June 20 News Items

Mikulski Miffed by Response to Calls for Space Summit (Source: Space News)
U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikilski (D-Md.) chastised the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush June 20 for what she characterized as its "tepid response" to a bipartisan congressional request for a summit to discuss civil space issues.

Russia's Space Agency Strikes Multiple Deals at Paris Air Show (Source: RIA Novosti)
Russia's space agency signed three contracts, five agreements, and an MOU at an international air show in France. Russia's space agency and French satellite launch firm Arianespace signed a contract for the first four Soyuz launches from the Kourou space center in French Guiana. Reshetnev Applied Mechanics signed a contract with Thales Alenia Space for satellite components. The Lavochkin design bureau signed a contract with Germany's Kayser-Threde to use Russian Fregat boosters for technical and scientific experiments.

Roscosmos signed an agreement with the Italian space agency [ASI] on joint research on board Russian Foton-M and Bion-M research spacecraft. In addition, the two agencies signed an executive agreement on cooperation in the development of a third stage booster for a modernized version of the European launch vehicle Vega. Roscosmos also concluded a cooperation agreement with the Japanese space agency (JAXA) to install a Russian multi-purpose gamma-ray spectrometer on board BepiColombo spacecraft, scheduled for launch with the use of Soyuz ST carrier rocket in 2011. Roscosmos also signed an agreement with NASA on joint scientific research under the Mars orbit exploration program and a memorandum on understanding with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) on testing prototypes of space equipment in orbit.

Storms Could Delay Atlantis Landing in Florida (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
Heavy weather could delay the return to Earth of space shuttle Atlantis. NASA's greatest concern is visibility for landing the shuttle, all 113,398 kilograms (250,000 pounds) of it, without power and no second chance to approach the runway. Thursday's prediction is for storms, rain or cloud cover at 900 meters (3,000 feet) -- too low for the landing.

Volunteers Sought for Mars Test (Source: BBC)
The European Space Agency (ESA) is seeking volunteers for a simulated human trip to Mars, in which six crew spend 17 months in an isolation tank. They will live and work in a series of interlocked modules at a research institute in Moscow. Once the hatches are closed, the crew's only contact with the outside world is a radio link to "Earth" with a realistic delay of many minutes. It sounds like Big Brother, but there are no plans to televize the test.

The modular "spacecraft" measures some 550 cubic metres (19,250 cubic feet), the equivalent of nine truck containers. It is based at the Russian Institute for Biomedical Problems in the Russian capital. The goal is to gain insight into human behaviour and group dynamics under the kinds of conditions astronauts would experience on a journey to Mars. With the exception of weightlessness and radiation, the crew will experience most other aspects of long-haul space travel, such as cramped conditions, a high workload, lack of privacy, and limited supplies.

E'Prime Aerospace Corporation Selects Merrill Lynch as Financial Advisor (Source: E'Prime)
E'Prime Aerospace Corp., a U.S. company with more than 2,000 shareholders, has selected Merrill Lynch, one of the world's leading financial management and advisory companies, as its financial advisor. The "Merrill Lynch Team" will act as the "financial advisor and cash flow manager for E'Prime Aerospace Corporation" with the "mission to become the 'essential partner' to E'Prime."

The Merrill Lynch financial advisory component may enhance E'Prime's ability to capitalize on current and future operations including forming strategic launch service agreements with the Department of Defense (U.S. Air Force); NASA; and commercial customers including telecommunications, aerospace, security, and defense industries. "E'Prime Aerospace Corporation is committed to providing innovative, reliable, and cost-effective launch services to commercial and governmental space industries," stated E'Prime Chief Executive Officer (CEO) James D. Oldham, III.

Wanda Austin Picked to Lead Aerospace Corp. (Source: Space News)
The Aerospace Corp. has selected Wanda M. Austin to succeed William F. Ballhaus Jr. as president and chief executive officer. Austin, who is senior vice president of the Aerospace Corp.'s national systems group in Chantilly, Va., will replace Ballhaus upon his Jan. 1, 2008, retirement, according to a June 20 company press release.

NSS Executive Director Takes Second Job with Virgin Galactic (Source: Space News)
George Whitesides, executive director of the National Space Society (NSS), has taken on a second job as a senior advisor to Virgin Galactic. According to sources, Whitesides will continue to serve as head of NSS, splitting his time between the two jobs.

Arianespace to Launch Rascom Satellite (Source: Space News)
The Libyan-led pan-African Rascom satellite project is heading for a December launch aboard a European Ariane 5 rocket after what appears to have been a rare head-to-head competition between European and Chinese launch-services providers.

NASA Signs Commercial Space Transportation Agreements (Source: NASA)
Through three new Space Act agreements, NASA is expanding cooperation with companies interested in commercializing access to space. The companies are developing capabilities to transport goods and people to low Earth orbit. NASA signed nonreimbursable Space Act agreements, which do not provide any government funding to the companies, with SpaceDev of Poway, Calif., SPACEHAB of Houston, and Constellation Services International (CSI) of Laguna Woods, Calif. The pacts establish milestones and objective criteria by which the companies can gauge their progress in developing orbital cargo transportation capabilities.

NASA's Missed Opportunity (Source: Planetary Society)
It might be reasonable to accept that NASA Administrator Mike Griffin's recent comments on global warming were only a faux pas by a blunt, bright guy who likes to be unconventional. Indeed, Griffin has expressed regret about his comments. But that misses a greater point - this was a major opportunity to promote his agency, the U.S. space program and their value to the public at large. He downplayed one of NASA's most valued and widely recognized functions - teaching us about our own planet and monitoring it from the unique vantage of space. In doing so, Griffin also undermined public support for his most cherished program - the Vision for Space Exploration.

California Boeing Plant to Stay Open Six Months Longer (Source: Los Angeles Times)
Southern California's last major airplane factory got a reprieve Tuesday as Boeing Co. announced it would keep open its Long Beach production line for the C-17 Air Force transport for at least six more months." The "sprawling plant next to Long Beach Airport had been scheduled for closure by mid-2009 with the rollout of the last C-17. ... But Boeing told its Long Beach workers Tuesday morning that the company would invest its own money to keep the line going until at least 2010, with the hope of securing more orders from the Air Force and foreign nations.

British Investment Firm Acquires Intelsat (Source: SpaceToday.net)
UK private equity firm BC Partners will acquire a majority stake in satellite operator Intelsat in a deal that values the company at just over $5 billion. BC Partners will purchase 76 percent of the company from its current owners. The deal will bring the company's total debt level to over $15 billion. The sale is not expected to result in changes in top management of the company, although Intelsat's plans for fleet expansion are uncertain. BC Partners beat out bids from other private equity firms as well as a joint bid by EchoStar and Liberty Media, controlling shareholder of DirecTV.

NM Spaceport Construction Set to Start in Spring (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
The Spaceport America project remains on schedule, leading to a probable April 2008 start to construction for the facility in southern Sierra County. "I'm very optimistic," said Mike Holston, the spaceport's project coordinator. "Cost and schedule, right now, are key issues for us," Holston said. "...There's an awful lot of work that has to go into the schedule in trying to pre-load and accomplish as much as we can." The latest line-item cost estimate for the facility still stands at $198 million. Officials hope to open the door to the facility in late 2009 or early 2010.

Editorial: Resiliency in Orbit (Source: Florida Today)
Fixes on-the-fly during this Shuttle mission show the growing value of international cooperation in space. There's a reason they call it the International Space Station. The best minds of several nations came together over the past few days to fix a potentially crippling computer problem on the outpost, while spacewalking astronauts from shuttle Atlantis calmly trouble-shot other problems. It was an impressive display of cool-headed resiliency that shows the cross-cultural maturation of the project, and provides valuable lessons for NASA as it tries to draw other countries into its plans for a moon base. And eventually, international journeys to Mars.