’s New Shepard suborbital vehicle and, eventually, the upper stage of a planned orbital launch vehicle. (12/7)

NASA Launches First Exo-Brake Parachute from International Space Station (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Mission controllers have confirmed that a small satellite launched from the International Space Station has successfully entered its orbit. Soon it will demonstrate two new technologies including an “exo-brake” device to demonstrate a new de-orbit technique as well as a communications system to provide precise information about the spacecraft’s position.

The satellite, dubbed “TechEdSat-3p,” arrived at the station aboard a Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle Aug. 3. It was released at 2:58 a.m. EST Nov. 20, from the same Japanese Small Satellite Orbital Deployer aboard the station that launched its smaller predecessor – TechEdSat – in 2012.

The primary experiment onboard TechEdSat-3p is called the “exo-brake” and is a specially-designed braking device that operates at extremely low pressures and operates similar to a parachute. The exo-brake on TechEdSat-3p will be the first to perform a rapid de-orbit and re-entry from Earth’s outer atmosphere. Engineers believe exo-brakes eventually will enable small samples to be returned from the station or other orbital platforms. (12/17)

Five Out-of-This-World Gifts for Space Geeks (Source: CollectSpace)
It is that time of year again, when you need to find a gift for that 'spacial' person in your life — your favorite space geek. Fear not, you needn't purchase your aspiring astronaut a ticket to space for your present to be truly out-of-this-world (though, with Virgin Galactic planning to begin commercial space shots in 2014, this may be the last holiday season for advanced reservations). Click here. (12/7)

December 7, 2013

NASA Offering Technical Wizardry to Select Cleveland Manufacturers (Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer)
Anxious to get a new $8 million pipe coating plant up and running, engineers at MesoCoat have been working feverishly to boost the power from a space-age lamp essential to its production process. Problem is, the challenge is tricky with plasma physics, a specialty known to a handful of experts, the kind who design deep space propulsion systems.

A couple of those folks just became available. NASA's Glenn Research Center will soon be sending rocket scientists to the Euclid factory to take a look at the works. Andrew Sherman, the company founder and chief executive, is thanking his lucky stars. MesoCoat is one of six local manufacturers chosen to receive free technical advice from NASA engineers and scientists as an encore to a program introduced last year.

Called the "Adopt-a-City Initiative," it's part of a NASA effort to spread its expertise and help create jobs in hometown communities. The companies are eligible for 40 hours of free consultation with NASA specialists. They can also tap a $270,000 loan pool made available by Cleveland and Cuyahoga County to pay for solutions. (12/6)

Why is China Targeting the Moon -- and Should NASA As Well? (Source: Fox News)
Americans from Buzz Aldrin to president Barack Obama say it’s a waste of time to put men back on the moon -- so why are foreign countries so eager to take that one small step? While several private American companies are planning robotic missions to the moon, China launched a man-sized robotic scout to the moon on Monday. The country’s recent manned missions and efforts to build a new space base suggest a future manned mission to the moon, though why is an open question.

Speculation has run from the desire to build a military missile base -- a Death Star of sorts -- to national pride to simple economics. The answer may be far simpler: The moon is “easy” to get to. “Mars and the asteroid mission is just clearly not something most of them can even fathom taking a major role in, whereas going to the moon is something that they can do, as the Chinese have proven,” said a NASA engineer.

Others, including a chorus of ex-astronauts and policy experts, argue that NASA is making a mistake by ignoring the moon, which still fascinates the Earthbound. Only 12 men have ever set foot on the moon, Americans all of them, the last one 41 years ago. Editor's Note: Few say going to the moon would be a waste of time. NASA seeks to actively support commercial lunar missions, while it focuses on more challenging destinations. (12/6)

NASA, CASIS Make Space Station Accessible for Stem Cell Research (Source: NASA)
NASA and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) are enabling research aboard the International Space Station that could lead to new stem cell-based therapies for medical conditions faced on Earth and in space. Scientists will take advantage of the space station's microgravity environment to study the properties of non-embryonic stem cells.

NASA is interested in space-based cell research because it is seeking ways to combat the negative health effects astronauts face in microgravity, including bone loss and muscle atrophy. Mitigation techniques are necessary to allow humans to push the boundaries of space exploration far into the solar system. This knowledge could help people on Earth, particularly the elderly, who are afflicted with similar conditions. (12/6)

NASA Astronauts To Fly as ‘Participants’ on Commercial Space Taxis, FAA Rules (Source: Space News)
NASA astronauts will fly as “space flight participants” aboard commercial spaceships being developed to taxi crews to and from the international space station, the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation has determined. “NASA astronauts do not meet the definition of ‘crew’ as provided in the statute … because the definition of crew requires them to be employees of the licensee or subcontractor licensee."

"NASA astronauts are neither, so they will be flying under the category of ‘space flight participant,’ under the current regulations,” Pam Underwood, FAA deputy division manager at the Kennedy Space Center, said during a Dec. 4 industry briefing at the Florida spaceport. The ruling does not limit the scope of the work government-employed astronauts can perform aboard commercial space taxis, including piloting the vehicle, aborting launch if necessary, overseeing emergency response and monitoring and operating environmental controls and life support systems, the FAA said.

NASA sought the clarification because FAA regulations prohibit “space flight participants” to pilot launch or re-entry vehicles for public safety reasons. “The FAA’s concern … was based on the possibility that space flight participants would not have the proper vehicle and mission-specific training." (12/6)

Orbital: Sky Is The Limit (Source: Seeking Alpha)
Orbital Sciences Corp. is one of two companies that provide cargo services to NASA. This status is beneficial for the company's prospects. However, the recent budget act stated that the US Government would cut its discretionary spending which means that in the long run this budget cut might have a negative impact on the company's margins. Since these governmental changes can significantly affect Orbital I am interested in analyzing the company's prospects. Click here. (12/6)

New Fueling Facility to Boost Tempo at Arianespace Launch Site (Source: Space News)
Europe’s Arianespace commercial launch consortium on Dec. 6 agreed to spend 36.5 million euros ($50 million) to build a fueling facility at Europe’s South American spaceport to reduce the time needed between Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega launches, according to Arianespace and the French space agency, CNES. The building is scheduled to be operational in 2015.

CNES owns the property to be used for the new facility, which will be located at the Soyuz launch installation at the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana, on South America’s northeast coast. Arianespace will use its own funds for construction of the 1,152-square-meter facility, and has agreed that 60 percent of the work will be performed under contracts with local industry. (12/6)

How Many Satellite Launches Does it Take to Get to Mars? (Source: The Verge)
A steady stream of satellite launches would give SpaceX some of the funds it needs to work towards its eventual goal of sending humans to the moon and Mars, and boost the Dragon’s chances of supplanting Russia’s Soyuz capsule to shuttle astronauts to and from the ISS."The next really big challenge for [SpaceX] is to keep the same reliability and the same price but at a much higher tempo," says Jeff Foust.

Unlike many similar companies, SpaceX has a certain level of independence from NASA funding, with financial backing from Musk and a long list of private customers. "Essentially almost three quarters of our business is commercial," Musk said earlier this year. "So yeah, it would suck to lose the government as a customer, because it's our biggest customer. But it certainly wouldn't be a fatal blow." That prospect is unlikely, but it also means SpaceX can take risks independent of NASA’s budget. (12/7)

New Frontier for Space Coast Jobs (Source: Miami Herald)
Brevard County’s unemployment rate rose above 11 percent when NASA’s space shuttle program ended in 2011. Now it sits at 7 percent, and Gov. Rick Scott has millions in tax incentives on the line to take the number even lower. Things are better on the Space Coast, and getting better still. But in Scott’s zealous quest to find more private-sector jobs, the CEO-turned-governor sometimes relies on federal and state tax money to do the heavy lifting, according to a review of 342 jobs incentive deals crafted since Scott took office.

The trend is particularly acute in Brevard, which leans on NASA and the federal contracts it could bring. Boeing, which Scott offered nearly $7 million in exchange for 550 well-paying jobs, is expanding in Florida to team with NASA to build the successor to the space shuttle. A federal contract would cover much of Boeing’s expansion costs.

A start-up company called Rocket Crafters is considering a similar plan, though it intends to focus on the private sector. It has promised 1,500 jobs and $72 million in investment in Titusville to develop new space launch technology. In exchange, Scott offered about $7 million. Today, nearly 18 months after the state and Rocket Crafters signed their deal, there is little to show for it. The company has two employees in Florida, not 1,500. Click here. (12/6)

These are the Futuristic (and Hot) Space Suits Astronauts Could Wear on Mars (Source: GigaOm)
One of the standout talks from the inspiring TED Women on Thursday was from rocket scientist and MIT aeronautics professor Dava Newman. She showed off prototypes of three different space suits that she’d helped designed for future space missions, and particularly for astronauts one day on Mars.

Newman described space suits as “the world’s smallest space craft,” and showed off a video clip of a fumbling astronaut many decades ago on the Moon wearing a bulky traditional space suit. In contrast Newman’s designs are streamlined, body-hugging and provide the astronaut with mobility and flexibility. Click here. (12/6)

China’s Probe Will Add a Bit to Science and a Lot to the Country’s Swagger (Source: Economist)
China has released only limited information about its lunar landing mission. Its destination is believed to be Sinus Iridum, an area of the Moon free of loose boulders on the surface, and thus rover-friendly. The rover has six wheels and is intended to operate for three months. Reports of its weight have ranged from 100kg to 140kg.

CNSA has not revealed the planned date of the landing attempt—though according to the European Space Agency, which is using its network of tracking stations to relay signals from and send commands to Chang’e-3 on behalf of CNSA, it is Dec. 14. Critics doubt China will find much new of scientific value on the lunar surface, and suspect the mission has more to do with boosting the country’s prestige and preparing for the even greater prestige-boost of a manned lunar landing. (12/6)

'The Last Days on Mars' Shows Space Exploration's Scary Side (Source: LA Times)
Lean, muscular and on the money, "The Last Days on Mars" takes a familiar story and tells it so tautly that we are pleased to be on board. "Mars" has its own take on a narrative that has points in common with Ridley Scott's "Prometheus" as well as Sebastian Cordero's well-received "The Europa Report."

The film is set during the last 19 hours of an early manned mission to Mars, and the Aurora 2's nine crew members are barely holding it together and eager to be on the way home. Because it is a zombie film after all, "Last Days on Mars" has the blood, horror and grotesqueness the genre demands, but it also has unexpected elements that attracted the strong actors in its cast. (12/6)

How Will NASA Boldly Go With Slashed Funding? (Source: Houston Press)
Even though NASA is working on incredible projects, they've seen their budget brutally cut due to the sequestration and the Great Recession before that. Boldly going where no one has gone before is kind of tricky if you don't have scientists trying to figure out where we're going and how to get there.

The proposed 2014 budget proposes giving NASA $17.7 billion, which of course isn't exactly chump change, but it's still $50 million less than NASA's last budget in 2012. Yes, this proposed budget actually gives NASA about $1 billion back from the sequestration, but it still doesn't signal good things. (12/6)

How the US and China Can Help Each Other in Space (Source: New Scientist)
As China sends its first rover to the moon, veteran US astronaut Leroy Chiao says it's time for NASA to reach out and cooperate. Click here. (12/6)

December 6, 2013

Atlas V Rocket Launches From California Coast (Source: Huffington Post)
A rocket carrying a secret payload for the U.S. government has successfully launched from the central California coast. The Atlas V rocket lit up the night sky at about 11:15 p.m. Thursday, lifting off from Vandenberg Air Force Base toward low-Earth orbit. The 19-story-tall rocket carried a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, which operates the nation's system of intelligence-gathering satellites. (12/6)

Why the Hunt for Extraterrestrial Life is Important (Source: Discovery)
On Wednesday, something remarkable happened at Capitol Hill. In a special hearing, lawmakers of the House Science Committee discussed the search for extraterrestrial life with three experts for 2 hours. The question and answer session focused around efforts to find everything from alien microbes under rocks on Mars to full-blown SETI efforts to seek out transmitting extraterrestrial intelligence.

Naturally, some of the questioning was naive and sometimes needlessly lighthearted. In response to the Republican-led House panel, a Democratic opposition group even seized the opportunity to mock the occasion. The hearing was significant; maybe not to the immediate day-to-day running of a nation or the lawmakers who saw it as an entertaining sideshow, but the three scientists invited to talk were dead serious about the opportunities and implications such a high-profile hearing can bring.

As if to underline the popular viewpoint whenever “extraterrestrial” is mentioned, during the hearing Rep. Ralph Hall (R-Texas) asked the experts: “Do you think there’s life out there? (laughter) And are they studying us and what do they think of New York City?” The question was followed by more laughter. At best, the laughter is due to ignorance of the efforts that are under way to discover our place in the universe. At worst, it’s a middle finger at science from the highest echelons of the U.S. government. (12/5)

Does Australia Have A Space Future? (Source: Forbes)
With endless vistas, thousands of miles of unadulterated coastline, and shockingly desolate red deserts, Australia would seem the logical spot for a launch/space economy. But nearly sixty years into the Space Age, Australia is still one of the few technologically-advanced, international players without an official national space agency. “When countries communicate with each other about space matters, Australia is locked out of that process... There seem to be a lot of people arguing we do nothing, which I can’t accept,” said Andrew Dempster at UNSW.

In truth, the main reason may have more to do with geography. “Somewhat surprisingly to some, Australia does not have good sites for orbital launches,” says Brett Biddington. “That’s because as the spent launcher casings come back to earth, they invariably threaten cities, other high value economic activities (such as mines) or the sovereign integrity of our neighbors.” (12/6)

Stephen Colbert Presents NASA Award to Voyager Scientist (Source: Glendale News)
Ed Stone, former director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and scientist on the long-running Voyager mission, got a surprise at the end of his appearance on the Colbert Report this week. Stone was a guest on the show Tuesday night and chatted with host Stephen Colbert about JPL and Voyager 1’s achievement of reaching interstellar space. And the end of the show, Colbert floated onto stage (video here) wearing a silver spacesuit and presented Stone with a NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal. The award is the agency’s highest honor for non-government employees. (12/5)

Giant Alien World Discovered Where it Should Not Exist (Source: LA Times)
A massive planet found orbiting a star at a staggeringly great distance is smashing some long-held theories of planetary formation, researchers say. The planet is unlike anything in our own solar system. Eleven times more massive than Jupiter, planet HD 106906 b orbits a single sun-like star at a distance of 60 billion miles - about 650 times the distance Earth is from our own sun.

"This system is especially fascinating because no model of either planet or star formation fully explains what we see," said study coauthor Vanessa Bailey, an astronomy graduate student at the University of Arizona. Researchers estimate the planet is very young, just 13 million years old, and the residual heat from its formation can be seen from Earth as infrared energy. (12/5)

Ukraine to Get Rid of Melange Rocket Fuel Component (Source: Interfax)
With the assistance of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Ukraine plans to dispose of its remaining stockpiles of toxic rocket fuel component known as "melange" by February at the latest, according to Ukraine's Defense Ministry.

"If it all goes the way we are planning it, we'll be able to say in January or February that all of the melange has been removed from Ukraine," ministry spokesman Serhiy Korotayev said. Evacuating melange stores from Ukraine is an OSCE project. OSCE spokesman Anton Martynyuk put the cost of the project at about 20 million euro.

Over the past four years 14,000 tonnes of a total of 16,000 tonnes of melange has been taken out of Ukraine, Martynyuk said. "It can be said today that this is one of the most successful projects in the whole existence of the OSCE," he said. The remaining 2,000 tonnes is stored in the regions of Odesa and Kyiv. (12/5)

NASA Trying To Balance Efficiency, Hard-Learned Lessons (Source: Aviation Week)
NASA’s Technology Capabilities Assessment Team is finding new acceptance of the agency’s need to improve efficiency by eliminating duplication across its scattered field centers, with some center directors actually willing to give up assets if they can use the savings to fund their core competencies.

Associate Administrator Robert Lightfoot declined to list specifics in a year-end assessment of NASA’s health before a Washington audience assembled by the Space Transportation Association (STA). But he reported that new realities seem to be driving center directors away from organizational stovepipes and toward a more collaborative view.

Although agency centers have been likened to feudal fiefdoms, Lightfoot — the highest ranking civil servant at NASA — said top management has recognized the value in breaking up organizational turf and even allowing outside participants. In keeping with the agency’s shift to commercial providers for spaceflight operations traditionally kept in-house, Lightfoot included industry in the mix. Click here. (12/4)

NASA Fellowships, Scholarships Bring Diversity to Future STEM Workforce (Source: NASA)
NASA's Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) has awarded fellowships and scholarships for the 2013-2014 academic year to 40 graduate and undergraduate students from across the United States to increase diversity in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines.

Thirty graduate students from 16 states and the District of Columbia were selected to receive the competitive Harriett G. Jenkins Graduate Fellowship, which provides as much as $45,000 annually for as many as three years, and includes tuition offset, student stipend, and a research experience at a NASA center. It addresses NASA's mission-specific workforce needs and supports the development of the future STEM workforce.

Ten undergraduate students from nine states and Puerto Rico were selected to receive the MUREP scholarship, which provides an academic stipend worth as much $9,000 and $6,000 more for a 10-week internship at a NASA center. Editor's Note: Only one recipient (of the Fellowship) is from a Florida university: Faheem Muhammed from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. (12/5)

CASIS Board Member to Moderate Stem Cell in Microgravity Panel at World Summit (Source: SpaceRef)
The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) Board of Directors member Dr. Lee Hood will moderate a panel, "The New Frontier - Stem Cell Development in Microgravity," at the World Stem Cell Summit in San Diego. In addition to Dr. Hood, CASIS-funded stem cell investigators Drs. Mary Kearns-Jonker of Loma Linda University and Roland Kaunas of Texas A&M University will provide insight into their research proposals destined for the International Space Station (ISS). (12/5)

Private Company Plans US's First Controlled Moon Landing in 40 Years (Source: Fox News)
A U.S. spacecraft hasn’t made a controlled landing on the moon since Apollo 17 left the lunar surface on Dec. 14, 1972. That’s about to change. Moon Express will unveil the MX-1 spacecraft in Las Vegas on Thursday evening -- a micro-spacecraft that will in 2015 mark the first U.S. "soft" landing since the days of the Apollo program.

The craft looks for all the world like a pair of donuts wearing an ice cream cone, and the tiny vehicle clearly isn’t big enough for a human being. But it is big enough to scoop up some rocks and dirt, store them in an internal compartment, and return it to Earth. After all, the moondirt Gene Cernan, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin once trod holds a king’s ransom of titanium, platinum, and other rare elements. Moon Express plans to mine it. (12/5)

NASA's Orion Spacecraft Ready to Turn Up the Heat (Source: Orlando Business Journal)
The heat shield for NASA's Orion spacecraft arrived at Kennedy Space Center. The heat shield is the largest of its kind ever built. A titanium skeleton and carbon fiber skin give the heat shield its shape and provide structural support during landing.

The heat shield delivered to Kennedy Space Center will be used during Exploration Flight Test-1, a two-orbit flight that will take an unmanned Orion capsule to an altitude of 3,600 miles. Data gathered from the flight then will be used to make decisions about design improvements on the heat shield and other Orion systems, authenticate existing computer models, and innovate new approaches to space systems and development. (12/5)

Sun’s Rotation Driven by Enormous Plasma Flows (Source: Science News)
Massive, long-lasting plasma flows 15 times the diameter of Earth transport heat from the sun’s depths to its surface, according to a study in the Dec. 6 Science. The finding supports a decades-old explanation of why the sun rotates fastest at its equator.

In the outermost 30 percent of the sun, known as the convective zone, rising plasma carries heat generated by nuclear fusion in the sun’s guts. Once at the surface, much of the plasma’s energy radiates into space; the cooler, denser plasma then sinks, driving further convection and creating circulating loops called convection cells. (12/5)

SIA Seeks to Change the Global Conversation About Satellites (Source: Space Daily)
Coordinating an alliance of the world's leading industry trade associations, the Society of Satellite Professionals International has announced the launch of a global campaign to change the global conversation about satellites. Called the Industry Message Summit, the effort aims to focus attention on the industry's striking contributions to human welfare, safety and prosperity around the world.

The alliance of industry associations, including the European Satellite Operators' Association (Brussels), Global VSAT Forum (London) and Satellite Industry Association (Washington, DC), will drive the rebuilding of the "satellite brand" in support of the industry's growth. (12/6)

Earth's Gravity Scarred by Earthquake (Source: Space Daily)
ESA's GOCE satellite has revealed that the devastating Japanese earthquake of 2011 left its mark in Earth's gravity - yet another example of this extraordinary mission surpassing its original scope. GOCE mapped Earth's gravity with unrivalled precision for over four years, but nobody really expected the data to show changes over time. Now, careful analysis shows the effects of the 9.0 earthquake that struck east of Japan's Honshu Island on 11 March 2011 are clearly visible in GOCE's gravity data. (12/6)

Arianespace's Role as a Partner for the US Satellite Industry (Source: Space Daily)
Arianespace Chairman and CEO Stephane Israel focused on the U.S. space sector during a speech at the Washington Space Business Roundtable (WSBR), outlining the company's continued innovation and proven reliability in its partnership with American satellite manufacturers and telecommunications operators. His keynote address in the U.S capital, attended by regional space industry leaders, is part of a U.S. visit this week.

Arianespace has been a strong partner to the U.S. space industry, with a healthy order book that includes missions for long-time customers DIRECTV (five satellites), Intelsat (five) and EchoStar (two). The company also has launched 161 spacecraft built by U.S. manufacturers (50 from Boeing, 45 for Lockheed Martin, 42 with Loral and 24 for Orbital) and has partnered with NASA, the Department of Defense and other governmental agencies. (12/6)

NASA Funding Shuffle Alarms Planetary Scientists (Source: Nature)
Scott Guzewich spent six years as a weather forecaster in the US Air Force before switching to his dream career as a planetary scientist. Guzewich now studies the Martian atmosphere as a postdoctoral fellow at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. But Guzewich’s dream job may be turning into a nightmare. On 3 December, NASA’s planetary science division announced a restructuring of how it funds its various research and analysis programs.

What sounded like a bureaucratic shuffle touched a raw nerve among US planetary scientists, who already feel singled out in an era of shrinking budgets. In particular, a newly formed research programme that will cover roughly half of all planetary science proposals will not be calling for new grant submissions in 2014. Researchers who draw the bulk of their salaries from grants will have no place to apply. (12/4)

December 5, 2013

Embry-Riddle Graduates First Ph.D. Students in Engineering Physics (Source: ERAU)
When 535 Embry-Riddle students graduate in Daytona Beach, Florida, and Prescott, Arizona, ceremonies this month, the university will reach a proud milestone – eight of those students will be the university’s first-ever Ph.D. graduates. Three earned a Ph.D. in Engineering Physics, including work on theoretical physics with practical engineering and problem-solving with a focus on space. (12/5)

Academia and Entrepreneurial Space Companies Seek Closer Ties (Source: Space News)
Early stage space companies and universities, which have tended to operate in separate orbits, should find ways to work more closely together to take advantage of innovations each side can offer, representatives of both communities recommended recently.

“When we talk about connections and relations between academia and industry, especially engineering-oriented industries, the conversations tend to focus around workforce training,” said Ariel Anbar, professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Arizona State University, during an event titled “Space Exploration: How and Why?” organized by the university and held here Nov. 15. Click here. (12/5)

Commercial Space Race Revolutionizing Business Off Planet Earth (Source: Space.com)
Space offers plenty of business opportunities, at least in the eyes of the space enthusiasts coming to the International Space Commerce 2013 Summit in London, where entrepreneurs, investors and state-sponsored space organizations gathered to discuss ways of making space exploration profitable. Click here. (12/5)

Are the Days of NASA's Science Flagship Missions Over? (Source: Space Policy Online)
NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden had a tough message for the space science community today – forget about flagship missions, they’re not affordable these days. At the very same time on Capitol Hill, however, the chairman of one of NASA’s key committees was expressing enthusiasm about a mission to Europa – unquestionably a flagship mission. The disconnect could not be more stark.

Flagship missions are NASA’s most expensive (over $1 billion) and risky space science missions, but offer exceptional scientific payoff. In a “lessons learned” briefing on one of NASA’s most recent flagship missions – the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) with its Curiosity rover - noted that it was two years late and significantly over budget.

Bolden’s message to the NAC Science Committee was unambiguous: “We have to stop thinking about … flagship missions. … The budget doesn’t support that.” Bolden went on to explain that he and NASA Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan have talked about “the importance of cadence,” flying “more, less expensive types of missions.” (12/4)

Hawaii's PISCES Signs MOUs with Honeybee Robotics, Made in Space (Source: Parabolic Arc)
The Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (PISCES) has expanded its list of Memoranda of Understanding (MOU’s) to eleven, after officially partnering with Honeybee Robotics and Made In Space. PISCES will partner with the companies on the Center’s 3D laser printing projects. The signing took place at the PISCES Board of Director’s meeting on October 6th in Honolulu – the day before the Hawaii Aerospace Summit. (12/5)

California's Steve Knight Weighs Run for Congress (Source: Parabolic Arc)
California State Sen. Steve Knight (R-Palmdale), a key supporter of commercial space, says he will run for Congress next year in the 25th District should the current office holder, Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-Santa Clarita), decides to retire. McKeon, 75, has not announced his plans, but there is widespread speculation in political circles that he will elect to step down next year rather than seek another two-year term.

The state senator, whose father William J. “Pete” Knight flew the X-15 rocket plane, has been a key backer of commercial space measures in the California Legislature. He introduced a limited liability bill designed to protect commercial space providers from passenger lawsuits that was approved with revisions. He also has introduced several other commercial space bills now being considered by legislators.

If elected, Knight would join Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) as another supporter of commercial space in the House of Representatives. McCarthy, who is the House Majority Whip, represents the adjacent 23rd District, which encompasses the northern part of the Antelope Valley. The district includes the Mojave Air and Space Port, NASA Dryden, and Edwards Air Force Base. Both Knight and McCarthy have worked with Mojave Air and Space Port CEO and General Manager Stu Witt on measures to advance commercial space activities. (12/4)

Future Astronauts Face Changing Career Landscape (Source: Kansas City InfoZine)
With all of NASA’s recent unmanned launches, kids are looking to new space events for inspiration. “What inspired me was the Apollo program … now we have a whole new generation of young people saying SpaceShipOne,” Steve Isakowitz, president of Virgin Galactic, said.

If Virgin's initial flights go well, there could soon be an industry for commercial space flight pilots, giving kids a new career option for getting into space. Pilots of these flights may face less competition and more lax standards than at NASA. The federal space agency’s standards include having a bachelor's degree, at least 1,000 pilot hours and passing a NASA space physical (which requires a height between 5-feet-2-inches and 6-feet-3-inches). (12/5)

Florida Space Industry to Visit Capitol on March 12 (Source: Florida Space Day)
Representatives from Florida’s aerospace industry will visit Tallahassee on March 12, 2014, to participate in Florida Space Day and share with legislators the opportunities the industry brings to Florida and the nation’s space program. "Aerospace means business and that translates into high tech, high paying jobs for Florida,” said Patty Stratton, chair of Florida Space Day 2014. “The decisions made in both Tallahassee and Washington D.C. in regard to the space program will greatly affect the state.”

Florida has the third largest space industry in the nation. “It’s imperative that Florida’s legislators, local officials and the business community continue to work together to position the state to capture new opportunities as this industry transitions,” said Stratton.

This year’s event is critical, as the state’s space industry continues to expand and change to face the dynamic international marketplace. During Space Day, industry leaders and other aerospace supporters will meet with House and Senate members, as well as the Governor, to discuss the state’s $8 billion space industry, and determine the best strategies for leveraging these markets for Florida’s benefit in the years ahead. (12/5)

FSDC Supports Space Day in Tallahassee (Source: FSDC)
The Florida Space Development Council (FSDC) is involved in planning and implementation of Space Day, which is scheduled for March 12 in Tallahassee, at the start of the state's annual Legislative Session. As it did during the 2013 Legislative Session, FSDC will track the status of space-related policy and funding initiatives as they work their way through the legislative process. Regular updates will be distributed by FSDC until the end of the session. The preliminary "advocacy agenda" is posted here. (And here's a copy of the final 2013 legislative summary.) (12/5)

UCF's Race to Space (Source: UCF)
Ruben Nunez was featured as an alumni spotlight earlier this year, and explained that his company, Earthrise Space, formed Omega Envoy, one of 22 teams competing to be the first to land a robot on the surface of the moon, hoping to win $30 million in Google’s Lunar X PRIZE competition. Since then, Omega Envoy (made up of numerous UCF alumni and students) has been featured in the planetarium dome show “Back to the Moon for Good,” which is being shown in 80 locations in 19 countries. Nunez and his team have also been awarded the Congressional Rising Star in Technology, in recognition of their success and benefit to the regional technology community. (12/5)

Congress Nearing its Deadline to Pass Defense Budget (Source: Military.com)
Congress is nearing its deadline to pass the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act to fund the Defense Department next year. The department has asked for a base budget of $527 billion and another $79 billion for the war in Afghanistan. The request does not take into account the automatic sequestration budget cuts that would shave another $52 billion from the budget after Jan. 1. The House passed the budget, but amendments have bogged the measure down in the Senate. (12/4)

Budget Deal Includes Some Relief for Pentagon, Source Says (Source: Defense News)
The U.S. bicameral budget committee is nearing a deal, according to a defense lobbyist. The deal would include "$85 billion of cuts and revenues," the lobbyist said. The deal includes relief for the Pentagon with “appropriations bills for two years that give us stability and some sequester relief." (12/4)

China’s Space Launches Send People Below Running for Cover (Source: ABC News)
A day after China trumpeted the successful launch of its first-ever robotic lunar rover, state media reported a sobering footnote: more than 180,000 residents of southwestern Sichuan and southern Hunan provinces were evacuated to keep them from being hit by falling debris. No casualties were reported, but two farmhouses in Hunan were damaged.

The “fallout” from this latest space mission is another example of a massive and prestigious state-funded project whose risks to local populations are often overlooked. Yang and Yuan’s village is located in Suining County, Hunan province. Rocket debris often rains down from the sky on this area. A county official told local media that since 1990, the villagers have been evacuated ahead of 30 rocket launches from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. (12/5)

Let the Space Price War Begin (Source: Bloomberg)
Eleven years in, the grand entrepreneurial experiment called SpaceX still has to prove itself. On Tuesday evening it reached a major milestone, sending a satellite for paying customer SES into geostationary orbit. SpaceX has flown its Falcon 9 rocket seven times and shown that it can reach orbit, dock with the International Space Station, and bring cargo home. Now it’s put a satellite 22,236 miles above the earth’s surface for a fraction of the going price.

This latest launch is bad news for Russia, Europe, Boeing (BA), and Lockheed Martin (LMT). SES paid $55 million to SpaceX for the launch; rivals typically charge $100 million to $200 million. SpaceX has a backlog of about $4 billion worth of launches, many for commercial customers that it can now begin to serve. One more successful flight should open the way for the company to handle some of the military work that has gone to Boeing and Lockheed through their joint venture, United Launch Alliance.

We’ll really get a sense of SpaceX’s abilities over the next year. The company plans to launch rockets at a much more ferocious clip, to refine their reusability and to prepare for sending humans to the International Space Station. You can also expect to see SpaceX tormented by politicians with ties to existing launch contractors and military suppliers. May we live in interesting times. (12/5)

Overhaul Pending in Russian Space Sector (Source: Itar-Tass)
Russia appears to have learnt some lessons from its failures in outer space and started a fundamental reform of the related industry, now in an acute crisis. After the recent reshuffle President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to set up a United Rocket and Space Corporation (URSC).

The reform splits the Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) into two — an agency responsible for the state space policy and a corporation that will be comprised of most of the sector’s manufacturing companies. Roscosmos will be preserved with its research institutes and ground infrastructures. The state-run URSC will take over the production of rocket and space equipment, while the state contract, coordination and operation will still be Roscosmos’ domain.

Putin has approved the plan proposed by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who is in charge of the military-industrial complex issues. The URSC is being established on the basis of the Research Institute for Space Instrument Engineering, which, Rogozin said, had sufficient resources to include rocket and space industry’s stocks. (12/5)

How India’s Cryogenic Program Was Wrecked (Source: Russia & India Report)
India was all set to master Russian cryogenic rocket technology when the United States – in cahoots with its moles in the Indian Intelligence Bureau – set in motion a series of events that implicated India’s leading space scientists on cooked-up charges. To understand the extent of damage caused to India’s space program because of the ISRO spy case, one has to first look at how close India was to mastering cryogenic rocket technology.

Cryogenic rocket technology involves the use of super-cooled liquid fuels to produce massive amounts of thrust in order to lift heavy payloads into space. It will be at the heart of India's GSLV rocket, which will carry future Indian astronauts to the moon. Without a reliable GSLV India will continue to pay heavy launch fees to foreign space agencies. Because it takes several hours to fuel up a cryogenic rocket, such a rocket cannot be used as a ballistic missile.

This leads to two questions. One, if the United States is really concerned about India developing long-range ballistic missiles, then shouldn’t it try and stop the guys at the Defence Research & Development Organization, which makes the Agni missiles? Secondly, why would the United States want to delay the development of India’s heavy lift commercial rockets? India is the only developing country with heavy lift ambitions and its ultra-low cost model could one day put the likes of NASA out of business. (12/5)

Lawmakers Want NASA to Keep Looking for Life in Space (Source: Houston Chronicle)
Scientists are stepping up the search for “tenacious” forms of primitive life on planets orbiting distant stars, with promising technologies that could begin assessing 3,500 candidate planets within five to ten years, three astrobiology experts told Congress Wednesday.

Rep. Lamar Smith, R-TX, chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, called the prospect “inspiring,” adding that confirmation of distant life would transform mankind’s understanding of life on earth and human beings’ place in the universe. The scientists and lawmakers from both parties readily agreed that despite the budget squeeze, NASA needs more money to pursue the pioneering research, and national leaders need to build stronger public support for the spending.

The best chance of spying signs of life would be a direct imaging mission that relies on a next generation, space-based telescope and a so-called “star shade” that would screen out stars’ light to enable the telescope to get a better shot of orbiting planets, said Sara Seager of MIT. (12/4)

Ice on Ceres: 'An Interesting Paradox' (Source: Astrobiology)
Orbiting in the asteroid belt, a little more than three times as far from the Sun as Earth, Ceres is thought to contain an icy mantle that makes up approximately a third of its mass. "Ceres is very different and very exciting in a lot of ways, totally different from any place that we've been," Britney Schmidt said. "It may be the only primarily icy planet that's out there, at least within reach." (12/5)

Turkey Keen on Space Cooperation with China (Source: Space Daily)
Turkey is keen on space cooperation with China, especially in lunar missions and outer space exploration, scientists said here on Wednesday after China's launching of lunar probe Chang'e-3. The scientists watched the launching of Long March-3B rocket, which carried Chang'e-3 lunar probe and Yutu lunar rover, on Monday. The scientist said the areas that Turkey and China should expand cooperation are satellite projects, lunar mission projects and exploration of the outer space. (12/5)

China's Most Moon-Like Place (Source: Space Daily)
The desert of fine, soft sand ripples with low dunes and not a plant is in sight. Simmering under a ceaseless noonday sun, the Kumtag desert descends through chill to extreme frigidity as night falls. This is the most moon-like place in China. It was here in northwest China on the boundary of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Gansu Province that Chinese scientists built the testing ground for moon rover Yutu (Jade Rabbit). (12/5)

Satellite Cooling System Breakthrough Developed by Lockheed Martin (Source: Space Fellowship)
Scientists and engineers at the Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center (ATC) have developed the lightest cryocooler, (satellite cooling system) ever built. The breakthrough is seen as a game-changer in the design of affordable, advanced-technology flight systems, as it costs up to ten thousand dollars a pound for a satellite to orbit the Earth. Known as a microcryocooler, the new cooling system weighs approximately 11 ounces, three times lighter than its predecessor, and is expected to have an operating life of at least ten years. (12/4)

NASA Advisory Council Reorganizes for Greater Effectiveness (Source: NASA)
The NASA Advisory Council (NAC), an independent group of scientists and aerospace experts who provide external guidance to NASA, will be restructured in the coming months to more accurately reflect the Agency’s structure and to improve its ability to deal with issues that cut across the Agency. The restructuring process, resulting from a recent internal review conducted under the direction of the NASA Administrator, Charles Bolden, will begin immediately and will be fully realized over the next several months. Click here. (12/4) 

Heat Shield for Orion Spacecraft Arrives at KSC (Source: NASA)
NASA's Orion spacecraft is just about ready to turn up the heat. The spacecraft's heat shield arrived at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida Wednesday night aboard the agency's Super Guppy aircraft. The heat shield, the largest of its kind ever built, is to be unloaded Thursday and is scheduled for installation on the Orion crew module in March, in preparation for Orion's first flight test in September 2014. (12/24)

Atlas V Scheduled for Nighttime Launch on Thursday from California (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Over the last few months, residents along the East Coast have been treated to a series of spectacular nighttime rocket launches from SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corporation. This week, it’s time for the West Coast to shine. An Atlas V is scheduled to blast off from Vandenberg Air Force Base on Thursday at 11:13 p.m. PST. The ULA rocket will carry a classified National Reconnaissance Office payload (NROL-39) into polar orbit. (12/4)

Visit National Parks on Other Planets With These Fantastic Posters (Source: WIRED)
Come see the ice geysers of Enceladus, the searing volcanoes of Io, or the secluded canyons of Mars! The wonders of the solar system have never looked so wonderful. That’s the sense you get from looking at this fantastic collection of planetary posters from astronomer and artist Tyler Nordgren of the University of Redlands in California. The posters manage to be futuristic and classic at the same time. Click here.

Editor's Note: The posters describe a "U.N. Department of the Exterior" as the authority for managing these parks. Not a bad idea! Maybe they could take steps to protect Apollo and other historic sites on the Moon, since the U.S. arguably cannot do it on their own based on international treaties and sovereignity concerns. (12/4)

Cassini Captures Amazing High-Res Animation of Saturn’s Mysterious Hexagon (Source: WIRED)
NASA’s Cassini mission has captured an incredible high-resolution animation of the psychedelic jet stream known as Saturn’s Northern Hexagon. The strange polygonal object is a continent-sized six-sided hurricane with 200 mph winds that spins around Saturn’s north pole. Scientists are at a loss to explain exactly how the hexagon gets its perfect shape but they suspect that it has to do with the way the jets interact with Saturn’s gaseous atmosphere. Click here. (12/4)

Thales Alenia Space Opens New Plant at Quake-Damaged Site (Source: Space News)
Thales Alenia Space on Dec. 3 inaugurated a new Italian satellite antenna and electronics component center not far from where the predecessor facility was destroyed by an earthquake in April 2009. The new facility, which will be fully operational by February, was financed mainly by Thales Alenia Space, which spent around 65 million euros ($88.4 million) of its own funds cleaning up the destroyed site and building the new 16,080-square-meter plant. (12/4)

Alien-Hunting Equation Revamped for Mining Asteroids (Source: New Scientist)
The solar system is littered with millions of asteroids, but only a few can be profitably mined for valuable metals and water using current technology. That is the conclusion of a new analysis inspired by the search for life on other planets. Recent years have seen two US companies – Planetary Resources and Deep Space Industries – established with the intent of one day mining space rocks. NASA also has asteroid ambitions, with a plan to drag one into lunar orbit for astronauts to study.

But it is still unclear which rocks will make the best targets. To tackle the problem, Martin Elvis adapted a tool used to study another cosmic puzzle: the Drake equation, used in the hunt for alien life. Dreamed up in 1961 by astronomer Frank Drake, the equation provides an estimate of the number of detectable alien civilizations in the Milky Way. You just need to plug in realistic guesses for the equation's various factors. Click here. (12/4)

Russia’s Future Space Launchpad Violated Construction Laws (Source: RIA Novosti)
Russian prosecutors said Wednesday that a probe revealed environmental, labor and building violations in the construction of what is slated to become the country's main space launch site. The far-eastern Vostochny cosmodrome, to take the bulk of Russian space launches from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur, experienced the numerous violations due to the work of construction companies, the Prosecutor General’s Office said Wednesday, without elaborating.

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin harshly criticized the slow progress in the construction of Vostochny, scheduled to launch its first carrier rocket in 2015. The cosmodrome is intended to host 45 percent of Russia’s space launches and all its manned flights as of the year 2020, according to Roscosmos. Baikonur’s share of Russian space launches is expected to fall from 65 percent to 11 percent, with the remainder of launches taking place at the Plesetsk space center in Russia’s north. (12/4)

December 4, 2013

Space Exploration and U.S. Competitiveness (Source: CFR)
The launch of Sputnik and subsequent Russian firsts in space convinced many policymakers in the United States that the country was falling dangerously behind its Cold War rival in science and technology. Acknowledging the strategic significance of the "space race," consecutive U.S. administrations made seminal investments in education and scientific research in an effort to meet the Soviet challenge.

These investments not only propelled the United States to preeminence in space exploration in the ensuing decades but also planted the seeds for future innovation and economic competitiveness, experts say. In 2013, a different set of challenges and priorities drive the debate over the U.S. space program, which many analysts believe is once again at a critical juncture. Click here. (11/29)

Gold Rush in Space? Asteroid Miners Prepare, But Eye Water First (Source: Canoe)
Mining in space is moving from science fiction to commercial reality but metals magnates on this planet need not fear a mountain of extraterrestrial supply - the aim is to fuel human voyages deeper into the galaxy. Within three years, two firms plan prospecting missions to passing asteroids.

When even a modest space rock might meet demand for metals like platinum or gold for centuries, it is little wonder storytellers have long fantasized that to harness cosmic riches could make, and break, fortunes on Earth. But with no way to bring much ore or metal down from the heavens, new ventures that have backing from some serious - and seriously rich - business figures, as well as interest from NASA, will focus on using space minerals in interplanetary "gas stations" or to build, support and fuel colonies on Mars.

There may be gold up there, but the draw for now is water for investors willing to get the new industry off the ground. Governments believe it has a future; NASA has a project that may put astronauts on an asteroid in under a decade and on Mars in the 2030s. (12/3)

China Rocket Debris Hits Two Homes, Experts Urge Insurance (Source: Reuters)
Two houses in China were damaged by falling pieces of a rocket launched on Monday, prompting calls for an insurance scheme to cover future damage from the country's ambitious space program. No casualties were reported after the successful launch of China's first moon rover, Chang'e-3, but debris from the launch hurtled into a village in neighboring Hunan province.

A photograph in the newspaper showed a farmer standing by a desk-sized chunk of the rocket that had apparently smashed through his wooden roof. "Suppose the rocket wreckage hit a person; what would the authorities do?" the paper quoted Ren Zili, a professor of insurance laws at Beihang University, as saying. One person whose home was damaged received 10,800 yuan ($1,800) as compensation and the other received 5,200 yuan. (12/4)

Commissioners' Views Mixed on Spaceport America Tax Spending (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
Doña Ana County commissioners warily are eyeing their options in light of a recent challenge to the county's Spaceport America sales tax money that goes to local schools. At issue is a recent state lawmaker's proposal that seeks to reclassify the educational portion, allowing it to be distributed statewide instead of only within Doña Ana County.

County Commissioner Ben Rawson said he's concerned about the way the county routes educational dollars from the 1/4 of 1 percent tax and is looking into possible changes to the practice. He met with county staff Tuesday to look at options for the 25 percent of the spaceport sales-tax revenue set aside for education. Some lawmakers last week endorsed a proposal that would block Doña Ana County from spending its share of spaceport tax money on teacher salaries and operations. (12/3)

Brooks Sponsors Bill to Shift $500 Million to SLS, Other NASA Programs (Source: Huntsville Times)
U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks is seeking to release more than $500 million to help fund NASA programs that, in part, are being developed in Huntsville. Brooks, R-Huntsville, announced today he is sponsoring a House bill that would provide money for the Space Launch System - NASA's new heavy-lift rocket - as well as the Orion crew capsule and the International Space Station.

The SLS is under development at Marshall Space Flight Center. The money in Brooks' bill has been appropriated for those programs, the Congressman said, but it is being withheld to cover potential termination costs if those programs are canceled. Brooks said the termination funds are being withheld in wake of the 2010 cancellation of the Constellation moon program by President Obama. (12/4)

What’s More Important - Military Golf Courses or Space Exploration? (Source: NewsWorks)
Republicans hate two things - science and spending money. Whenever they run for office, they always cry and bemoan the debt while browbeating us with climate change denial and anti-evolution nonsense. They tell us taxes are too high and that important choices need to be made - except when it comes to military spending. Calls for cutting the budget of our bloated, oversized military are drowned out by cries that any cut, no matter how small, will cost American lives

Just to put things into perspective, from 2011 to 2012 1,624 Americans were killed as a result of severe weather (often as a result of the climate change Republicans claim doesn't exist). In that same time period, just four innocent Americans were killed as a result of foreign-inspired terrorism. More people in the U.S. were killed by dogs from 2011 to 2012  than by foreign-led terrorists bent on destroying our way of life.

Yet we treat our military budget as sacrosanct, despite all the evidence to the contrary about its overblown need in the world. The U.S. spent more on defense in 2012 than the next 13 countries with the highest defense budgets combined.  Twenty percent of the entire federal budget was spent on defense in 2011, and since 2001, the base defense budget has soared from $287 billion to $530 billion (and that's not in-cluding base costs in Afghanistan and Iraq). (12/4)

With Seven Workdays Left, House Holds Hearing On Space Aliens (Source: Huffington Post)
With only seven workdays left between now and the end of the first session of the 113th Congress, a full House committee has found time to hold a hearing on extraterrestrial life. The Committee on Science, Space and Technology, chaired by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), will meet for a hearing called “Astrobiology: Search for Biosignatures in our Solar System and Beyond” for two hours Wednesday to “investigate what methods are being used to determine if any of these planets may harbor life,” according to the hearing charter.

Republicans on the Science Committee may be open to the possibility of alien life on other planets, but Smith and many of his colleagues are much less convinced that global warming is happening on this one, or that it might be caused by humans. Numerous sitting members of the Science committee -- all Republicans -- also maintain positions repeatedly rejected by the scientific community for decades. (12/3)

NASA Might Stop Exploring the Planets: Here's Why That's Terrible (Source: The Atlantic)
If sequestration continues into 2014, NASA’s budget will lose hundreds of millions in funding. Today, according to early reports, agency leaders suggested to their employees that those cuts would come from the planetary sciences division. NASA might have to terminate the Cassini mission while it is still scientifically productive. And there are countless more reasons why this is a bad idea. Space exploration supports us on Earth in countless ways, both quantifiable and intangible. (12/3)

‘Spooky Action’ Builds a Wormhole Between ‘Entangled’ Particles (Source: U. or Washington)
Quantum entanglement, a perplexing phenomenon of quantum mechanics that Albert Einstein once referred to as “spooky action at a distance,” could be even spookier than Einstein perceived. Some physicists believe the phenomenon might be intrinsically linked with wormholes, hypothetical features of space-time that in popular science fiction can provide a much-faster-than-light shortcut from one part of the universe to another. Click here. (12/4)

To Launch Australia Into Space, We Need Inspiration (Source: The Conversation)
It is sometimes said that there is no point in Australian universities educating students in the skills required for deep space missions because there are no jobs available here. This is nonsense: graduates are mobile and could end up anywhere, potentially returning home with new skills. But also it misses a key point.

Education and training related to space involves many other skills that are vital for our future, including nanotechnology, quantum physics, mineral exploration, environmental monitoring, navigation and telecommunication. There are declining enrolments by students in science, mathematics and engineering. Space exploration is a great attractor to aspiring specialists, from primary school to university age. (12/4)

SpaceX Makes Its Point (Source: SpaceKSC)
In the last three years that SpaceX has been launching from the Cape, I've heard all sorts of vicious false rumors spread to disparage SpaceX. A recent one claimed that President Barack Obama secretly owns SpaceX stock. (That came from a ULA employee.)...

From the comments section: "The rumor-mongering is almost anti-American; being as it is coming from the folks who totally lost US dominance of the commercial launch sector, and is aimed at practically the only company trying to win that sector, and the money and jobs that come with it, back here to the US. And it's being done by a non-US born immigrant, no less!

"SpaceX's first success in the commercial launch market is mainly a threat to the Russians and the Europeans (in that order). Expect the rumor-mongering to get nastier the next two years as SpaceX tries to take the military orders away from Boeing/Lockheed/ULA, which is their bread and butter. The rumor-mongering is spread by people who know they can't compete with SpaceX." (12/4)

Conference on Aviation Challenges to Include Commercial Spaceflight (Source: ERAU)
The Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace International Research (A³IR) Conference, presented by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, will bring together industry and academic leaders for presentations and discussions covering topics on the cutting edge of aviation thought and technology. The Jan. 17-18 conference will be held in Arizona and include a discussion on commercial spaceflight systems and safety. Click here. (12/4)

SpaceX Completes First Geostationary Satellite Launch (Source: SpaceX)
SpaceX successfully completed its first geostationary transfer mission, delivering the SES-8 satellite to its targeted 295 x 80,000 km orbit. The upgraded Falcon-9 executed a picture-perfect flight, meeting 100% of mission objectives after lifting off from Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport.

Approximately 185 seconds into flight, Falcon-9’s second stage’s single Merlin vacuum engine ignited to begin a five minute, 20 second burn that delivered the SES-8 satellite into its parking orbit. Eighteen minutes after injection into the parking orbit, the second stage engine relit for just over one minute to carry the SES-8 satellite to its final geostationary transfer orbit. The restart of the Falcon-9 second stage is a requirement for all geostationary transfer missions.

Editor's Note: If not for SpaceX's marketing the Falcon-9 for commercial satellite missions, this payload would surely have been launched by an overseas competitor. Unfortunately, such commercial missions are proposed by SpaceX to be conducted from their proposed Texas-based spaceport, leaving only government missions to be launched from Florida. (12/3)

X-37B Marks One Year On Orbit (Source: Space Daily)
On December 11, 2013, the secretive X-37B robot spaceplane celebrates one year in orbit. This controversial spacecraft has been out of the limelight for a long time, attracting almost no media coverage for most of its mission. The third flight of one of the most secretive objects in space has been its most elusive mission to date! (12/4)

Astronomers Detect Water in Atmosphere of Distant Exoplanets (Source: Space Daily)
Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope say they've found faint signatures of water in the atmospheres of five distant planets. Although the probable existence of atmospheric water has been detected previously on a few exoplanets orbiting stars beyond our solar system, the new study is the first to conclusively measure and compare the profiles and intensities of these signatures on multiple worlds, NASA reported. (12/3)

China Launch Debris Wrecks Villagers' Homes (Source: Space Daily)
Debris from the rocket carrying China's first moon rover plummeted to earth in a village more than a thousand kilometers from the launch site, crashing into two homes. The incident about nine minutes after the launch of the Chang'e-3 mission early Monday happened in Suining county in the central province of Hunan, which has been hit by space wreckage nearly 20 times, the Xiaoxiang Morning Post said. (12/3)

SpaceX Launch Moves Company Closer to Military Mission Approval (Source: SpaceX)
Tuesday's Falcon-9 mission marked SpaceX’s first commercial launch from its Central Florida launch pad and the first commercial flight from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in over five years. SpaceX has nearly 50 launches on manifest, of which over 60% are for commercial customers.

This launch also marks the second of three certification flights needed to certify the Falcon 9 to fly missions for the U.S. Air Force under the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. When Falcon 9 is certified, SpaceX will be eligible to compete for all National Security Space (NSS) missions.

Editor's Note: I don't think SpaceX is correct in claiming that this was the first commercial flight from CCAFS in over five years. In November 2009, only four years ago, an Atlas-5 launched Intelsat 14. And in March 2010, a Delta-4 launched GOES-P (a NOAA payload) on an FAA-licensed commercial mission. (12/3)

Boeing To Sell Commercial Global Xpress Bandwidth to Government Users (Source: Space News)
Boeing’s new satellite services division has broadened its commitment to Inmarsat’s coming Ka-band Global Xpress program by adding the satellites’ commercial Ka-band bandwidth to Boeing’s existing offering of Global Xpress’ military Ka-band capacity. (12/3)

December 3, 2013

Life On Dying Planets? Alien Hunters Weigh Best Ways to Find Evidence of E.T. (Source: Space.com)
If life does exist anywhere else in the universe, it may only be fleeting. Now scientists are researching how signs of life might look on dying planets. Astronomers have discovered hundreds of distant alien planets in the past two decades. Future missions could detect potential signs of life called biosignatures on those worlds, such as oxygen or methane in their atmospheres.

Researchers have noted that biosignatures of life on Earth have not remained the same over time, but have altered considerably over its history. This led the researchers to speculate about how Earth and other planets might look in the future. The scientists were testing a computer model of the climates and biospheres — the overall life — of possible exoplanets. "That was when the idea came about to run this model forward in time to see when all water and all life would disappear from the planet," O'Malley-James said. (12/2)

U.S. Students Fall Behind on International Test (Source: Washington Post)
Fifteen-year-old students in the U.S. are lagging behind their international counterparts in math and science, according to results of the 2012 Program for International Student Assessment. "Our scores are stagnant. We're not seeing any improvement for our 15-year-olds," said Jack Buckley, commissioner at the National Center for Education Statistics. American students scored above average in reading, average in science and below average in math. (12/2)

Strange 'Lava World' Is Most Earthlike Alien Planet Yet (Source: Live Science)
A puzzling alien planet is the closest thing to an Earth twin in size and composition known beyond our solar system, though it's far too hot to support life, scientists say. The exoplanet Kepler-78b, whose supertight orbit baffles astronomers, is just 20 percent wider and about 80 percent more massive than Earth, with a density nearly identical to that of our planet, two research teams report in separate papers published online today (Oct. 30) in the journal Nature. (10/30)

Putin Signs Decree to Establish New Space Corporation (Source: Space Safety)
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed into law a decree to establish a state corporation that will consolidate developers and manufacturers of spacecraft. The new United Rocket and Space Corporation will take over manufacturing facilities from the Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), whose prestige has been severely dented in recent years by a string of failed rocket launches.

The decree was posted on the Russian government’s legal information website on Monday afternoon. The country is set to radically centralize its space industry in a bid to combat major inefficiencies and cut down on the misuse of funds under plans unveiled by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who oversees the defense and aerospace sectors. (12/3)

Testing Continues at KSC for Satellite Servicing Capabilities (Source: NASA)
Since the first satellites were launched during the late 1950s, daily life has become more and more dependent on spacecraft orbiting the Earth. From time to time, these spacecraft experience failures or simply run out of the propellant necessary to keep them operating properly. Engineers at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida are partnering with counterparts at the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland to develop systems to bring potential future robotic "service tow trucks" to orbiting spacecraft in need of aid.

Tom Aranyos, technical integration manager in NASA's Fluids and Propulsion Division at Kennedy, is leading the team of NASA and contractor specialists that built and assess performance of an engineering development unit (EDU) of a propellant transfer system. The system was designed to demonstrate that a robotically operated satellite could refuel another orbiting spacecraft within required typical mission operating parameters. (12/3)

ULA Prepares for Atlas-5 Launch From California (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
An Atlas 5 rocket is scheduled to launch a classified satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office on Thursday, and the preliminary forecast shows cold temperatures at the California launch site will be the only weather concern. The United Launch Alliance rocket is set to launch at 11:13 p.m. PST (2:13 a.m. EST Friday) from Space Launch Complex 3-East, or SLC-3E at Vandenberg Air Force Base on California's Central Coast. (12/3)

A Quick History of the Surface of Mars (Source: Hobby Space)
Billions of years ago when the Red Planet was young, it appears to have had a thick atmosphere that was warm enough to support oceans of liquid water – a critical ingredient for life. The animation shows how the surface of Mars might have appeared during this ancient clement period, beginning with a flyover of a Martian lake.

The artist’s concept is based on evidence that Mars was once very different. Rapidly moving clouds suggest the passage of time, and the shift from a warm and wet to a cold and dry climate is shown as the animation progresses. The lakes dry up, while the atmosphere gradually transitions from Earthlike blue skies to the dusty pink and tan hues seen on Mars today. Click here. (12/3)

Italian Defense Officials Fight To Restore Slashed Space Funding (Source: Space News)
Italian defense officials on Dec. 3 said Italy’s proposed 2014 space budget strips the country of doing anything aside from performing maintenance of its in-orbit satellites and existing space centers and threatens the future of Italy’s Cosmo-SkyMed radar reconnaissance program. (12/3)

Mo Brooks’ First Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Kill (Programs in My State) (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) has introduced a measure that would prevent the Obama Administration and any future president from canceling the Space Launch System and Orion crew vehicle programs without Congressional approval while freeing up hundreds of millions of dollars to be applied to those programs.

Bill H.R. 3625 targets terminal liability funds that Orion and SLS contractors are holding in reserve in case the government decides to cancel these programs for convenience. The measure says that “hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars are unavailable for meaningful work on these programs.”

The measure would void any provisions in existing contracts that set aside termination liability funds, and prohibit the Administration from canceling these programs without Congressional approval. If Congress agreed to the cancellation, it would authorize additional expenditures to cover termination costs at that time. (12/3)

Space Travel to Transform Sleepy Desert Town Into a 'Spaceopolis' (Source: CNN)
The town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, is tiny. The population barely reaches 7,000, and the smattering of tourists it attracts throughout the year are undoubtedly lured by its rustic, small-town charm. Its handful of attractions include some vintage hot spring resorts (pre-World War II, the town was a hotspot for wellness tourism), some nearby ghost towns and roaming buffalo.

"Here, you're in the middle of what I consider to be the real West," says John Mulcahy, mayor of Truth or Consequences (or T or C, as it's known locally). Not surprisingly, T or C lacks the name recognition of, say, Santa Fe or Albuquerque. That is set to change in the next couple of years however, as the town is on the brink of becoming the epicenter for space tourism. Spaceport America -- which next year is slated to send a troupe of multi-millionaires up into the stratosphere when Virgin Galactic moves in -- is a mere 30 miles to the northeast. (12/3)

FSDC Plans Space Locals Event and Tour at Craig Technologies (Source: FSDC)
A tour the Craig Technologies' Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing Center in Cape Canaveral will be offered to FSDC members on Dec. 13 at 2:00 p.m. This tour is free and space is limited so please RSVP by Dec. 10 to reserve a spot. Founder and CEO Carol Craig will be our Space Locals speaker before the tour begins. She will give an overview of Craig Technologies, its impact on the space industry in our area, and her plans for the future. Click here. (12/3)

Asteroid Mining will Fuel Human Expansion into the Cosmos (Source: Planetary Resources)
All of the transportation needs in space –— from orbit raises to station keeping to Lunar landings or even expeditions to the outer planets –—  are near infinitely more achievable when access is fueled by the resources present in near-infinite quantities on asteroids.  In short, harnessing the resources of space for utilization in space is a far less daunting challenge than we are prone to believe. To help visualize why asteroids play such a vital role and where Planetary Resources comes in, we produced an educational short for you. Click here. (12/3)

Blue Origin Debuts the American-Made BE-3 Liquid Hydrogen Rocket Engine (Source: Blue Origin)
Blue Origin reached a key milestone in the development of the liquid-fueled BE-3 engine by successfully demonstrating deep throttle, full power, long-duration and reliable restart all in a single-test sequence. The BE-3 is the first completely new liquid hydrogen-fueled engine to be developed for production in the U.S. since the RS-68 more than a decade ago.

The test demonstrated a full mission duty cycle, mimicking flight of the New Shepard vehicle by thrusting at 110,000 pounds in a 145-second boost phase, shutting down for approximately four and a half minutes to simulate coast through apogee, then restarting and throttling down to 25,000 pounds thrust to simulate controlled vertical landing.  To date, the BE-3 has demonstrated more than 160 starts and 9,100 seconds of operation at Blue Origin’s test facility near Van Horn, Texas. Here's a video. (12/3)

FAA Rules on NASA Astronaut Participation in Licensed Launch/Re-Entry (Source: SpaceRef)
On July 3, 2013, NASA asked the FAA whether the FAA would restrict NASA astronauts, who are U.S. Government employees, from engaging in operational functions during an FAA-licensed launch or reentry. NASA noted that all NASA astronauts undergo extensive training and must meet rigorous medical and training requirements. NASA will also ensure astronauts complete training specific to each launch and reentry operator's vehicle and operations.

The FAA understands that the following scenarios are likely, but not definite. It is the FAA's understanding that a NASA astronaut's interaction with the controls of a launch or reentry vehicle may vary depending on a launch or reentry operator's designs and operational procedures, which are currently under development. During a nominal launch, a launch operator under an FAA license would most likely conduct the ascent using a flight computer as the primary means of controlling the flight path of the vehicle.

We conclude that, under 51 U.S.C. ch. 509 (Chapter 509), the FAA's space regulations at 14 CFR ch. III, and consistent with the FAA's discussion of its human space flight requirements,\1\ a NASA astronaut may engage in operational functions, up to and including piloting the vehicle, the conduct of aborts, emergency response, and monitoring and operating environmental controls and life support systems, and the launch or reentry would remain under FAA jurisdiction.

Security Fears Impede U.S. Space Cooperation with Rising China (Source: Space News)
As China readies its first robotic Moon lander and plots out a large space station for the early 2020s, U.S. space policy experts see a window for space collaboration, but one that is tempered by national security concerns and issues of global space leadership.

“There is a certain inevitability about the United States and China finding areas for space cooperation,” said John Logsdon, professor emeritus of political science and international affairs at the George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute in Washington. “To have leading space countries going their separate paths does not make sense in today’s world,” Logsdon said.

Mike Griffin said what worked for the United States and Russia could work with China. “But — and this is a key ‘but’ — China will not cooperate with us because they think we’re such good guys,” Griffin said. “They will want to do so if, and only if, we have a space program sufficiently grand in its scope and goals that it is clearly in their interest to work with us. Right now, we have little to offer. ... We have no sensible overarching civil space policy, no grand goals, no compelling plans. Why would they want to work with us?” (12/2)

Aerojet Rocketdyne Wins Medium Class Stage III Demonstration Contract (Source: SpaceRef)
Aerojet Rocketdyne has been awarded a contract under the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center Propulsion Applications Program (PAP) to demonstrate a Medium Class Stage III motor with propulsion technologies that are applicable to multiple future common strategic propulsion systems.

The contract includes development, fabrication and demonstration of a full-scale motor that is designed to replace the aging SR-73 third stage motors in the current Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. A full scale static test of the motor including thrust termination demonstration is planned. (12/2)

Russian Spaceship Software Failure Saves Fuel, Time (Source: Xinhua)
The failure of software responsible for the automatic docking of Russian cargo spacecraft Progress M-21M has resulted in the unexpected upside of saving time and fuel, Energia said. "After an alarm signal came out (during the docking), we switched to the manual mode of approaching and found out that we've saved about 200 kg of fuel," Energia's president Vitaly Lopota said. The manual docking, operated by Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov, also completed the process 10 minutes ahead of schedule. (12/2)

House Approves Bipartisan Launch Liability Measure (Source: SpaceRef)
The U.S. House of Representatives approved the Space Launch Liability Indemnification Extension Act (H.R. 3547) by a vote of 376 to 5. The bipartisan bill extends for one year a commercial space transportation risk-sharing and liability regime that was established by Congress in 1988. The bill extends provisions of the Commercial Space Launch Act Amendments, which cover third-party liability for licensed commercial space launches. (12/2)

Comet ISON Is No More, NASA Says (Source: NPR)
Comet ISON, a "shining green candle in the solar wind," is no longer with us, NASA declared Monday morning in a tribute to what many hoped would be the "comet of the century." On NASA's Comet ISON Observing Campaign website, astrophysicist Karl Battams writes that ISON was "born 4.5 billion BC, fragmented Nov. 28, 2013 (age 4.5 billion yrs old)." (12/2)

NASA Manager Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge (Source: Times Union)
A NASA manager who was responsible for developing privately-operated spacecraft has pleaded guilty in federal court in Orlando to a conflict of interest charge. Federal authorities say Edward Mango pleaded guilty Monday to a felony charge of acting in his official capacity while having a conflict of interest. He could face up to five years in prison.

Authorities say Mango loaned money to an unnamed NASA employee so that the employee could hire an attorney after being arrested by state authorities on unnamed charges. Mango intervened when the employee was facing disciplinary charges within NASA. Authorities say Mango contacted KSC's director and the center's human resources director urging them to be lenient. He didn't disclose he had loaned the employee money. The employee was spared appropriate discipline. (12/2)

Canadian Govt Moves to Strengthen Space Industry Sector (Source: SpaceRef)
The Government of Canada will: 1) double current support for the Space Technologies Development Program; 2) establish a space advisory board composed of industry leaders and chaired by Gen. Walter Natynczyk, President of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA); 3) ensure new space procurements are consistent with government priorities, in keeping with a 2012 report on leveraging military procurement; 4) continue to address the industry's market access and skills development challenges; and 5) examine opportunities for the private sector to support the CSA's activities. (12/2)

Repurposing ISS Trash for Power and Water (Source: Space Daily)
If trash disposal and recycling on Earth are challenging, imagine what it's like managing waste on the International Space Station. So NASA is looking at ways to reduce and repurpose trash generated on the space station, as well as on crewed spacecraft for future missions beyond low earth orbit.

NASA's Glenn Research Center is one of six centers involved in the Advanced Exploration Systems Logistics Reduction and Repurposing project (LRR) designed to identify the most effective systems for recycling waste now and for future deep space missions. Repurposing trash reduces mission costs, launch mass and the amount of trash for disposal. (12/3)

Space Science is Value for Money (Source: The India Telegraph)
Fisherman Nubin Roy felt a surge of pride when he heard about India’s Mars mission that some activists have criticized as a project that prioritises esoteric science over basic needs in an unequal society. But blind nationalism wasn’t driving his pride.

Twice a week, Roy sails into the North Andaman Sea on his 12-meter-long motorised boat to haul in groupers, mackerel, red and white snappers, and tuna for dinner tables on the islands, elsewhere in India or in foreign lands. Roy knows exactly where to anchor, guided by a strip of paper with latitude and longitude readings generated by scientists in Hyderabad who use India’s Oceansat-2 satellite to pinpoint marine zones abundant in fish. (12/2)