News Summaries for January 3

Moon Shots: China, Japan in '07; U.S., India in '08 (Source: Xinhua)
The moon is going to be a busy site for space exploration in 2007 as two Asian countries take aim at Earth's natural satellite with the intent of launching robotic survey lunar orbiters. The first moon reconnaissance follows an April lift-off by China -- its first ever -- then Japan's mega-powerful moon craft in the summer. Both nations are in the forefront of a batch of robotic survey ships that are headed to the moon, including lunar missions by India and the United States in 2008. China is wrapping up fabrication next month of the Chang'e I to be sent spaceward atop a Long March 3A rocket.

Pentagon Uses Upcoming Supplemental Budget to Buy Future Weapons (Source: AIA)
The DOD will use its upcoming supplemental budget to acquire future weapons, which would usually be funded through the regular budget. The DOD usually uses supplemental budgets to fund war costs including personnel, equipment repairs and ammunition. "It's a feeding frenzy," according to an Army official involved in budget planning. "Using the supplemental budget, we're now buying the military we wish we had."

Blue Origin Vehicle and Flight Video Online (Source: Blue Origin)
Visit http://public.blueorigin.com/img/2006_11_13_launch.wmv to view a video of the recent Blue Origin test flight. Blue Origin's vehicle is similar to the McDonnell Douglas "Delta Clipper" and is being developed under the leadership of Amazon.com's CEO Jeff Bezos.

Excalibur Almaz to Bring 2nd Private Space Station to Orbit? (Source: Spaceports.blogspot.com)
Excalibur Almaz Ltd., an Isle of Man company, will fly civil astronauts to orbit for research and tourism. The commercial space firm will seek to develop and market the use of Almaz capsules and advance a second orbital private space station venture in 2007. The company has assembled an international team to begin work towards refurbishing and flying a capsule in space based upon the design of the Almaz capsules. Excalibur Almaz Ltd.'s Chief Executive Officer, Art Dula of Houston hired former NASA astronaut Dr. Leroy Chiao as the Executive Vice President for Space Operations and a Director of Excalibur Almaz Limited. Visit http://www.svengrahn.pp.se/histind/Almprog/almprog.htm for information.

Sirius Achieves Cash Flow Breakeven (Source: SpaceToday.net)
Sirius Satellite Radio announced Tuesday that the company has had its first fiscal quarter with positive cash flow since the company's founding, a major milestone for the company and the satellite radio industry. The company ended the quarter with just over 6 million subscribers, up from 3.3 million subscribers at the end of 2005. XM Satellite Radio, the other satellite radio company serving the US, had also previously announced it would reach cash flow breakeven by the end of 2006, but company officials said it would make no announcements about subscriber figures and finances prior to its quarterly financial releases. Speculation has grown that the two companies could merge to reduce their costs and better compete against terrestrial radio and Internet alternatives.

FAA Space Tourism Regulations Due But Key Areas Still Undecided (Source: Flight International)
Although the FAA's new rules for commercial human spaceflight come into force on 13 February, a number of key areas have yet to be decided or are still open-ended. The FAA has to establish a performance standard for flightcrews to demonstrate that they can withstand spaceflight, acknowledging that a second-class airman medical certificate is insufficient. The agency has yet to accept methods of environmental control, and will require demonstrations.

It has also not yet determined the amount of launch system verification and flight testing needed, instead taking a case-by-case approach. The FAA also still has to decide if it will require spaceflight operators to produce a safety record of their own and almost every launch system ever flown. Such a record is deemed necessary to ensure that customers can make an informed choice about whether to fly. The agency will not be able to impose restrictions on launch systems until 23 December 2013, unless harm or near harm to individuals occurs before then.

"We would like the industry to come up with an appropriate document and then have the FAA agree to it," says Virgin Galactic chief operating officer Alex Tai, chairman of industry group Personal Spaceflight Federation. The FAA has agreed to reduce the amount of technical data operators have to provide to customers, as the rules as proposed had suggested detailed disclosure that could, in some cases, breach the US technology transfer regulations.

India to Launch Four Satellites (Source: Hindustan Times)
Space scientists are preparing for what many see as a pathbreaking event — the January 10 launch by India of four satellites, including a recoverable spacecraft — on a home-grown rocket. Officials of the Bangalore-based Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are talking of a 9.30 am blast-off on that day from the spaceport at Sriharikota.

Britain ready to fund astronauts again (Source: The Times)
Manned space missions will be an adventure and are no longer seen as a waste of money, revealed the UK's Science Minister. The Government’s long-standing refusal to fund manned spaceflight could be reconsidered to allow British astronauts to join expeditions to the Moon and Mars, the new Science Minister has indicated. Britain will be an active participant in American and European projects to explore the solar system and should not automatically opt out of missions with human crews.

Ball Corp Wins Satellite Contract (Source: Business Week)
Ball Corp.'s satellite subsidiary got a contract from DigitalGlobe to build a third satellite. DigitalGlobe, a provider of high-resolution commercial satellite imagery, picked Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. to build an additional WorldView 2 satellite expected to be launched in 2008. This is the eighth such satellite contract Ball Aerospace has received.

Forecasts 2007: Crucial Year for Global Space Programs (Source: Flight International)
Confidence in the world's space industry and national programs will either be enhanced or severely tested - and perhaps damaged - in 2007 as stalled efforts from 2006 carry over to the new year. At stake is confidence in: the Shuttle program's ability to sustain a flight rate; the new commercial space transportation companies; the nascent space tourism industry; Boeing's future in manned space; Lockheed and Boeing's United Launch Alliance deal; Europe's future as a space power; Russia's ability to maintain a satellite constellation; and China's progress with manned spaceflight. Click here to view the article.

Dream Chaser Design Takes Off (Source: Flight International)
Californian company SpaceDev has been awarded a $330,000 first-phase study contract by Benson Space to begin design of the Dream Chaser suborbital manned spaceship. The study's aim is to develop the ship and its hybrid rocket motors sufficiently for vehicle fabrication and testing in a second phase. The Dream Chaser is based on NASA Langley's HL-20 lifting-body vehicle design. Explored in the 1990s, it was intended to carry eight passengers and two pilots to and from the International Space Station, and designed to be launched vertically by an expendable rocket and land horizontally on a runway. "We look forward to completing this first-phase study contract in March 2007," says SpaceDev chairman and chief executive Mark Sirangelo. Former NASA astronaut Hoot Gibson is to join Benson as chief test pilot.

Virgin Considers Cabin and Spacesuit Designs (Source: Flight International)
Virgin Galactic is in discussions with the spacesuit industry and preparing to release a request for proposals. As work continues on its Scaled Composites-designed SpaceShipTwo (SS2) vehicle, the UK suborbital tourism provider wants a fallback position for environmental control. It envisages a lightweight suit with no hard points and perhaps a moveable face plate. "We want the safest possible system. We are pursing our own pressure suit [as an option]. I'm going to pursue both [a spacesuit and a shirt-sleeve cabin environment]," says Virgin Galactic chief operating officer Alex Tai.

Under US Federal Aviation Administration rules published on 15 December, commercial spaceflight vehicles are required to have passive and/or active, closed or open loop, environmental control. Tai says Scaled Composites will look through the new rules, and is still conducting trade studies on SS2 systems including environmental control.