April 20 News Items

Weldon Joins Call for Summit to Discuss Space Program Future (Source: NASA Watch)
U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon (R-FL) yesterday joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in calling for a meeting with President Bush to discuss the future of our nation's space program. The move comes just weeks after Congress approved a 2007 budget resolution that raided NASA's budget and gutted the manned-space initiative. Weldon, who represents thousands of NASA and industry workers employed at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, expressed disbelief that some lawmakers calling for the space summit voted for the very budget that cut NASA funding.

"Holding a space summit with the President is worthwhile," said Weldon. "But, it seems a little disingenuous to write a letter expressing concern about NASA's lack of resources, when you're voting for budgets that cut NASA funding. What good will a space summit do if those calling for it aren't willing to stand up and be counted when it matters most?" Weldon has repeatedly voted against budgets that have denied NASA the necessary funding. He said the proof will be whether the Democratic leaders will restore NASA's budget.

GAO: USAF Workforce Issues May Pose Next Problems for Space Programs (Source: Defense News)
Now that Air Force Space Command has a plan to head off technical and financial problems, it may be the human side of acquisition that could continue to cause problems for its major programs, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The report warns that the Air Force might not have sufficient personnel to keep key space programs on track. The Transformational Satellite Communications System program (TSAT), for example, is financially back on track after years of cost overruns and recertifications, but shortages of staff with science, engineering, program management and cost estimation backgrounds could put the program at risk again.

Senators and Pentagon brass cited failed acquisition reform efforts of the late 1990s as the major source of current personnel problems. Unable to see a future in space acquisition at that time, many people who today would be midlevel officers with years of experience under their belts left the service for industry, said Gen. Kevin Chilton, commander of Air Force Space Command.

Deep Space Travel Will Require New Gadgets to Keep Astronauts Healthy (Source: AIA)
Travel into deep space is expected to require new gadgetry and medications along with careful screening to select the healthiest astronauts. NASA may equip a spacecraft bound for Mars with a centrifuge, a device that would help astronauts avoid bone loss. "The history of humanity is that we go wherever we can. We have spread all across this planet, and it doesn't surprise me that we are going into space for longer periods and in larger numbers," says David Dinges, a University of Pennsylvania psychologist who leads research on behavioral issues for the NASA-funded National Space Biomedical Research Institute.

Florida Governor Weighs In On NASA Budget (Source: EOG)
Florida Governor Charlie Crist, in a letter to Congressional leaders in Washington, advocated full funding for NASA in FY-2008: "Any decline in NASA funding will have a crippling affect on the scientific and aeronautical proficiency of NASA's workforce, and will curtail the economic and commercial prosperity of the Florida Space Coast. A robust NASA budget, especially as preparations are made to transition from the Space Shuttle program to the new Orion human spaceflight vehicle, is imperative for continued U.S. leadership in space exploration."

US and UK Pledge to Work on New Space Exploration Initiative (Source: NASA Watch)
NASA and the British National Space Centre (BNSC) have signed a historic agreement to jointly study how the two space agencies might work together on future planetary explorations to the Moon and beyond. A joint team is to be established to conduct a study into specific areas of US-UK potential collaboration involving lunar science and exploration.

NASA Building at Johnson Space Center Evacuated After Reports of Gunman (Source: AP)
A building at the Johnson Space Center was evacuated Friday after reports of a gunman inside, police said. Space center security officers and Houston police, including a SWAT team, were dispatched to the building, which houses communications equipment and a laboratory. NASA spokesman James Hartsfield said the building was one of the smaller structures on the space center campus, where Mission Control is based. He declined to speculate on how an armed person might have slipped past NASA security.

Sirius CEO Faces Skeptics in Senate (Source: Space News)
A Senate committee chairman said Tuesday Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. has “a steep hill to climb” in showing that its proposed purchase of XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. will not hurt competition in the audio entertainment market.

Orbital Express Conducts First Autonomous Spacecraft-to-Spacecraft Fluid and Component Transfer (Source: Boeing)
In its first on-orbit demonstration 300 miles above the Earth, Boeing's Orbital Express system autonomously transferred propellant fuel and a battery from one spacecraft to another, marking industry firsts for the revolutionary system. During the fuel transfer demonstration, the Boeing Autonomous Space Transport Robotic Operations (ASTRO) servicing spacecraft successfully transferred hydrazine propellant with Ball Aerospace's NextSat, a prototypical modular next-generation serviceable client spacecraft.

China Cancels Space Waste Meeting (Source: Financial Times)
China has abruptly scrapped plans for an international governmental meeting next week on how to deal with hazardous space waste, just three months after an anti-satellite weapon test that prompted international fears of an arms race in space. China's move appears to reflect concern that the conference might become a forum for criticism of its recent destruction of an old weather satellite with a missile-launched “kinetic kill vehicle”, which scattered more than 1,500 pieces of debris.

Homans to Take NM Spaceport Post (Source: New Mexico Business Weekly)
Gov. Bill Richardson has appointed Rick Homans to be executive director of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority. Homans will leave his post as secretary of economic development at the end of April to oversee construction of Spaceport America. Homans' three immediate tasks, according to a news release from the governor's office, will be to oversee final design, engineering and preparation of construction bid documents for the spaceport, usher Spaceport America through licensing by the Federal Aviation Administration and lead a national search for a permanent executive director for the facility.

Boeing Pico-Satellite Mission to Advance Miniature Satellite Technology (Source: Boeing)
A pico-satellite developed by Boeing to evaluate miniature spacecraft technologies was successfully launched to orbit on April 17 by a Dnepr rocket from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan. Initial system checks indicate that the CubeSat TestBed 1 (CSTB1) spacecraft is operational and ready for a series of on-orbit demonstrations that will help Boeing further develop nano-satellites weighing less than 22 pounds. "Our pico- and nano-satellite activities are part of a broader Boeing effort to enable a more operationally responsive space," said Alex Lopez, vice president of Boeing Advanced Network and Space Systems.