News Summaries for January 14

Ministry Vows to Turn Korea Into Global Space Leader by 2015 (Source: Korea Herald)
On the strength of cutting-edge information and telecommunications technologies, Korea is setting its sights on joining the ranks of global leaders in space technology by 2015. The Minister of Science and Technology vowed to push science-related projects to develop the nation's space capabilities in earnest. Although having entered the space race more than 30 years after Sputnik - in 1992, Korea has not been idle in developing space capabilities.

To take Korea into the same category as nations with highly advanced space programs such as the United States, Russia and several European countries, including Britain and France, the government is overseeing projects like the construction of the Oinarodo Space Center. The spaceport project is scheduled for completion in late 2007. Korea will become the world's 13th nation equipped with rocket launching facilities. Another program aimed at equipping the nation with world class space exploration capabilities is a project developing the Korea Space Launch Vehicle 1. KSLV-1 is being developed with technical cooperation from Russia.

Lawmakers Want To Improve Eastern Shore Spaceport (Source: AP)
Virginia lawmakers are encouraged by last month's successful rocket launch on the state's eastern shore. Democrat and Republican lawmakers filed legislation in the General Assembly this week pushing for studies on ways to expand the mid-Atlantic region's commercial spaceport. The lawmakers say they want to make the spaceport the nation's premier commercial space hub. Lawmakers say they want to find ways to attract clients with space cargo to launch. They also want to remove barriers to human flight from the spaceport. One Maryland aerospace consulting firm says space tourism is an industry that could have close to $1 billion in revenue by 2021. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport is expected to complete a $500,000 study by October of facility suitability for orbital rocket launches by COTS firms like SpaceX, Rocketplane-Kistler, and others in COTS-2.

State, Counties to Discuss New Mexico Spaceport (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
New Mexico's economic development secretary will be on hand Monday in Las Cruces to answer questions from three county commissions and the public about a proposed spaceport. Commissioners from Doña Ana, Otero and Sierra counties have submitted a list of questions to the state about the $225 million project proposed for Upham, about 40 miles north of Las Cruces. The three commissions will meet at 10 a.m. in the Doña Ana County Government Center. "We're going to be presenting a lot more details about the project and answering a whole list of very specific questions that have been asked in advance," said state economic development Secretary Rick Homans. Homans said he doesn't have any major announcements planned, but in answering questions, he'll likely reveal new information about the proposed facility — called Spaceport America.

Doña Ana County commissioners will decide later this month whether to hold a referendum asking residents to consider a tax for the spaceport. Otero and Sierra counties are considering the same step. Spaceport backers have said local taxes will be key to building the facility. Questions on commissioners' list cover topics such as how revenue from any sales tax would be spent, where water rights for the spaceport will come from and who will foot the operating bill for the facility.

It's High Time for Japan to Ride the Space Tourism Wave (Source: Japan Times)
The United States and Europe are finally, albeit slowly, paving the way for space tourism to become a revolutionary source of new business -- some economists even believe it could save the stagnating world economy. But many experts are very critical of governments' "monopoly of space" to date, saying that their overarching dominance has harmfully delayed it. Japan, in particular, is often singled out for having top-notch technological credentials . . . but no plans to invest in this new business with astronomical potential.

But sadly, most government space agencies in Japan and elsewhere have long kept space development to themselves and used it as a tool to compete with other nations, he said. In Japan, however, he pointed to conservatism and a fear of taking responsibility for failures as key reasons why the industry remains closed. The technology to build suborbital passenger spacecraft existed in the 1960s, space hotels could have been possible in the '70s, and orbital passenger spacecraft in the '80s, said an Abazu University professor.

Budget Crunch May Dim Vision for NASA (Source: Houston Chronicle)
Congress' failure to approve a new annual budget for NASA could force the agency to lay off workers, gut science programs or delay the development of spacecraft to return astronauts to the moon, according to lawmakers and space experts. NASA's budget will be held at $16.3 billion, more than $520 million short of President Bush's request as part of his vision for exploration of the moon and Mars. "Congress votes on what size space program they want to buy," NASA Administrator Michael Griffin told the agency's workers last week during a question-and-answer session broadcast on NASA TV. " ... And we will remove a half-billion dollars of content to match what they have told us to do."

Funding for robotic explorers for the moon and other technology programs would be threatened because of the budget shortfall. Also endangered are science and aeronautics programs that have been Griffin's favorite targets when NASA has needed money to fund the huttle and space station. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who has long served on the House Science Committee, also concerned about NASA's science programs. She is urging Griffin to trim budgets across the board rather than abandon some programs to pay for others. "NASA only has to survive until October," she said. "We're having these problems across the government, but the minute we panic at NASA and begin to start shifting major funds, I think that is a disaster waiting to happen." She said Bush's next budget request will be key.

Louis Friedman, executive director of the Planetary Society, said the tension is not between Democrats and Republicans but between the White House and Congress. Bush's 2008 budget will affect NASA's fate more than congressional action — or inaction — on the 2007 budget, he said. At stake in the budget to be released next month, he said, are not just NASA's science or aeronautics programs but also the Bush's own moon and Mars plan. "Congress will say, 'Look, if you want to pay for (the moon plan), go for it,' " he said.

Starchaser Industries Wins European Space Agency Contract (Source: Starchaser)
Starchaser industries has been awarded a study contract from the European Space Agency for the detailed assessment of their ThunderStar / Starchaser 5A space tourism reusable launch vehicle to verify its technical feasibility and ability to meet future space tourists expectations. The study will also refine the Starchaser Business Plan to demonstrate that space tourism can be sustained in a wholly commercial environment. This €150,000 contract is part of ESA's Survey of European Privately-Funded Vehicles for Commercial Human Space Flight, which was designed to identify European space tourism ventures, evaluate their feasibility, and assess their associated technologies.

Starchaser astronauts are guaranteed an exciting but comfortable acceleration profile, breathtaking views of the home planet and several minutes of weightlessness. The Starchaser Astronaut programme features centrifuge, microgravity and skydive training together with high altitude decompression and hypobaric work. Starchaser astronauts will also receive their own personal spacesuit which they may keep as a memento of their experience.

Russia Could Fall Behind in Space if it Doesn't Develop New Spacecraft (Source: Space News)
Russia could fall further behind the United States and other nations in space research if it fails to quickly build a replacement to its Soviet-designed spacecraft, the head of the nation's top rocket builder said Thursday.

Intelsat Juggling Satellites In Face of "Land Launch" Delay (Source: Space News)
Intelsat is juggling its satellite-deployment schedule to cope with launch-vehicle delays and the need to replace an aging satellite before it runs out of fuel. Washington-based Intelsat, which is also refinancing several billion dollars of its debt, is finding out that even the world’s largest satellite-fleet operator is at the mercy of the current bottlenecks and supply-chain hiccups affecting the global commercial launch industry. As a result, the Intelsat-JSAT Horizons-2 satellite is facing a delay of up to a year before it will be entered into service. The problem is the result of delays with Sea Launch's Land Launch vehicle, which is still expected to debut commercial flights later this year with another Intelsat satellite.

Space Radar Design Studies Extended Two Years (Source: Space News)
The Air Force has awarded two year contract extensions worth $49 million apiece to Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to continue design work on the planned Space Radar ground-surveillance system. The extensions, which will carry out the design studies to April 2009, were necessary due to congressional reductions to Air Force budget requests for the effort. The Air Force now intends to award the Space Radar prime contract in 2009.