News Summaries for December 29

Scientists, Astronomers Unlock Secrets in 2006 (Source: Florida Today)
Scientists, astronomers and space instruments shed new insight on the history of the universe in 2006. Astronomers uncovered more evidence of giant gas planets orbiting distant stars, fueling speculation of intelligent life on an undiscovered Earth-like orb. Meanwhile, the International Astronomical Union voted to strip Pluto of its status as a planet.

Reports: New Russian Ballistic Missile Fails for Third Time in Test (Source: Space News)
A new Russian sea-based ballistic missile has failed in a test launch for the third consecutive time, signaling serious trouble with a weapon that has been hailed as a key future component of the nation's nuclear might, news reports said Wednesday.

Russia Says Safeguards Bar Transferring Space Technology to China (Source: Space News)
Russia will cooperate with China on space projects, but will not transfer sensitive technologies that could enable Beijing to become a rival in a future space race, the head of the Russia's space agency said Tuesday.

Russia Remains Leader In Spacecraft Launches (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
Russia conducted 45% of the world's spacecraft launches in 2006, maintaining its leading position, the head of the Federal Space Agency said Tuesday. "Russia's current share in the spacecraft launch market is about 40%, and counting joint Russian-Ukrainian launches from the Sea Launch platform it totals about 45% of all launches conducted in the world," Anatoly Perminov said at a year-end news conference.

South Korea Picks Two To Train To Be First Astronaut (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
After weighing the merits of some 36,000 applicants, South Korea has selected two finalists -- a male researcher and a female postgraduate student -- in its search for the country's first astronaut. Researcher Ko San, 30, and Ph.D student Yi So-Yeon, 28, were chosen late Monday after a live TV appearance along with four other potential finalists.

Michoud To Play Continuing Role In US Government Space Program (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
When the 124th space shuttle external tank shipped from NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans last week, it marked another milestone in the facility's history -- beginning with the nation's first trip to the moon and continuing as NASA further explores the moon, Mars and other destinations in our solar system. As space shuttle work continues at Michoud, NASA is making plans to use the facility's unique capabilities to help build the rocket and spacecraft that will replace the shuttle.

NASA recently selected Michoud as the site for the manufacture and assembly of the Ares I crew launch vehicle and Ares V cargo launch vehicle upper stages. Ares I will carry the Orion vehicle with its crew of up to six astronauts to space, beginning the capsule's journey to the moon. Ares V is the heavy-lift vehicle which will carry large cargo to space, including the lunar lander, for use by lunar missions. Lockheed Martin will also build large structures and composite parts for the new Orion capsule at Michoud. In addition, Rocketplane Kistler will integrate and assemble its commercial vehicle at Michoud for launch in 2008.

Soyuz Launches Corot Astronomy Satellite (Source: SpaceToday.net)
A Soyuz rocket has launched a French-built astronomy satellite designed to look for extrasolar planets. The Soyuz 2-1b vehicle lifted off from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan. The spacecraft, whose name is derived from "Convection Rotation and planetary Transits", is a spacecraft built by the French space agency CNES with contributions from other European nations and ESA. It is designed to study acoustic waves that ripple across the surfaces of stars, as well as detect transits across the disks of those stars by planets orbiting them. The launch was the first for the 1b version of the Soyuz 2, which features an upgraded third-stage engine. The launch was also the 66th and final scheduled launch of 2006.

Space's Threat to Civilization (Source: CNN)
What should we do if an asteroid is on a collision course with Earth? This question is being taken increasingly seriously by scientists as more is learnt about the impact a near earth object (NEO) would have on the future of civilization. It might sound like the plot of a Hollywood movie, but one gigantic asteroid is scheduled to come within 20,000 miles of Earth in the near future -- a near miss in cosmic measurements -- and the possibility remains that it could hit our planet and cause catastrophic devastation never seen before. Visit http://edition.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/12/29/fs.asteroids/ to view the article.

Moonbase: In the Dark On Lunar Ice (Source: Space.com)
Space engineers have honed in on one possible site for a lunar outpost: the Moon’s south pole. It’s a tactical setting on the rim of Shackleton Crater, a feature some 12 miles (19 kilometers) in diameter. There’s real estate here that basks in near-perpetual sunlight. Also, it’s a region that is a doorway into the depths of always dark, Sun-deprived, territory. What’s possibly lurking there in that super-cold darkness is water ice—portrayed by some researchers as the gold standard for future exploration on and from the Moon. Yet there is considerable debate about this resource. Visit http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/061226_lunar_ice.html to view the article.

Kennedy Space Center Director Retires This Week (Source: Florida Today)
After more than 35 years of public service, James Kennedy retires this week as the director of the Kennedy Space Center and gives way to former space shuttle program manager Bill Parsons. Parsons takes over as the center's ninth director on Jan. 3. "I take great pride in having been a part of the KSC family," Kennedy said, specifically noting how that family rebounded from the loss of space shuttle Columbia and seven astronauts on the way to a landing here Feb. 1, 2003.

Daytona Controllers Got No Warning of Tornado (Source: AIA)
FAA officials acknowledged that meteorologists did not warn air traffic controllers at Daytona Beach International Airport about a Christmas Day tornado. The airport's radar system was unable to detect the tornado.

Air Force May Hire Integrator for Next-Generation Satellites (Source: AIA)
Some government and defense-industry officials say the Air Force may hire outside engineers or consultants to oversee systems integration of its next-generation navigational satellites, according to media reports. Typically, the military service that requests a system retains control over integration. Hiring an integrator may set a precedent for future projects.

Northrop's Florida Laser Business Continues to Grow (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Northrop Grumman has more than doubled the work force at its Laser Systems business unit in Orange County, Fla., since acquiring it in 2001. Orders from the military continue to drive growth at the business. "We help the warfighters by providing precision targeting systems that they may need on the battlefield," General Manager Gregory Williams said.

NASA Seeks Ways to Win Over Teens, College Students (Source: AIA)
Surveys show that Americans are apathetic about NASA's plans to send astronauts to the moon and Mars. NASA hopes to overhaul its image and generate interest among teenagers and people in their 20s. "If you're going to do a space exploration program that lasts 40 years, if you just do the math, those are the guys that are going to carry the tax burden," said Mary Lynne Dittmar, president of a Houston company that surveyed young people about the space program.

Scientists Support Russian Researcher Suspected Of Revealing Secrets (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
Colleagues of a Russian scientist accused of disclosing state secrets are convinced of his innocence, the director of a Siberian-based research institute said Thursday. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has launched an investigation against Oleg Korobeinichev, the head of the combustion kinetics laboratory at the Novosibirsk Institute of Chemical Kinetics and Combustion, who is suspected of revealing sensitive information on components of a rocket propellant in one of his scientific papers prepared for a U.S. research center.

Techsphere Structures Licensing Agreement With Global Skyship Industries (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
St. Petersburg-based Cyber Defense Systems has announceed that its wholly owned subsidiary, Techsphere Systems International, a designer and manufacturer of airships, has structured a license agreement with Global Skyship Industries to utilize FAA approved technologies developed by to enhance new generation airship operations. Further, Cyber and GSI plan to move forward on joint marketing and service opportunities that will allow mutual development and global commercial growth for both airship companies.

Russia To Increase Rocket System Production As Demand Increases (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
The Corporation Board of Directors chaired by N.F. Moiseev took place at S.P. Korolev RSC Energia. The President, General Designer N.N. Sevastiyanov and RSC Energia's Managing Board submitted draft Program of the Corporation Long-Term Development over the period till 2015 aimed at the following activities: manned space systems, automated space systems, rocket systems.

RSC Energia has approved a long-term development plan through 2015 aimed at manned space systems, automated space systems, and rocket systems. By 2009 Energia plans to double the rate of manufacture and launches of rocket-space systems. This move reflects increased demand from both domestic and international space markets. Energia foresees a 30 % increase in its budget revenues as compared with those in 2006. The company aims to expand and modernize production capacities. Receipts have increased by 31% for 3 quarters of the current year as compared with those for the same period of 2005.

Bahrain Spaceport Plans Denied by Virgin (Source: Gulf Daily)
Speculation that Virgin Galactic is planning to launch space flights from Bahrain was dismissed by a company spokeswoman. "We have not looked at any area at all in the Middle East and no Middle Eastern country is being considered for a future spaceport as yet," said the Virgin Galactic group. "Right now we are concentrating on the spaceport, Spaceport America, which is to be based in New Mexico, US. "We have looked at Sweden and the possibility of opening one in Scotland. "But as for opening one in Bahrain, or even in Dubai, that is not true at all."

Aries Propulsion Research Labs Enters the "Space Race" (Source: MarketWire)
APR Labs recently announced its new propulsion technology that could dramatically change the space exploration and space tourism industries (the "space race"). This new propulsion technology is based on a recently published patent created by propulsion designer Chris B. Hewatt and licensed to APR Labs for design and production in early 2006. APR Labs has labeled this new technology omni-directional propulsion (ODP) due to its unique property of being able to change its direction of movement 360 degrees instantaneously unlike rocket propulsion.

Another unique property of this new form of propulsion is that it does not vent to its external environment to create movement so there is no heat/thrust discharge like typical rocket propulsion engines. Preliminary tests of this propulsion design have produced better than expected TPR results and should allow direct vertical ascents without the aid of a winged fuselage. Within the next 12 months APR Labs will begin testing its design on watercraft and shortly thereafter begin unmanned ascent testing. Visit http://www.aprlabs.com for information.

Launching Virginia (Source: Fredricksburg.com)
The Dec. 16 launch at Wallops Island marked a major entry for Virginia into the business of space, a field of enterprise that's bringing high technology, jobs, and international attention. The key to the Wallops program's success is its simplicity. The cost of the December mission hit about $60 million, and that includes the price of the rocket, the launch, and the two-satellite payload. By contrast, says NASA, the Space Shuttle Endeavour, the newest in the fleet, cost $1.7 billion to build, and NASA puts the tab for a shuttle launch at $450 million. The Wallops activities should allow the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority to open up space to clients for whom it would otherwise be out of reach.

The authority, which built the commercial launch pad in 1998 on NASA-leased land, wants to provide that area of the Eastern Shore, about 10 miles south of Maryland, with an economic boost. With so much modern technology driven by satellite communications, space-delivery services look to be a growth industry. The venture at Wallops Island gives Virginia a ground-floor investment. Visit http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2006/122006/12292006/245294 to view the article.

Australian Space Launch Site Delayed (Source: AdelaideNow.com)
Construction of the proposed spaceport at Woomera in the state's Far North has been delayed because of design changes. Rocketplane Kistler Australia chairman Alan Evans said work on the site was expected to begin in May. "Things are a little behind but they are still on track," he said. "We will be working with the SA Government to try and identify as many of the local contractors and staff we can get (for the project)." In August, the U.S.-based Kistler received a $272 million contract from NASA to launch rockets into space from Woomera.

New Mexico Counties to Discuss Spaceport Taxation (Source: Alamogordo Daily News)
Doña Ana Commissioner Bill McCamley invited Otero County commissioners to meet with Sierra and Doña Ana counties in a joint hearing to discuss the spaceport gross receipts tax. McCamley said Doña Ana county commissioners have agreed to put the tax on a ballot in a special election this upcoming April and would like to see Otero County follow. He said Doña Ana constituents might vote to pass the tax if they see regional support. Otero County Chairman Doug Moore said he agrees with the project and the benefits it will bring to the economy but a dilemma arises. "We have the desire not to tax but also provide economic development," Moore said.

County Manager Martin Moore said the county has sent a letter of intent to the governor stating the commissioners will consider putting it in the ballot. "Our intent is basically to get the ball rolling and the discussions forward and we have followed through that," Martin Moore said. "It all depends on what happens in Doña Ana." If passed, the Doña Ana gross receipts will be for a quarter percent tax. The county will maintain 25 percent of revenues internally and disburse funding to school districts to be used for spaceport academics. Students can be trained in science and business skills specifically related to the space industry.

Embry Riddle Students Reach NASA Finals (Source: cfnews13.com)
A team from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University has reached the finals of the "NASA Means Business Competition." That's a national public relations contest designed to promote the space administration to the next generation. Students submitted a 50-page proposal, featuring concepts for print media, a Web site and community outreach. The competition will wrap up this May when the team pitches its final plan to NASA officials at Kennedy Space Center. NASA will use the winning team's commercials on national television.

Tornado Damage at Embry-Riddle to Delay Start of Spring Semester (Source: Orlando Business Journal)
A Christmas Day tornado that wreaked havoc throughout the Daytona Beach area will delay the start of the spring 2007 semester at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Severe damage to some academic and administrative buildings will require time to clean up and make repairs. As a result, classes will begin Jan. 16 instead of Jan. 10, as originally scheduled. Embry-Riddle educates more than 30,000 students annually in undergraduate and graduate programs at residential campuses in Prescott, Ariz., and Daytona Beach, through the Extended Campus at more than 130 centers in the United States, Canada, Europe and the Middle East, and through distance learning.