News Summaries for February 15

Congress Approves Reduced NASA Budget (Source: SpaceToday.net)
The Senate passed a funding bill that will give NASA about half a billion dollars less than what it originally anticipated for 2007. The Senate passed the joint funding resolution, an appropriations bill that covers NASA and many other federal agencies for which fiscal year 2007 budgets were not approved by Congress last fall. The result is $16.2 billion for NASA, compared to the nearly $16.8 billion that the Bush Administration had requested for the agency. Nearly all of the cut will be absorbed by the exploration program, which some in NASA and the space industry concerned that the cut could delay development of the Orion spacecraft and Ares 1 launcher. Congress has yet to begin work on the administration's FY08 budget request, which includes $17.3 billion for NASA.

Iridium to Announce $2B Fleet Overhaul (Source: AIA)
Iridium Satellite is considering an effort to replace its current fleet with spacecraft that could provide imaging and other new services. The mobile satellite services provider says the effort would cost more than $2 billion and is expected to be announced at an industry conference next week.

State Girds for Fight to Keep Space Edge (Source: Florida Today)
At the helm of Space Florida for nearly five months, Steve Kohler says moves by other states -- and countries -- to displace Florida's pre-eminence in space travel is moving beyond rhetoric and into action. Quickly emerging as a key competing state is New Mexico, where state officials have aggressively pursued entrepreneurs looking to invest in space travel. Kohler maintained that New Mexico's financial commitment is big. "But there's a long way from that and something coming out of the ground," he said.

Translation: Watch your back, New Mexico. Florida also is talking with Virgin Galactic, among others, and will work hard to get the company to the Sunshine State. In addition to the Kennedy Space Center/Cape Canaveral area, there is interest in Homestead and Jacksonville for pursuing federal licenses for "horizontal launches" to the edge of space for the purpose of hosting space tourism businesses. Kohler said it's clear Florida will have to match, if not exceed, New Mexico's efforts to remain competitive in the commercial end of the space race. But he stayed clear of lobbying for any huge amounts of capital expenditures from the Florida Legislature this year. The request for more capital from the Florida Legislature likely will occur in the next two to three years, and it will require getting a large majority of Florida lawmakers from the Panhandle to South Florida to back a new space program. "The arrows are in the quiver," Kohler said. "We just have to pull them out."

Texas Spaceport Delays Changes to Board (Source: The Facts)
Some faces could change on the board of directors for the Gulf Coast Regional Spaceport Development Corp., Brazoria County Judge E.J. “Joe” King said. After David Stedman resigned this week as president of the Economic Development Alliance for Brazoria County and the November election brought three new members to the county’s commissioners court, King said there might be some changes made to the spaceport corporation. Appointments “are going to have to be reconsidered,” King said. The spaceport corporation is a private entity created by commissioners, who also appoint the board’s members. The corporation is charged with creating a local commercial spaceport, which proponents say could boost the area’s economy. Officials have said up to 7,000 jobs could be created at off-site locations through an operating commercial spaceport.

Florida Space Effort Reaching Critical Mass (Source: Florida Today)
Florida may finally be poised to make a major leap in advancing a new space policy. Gov. Charlie Crist says he's firmly behind the effort, key lawmakers are working on legislation and the new head of the state's space-recruiting agency understands the urgency of the need to strike in innovative ways. That means there's no excuse for anything less than approval of an aggressive, well-funded plan to bring space business to Florida -- and Cape Canaveral in particular -- when the Legislature goes to work next month.

There are signs Florida will take serious action, and those involved cannot let this critical moment pass. It starts with Crist, who appears intent on making new space jobs a key part of his push for more high-tech industry in Florida. It includes lawmakers such as Rep. Bob Allen, R-Merritt Island, who is again showing strong leadership in pressing his idea for a $500 million public-private aerospace fund to lure 21st-century space business to the state. And it also includes Steve Kohler, the new president of Space Florida, the state's revamped space-recruiting arm, who has until March 1 to complete a strategy.

SeaLaunch Failure Prompts Delay at Cape (Source: Florida Today)
A spectacular and explosive failure during a recent rocket launch from a platform in the Pacific Ocean prompted the Air Force on Wednesday to delay an upcoming Atlas 5 flight from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. The Atlas 5 and its payload -- six experimental military satellites -- now are scheduled to blast off from Launch Complex 41 on March 8. The technology demonstration mission had been slated for launch Feb. 22. Mission managers delayed the flight so engineers can recertify a Russian-made engine that powers the Atlas 5 rocket. The engine is similar to one implicated in the Jan. 30 failure of a Ukrainian Zenit rocket that collapsed and exploded on a floating launch platform stationed off the west coast of South America. Seventy percent of their parts are common.

Kottkamp: Put Florida Focus on Films, Space (Source: Florida Today)
Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp told business leaders today that Florida needs to diversify its jobs base by expanding the film industry and taking advantage of more space-technology opportunities. The state needs a "continued focus on the space industries" for high-paying new jobs. He said too many components and systems used by NASA are manufactured in other states and shipped to Florida for use. "They're going to be flown from Florida," he said. "They should be built here, too." The Florida Chamber introduced former Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings as its new board chairman. A former Senate president and 24-year state legislator, Jennings will be instrumental in lobbying the Legislature on business issues.

Low-Gravity Games May Help Moon Astronauts Keep Fit (Source: Times Online)
In an interview with Times Online, one of NASA's chief scientists said that a ‘micro-gravity sports competition’ held inside a giant bubble on the surface of the moon was not beyond the realm of possibility. “If you had a large, pressurised habitat, people could take advantage of the low-gravity environment by attaching wings to themselves and flying about,” Jeff Volosin, the lead global exploration strategy manager for NASA, said. Speaking at the launch of 181 Things To Do On The Moon, a Nasa document outlining the objectives of the proposed lunar colony, Mr Volosin said that lunar leisure “may initially consist of pastimes similar to Earth entertainment — satellite TV, movies, music and books.” “Over time, however, advantage should be taken of the moon’s environment for unique activities such as one-sixth-G sports and games,” he said.