Progress Made in Atlas-Centaur Investigation (Source: Florida Today)
A faulty valve and the resulting fuel leak in flight caused the Atlas 5 rocket's upper stage to stop firing too soon, leaving a pair of top secret spy satellites shy of their intended orbit after launch from Cape Canaveral earlier this month. A review team has confirmed that a valve did not close completely on the upper stage. The launch vehicle leaked fuel during the coast phase of the flight sometime between the first and second burn of the upper stage engine. The lost fuel caused the Centaur's final burn to end four seconds too soon on a 15-minute burn.
NASCAR Team Tests Car on Shuttle Runway (Source: Florida Today)
A team in NASCAR's elite Nextel Cup Series wrapped up its second visit to Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility on Friday, using the nearly 3-mile-long runway to gauge aerodynamics of its race cars. Evernham Motorsports took a test version of one of its new Dodge Avengers -- the Car of Tomorrow that debuted this season in Nextel Cup -- to the runway for a shakedown. "We're preparing for some COT racing at Talladega. The type of testing we were doing is called straight-line testing. You run up to a certain speed . . . the car is instrumented and you're collecting data. You're seeing what you can get for front or rear downforce and what you can do to take drag away from the car." NASCAR rules limit teams to seven tests on Nextel Cup-sanctioned tracks but there is no limit on how many times a team can test at a nonsanctioned speedway, or anywhere else for that matter.
Private Space Module Has Success (Source: AP)
A prototype of an inflatable space station module has successfully expanded and deployed its solar panels after being launched into orbit. A Russian rocket lofted the Genesis II module, developed by Bigelow Aerospace of Nevada, into space on Thursday. The 15-foot-long module's flexible exterior was folded around an inner core for launch and had to expand from a diameter of about 6.2 feet to 8 feet. The solar panels also had to extend to supply power. Both actions were confirmed. Genesis II also transmitted pictures of itself in orbit.
Daytona Native McKinney Receives NASA Distinguished Service Medal (Source: NASA)
Roslyn McKinney, assistant manager of the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity at Kennedy Space Center, recently received one of the agency's highest awards, the Distinguished Service Medal. She earned the award for identifying and promoting opportunities for KSC's diverse and talented work force. The award is given to any federal service employee who, by distinguished service, ability or courage, has personally made a contribution representing substantial progress to the NASA mission.
Tampa Native Hendriksen Receives NASA Distinguished Service Medal (Source: NASA)
With a Kennedy Space Center career spanning more than 40 years, Deputy Chief Counsel Douglas Hendriksen recently received one of NASA's highest employee honors, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. Hendriksen was recognized "for his extraordinary legal career with the Office of the Chief Counsel" at KSC.
No Extension for Orbital Express Mission (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Air Force will deactivate the Pentagon's Orbital Express satellites the week of July 2, eliminating any chance of NASA using the experimental spacecraft to test robotic techniques applicable to future Mars sample return missions.
Zenit Launches Russian Military Payload, Paves Way for New Commercial Rocket (Source: Space News)
The June 29 launch of a two-stage Zenit rocket from Russia's Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan marks the return to flight of the hardware that caused a Sea Launch Co. failure in January and inaugurates the launch pad and ground facilities that will be used for Sea Launch's new Land Launch offering, according to Sea Launch Co. President Rob Peckham.
Thales Alenia Space Wins Contract To Build Palapa-D Telecommunications Satellite (Source: Space News)
Indonesia's PT Indosat Tbk has selected Thales Alenia Space to build the Palapa-D telecommunications satellite in a contract that includes the satellite's late-2009 launch aboard a Chinese Long March 3B rocket, Indosat and Thales Alenia Space announced June 29.
Report: Panel Agrees Japan Should Shoot Down Missiles Targeting U.S. (Source: Space News)
Japan should use its missile defense systems to shoot down a ballistic missile targeting the United States, most members of a government panel largely agreed Friday, according to media reports.
Sunnyvale Jobs at Stake as Lockheed Lobbies for NASA Cash (Source: San Jose Business Journal)
Aerospace executives are pushing for a $1.4 billion increase in funding for NASA space exploration to put astronauts on the moon and keep Silicon Valley engineers on the job. The NASA space exploration budget was cut last year, delaying the launch of the first Orion six-man space capsule. Companies like Lockheed Martin, which will build the capsule and may also build a section of the rocket that will launch it, worry that a growing gap between the planned retirement of the space shuttles and the first launch of Orion will force experienced engineers and technicians to find jobs outside of the space program.
'Nations Must Team Up to Develop Re-usable Space Vehicle' (Source: The Hindu)
Outlining a roadmap for the world aerospace industry, President Kalam today called for international cooperation for developing a hypersonic, re-usable space vehicle with higher payload efficiency and lower cost which could revolutionise space transportation. "There is a need for all countries to work together to develop a single-stage-to-orbit, fully re-usable launch vehicles which can bring down the cost of the launch from the present $20,000 per kg of payload to $200 per kg," he said. Kalam was speaking after inaugurating a two-day international conference on `high speed trans-atmospheric air and space transportation.'
Space Tourism Prototype on Display (Source: Alamagordo Daily News)
The New Mexico Museum of Space History received a new addition Thursday a rocket that flew one mile above Britain in 2001, according to Starchaser Industries. It was not the rocket that ferried James "Scotty" Doohan's ashes into space in April, which many people present thought was the case. That rocket was fired by another company, Up Aerospace. Starchaser's Nova Four rocket would hold one person. The rocket is a prototype and the company plans to build another version, three times as large, that will hold three people. The company wants to send people into space by 2010.
June 29 News Items
Aerojet Demonstrates Advances in Controllable Solid Propulsion (Source: GenCorp)
Aerojet, a GenCorp company and a core propulsion provider for NASA's new space exploration vehicle, ORION, as well as several Missile Defense Agency propulsion programs, recently conducted an internally funded test firing of large-scale controllable solid rocket motors. Controllable solid rocket motors are an advanced propulsion capability that combines the simplicity of using solid propellants with the flexibility normally associated with use of liquid propellants. Aerojet is developing an electromechanical valve control system to provide faster responding, smaller and more reliable controllable solids that can be used on larger scale applications, like ORION.
Why Human Psychology Will Make Sending People to Mars Hard (Source: Economist)
One of the two reviews posted on Amazon.com about Valentin Lebedev's “Diary of a Cosmonaut” calls it a “profound” book “about what it's like to be in a flying tin can for more than half a year”. The other reviewer would “not recommend reading its pages to [his] worst enemy”. He thinks Dr Lebedev's account of months of increasingly territorial behaviour and flagging conversation with his lone colleague on the good ship Salyut 7 is a “painfully boring” portrayal of why human space exploration is as pointless as it is frivolous.
Dr Lebedev's mission would, nevertheless, seem entertaining compared with a trip to Mars. The round trip, including a stay on the surface, would take about 17 months. Which is why it is surprising that within a few days of its being advertised, more than 3,000 people have applied to take part in an experiment planned by Russian and European agencies to simulate such an outing. Much like “Big Brother” contestants, the three groups of six who will be locked into simulation modules in Moscow will be ordered to complete tasks while others observe their behaviour. Those tasks have yet to be decided. But a pretend take-off, an exploration of a fake Martian surface and dealing with fictitious media headlines are on the cards. The pretend cosmonauts will have to speak fluent Russian and English and keep track of nearly two years' rations. Visit http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9401568to view the article.
Mars Rover to Make Risky Crater Descent (Source: AP)
NASA's aging but durable Mars rover Opportunity will make what could be a trip of no return into a deep impact crater in an attempt to peer further back than ever before into the geologic history of the Red Planet. The descent into Victoria Crater received the go-ahead because the potential scientific returns are worth the risk that the solar-powered, six-wheel rover might not be able to climb back out and would be forced to end its days there. The rover has been roaming the surface for nearly 3 1/2 Earth years, so scientists want to send it in while it still appears healthy and before the inevitable breakdown of vital parts that would certainly trap it there.
"This crater, Victoria, is a window back into the ancient environment of Mars," said a NASA official. Blasted open by a meteor impact, Victoria Crater is a half-mile across and about 200 to 230 feet deep — far deeper than anything else the rovers have explored. "Because it's deeper it provides us access to just a much longer span of time," said Steve Squyres, the principal investigator of the Mars Exploration Rover mission from Cornell University
NASA Spending Bill Headed for Senate Vote (Source: Space News)
A spending bill including $17.45 billion for NASA cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee June 28.
Lawmakers, NASA Spar over Earth Science Budget (Source: Space News)
A top NASA official told a House panel June 28 that the agency's budget for Earth science is adequate, but another witness, along with a key Democratic lawmaker, begged to differ.
Northrop Grumman Seeks Teacher Applications for Weightless Flights Program (Source: Northrop Grumman)
Northrop Grumman continues to accept applications from math and science teachers at accredited middle schools, as well as college students studying to become teachers, for its foundation-sponsored Weightless Flights of Discovery program. The program includes zero-gravity aircraft flights and hands-on
workshops in eight locations around the country: Baltimore; Bethpage, N.Y.; Colorado Springs; Dallas; Los Angeles; New Orleans; and Washington DC. Flights currently are planned for late summer and autumn this year. To obtain an application visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/community/weightless.html
Aerospace States Support NASA Budget Increase (Source: ASA)
Lieutenant Governors and delegates from states represented in the Aerospace States Association (ASA) earlier this year passed a resolution encouraging Congress to add $1 billion to NASA's budget for FY-08. They also recommended that Congress set NASA's budget at an annual level of not less than one percent of the overall federal budget. Visit http://www.aiaa.org/pdf/public/NASA_Sciences_Funding_Letter_House.pdf to view the resolution.
House Subcommittee Evaluates NASA's Earth Science Programs (Source: House Science Committee)
The Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics heard from a panel of expert witnesses who discussed NASA's FY08 budget request and plans for the agency’s Earth science programs. At the hearing, Space and Aeronautics Ranking Member Tom Feeney (R-FL) made the following statement: “Today’s hearing on NASA’s Earth Sciences and Applications programs, and the FY08 budget request, gives our Committee an opportunity to review NASA’s management of – and rationale for – its current array of Earth-observing missions, and an opportunity to understand how the agency will incorporate the recommendations of the Earth Sciences Decadal Survey into its future plans."
“NASA’s Earth Sciences program is one of that agency’s unsung achievements. When discussing NASA, our nation’s collective attention is often focused on human spaceflight, or stunning images returned from distant planets and orbiting observatories. But rarely does the national press carry front-page stories or images taken from NASA’s Earth-observing satellites, except perhaps, during hurricane season. Having said that, most of the weather and climate prediction tools used daily by forecasters is often a direct product of NASA-sponsored research. And a good portion of climate change research is also made possible by data taken from NASA-developed sensors, satellites, and sophisticated research and analysis products."
Technical Societies Call for Increase to NASA Budget (Source: PRNewswire)
Leaders from 11 professional science and engineering societies called on Congress today to boost NASA's fiscal year 2008 budget or risk losing the nation's scientific and engineering primacy. In a letter, the group asked Congress to support an increase to NASA's FY08 budget of $1.4 billion for aerospace research and technology. The budget is currently under review on Capitol Hill. The signatories represent the thousands of scientists committed to keeping the United States competitive in science and engineering research and development. The letter states, "... we know first-hand that our colleagues continue their work despite the interrelated and disturbing trends of reduced federal research funding, a shrinking workforce in the science and engineering disciplines, and a calamitous decrease in the number of students choosing to carry on this commitment in the future."
The letter agrees with the National Academy of Sciences finding that NASA is "being asked to accomplish too much with too little." NASA does not have the resources to support the space exploration-related programs while maintaining critical space science, earth science, and life and physical science programs. To view a copy of the letter, visit http://www.aiaa.org/pdf/public/NASA_Sciences_Funding_Letter_House.pdf.
Aerojet, a GenCorp company and a core propulsion provider for NASA's new space exploration vehicle, ORION, as well as several Missile Defense Agency propulsion programs, recently conducted an internally funded test firing of large-scale controllable solid rocket motors. Controllable solid rocket motors are an advanced propulsion capability that combines the simplicity of using solid propellants with the flexibility normally associated with use of liquid propellants. Aerojet is developing an electromechanical valve control system to provide faster responding, smaller and more reliable controllable solids that can be used on larger scale applications, like ORION.
Why Human Psychology Will Make Sending People to Mars Hard (Source: Economist)
One of the two reviews posted on Amazon.com about Valentin Lebedev's “Diary of a Cosmonaut” calls it a “profound” book “about what it's like to be in a flying tin can for more than half a year”. The other reviewer would “not recommend reading its pages to [his] worst enemy”. He thinks Dr Lebedev's account of months of increasingly territorial behaviour and flagging conversation with his lone colleague on the good ship Salyut 7 is a “painfully boring” portrayal of why human space exploration is as pointless as it is frivolous.
Dr Lebedev's mission would, nevertheless, seem entertaining compared with a trip to Mars. The round trip, including a stay on the surface, would take about 17 months. Which is why it is surprising that within a few days of its being advertised, more than 3,000 people have applied to take part in an experiment planned by Russian and European agencies to simulate such an outing. Much like “Big Brother” contestants, the three groups of six who will be locked into simulation modules in Moscow will be ordered to complete tasks while others observe their behaviour. Those tasks have yet to be decided. But a pretend take-off, an exploration of a fake Martian surface and dealing with fictitious media headlines are on the cards. The pretend cosmonauts will have to speak fluent Russian and English and keep track of nearly two years' rations. Visit http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9401568to view the article.
Mars Rover to Make Risky Crater Descent (Source: AP)
NASA's aging but durable Mars rover Opportunity will make what could be a trip of no return into a deep impact crater in an attempt to peer further back than ever before into the geologic history of the Red Planet. The descent into Victoria Crater received the go-ahead because the potential scientific returns are worth the risk that the solar-powered, six-wheel rover might not be able to climb back out and would be forced to end its days there. The rover has been roaming the surface for nearly 3 1/2 Earth years, so scientists want to send it in while it still appears healthy and before the inevitable breakdown of vital parts that would certainly trap it there.
"This crater, Victoria, is a window back into the ancient environment of Mars," said a NASA official. Blasted open by a meteor impact, Victoria Crater is a half-mile across and about 200 to 230 feet deep — far deeper than anything else the rovers have explored. "Because it's deeper it provides us access to just a much longer span of time," said Steve Squyres, the principal investigator of the Mars Exploration Rover mission from Cornell University
NASA Spending Bill Headed for Senate Vote (Source: Space News)
A spending bill including $17.45 billion for NASA cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee June 28.
Lawmakers, NASA Spar over Earth Science Budget (Source: Space News)
A top NASA official told a House panel June 28 that the agency's budget for Earth science is adequate, but another witness, along with a key Democratic lawmaker, begged to differ.
Northrop Grumman Seeks Teacher Applications for Weightless Flights Program (Source: Northrop Grumman)
Northrop Grumman continues to accept applications from math and science teachers at accredited middle schools, as well as college students studying to become teachers, for its foundation-sponsored Weightless Flights of Discovery program. The program includes zero-gravity aircraft flights and hands-on
workshops in eight locations around the country: Baltimore; Bethpage, N.Y.; Colorado Springs; Dallas; Los Angeles; New Orleans; and Washington DC. Flights currently are planned for late summer and autumn this year. To obtain an application visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/community/weightless.html
Aerospace States Support NASA Budget Increase (Source: ASA)
Lieutenant Governors and delegates from states represented in the Aerospace States Association (ASA) earlier this year passed a resolution encouraging Congress to add $1 billion to NASA's budget for FY-08. They also recommended that Congress set NASA's budget at an annual level of not less than one percent of the overall federal budget. Visit http://www.aiaa.org/pdf/public/NASA_Sciences_Funding_Letter_House.pdf to view the resolution.
House Subcommittee Evaluates NASA's Earth Science Programs (Source: House Science Committee)
The Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics heard from a panel of expert witnesses who discussed NASA's FY08 budget request and plans for the agency’s Earth science programs. At the hearing, Space and Aeronautics Ranking Member Tom Feeney (R-FL) made the following statement: “Today’s hearing on NASA’s Earth Sciences and Applications programs, and the FY08 budget request, gives our Committee an opportunity to review NASA’s management of – and rationale for – its current array of Earth-observing missions, and an opportunity to understand how the agency will incorporate the recommendations of the Earth Sciences Decadal Survey into its future plans."
“NASA’s Earth Sciences program is one of that agency’s unsung achievements. When discussing NASA, our nation’s collective attention is often focused on human spaceflight, or stunning images returned from distant planets and orbiting observatories. But rarely does the national press carry front-page stories or images taken from NASA’s Earth-observing satellites, except perhaps, during hurricane season. Having said that, most of the weather and climate prediction tools used daily by forecasters is often a direct product of NASA-sponsored research. And a good portion of climate change research is also made possible by data taken from NASA-developed sensors, satellites, and sophisticated research and analysis products."
Technical Societies Call for Increase to NASA Budget (Source: PRNewswire)
Leaders from 11 professional science and engineering societies called on Congress today to boost NASA's fiscal year 2008 budget or risk losing the nation's scientific and engineering primacy. In a letter, the group asked Congress to support an increase to NASA's FY08 budget of $1.4 billion for aerospace research and technology. The budget is currently under review on Capitol Hill. The signatories represent the thousands of scientists committed to keeping the United States competitive in science and engineering research and development. The letter states, "... we know first-hand that our colleagues continue their work despite the interrelated and disturbing trends of reduced federal research funding, a shrinking workforce in the science and engineering disciplines, and a calamitous decrease in the number of students choosing to carry on this commitment in the future."
The letter agrees with the National Academy of Sciences finding that NASA is "being asked to accomplish too much with too little." NASA does not have the resources to support the space exploration-related programs while maintaining critical space science, earth science, and life and physical science programs. To view a copy of the letter, visit http://www.aiaa.org/pdf/public/NASA_Sciences_Funding_Letter_House.pdf.
June 28 News Items
Texas, a Titan in Space Travel (Source: Star-Telegram)
America's path to outer space has always gone through Texas, and an interactive exhibit on view for the next six weeks at the state's official history museum in Austin explains that link in sometimes spectacular detail. "Made to Walk the Skies: Texas & Space Travel" offers visitors to the Texas State History Museum a glimpse of everything from meals that astronauts eat to an Apollo spacesuit to the giant Titan rocket that was used to launch all the manned Gemini spaceflights during the 1960s.
Dnepr Launches with Genesis II - Bigelow to Report Status Soon (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
After over six months of delays, a Russian Dnepr launch vehicle - a converted RS-20V Voevode (SS-18 Satan) ballistic missile - has finally launched from the ISC Kosmotras Space and Missile Complex near Yasny, Russia, carrying Bigelow Aerospace's Genesis II space station prototype test article. The launch was identified as a success. The status of the spacecraft's health will follow later via a statement from Bigelow Aerospace founder, Robert Bigelow.
Genesis II Calls Home, Says It’s Doing Fine (Source: Bigelow Aerospace)
Bigelow Aerospace has established contact with its second pathfinder spacecraft, Genesis II. Launched Thursday from, Mission Control in Las Vegas made first contact at 2:20 p.m. PDT. Initial data suggests sufficient voltage powering up Genesis II’s batteries as well as expected air pressure. While the actual confirmation of solar panel deployment and spacecraft expansion are expected later, the data suggests that deployment and expansion have been successful. In the coming weeks, BA also hopes to activate the first-ever Space Bingo game aboard Genesis II as a fun activity for the public.
Genesis II is identical in size and appearance to Genesis I – approximately 15 feet (4.4 meters) in length and 6.2 feet (1.9 meters) in diameter at launch, expanding to 2.54 meters (eight feet) in diameter after expansion in orbit. Inside is where the differences can be seen, as Genesis II includes include a suite of additional sensors and avionics that didn’t fly on Genesis I. Moreover, while Genesis I contained 13 video cameras, Genesis II will nearly double that figure to 22 cameras located on both the inside and outside of the spacecraft. The skin is made of several layers that include proprietary impact-resistant materials. Testing on the ground has shown that the expandable shells of a Bigelow module are much more resistant to space debris than the modules on the International Space Station.
Alabama Senator Ensures Funding for Projects (Source: Sen. Shelby)
U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) has announced the inclusion of hundreds of millions of dollars for Alabama-based space programs in an appropriation bill that is now heading for Senate approval. Included are the MSFC-based Lunar Precursor and Robotic Program (LPRP) at $278.2 million; funding for the Space Shuttle Program (and its Propulsion Office at MSFC); $1.225 billion for the MSFC-based Crew Launch Vehicle program; $500K for an Alabama A&M University Geospatial Data Analysis Center; $1.2 million for a University of Alabama Remote Sensing Center; $750K for an Advanced Space Propulsion Material Research and Technology Center at Alabama A&M; $2 million for an Autonomous Rendezvous and Docking System; $2.15 million for the Space Nuclear Power Systems project at MSFC; $1.5 million for Sensor Applications for Non-Destructive Evaluation; $1.25 million for an MSFC Level 4 Data Center Prototype; $2 million for Composite Material Research for Space Exploration to assist MSFC; $1.5 million for an Advanced High Temperature Materials Research partnership between Southern Research Institute and MSFC; $2 million for University of Alabama research on methane/LOX ignition and rocket engine R&D; $500K for U.S. Space and Rocket Center Museum Improvements; and $500K for a Radially Segmented Launch Vehicle (RSLV) LOX/Methane Technology Maturation project at MSFC.
Space Travel Insurance Comes at a Price (Source: Asahi Shimbun)
For anyone considering a shot in space but who worries about insurance problems, put your mind at rest. Japan's first space traveler life insurance will be offered from April next year. The insurance is a joint initiative between JI Accident and Fire Insurance Co. and Lloyd's Japan Co. The two companies agreed to underwrite the insurance because policies for conventional overseas travel do not cover trips into space. The premiums will cost between 5 million and 7 million yen for coverage of 100 million yen, or 10 million to 20 million yen for 200 million yen in coverage, they said. The new insurance will be targeted at people taking trips organized by Space Adventures Ltd. of the United States. They will board spacecraft in either the United States or Russia, before making the 90-minute trip into space and back.
ZERO-G Weightless Experience Adopts ASAP Aviation Platform (Source: BusinessWire)
Florida-based Coastal Technologies Group Inc. (CTGi), a leader in accrual and route optimization for the telecommunications industry, announced that ZERO-G has joined a growing list of aviation companies to use their leading-edgee ASP- based Aviation Management and and Optimization platform. The technology will dynamically optimize flight assignments, minimize non revenue flight miles, and manage margins against a backdrop of ever increasing fuel and regulatory costs," said Richard Kane, CEO for Coastal Technologies Group and a world record holding commercial pilot. ZERO-G will be using CTGi’s software to help manage sales channels, seat reservations, operations, work flow management, and document management.
Wyoming Rocketeer Eyes Sky (Source: Casper Star-Tribune)
Partners of Frontier Astronautics, owners of an old Atlas E missile silo in Wyoming, organized an open house Wednesday to showcase a vehicle being built on behalf of space start-up company SpeedUp. SpeedUp's goal is to deploy a reusable, vertical takeoff and landing, suborbital rocket that can propel the paying public 30,000 feet into the sky in a matter of minutes and return them safety to Earth. "You can think of it as reverse bungy jumping," he said. The launches would occur at the silo site. But first the company needs to raise about $3 million in capital to further develop and perfect his vehicle, and part of Wednesday's rocket test was intended to attract potential investors.
Senate Subcommittees Approve 2008 Funds, Including NASA Mars Activity (Source: Federal Times)
Senate subcommittees approved a $32.3 billion spending bill for the Army Corps of Engineers, the Interior Department's Bureau of Reclamation and the Energy Department, and a $54.6 billion spending bill for agencies including the Justice and Commerce departments and NASA. ... Unlike the House bill, the Senate version does not include language blocking NASA from pursuing exploration of Mars.
America's path to outer space has always gone through Texas, and an interactive exhibit on view for the next six weeks at the state's official history museum in Austin explains that link in sometimes spectacular detail. "Made to Walk the Skies: Texas & Space Travel" offers visitors to the Texas State History Museum a glimpse of everything from meals that astronauts eat to an Apollo spacesuit to the giant Titan rocket that was used to launch all the manned Gemini spaceflights during the 1960s.
Dnepr Launches with Genesis II - Bigelow to Report Status Soon (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
After over six months of delays, a Russian Dnepr launch vehicle - a converted RS-20V Voevode (SS-18 Satan) ballistic missile - has finally launched from the ISC Kosmotras Space and Missile Complex near Yasny, Russia, carrying Bigelow Aerospace's Genesis II space station prototype test article. The launch was identified as a success. The status of the spacecraft's health will follow later via a statement from Bigelow Aerospace founder, Robert Bigelow.
Genesis II Calls Home, Says It’s Doing Fine (Source: Bigelow Aerospace)
Bigelow Aerospace has established contact with its second pathfinder spacecraft, Genesis II. Launched Thursday from, Mission Control in Las Vegas made first contact at 2:20 p.m. PDT. Initial data suggests sufficient voltage powering up Genesis II’s batteries as well as expected air pressure. While the actual confirmation of solar panel deployment and spacecraft expansion are expected later, the data suggests that deployment and expansion have been successful. In the coming weeks, BA also hopes to activate the first-ever Space Bingo game aboard Genesis II as a fun activity for the public.
Genesis II is identical in size and appearance to Genesis I – approximately 15 feet (4.4 meters) in length and 6.2 feet (1.9 meters) in diameter at launch, expanding to 2.54 meters (eight feet) in diameter after expansion in orbit. Inside is where the differences can be seen, as Genesis II includes include a suite of additional sensors and avionics that didn’t fly on Genesis I. Moreover, while Genesis I contained 13 video cameras, Genesis II will nearly double that figure to 22 cameras located on both the inside and outside of the spacecraft. The skin is made of several layers that include proprietary impact-resistant materials. Testing on the ground has shown that the expandable shells of a Bigelow module are much more resistant to space debris than the modules on the International Space Station.
Alabama Senator Ensures Funding for Projects (Source: Sen. Shelby)
U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) has announced the inclusion of hundreds of millions of dollars for Alabama-based space programs in an appropriation bill that is now heading for Senate approval. Included are the MSFC-based Lunar Precursor and Robotic Program (LPRP) at $278.2 million; funding for the Space Shuttle Program (and its Propulsion Office at MSFC); $1.225 billion for the MSFC-based Crew Launch Vehicle program; $500K for an Alabama A&M University Geospatial Data Analysis Center; $1.2 million for a University of Alabama Remote Sensing Center; $750K for an Advanced Space Propulsion Material Research and Technology Center at Alabama A&M; $2 million for an Autonomous Rendezvous and Docking System; $2.15 million for the Space Nuclear Power Systems project at MSFC; $1.5 million for Sensor Applications for Non-Destructive Evaluation; $1.25 million for an MSFC Level 4 Data Center Prototype; $2 million for Composite Material Research for Space Exploration to assist MSFC; $1.5 million for an Advanced High Temperature Materials Research partnership between Southern Research Institute and MSFC; $2 million for University of Alabama research on methane/LOX ignition and rocket engine R&D; $500K for U.S. Space and Rocket Center Museum Improvements; and $500K for a Radially Segmented Launch Vehicle (RSLV) LOX/Methane Technology Maturation project at MSFC.
Space Travel Insurance Comes at a Price (Source: Asahi Shimbun)
For anyone considering a shot in space but who worries about insurance problems, put your mind at rest. Japan's first space traveler life insurance will be offered from April next year. The insurance is a joint initiative between JI Accident and Fire Insurance Co. and Lloyd's Japan Co. The two companies agreed to underwrite the insurance because policies for conventional overseas travel do not cover trips into space. The premiums will cost between 5 million and 7 million yen for coverage of 100 million yen, or 10 million to 20 million yen for 200 million yen in coverage, they said. The new insurance will be targeted at people taking trips organized by Space Adventures Ltd. of the United States. They will board spacecraft in either the United States or Russia, before making the 90-minute trip into space and back.
ZERO-G Weightless Experience Adopts ASAP Aviation Platform (Source: BusinessWire)
Florida-based Coastal Technologies Group Inc. (CTGi), a leader in accrual and route optimization for the telecommunications industry, announced that ZERO-G has joined a growing list of aviation companies to use their leading-edgee ASP- based Aviation Management and and Optimization platform. The technology will dynamically optimize flight assignments, minimize non revenue flight miles, and manage margins against a backdrop of ever increasing fuel and regulatory costs," said Richard Kane, CEO for Coastal Technologies Group and a world record holding commercial pilot. ZERO-G will be using CTGi’s software to help manage sales channels, seat reservations, operations, work flow management, and document management.
Wyoming Rocketeer Eyes Sky (Source: Casper Star-Tribune)
Partners of Frontier Astronautics, owners of an old Atlas E missile silo in Wyoming, organized an open house Wednesday to showcase a vehicle being built on behalf of space start-up company SpeedUp. SpeedUp's goal is to deploy a reusable, vertical takeoff and landing, suborbital rocket that can propel the paying public 30,000 feet into the sky in a matter of minutes and return them safety to Earth. "You can think of it as reverse bungy jumping," he said. The launches would occur at the silo site. But first the company needs to raise about $3 million in capital to further develop and perfect his vehicle, and part of Wednesday's rocket test was intended to attract potential investors.
Senate Subcommittees Approve 2008 Funds, Including NASA Mars Activity (Source: Federal Times)
Senate subcommittees approved a $32.3 billion spending bill for the Army Corps of Engineers, the Interior Department's Bureau of Reclamation and the Energy Department, and a $54.6 billion spending bill for agencies including the Justice and Commerce departments and NASA. ... Unlike the House bill, the Senate version does not include language blocking NASA from pursuing exploration of Mars.
June 27 News Items
Senate Panel Boosts NASA Funding (Source: Space News)
A U.S. Senate panel has recommended providing $17.45 billion for NASA next year, or about $150 million more than the White House requested.
UF Part of New BioEnergy Research Center (Source: SSTI)
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will invest up to $375 million over five years in three new Bioenergy Research Centers, one of which includes the University of Florida as a partner. The centers' research will emphasize understanding how to reengineer biological processes to develop new, more efficient methods for converting the cellulose in plant material into ethanol or other biofuels that serve as a substitute for gasoline. DOE believes this research is critical because future biofuels production will require the use of feedstocks more diverse than corn, including cellulosic material such as agricultural residues, grasses, poplar trees, inedible plants, and nonedible portions of crops. UF is a partner in the the Wisconsin-based Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center
GenCorp Reports 2007 Second Quarter Results (Source: GenCorp)
GenCorp reported that sales from continuing operations for the second quarter 2007 totaled $192.3 million, 15% above the $167.2 million for the second quarter 2006. Sales for the first half of 2007 were $343.1 million compared to $295.5 million for the first half of 2006, an increase of 16%. Sales increases in 2007 reflect growth in the Company's Aerospace and Defense business. Net income for the second quarter 2007 was $12.5 million, compared to a net loss of $7.3 million for the second quarter 2006.
Russia, China Sign Deal to Jointly Explore Mars, Phobos (Source: RIA Novosti)
The Russian and Chinese space agencies signed a deal in Moscow on joint exploration of Mars and its satellite Phobos. The deal between Russia's Federal Space Agency and Chinese National Space Administration is a follow-up of a general agreement for Sino-Russian space cooperation signed in August 2006. China is expected to contribute several critical parts for the Russian Fobos-Grunt rover, which is currently under construction.
First African-American Spacewalker to Visit UCF Science Camp (Source: UCF)
Bernard Harris, the first African-American to walk in space, will address about 50 middle school students attending a science camp that bears his name Thursday, June 28, at the University of Central Florida. Harris will attend the Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp from 1 to 4 p.m. in room 202 of the Chemistry Building on UCF’s main campus. He will speak with the students and watch as they participate in a raft-building competition. The two-week camp, which concludes Thursday, focuses on forensics. Students are analyzing fingerprints, footprints and DNA and taking classes in chemistry, biology, physics and communication. The classes are taught by middle and high school teachers.
Harris Protests NMT Award to Raytheon (Source: Space News)
Harris Corp. of Melbourne, Florida, has protested the U.S. Navy's award of a billion-dollar contract to Raytheon to build a new line of shipboard satellite communications terminals.
ESA Awards Future Launcher Contracts (Source: Space News)
NGL Prime S.p.A., a joint venture of Astrium Space Transportation and Finmeccanica, has signed contracts with the European Space Agency (ESA) to study next-generation rockets and to design a vehicle for launch in 2010 to test reusable rocket materials, the company announced June 26.
Panel to Guide NM Spaceport Tax Revenues for Schools (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
A panel that will help decide how to spend part of the revenue collected through a Doña Ana County spaceport sales tax will be made up of members from local school districts, New Mexico State University, the aerospace industry, the County Commission and the public, county commissioners decided. An estimated $1.6 million in sales tax revenue will be collected next year to fund spaceport-related projects in area schools. The tax, narrowly approved by voters in April, will also will fund construction of Spaceport America, located about 45 miles north of Las Cruces.
Asteroid Mission Planned for July Launch at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: SpaceToday.net)
NASA is pressing ahead with plans to launch a spacecraft to the asteroid belt next month despite technical problems that could delay the launch until this fall. The Dawn mission is scheduled for launch on July 7 on a Delta 2 rocket. The launch has already been delayed a week because of a faulty crane at the launch site used to assemble the launcher; workers have also encountered mechanical problems with some vehicle components. If NASA can't launch the spacecraft by July 11 the launch would be delayed until September, at a cost of $25 million, to avoid delaying the August launch of the Phoenix mission to Mars. Dawn is a Discovery-class mission that will visit two of the largest asteroids in the main belt, Ceres and Vesta.
NASA Announces Constellation Management Changes in Florida (Source: NASA)
Kennedy Space Center Director Bill Parsons recently announced the appointment of John J. "Tip" Talone Jr. to the new position of associate program manager of the Constellation Program at the center. Philip E. "Pepper" Phillips will replace Talone as the director of the Constellation Project Office. In his new position, Talone will continue reporting directly to the center director and the Constellation Program manager at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, acting as a liaison between Parsons and the program. Talone will ensure technical and operational issues are identified and resolved, represent the Constellation Program and KSC to external entities, and provide program insight into NASA and contractor activities throughout the development cycle of the program.
Committee Chairmen React to ISS National Laboratory Report (Source: House SCience Committee)
House Science Committee Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) and Space Subcommittee Chairman Mark Udall (D-CO) issued the following reactions to NASA’s Report to Congress on the ISS "National Laboratory" initiative: Chairman Gordon: “The nation has invested a great deal in the development of the International Space Station, and it clearly is in America’s interest that we get a meaningful return on our investment in this unique and potentially highly productive orbital facility. Thus, we need to make sure that NASA commits the resources and attention required to effectively utilize the ISS in the years ahead. Beyond that, I want to encourage NASA to continue to pursue arrangements that will permit other federal agencies, as well as the private sector, to make good use of the ISS. The ISS National Laboratory report delivered to Congress should be considered just the first step in that effort.”
Chairman Udall: “The International Space Station has the potential to benefit both NASA’s future exploration missions as well as to help address terrestrial needs. However, realizing that potential will require NASA’s commitment to ensuring that the ISS is adequately maintained, supported, and utilized once it has been assembled. It will also require NASA to reach out to other potential users and to work with them in ways that enable the public and private sectors to make cost-effective, productive use of the Station. NASA’s ISS National Laboratory report indicates that there are some promising opportunities on the latter front, and we will be following NASA’s progress closely in the months ahead.”
Martinez Pledges to Keep Fighting for Space Program in Congress (Source: Florida Today)
U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) pledged to help minimize the time between the end of NASA's shuttle program and the first flights of new Apollo-style spacecraft. In a news conference after meeting with Kennedy Space Center officials, Martinez said a gap longer than the five-year hiatus now envisioned would be devastating to the state of Florida. "The economic impact that (KSC) has on the region's economy -- ... all of Florida -- would be dramatic. It would be stark," said Martinez, R-Orlando. "And so what we need to do is make sure that we continue to be there and fight for the program...to ensure that the worst-case scenario doesn't happen. We don't want to get there."
RS&H Tapped to Design Emergency Egress System for Orion (Source: Orlando Business Journal)
Reynolds, Smith and Hills (RS&H) has been selected by NASA to design the emergency egress system for the next-generation Orion space exploration vehicle that is expected to launch in 2014 from the Kennedy Space Center. The new escape system will allow astronauts to travel safely across the launch tower and quickly enter into tram cars, then be whisked down a track to safety, much like a souped-up roller coaster. The Jacksonville-based firm -- which has offices near KSC -- already has designed the new lightning protection system for Orion at Launch Pad 39 and is completing the design for its new mobile launcher.
A U.S. Senate panel has recommended providing $17.45 billion for NASA next year, or about $150 million more than the White House requested.
UF Part of New BioEnergy Research Center (Source: SSTI)
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will invest up to $375 million over five years in three new Bioenergy Research Centers, one of which includes the University of Florida as a partner. The centers' research will emphasize understanding how to reengineer biological processes to develop new, more efficient methods for converting the cellulose in plant material into ethanol or other biofuels that serve as a substitute for gasoline. DOE believes this research is critical because future biofuels production will require the use of feedstocks more diverse than corn, including cellulosic material such as agricultural residues, grasses, poplar trees, inedible plants, and nonedible portions of crops. UF is a partner in the the Wisconsin-based Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center
GenCorp Reports 2007 Second Quarter Results (Source: GenCorp)
GenCorp reported that sales from continuing operations for the second quarter 2007 totaled $192.3 million, 15% above the $167.2 million for the second quarter 2006. Sales for the first half of 2007 were $343.1 million compared to $295.5 million for the first half of 2006, an increase of 16%. Sales increases in 2007 reflect growth in the Company's Aerospace and Defense business. Net income for the second quarter 2007 was $12.5 million, compared to a net loss of $7.3 million for the second quarter 2006.
Russia, China Sign Deal to Jointly Explore Mars, Phobos (Source: RIA Novosti)
The Russian and Chinese space agencies signed a deal in Moscow on joint exploration of Mars and its satellite Phobos. The deal between Russia's Federal Space Agency and Chinese National Space Administration is a follow-up of a general agreement for Sino-Russian space cooperation signed in August 2006. China is expected to contribute several critical parts for the Russian Fobos-Grunt rover, which is currently under construction.
First African-American Spacewalker to Visit UCF Science Camp (Source: UCF)
Bernard Harris, the first African-American to walk in space, will address about 50 middle school students attending a science camp that bears his name Thursday, June 28, at the University of Central Florida. Harris will attend the Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp from 1 to 4 p.m. in room 202 of the Chemistry Building on UCF’s main campus. He will speak with the students and watch as they participate in a raft-building competition. The two-week camp, which concludes Thursday, focuses on forensics. Students are analyzing fingerprints, footprints and DNA and taking classes in chemistry, biology, physics and communication. The classes are taught by middle and high school teachers.
Harris Protests NMT Award to Raytheon (Source: Space News)
Harris Corp. of Melbourne, Florida, has protested the U.S. Navy's award of a billion-dollar contract to Raytheon to build a new line of shipboard satellite communications terminals.
ESA Awards Future Launcher Contracts (Source: Space News)
NGL Prime S.p.A., a joint venture of Astrium Space Transportation and Finmeccanica, has signed contracts with the European Space Agency (ESA) to study next-generation rockets and to design a vehicle for launch in 2010 to test reusable rocket materials, the company announced June 26.
Panel to Guide NM Spaceport Tax Revenues for Schools (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
A panel that will help decide how to spend part of the revenue collected through a Doña Ana County spaceport sales tax will be made up of members from local school districts, New Mexico State University, the aerospace industry, the County Commission and the public, county commissioners decided. An estimated $1.6 million in sales tax revenue will be collected next year to fund spaceport-related projects in area schools. The tax, narrowly approved by voters in April, will also will fund construction of Spaceport America, located about 45 miles north of Las Cruces.
Asteroid Mission Planned for July Launch at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: SpaceToday.net)
NASA is pressing ahead with plans to launch a spacecraft to the asteroid belt next month despite technical problems that could delay the launch until this fall. The Dawn mission is scheduled for launch on July 7 on a Delta 2 rocket. The launch has already been delayed a week because of a faulty crane at the launch site used to assemble the launcher; workers have also encountered mechanical problems with some vehicle components. If NASA can't launch the spacecraft by July 11 the launch would be delayed until September, at a cost of $25 million, to avoid delaying the August launch of the Phoenix mission to Mars. Dawn is a Discovery-class mission that will visit two of the largest asteroids in the main belt, Ceres and Vesta.
NASA Announces Constellation Management Changes in Florida (Source: NASA)
Kennedy Space Center Director Bill Parsons recently announced the appointment of John J. "Tip" Talone Jr. to the new position of associate program manager of the Constellation Program at the center. Philip E. "Pepper" Phillips will replace Talone as the director of the Constellation Project Office. In his new position, Talone will continue reporting directly to the center director and the Constellation Program manager at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, acting as a liaison between Parsons and the program. Talone will ensure technical and operational issues are identified and resolved, represent the Constellation Program and KSC to external entities, and provide program insight into NASA and contractor activities throughout the development cycle of the program.
Committee Chairmen React to ISS National Laboratory Report (Source: House SCience Committee)
House Science Committee Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) and Space Subcommittee Chairman Mark Udall (D-CO) issued the following reactions to NASA’s Report to Congress on the ISS "National Laboratory" initiative: Chairman Gordon: “The nation has invested a great deal in the development of the International Space Station, and it clearly is in America’s interest that we get a meaningful return on our investment in this unique and potentially highly productive orbital facility. Thus, we need to make sure that NASA commits the resources and attention required to effectively utilize the ISS in the years ahead. Beyond that, I want to encourage NASA to continue to pursue arrangements that will permit other federal agencies, as well as the private sector, to make good use of the ISS. The ISS National Laboratory report delivered to Congress should be considered just the first step in that effort.”
Chairman Udall: “The International Space Station has the potential to benefit both NASA’s future exploration missions as well as to help address terrestrial needs. However, realizing that potential will require NASA’s commitment to ensuring that the ISS is adequately maintained, supported, and utilized once it has been assembled. It will also require NASA to reach out to other potential users and to work with them in ways that enable the public and private sectors to make cost-effective, productive use of the Station. NASA’s ISS National Laboratory report indicates that there are some promising opportunities on the latter front, and we will be following NASA’s progress closely in the months ahead.”
Martinez Pledges to Keep Fighting for Space Program in Congress (Source: Florida Today)
U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) pledged to help minimize the time between the end of NASA's shuttle program and the first flights of new Apollo-style spacecraft. In a news conference after meeting with Kennedy Space Center officials, Martinez said a gap longer than the five-year hiatus now envisioned would be devastating to the state of Florida. "The economic impact that (KSC) has on the region's economy -- ... all of Florida -- would be dramatic. It would be stark," said Martinez, R-Orlando. "And so what we need to do is make sure that we continue to be there and fight for the program...to ensure that the worst-case scenario doesn't happen. We don't want to get there."
RS&H Tapped to Design Emergency Egress System for Orion (Source: Orlando Business Journal)
Reynolds, Smith and Hills (RS&H) has been selected by NASA to design the emergency egress system for the next-generation Orion space exploration vehicle that is expected to launch in 2014 from the Kennedy Space Center. The new escape system will allow astronauts to travel safely across the launch tower and quickly enter into tram cars, then be whisked down a track to safety, much like a souped-up roller coaster. The Jacksonville-based firm -- which has offices near KSC -- already has designed the new lightning protection system for Orion at Launch Pad 39 and is completing the design for its new mobile launcher.
June 26 News Items
NASA Details Plan to Open ISS for Outside Use (Source: Space.com)
NASA is pressing ahead with plans to use part of the International Space Station (ISS) as a national laboratory, a move that would reserve about half of the outpost's U.S. science facilities for outside use by 2011. The plan hinges on the completion of the half-built $100 billion space station by September 2010. "What we're trying to do is open up the U.S. segment of the space station to be utilized by a variety of folks, both governmental and maybe commercial, in the future so that we can take the maximum advantage of the space station," said a NASA official.
"Previously, we had anticipated that all the research conducted on the station would be research within NASA's mission portfolio," said Mark Uhran, the space agency's associate administrator for the ISS. "Now what we're looking to do is make the facility available to other government agencies or private firms to pursue their own research interests." The level of interest among non-NASA agencies to use the ISS could ultimately decide how long the space station remains in operation beyond its current 2016 design lifetime.
NASA: Researchers Can Use Space Station for Free, If They Can Get There (Source: Boston Globe)
Part of the international space station may host research experiments from outsiders after it's completed in three years, according to NASA officials. The agency is talking with several government agencies and private businesses that want to conduct research at the station. There will be no fees for using the station, but researchers will have to find their own way there, as the space shuttles will be grounded after 2010.
NASA is pressing ahead with plans to use part of the International Space Station (ISS) as a national laboratory, a move that would reserve about half of the outpost's U.S. science facilities for outside use by 2011. The plan hinges on the completion of the half-built $100 billion space station by September 2010. "What we're trying to do is open up the U.S. segment of the space station to be utilized by a variety of folks, both governmental and maybe commercial, in the future so that we can take the maximum advantage of the space station," said a NASA official.
"Previously, we had anticipated that all the research conducted on the station would be research within NASA's mission portfolio," said Mark Uhran, the space agency's associate administrator for the ISS. "Now what we're looking to do is make the facility available to other government agencies or private firms to pursue their own research interests." The level of interest among non-NASA agencies to use the ISS could ultimately decide how long the space station remains in operation beyond its current 2016 design lifetime.
NASA: Researchers Can Use Space Station for Free, If They Can Get There (Source: Boston Globe)
Part of the international space station may host research experiments from outsiders after it's completed in three years, according to NASA officials. The agency is talking with several government agencies and private businesses that want to conduct research at the station. There will be no fees for using the station, but researchers will have to find their own way there, as the space shuttles will be grounded after 2010.
June 25 News Items
Sen. Martinez Discussing Future Of Space Program Monday (Source: CFL13.com)
As NASA continues making preparations to bring Atlantis back to Central Florida from California, Florida U.S. Senator Mel Martinez is making preparations to talk about the future of the space program. Martinez will be at the Kennedy Space Center on Monday. He plans on meeting with NASA leaders about funding for the space agency. As it stands now, the shuttle is due to retire in 2010 and be replaced by new space vehicles. But budget cuts at NASA have some concerned those projects would have to be delayed. Martinez says he wants to find ways to make sure that doesn't happen.
Canada Needs a New Space Policy (Source: CDFAI)
In order to meet Canada's national security challenges in the 21st century, the government must develop and implement a truly independent national space policy and strategy and devote much greater attention and resources to space, says a new study released by the Canadian Defense & Foreign Affairs Institute (CDFAI). "The economic and military significance of space services has grown dramatically over the last decade. Canadian policy remains relatively unchanged. Unless the government moves forward, Canada will have little influence on the manner in which existing and emerging crucial space security issues are managed."
The report details the evolution, current state and future direction of global space thinking, investment and activities and Canada's place therein. Space, or more accurately the hundreds of satellites on orbit providing a range of crucial services, has become part of the world's and Canada's critical economic infrastructure. It has also become a vital enabler of modern military, defence and security operations. In the future, space will become an independent environment of global competition and conflict. Canada's national security will require the nation to become a major contributor to the protection and defence of this critical infrastructure.
Small Business Organization Concerned About NASA Contracting (Source: ASBL)
A new Small Business Administration (SBA) policy set to take effect on Jun. 30 will allow NASA to continue to count contracts to Fortune 1000 firms towards their federally mandated 23 percent small business contracting goal. In 2006 NASA lost a federal lawsuit and was forced to disclose that it had included billions of dollars in contracts to many of the nation's largest defense and aerospace firms towards their small business contracting goal. Despite this finding, the new SBA policy will allow NASA to continue including awards to firms such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin in their small business contracting statistics until the year 2012.
The SBA was previously forced to shelve a grandfathering policy allowing this federal contracting practice, after receiving more than 6000 objections to the proposed policy. New SBA Administrator Steven Preston resurrected the unpopular grandfathering policy shortly after he was appointed to office, renaming it "five-year re-certification." The Senate is expected to propose legislation to remove Fortune 1000 firms and all large businesses from federal small business contracting programs before the end of 2007.
NASA Aims to Move Up Endeavour Launch (Source: Florida Today)
NASA is aiming to move up the planned launch of shuttle Endeavour to Aug. 7 and sistership Atlantis is headed for a weekend return to Kennedy Space Center. Now targeted for an Aug. 9 liftoff, the launch of Endeavour on an International Space Station construction mission will mark the orbiter's first post-Columbia flight. "That'll be Endeavour's first launch in five years," said KSC spokesman George Diller.
Armadillo Aerospace: Scaling Up for Modularized Spaceships (Source: Space News)
Since 2001 Armadillo Aerospace has made more than 100 rocket-powered test flights using three different propellant combinations and some 50 engines in a dozen vehicles. The company also has used various kinds of attitude control systems and several generations of electronics boxes to control their launch vehicles. Officials at the Texas-based company believe this step-by-step approach is helping them make significant inroads into computer-controlled, vertical-takeoff and vertical-landing technology that will lead to a new type of human suborbital - and eventually orbital - vehicles in the coming years.
The company's plan is to push forward on a new generation of reusable vehicles. These will be fashioned around mass-produced, modular, bolt-together units composed of dual, liquid oxygen/ethanol propellant tanks mounted on top of an engine. "In theory, we can bolt together as many as we need, whether it's 16 or 64 of them," Carmack said. The modular approach permits Armadillo Aerospace to scale both boosters and upper stages to handle any size payload that is necessary. He sees modularized propulsion systems as the scaleable foundation that takes the company through commercial operations and, eventually, all the way to orbit.
Dayton Laboratory Researches Effect of Small Debris on Space Vehicles (Source: AIA)
Researchers at the University of Dayton are shooting slugs into metal plates with the fastest light-gas gun in the world. They hope to simulate the impact of small chunks of space debris on space vehicles and other equipment. NASA tracks thousands of pieces of debris in space that are larger than a baseball, but research is needed into the effect of smaller, untracked particles, senior research engineer Kevin Poorman says.
French Firm a Leader in Civilian Rocket Market (Source: Wall Street Journal)
If American rocket makers stumble, French firm Arianespace is in line to provide civilian rockets to carry payloads into space. NASA administrator Michael Griffin likes the company's Ariane 5 rocket. Watching the rocket take off, Griffin said the launch system is "probably the best in the world, very smooth and very impressive."
Raytheon Protests Award of Contract to Rivals (Source: Reuters)
Raytheon has filed a protest with the government over its award of a cargo contract to a team of rival contractors. A team led by L-3 Communications Holdings won the contract to supply cargo aircraft over the next five years to the Army and Air Force (using Florida's Cecil Field as a location for the operations). "Raytheon filed a bid protest on Friday with the Government Accountability Office regarding the Joint Cargo Aircraft award announced June 13, 2007. We will have no further comment at this time," Raytheon said.
Squeeze on NASA Earth Science Budget Causing Alarm (Source: Congressional Quarterly)
A squeeze on funding for satellites to look down on the Earth’s environment at a time of growing need for research into the effects of climate change is creating alarm among scientists and on Capitol Hill. NASA is seeing its science budget shrink and its satellite Earth observation capacity endangered even as the agency’s overall mission grows. Since President Bush announced his Vision for Space Exploration, the administration has reduced future-year funding for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate by a total of $4 billion, according to a House panel. A two-year study released by the National Research Council found that NASA’s Earth science budget had declined 30 percent since 2000 and was threatened to fall even further.
IHMC CEO Appointed to NASA Advisory Council (Source: IHMC)
Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) CEO Dr. Ken Ford has been appointed to serve on the prestigious NASA Advisory Council. As member, Ford will join an elite cadre of 34 recognized experts from across the nation, including pioneering Apollo astronaut Neil Armstrong, to advise NASA Administrator Michael Griffin on issues and policies important to NASA missions of exploration, science, and engineering.
Ford previously worked in senior positions at NASA Ames Research Center. In addition to the NASA Advisory Council, Ford also serves on the National Science Board, the Air Force Science Advisory Board, and was recently reappointed to serve on the board of Space Florida.
RpK Tells NASA It Will Get $500M in Financing by July (Source: Space News)
Rocketplane Kistler (RpK), one of two U.S. companies receiving financial assistance from NASA to build launchers capable of cheaply delivering cargo to the international space station, says it expects to have $500 million in private financing lined up by late July. RpK's disclosure follows NASA's acknowledgement that the Oklahoma City-based company missed a May 31 deadline for showing NASA that it had secured the rest of the money it needs to complete the K-1 reusable launcher and to demonstrate by 2010 that it is ready to make cargo runs to the space station.
Russia Assures ILS of Steady Supply of Proton Rockets (Source: Space News)
International Launch Services (ILS), the U.S.-based company that sells the Russian Proton-M rocket commercially, has received assurances by the Russian government and by Proton's builder that a steady production of six commercial rockets per year will be available. Nine months after ILS's reorganization following the exit of Lockheed Martin as majority shareholder, the company is benefiting from the reorganization of Russia's space-hardware sector.
Proton's prime contractor, the government-owned Khrunichev Space Center of Moscow, has been given broad new responsibilities and now has control over the full Proton production process. In particular, the Breeze-M upper-stage engine, which has caused ILS difficulties in the past, now is under Khrunichev control. Breeze-M engines, which used to require 60 days of production, now are produced in 45 days.
Investigation of Atlas 5 Launch Problem Begins (Source: Space News)
The Air Force and United Launch Alliance are reviewing telemetry and other data to determine the cause of the problem experienced during the June 15 launch of a classified payload aboard an Atlas 5 rocket. The Centaur upper-stage engine experienced "degraded performance" during the launch, but it was not considered a failure. The classified National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) satellite still is expected to be able to perform its mission.
Bigelow Prepares for Launch of Genesis 2 (Source: Space News)
Bigelow Aerospace is expected to launch its next expandable space module, Genesis 2, some time the week of June 25. As the second privately built pathfinder spacecraft for Bigelow Aerospace, Genesis 2 will be placed into Earth orbit by a Dnepr rocket launched from the ISC Kosmotras Space and Missile Complex near Yasny, Russia.
Austrian Officials Release Suspected Russian Spy (Source: Space News)
Austrian authorities on June 21 released a senior Russian space agency (Roskosmos) official who had been detained 10 days earlier on suspicion of spying. Vladimir Vozhzhov was delivered to the Russian embassy premises and was expected to return to Moscow shortly. The official Roskosmos Web site identifies Vozhzhov as the deputy head of the agency's international cooperation department. He was in Vienna as part of the official Russian delegation to the 50th session of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
Cape's Delta 4 Launch Pad Repaired (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
With cracks on its launch pad freshly patched up, the giant Delta 4-Heavy rocket has returned to the oceanfront complex aiming for a middle-of-the-night blastoff in late August to haul a missile observation satellite into orbit for the U.S. Air Force. This version of the Delta 4 is the biggest unmanned rocket available in the U.S. inventory today.
As NASA continues making preparations to bring Atlantis back to Central Florida from California, Florida U.S. Senator Mel Martinez is making preparations to talk about the future of the space program. Martinez will be at the Kennedy Space Center on Monday. He plans on meeting with NASA leaders about funding for the space agency. As it stands now, the shuttle is due to retire in 2010 and be replaced by new space vehicles. But budget cuts at NASA have some concerned those projects would have to be delayed. Martinez says he wants to find ways to make sure that doesn't happen.
Canada Needs a New Space Policy (Source: CDFAI)
In order to meet Canada's national security challenges in the 21st century, the government must develop and implement a truly independent national space policy and strategy and devote much greater attention and resources to space, says a new study released by the Canadian Defense & Foreign Affairs Institute (CDFAI). "The economic and military significance of space services has grown dramatically over the last decade. Canadian policy remains relatively unchanged. Unless the government moves forward, Canada will have little influence on the manner in which existing and emerging crucial space security issues are managed."
The report details the evolution, current state and future direction of global space thinking, investment and activities and Canada's place therein. Space, or more accurately the hundreds of satellites on orbit providing a range of crucial services, has become part of the world's and Canada's critical economic infrastructure. It has also become a vital enabler of modern military, defence and security operations. In the future, space will become an independent environment of global competition and conflict. Canada's national security will require the nation to become a major contributor to the protection and defence of this critical infrastructure.
Small Business Organization Concerned About NASA Contracting (Source: ASBL)
A new Small Business Administration (SBA) policy set to take effect on Jun. 30 will allow NASA to continue to count contracts to Fortune 1000 firms towards their federally mandated 23 percent small business contracting goal. In 2006 NASA lost a federal lawsuit and was forced to disclose that it had included billions of dollars in contracts to many of the nation's largest defense and aerospace firms towards their small business contracting goal. Despite this finding, the new SBA policy will allow NASA to continue including awards to firms such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin in their small business contracting statistics until the year 2012.
The SBA was previously forced to shelve a grandfathering policy allowing this federal contracting practice, after receiving more than 6000 objections to the proposed policy. New SBA Administrator Steven Preston resurrected the unpopular grandfathering policy shortly after he was appointed to office, renaming it "five-year re-certification." The Senate is expected to propose legislation to remove Fortune 1000 firms and all large businesses from federal small business contracting programs before the end of 2007.
NASA Aims to Move Up Endeavour Launch (Source: Florida Today)
NASA is aiming to move up the planned launch of shuttle Endeavour to Aug. 7 and sistership Atlantis is headed for a weekend return to Kennedy Space Center. Now targeted for an Aug. 9 liftoff, the launch of Endeavour on an International Space Station construction mission will mark the orbiter's first post-Columbia flight. "That'll be Endeavour's first launch in five years," said KSC spokesman George Diller.
Armadillo Aerospace: Scaling Up for Modularized Spaceships (Source: Space News)
Since 2001 Armadillo Aerospace has made more than 100 rocket-powered test flights using three different propellant combinations and some 50 engines in a dozen vehicles. The company also has used various kinds of attitude control systems and several generations of electronics boxes to control their launch vehicles. Officials at the Texas-based company believe this step-by-step approach is helping them make significant inroads into computer-controlled, vertical-takeoff and vertical-landing technology that will lead to a new type of human suborbital - and eventually orbital - vehicles in the coming years.
The company's plan is to push forward on a new generation of reusable vehicles. These will be fashioned around mass-produced, modular, bolt-together units composed of dual, liquid oxygen/ethanol propellant tanks mounted on top of an engine. "In theory, we can bolt together as many as we need, whether it's 16 or 64 of them," Carmack said. The modular approach permits Armadillo Aerospace to scale both boosters and upper stages to handle any size payload that is necessary. He sees modularized propulsion systems as the scaleable foundation that takes the company through commercial operations and, eventually, all the way to orbit.
Dayton Laboratory Researches Effect of Small Debris on Space Vehicles (Source: AIA)
Researchers at the University of Dayton are shooting slugs into metal plates with the fastest light-gas gun in the world. They hope to simulate the impact of small chunks of space debris on space vehicles and other equipment. NASA tracks thousands of pieces of debris in space that are larger than a baseball, but research is needed into the effect of smaller, untracked particles, senior research engineer Kevin Poorman says.
French Firm a Leader in Civilian Rocket Market (Source: Wall Street Journal)
If American rocket makers stumble, French firm Arianespace is in line to provide civilian rockets to carry payloads into space. NASA administrator Michael Griffin likes the company's Ariane 5 rocket. Watching the rocket take off, Griffin said the launch system is "probably the best in the world, very smooth and very impressive."
Raytheon Protests Award of Contract to Rivals (Source: Reuters)
Raytheon has filed a protest with the government over its award of a cargo contract to a team of rival contractors. A team led by L-3 Communications Holdings won the contract to supply cargo aircraft over the next five years to the Army and Air Force (using Florida's Cecil Field as a location for the operations). "Raytheon filed a bid protest on Friday with the Government Accountability Office regarding the Joint Cargo Aircraft award announced June 13, 2007. We will have no further comment at this time," Raytheon said.
Squeeze on NASA Earth Science Budget Causing Alarm (Source: Congressional Quarterly)
A squeeze on funding for satellites to look down on the Earth’s environment at a time of growing need for research into the effects of climate change is creating alarm among scientists and on Capitol Hill. NASA is seeing its science budget shrink and its satellite Earth observation capacity endangered even as the agency’s overall mission grows. Since President Bush announced his Vision for Space Exploration, the administration has reduced future-year funding for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate by a total of $4 billion, according to a House panel. A two-year study released by the National Research Council found that NASA’s Earth science budget had declined 30 percent since 2000 and was threatened to fall even further.
IHMC CEO Appointed to NASA Advisory Council (Source: IHMC)
Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) CEO Dr. Ken Ford has been appointed to serve on the prestigious NASA Advisory Council. As member, Ford will join an elite cadre of 34 recognized experts from across the nation, including pioneering Apollo astronaut Neil Armstrong, to advise NASA Administrator Michael Griffin on issues and policies important to NASA missions of exploration, science, and engineering.
Ford previously worked in senior positions at NASA Ames Research Center. In addition to the NASA Advisory Council, Ford also serves on the National Science Board, the Air Force Science Advisory Board, and was recently reappointed to serve on the board of Space Florida.
RpK Tells NASA It Will Get $500M in Financing by July (Source: Space News)
Rocketplane Kistler (RpK), one of two U.S. companies receiving financial assistance from NASA to build launchers capable of cheaply delivering cargo to the international space station, says it expects to have $500 million in private financing lined up by late July. RpK's disclosure follows NASA's acknowledgement that the Oklahoma City-based company missed a May 31 deadline for showing NASA that it had secured the rest of the money it needs to complete the K-1 reusable launcher and to demonstrate by 2010 that it is ready to make cargo runs to the space station.
Russia Assures ILS of Steady Supply of Proton Rockets (Source: Space News)
International Launch Services (ILS), the U.S.-based company that sells the Russian Proton-M rocket commercially, has received assurances by the Russian government and by Proton's builder that a steady production of six commercial rockets per year will be available. Nine months after ILS's reorganization following the exit of Lockheed Martin as majority shareholder, the company is benefiting from the reorganization of Russia's space-hardware sector.
Proton's prime contractor, the government-owned Khrunichev Space Center of Moscow, has been given broad new responsibilities and now has control over the full Proton production process. In particular, the Breeze-M upper-stage engine, which has caused ILS difficulties in the past, now is under Khrunichev control. Breeze-M engines, which used to require 60 days of production, now are produced in 45 days.
Investigation of Atlas 5 Launch Problem Begins (Source: Space News)
The Air Force and United Launch Alliance are reviewing telemetry and other data to determine the cause of the problem experienced during the June 15 launch of a classified payload aboard an Atlas 5 rocket. The Centaur upper-stage engine experienced "degraded performance" during the launch, but it was not considered a failure. The classified National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) satellite still is expected to be able to perform its mission.
Bigelow Prepares for Launch of Genesis 2 (Source: Space News)
Bigelow Aerospace is expected to launch its next expandable space module, Genesis 2, some time the week of June 25. As the second privately built pathfinder spacecraft for Bigelow Aerospace, Genesis 2 will be placed into Earth orbit by a Dnepr rocket launched from the ISC Kosmotras Space and Missile Complex near Yasny, Russia.
Austrian Officials Release Suspected Russian Spy (Source: Space News)
Austrian authorities on June 21 released a senior Russian space agency (Roskosmos) official who had been detained 10 days earlier on suspicion of spying. Vladimir Vozhzhov was delivered to the Russian embassy premises and was expected to return to Moscow shortly. The official Roskosmos Web site identifies Vozhzhov as the deputy head of the agency's international cooperation department. He was in Vienna as part of the official Russian delegation to the 50th session of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
Cape's Delta 4 Launch Pad Repaired (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
With cracks on its launch pad freshly patched up, the giant Delta 4-Heavy rocket has returned to the oceanfront complex aiming for a middle-of-the-night blastoff in late August to haul a missile observation satellite into orbit for the U.S. Air Force. This version of the Delta 4 is the biggest unmanned rocket available in the U.S. inventory today.
June 24 News Items
Arianespace to Sign Contract For Rockets Valued at $3.5 Billion (Source: Wall Street Journal)
French rocket operator Arianespace has entered into an agreement with an estimated value of more than $3.5 billion to buy 35 launchers from its long-established prime contractor, the Astrium space unit of European Aeronautic Defense & Space Co. (EADS). Announced during the closing weekend of the international air show in Le Bourget, the five-year agreement underscores that Arianespace plans to continue ramping up its tempo launching heavy-lift Ariane 5 rockets from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
Kennedy Space Center Now 'Storm Ready' (Source: CFNews13.com)
Kennedy Space Center has been declared "storm ready" by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service. KSC is the first government site in the state to earn the certification. The StormReady program is designed to reduce the number of injuries and property damage from severe storms. "You have the ability to provide warning to residents or workers or employees. You have the ability to educate them in terms of severe weather -- the impacts of severe weather -- and you have the facilities where people can ride out severe weather events," said Bob Lay. One thing KSC cannot protect is a space shuttle on a launch pad. Earlier this year, hail damaged the external fuel tank, which delayed launches. NASA said they have no way to make the shuttle more storm ready [aside from returning it to the VAB].
Boeing Orbital Express Achieves Another First (Source: Boeing)
Boeing announced that the Orbital Express system, a program to validate spacecraft servicing capability led by DARPA, has performed a fully-autonomous "fly-around and capture" of its NextSat client spacecraft, marking another industry first for the innovative program. During the five-hour test on June 16, Boeing's Autonomous Space Transport Robotic Operations (ASTRO) servicing spacecraft used its onboard cameras and advanced video guidance system to separate from, circle and re-mate with the Ball Aerospace NextSat client spacecraft. The test primarily used passive sensors with no active exchange of relative navigation information or involvement by ground controllers.
Space Station's Lack of Back-Up Computers is Questioned (Source: New Scientist)
Even the all-purpose keyboard reboot command Ctrl-Alt-Delete would have failed to fix this computer glitch. Last week, six of the International Space Station's computers crashed at once, raising questions about the lack of any independent back-up. The German-made computers control the station's orientation and oxygen supply. By Sunday the computers were running again, though only thanks to some improvised rewiring. They will be replaced in July, but NASA engineers are investigating whether the ISS might also need back-up processors and software, similar to the space shuttle's last-resort computer, which runs its own separate programming. Meanwhile, European Space Agency officials are examining two computers of the same type that crashed, which are part of the agency's Columbus lab module, due to be flown up to the ISS later this year.
One Down, Three More Shuttle Missions To Go in 2007 (Source: USA Today)
The safe landing of space shuttle Atlantis paves the way for NASA to stick to an ambitious schedule for building the International Space Station this year. NASA plans three more shuttle missions in the remaining six months of 2007, which will require a flight rate that the agency hasn't achieved since 2002. Each flight is a complex and jam-packed mission to add to the station, which is just over halfway done. "If we don't get one of those gotchas, I feel pretty good about three more launches this year," said Michael Leinbach, shuttle launch director.
Spaceport America: We must Have Counties’ Support (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
State legislators were reassured Friday that it was in the best interest of two southern New Mexico counties to hike their gross receipts tax to help fund Spaceport America in southern Sierra County. The issue was raised by Sen. Rod Adair, R-Roswell, a member of the Legislative Finance Committee. Spaceport officials intend to partially pay for the project with proceeds from gross receipts increases in three counties — Doña Ana, Otero and Sierra — totaling about $58 million. Voters in Doña Ana County narrowly passed its tax hike in April. Spaceport officials said at the time it would have been impossible to go forward with the project without support from Doña Ana County, which will account for about $49 million of the $58 million. Otero and Sierra have yet to set a date for their referendums. "As I recall, the issue was if this resolution here doesn't pass then we don't have a spaceport," Adair said, referring to the April election. "If it does pass, then we're good to go... What's the incentive for Otero and Sierra counties?"
Satellite Destruction Using Google Earth And Orbitron (Source: Information Week)
Researchers have used off-the-shelf software as part of an experiment to demonstrate the vulnerability of critical space infrastructure. After a brief stop by Wikipedia to brush up on China's destruction of its Feng Yun 1C weather satellite in January, you download Sebastian Stoff's Orbitron satellite tracking software and Google Earth, to make your attack easier to visualize. You pick a target. Why not Feng Yun 1D, since the Chinese don't appear to care much for their weather satellites? You plot the satellite's position ten minutes hence using your computer and you feed the predicted latitude, longitude, and altitude to your hidden launch pad control center. Using literature that's been available since the 1960s, you -- or your launch control staff, if you've got the requisite payroll of a Bond villain or an international terrorist cabal -- compute the amount of fuel needed to get your one-stage rocket and its warhead to the satellite's future position.
You plot a "solution" or flight plan that takes into account the liftoff phase, the controlled orbit insertion phase, and the ballistic fall onto the target. You double check your math, because you've got a small chunk of change invested in this scheme. Lacking the standard red launch button, you settle for clicking the "Destroy Satellite" dialog box (you had to code this yourself). Your computer dutifully asks for confirmation: "Are you sure you want to Destroy Satellite? This operation cannot be undone ." This, more or less, is what Adrian Gheorghe, Professor of Systems Engineering at Old Dominion University Norfolk, Virginia, and Dan Vamanu, a Senior Researcher at the National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering in Bucharest, Romania, did as an experiment to demonstrate the vulnerability of critical space infrastructure.
ESA and CNES Sign Assistance Contracts for Ariane (Source: ESA)
ESA and the French National Space Agency (Centre National d'Études Spatiales – CNES) signed two contracts covering the provision of assistance to ESA by CNES for parts of the Ariane launcher program. A reorganization of the European launcher sector establishes "Astrium Space Transportation" as the sole Prime Contractor for both development and production of Ariane launch vehicles. Meanwhile, there will be direct ESA management of all new ESA-funded Ariane programs while making use of the existing knowledge and experience within CNES. Prior to this change, ESA delegated the management of the Ariane Program to CNES.
Moon Jobs May Crater (Source: Rutgers University)
Think your job is tough? In the not-too-distant future, some jobs will challenge workers placed far, far away from it all. On the moon, in fact. According to an associate professor at Rutgers, the lunar settlements of tomorrow – or, for that matter, the space stations of today – carry long-term implications for the mental health of employees working in isolation for extended periods. Depression and anxiety will reach new levels among those employees, creating mental and cardiovascular health problems as well as a sharp decline in productivity. Existing research already finds that workers in earthbound, quasi-isolated work environments, such as remote Australian mining towns or Antarctic stations, experience higher levels of depression. Just imagine what might happen if those workers were placed in the extreme isolation of a lunar environment, where interaction with their coworkers may determine their very survival.
Russian Space Agency Signs Contracts for Soyuz Launches from Kourou (Source: Roscosmos)
Roscosmos has signed a contract for four launches of European satellites from Kourou (French Guiana). The first launch is scheduled for 2009.
Air Force Orders Additional SBIRS Satellites (Source: Launchspace)
The Space Based Infrared Systems (SBIRS) Program Office intends to issue a contract for the production of one additional SBIRS Geosynchronous Earth Orbit satellite (GEO 3) and two additional Highly Elliptical Orbit payloads (HEO 3 and 4), according to Air Force documents released Thursday. The SBIRS program office anticipates releasing the sole source Request For Proposal next month to Lockheed Martin with a contract award in January 2008. In related news, the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center has awarded General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems a $6.4 million contract modification to continue work on the Alternative Infrared Satellite System (AIRSS) program.
From Special Ed To NASA (Source: Philadelphia Inquirer)
On the JSC door labeled "Trajectory Operations and Planning" is the name of Jarmaine Ollivierre. The talk inside is of vector propagation - predicting with pinpoint accuracy where the International Space Station will be in the next minute, the next day, the next week as it rounds Earth at five miles per second. Anticipating the precise course so it can be tweaked to avert a big bang isn't easy, Ollivierre said. For a young aerospace engineer, it's heaven. Ollivierre, 31, is one of Say Yes to Education's stellar successes: the former special education student at Belmont Elementary now holds a bachelor's in aeronautical engineering and another in physics from Tuskegee University, and a master's in technical management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Group Battles for Florida's Place in Space (Source: Florida Today)
The clock is counting down to the mothballing of the space shuttle in 2010, but Florida's efforts to save 5,000 Kennedy Space Center jobs have been on hold. Space Florida, the quasi-governmental agency in charge of recruiting new aerospace business, hadn't convened a board meeting since January while it waited for Gov. Charlie Crist to appoint new members, which he did Friday. "We don't want to rush these appointments," Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, Crist's point man on space, said Thursday. "We're being deliberative."
Sen. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, said Florida's space recruitment efforts have been so frustratingly slow and bureaucratic, it might be a good thing that the board was unable to meet. "We're in an economic war with these other states and we're yielding to them," he said. Space Coast lawmaker Bob Allen fought Gov. Jeb Bush's reorganization of space recruiting efforts that resulted in the creation of Space Florida, but remains on the board. He said Florida is not being aggressive enough, and says the 2006 Florida Space Act requires Space Florida to conduct too many studies while states like Alabama, Colorado and California move ahead with aggressive recruiting. "I don't need another study to tell me that it's tough doing business with the Air Force and the Department of Defense," he said.
In an interview from the Paris Air Show, Space Florida President Steve Kohler insisted the lack of a board quorum before Friday hadn't stopped his recruiting efforts. Kohler said he was still able to have "progressive" meetings with industry representatives at the prestigious trade show, but he didn't want to tip off competitors by giving any details. "We're not being held back, we're moving forward," he said. Space Florida recently announced a deal for SpaceX of El Segundo, Calif., to launch Falcon 9 rockets from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. Kohler is also working to hammer out an agreement with NASA to harness the massive Shuttle Landing Facility for commercial use. Kohler said he's not giving up on Richard Branson, and that the Shuttle Landing Facility's proximity to Disney World and other attractions still makes it a viable option for space tourism.
Albuquerque Business to Offer Drinks from Space (Source: Albuquerque Tribune)
It came from outer space. Tiny microorganisms that flew through space and survived harsh temperature fluctuations and microgravity could soon be invading your beer 'fridge. Rich Glover, president of Microgravity Enterprises of Albuquerque, shot the little creatures - OK, they're yeast cells - 75 miles into the sky on a rocket at the New Mexico SpacePort in April. The yeast-ronauts' mission? To make it home alive so they can ferment sugar in the first commercial "space beer." Microgravity Enterprises' space drinks will be available to the public starting in July. Space 2 O, an electrolyte water, is set for release July 1. Antimatter, an energy drink, is set for release July 15. And Comet Tail Ale, a space beer, should be available in late July or early August.
French rocket operator Arianespace has entered into an agreement with an estimated value of more than $3.5 billion to buy 35 launchers from its long-established prime contractor, the Astrium space unit of European Aeronautic Defense & Space Co. (EADS). Announced during the closing weekend of the international air show in Le Bourget, the five-year agreement underscores that Arianespace plans to continue ramping up its tempo launching heavy-lift Ariane 5 rockets from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
Kennedy Space Center Now 'Storm Ready' (Source: CFNews13.com)
Kennedy Space Center has been declared "storm ready" by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service. KSC is the first government site in the state to earn the certification. The StormReady program is designed to reduce the number of injuries and property damage from severe storms. "You have the ability to provide warning to residents or workers or employees. You have the ability to educate them in terms of severe weather -- the impacts of severe weather -- and you have the facilities where people can ride out severe weather events," said Bob Lay. One thing KSC cannot protect is a space shuttle on a launch pad. Earlier this year, hail damaged the external fuel tank, which delayed launches. NASA said they have no way to make the shuttle more storm ready [aside from returning it to the VAB].
Boeing Orbital Express Achieves Another First (Source: Boeing)
Boeing announced that the Orbital Express system, a program to validate spacecraft servicing capability led by DARPA, has performed a fully-autonomous "fly-around and capture" of its NextSat client spacecraft, marking another industry first for the innovative program. During the five-hour test on June 16, Boeing's Autonomous Space Transport Robotic Operations (ASTRO) servicing spacecraft used its onboard cameras and advanced video guidance system to separate from, circle and re-mate with the Ball Aerospace NextSat client spacecraft. The test primarily used passive sensors with no active exchange of relative navigation information or involvement by ground controllers.
Space Station's Lack of Back-Up Computers is Questioned (Source: New Scientist)
Even the all-purpose keyboard reboot command Ctrl-Alt-Delete would have failed to fix this computer glitch. Last week, six of the International Space Station's computers crashed at once, raising questions about the lack of any independent back-up. The German-made computers control the station's orientation and oxygen supply. By Sunday the computers were running again, though only thanks to some improvised rewiring. They will be replaced in July, but NASA engineers are investigating whether the ISS might also need back-up processors and software, similar to the space shuttle's last-resort computer, which runs its own separate programming. Meanwhile, European Space Agency officials are examining two computers of the same type that crashed, which are part of the agency's Columbus lab module, due to be flown up to the ISS later this year.
One Down, Three More Shuttle Missions To Go in 2007 (Source: USA Today)
The safe landing of space shuttle Atlantis paves the way for NASA to stick to an ambitious schedule for building the International Space Station this year. NASA plans three more shuttle missions in the remaining six months of 2007, which will require a flight rate that the agency hasn't achieved since 2002. Each flight is a complex and jam-packed mission to add to the station, which is just over halfway done. "If we don't get one of those gotchas, I feel pretty good about three more launches this year," said Michael Leinbach, shuttle launch director.
Spaceport America: We must Have Counties’ Support (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
State legislators were reassured Friday that it was in the best interest of two southern New Mexico counties to hike their gross receipts tax to help fund Spaceport America in southern Sierra County. The issue was raised by Sen. Rod Adair, R-Roswell, a member of the Legislative Finance Committee. Spaceport officials intend to partially pay for the project with proceeds from gross receipts increases in three counties — Doña Ana, Otero and Sierra — totaling about $58 million. Voters in Doña Ana County narrowly passed its tax hike in April. Spaceport officials said at the time it would have been impossible to go forward with the project without support from Doña Ana County, which will account for about $49 million of the $58 million. Otero and Sierra have yet to set a date for their referendums. "As I recall, the issue was if this resolution here doesn't pass then we don't have a spaceport," Adair said, referring to the April election. "If it does pass, then we're good to go... What's the incentive for Otero and Sierra counties?"
Satellite Destruction Using Google Earth And Orbitron (Source: Information Week)
Researchers have used off-the-shelf software as part of an experiment to demonstrate the vulnerability of critical space infrastructure. After a brief stop by Wikipedia to brush up on China's destruction of its Feng Yun 1C weather satellite in January, you download Sebastian Stoff's Orbitron satellite tracking software and Google Earth, to make your attack easier to visualize. You pick a target. Why not Feng Yun 1D, since the Chinese don't appear to care much for their weather satellites? You plot the satellite's position ten minutes hence using your computer and you feed the predicted latitude, longitude, and altitude to your hidden launch pad control center. Using literature that's been available since the 1960s, you -- or your launch control staff, if you've got the requisite payroll of a Bond villain or an international terrorist cabal -- compute the amount of fuel needed to get your one-stage rocket and its warhead to the satellite's future position.
You plot a "solution" or flight plan that takes into account the liftoff phase, the controlled orbit insertion phase, and the ballistic fall onto the target. You double check your math, because you've got a small chunk of change invested in this scheme. Lacking the standard red launch button, you settle for clicking the "Destroy Satellite" dialog box (you had to code this yourself). Your computer dutifully asks for confirmation: "Are you sure you want to Destroy Satellite? This operation cannot be undone ." This, more or less, is what Adrian Gheorghe, Professor of Systems Engineering at Old Dominion University Norfolk, Virginia, and Dan Vamanu, a Senior Researcher at the National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering in Bucharest, Romania, did as an experiment to demonstrate the vulnerability of critical space infrastructure.
ESA and CNES Sign Assistance Contracts for Ariane (Source: ESA)
ESA and the French National Space Agency (Centre National d'Études Spatiales – CNES) signed two contracts covering the provision of assistance to ESA by CNES for parts of the Ariane launcher program. A reorganization of the European launcher sector establishes "Astrium Space Transportation" as the sole Prime Contractor for both development and production of Ariane launch vehicles. Meanwhile, there will be direct ESA management of all new ESA-funded Ariane programs while making use of the existing knowledge and experience within CNES. Prior to this change, ESA delegated the management of the Ariane Program to CNES.
Moon Jobs May Crater (Source: Rutgers University)
Think your job is tough? In the not-too-distant future, some jobs will challenge workers placed far, far away from it all. On the moon, in fact. According to an associate professor at Rutgers, the lunar settlements of tomorrow – or, for that matter, the space stations of today – carry long-term implications for the mental health of employees working in isolation for extended periods. Depression and anxiety will reach new levels among those employees, creating mental and cardiovascular health problems as well as a sharp decline in productivity. Existing research already finds that workers in earthbound, quasi-isolated work environments, such as remote Australian mining towns or Antarctic stations, experience higher levels of depression. Just imagine what might happen if those workers were placed in the extreme isolation of a lunar environment, where interaction with their coworkers may determine their very survival.
Russian Space Agency Signs Contracts for Soyuz Launches from Kourou (Source: Roscosmos)
Roscosmos has signed a contract for four launches of European satellites from Kourou (French Guiana). The first launch is scheduled for 2009.
Air Force Orders Additional SBIRS Satellites (Source: Launchspace)
The Space Based Infrared Systems (SBIRS) Program Office intends to issue a contract for the production of one additional SBIRS Geosynchronous Earth Orbit satellite (GEO 3) and two additional Highly Elliptical Orbit payloads (HEO 3 and 4), according to Air Force documents released Thursday. The SBIRS program office anticipates releasing the sole source Request For Proposal next month to Lockheed Martin with a contract award in January 2008. In related news, the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center has awarded General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems a $6.4 million contract modification to continue work on the Alternative Infrared Satellite System (AIRSS) program.
From Special Ed To NASA (Source: Philadelphia Inquirer)
On the JSC door labeled "Trajectory Operations and Planning" is the name of Jarmaine Ollivierre. The talk inside is of vector propagation - predicting with pinpoint accuracy where the International Space Station will be in the next minute, the next day, the next week as it rounds Earth at five miles per second. Anticipating the precise course so it can be tweaked to avert a big bang isn't easy, Ollivierre said. For a young aerospace engineer, it's heaven. Ollivierre, 31, is one of Say Yes to Education's stellar successes: the former special education student at Belmont Elementary now holds a bachelor's in aeronautical engineering and another in physics from Tuskegee University, and a master's in technical management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Group Battles for Florida's Place in Space (Source: Florida Today)
The clock is counting down to the mothballing of the space shuttle in 2010, but Florida's efforts to save 5,000 Kennedy Space Center jobs have been on hold. Space Florida, the quasi-governmental agency in charge of recruiting new aerospace business, hadn't convened a board meeting since January while it waited for Gov. Charlie Crist to appoint new members, which he did Friday. "We don't want to rush these appointments," Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, Crist's point man on space, said Thursday. "We're being deliberative."
Sen. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, said Florida's space recruitment efforts have been so frustratingly slow and bureaucratic, it might be a good thing that the board was unable to meet. "We're in an economic war with these other states and we're yielding to them," he said. Space Coast lawmaker Bob Allen fought Gov. Jeb Bush's reorganization of space recruiting efforts that resulted in the creation of Space Florida, but remains on the board. He said Florida is not being aggressive enough, and says the 2006 Florida Space Act requires Space Florida to conduct too many studies while states like Alabama, Colorado and California move ahead with aggressive recruiting. "I don't need another study to tell me that it's tough doing business with the Air Force and the Department of Defense," he said.
In an interview from the Paris Air Show, Space Florida President Steve Kohler insisted the lack of a board quorum before Friday hadn't stopped his recruiting efforts. Kohler said he was still able to have "progressive" meetings with industry representatives at the prestigious trade show, but he didn't want to tip off competitors by giving any details. "We're not being held back, we're moving forward," he said. Space Florida recently announced a deal for SpaceX of El Segundo, Calif., to launch Falcon 9 rockets from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. Kohler is also working to hammer out an agreement with NASA to harness the massive Shuttle Landing Facility for commercial use. Kohler said he's not giving up on Richard Branson, and that the Shuttle Landing Facility's proximity to Disney World and other attractions still makes it a viable option for space tourism.
Albuquerque Business to Offer Drinks from Space (Source: Albuquerque Tribune)
It came from outer space. Tiny microorganisms that flew through space and survived harsh temperature fluctuations and microgravity could soon be invading your beer 'fridge. Rich Glover, president of Microgravity Enterprises of Albuquerque, shot the little creatures - OK, they're yeast cells - 75 miles into the sky on a rocket at the New Mexico SpacePort in April. The yeast-ronauts' mission? To make it home alive so they can ferment sugar in the first commercial "space beer." Microgravity Enterprises' space drinks will be available to the public starting in July. Space 2 O, an electrolyte water, is set for release July 1. Antimatter, an energy drink, is set for release July 15. And Comet Tail Ale, a space beer, should be available in late July or early August.
June 22 News Items
Atlantis Lands in California (Source: Florida Today)
Commander Rick Sturckow has guided the space shuttle Atlantis to a perfect touchdown at the Edwards Air Force Base in California. Atlantis completed a 5.8 million mile journey that saw its crew of seven astronauts add a new set of solar arrays to the International Space Station. The crew also delivered a new permanent resident to the space station and brought home record-breaking station resident Sunita Williams. Landing attempts at Kennedy Space Center were called off due to overcast skies.
Gov. Crist Appoints Four to Space Florida Board (Source: EOG)
Gov. Charlie Crist has appointed four Floridians to serve on the board of directors of Space Florida. They include Kenneth Ford of the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition; Gary Spulak of Embraer; Kenneth Haiko of Packaging Corporation of America; and Ravindra Mehta of Mehta Engineering.
Do It Yourself Anti-Satellite System? Military And Civilian Satellites Need Protection (Source: Science Daily)
Satellite tracking software freely available on the Internet and some textbook physics could be used by any organization that can get hold of an intermediate range rocket to mount an unsophisticated attack on military or civilian satellites. Such an attack would require modest engineering capability and only a limited budget. That is according to a team of researchers writing in the International Journal of Critical Infrastructures. Military satellites, global positioning systems, weather satellites and even satellite TV systems could all become victims of such an attack.
The team's findings suggest that dozens of systems on which military and civilian activities depend make near-space a vulnerable environment. The team used a so-called "mathematical game" and textbook physics equations for ballistics to help them build a computer model to demonstrate that anti-satellite weaponry is a real possibility. Accuracy and elegance are not issues in carrying out a satellite attack, the researchers say, as long as the projectile hits the satellite. "While it may be true that, when it comes to nuts and bolts, things may not be quite as simple as they sound here, the bare fact remains - it can be done." Their conclusions suggest that the risk of deliberate satellite sabotage should be placed higher on the security agenda.
Government Wants to Sack Energia Space Corp. Head (Source: RIA Novosti)
A Russian space industry source said the government is set to seek the resignation of the president of the country's head rocket and space enterprise, Energia. State-controlled Energia designs Soyuz piloted spaceships and Progress carrier rockets, launches communications satellites, and operates the Russian segment of the International Space Station. Energia President Sevastyanov unexpectedly left the Le Bourget air space show in France Wednesday for Moscow along with Energia's delegation. During his tenure, Sevastyanov has not been on good terms with the Federal Space Agency, a government regulator in the space industry. The Energia head has been repeatedly criticized primarily for his daring projects on Moon exploration, which the agency called lunacy and looked to restrict Sevastyanov's powers. The Energia board has moved to suspend Sevastyanov's powers.
Arianespace to Launch Insat 4G for India (Source: Arianespace)
The Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO, has once again chosen Arianespace, this time to launch its Insat 4G communications satellite. Three months after Ariane 5 successfully orbited the Insat 4B satellite, the organizations announced their plans to launch the new satellite at the end of 2008 aboard an Ariane 5 rocket. Arianespace has orbited 13 Indian satellites to date.
India Space Costs Well Below Europe and U.S. (Source: The Hindu)
The satellite launching fee charged by ISRO will come down drastically once the country set up the GSLV rocket launching pads, a top government official said. An Indian official said France per-kilogram launch charges are $21,000 by Europe, $25,000 by the U.S., and $14,000 by India. "This is due to the high technical capabilities of Indian scientists.", he said. This efficiency was achieved despite the fact that the Indian government spent only two percent of its revenue on space, compared to 11 percent by the U.S. and nine percent by European countries. India was also the cheapest for building the satellites, he said, adding that for building a 35 MH satellite, European countries spend between $1.8 million to $2.4 million, while Indian scientists could do the job for one million dollars.
Education Experts Testify on Usefulness of NASA and Other Federal STEM Support (Source: SpaceRef.com)
Education experts from around the country described their interactions with federal agencies, including NASA, at recent Congressional hearings. They discussed the effectiveness and appropriateness of resources and assistance provided by those agencies. The witnesses recounted with enthusiasm many formal and informal educational collaborations with the agencies, such as ask-a-scientist online discussions, teacher summer institutes, films, workshops, etc. However, they pointed out that while the agencies have a substantial amount of content knowledge, they do not have expertise in pedagogy, classroom practice, curriculum materials, or teacher professional development.
The "two major assets" that other R&D agencies can bring to K-12 education are their STEM workforce and their facilities, said Michael Lach, Director of Mathematics and Science for the Chicago Public Schools. He added that agency-developed curricula and lesson plans were frequently not helpful, especially if they were not easily adaptable to local concerns and state standards. The testimony of George Nelson, former astronaut and Director of STEM Education at Western Washington University, echoed this comment: "There is a huge inventory of poorly designed and under-evaluated mission-related curricula [that is] rarely used in classrooms and with no natural home in a coherent standards-based curriculum."
Iris Weiss noted that such materials "may add to the incoherence" of the educational system. "Some teachers can pull together...materials and organize them into a coherent curriculum," she said, but most "have neither the time nor the capacity," and critical prerequisites may be neglected. She testified that more stringent criteria should exist for agency education programs: Do they target priority areas for K-12 education? Do they have the capacity to address those needs effectively and to evaluate the impacts? Do their efforts reach a large number of teachers or students? Questioned about a recent report which found that few federal education programs have been rigorously evaluated, Weiss agreed,"there is no question we need to be doing a more rigorous job of evaluating programs." However, she noted that some types of evaluation, such as randomized controlled trials, might sound good in theory but were not necessarily practical in the real world of the classroom.
The witnesses suggested that the most appropriate roles for federal mission agencies might be workforce preparation in the form of undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral support and experiences; the provision of data to be used in curriculum development; and opportunities for teachers, students and parents to be exposed to scientists and the conduct of science in informal settings. Subcommittee Ranking Member Rep. Vern Ehlers (R-MI) declared that "Congress must authorize adequate evaluation capacity" for federal STEM education programs. They indicated that they would be looking to an inter-agency National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) committee to track, coordinate, prioritize, and review K-12 STEM education programs across the government.
NASA Ames Selects Florida Firm for Training Support (Source: SpaceRef.com)
NASA/ARC has selected Honourcode of Cantonment, Florida, to provide technical, programmatic and high performance expertise in applied systems engineering. Honourcode will provide a 4-day Applied Systems Engineering workshop for The Ames Project Excellence (APEX) Development Program, and 20 hours of expert technical assistance and consultation focused on software project management and systems engineering (appropriate for and relevant to NASA flight programs and projects).
NRO Shortfall May Delay ULA Missions (Source: Aerospace Daily)
The June 15 shortfall of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V launch vehicle with a pair of classified National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) ocean surveillance spacecraft onboard may delay upcoming military missions by the Boeing/Lockheed Martin joint venture. Among them could be the first Boeing-built Wideband Gapfiller System (WGS) satellite, designed to begin replacing the aging Defense Satellite Communications Spacecraft (DSCS) constellation. The Atlas V's Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL-10 engine in its Centaur upper stage shut down early, leaving the NRO L-30 payloads in slightly lower altitudes and inclinations than desired.
Spacehab Gets $35M NASA Astrotech Contract (Source: AP)
Spacehab was awarded a $35 million contract to support spacecraft processing requirements for several upcoming NASA missions. Spacehab shares jumped 10 cents, to 74 cents. The stock has traded between 41 cents and $1.35 during the past 52 weeks. The NASA award is a major contract for Spacehab, which brought in $50.7 million in revenue from operations in fiscal 2006. The contract was awarded to Spacehab's Astrotech Space Operations division. The work will take place at Vandenberg Air Force Base at the Western Range in California.
Spacehab Signs Agreement with NASA for Commercial Transportation Spacecraft (Source: Spacehab)
Spacehab signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA to facilitate the Company's development of a commercial transportation system capable of ferrying pre-manufactured cargo and manufacturing equipment to low-Earth orbit. Execution of this agreement allows Spacehab to develop a highly reliable, low risk, up-mass alternative system for cargo delivery to space and complements its recently announced plans to manufacture biomedical and advanced materials on the International Space Station (ISS).
Eureka! Is life on Europa? (Source: Cincinnati Enquirer)
'Follow the Water." That is NASA's motto for the future of the space program. Where there is water, there could be life. And the discovery of life outside Earth could be the biggest story of the 21st century. Mars is a good place to look, but astronomers believe Europa, a tiny moon of Jupiter - one of its 63 known moons - may harbor more water than all of the oceans on Earth. Although not in the budget this year, NASA would like to send an orbiter to confirm the amount of water on Europa. (Since no plans have been finalized nor money allocated, this mission could be years in the future). Then NASA would fly a craft to drill through the ice (about 2 miles thick) and deposit a small remote-controlled submarine into the depths. This "hydrobot" would swim around with cameras and other sensors to see what lurks below.
Shipman Arrives with Former Astronaut, Gives Deposition (Source: Florida Today)
It took 90 minutes for Air Force Captain Colleen Shipman to tell her side of the love triangle in the case of former astronaut Lisa Nowak’s alleged attempt to kidnap her in February from an Orlando International Airport parking lot. Shipman and former astronaut Bill Oefelein left the King Reporting Office in Suntree holding hands and smiling. Neither made any comments as they got into attorney Kepler Funk’s black Porsche SUV. Nowak told police she drove from Houston to Orlando to talk with Shipman about their mutual love interest, former shuttle pilot Oefelein. Nowak carried with her a duffle bag filled with a BB pistol, wig, trenchcoat, hat, knife, steel mallet, surgical rubber tubing and black plastic garbage bags. Nowak is charged with attempted kidnapping, battery and attempted vehicle burglary with a battery.
Spy Chief Scraps Stealth Satellite Program (Source: MSNBC)
Spy chief Mike McConnell has junked a multibillion-dollar spy satellite program that engineers hoped would someday pass undetected through the space above other nations. The move from the director of national intelligence comes after several years of congressional efforts to kill the program, known publicly as the next generation of “Misty” satellites. The new satellite was to be a stealthy intelligence spacecraft designed to take pictures of adversaries and avoid detection. Little is known about the nation’s classified network of satellites, which represent some of the most expensive government programs and receive almost no public oversight. Because of their multibillion-dollar price tags, sensitive missions and lengthy development schedules, spy agencies go to great pains to keep details from becoming public.
Arianespace to Launch THOR 6 Satellite (Source: Arianespace)
Arianespace will launch the THOR 6 satellite for Telenor into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) in the middle of 2009, aboard an Ariane 5 or Soyuz launcher from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. This is Arianespace’s first contract with Telenor Satellite Broadcasting. Built by Thales Alenia Space, THOR 6 will weigh about 3,000 kg at launch. It will provide direct-to-home (DTH) television services for the Nordic countries and Central Europe. It’s design life is about 15 years.
Arianespace to Launch Pan-African Satellite Rascom 1 (Source: Arianespace)
Arianespace will launch the Rascom-1 satellite for Thales Alenia Space. Rascom 1 is scheduled for a launch into geostationary transfer orbit in the last quarter of 2007. It will be launched by an Ariane 5 from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Rascom 1 will provide at least 15 years of telecommunication services in rural areas of Africa, as well as domestic and international connections, direct TV broadcast services and Internet access.
NASA Readies Florida, California for Shuttle Landing (Source: Houston Chronicle)
NASA prepared landing sites in Florida and California for the Atlantis astronauts' return to Earth on Friday after stormy weather at Kennedy Space Center kept them from touching down Thursday. Friday's forecast at Kennedy, on the Atlantic coast of central Florida, included more storms. Better weather was expected at Edwards Air Force Base, northeast of Los Angeles, though high winds could be a factor late in the day. To raise Friday's odds of returning to Earth, astronauts elevated their altitude slightly, a move that increases the number of landing opportunities at both sites from four to five.
NASA Authorizes Contract for Ares I Materials (Source: NASA)
NASA has authorized a contract with a maximum value of $16.7 million with Alcoa North American Rolled Products to supply aluminum lithium plates and metal ingots for early development of the Ares I crew launch vehicles upper stage. The firm fixed-price contract has a period of performance through Aug. 5, 2008.
Spacehab Signs Agreement with NASA for Commercial Transportation Spacecraft (Source: Spacehab)
Spacehab signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA to facilitate the Company's development of a commercial transportation system capable of ferrying pre-manufactured cargo and manufacturing equipment to low-Earth orbit. Execution of this agreement allows Spacehab to develop a highly reliable, low risk, up-mass alternative system for cargo delivery to space and complements its recently announced plans to manufacture biomedical and advanced materials on the International Space Station (ISS).
ESA Launches New Program for Air Traffic Management Via Satellite (Source: ESA)
Pilots and flight controllers will benefit from exchanging data and communicating via satellite and terrestrial systems in the future Single European Sky. This is the aim of a new program set in motion by ESA Member States. The Single European Sky was launched by the European Commission (EC) in 2004, proposing a new approach to air traffic management in Europe that would unlock viable growth in air transport. The EC has set up a specific program, Single European Sky Air traffic management Research (SESAR), addressing administrative, operational and technical concepts for communication, navigation and surveillance for air traffic safety. Within this wide scope, satellites have the opportunity to demonstrate their potential for safety-of-life communications.
Chairmen: President’s Lack of Willingness to Discuss NASA Budget ‘Deeply Disappointing’ (Source: House of Reps)
House Committee on Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN), Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairman Mark Udall (D-CO), and Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Nick Lampson (D-TX) today issued the following statement in response to the Administration’s letter rejecting their request for a meeting of Members of Congress with President Bush to discuss NASA’s budgetary situation: “We are deeply disappointed that the President has decided not to seize the opportunity to meet with Members of Congress to discuss how best to ensure that NASA will have the resources needed to carry out a balanced and robust program of science, aeronautics, and human space flight and exploration initiatives.”
“We intend to work with NASA supporters on both sides of the aisle in Congress to try to give NASA the resources it will need to carry out the tasks that the nation has asked it to undertake. However, the President’s disengagement will make that effort immeasurably more difficult.” Chairmen Gordon, Udall and Lampson have spent considerable time during the past several months fighting for more NASA funding, including Rep. Lampson personally arranging for Administrator Griffin to meet with Chairman Obey on the House Appropriations Committee, and with other key Members.
Nine Teams to Compete in Lunar Lander Contest (Source: New Scientist)
Competition between prototype lunar landers is heating up, with nine teams planning to compete in the NASA-sponsored Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge. The $2 million prize competition is designed to spur innovation for future vehicles that could take off and land vertically on the Moon. The event will be held on Oct. 27-28 in New Mexico. The "Level 1" winning vehicle must rise at least 50 meters, hover for 90 seconds, then land on a concrete pad 100 metres away, before making a similar flight back to the launch pad. A "Level 2 test" requires a hovering time of 180 seconds, and the vehicle has to land on an uneven surface that simulates the Moon. Click here to view the article.
Space Summit Idea Gets 'Tepid' Response (Source: Aviation Week)
Sen. Barbara Mikulski has received what she calls a "tepid" response to her request that President Bush convene a bipartisan summit with lawmakers to discuss the future of the U.S. space program. The administration's letter to Mikulski (D-Md.), signed by outgoing Office of Management and Budget Director Robert Portman and White House Science Adviser John Marburger, does not address the summit idea directly, instead inviting Mikulski to meet with Portman, Marburger and NASA Administrator Michael Griffin. "While I appreciate the response ... I regret the president did not address this invitation himself," Mikulski, who chairs the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funds NASA, said in a June 20 statement. "I will continue to seek a new dialogue with the president. Only through the active cooperation of the White House and the Congress can we have a healthy, robust and balanced space program."
Mikulski's summit request, made in April, also was signed by Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.), Commerce Science and Space Subcommittee Chairman Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), and 13 House members. The letter calls for "a national commitment to our space program to put it on a path for success." According to the White House response..."While some difficult choices have been required in recent years, we believe NASA remains generally well-positioned to carry out a balanced civil space effort and to maintain the nation's leadership in this sector."
Commander Rick Sturckow has guided the space shuttle Atlantis to a perfect touchdown at the Edwards Air Force Base in California. Atlantis completed a 5.8 million mile journey that saw its crew of seven astronauts add a new set of solar arrays to the International Space Station. The crew also delivered a new permanent resident to the space station and brought home record-breaking station resident Sunita Williams. Landing attempts at Kennedy Space Center were called off due to overcast skies.
Gov. Crist Appoints Four to Space Florida Board (Source: EOG)
Gov. Charlie Crist has appointed four Floridians to serve on the board of directors of Space Florida. They include Kenneth Ford of the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition; Gary Spulak of Embraer; Kenneth Haiko of Packaging Corporation of America; and Ravindra Mehta of Mehta Engineering.
Do It Yourself Anti-Satellite System? Military And Civilian Satellites Need Protection (Source: Science Daily)
Satellite tracking software freely available on the Internet and some textbook physics could be used by any organization that can get hold of an intermediate range rocket to mount an unsophisticated attack on military or civilian satellites. Such an attack would require modest engineering capability and only a limited budget. That is according to a team of researchers writing in the International Journal of Critical Infrastructures. Military satellites, global positioning systems, weather satellites and even satellite TV systems could all become victims of such an attack.
The team's findings suggest that dozens of systems on which military and civilian activities depend make near-space a vulnerable environment. The team used a so-called "mathematical game" and textbook physics equations for ballistics to help them build a computer model to demonstrate that anti-satellite weaponry is a real possibility. Accuracy and elegance are not issues in carrying out a satellite attack, the researchers say, as long as the projectile hits the satellite. "While it may be true that, when it comes to nuts and bolts, things may not be quite as simple as they sound here, the bare fact remains - it can be done." Their conclusions suggest that the risk of deliberate satellite sabotage should be placed higher on the security agenda.
Government Wants to Sack Energia Space Corp. Head (Source: RIA Novosti)
A Russian space industry source said the government is set to seek the resignation of the president of the country's head rocket and space enterprise, Energia. State-controlled Energia designs Soyuz piloted spaceships and Progress carrier rockets, launches communications satellites, and operates the Russian segment of the International Space Station. Energia President Sevastyanov unexpectedly left the Le Bourget air space show in France Wednesday for Moscow along with Energia's delegation. During his tenure, Sevastyanov has not been on good terms with the Federal Space Agency, a government regulator in the space industry. The Energia head has been repeatedly criticized primarily for his daring projects on Moon exploration, which the agency called lunacy and looked to restrict Sevastyanov's powers. The Energia board has moved to suspend Sevastyanov's powers.
Arianespace to Launch Insat 4G for India (Source: Arianespace)
The Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO, has once again chosen Arianespace, this time to launch its Insat 4G communications satellite. Three months after Ariane 5 successfully orbited the Insat 4B satellite, the organizations announced their plans to launch the new satellite at the end of 2008 aboard an Ariane 5 rocket. Arianespace has orbited 13 Indian satellites to date.
India Space Costs Well Below Europe and U.S. (Source: The Hindu)
The satellite launching fee charged by ISRO will come down drastically once the country set up the GSLV rocket launching pads, a top government official said. An Indian official said France per-kilogram launch charges are $21,000 by Europe, $25,000 by the U.S., and $14,000 by India. "This is due to the high technical capabilities of Indian scientists.", he said. This efficiency was achieved despite the fact that the Indian government spent only two percent of its revenue on space, compared to 11 percent by the U.S. and nine percent by European countries. India was also the cheapest for building the satellites, he said, adding that for building a 35 MH satellite, European countries spend between $1.8 million to $2.4 million, while Indian scientists could do the job for one million dollars.
Education Experts Testify on Usefulness of NASA and Other Federal STEM Support (Source: SpaceRef.com)
Education experts from around the country described their interactions with federal agencies, including NASA, at recent Congressional hearings. They discussed the effectiveness and appropriateness of resources and assistance provided by those agencies. The witnesses recounted with enthusiasm many formal and informal educational collaborations with the agencies, such as ask-a-scientist online discussions, teacher summer institutes, films, workshops, etc. However, they pointed out that while the agencies have a substantial amount of content knowledge, they do not have expertise in pedagogy, classroom practice, curriculum materials, or teacher professional development.
The "two major assets" that other R&D agencies can bring to K-12 education are their STEM workforce and their facilities, said Michael Lach, Director of Mathematics and Science for the Chicago Public Schools. He added that agency-developed curricula and lesson plans were frequently not helpful, especially if they were not easily adaptable to local concerns and state standards. The testimony of George Nelson, former astronaut and Director of STEM Education at Western Washington University, echoed this comment: "There is a huge inventory of poorly designed and under-evaluated mission-related curricula [that is] rarely used in classrooms and with no natural home in a coherent standards-based curriculum."
Iris Weiss noted that such materials "may add to the incoherence" of the educational system. "Some teachers can pull together...materials and organize them into a coherent curriculum," she said, but most "have neither the time nor the capacity," and critical prerequisites may be neglected. She testified that more stringent criteria should exist for agency education programs: Do they target priority areas for K-12 education? Do they have the capacity to address those needs effectively and to evaluate the impacts? Do their efforts reach a large number of teachers or students? Questioned about a recent report which found that few federal education programs have been rigorously evaluated, Weiss agreed,"there is no question we need to be doing a more rigorous job of evaluating programs." However, she noted that some types of evaluation, such as randomized controlled trials, might sound good in theory but were not necessarily practical in the real world of the classroom.
The witnesses suggested that the most appropriate roles for federal mission agencies might be workforce preparation in the form of undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral support and experiences; the provision of data to be used in curriculum development; and opportunities for teachers, students and parents to be exposed to scientists and the conduct of science in informal settings. Subcommittee Ranking Member Rep. Vern Ehlers (R-MI) declared that "Congress must authorize adequate evaluation capacity" for federal STEM education programs. They indicated that they would be looking to an inter-agency National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) committee to track, coordinate, prioritize, and review K-12 STEM education programs across the government.
NASA Ames Selects Florida Firm for Training Support (Source: SpaceRef.com)
NASA/ARC has selected Honourcode of Cantonment, Florida, to provide technical, programmatic and high performance expertise in applied systems engineering. Honourcode will provide a 4-day Applied Systems Engineering workshop for The Ames Project Excellence (APEX) Development Program, and 20 hours of expert technical assistance and consultation focused on software project management and systems engineering (appropriate for and relevant to NASA flight programs and projects).
NRO Shortfall May Delay ULA Missions (Source: Aerospace Daily)
The June 15 shortfall of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V launch vehicle with a pair of classified National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) ocean surveillance spacecraft onboard may delay upcoming military missions by the Boeing/Lockheed Martin joint venture. Among them could be the first Boeing-built Wideband Gapfiller System (WGS) satellite, designed to begin replacing the aging Defense Satellite Communications Spacecraft (DSCS) constellation. The Atlas V's Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL-10 engine in its Centaur upper stage shut down early, leaving the NRO L-30 payloads in slightly lower altitudes and inclinations than desired.
Spacehab Gets $35M NASA Astrotech Contract (Source: AP)
Spacehab was awarded a $35 million contract to support spacecraft processing requirements for several upcoming NASA missions. Spacehab shares jumped 10 cents, to 74 cents. The stock has traded between 41 cents and $1.35 during the past 52 weeks. The NASA award is a major contract for Spacehab, which brought in $50.7 million in revenue from operations in fiscal 2006. The contract was awarded to Spacehab's Astrotech Space Operations division. The work will take place at Vandenberg Air Force Base at the Western Range in California.
Spacehab Signs Agreement with NASA for Commercial Transportation Spacecraft (Source: Spacehab)
Spacehab signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA to facilitate the Company's development of a commercial transportation system capable of ferrying pre-manufactured cargo and manufacturing equipment to low-Earth orbit. Execution of this agreement allows Spacehab to develop a highly reliable, low risk, up-mass alternative system for cargo delivery to space and complements its recently announced plans to manufacture biomedical and advanced materials on the International Space Station (ISS).
Eureka! Is life on Europa? (Source: Cincinnati Enquirer)
'Follow the Water." That is NASA's motto for the future of the space program. Where there is water, there could be life. And the discovery of life outside Earth could be the biggest story of the 21st century. Mars is a good place to look, but astronomers believe Europa, a tiny moon of Jupiter - one of its 63 known moons - may harbor more water than all of the oceans on Earth. Although not in the budget this year, NASA would like to send an orbiter to confirm the amount of water on Europa. (Since no plans have been finalized nor money allocated, this mission could be years in the future). Then NASA would fly a craft to drill through the ice (about 2 miles thick) and deposit a small remote-controlled submarine into the depths. This "hydrobot" would swim around with cameras and other sensors to see what lurks below.
Shipman Arrives with Former Astronaut, Gives Deposition (Source: Florida Today)
It took 90 minutes for Air Force Captain Colleen Shipman to tell her side of the love triangle in the case of former astronaut Lisa Nowak’s alleged attempt to kidnap her in February from an Orlando International Airport parking lot. Shipman and former astronaut Bill Oefelein left the King Reporting Office in Suntree holding hands and smiling. Neither made any comments as they got into attorney Kepler Funk’s black Porsche SUV. Nowak told police she drove from Houston to Orlando to talk with Shipman about their mutual love interest, former shuttle pilot Oefelein. Nowak carried with her a duffle bag filled with a BB pistol, wig, trenchcoat, hat, knife, steel mallet, surgical rubber tubing and black plastic garbage bags. Nowak is charged with attempted kidnapping, battery and attempted vehicle burglary with a battery.
Spy Chief Scraps Stealth Satellite Program (Source: MSNBC)
Spy chief Mike McConnell has junked a multibillion-dollar spy satellite program that engineers hoped would someday pass undetected through the space above other nations. The move from the director of national intelligence comes after several years of congressional efforts to kill the program, known publicly as the next generation of “Misty” satellites. The new satellite was to be a stealthy intelligence spacecraft designed to take pictures of adversaries and avoid detection. Little is known about the nation’s classified network of satellites, which represent some of the most expensive government programs and receive almost no public oversight. Because of their multibillion-dollar price tags, sensitive missions and lengthy development schedules, spy agencies go to great pains to keep details from becoming public.
Arianespace to Launch THOR 6 Satellite (Source: Arianespace)
Arianespace will launch the THOR 6 satellite for Telenor into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) in the middle of 2009, aboard an Ariane 5 or Soyuz launcher from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. This is Arianespace’s first contract with Telenor Satellite Broadcasting. Built by Thales Alenia Space, THOR 6 will weigh about 3,000 kg at launch. It will provide direct-to-home (DTH) television services for the Nordic countries and Central Europe. It’s design life is about 15 years.
Arianespace to Launch Pan-African Satellite Rascom 1 (Source: Arianespace)
Arianespace will launch the Rascom-1 satellite for Thales Alenia Space. Rascom 1 is scheduled for a launch into geostationary transfer orbit in the last quarter of 2007. It will be launched by an Ariane 5 from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Rascom 1 will provide at least 15 years of telecommunication services in rural areas of Africa, as well as domestic and international connections, direct TV broadcast services and Internet access.
NASA Readies Florida, California for Shuttle Landing (Source: Houston Chronicle)
NASA prepared landing sites in Florida and California for the Atlantis astronauts' return to Earth on Friday after stormy weather at Kennedy Space Center kept them from touching down Thursday. Friday's forecast at Kennedy, on the Atlantic coast of central Florida, included more storms. Better weather was expected at Edwards Air Force Base, northeast of Los Angeles, though high winds could be a factor late in the day. To raise Friday's odds of returning to Earth, astronauts elevated their altitude slightly, a move that increases the number of landing opportunities at both sites from four to five.
NASA Authorizes Contract for Ares I Materials (Source: NASA)
NASA has authorized a contract with a maximum value of $16.7 million with Alcoa North American Rolled Products to supply aluminum lithium plates and metal ingots for early development of the Ares I crew launch vehicles upper stage. The firm fixed-price contract has a period of performance through Aug. 5, 2008.
Spacehab Signs Agreement with NASA for Commercial Transportation Spacecraft (Source: Spacehab)
Spacehab signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA to facilitate the Company's development of a commercial transportation system capable of ferrying pre-manufactured cargo and manufacturing equipment to low-Earth orbit. Execution of this agreement allows Spacehab to develop a highly reliable, low risk, up-mass alternative system for cargo delivery to space and complements its recently announced plans to manufacture biomedical and advanced materials on the International Space Station (ISS).
ESA Launches New Program for Air Traffic Management Via Satellite (Source: ESA)
Pilots and flight controllers will benefit from exchanging data and communicating via satellite and terrestrial systems in the future Single European Sky. This is the aim of a new program set in motion by ESA Member States. The Single European Sky was launched by the European Commission (EC) in 2004, proposing a new approach to air traffic management in Europe that would unlock viable growth in air transport. The EC has set up a specific program, Single European Sky Air traffic management Research (SESAR), addressing administrative, operational and technical concepts for communication, navigation and surveillance for air traffic safety. Within this wide scope, satellites have the opportunity to demonstrate their potential for safety-of-life communications.
Chairmen: President’s Lack of Willingness to Discuss NASA Budget ‘Deeply Disappointing’ (Source: House of Reps)
House Committee on Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN), Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairman Mark Udall (D-CO), and Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Nick Lampson (D-TX) today issued the following statement in response to the Administration’s letter rejecting their request for a meeting of Members of Congress with President Bush to discuss NASA’s budgetary situation: “We are deeply disappointed that the President has decided not to seize the opportunity to meet with Members of Congress to discuss how best to ensure that NASA will have the resources needed to carry out a balanced and robust program of science, aeronautics, and human space flight and exploration initiatives.”
“We intend to work with NASA supporters on both sides of the aisle in Congress to try to give NASA the resources it will need to carry out the tasks that the nation has asked it to undertake. However, the President’s disengagement will make that effort immeasurably more difficult.” Chairmen Gordon, Udall and Lampson have spent considerable time during the past several months fighting for more NASA funding, including Rep. Lampson personally arranging for Administrator Griffin to meet with Chairman Obey on the House Appropriations Committee, and with other key Members.
Nine Teams to Compete in Lunar Lander Contest (Source: New Scientist)
Competition between prototype lunar landers is heating up, with nine teams planning to compete in the NASA-sponsored Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge. The $2 million prize competition is designed to spur innovation for future vehicles that could take off and land vertically on the Moon. The event will be held on Oct. 27-28 in New Mexico. The "Level 1" winning vehicle must rise at least 50 meters, hover for 90 seconds, then land on a concrete pad 100 metres away, before making a similar flight back to the launch pad. A "Level 2 test" requires a hovering time of 180 seconds, and the vehicle has to land on an uneven surface that simulates the Moon. Click here to view the article.
Space Summit Idea Gets 'Tepid' Response (Source: Aviation Week)
Sen. Barbara Mikulski has received what she calls a "tepid" response to her request that President Bush convene a bipartisan summit with lawmakers to discuss the future of the U.S. space program. The administration's letter to Mikulski (D-Md.), signed by outgoing Office of Management and Budget Director Robert Portman and White House Science Adviser John Marburger, does not address the summit idea directly, instead inviting Mikulski to meet with Portman, Marburger and NASA Administrator Michael Griffin. "While I appreciate the response ... I regret the president did not address this invitation himself," Mikulski, who chairs the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funds NASA, said in a June 20 statement. "I will continue to seek a new dialogue with the president. Only through the active cooperation of the White House and the Congress can we have a healthy, robust and balanced space program."
Mikulski's summit request, made in April, also was signed by Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.), Commerce Science and Space Subcommittee Chairman Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), and 13 House members. The letter calls for "a national commitment to our space program to put it on a path for success." According to the White House response..."While some difficult choices have been required in recent years, we believe NASA remains generally well-positioned to carry out a balanced civil space effort and to maintain the nation's leadership in this sector."
June 21 News Items
Preservation Groups May Seek New Spaceport Site (Source: New Mexico Politics)
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is expected to name El Camino Real National Historic Trail to the list of America’s 11 most endangered places. A well-preserved portion of the trail runs very close to the spot that is to become Spaceport America. The announcement will likely be accompanied by a request that the FAA, in considering a license for the spaceport, analyze whether it should be located further from the trail or at another site altogether. The FAA has to consider environmental impact before issuing a commercial spaceport license, and the preservation groups have been expressing concern about the trail for months.
Florida/NASA Grant Program Funds 17 Projects (Source: FSGC)
The Florida/NASA Matching Grants Program will provide over $469,000 in combined NASA and state funding for 17 projects at six institutions statewide. The winning institutions include Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida Institute of Technology, Florida State University, SpaceTEC, University of Central Florida, and University of Florida. The grant-funded projects include spaceport and range technology initiatives, space-based research and payload projects, and space education and workforce development projects. The grant program is administered by the NASA-sponsored Florida Space Grant Consortium and Space Florida.
Embry-Riddle and SpaceTEC Win Space Workforce and Education Grants (Source: ERAU)
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's TeachSpace program, and the NSF-sponsored SpaceTEC consortium, are the recipients of two grants to provide rocketry and high-altitude balloon science workshops to Florida teachers. The projects represent a $35,000 investment in aerospace education/workforce development by NASA, Space Florida, and the two institutions.
Embry-Riddle Hosts Summer Minority Engineering Institute for Teachers (Source: ERAU)
Embry-Riddle will host the 31st annual SECME Summer Institute in Daytona on June 23 through July 1. The Summer Institute will bring together more than 200 educators, administrators, parents, and students at the K-12 levels to receive innovative STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) professional development. “The program’s theme, a Launch Pad for the Next Generation of Explorers, mirrors the focus on aviation and aerospace that has distinguished Embry-Riddle for more than 80 years,” said an ERAU official.
SECME is a pre-college alliance focused on expanding the participation of minorities in engineering. SECME links engineering universities, school systems, and corporate/government investors. The SECME Summer Institute includes an Aviation and Aerospace Academy, a Parent Mini-Academy, and an Education Stakeholders Forum. Among those attending will be National Student Program Mousetrap Car Competition finalists at the middle-school and high-school levels and their chaperones, as well as a representative of the new class of college-bound SECME/ExxonMobil State and Overall Scholars.
Among many other activities, teachers may attend presentations on Engineering the Future and a mini-TeachSpace workshop conducted by Embry-Riddle professors on the topics of Human Factors in Space Exploration and Rocket Propulsion. Besides Embry-Riddle, the SECME Summer Institute is sponsored by the Exxon/Mobil Foundation, Lockheed Martin, John Deere, and Dupont.
Companies Want More European Support for a Space Champion (Source: EuroNews)
A "Space Alliance" partnership between Thales of France and Italy's Finmeccanica has expanded with the recent purchase of Alcatel's stake in Alenia Space and Telespazio, giving the Franco-Italian joint venture has 40% of the European satellite manufacturing market. The venture's chief executive said more support is needed from European governments over crossborder ties. "The goal of this alliance is to create a European space champion at a time when we feel that there's not enough European money being put into this area compared with what the US is spending on space technology."
India's Space School Struggles to Take Off (Source: DNA)
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which is working on a moon mission, is facing a tough challenge on the ground in its endeavour to establish the Indian Institute of Space Science Technology (IIST). ISRO, which has announced the commencement of three courses from the academic year 2007-2008, is yet to find an exclusive faculty and a campus for the IIST. Although ISRO has ambitious plans of setting up an academic township in the scenic hill station of Ponmudi, 50 km from Thiruvananthapuram, the acquisition of land is yet to begin.
SATOP Program Boosts Businesses With NASA Expertise (Source: Florida Today)
Toby McCormick has sold plenty of his nose filters from his store on Merritt Island, while George Woodruff is developing more robotic lifts for the United States military from his shop in Titusville. The two entrepreneurs are among the many small businesses in Brevard County, Florida and around the nation that have developed with help from the Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program, also known as SATOP. The NASA-funded program that started in Brevard County about 12 years ago -- and has since expanded to other states -- provides technical and engineering assistance to businesspeople in need of some expertise to advance their business plans.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is expected to name El Camino Real National Historic Trail to the list of America’s 11 most endangered places. A well-preserved portion of the trail runs very close to the spot that is to become Spaceport America. The announcement will likely be accompanied by a request that the FAA, in considering a license for the spaceport, analyze whether it should be located further from the trail or at another site altogether. The FAA has to consider environmental impact before issuing a commercial spaceport license, and the preservation groups have been expressing concern about the trail for months.
Florida/NASA Grant Program Funds 17 Projects (Source: FSGC)
The Florida/NASA Matching Grants Program will provide over $469,000 in combined NASA and state funding for 17 projects at six institutions statewide. The winning institutions include Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida Institute of Technology, Florida State University, SpaceTEC, University of Central Florida, and University of Florida. The grant-funded projects include spaceport and range technology initiatives, space-based research and payload projects, and space education and workforce development projects. The grant program is administered by the NASA-sponsored Florida Space Grant Consortium and Space Florida.
Embry-Riddle and SpaceTEC Win Space Workforce and Education Grants (Source: ERAU)
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's TeachSpace program, and the NSF-sponsored SpaceTEC consortium, are the recipients of two grants to provide rocketry and high-altitude balloon science workshops to Florida teachers. The projects represent a $35,000 investment in aerospace education/workforce development by NASA, Space Florida, and the two institutions.
Embry-Riddle Hosts Summer Minority Engineering Institute for Teachers (Source: ERAU)
Embry-Riddle will host the 31st annual SECME Summer Institute in Daytona on June 23 through July 1. The Summer Institute will bring together more than 200 educators, administrators, parents, and students at the K-12 levels to receive innovative STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) professional development. “The program’s theme, a Launch Pad for the Next Generation of Explorers, mirrors the focus on aviation and aerospace that has distinguished Embry-Riddle for more than 80 years,” said an ERAU official.
SECME is a pre-college alliance focused on expanding the participation of minorities in engineering. SECME links engineering universities, school systems, and corporate/government investors. The SECME Summer Institute includes an Aviation and Aerospace Academy, a Parent Mini-Academy, and an Education Stakeholders Forum. Among those attending will be National Student Program Mousetrap Car Competition finalists at the middle-school and high-school levels and their chaperones, as well as a representative of the new class of college-bound SECME/ExxonMobil State and Overall Scholars.
Among many other activities, teachers may attend presentations on Engineering the Future and a mini-TeachSpace workshop conducted by Embry-Riddle professors on the topics of Human Factors in Space Exploration and Rocket Propulsion. Besides Embry-Riddle, the SECME Summer Institute is sponsored by the Exxon/Mobil Foundation, Lockheed Martin, John Deere, and Dupont.
Companies Want More European Support for a Space Champion (Source: EuroNews)
A "Space Alliance" partnership between Thales of France and Italy's Finmeccanica has expanded with the recent purchase of Alcatel's stake in Alenia Space and Telespazio, giving the Franco-Italian joint venture has 40% of the European satellite manufacturing market. The venture's chief executive said more support is needed from European governments over crossborder ties. "The goal of this alliance is to create a European space champion at a time when we feel that there's not enough European money being put into this area compared with what the US is spending on space technology."
India's Space School Struggles to Take Off (Source: DNA)
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which is working on a moon mission, is facing a tough challenge on the ground in its endeavour to establish the Indian Institute of Space Science Technology (IIST). ISRO, which has announced the commencement of three courses from the academic year 2007-2008, is yet to find an exclusive faculty and a campus for the IIST. Although ISRO has ambitious plans of setting up an academic township in the scenic hill station of Ponmudi, 50 km from Thiruvananthapuram, the acquisition of land is yet to begin.
SATOP Program Boosts Businesses With NASA Expertise (Source: Florida Today)
Toby McCormick has sold plenty of his nose filters from his store on Merritt Island, while George Woodruff is developing more robotic lifts for the United States military from his shop in Titusville. The two entrepreneurs are among the many small businesses in Brevard County, Florida and around the nation that have developed with help from the Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program, also known as SATOP. The NASA-funded program that started in Brevard County about 12 years ago -- and has since expanded to other states -- provides technical and engineering assistance to businesspeople in need of some expertise to advance their business plans.
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.
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.
June 19 News Items
NM Spaceport Authority to Hear Where Project Stands (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
The New Mexico Spaceport Authority will meet in Las Cruces for an update on the Spaceport America project. The meeting will also feature a presentation on the aerospace and tourism market and a resolution honoring former Lt. Gov. Casey Luna, now a member of the authority. The $198 million project cleared a major hurdle in early April when voters in Doña Ana County approved a tax increase to help fund construction of the facility. The facility is awaiting licensing from the FAA to begin construction. The authority is also working toward finalizing and signing a lease with anchor tenant Virgin Galactic.
NASA Exec Preaches to Colorado Choir (Source: Denver Post)
NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale on Monday outlined the Bush administration's proposed 2008 agency budget of $17.3 billion in a meeting at the Denver Chamber of Commerce. "I'm trying to get people energized, but this meeting was easy - Colorado's already there," Dale said after the meeting at the chamber with representatives from industry, government and education. More than 164,000 Coloradans work in the space business - building satellites for NASA, planning the agency's next trip to the moon and developing instruments to study Earth from space, according to the Colorado Space Coalition, a group composed of business, government and university interests.
Colorado is third, behind California and Florida, in space-related employment, said Elliot Pulham, president of the Colorado Springs-based Space Foundation, a nonprofit promoting space science exploration. Several people attending the chamber meeting told Dale they worried that fewer young people are excited about space exploration and its underpinnings - science, mathematics and engineering. Dale said NASA plans to continue its education programs, worth about $200 million annually, but will begin tracking those programs more carefully.
Eventful Voyage Nearing End - Failures, Repairs, Homemade Tools Made it Exciting (Source: Florida Today)
Wrapping up a mission that had more dramatic than mundane moments, Atlantis will separated from the International Space Station, bound for a Thursday landing at Kennedy Space Center. Passing the final hurdle, Russian computers controlled the space station's orientation for about an hour Monday morning, proving the computers are stable. ISS crews had improvised a repair and helped restore the Russian computer system after a critical failure that was corrected with bypasses of failed circuits. "We faced some adversity together," Atlantis Commander Rick Sturckow said. "But the problems were overcome and the mission was a success.
SpaceDev Dream Chaser Could Provide Crew Launch and Cargo Transport (Source: MarketWire)
SpaceDev has signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA to facilitate its development of reliable, safe and affordable transportation of passengers and cargo to and from Earth orbit. Under the Agreement, NASA will provide information about the agency's projected commercial demand for crew and cargo services to the International Space Station (ISS) as well as technical support regarding commercial vehicle requirements for rendezvous and docking with the ISS. NASA will also provide inputs to the development program through regularly scheduled technical exchange.
"This Agreement will allow us to work closely with NASA to share data, concepts and updates on our program's progress. Having a continuous interchange with NASA will help accelerate our ability to make strides to meet our country and industry's near and long term needs for space transport. We are committed to the use of the NASA Langley derived HL-20 as the foundation of our space transport program."
NASA Signs Agreement with CSI (Source: CSI)
Constellation Services International (CSI) has signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA to facilitate the development of CSI's low-risk LEO Express space cargo system. NASA will provide information about the agency's projected demand for cargo services to the Space Station, as well as requirements regarding rendezvous and docking with the ISS.
CSI has invested over six years and several million dollars developing a commercial space station cargo services that uses 100% proven off-the-shelf technology. LEO Express can use over a dozen existing launch vehicles, plus most of the new launch vehicles being developed by private industry.
The New Mexico Spaceport Authority will meet in Las Cruces for an update on the Spaceport America project. The meeting will also feature a presentation on the aerospace and tourism market and a resolution honoring former Lt. Gov. Casey Luna, now a member of the authority. The $198 million project cleared a major hurdle in early April when voters in Doña Ana County approved a tax increase to help fund construction of the facility. The facility is awaiting licensing from the FAA to begin construction. The authority is also working toward finalizing and signing a lease with anchor tenant Virgin Galactic.
NASA Exec Preaches to Colorado Choir (Source: Denver Post)
NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale on Monday outlined the Bush administration's proposed 2008 agency budget of $17.3 billion in a meeting at the Denver Chamber of Commerce. "I'm trying to get people energized, but this meeting was easy - Colorado's already there," Dale said after the meeting at the chamber with representatives from industry, government and education. More than 164,000 Coloradans work in the space business - building satellites for NASA, planning the agency's next trip to the moon and developing instruments to study Earth from space, according to the Colorado Space Coalition, a group composed of business, government and university interests.
Colorado is third, behind California and Florida, in space-related employment, said Elliot Pulham, president of the Colorado Springs-based Space Foundation, a nonprofit promoting space science exploration. Several people attending the chamber meeting told Dale they worried that fewer young people are excited about space exploration and its underpinnings - science, mathematics and engineering. Dale said NASA plans to continue its education programs, worth about $200 million annually, but will begin tracking those programs more carefully.
Eventful Voyage Nearing End - Failures, Repairs, Homemade Tools Made it Exciting (Source: Florida Today)
Wrapping up a mission that had more dramatic than mundane moments, Atlantis will separated from the International Space Station, bound for a Thursday landing at Kennedy Space Center. Passing the final hurdle, Russian computers controlled the space station's orientation for about an hour Monday morning, proving the computers are stable. ISS crews had improvised a repair and helped restore the Russian computer system after a critical failure that was corrected with bypasses of failed circuits. "We faced some adversity together," Atlantis Commander Rick Sturckow said. "But the problems were overcome and the mission was a success.
SpaceDev Dream Chaser Could Provide Crew Launch and Cargo Transport (Source: MarketWire)
SpaceDev has signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA to facilitate its development of reliable, safe and affordable transportation of passengers and cargo to and from Earth orbit. Under the Agreement, NASA will provide information about the agency's projected commercial demand for crew and cargo services to the International Space Station (ISS) as well as technical support regarding commercial vehicle requirements for rendezvous and docking with the ISS. NASA will also provide inputs to the development program through regularly scheduled technical exchange.
"This Agreement will allow us to work closely with NASA to share data, concepts and updates on our program's progress. Having a continuous interchange with NASA will help accelerate our ability to make strides to meet our country and industry's near and long term needs for space transport. We are committed to the use of the NASA Langley derived HL-20 as the foundation of our space transport program."
NASA Signs Agreement with CSI (Source: CSI)
Constellation Services International (CSI) has signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA to facilitate the development of CSI's low-risk LEO Express space cargo system. NASA will provide information about the agency's projected demand for cargo services to the Space Station, as well as requirements regarding rendezvous and docking with the ISS.
CSI has invested over six years and several million dollars developing a commercial space station cargo services that uses 100% proven off-the-shelf technology. LEO Express can use over a dozen existing launch vehicles, plus most of the new launch vehicles being developed by private industry.
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